usaeatt2 Posted February 27, 2014 Report Posted February 27, 2014 Nice! Trust me everyone, you can truly hear the joy when Army guys are running and singing! I say singing for lack of a better word, but there's much more to it than that. Tim, is there a word or a phrase for it? I'm right there with you on your description of places...I chalk it up to experience. Good or bad, it's still experience, and that makes you a better person. Sort of why I found my way here - I love the movies and I love the characters, so I'm taking my experience to the next level. My kit is on the way here from England, so I have to live vicariously through your posts til it arrives. One of the areas I thought could stand a huge improvement is EXACTLY what you posted tonight. This tells me I must be on the right track... My best friend is a sound engineer and he also does video and lighting. I help him build sets on the side and I'm always blown away by the overall improvement made from proper lighting. Light and shadow work together to create realism. The "cuts" you made may not look like much, but I think they'll cast some shadow to achieve the desired effect. I recently did a project that perfectly illustrates your concept. Totally off topic, so delete if it's distracting. We throw a huge "themed" Christmas party every year. Last year's theme was Hawaiian Christmas. For decoration, I carved an 8 foot tall Tiki out of stryofoam house insulation glued together with Great Stuff foam. The biggest cuts were only about an inch and a half deep but the lighting makes them look much more dramatic. The shadows totally sell the piece. Picture attached (first time I've ever tried to upload a picture here, so I hope it works). Same effect you're going for on your E-11 stock. Awesome work. Nerves of steel with the cutting tool, for sure! A light coat of paint should really set it off the way you intend, as long as the shallow cuts don't get filled in the process. And if you need to punch it up just a tad more, you might be able to dry brush a slightly darker black into those areas for contrast...like "shadow weathering". Can't wait for the next post!!! Inspiring work, Tim! Quote
usaeatt2 Posted February 27, 2014 Report Posted February 27, 2014 Well, first picture post accomplished...but MUCH bigger than intended. I was thinking thumbnail size... Didn't mean to highjack your wonderful thread with a HUGE off-topic picture. Quote
hairball[501st] Posted February 27, 2014 Report Posted February 27, 2014 Love what you are doing, TIm. You have an eye for details. Quote
gazmosis[501st] Posted February 28, 2014 Report Posted February 28, 2014 Love this so far! Great work! Quote
Dark PWF[Staff] Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Posted February 28, 2014 Thanks, everyone! Yes, Aaron - I believe you get what I'm hoping to achieve with those relatively minor cuts. I expect to be mixing epoxy this weekend, after a very small bit of grinding. I'll probably be doing some research into using the epoxy as I've never done so, and I want to make sure that I use enough that it will be solid without causing it to seep out of the seams all over the place. Wish me luck, watch for pictures! Quote
Dark PWF[Staff] Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Posted March 1, 2014 Okay. Day 14 complete! Not a LONG night of work on the E-11 tonight, but man... Progress! Tonight, I built my front sight post. Fixed the pattern on the front sight aperture. Did the cross-hatching for just about all of the glue points. Correction, I did the cross-hatching for all of the glue points that were used tonight. That's right. I glued things together tonight. All of that up there = roughly 85 pictures, so I'll see which ones make the grade, and post them here sometime this weekend. Of course, Day 15 will also be happening this weekend, but it will be a little more glue, I believe. D Quote
usaeatt2 Posted March 1, 2014 Report Posted March 1, 2014 Excellent! <rubbing hands together> We're supposed to be getting another 6" of snow tomorrow, so hopefully there will be some good reading material by the end of the weekend! Looking forward to seeing the transformation unfold! Quote
Dark PWF[Staff] Posted March 1, 2014 Author Report Posted March 1, 2014 (edited) Pics or it didn't happen!! Well played, good sir! EDIT: Pictures have been uploaded to photobucket. 76 of them, I believe. I'll get to work moving them this way some time in the relatively near future. Edited March 1, 2014 by Dark CMF Quote
Dark PWF[Staff] Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Posted March 2, 2014 (edited) Okay. I don't expect to finish all of these in this sitting, but I'm going to start uploading pictures. If for no other reason, just to quiet Steve. This is where we begin tonight. A Doopydoos E-11 kit that is test fitted with pins, a box of parts, some two-part epoxy, and some E6000. This is the two part epoxy. The clear side is the epoxy/resin, and the yellow part is the hardener. If you've never used this before, you should stand it like this for a few minutes to allow any air in the tubes to rise to the top so that you can ensure an even mix of the two parts when you start using it. Of course, I got ready to do some grinding on the front sight aperture and realized that I can't glue it to anything because I don't have a front sight post yet. I had been considering using some ABS as Germain had suggested early on in my thread, but I still had this nail sitting here, and I really wanted to take a crack at doing this, because I'm starting to get more comfortable with the rotary tool and the techniques available to me while using it. In order to keep it from falling out of my hands or anything worse - I've managed to bleed twice already using a drill after all - I put the nail into a set of vice grips. After a test fit in the sight aperture, I marked the spot to cut the nail with a pencil and used the cutting wheel to cut it to size. My first order of business was to put the slant of the top of the post there at the "top" of the nail. After getting the top cut to shape, I took the shape of the grinding/cutting wheel and used it to grind the nail into a sight post by grinding down both sides of it. A look at it with both sides underway. One more time on this side, to get it closer to the shape that I want it to have. And the other side after another grind. A couple of pictures of the test fit now... Very happy with how it looks! Switching over to a grinding wheel, I need to countersink the nail head a bit in order to be able to glue it in place on the barrel. Grinding - WIP. Still needs to be a little bit lower in order to fit. A little more grinding, and a much better fit. I'm going to pause now to celebrate Patrick Kane making a beautiful pass to Kris Versteeg against Pittsburgh in the Stadium Series in Soldier Field, Chicago. Queue the Dagger! (Also, that's the last picture of that bit of work, so I'm going to post it before I lose it somehow.) Edited March 2, 2014 by Dark CMF Quote
usaeatt2 Posted March 2, 2014 Report Posted March 2, 2014 Beautiful! You're an ARTIST with the dremel tool! My initial thought would be to rough shape the nail on a bench grinder and use a file to shape the shoulders just right, but you managed it with vice grips and a dremel. I imagine a better sight line using the dremel, but how do you hold everything so you can see you're taking the same amount off both sides? Lacking a bench vise, I'm guessing something like pinching the vise grips between your knees so you can use both hands to steady the dremel against something so small. However you did it, I'd say it's a rousing victory! Quote
gazmosis[501st] Posted March 2, 2014 Report Posted March 2, 2014 Now you are gonna make me re shape my sight. Darn you doing it all correct n stuff. Quote
Dark PWF[Staff] Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Posted March 2, 2014 (edited) Now you are gonna make me re shape my sight. Darn you doing it all correct n stuff. Maybe you have higher standards than I do. I really love what you're building right now, but I'm not about to drill out the inner barrel to fit the bolt more accurately. LoL. Edited March 2, 2014 by Dark CMF Quote
Dark PWF[Staff] Posted March 2, 2014 Author Report Posted March 2, 2014 (edited) Beautiful! You're an ARTIST with the dremel tool! My initial thought would be to rough shape the nail on a bench grinder and use a file to shape the shoulders just right, but you managed it with vice grips and a dremel. I imagine a better sight line using the dremel, but how do you hold everything so you can see you're taking the same amount off both sides? Lacking a bench vise, I'm guessing something like pinching the vise grips between your knees so you can use both hands to steady the dremel against something so small. However you did it, I'd say it's a rousing victory! Left hand vice grips, right hand rotary tool. Left foot, green! I wear my safety glasses, make sure that the wheel is spinning any debris downward, away from my face, and I get far closer than OSHA would probably allow me to do in any factory. Edited March 2, 2014 by Dark CMF Quote
Dark PWF[Staff] Posted March 3, 2014 Author Report Posted March 3, 2014 (edited) So, now that the weekend (and the hockey game, and The Walking Dead) are over, I'll "un-pause" the build thread and get back to posting pictures - so Steve believes. After grinding up the front sight stuff, I switched back to the fine point tool in order to do the crosshatching of all of the glue points on the parts. I started with the bayonet lug, as it is a small piece that I figured would be easy to glue into place. This nice smooth surface needs to be roughed up, to assist with the epoxy bonding process. All roughed up and ready for assembly! The big piece... (Well, one of them anyways) The pistol grip glue location needs some love. To the rotary tool I go... So I roughed it up a bit. Shouldn't have any issue getting a good bond now! Of course, since I'm using epoxy, both sides need to have a nice even coat of the glue applied, in order to get the strongest bond. A little fuzzy... Because the camera likes my hands, apparently better than it likes parts, every now and again. Anyway, I decided to NOT rough up the "smile from England" that arrived in the mail awhile ago. Each time I capture a rebel spy, find a droid that I've been sent to find, or stun a princess, I'll smile a little, knowing that my blaster is smiling on the inside. The rear stock latch will receive the same treatment that all of the other parts are getting tonight... Here it is, all roughed up. Rear sight aperture with its newly drilled holes, ready to be roughed up and glued in place. Like the previous parts, it is now crosshatched and ready for glue Getting a little grippy surface on the end/bottom of the magazine. Doing the same to the inside of the magazine well in order to ensure a good bond between them. What good is a laser rifle without the magazine? This area was already a little bit rough, at least on the front side, due to my cutting into the front edge so it didn't require much work up front. Bottom of the cylinders... Much like the pistol grip itself, the magazine well has a large amount of text etched into it, so it won't require as much crosshatching, and like the pistol grip, I'll leave the text alone and etch around it. Cylinders are now ready to glue. Magazine well is also ready to glue. Two for the price of one. Both the Magazine well and the spot on the upper receiver where it will be glued, prepared for crosshatching. The magazine well, ready for glue. Upper receiver location also ready for glue. Eventually, I'm going to have to start gluing pieces together, right? LoL Okay. A lot of pictures here now, so I'm going to get this posted before continuing any further. Please as always, leave your comments/questions/concerns/snide remarks, etc... and thanks for reading along! Edited March 3, 2014 by Dark CMF Quote
gazmosis[501st] Posted March 3, 2014 Report Posted March 3, 2014 You are such a stud! HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Quote
Dark PWF[Staff] Posted March 3, 2014 Author Report Posted March 3, 2014 Previously in the build thread... I realized that I had not put the diamond pattern on the back of the front sight low enough, so I set out to fix that while I was crosshatching things... Here, you can plainly see the bottom of the pattern is not below the semi-circle opening in the aperture. It should be, so I'm going to fix that while I'm crosshatching stuff. Now, the pattern extends lower on the rear of the sight aperture. I'm still not really happy about that heavy line at the old bottom. I may go back and address that with a bit of putty at some point in time. We'll see, I suppose. The old line appears less formidable from this angle, but I know it is there, so it will always stand out to me. LoL GLUE!! That's right, I'm about to glue stuff. For this particular step, it will be the newly manufactured front sight post being glued into the freshly re-finished front sight aperture. I'm going to use E6000 for this, because I want to be able to turn it after I emplace it, to make sure that it is set straight in the aperture. Also, as the entire base of the post will be in between the barrel itself and the sight aperture, there is not much likelihood that it will somehow come loose. A little dab of E6000 in the bottom opening of the aperture... Insert the sight post. Make sure that it is straight, and let it dry! I really do like looking at it from this angle. Straight and centered. Let me hear about how TKs can't shoot. Just one time. From this angle, you can very clearly see the old "bottom line" in the pattern... So, the two part epoxy. A nice small bit of each side, and the wooden applicator stick ready to mix it up. Mix it until it looks good and cloudy. Apply a thin layer to each part, to ensure the best bond, apply manual pressure for two minutes or so, and then rubber band/clamp it in place to ensure that it sets properly. Here, you see that the bayonet lug has been emplaced in such a manner. Glue for the pistol grip, applied to the upper receiver. Glue applied to the pistol grip prior to emplacement. Manual pressure applied. Rubber bands around both parts to ensure that they stay put. I found that the rubber bands that come on produce (in particular Broccoli and Asparagus) work wonderfully for this purpose! Back to the E6000. Why, you might ask? Allow me to explain; Remember when I did my very first bit of gluing - putting the bearing into the end of the magazine with the E6000? Well, In the event that that bearing comes loose somehow, I'd prefer to have the option of removing the magazine from the well, and retrieving it, as opposed to allowing it to rattle around inside of my magazine for eternity. Using the E6000 will give me that possibility, should the need arise. Put the E6000 into the magazine well... Put the magazine in and push it forward, to allow space in the back for the clip that I'll be making sometime in the near future. Then, wrap it up with rubber bands to ensure that it stays where it needs to for the next 24 hours or so. Rubber bands for everything!!! Moving to the back end of the blaster, I actually glued my rear stock latch in place right here using the epoxy, and after about a minute or so panicked. It seemed to me that it may have been on backwards. Quickly, I ripped it off and wiped off the glue. What I realized is that during my test fits, I had somehow drilled my holes backwards. so I had to drill new ones. Unfortunately, I don't believe I have many pictures of this process besides this one, because I was running in damage control mode - which doesn't require a camera. :/ In the meantime, I glued the rear sight into place, and wrapped a rubber band around it to help it set properly. After getting the sight taken care of, I re-drilled the holes for the stock latch and glued it in place. Afterwards, I put a clamp and two rubber bands onto the rear to hold both pieces to the rear of the blaster. A small dab of epoxy placed into the hole in the bottom of the pistol grip for the cap head screw that I cut apart (I believe) all the way back on Day #2. Just a note... When you are using the two part epoxy, put only the amount that you need for the job of the moment into your tray for mixing. This stuff does indeed set within a couple of minutes so if you put a bunch of it down for use, you're really just wasting it. My process was to put a small amount down, clean the tips and put the cap back on before standing it upright again, then mix it with the stick and apply it to the parts for assembly. Cap head screw head in place in the pistol grip. Same thing in the front of the barrel. Emplaced both screw heads with two part epoxy. I looked for screws with flat heads for awhile, but did not find any and I don't want to hold up the blaster build for them. Perhaps sometime down the road. And a view of the front, from the other angle. Finally, the "project sheet" that I wrote up recently. You can see that there isn't much left to check: The cylinder bolts - still sourcing them I think, and the stock lock which has to wait until the whole thing is primed and painted, so I can then insert the inner barrel and cut the hole in it to support that piece. That's the end of day #14. I glued stuff - can you believe it? Finally, I'm gluing it together. Really very exciting stuff from a personal standpoint. Once I get Day #15 posted (because it happened already and that delayed the posting of this thread ) I'll be able to share that moment with all of you. It will be relatively soon, I can promise you that. That's it for posting tonight though... As always, I look forward to any comments/questions/suggestions that anyone has for me, and thanks for reading along! Quote
Dark PWF[Staff] Posted March 3, 2014 Author Report Posted March 3, 2014 Oh, what the heck... Here's the first picture from Day #15. I took the rubber bands off of it. LoL That's the result of Day #14, about 18 hours later. Quote
usaeatt2 Posted March 3, 2014 Report Posted March 3, 2014 NICELY DONE, SIR! I know gluing my first piece will be tough, but after that, I bet it goes quick. Any comments from the wife (since that's really the ultimate approval, right)? Thoughts on the selector switch? I really want to drill a tiny (pin vise size) hole in the underside of the selector and fit one of those watchband "spring pins" in the hole. Then countersink a small metal disk (same diameter as the switch base) under the switch and drill slight "detents" in the metal to prevent wear on the resin. The center pin would probably be the hardest part. Having a floppy or static switch would bug me. You and Steve are turning me into a blaster build junkie... I need my next fix!!! Quote
The5thHorseman[501st] Posted March 3, 2014 Report Posted March 3, 2014 Unfortunately you glued the Bayonnet Lug upside-down Quote
Dark PWF[Staff] Posted March 3, 2014 Author Report Posted March 3, 2014 (edited) Grrrrrrrrr... Thank you, Germain. Good catch indeed. Well, no time like Wednesday (after the Bondo I just bought from Amazon arrives) to add sculptor to my skillset! I'm learning a wide set of new skills already, may as we'll expand them a little further still. Unless anyone has another suggestion? Edited March 3, 2014 by Dark CMF Quote
Sonnenschein Posted March 3, 2014 Report Posted March 3, 2014 Unless anyone has another suggestion? My other half says "Saw if off. carefully. re-attach. done" Quote
Dark PWF[Staff] Posted March 3, 2014 Author Report Posted March 3, 2014 My other half says "Saw if off. carefully. re-attach. done" Hmmmmmm... Food for thought, definitely. Thank you. It will be considered. Quote
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