usaeatt2 Posted January 22, 2015 Report Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) Don't get me started on astromechs! I would love to build one but that would spell certain finical death for me! You're NOT kidding about the financial part...ESPECIALLY if you go all aluminum... I think the guy on Astromech bought a simple knurling tool on a certain auction site for $10. Edited January 22, 2015 by usaeatt2 Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 23, 2015 Author Report Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) I went on a knurling pattern hunt again. I noticed that the screw on ends to some lifting weights had a very prominent diamond knurling pattern on them. So I did a quick test on some blu tack. The pattern looks slightly too big compared to a real sterling sight guard knurling pattern. Plus the crisscross lines are slanted too much. But it might have to do if a closer match cannot be found or bought. My camera lens has a metal ring that has a nice diamond pattern on it too but only 2 rows wide. Too difficult to get the impressions to line up nice and even. Let me know what you think: *Still working on making the sight block slide comfortably into the dovetail. Edited October 22, 2020 by Bulldog44 Quote
I'm Batman[501st] Posted January 23, 2015 Report Posted January 23, 2015 It doesn't look too bad Brian. As you say, finding something that is wide enough so you don't have too many joins is half the problem. You could obscure those joins with 'weathering' and 'paint chips'. I reckon someone needs to make a mold off a real sight guard and make thin latex/rubber "replacement knurling" - like thin dried PVA wood glue that you could just glue onto your smooth sanded sight. Or just a new sight guard I guess.... Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 23, 2015 Author Report Posted January 23, 2015 It doesn't look too bad Brian. As you say, finding something that is wide enough so you don't have too many joins is half the problem. You could obscure those joins with 'weathering' and 'paint chips'. I reckon someone needs to make a mold off a real sight guard and make thin latex/rubber "replacement knurling" - like thin dried PVA wood glue that you could just glue onto your smooth sanded sight. Or just a new sight guard I guess.... I like your idea of making a mold with latex. But best option is probably to just get a new one! Quote
usaeatt2 Posted January 23, 2015 Report Posted January 23, 2015 The lifting weight pattern isn't too bad, but like you said, the angle of the lines is a little too big...I'm guessing 120 deg at the wide part of the intersections. The Sterling pattern has the lines crossing at 90 degrees. Truly, little diamonds. I measured the pattern on the front sight guard with a thread gauge, then checked a couple tool catalogs... Knurling wheels come in specific pitches or teeth per inch (TPI) - for example, 16, 20, 21, 25 or 30 TPI. Don't ask me how they come up with standard sizes - seems pretty random to me. My thread gauge has 24 TPI and 26 TPI feelers, but DOESN'T have a 25 TPI feeler. You can see in the following picture, 24 TPI is really close. So is 26 TPI. I'm about 99% sure the Sterling pattern is female diamond 25 TPI. So, you would need a male diamond 25 TPI knurling wheel. I found one in an MSC catalog for $35...1/2" wide, 3/4" diameter with a 90 degree, 25 TPI pattern, but that's pretty salty. Maybe search around using this information? 1 Quote
gazmosis[501st] Posted January 23, 2015 Report Posted January 23, 2015 We still are about dressing up like plastic spacemen, right??? This is blowing my mind!!! 2 Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 23, 2015 Author Report Posted January 23, 2015 Thanks Aaron for checking the knurl size. Don't know how you manage to get such accurate measurements and dig up the information. You are a magician! I realize the sight guard knurling pattern is such a minor thing to make any fuss over but it feels satisfying to know it can be replicated once you get all the exact details. Owe you another one for going the extra mile once more with your expertise and help. The tool is quite expensive but maybe I can find some cheap flashlight or tool that bears the same sized knurling. Ultimately it would be great to have a flat flexible sheet of plastic that has the 25 TPI male knurling pattern on one side. Then all you need to do is spread a thin layer of epoxy on the guard and then gently apply & press the pattern in one easy motion. It would be easy to just mail it in a flat envelope to whoever needs one. Quote
ukswrath[Staff] Posted January 23, 2015 Report Posted January 23, 2015 This post is amazing. Brian your craftsmanship is incredible. I love to build and rebuild just about everything myself however, the detail you've put into this build is nothing short of reverse engineering quality. Besides the cast pieces, there's no C&C, no 3D print, just by hand. I'm in awe. Great job! Carry on Trooper! 1 Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 23, 2015 Author Report Posted January 23, 2015 We still are about dressing up like plastic spacemen, right??? This is blowing my mind!!! Lol! Crazy stuff. I should probably just get finished with my blaster and enjoy trooping. Aaron is a wealth of information and when he posts details like this, it fuels the fire for more great ideas! Quote
T-Jay[TK] Posted January 23, 2015 Report Posted January 23, 2015 (...) Or just a new sight guard I guess.... Let's see what Derrek could do with the new DVH kits when reworking several molds... Quote
usaeatt2 Posted January 23, 2015 Report Posted January 23, 2015 We still are about dressing up like plastic spacemen, right??? This is blowing my mind!!! That's the goal! Plastic spacemen with really accurate plastic guns. 2 Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 24, 2015 Author Report Posted January 24, 2015 This post is amazing. Brian your craftsmanship is incredible. I love to build and rebuild just about everything myself however, the detail you've put into this build is nothing short of reverse engineering quality. Besides the cast pieces, there's no C&C, no 3D print, just by hand. I'm in awe. Great job! Carry on Trooper! Super thanks Tony. I really feel like a ship lost at sea going through each part of the build but with the help of everyone here, I have been able to achieve a higher level of detail. I love making things by hand and found with this hobby, you are only limited by your imagination. Hopefully I can follow through to the end and have a nice blaster. Painting models is an uncharted area for me so the road ahead is going to get scary! Thanks for reading along. More to come ! Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 24, 2015 Author Report Posted January 24, 2015 Let's see what Derrek could do with the new DVH kits when reworking several molds... Looking forward to that! Quote
ukswrath[Staff] Posted January 24, 2015 Report Posted January 24, 2015 Super thanks Tony. I really feel like a ship lost at sea going through each part of the build but with the help of everyone here, I have been able to achieve a higher level of detail. I love making things by hand and found with this hobby, you are only limited by your imagination. Hopefully I can follow through to the end and have a nice blaster. Painting models is an uncharted area for me so the road ahead is going to get scary! Thanks for reading along. More to come ! Personally speaking, given what you already accomplished I think painting will be a walk in the park for you. Quote
Dday[501st] Posted January 24, 2015 Report Posted January 24, 2015 Let's see what Derrek could do with the new DVH kits when reworking several molds... When I made the front sight for run 2, I was in a bad hurry since the first mold for the front sight was pretty complicated and all one piece and really hard to cast I had to come up with a new setup, which I use now, but since I cast a resin replica and has to clean it up and so on, I lost the pattern. Coming soon I will be molding a nice front sight in separate pieces, similar to now, but better, with the detailing all over 1 Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 28, 2015 Author Report Posted January 28, 2015 (edited) Fought off some sleep and squeezed an hour in last night to finish up fitting the front sight in the dovetail. First a photo of the old sight block removed from the Doopy sight guard (with new sight block) - And finally, the Front Sight seated in the Dovetail Groove- With the sight guard - The sight pin might sit to high in this photo but I can lower it if needed. Please let me know if it looks too high. The next small part I will try to finish up is the End Cap Lock. I was first trying to use the Doopy lock and make it a moving part just like Triumphmark's lock. Since the Doopy lock is one solid piece, I sawed off one side to carve out the middle lever section. The resin walls that support the lever are too fragile to reassemble and rely on to have a moving lock. So I am going to try and use a U shaped piece of aluminium. This fantastic solution was suggested by Sith Lord. Thanks Ian! Furthermore, usaeatt2 posted some detailed photos of the lock & its measurements which will greatly help me to replicate the real part as close as possible. He also provided a dissembled view of the whole lock showing what makes the lever spring back into position & the pins holding it together. Thanks again for all that Aaron! Here is where I am at so far (which is not very far yet): Just cut a piece of the U shaped aluminium track/channel. I will use the inner resin lever unless it breaks in the process. Just needs some epoxy to recreate some straight lines along the length and a tad bit on one of the T ends. It is already a warped piece but it should still work out. For the spring action, I will cut a strip of metal off of a large bulldog clip. The metal used on those is flexible but keeps it shape. This will sit under the lever as seen in the photos Aaron posted earlier. Then I need to make a pin to hold the lever in place. Post more photos soon on this. Thanks for stopping by! Edited October 22, 2020 by Bulldog44 Quote
usaeatt2 Posted January 28, 2015 Report Posted January 28, 2015 STELLAR work on that dovetail! Nom, nom, nom! Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 28, 2015 Author Report Posted January 28, 2015 STELLAR work on that dovetail! Nom, nom, nom! Thanks Aaron. Without your help to make the sight block, I would never even attempted it. Its a bit off center but I will have to live with that. I have a 2mm curse with all my building projects. Guess thats better than 5-10mm. Quote
I'm Batman[501st] Posted January 28, 2015 Report Posted January 28, 2015 Brian, Brian, Brian.... I was about to congratulate you until you told me it was off centre. Shame on for posting such rubbish! Kidding! That is INSANE, WICKED. The ultimate Doopy's sight block. I say it a lot, that things can't be topped and they usually do, but surely this is one that cannot. You should be very proud. 1 Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 28, 2015 Author Report Posted January 28, 2015 Brian, Brian, Brian.... I was about to congratulate you until you told me it was off centre. Shame on for posting such rubbish! Kidding! That is INSANE, WICKED. The ultimate Doopy's sight block. I say it a lot, that things can't be topped and they usually do, but surely this is one that cannot. You should be very proud. Thanks Ian. I honestly feel you and many other blaster builders paved the way to do this kind of mod. Having sound input and great examples to follow helps stir the pot of possibilities. I feel too amateur yet to accept an ultimate award so I will save that until the blaster is finished. Appreciate all your support! Looking forward to seeing the ultimate DVH pipe build finished! No worries about painting! You got talent and a passion for excellence! 1 Quote
usaeatt2 Posted January 29, 2015 Report Posted January 29, 2015 Brian, I know you're past this, but I thought about you today while digging through my toolbox looking for a specific size punch... I thought, "Hey, this WHOLE drawer is FULL of different knurling patterns." You could just roll the knurling into putty like using a bakers rolling pin. Most of the patterns are several inches long. Then I remembered I had an small, spare drill chuck - it's knurled too. Maybe something to file in your memory for the next time you're at the hardware store...punches are cheap and maybe you can find the right pattern! Quote
Bulldog44[TK] Posted January 29, 2015 Author Report Posted January 29, 2015 Super! Thanks Aaron for posting this. The black one in the middle looks perfect! I will take a look at the home center this weekend. You have a treasure trove of tools in your workshop! Quote
T-Jay[TK] Posted January 29, 2015 Report Posted January 29, 2015 Congratulations on the dovetail and that perfect looking front sight, Brian Can't wait to see it painted (btw: the guard might need some sanding below that pattern before applying paint) Very interesting modification on that end cap lock! Think this should become a reference... Quote
Dday[501st] Posted January 29, 2015 Report Posted January 29, 2015 You know what I found with knurling that everyone with the same kit has...? The sizing looks ok... maybe a touch too big. 1 Quote
T-Jay[TK] Posted January 29, 2015 Report Posted January 29, 2015 Good find Derrek. While doing my front sight guard pattern I also thought of using that grip, but as Aaron somewhere already mentioned the diagonal lines in the correct pattern cross each other by 90 degrees. However, if somebody can't find anything else when doing this mod, there will always be that pattern on the grip, indeed. Quote
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