Lucky#Eleven - Phoenix Props Pipe Kit with Completion Set, Conversion Counter, Inner Barrel and more Add-Ons

[BILLSID29]

Wow! Awesome job Tino!  At what point is this going to fire an actual laser?

[T-Jay[TK]]

On 08/04/2016 at 11:00 PM, Sith Lord said:

Apart from the opinion on the bullets in the chamber, I would bet my life that not a single negative comment would possibly be forthcoming in this thread. Great work Tino.

Never say never, Ian.   But at least I have nothing else in mind, as polarizing as the bullets…

 

On 09/04/2016 at 1:05 AM, themaninthesuitcase said:

Nice to see my parts in such a detailed build.

 

I don't thing the black is white inside more when it gets stressed it goes white. Like when you bend black plastic it tends to go white. Because these parts are lots of tiny grains laser'd together there's lots to go white.   (...)

Good point Chris, had not thought of that. Wanted to know it, so I took a knife and cut into the black cube where it goes into the aluminum pipe.

Inside the small cut I saw white plastic. But no worries, even sharp scratches were not enough to remove the black surface. All fine.

 

On 09/04/2016 at 5:20 AM, Bulldog44 said:

Holy spring loaded stock! Locking mechanism! I have run out of words to say how amazing this is coming along.

Brian, your own current work is also very amazing. I am fascinated on how this could change the level of accuracy on resin scopes…

Great work and I keep fingers crossed for this.

 

On 12/04/2016 at 2:19 PM, sla73 said:

OMG.. what a build... I am not worthy.. Absolutely fantastic stuff Tino!!

Thanks, Bryn. Looks like you just recently found this thread?! My FISD notifications on that day said:

sla73 liked a post you made in Phoenix Pros Pipe Kit with Compl…

sla73 liked a post you made in Phoenix Pros Pipe Kit with Compl…

sla73 liked a post you made in Phoenix Pros Pipe Kit with Compl…

sla73 liked a post you made in Phoenix Pros Pipe Kit with Compl…

and so on … 

 

On 12/04/2016 at 8:48 PM, TK-71715 said:

This build makes me speechless. It's plain awesomeness. Thank you Tino for sharing

Thanks for your words, Kai. And best regards to Baden-Württemberg (is that assumption correct?)

 

On 12/04/2016 at 9:22 PM, Dday said:

 I"m so flabbergasted right now.

When we met the last time, I told you of serious carving work on the folding stock. Well, this is what I meant    So happy, it all worked without needing a replacement stock

 

On 12/04/2016 at 10:13 PM, Twnbrother said:

Jaw dropping AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Mike. Same goes for your work on the helmet interior. Absolutely outstanding modifications…

 

On 13/04/2016 at 4:07 AM, cjdesign said:

Love the craftsmanship!! Great progress. I can't wait to get my paws on a dday kit and follow along.

Good choice with that kit, Carl. But skip the mistakes I made

 

On 13/04/2016 at 6:52 PM, BILLSID29 said:

Wow! Awesome job Tino!  At what point is this going to fire an actual laser?

Hey Bill, nice to have you stopping by. A real laser? Well, let me see what I can do…

Edited September 20, 2017 by T-Jay

[T-Jay[TK]]

Update #15     - Preparations for paintwork
 
To get a single-colored base (for the following paint layer), the silver receiver tube and all parts with resin repairs had to get a layer of black spray paint. Before adding this, a few small items had to be permanently installed on the receiver.

 

 

 I had also filled the seam lines between the receiver and both flash guards but forgot to take pictures.

 

 
 At a first glance it almost looks done, but grip and folding stock are still unpainted. Also the current color is just the base layer for what comes in the next update…
  Thank you (one more time) for reading

Edited September 20, 2017 by T-Jay

[jkno]

Simply spectacular! Such attention to details!

[Lichtbringer]

Aye, most impressive.

[Bulldog44[TK]]

That's a mother load of great updates to this build. Still drooling.

[Thrawn's guard]

Wow Tino your quality of work and innovation continues to amaze me. I really need to set aside some time to have a really thorough read through the whole build thread do far. The other great thing about your build threads is the actual level of detail and quality of how your threads are put together.<br><br>

Builds like this so tempt me to start a new build myself but I really do need to get some armour sorted first.....just need to get saved up!!!

[AgeOfStrife]

Fantastic work. Almost makes me want to build one to replace my Doopys version, but I know I'd have a meltdown trying to get it half as good as yours.

 

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

[Stormy320]

So cool. You make it look easy.

[T-Jay[TK]]

On 16/04/2016 at 4:46 PM, jkno said:

Simply spectacular! Such attention to details!

 

On 16/04/2016 at 11:06 PM, Lichtbringer said:

Aye, most impressive.

 

On 17/04/2016 at 2:07 AM, Bulldog44 said:

That's a mother load of great updates to this build. Still drooling.

Sergiu, Michael and Brian, you guys really make me run out of ways to say “Thank You”   Happy to see you still read the updates and leave comments.

 

On 17/04/2016 at 3:35 PM, Thrawn's guard said:

Wow Tino your quality of work and innovation continues to amaze me. I really need to set aside some time to have a really thorough read through the whole build thread do far. The other great thing about your build threads is the actual level of detail and quality of how your threads are put together.

Builds like this so tempt me to start a new build myself but I really do need to get some armour sorted first.....just need to get saved up!!!

Chris, thanks for mentioning the build thread itself. Indeed that doubles the effort.

Beside of building, I take LOADS of photos, pick the best ones, spend many hours on the keyboard to arrange them and to find the right words for explaining everything

 

On 17/04/2016 at 6:38 PM, AgeOfStrife said:

Fantastic work. Almost makes me want to build one to replace my Doopys version, but I know I'd have a meltdown trying to get it half as good as yours.    (...)

Glad to hear about your thought. Let it settle, let some time pass by and the day will come where you start a new build.

After my first one was done, I did not seriously expect to build another one… Two years later (and with a much better kit available) this all started again...

 

On 17/04/2016 at 6:50 PM, Stormy320 said:

So cool. You make it look easy.

Thanks Jason. The truth is, I work slowly to avoid at least a few mistakes and that makes it all really time-consuming.

But I guess that’s what hobbies are about: spending your time in something you like.

Edited September 20, 2017 by T-Jay

[T-Jay[TK]]

Today’s first pictures fit more likely to the last update but were skipped, so here they are now (just two common mods).
 

Update #16     - Bob Ross & “The Joy Of Painting”

When finishing a blaster build, I usually go with the semi-gloss black paint (as seen in the last update) and weather it with Humbrol 27004 on selected spots.
 

 
Looks okay, but those blasters completely lack the texture from the real Sterlings, because these resin casts were made from a CLEANED Sterling parts set. In my first build I tried to reproduce this surface with the “paper-dabbed” hammered paint and the result was different. So this time it had to be the accurate wrinkle finish. On various reference pictures we find a lot of wear and tear, that I also liked to incorporate.



This wear and tear is important for a believable look and I did not want to simply add silver color onto the wrinkle paint. The only way to get it more realistically seemed to be a multi-layer paintjob. The following pictures show, what has been done to each part during this process:

 

Step 4: took photos from all the covered spots after the latex had dried. This will later help to find the “paint chips” when these are hidden under the wrinkled surface. Next pictures show just a few examples…

 

It is mandatory to EXACTLY follow the instructions for this paint, as it requires a specific room temperature, air humidity, triple layer spray technique and 48 hours drying time Next update will tell, if it worked and if the latex will still be removable. Keeping fingers crossed…

Enjoy your weekend

Edited September 20, 2017 by T-Jay

[kevin926]

For me, this is the bitter sweet part of the build. Sweet because we now get to see the finish work, but sad because the build is almost over. I can only hope mine looks half as good when I finish. Great work.

[Tr00per]

some Sterling wrinkle finish that lasts 50 years allready.

 

 

macro shot. (you can see some rust in between some lines, pritty cool)

 

 

Love your build.... and VHT crossed my mind if i wanted to redo mine ... can't wait how it turns out for you.

 

I used VHT ''Yellow'' for seomething else do ^^

 

It's pritty strong paint when done right...

Are you gone bake it in a oven ? or use hairdryer ?

Couse it needs heat to wrinkle..

 

used the VHT primer aswell..

Edited April 24, 2016 by Tr00per

[count chocula]

 

Update #16     - Bob Ross & “The Joy Of Painting”

 

 

 

Can't wait to see what the wrinkle/latex combination looks like.

 

That wrap job alone must've taken a good while. You're patience/meticulousness is admirable.

 

I'm sure Bob Ross would be proud.

 

"We don't make mistakes. We just have happy accidents."

                                                                                                   -Bob Ross

[T K[501st]]

Oh my! Tino, I just read through this thread.. You have absolutely amazing talents! This is just plain outstanding.   

[Addertime[TK]]

Outstanding and inspirational work all around. Love the finishing techniques!

[Twnbrother]

Your attention to detail is just amazing. Keep inspiring us

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sla73]

waiting..... is .... killing me....

Edited April 29, 2016 by sla73

[T-Jay[TK]]

On 24/04/2016 at 9:08 PM, kevin926 said:

For me, this is the bitter sweet part of the build. Sweet because we now get to see the finish work, but sad because the build is almost over. I can only hope mine looks half as good when I finish. Great work.

All good Kevin, there are still a few updates to come during the next weeks. After getting to “Sterling level”, the alterations from the prop makers need to get added. This will take some chapters. And in the meantime, I continue to watch your build

 

On 24/04/2016 at 9:52 PM, Tr00per said:

some Sterling wrinkle finish that lasts 50 years allready.

macro shot. (you can see some rust in between some lines, pritty cool)

Love your build.... and VHT crossed my mind if i wanted to redo mine ... can't wait how it turns out for you.

I used VHT ''Yellow'' for seomething else do ^^

It's pritty strong paint when done right...

Are you gone bake it in a oven ? or use hairdryer ?

Couse it needs heat to wrinkle..

used the VHT primer aswell..

Dennis, thanks very much for those great pictures. Had never seen the wrinkles so clear before.

The instructions for this paint listed primer and heating as optional, but I had a bad feeling to expose the resin parts to 93°C (200°F) for one hour, which is why I skipped that. It dried in a room with constant environmental conditions, all within the required range as per the VHT instructions…

 

On 25/04/2016 at 3:42 AM, count chocula said:

Can't wait to see what the wrinkle/latex combination looks like.

That wrap job alone must've taken a good while. You're patience/meticulousness is admirable.

I'm sure Bob Ross would be proud.

 

"We don't make mistakes. We just have happy accidents."

                                                                                                   -Bob Ross

Thank you Sean. The most complicated item to wrap is the grip. In this blaster kit, it cannot get separated from the area with the trigger group, but the wrinkles should only be on the sides of the trigger group. And the wrapping needs to be inverted for painting the other half…

 

On 25/04/2016 at 5:35 AM, T K said:

Oh my! Tino, I just read through this thread.. You have absolutely amazing talents! This is just plain outstanding. 

Hi Aaron, glad you have found this - and used the follow-button.

 

On 25/04/2016 at 8:40 PM, Addertime said:

Outstanding and inspirational work all around. Love the finishing techniques!

Thanks Michael, your current build started very impressive recently. Already following to not miss any of your updates.

 

On 26/04/2016 at 10:05 AM, Twnbrother said:

Your attention to detail is just amazing. Keep inspiring us

Thank you, Mike. Will do my best but cannot promise anything…

 

On 28/04/2016 at 7:50 AM, sla73 said:

waiting..... is .... killing me....

Fully understand you, Bryn and thought about a shorter interval to release the updates. But even just one per week puts me under serious pressure.

Edited September 20, 2017 by T-Jay

[T-Jay[TK]]

Update #17     - Making new things look old
 
48 agonizing hours after painting, I examined the parts and was excited as a child…
 

 
For some unknown reason, the sides of the trigger group did not get the desired effect. Would not consider this “a mistake”, more likely it’s just a “happy little accident” However, there is at least a visible structure and most of this area will later be covered by the arms of the folding stock.




 
All in all I was not super happy, because a lot of the Humbrol had to get repaired. And although the paint chips could be worked to look good, there simply were too many. During the below following weathering process, I later reduced their intensity by dry-brushing most spots with semi-black paint. Before we jump to that, there was still some work to do on the grip.


 
While this dried, I continued with the wear and tear. Humbrol 27004 and 27003 for metallic effects (27003 is a bit brighter and got used for the trigger group, inside the grip). Revell Silver 91 to slightly dip onto the Humbrol to give the illusion of highly stressed edges. Small defects from the original parts in the resin can be used to support the effect. Humbrol 113 to dry brush some surface rust.




Looked okay, but something was still missing. Whenever gazing at Andy’s (PlayfulWolfCub) metal power cylinders, I am fascinated by his professional work to make these look old. Aaron (Squimspickle) had recently done something similar and referred me to a Tamiya weathering kit. That seemed perfect, but was a bit pricey for just 3 colors. Found something else online for less than half the price and tested it on the front sight…
 



Never expected to use any makeup in this build, but hey - it did the job   Still had some of my self-made rust powder from the first build, so this got added as well. Below are a few photos, how the other parts looked after the repairs and with fully finished weathering…




To summarize the last steps: Layer 1 – polished Humbrol, Layer 2 – silver accents, Layer 3 – rust color and powder, Layer 4 – makeup dust.
Weathering rule #1: Less is more. Weathering rule #2: Only with daylight (electric light changes the look and leads to overdo it). In the next update we are going to complete that „Sterling puzzle“ below.



Who finds the missing puzzle piece(s)? Happy weekend

Edited September 20, 2017 by T-Jay

[Tr00per]

although not obligatory I find that using a heat gun or hair dryer, you get the best wrinkle finish.

 

Make sure you use an adhesion promoter on the plastic pieces. (but that's ofc not possible anymore)

 

 

Sticking it in a oven, ofc not ^^

Edited April 30, 2016 by Tr00per

[SlyFox740[TK]]

I've been following along on your blaster build Tino, amazing work and attention to detail! Very inspiring. I was actually a bit surprised to see that you decided to go with a wrinkle finish on this. I've seen the VHT paint used before here on FSID, I've been seriously considering doing the same but I thought it had been discovered that only military issued Sterlings actually had the wrinkle finish still on them and the ones in the film were stripped and repainted a smooth matte black, It's been discussed at length on here. Either way you've done an amazing job and it looks super realistic. Awesome build thread, keep up the great work Tino!

Edited April 30, 2016 by SlyFox740

[Tr00per]

Military issued Sterlings didn't have a wrinkle finish, (untill)

Commercial Sterlings did.

 

Sterling SMG's were painted with the wrinkle finish during new production when going for commercial or export sales.

British military variants were painted with smooth Suncorite 259 paint at the factory and during subsequent FTR programs.

 

 

They gave it a crackled finish to hide the welding spots, untill they introduced the brazing proces.

But the paint had by that time established itself durable.. so they all got the wrinkle paint.

Unless you find a ex military variant.

 

The most ones you see today, are worn down to there undercoat.

One person that has a MKII Sterling, thought his was plain black, untill i asked him to check under his pistol grip..

Edited April 30, 2016 by Tr00per

[SlyFox740[TK]]

Okay that's it, I do not know all the details and history but I just remember reading about this on the forums before. Some of the post production blasters used for promo photos had it but the Sterlings used on screen in the film didn't actually have the wrinkle finish If I remember correctly. I actually like the wrinkle finish, it looks great and very realistic!

[Thrawn's guard]

Hi Tino I was wondering if you were still intending to incorporate electronics in this build. One thing which I would be very interested to see would be a reworking of the electronics so that the sound effects created are say 3 or 4 times louder then the typical star wars blaster toys available.<br><br>

I'm not an electronics expert by any means but assume that this may need an upgraded amplifier and or speaker/speakers........just a thought