Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Posted January 20, 2015 (edited) I wanted to replace the small hardware details on the folding stock with metal pieces that looked more like the real hardware. I spent a ridiculous amount of time making & testing different little rivets. Nothing I bought worked or looked correct so I went with Aaron's idea and create them from aluminium tubing. Getting it to look close to the real parts was not easy and can't say I achieved my goal 100% but it looks much better than melted blobs & indents of resin. Here are some parts I had little success with. I had to cut the tubing, widen the diameter on one end (this is hard o explain how I did it), then gently hammering that end face down on a metal anvil to get the ends of the tube to roll back & give that rivet look effect. Then some sanding to polish it up a bit. I had to make about 20 of these to get the right sizes I wanted. Lots of swearing and hair pulling. I know these are not hollowed out in the middle so I will fill the centers in with some epoxy and sand to create the cup-like shape. On the stock handle, seen below, I first sanded down the raised resin rivets on both sides, then I drilled all the way through from the center point of where the resin rivets were located and inserted a piece of aluminium tubing the length of the hole. The reverse side of the new rivets fit snug into the tubing for a secure fit. I will glue this all later on for safe measure. Last, I lightly hammered them to get them as flush as possible to the washer without cracking the resin underneath. They do protrude a bit too much but I will leave them as they are. (For the stock handle connecting hardware, I used the same homemade rivets and an M3 size washer. I had to file out the inner hole of the washers to get the rivets to fit.) Edited October 22, 2020 by Bulldog44 Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Posted January 20, 2015 It would be nice if that imprint went all the way top to bottom. Hopefully you can make it work. Looks like it will leave a nice impression. I agree. This will probably not be ideal since it will require each pattern pressed to match the one next to it. I am trying to think of another way to replicate this. Perhaps getting an impression copy of a real sterling sight guard pattern and then making a master mold much like a dentist does for teeth. Then maybe some sort of stamp can be made. Another idea would be similar by getting the texture captured in some sort of raised printed sticker, or film sheet. Just peel, apply the pattern, trim to shape on the guard and paint over it. Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Posted January 20, 2015 (edited) Folding Stock Wishbone Ends- Removed the resin fastener heads with my trusty Tamiya hobby saw. I wanted to keep these fairly intact to use as reference. Then drilled some holes for the new fasteners. I tried forming new fasteners with ball-head rivets but they just looked too meaty and domed. So I tried using 11 mm stainless steel tacs/pins. I used Tino's awesome idea to use my power drill to spin the tac and simply file it down on the sides, reducing the head to about 9 mm. Then I carefully filed down the domed heads to a flatter profile like the Sterling stock has. Again, not perfect but decent enough. These tac heads will be more or less decorative. I am thinking of using some tubing to attach the wishbone ends to the bottom of the receiver. Figure that out later. Here is a side profile of the tac (foreground) and the domed rivet. *(and also a tac destroyed by aggressive filing. Edited October 22, 2020 by Bulldog44 Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Posted January 20, 2015 (edited) Front Sight Block- Sight- made from 2mm sheet aluminium. Cut an M4 size domed rivet shaft down the middle to seat the flat sight into & glued it. Then I cut off the rivet head on the bottom. Did some more filing to create the tapering effect on each side. Cut an M4 grub screw down in length to the measurements Aaron provided on his diagram. and glued the two parts together. Its not extremely strong but it seems to hold up even when its screwed into the sight block. I used the M4 grub screw because the M5 grub screw looked way too big. The top hole on the sight block would have to be bigger and I didn't want to take any chances. I used the same size M4 grub screw on the side hole. That also needed to be cut to down in half to fit in the hole. End result with everything installed; base block with the center line cut the entire length. And a photo of my big mess- Edited October 22, 2020 by Bulldog44 1 Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Posted January 20, 2015 (edited) Sorry lots of photos for these updates but hope it helps with understanding there details I am trying to capture. Laste update for today- The Dovetail!!!!!! Once down the path of creating the sight block as a separate part, the dovetail opening to house the sight block must be made. Got so involved in the initial cuts I forgot to take photos. Its not finished yet but almost there. I can't tell if this is at all correct since I am working from photos and never seen a real sterling in person. Please let me know if I screwed it up. You can kind of see the penciled lines I marked in a grid to gauge where and how deep to remove. Still needs to be filed down a bit deeper to slide in the sight block. The tools I used to carve the dovetail opening out with- Looking to finish fitting the sight block tonight or tomorrow. Slow and steady on this sucker! Feedback is always welcome. If there is any improvements I can make please let me know. Edited October 22, 2020 by Bulldog44 Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Posted January 20, 2015 Based on your story, I'm pretty sure the guys who built the cabinets in my house were drunk... Late to reply to this but sounds funny. You wouldn't want me building your cabinets either. It would take me 5 years to get anything finished! Quote
Dday[501st] Posted January 20, 2015 Report Posted January 20, 2015 Late to reply to this but sounds funny. You wouldn't want me building your cabinets either. It would take me 5 years to get anything finished! Very nice job on everything you did recently! You should be sorry for giving us what we want, by posting so many photos and progress updates... shame on you! Your dovetail joint looks very nice and will really help to cinch the look. It makes me want to get working on mine too! I've got a bunch of tubes to sell into kits first though Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 20, 2015 Author Report Posted January 20, 2015 Very nice job on everything you did recently! You should be sorry for giving us what we want, by posting so many photos and progress updates... shame on you! Your dovetail joint looks very nice and will really help to cinch the look. It makes me want to get working on mine too! I've got a bunch of tubes to sell into kits first though Ha! Thanks Derrek. I always fear adding too many photos can dilute the build too much with lots of the same thing and put people off from browsing through it all. Glad you like all the photos & updates. Cheers on the dovetail joint. Really looking forward to completing it. Definitely get working on yours when you get a chance inbetween your blaster kit sales then! Holding of my breath for one of those magic receiver tubes of yours to arrive at mupy door! It will be interesting to see how to add the dovetail joint to yours milled tubes. Thanks for your feedback! Quote
The5thHorseman[501st] Posted January 20, 2015 Report Posted January 20, 2015 Looks superb! I'm pleased to finally see someone attempting the dovetail cut. And i'm pretty sure you'll make a success of it And don't worry, we do love pictures here. Especially when they're well taken like yours. Quote
usaeatt2 Posted January 20, 2015 Report Posted January 20, 2015 RIDICULOUS!!! Brian, you're welcome in my shop ANYTIME. No apologies required for anything - You're the first person I'm aware of that has done the dovetail on a resin build and it looks INCREDIBLE! Anyone trying to replicate this mod will be hard pressed to top you. Awesome job with the hardware and pins! I can't BELIEVE you MANUALLY flared tubing ends!!! Talk about successfully accomplishing a difficult task! There's a tool for flaring tubing ends...usually used to fabricate automotive brake lines. The tack heads are brilliant. I've had all kinds of crazy stuff chucked in my drill - works great, like a mini-lathe. All in all, QUITE inspirational! The bar has been raised another notch! Quote
I'm Batman[501st] Posted January 20, 2015 Report Posted January 20, 2015 AWESOME work Brian. Amazing detail, as Aaron says, taking things to a new level. Is that sight block actually now functional as far as raising and lowering the sight pin? That 'big mess' of yours is a pristine workplace in my house! Keep up the fantastic work. Quote
usaeatt2 Posted January 20, 2015 Report Posted January 20, 2015 BTW, I just started another project that essentially "kills two birds with one stone"... Awhile back, you asked about the spring inside the end cap clip... Turns out, they made about the easiest thing they could make - just a strip of spring steel riveted to the clip. And it explains why there are TWO "bumps" on the top of the clip. Here's the cleanup and breakdown of a real Sterling clip: Sometimes, I feel guilty for posting tons of pictures in other people's threads, but I guess if it helps and adds to the collective knowledge... Aaron Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 21, 2015 Author Report Posted January 21, 2015 Looks superb! I'm pleased to finally see someone attempting the dovetail cut. And i'm pretty sure you'll make a success of it And don't worry, we do love pictures here. Especially when they're well taken like yours. Appreciate your feedback Germain! I will keep those photos coming then for future work on this build! AWESOME work Brian. Amazing detail, as Aaron says, taking things to a new level. Is that sight block actually now functional as far as raising and lowering the sight pin? That 'big mess' of yours is a pristine workplace in my house! Keep up the fantastic work. Thanks Ian. Capturing the fine details is the hardest part but the most fun. I am still amazed you made your sight block from one solid piece. That is by far a true example of taking it to the next level. The sight pin does screw in and can be adjusted. The two parts will snap off if I apply too much pressure though when turning. I don't think I will be needing to adjust it at all but thought it would be fun to have the option in case it sits too high or low . One of the underlying themes of my build is to keep things fixable or adjustable after its all finished. I am somewhat insecure about locking things down permanently since I am prone to making mistakes and often get second thoughts. 1 Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 21, 2015 Author Report Posted January 21, 2015 BTW, I just started another project that essentially "kills two birds with one stone"... Awhile back, you asked about the spring inside the end cap clip... Turns out, they made about the easiest thing they could make - just a strip of spring steel riveted to the clip. And it explains why there are TWO "bumps" on the top of the clip. Here's the cleanup and breakdown of a real Sterling clip: Sometimes, I feel guilty for posting tons of pictures in other people's threads, but I guess if it helps and adds to the collective knowledge... Aaron You need to be applauded for posting all the cool things & information you add to everyone's posts! This is another example of OMG!WOW! Seeing this end cap lock broken down into is raw components is more than I could have asked for. I hope you did not endanger your sterling at all by doing this. So cool to see how simple the mechanics of it really is. I am going to try an incorporate this into my lock if possible. Thanks a million!!!!!!! RIDICULOUS!!! Brian, you're welcome in my shop ANYTIME. No apologies required for anything - You're the first person I'm aware of that has done the dovetail on a resin build and it looks INCREDIBLE! Anyone trying to replicate this mod will be hard pressed to top you. Awesome job with the hardware and pins! I can't BELIEVE you MANUALLY flared tubing ends!!! Talk about successfully accomplishing a difficult task! There's a tool for flaring tubing ends...usually used to fabricate automotive brake lines. The tack heads are brilliant. I've had all kinds of crazy stuff chucked in my drill - works great, like a mini-lathe. All in all, QUITE inspirational! The bar has been raised another notch! Thanks for your kind words. It was inevitable someone would try this and I am happy to be the test rat for it. Once Tino made that big step to make his own detailed sight block , then you posting the dovetail (mind blowing at the time for me!), then Ian making his recent detailed sight block, pushed the evolution for this to happen. Ian's clicking selector switch still has me itching to go that route too! Once you see it done, you can't help but to try it. I hope though other people try the dovetail and make it even better. That what makes this hobby so much fun. Gosh, I wish I had known there was a tool for flaring the tube ends. That was probably the biggest waste of time on this project to get the perfect flare for each side pin. Good grief! But thanks for letting me know! Putting that on my list of needed tools! Thanks a ton again for your help and humbling words. The bar cannot be raised without the help and advice of everyone contributing! So thanks to you all! 1 Quote
T-Jay[TK] Posted January 21, 2015 Report Posted January 21, 2015 Wow, somehow I had missed the latest progress on this thread (was busy with other things ) Half a year ago I also thought about using real rivets in the folding stock but didn't do it. Seeing your photos now makes me think: why didn't I ? It looks really great - as your front sight pin. I think this is the best self made pin I've seen here and can only agree to what others already said: you've taken this to a new level, Brian. And you did the dovetail, wow! That looks so cool. Can't wait to get some side and top view pictures when block and pin are installed. Just wondering how this dovetail could be done with one of Derrek's nice pipes... Maybe a challenge for Aaron to take a picture of the inside of the receiver, with muzzle and inner barrel removed... Quote
usaeatt2 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Posted January 21, 2015 Maybe a challenge for Aaron to take a picture of the inside of the receiver, with muzzle and inner barrel removed... Already done, kinda... The muzzle is silver soldered into the receiver, so removal isn't easy. I'm in the process of COMPLETELY disassembling and cleaning a parts set. Still debating on whether to remove the muzzle or not...there's a lot of metal there and it will take an enormous amount of heat to separate. I managed to get the locking notch ring off yesterday with no distortion or damage...like brain surgery with an acetylene torch. I need at least two more arms and hands... Anyway, here are some shots inside the front end of a cleaned up receiver. You can see the block that's soldered in for the dovetail. The front of the inner barrel has flat areas which slide under the dovetail block. Lighting isn't the greatest, but at least you get the idea. 1 Quote
T-Jay[TK] Posted January 21, 2015 Report Posted January 21, 2015 Aaron, you're a crazy guy When I saw the clean cut on these pictures, I already thought this can not be from your first steel pipe build. Then read you are disassembling and cleaning a parts set... Awesome! Ideas came into my mind. Few people are recently talking about 'another project'... Quote
I'm Batman[501st] Posted January 21, 2015 Report Posted January 21, 2015 Hmmm, what is this 'other project' that keeps getting dropped into other peoples threads. Are there little clues being laid that we don't know about? How many projects does this Master Aaron have in his little workshop? Many, many questions..... Great pics Aaron. More insight to the nature of a real Sterling to all us resin builders. Brian - I assume the Doopy is solid at the muzzle end to allow you to do that? Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 21, 2015 Author Report Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) Wow, somehow I had missed the latest progress on this thread (was busy with other things ) Half a year ago I also thought about using real rivets in the folding stock but didn't do it. Seeing your photos now makes me think: why didn't I ? It looks really great - as your front sight pin. I think this is the best self made pin I've seen here and can only agree to what others already said: you've taken this to a new level, Brian. And you did the dovetail, wow! That looks so cool. Can't wait to get some side and top view pictures when block and pin are installed. Just wondering how this dovetail could be done with one of Derrek's nice pipes... Maybe a challenge for Aaron to take a picture of the inside of the receiver, with muzzle and inner barrel removed... Thanks Tino. You must be busy as hell but thanks for stopping by to comment. Your blaster is killer cool and rivets not needed. I am still having that feeling of wishing I tried something different all the time whenever I come across things. Save it for another build! Glad you like the sight pin. It's not a perfect replication but as close as I can do. Remember you got the whole sight block mod started so all compliments to you for opening my yes to the possibilities! Missed two chance to get the dovetail finished but hopefully tonight or Saturday it will be done. I will certainly posts pics when complete. I am interested too to see how it can be done on one of Derrek's pipes. Thanks again or your feedback and kind compliments. Edited January 21, 2015 by Bulldog44 Quote
T-Jay[TK] Posted January 21, 2015 Report Posted January 21, 2015 After seeing how you did the dovetail on the full resin version, the first idea in my mind for the pipe was to place some green stuff on the upper inside of the barrel and then cut that dovetail. Well, that was just the first idea. There might be better or easier ways... Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 21, 2015 Author Report Posted January 21, 2015 Damn Aaron, those are some beautiful photos of those parts. You ought to make a printed photo album titled "One Hundred Breathtaking Views of The British Sterling Sub Machine Gun". Thanks for posting these shots. Seeing the inside metal thats used for the sight block is freakin awesome. The pattern on the sight guard is so clear too. Maybe someday if you get a chance, try to make a impression copy of that pattern. Not sure if you read what I wrote to Ian, but I thought it would be cool to make some sort of impression stamp people can use to add the exact pattern into their sight guard. Or some sort of raised textured sticker that can be applied and painted over giving the same effect. All this talk of a new secret project is making me drool! Instead of asking,"What is thy making my Master?", I will wait for you to drop the bomb and show us when you are ready. I read before you said you bought two part sets , so you will have plenty of new tricks to pull out of your sleeve for quite some time! Popcorn ready. Good luck removing the muzzle if you try. "You've got the tools and the talent!" Quote
usaeatt2 Posted January 21, 2015 Report Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) Damn Aaron, those are some beautiful photos of those parts. You ought to make a printed photo album titled "One Hundred Breathtaking Views of The British Sterling Sub Machine Gun". Thanks for posting these shots. Seeing the inside metal thats used for the sight block is freakin awesome. The pattern on the sight guard is so clear too. Maybe someday if you get a chance, try to make a impression copy of that pattern. Not sure if you read what I wrote to Ian, but I thought it would be cool to make some sort of impression stamp people can use to add the exact pattern into their sight guard. Or some sort of raised textured sticker that can be applied and painted over giving the same effect. All this talk of a new secret project is making me drool! Instead of asking,"What is thy making my Master?", I will wait for you to drop the bomb and show us when you are ready. I read before you said you bought two part sets , so you will have plenty of new tricks to pull out of your sleeve for quite some time! Popcorn ready. Good luck removing the muzzle if you try. "You've got the tools and the talent!" How about a large size coffee table book? I can neither confirm nor deny... I'll send you an email, Brian. Somebody should get a set of knurling tools made...those should work in steel or resin. It's just a diamond pattern. Getting the scale right would be the hard part. Somebody just bought some over on the Astromech site for making R2 leg parts. Edited January 21, 2015 by usaeatt2 Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 21, 2015 Author Report Posted January 21, 2015 Hmmm, what is this 'other project' that keeps getting dropped into other peoples threads. Are there little clues being laid that we don't know about? How many projects does this Master Aaron have in his little workshop? Many, many questions..... Great pics Aaron. More insight to the nature of a real Sterling to all us resin builders. Brian - I assume the Doopy is solid at the muzzle end to allow you to do that? Ian, The Doopy receiver is really thick the entire length,muzzle to end. The inner diameter is roughly 22 mm only, leaving a thick tube wall. I think I carved out about 6 mm in depth so far and I barely struck the inner black tubing Doopy uses to reinforce the receiver. 1 Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 21, 2015 Author Report Posted January 21, 2015 After seeing how you did the dovetail on the full resin version, the first idea in my mind for the pipe was to place some green stuff on the upper inside of the barrel and then cut that dovetail. Well, that was just the first idea. There might be better or easier ways... Yeah, on a pipe build this will not be as easy as carving one out on a Doopy receiver. Aaron's pics detail perfectly the original method and I think your idea of using the green stuff will work. The hard part will be to get it in place. I think Derrek said his muzzle can be modified to extend further into the receiver to sit directly under where the dovetail is. That would make it easier for sure. Or you can break out some aluminium and start cutting and filing away to recreate that part like a real Sterling! Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 22, 2015 Author Report Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) How about a large size coffee table book? I can neither confirm nor deny... I'll send you an email, Brian. Somebody should get a set of knurling tools made...those should work in steel or resin. It's just a diamond pattern. Getting the scale right would be the hard part. Somebody just bought some over on the Astromech site for making R2 leg parts. Coffe table book would be great! I would even settle for a PDF version as I do not own a coffee table due to space limitations in my Yoda-sized living space. I will read up more about knurling tools. I think I learn a new word every time I read one of your posts! Thanks. Having a tool made would probably be expensive but worth it if you really want the exact pattern. Don't get me started on astromechs! I would love to build one but that would spell certain financial death for me! Edited January 22, 2015 by Bulldog44 1 Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.