Kredal[TK] Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 OK, stating right up front for the record: this is not going to be a massive 20-page, 100% accurate, super realistic, moving parts (well, except for one) build. I'm making a blaster to the level that I feel comfortable trooping with, that I wouldn't be crushed if something happened to it, but also to the point that anyone looking at it would say "hey, that's better than a Hasbro toy gun." With that caveat out of the way... Step 0: Get yourself a flexible arm for your Dremel, and the most genius idea ever, a sewing machine foot pedal! The foot pedal has two cords coming off it. One plugs into the wall, and the other has an outlet that you can plug your Dremel into. Do that, and turn on your Dremel all the way, and then as you press your foot on the pedal harder, it spins faster. Take your foot off, and it stops. Never have to fumble around with the speed switch or anything like that ever again. Saw that setup at a sewing machine repair shop, guy had his multitool set up to a foot switch, and I was like "HEY!" Alright, take all the parts out of the box, inventory, wash with soapy water, and then get to sanding. I used 160 grit sandpaper for this first step, removing flashing, extra resin, all that fun stuff. Then I basically started attacking parts at random. Bottom holes in the barrel: A 3/8 inch drill gets it almost all the way there. I may clean it up with the Dremel later, but since they're all covered by the stock, no biggy. Free/Lock screw: Using EJay's kit as a guide, I drilled out the molded in screw head, then drilled straight down enough for a little bit of the screw's shaft. Bolt at the bottom of the grip: Used an appropriate-sized drill bit to take out the molded in bolt, then drilled enough for the shaft of the bolt, and dropped in the replacement. No glue needed here, it's tight like a tiger. (and out of focus, sorry) Gazmosis's magazine: Cut off the last inch of magazine, then trimmed around the inside of the magwell until it fit together, down to the cutouts. Front sight: I Dremeled out the side windows. I'll stick a flattened screw in the middle later for the actual sight pin. \\ Trigger: The one moving part (well, other than the D-ring, I guess).. Fit the trigger in, penciled where it fits in its well, then transferred that mark to the outside. Drilled with a 1/16th bit through both at the very top of the trigger... Took it out, found a sacrificial ballpoint pen, measured the spring, and drilled a hole at the bottom of the trigger into the grip long enough for about 2/3 of the spring, so the rest would compress. It does the thing! So yeah, that's where I'm at. Also vacuumed 17 lbs of resin dust, because man, that goes everywhere! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justjoseph63[Staff] Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 Looking great, Josh, and brilliant idea with the foot pedal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Jay[TK] Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 (edited) Hey Josh, nice to see you've started a build thread. Good choice with that magazine from Steve. Love them. Can you show a picture of that foot pedal? Sounds very cool... Yeah, you should definitely wear some respiratory protection while sanding resin parts. Edited July 24, 2015 by T-Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandtrooper[501st] Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 Interested in reading more about the foot pedal also. Does it work with all multi-speed Dremels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dday[501st] Posted July 24, 2015 Report Share Posted July 24, 2015 (edited) I'm pretty sure you mean T-Jay You will need to PM a site admin to update the thread title. Edited July 24, 2015 by Dday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kredal[TK] Posted July 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Yeah, I got T-Jay's name wrong. The 80% accuracy started in the topic. (: So the foot pedal: All it does is control the voltage getting to the tool. Any motor that runs off AC can be slowed down by it, it doesn't have to be a Dremel, and it doesn't have to be variable speed itself. This is an older version, it was given to me by the sewing machine repairman since I was so excited by the prospect of a foot controlled Dremel. (: (Also, the fact that we were commissioning hundreds of dollars of service probably didn't hurt.) The extra arm on top of the pedal is so you can mount it under your workbench and operate it with a knee. I plan on drilling out the rivet holding it on, since I don't sit down to work in the garage. This is how it works. The sweeper arm moves as you press down on the pedal, and the further along it gets, the less resistance coils the electricity has to go through, until it's a straight shot, and full speed. One end of the plug goes to the wall, the other end goes to the pedal. In the middle are two outlets. One always has full power, it's for a light or something. The other is controlled by the foot pedal, you can plug in any tool you want there. Here is the same thing, but slightly newer: http://www.sewingmachinesplus.com/FC-143_cord.php Totally worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kredal[TK] Posted July 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 OK, back to the build. I put a pin in the grip and mounted the selector switch with glue, locked in the R for Repeating position. You never see a Stormtrooper firing in full auto, and safe is boring. (: I drilled out the folding stock... Don't worry, I cleaned it up with a file after I took this picture. I made sure to keep the illusion that the other piece of the stock is visible in it. I added pins to where the folding stock mounts, and drilled holes in it so they would hold on. Gives something besides glue to keep the connection stable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kredal[TK] Posted July 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 After that, I kind of stopped taking pictures, and kept working like a madman. I drilled out the counter, and added the number wheels from a hand counter, and drilled out the scope front and back and added lenses from a monocle. Both additions courtesy of Twnbrother's wonderful build thread. I wrapped the steel wire around a half-inch pvc pipe to make the buffer spring. Perfect size! Then I gave everything another wash, to get off the resin dust. Dried everything, and started gluing! I used superglue for everything, very thin coat, and hold and press for a 30-count. I painted the whole stock and body and everything with Testors metallic black paint, gave it a couple good coats. Once that was dry, I used the edge of a brush with a tiny amount of silver paint, and brushed that along edges to give the impression that it was showing through the black paint. I did the same thing with the scope, but using brass paint. I'll give the scope rail and things until tomorrow to dry completely before screwing everything together and finishing the blaster. I know, not much of a build thread, sorry. I'm going over to a friend's house tomorrow to take the Garrison acceptance pictures, and wanted to be able to take the EI and Centurion pictures at the same time, so I NEEDED a blaster. So yeah. Now I have one. (: I'll get some better pictures tomorrow once it's all dry, and I can actually pick it up. (: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Jay[TK] Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Very cool foot pedal, exactly what I had in mind. Wow, a huge build progress for one update Hard to say on the photos with the wet paint, but it looks like you've weathered the T-tracks with silver. These should be flat black, as the originals were plastic parts. Any plans to give that inner bolt a dirty washing? Looks very shiny at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kredal[TK] Posted July 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Ah, I did weather the T Tracks. I'll un-weather them. (: I can dirty up the bolt some. That picture is pure metallic silver. A wash of thinned black should do the trick. Thanks for the feedback! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sly11[Admin] Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Looking good. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kredal[TK] Posted July 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 And it's done! (For some value of done) Put a quick clearcoat on it, that's why it's hanging by the D-ring. Good chance to take a few pictures though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Jay[TK] Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Is the bayonet lug missing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kredal[TK] Posted July 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Is the bayonet lug missing? Um. 79%! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kredal[TK] Posted July 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 There's a bayonet lug there. There's always been a bayonet lug there. (We've always been at war with Eurasia) (sanded down to the resin where it goes, superglued, and painted) Also, when I was sanding, the word "lug" appeared in the paint. I wondered why there was a gap in the holes there. It all makes sense now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlesnarles Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 So fast! Looks pretty good, and you can always come back to it later for touch-ups Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrawn's guard Posted July 25, 2015 Report Share Posted July 25, 2015 Nice work on the blaster Josh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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