The Best Sterling Templates EVER!

[naatsirhc[TK]]

Wow! just read this thread for the first time. Thank you all for providing such great information! Many questions have been answered.

Awsome job, really some great team work happened here. Thanks again

Look forward to some DIY T-track info

[ZeroRoom[TK]]

@ Sam - That's just too weird a coincidence

 

@ Mark - thanks for that! As always you're a scholar and a gentleman.

 

So I've (finally) completed the Mag Housing template. I went with providing the full folding template rather than 'slabs', and it's been measured and engineered to work with a 2mm thick substrate.

 

 

What do people think re: long or short magazine? Go the long, for accuracy, and leave the length option to the builder? Assume that most people using this will be building E-11's and just go short? Let us know!

[ZeroRoom[TK]]

There's a couple of question I put out for opinions on I haven't got answers back for yet. Just bumping them so I can get the lay of the land before I go further.

 

First One:

On 9/9/2011 at 12:44 PM, ZeroRoom said:

If I take the muzzle dimensions and scale them up for a 40mm OD pipe I can do two things.

 

If I scale the muzzle base up and leave the rest of the dimensions accurate it will look like this:

 

 

If I scale the whole kit and caboodle to keep the dimensions relative, it will look like this:

 

 

Which would 40mm pipe builders prefer?

 

 

And second one:

On 9/24/2011 at 12:29 PM, ZeroRoom said:

 

What do people think re: long or short magazine? Go the long, for accuracy, and leave the length option to the builder? Assume that most people using this will be building E-11's and just go short? Let us know!

[geordietrooper]

muzzle dimensions

Which would 40mm pipe builders prefer?

option two for me

[ZeroRoom[TK]]

Thanks Rob. C'mon people - these two aren't questions for the experts, we need everyone's opinion!

[seantrooper[TK]]

I like the second option. Makes things a little more in proportion

[TKCaleb]

This thread is epic! Thank you for all you are doing! Keep up the great work!

 

 

Caleb

[ZeroRoom[TK]]

OK Ladies and Gentlemen we finally have the finished templates and blueprints for the folding stock. I'm going to say right out of the gate - these templates are NOT for a fully functional folding stock, but you can trust my nervous breakdown that I've busted a hump to get these dims as spot on as can be expected for an accurate appearance. In fact I'd go so far as to say that with a little ingenuity and some mechanical skill you could actually make a folding stock if you tweaked and customised these plans. If you assembled it with rivets it would certainly fold - just not in a spring loaded way like the real thing.

 

So why have I done it this way? I realised after a long while that as accurate as I could be in the computer I was never going to get something as fiddly and mechanical as the spring mechanism to work without actually building a real practical model. I haven't given up, and I do intend to do this but let's call these plans version1.0 and get something accurate and useable out there.

 

The other consideration was that this had to be buildable by your average trooper who is not a machine smith or watch maker. Things like press fit bearing rails are beyond the capabilities of most backyard prop makers so I've left the actual assembly method up the individual. These dimensions are hyper accurate but will work for a simple glue job static stock all the way to an actionable folding stock if you have the skills. One thing I can guarantee - it will look like the real deal.

 

By the way Lichtbringer - your dims were so accurate (to two decimal places) that I rounded some to 1 decimal place just to make it a tad easier for the home builder to pull off.

 

Also - not all parts of the stock can be templated as such (the tube inside for example) for these parts I have provided diagrams and dimensions for use in conjubction with the templates.

 

The folding stock blueprints are in two parts. The various assembly parts and fiddly bits:

 

 

And the arms:

 

 

 

You can see by this exploded diagram illustration I've been drawing as each part is completed that we only have the end cap, magazine and grip exterior left to do now! Woo Hoo!

 

[sskunky]

Looking good, I love the exploded view!

[Lichtbringer]

Hi Lucas.

 

We just deliver dims - but you are doing all the work. Thanks for that.

[ZeroRoom[TK]]

Looking good, I love the exploded view!

We just deliver dims - but you are doing all the work. Thanks for that.

 

Thanks guys

 

Had a moment to do some work on the mag today. I thought this would be the easy bit but those curves were a challenge.

 

Will try to get finished in the wee hours tonight and post up

 

[ZeroRoom[TK]]

Ok guys - serious computer problems are hashing up my progress, but I've got the mag dims and templates down at least.

Except for the mag catch:

Can anyone help me with dims for this?

I know most E-11's are cut at the far end but I'd like to offer builders the choice by just templating up a stock magazine and letting them decide where to chop it...

[ZeroRoom[TK]]

Update time! Being seriously hampered by computer issues at the moment - but I've gotten her to stay alive long enough to post up the work on the magazine. I was hoping to be done on the exterior by now but of course Murphy's law applies times ten when it comes to technology...

 

 

 

 

We're almost there guys - don't fizzle out on the feedback now!

[The Phantom[TK]]

Just stumbled onto this...WOW...amazing work...thanks everyone

[stormtrooperguy[501st]]

I can check to see if that part is in tact on either of mine. I've got a converted sterling and a cut down kit at home... one of them might still have the part, and I did just buy some shiny new digital calipers

[ZeroRoom[TK]]

On 10/11/2011 at 5:05 AM, stormtrooperguy said:

I can check to see if that part is in tact on either of mine. I've got a converted sterling and a cut down kit at home... one of them might still have the part, and I did just buy some shiny new digital calipers

That would be awesome Brian!

 

Well guys I did a little experiment and got some parts laser cut using the templates.

 

 

Check out all the rainbow coloured goodness! Hasbro would be proud! The reason for all these wacky colours is that I lecture one day a week at the university here and a friend of mine runs their laser cutter and let me use it for free. It just meant I had to rely on whatever scrap plastics were lying around in the thicknesses I needed, so the colours of the parts are different depending on the thickness of that part.

 

The laser cutter is great - it will run right off the PDF files of the templates and basically cuts sheets of plastic like an inkjet printer prints paper. Here it is in action:

 

 

The cutting laser looks pretty Star Wars doesn't it?

 

When it's done you just pop the parts out:

 

(it looks like wood in this photo but that's actually the protective paper on this piece of plastic)

 

Here's some of the parts that are already in black plastic. I had both styles of trigger done:

 

 

You can see here how well the no-functional trigger fits into a resin grip casting - no glue here just a perfect fit:

 

 

You can also see what an accuracy of fitting the laser cutter gives you in the parts you cut yourself. If the folding stock was open it would sit like this:

 

 

And look at the level of detail it will cut: (excuse dirty fingernails!)

 

 

rear sight assembly test:

 

 

What's even cooler is that the laser cutter doesn't just cut it engraves too! Which meant I was able to get that waffle texture on the relevant parts. It's a little hard to see in the photos but you can get a decent idea:

 

Selector Switch:

 

Stock Clip:

 

The laser cutter cuts very sharp edges so some pieces like the trigger will need sanding down to give that bevelled curve, but other than that it's good to go without you having to do much of anything! Plus you get an accuracy you'd be hard pressed to achieve by hand. I'm loving it!

[seantrooper[TK]]

Awesome!!!

[Locitus[Admin]]

That is very cool! How many watts is the laser at? Maybe it's possible to make it yourself if you're handy. I've seen people build their own 3D-printers.

[ZeroRoom[TK]]

The laser wattage is completely adjustable depending on the material you're cutting (plastic, paper, wood etc).

Alas I didn't pay attention to the exact setting for these thicknesses of plastic when the operator set them but I can certainly ask him. It also has a specific software program to turn the vector lines into cutting lines so I don't know what impact that would have on a DIY job - but as you say people do build their own 3-D printers and CNC machines so it's possible. John Garrett here on the boards has been building a CNC machine - we should see what he thinks. Man it would be cool to own one of these!

[Locitus[Admin]]

For those in doubt: -----------

More on the same stuff, some company wants to make a 3D-printer for kids priced at 800 USD. So that's fairly affordable and I'm pretty sure you can make some cool stuff with that.

http://singularityhub.com/2011/10/12/origos-3d-printer-could-be-the-last-toy-your-ten-year-old-will-ever-need/

 

The principle for a laser-cutter should be the same I guess, but simpler as it would only be 2D.

Edited December 6, 2020 by gmrhodes13
link not working, removed gmrhodes13 2020

[ZeroRoom[TK]]

Hey Locitus, you got me thinking - check this out:

 

http://www.buildlog.net/cnc_laser/index.php

[Locitus[Admin]]

That is awesome!

[ZeroRoom[TK]]

End Cap done. I actually thought the BBC plans were pretty good on the end cap until I got on to this. Turns out they're way off! (Well depending on how you define way...)

 

Literally one thing left and we're done! (I am gonna miss this thread when it's over though )

 

-----------

Edited December 6, 2020 by gmrhodes13
link not working, removed gmrhodes13 2020

[Turrican]

That's great!! if you should ever offer a set of these parts count me in.

[Flanks[TK]]

Wow, this is a truly fantastic thread. I wish I had the skills / equipment to fabricate something like this. I wonder what something like this would cost to get fabricated at a local machine shop if they would entertain an endeavor like this...