ZeroRoom[TK] Posted March 19, 2012 Author Report Posted March 19, 2012 Well the morning sun is here and as promised it brings with some pics of the completed folding stock: The front end: The butt and fully open stock: The catch retracts as the butt is opened: It's a little hard to see in this pic as it only retracts by about 4mm but that's enough to unhook it like so - Once I have this set into the rear hinge there's so little left to do! 1. Rear clip 2. Andy PlayfulWolfCub's suggested chipping weathering 3. Slight paint touch ups 4. End Cap lugs 5. Selector Switch Screw I think that's pretty much it and my base Sterling is done and ready for E-11 conversion! Quote
MartinSivertsen[501st] Posted March 19, 2012 Report Posted March 19, 2012 What an amazing workload! Super impressed with with the results, can't wait to see it finished Quote
TK1636[TK] Posted March 19, 2012 Report Posted March 19, 2012 Wow i am going to have to do this to my scratch built, i love how you made the folding stock lock into the barrel. I am going to have to modify my folding stock the same way. Very impressive Two thumbs up! Quote
ZeroRoom[TK] Posted March 25, 2012 Author Report Posted March 25, 2012 Thanks for all the kind words and encouragement guys! It really makes all the time taken post worth it when you know people are getting something out of it THE LITTLE DETAILS Today was a day for finishing all those little details that round the whole thing off. First I mounted the folding stock to the main body of the gun and let it set: Then I needed something to use for the small dome type shapes that that are the real ends of the hinge pins on a Sterling. After staring at it for a bit I thought "What better than common old thumb tacks?" So I nabbed some from the pin up board, painted them black and secured them in place: I also needed the small domed screw that fits into the grip and operates as the safety. I was hoping I could just pick some up at the hardware store but it seems domed, flat head screws aren't so easy to find these days - at least not for me. They all seem to have a sort of semi-dome (like the top of an AM helmet.) And besides - only one side is a flat head screw. The other is just a dome. As luck (or fate) would have it I stumbled across the old board game Mastermind in my shed which just so happens to use game pieces that look like this: How's that for perfect? Well not quite... the domes were a little too high - more of a half sphere. So I had to come up with a way to grind the domes down. I took the chuck out of my dremel and jammed each dome in the chuck hole, turned the dremel on and just held a sanding disc to the underneath of the dome. After that I used a small hand hacksaw to cut a screw slot in the top of one of the domes and took really blurry photo of it for y'all. Both sides fitted to perfection, so I glued them securely: While I had the glue out I instead my phoney laser cut hex bolts. Two in the muzz;e: and one in the base of the grip: RETURN OF THE SELECTOR SWITCH Something that had been bugging me this whole time was that my selector switch was glued fast and therefor static. It was grinding on me that the bolt could weenie and fire (well it could after Andy suggested oiling it with sue WD-40) and my folding stock was accurate and functional but the selector switch was a big phoney.. so I pulled it out and came up with another idea... I drilled a small hole in the underside of the switch based and glued a small rare earth magnet in place of the little stalk that connects the selector switch to the trigger assembly: A matching magnet fixed into the hole in the trigger group and I had a set up that held the switch tight but still allowed it to rotate freely. Now I'll be able to sleep at night again... Quote
ZeroRoom[TK] Posted March 25, 2012 Author Report Posted March 25, 2012 THE END CAP RELEASE CATCH The last touch needed to complete the Sterling part of my build was the end cap release catch. It's clear int Guns Of Dagenham that the catch is sprung with a simple folded metal spring rather than an actual spiral spring. A nearby construction site supplied me with that thin black metal stripping they use to tie up large bundles of bricks. I trimmed it to shape and size and bent it in a peg shape. It had a nice spring to it so I went ahead and glued it in place: I grabbed a nail with the right diameter and trimmed it into two tiny hinge pegs, which held the laser cut catch part in place: It sprung up and down with a stiff push, as it should: It doesn't actually perform the function of caching or releasing the end cap as it does on a real Sterling - but it looks like does I did a few spots of touch up painting and took few shots while it was drying on various sides. I'll break out my real camera and take some better ones in a bit but meanwhile: Meanwhile I'm off to shoot a quick video of the moving parts in action for those who requested it - back shortly Quote
sskunky Posted March 25, 2012 Report Posted March 25, 2012 This is amazing Lucas! We really should get the kits done this is by far the most accurate build so far. Quote
Arnie_DK[TK] Posted March 25, 2012 Report Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) Simply amazing, and what an eye for detail!! Thats also why I will come with just a tiny bit of nitpicking. As far as I know, The screw you used for the grip, is not the safety. This screw, locks and unlocks the grip, and on a real sterling, your grip would fall off right now, as its in the free position. The real safety is a part of your selector switch. The selector groups on the sterling shows, from left to right: A=automatic. R=Repetition. S=safe. But I must agree with skunky. This is by far the most acurate scratch built sterling, I have EVER seen!!! EDIT: And should you ever make this as a kit, I'd definetly buy one Edited March 25, 2012 by Arnie_DK Quote
Locitus[Admin] Posted March 25, 2012 Report Posted March 25, 2012 Most awesome scratch build I've ever seen! Quote
Locitus[Admin] Posted March 25, 2012 Report Posted March 25, 2012 I'm also taking the liberty of making this a sticky topic. This thread is to E-11's as Pandatroopers ATA helmet thread is to helmets. Quote
sskunky Posted March 25, 2012 Report Posted March 25, 2012 I was thinking that we could get the parts laser cut in a metalic silver acrylic. Then if it got dinged it wouldn't matter. Quote
Arnie_DK[TK] Posted March 25, 2012 Report Posted March 25, 2012 I was thinking that we could get the parts laser cut in a metalic silver acrylic. Then if it got dinged it wouldn't matter. Sounds like a great idea Quote
PlayfulWolfCub Posted March 25, 2012 Report Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) Stunning! & I totally agree with SSkunky, I'm sure there's a paying market for this kit! The selector switch solution is genius! But I know you love it when I point out tiny inaccuracies so... The Mastermind domed screw looks brilliant but it isn't the safety - it holds the trigger group in place so should be in the LOCK position (EDIT: just seen that Arnie already caught this) The muzzle screw hex holes are slightly too large (I've mentioned this before & given you dimensions which I'm sure you still have if you wanted to alter them) The thumb tack stock hinge covers look great but are slightly too large In the last photos the stock is sitting slightly low at the muzzle end. Is it locked in place? Teeny tiny nitpicks in an absolutely stunning build! Very glad it's been Stickied & I've got plenty of popcorn left ready for your E11 conversion story! Edited March 25, 2012 by PlayfulWolfCub Quote
ZeroRoom[TK] Posted March 25, 2012 Author Report Posted March 25, 2012 Wow! You go to try to shoot a quick bit of video and your thread grows a page! Thanks guys The good news is I know the build is sturdy - I dropped it from waist height like a klutz while trying to adjust my tripod, and it survived (I almost didn't) The only 'damage' was a slight chip to the gloss paint on the grip. Once the touch up dries I'm going to give it a clear coat for protection. @ Mark - I love the silver acrylic idea - I still need the acrylic sheet sizes @ Mathias - I take the comparison to Pandatrooper's threads as the HIGHEST compliment! At least I know you'll be pleased your holster is housing this gun. @ Morten and Andy - What a screw up! For some reason I had in my head that A, R & S were Automatic, Repeat (3 shots) and Single Shot with the lock screw therefor being the safety. I better go back and re-read the GofD to see what other stupidly obvious things I missed! It's glued fast now so I guess if anyone asks I'll just tell them it's a deliberate statement about liberty @ Andy - Would you believe I had two sizes of thumb tacks to choose from one which was about 2mm smaller in diameter than the other and I went with the larger! Wrong choice! I think I can prize these off though and replace them. The stock is sitting slightly low in the last photo. That's because some paint touch ups were drying so I hadn't pushed the 'pimples' up as tight as they can go. To sit flush it needs to be fully shut or the strut will weigh down and pull the stock lower than it should sit. I'm going to download this video now and see if it worked... Quote
TK bondservnt[501st] Posted March 25, 2012 Report Posted March 25, 2012 I think I made that holster? Quote
PlayfulWolfCub Posted March 25, 2012 Report Posted March 25, 2012 I had in my head that A, R & S were Automatic, Repeat (3 shots) and Single Shot with the lock screw therefor being the safety. I thought exactly the same thing till I had one to play with! ...& rest easy, there isn't much you've not got spot on! The stock hinge circles are 9.5mm wide and 2mm deep. (Their shape is actually a 1mm dome sitting on a 1mm cylinder but a domed thumb tack of roughly that depth will be probably be close enough) Glad to hear that oiling the bolt worked by the way! Looking forward to the vid! Quote
Locitus[Admin] Posted March 25, 2012 Report Posted March 25, 2012 @Lucas: You've earned it! No doubt! @Vern: Yes, it is one of your old holsters. I gave it to Lucas after you gave me an upgrade. Quote
ZeroRoom[TK] Posted March 25, 2012 Author Report Posted March 25, 2012 My apologies - I meant to say it was Vern's holster by make Mathias' by giving! Quote
TK bondservnt[501st] Posted March 25, 2012 Report Posted March 25, 2012 this is such an awesome work of passion and art! please put all the plans you have into one zip file? how about the 3d plans and files too? Quote
ZeroRoom[TK] Posted March 25, 2012 Author Report Posted March 25, 2012 this is such an awesome work of passion and art! please put all the plans you have into one zip file? how about the 3d plans and files too? Thanks Vern! Now that I've assessed all the necessary tweaks I'll be posting the finished templates from "The Best Sterling Templates Ever?" thread soon. I've also got a bunch of cool stuff from the G of D I've been meaning to post too, so I'll catch that up too. Alas there re no 3D files. Those 3D illustrations I did in the templates are just that - illustrations Quote
TK bondservnt[501st] Posted March 25, 2012 Report Posted March 25, 2012 well, does the lazer cutter work just from those files? Quote
ZeroRoom[TK] Posted March 27, 2012 Author Report Posted March 27, 2012 Sorry for the delay in getting the video up guys I'll be posting it soon(ish)... Quote
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