DD's ANH E-11 Build Thread (First Timer)

[thederek]

Well I thought I'd update the thread again for the .5 readers who follow along my journey into mechanical and mental madness! I've been busy working two jobs, and studying for a securities exam, so I hope to finish this soon when I can.

 

Once I was happy with the bolt position and how it looked, I knew I no longer needed to have both ends of the blaster open, so I glued in the barrel plug. It gave me no fuss and was easy. Simply showing you the pic for documenting purposes:

 

 

Since I decided to paint my non-traditionally and treating it more like a scale model and painting tough spots as I go, I decided to hit up the blaster again. Before I attach the folding stock, I know it's going to be hard to get some primer just above the grip line where it joins the barrel when I had the folding stock glued on. So I decided to hit that up with some primer before gluing on the folding stock. At this point, I still don't want to paint the whole blaster with primer, I will wait until almost completed so it all has the same level and coats of paint, but wanted to mitigate any trouble areas I could before hand.

 

 

You can see in this pic, the barrel is taped off (I haven't glued the t tracks yet, and don't want it painted!), and also covered up the butt of the blaster. I just left the bolt area and above-the-grip area open to paint. Notice, I've also covered the bolt face with several layers of painters tape. If you recall, I painted it the color I wanted last update. My next step was not to actually install the folding stock just yet though. I was afraid of gluing that on, and fumbling around horribly with trying to get the t tracks on, and that I might snap or pop-off the folding stock. So before I finalized it, I figured I would install the t-tracks first, then glue on the folding stock.

 

I'll spare the step by step from the beginning on the t track, but basically per Marv in an PM, you heat a pot of boiling water and stick an end of the t track in there when you're ready to bend it. About 30 seconds makes it nice and pliable. I then fold the first end at a right angle. Be careful not to twist sideways at all or you get a weird bend. Try and find something that give you a nice edge or a right angle. I then run cold water over it to "freeze" it into place. More times than not, I did not like the bend so I dipped it back in the boiling water and it magically straightens back out (within reason). I'd be lying if I told you this part of the build was not a huuuuuuge pain in the you know what.

 

Once I'd get one side, I'd see if it fit in the pilot hole. Since this is a custom pipe build (meaning, not perfect or machine-standard), some of the t tracks fit in the hole nicely, others I had to dremel-down a bit for them to fit, but it wasn't a big deal. I would then put one end of the t track into the hole, and mark with a pencil where the other end should bend. I would then remove from the blaster barrel, and put the other "non bent" end in the boiling water and bend where indicated. This took some trial and error, there is no magic measurement. You just gave to keep fitting until you get a good look and fit. Once I finally liked how it looked and fit, I would cut off about .5-.75 of an inch off the end of the t track before inserting into barrel (if you don't trim the ends, they start to run into each other when you add other t tracks).

 

You can see how strong/rigid these are. They're hard plastic.

 

You can see the tensile strength required to hold this down. This can only spell F-U-N when it comes time to glue it into place.

 

Once these are fitted fairly well, they should almost "snap" into place or at least fit SNUGLY into the holes and along the barrel. A word about this: this is not perfect by any means. It's not a Doopy's resin kit with them already pretty and molded on, or a Hyperfirm. The holes are not all 100% perfect (even with a template and drill press there's human error) so all the holes were not perfectly covered how I envisioned it, but it's well enough for me to live with and troop with. Let your own perfectionism and purism drive your own destiny and what you can live with.

 

Once I liked how they fit, I would sand the bottom of the T track to prep for the epoxy.

 

 

I also sanded the areas on the barrel where the t track and resin would make contact:

 

Instead of doing these all at once, I did one a day for several days. Yes it takes long, but I wanted to be sure they were adhering and straight before I slapped 6 of them on and hoped for the best. What I would do is once sanded, I would slather epoxy on the t track only and fit it back to the assembly. I would then cover the whole barrel and t track with a piece of regular printer paper, or 8.5 x 11 paper, and tape it very tightly with duct tape. The paper acted as a barrier so the duct tape would not pull the track out when removing, and also would not leave sticky residue. Be warned, some of the paper can stick to the epoxy (ahem, learned from experience).

 

Here are the end results:

 

(see the "tear"? That was cut off with an exacto after this picture)

 

 

Note: there is still one more t track to install, but I want to wait until I install the scope rail first, to be sure there's enough room before the top t track is glued into place.

[thederek]

I'm so pissed, I had a whole other post lined up and almost done, and I closed it by accident. Twenty minutes of typing wasted. Sigh.

 

My final update was going to be mag well, folding stock, and my decisions on the spring, color, and coils. A big thank you goes out to Tim for all his help on this.   Always answering my questions at all times of the day, and never once complaining, being rude, or condescending. A true example of a trooper helping a trooper. Must be the Army training.

 

I finally epoxied on the folding stock. Man, this was more of a royal pain than the t track! It keep sliding, and moving, and turning, etc. Would NOT want to stay still. Forty minutes later, and epoxy all over my hands and blaster, I finally got it to stick, stay, and rubberbanded before bed. Jeez, what a task. Not sure if anyone else struggled with that? I don't seem to think so, it's probably just "Derek Luck".

 

 

I next put on the mag well, this part was easier. Wayyyy easier. Just added some epoxy, glued, held it for a few minutes and it stuck. When it was really firm, I rubberbanded it before bed (the folding stock and mag well were done a day apart to allow 24 hours cure time). Also, in the below pic in the red rectangular box, you'll see I've added some JB Weld to help seal the gap between the folding stock and barrel, and also to add some extra strength adhesion. I later cleaned this area up a bit with an exacto after it dried, and sanded it so it looks smoother than you see in this pic.

 

 

 

Apparently there are whole debates on coil count, etc., and to be honest I had no idea about that. Tim has apparently done a lot of research, so I went with his suggested 11. Whether that's right according to the Sterling manuals, or which original version on screen, blah blah, the look I have now works for me. At this point with life being split between so many things, I just want to finish this thing and have it look cool. No, it won't be a movie accurate blaster in every sense like some I've seen on here, but it will be genuine, hand-made, full of pride, and better looking than most other blasters I have seen in person.

 

Now to scrunch, or not to scrunch; that is the question, whether 'tis nobler in the mind.... (to suffer through this thread any longer.... )

 

When I made the spring, I simply used Home Depot wire that was still rigid, but soft enough to mold by hand. I simply wrapped it around a dowel that was slightly smaller in diameter than the barrel as best as I could. It won't win any awards, but did the trick.

 

Unscrunched (meaning, by the hole, there is not extra-compressed slack/spring)

 

or

 

Scrunched? I personally don't like how this looks. The spring doesn't look good crunched up, since it was wound up by hand.

 

Tim suggested I widen the coils a bit, and make the coils number at about 11. So that's what I did. I was pretty satisfied with this, but one last thing was bothering me: the shiny metal color. Again, after going back and forth on how it would look, I finally took his suggestion again and making the wire a bit more muted. I had a dark wire as well, but it was almost too black and wouldn't look right. Tim suggested Rustoleum Flat Soft Iron. That did the trick for me. Two coats, turning the spring and it made it more of an "iron" color instead of that shiny metal you see up there. Some folks use the shiny spring, and that's fine really. I wanted something a tad more realistic in what I think would be in a blaster, so here are the end results.

 

Here's with a flash, so you can really see the color. Keep in mind, you can't even see the back of the barrel where the black paint is scratched. Unless you're using a bright flash into the barrel

 

 

Here's a more "natural" pic in how it would look, without a flash.

 

 

 

That's it for now. Hope you're enjoying, lord knows I am now that I see the light at the end of the tunnel. My next steps are:

 

1.) Install bayonet lug

2.) Install end cap retaining clip

3.) Install the scope rail (if that ever gets here) and the Heng

4.) Paint!

 

Sorry for any typos or unclear thoughts. It's very late.

Edited July 4, 2014 by thederek

[I'm Batman[501st]]

Well I thought I'd update the thread again for the .5 readers who follow along my journey into mechanical and mental madness!

What? You calling me half a man? Lol!

 

It's coming along very well, The. Nice cylinders. I've got some coming from Andy aswell.

[thederek]

Haha noooo Ian! I was more just joking like is anyone reading this? Haha. Bad joke. Thanks tho, and yea, I think the power cylinders are the best part so far. Congrats on getting a pair from Andy. Money well spent for very nice quality. Not to mention I get the feeling he wont be making these forever.

[I'm Batman[501st]]

Yeah, his last post was about stopping, so I quickly jumped on the bandwagon. Now to find the time to start my build.....