E-11 STEEL PIPE BUILD

[usaeatt2]

Ian:  G'day mate!  At some point, I'm going to have to figure out a way to make my blaster "non-functional", otherwise, it would be illegal here.  There has to be a way to irreversibly prevent it from firing a round.  I was thinking maybe I could make a fake barrel with a solid plate at the rear.  That way everything still functions, but there's no way a bullet can be fired down the barrel.  Once I get all the parts mounted - if I added an original barrel ($150 online...I already checked), theoretically, I WOULD have a functional machine gun.

 

I think if I leave the welds, it will have some character and look like it got repaired in the Death Star armory.  Perhaps it got sliced in two by a light saber, then re-commissioned due to Empire budget cuts?

 

And thanks for the tool name - I had a hearty laugh - plastic handled hack saw!  I would have never guessed!  Seriously, thanks for all the "awesomes" - you're making me feel awesomely awesome.

 

 

Tim:  I wanted a functional counter box!  Although, NOW you've got me thinking - it would be REALLY cool to make the numbers increment every time I pull the trigger...  I have a good friend who's really into all the Arduino stuff - he essentially automated his whole house and can control lots of stuff from his iPhone (it's his hobby).  I might run that by him.  And sound effects.  And lights.  And maybe Pandora/Spotify for long troops...

[T-Jay[TK]]

Wow Aaron! Unbelievable work so far. And you are very fast. If you continue on this speed, the blaster will be finished before your vacation week ends .

 

How about reducing the welding marks on the rear end just to the bottom side? You would get a cleaned surface and could still prove it is your blaster by turning it upside down.

 

According to my information the weight of the completed build (including real scope and counter) will be somewhere about 5kg / 10-11 pounds (lb). You'll be getting some long arms trooping with that and I wouldn't wonder if you start a Doopy's kit a few weeks later .

 

Whatever you do, just continue exactly as you started. It is a pleasure reading this build

[I'm Batman[501st]]

Ian:  G'day mate!  At some point, I'm going to have to figure out a way to make my blaster "non-functional", otherwise, it would be illegal here.  There has to be a way to irreversibly prevent it from firing a round.  I was thinking maybe I could make a fake barrel with a solid plate at the rear.  That way everything still functions, but there's no way a bullet can be fired down the barrel.  Once I get all the parts mounted - if I added an original barrel ($150 online...I already checked), theoretically, I WOULD have a functional machine gun.

Probably not worth the jail time....... Probably just a solid pipe, or plastic pipe in there so there's definately no confusion.

[usaeatt2]

T-Jay:  THANKS!  It helps to be on vacation.  Progress came to a screeching halt with soldering today while waiting on special supplies I can't obtain locally.  I like your compromise suggestion with the rear welds - I think I'll proceed with that!  As for the weight, yeah, this will likely become a display piece.  I already have everything needed to do a PVC pipe build...but like I said earlier; you, Steve and Tim are DOMINATING that arena.  A steel build was really my only option for an interesting thread since you guys have already done just about everything that can possibly be done with resin.  I'll continue this thread the same way until it's done - I thought it would be a pain, but I really enjoy posting!

 

Ian:  Maybe a clear acrylic barrel with sequential red LED's linked to trigger switch...  This is a tough one, because realistically, the plastic barrel could just be replaced with a real barrel in less than 5 minutes...just a field strip and two allen bolts.  Maybe I could remove the firing pin and weld over the firing pin hole...that wouldn't change the outward appearance, but would prevent any chance of firing a round...  Edit: Nope, that won't work either because I could just replace the bolt with another bolt in less than 5 minutes...

Edited April 20, 2014 by usaeatt2

[nmcguff]

Aaron, you can weld a steel strip in the area where you install the bolt that would prevent the fully automatic bolt to fit. You would have to machine a slot in the bolt for it to fit along with removing the firing pin and welding the hole.

 

I have one of the APEX parts kits and want to make a display blaster out of it.

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

[usaeatt2]

Norman:  That's a great idea!  The steel strip prevents a functional bolt from fitting into the receiver!  Eureka!  Thanks for posting!!!

 

Germain:  Do you mean the sounds from electronics are not accurate?

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

LoL... I think he's just pointing out (in a fun way) that no screen-used E-11 made any noises - unless it was dropped maybe - or lit up in any way.

[I'm Batman[501st]]

They did so Tim! They went pew, pew.

 

Who's going to be the first to have real firing laser bolts? Maybe little clear Nerf darts with a bright red LED in them??

[usaeatt2]

Seriously, THAT might look cool in a dark room!  I think you're onto something there, Ian!

 

Funny related Air Force story:  I lived in a dorm in South Korea.  My neighbor and I shared a bathroom.  He was a good guy and we worked in the same squadron together.  One night, he was depressed because his wife was having their second child and the Air Force wouldn't grant leave to anyone because of some shady things going on up in North Korea.  He had a little too much to drink and thought it would be fun to play with some of those chemical "light sticks" - the ones you snap, shake and they glow for a few hours?  He cut a few open and poured the liquid into a running fan...  Don't know why, but I was there to witness the aftermath.  He knocked on my door and told me I needed to see something really cool.  I walked into his darkened room and after my eyes adjusted, it looked like we were standing in a little galaxy.  Really cool!  That is until he found out the next morning that the phosphor in the glow chemical EATS plastic.  EVERYTHING plastic in his room had little "pock mark" holes eaten into it - TV, stereo, CD's, alarm clock, phone...  An expensive night for sure, but it was cool for a few hours while trying to cheer up a sad friend.

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

In fact no guns in the film had electronics. Only the Stunt guns (the Bapty ones i guess) had a physical firing system making nose and smoke. And in addition i have absolutely no knowledge in electronics, so it makes two good reasons for me to not like it  .

[usaeatt2]

I received my silver solder today and went right to work.  It's pretty late and I still have minor tweaks and clean up, but everything is attached and functional.

 

Here's a couple sneak previews (no cliffhangers!):

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next step is to cut down the 34 round magazine!

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

Damn, i wouldn't want to be the one who have to paint this totally amazing future e-11!! Pressure to possibly mess with this beauty would be too much for me 

 

Will you add an inner barrel? I feel like with all the work you've done so far, you can't go without 

[usaeatt2]

Germain:  I know EXACTLY how you feel - in fact, I've had painting in the back of my mind for the entire build.  Wondering if I should paint, then expose real metal for the weathering or if I should go with a painted weathering.  I've NEVER done any kind of weathering, so that has me more scared than anything.  In my opinion, it would be a colossal FAIL if one of these wonderful resin builds ends up looking more realistic than my steel build...

 

Absolutely, I will add an inner barrel, but probably for a reason you may not have considered...  Since everything is functional, I can actually charge the bolt.  It pulls back, then glides forward until it hits the sear.  When I pull the trigger, the sear drops and the bolt SLAMS forward.  Normally, the back end of the barrel would stop the bolt.  Without the barrel, the only thing left to stop it is the cocking handle...the handle hits the end of the cocking channel with enough force to "deform" the edge.  I'll post a picture of this later.  I've already repaired it once, then accidently did it again.  An original barrel assembly (with threaded holes for the muzzle bolts) is $150.  That's pretty salty considering how much I've already invested.  I think I will fabricate a fake inner barrel with two steel plates and a tube.

Edited April 24, 2014 by usaeatt2

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

 When I pull the trigger, the sear drops and the bolt SLAMS forward.  Normally, the back end of the barrel would stop the bolt.  Without the barrel, the only thing left to stop it is the cocking handle...the handle hits the end of the cocking channel with enough force to "deform" the edge. 

 

Really?! I never thought it would be that powerful! And if you loose or swap for a softer spring, would it still hit the cocking channel that hard?

 

An original barrel assembly (with threaded holes for the muzzle bolts) is $150.  That's pretty salty considering how much I've already invested.  I think I will fabricate a fake inner barrel with two steel plates and a tube.

 

In the end you should be able to disassemble your blaster pretty easily as you have mostly original parts? So if ever you want to upgade it in the future it should be possible.

Edited April 24, 2014 by The5thHorseman

[usaeatt2]

Germain:

 

I could swap to a softer spring, but then that gets me into "there should be 11 coils showing in the cocking channel".  It's a pretty stout spring, but that makes sense to me considering it has to push a heavy bolt back into position quickly when firing full auto.  When the bolt slams forward, the sound is definitely an attention getter - it's like the universal deterrant sound of racking a shotgun shell.  No mistaking it.  Although the sound will be a little different than standing right next to it, I'll post a video as soon as I get a barrel made - I don't want to risk any more damage to the cocking slot.

 

I've disassembled and reassembled enough times now that I think with a few tools, I could field strip the whole thing in less than a minute.  Fabricating a fake barrel, then upgrading to a real barrel in the future is totally possible.

Edited April 24, 2014 by usaeatt2

[gazmosis[501st]]

I know the bolt passes up the front of the ejection port within the pipe under the shield. Is there any way of carefully measuring how far it goes past the port then welding a bit of scrap metal on the inside of the pipe through the ejection port?

If you added an inner barrel like Germain asked, you could spot weld something to the bolt end of that so that it would stop in a pre-determined spot. Then cap that off with a thick rubber stop so the bolt doesn;t SLAM into another metal part.

[usaeatt2]

Steve:  Installing an original barrel would solve the problem nicely, but at that point, I would have a fully functional machine gun.  The back end of the original barrel is really thick plate.  I think it was intended to take the punishment of automatic fire.  The bolt has to slam forward into this plate to "seal" the chamber as a round is fired.

 

I like your idea of a rubber cushion.  When I fabricate a fake barrel, I may slightly shorten it by the thickness of a HARD rubber pad.  Either way, I think the bolt is hardened steel - I don't think I can damage it.  The cocking channel slot took some very minor damage because it was never intended to absorb that kind of force.  With the barrel and the thick backing plate installed, the charging handle physically won't be able hit the end of the cocking channel.

 

Original barrels:

 

 

[usaeatt2]

OK, so I didn't take very many pictures while soldering, but I intended to do a post about it since it's a big part of assembling the gun.  So here we go...

 

First thing to understand is this ISN'T ordinary electrical solder.  Gunsmiths use silver solder, which melts at a MUCH higher temperature.  The silver content helps it to flow into the pores of the metal, which results in a higher tensile strength.  True "hard silver" solder has a tensile strength of something like 70,000 psi, but the parts need to reach 1300 degrees before that kind of solder will flow.  The flux is also much more aggressive - it contains acid and eats into the metal.  The solder flows where the flux is.  I also read silver solder won't fill any gap larger than 0.005", so dry fitting the parts is critical.  I had two miserable failures before I achieved success.  My best advice?  Get everything as clean as you can possibly make it.  Surgically clean!!! (almost exactly the same prep for TIG welding).

 

Next comes FINDING the right silver solder.  There must be at least 50 different kinds.  Different silver contents, wire or ribbon, flux core or not, coated rods, etc., etc...  The higher the silver content, the higher the price.  The gunsmith stuff with the 70,000 psi tensile strength works out to about $70 for a normal size, 1 pound roll.  I compromised.  I won't be firing ammunition, so I don't need a crazy safety margin.  With a lower silver content, the temperature to melt the solder is reduced and so is the price.  Jewelers use this solder too and it's made in "extra soft, soft, medium and hard" (which melts at different temperatures, hence the ratings).  They make their base connections with hard solder, then step through the softer grades as more pieces are added to their jewelry.  Why?  Because they can add a piece to their jewelry with medium solder without melting the hard solder.  Then they can add another piece with soft solder without melting the medium solder and so on. 

 

After looking at a dizzying array of solders, temperatures and prices, I settled on Harris Stay-Brite.  Some brewmasters use this exact solder to attach fittings to their stainless steel brewing vessels.  Stay-Brite has a silver content of 4%, melts at 430 degrees and has a tensile strength of 25,000 psi.  I probably won't be able to break it while trooping.  Best part?  They make a little job-sized kit with flux and solder for less than $20.  I bought 2 so I'd have extra if I needed it - I didn't need it, so now I have a kit ready for the next project.  Pay attention to details, watch Youtube videos, read the website.  Oh, and I was able to buy it locally at the Grainger store.

 

 

 

My process went something like this:

1. Fit all the parts.  Adjust as required to get the tightest possible fit.

2. Wipe the area down with rubbing alcohol on a clean rag (BEFORE sanding, to remove any oil or contaminents).

3. Sand the area VERY well (I used 100 grit sandpaper).

4. Wire brush everything with a stainless steel wire brush used ONLY for clean things.

5. Wipe everything down with rubbing alcohol again (I use new paper towels to ensure everything is clean).

 

 

6. Assemble parts.

7. Trace around the parts with a pencil.  "Shade" in a perimeter with the pencil lead (solder won't stick to pencil lead).

 

 

8. Disassemble and add flux to both the parts that will be bonded.

 

 

9. Reassemble.

10. Using a propane torch, start "preheating" a large area AROUND the parts (just warming things up).

11. Slowly circle in towards the parts.  WATCH the flux while moving closer.  It will bubble, then go dry, then turn "dirty" looking, then melt.

12. When the flux melts, it's the right temperature to add the solder.

13. Remove the heat and add the solder around the edges of the parts.  If done at the correct temperature, the solder will "wick" under the parts.

14. Handy tip: Have a clean wet rag nearby.  When you've added enough solder (or even too much), use the rag to lightly "swipe" along the edges.

15. Be careful not to disturb the parts - the solder will likely still be molten.  Allow the parts to air cool.  DO NOT quench in water - it will weaken the joint.

16. Once cool, clean up any residual flux and/or solder.  I do this by "spot" heating and wiping with the wet rag.

If successful, you should have a strong, bright solder joint.

 

 

I hope this is helpful or at least informational.  I learned about solder from this project - I had NO IDEA there were so many different types and uses!

 

Until next time...

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

Highly informational!!!

 

Who knew??

 

Looking good, Aaron!

[gazmosis[501st]]

If I could turn back time! Sing it, Cher!! The pencil shading is brilliant!

[usaeatt2]

If I could turn back time! Sing it, Cher!!

 

???  Hey Steve, are you going to be at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo this weekend?  Considering making the drive into the city with my lovely wife...

[Darth Voorhees[501st]]

good lord. just good lord. i want. This is awesome Aaron!

[usaeatt2]

good lord. just good lord. i want. This is awesome Aaron!

 

LOL, really, I just photoshopped the whole thing.  Thanks Lou!!!

 

Now, I can finish my thread on building metal power cylinders and continue working up the courage to paint...

[T-Jay[TK]]

Some very talented skills for the work with metal

 

Excited to see paint on that beauty...