Rubies E11 mod

[djmatrix09[TK]]

Curious what you're going to use for the reticle. I was looking at my build, and thinking that would be a cool little detail to add.

 

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[artimorty]

Curious what you're going to use for the reticle. I was looking at my build, and thinking that would be a cool little detail to add.

 

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Funny you ask, Andrew. In fact I was doing some tests a few days ago to set a reticle inside the scope. Nothing serious. Just a test wit a reticle drawn on a sheet of transparent acetate to see what effect I could get. I placed it holding in the hollow section of the rear foot of the scope, on the inside, as you can see on the next picture.

Then I thought that probably it wouldn't worth the effort cause I don't know if it would be seen at all once the interior is painted black... then I thought about painting the inside shiny bronze to make the reticle stand out... and finally put it aside. But since you bring up the topic, may be this afternoon I try to print a good one and give it another try... let's see.

Thanks.

 

 

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[BULL65]

For my scope, I sacrificed an old pair of mini binoculars just for the lenses. You can't exactly see clearly thru the scope, but looks better than nothing!

[BULL65]

Too late for you, but did you consider just carving off the existing T-tracks and adding after market ones? I'm considering it.. I'm not up to the stage you got with them yet. Just I see they are solid except for the top track. I know after market tracks would be too long, but that wouldn't TRUELY be an issue, one could trim them, as long as they go down in the holes it should be alright?

Thoughts?

[artimorty]

Too late for you, but did you consider just carving off the existing T-tracks and adding after market ones? I'm considering it.. I'm not up to the stage you got with them yet. Just I see they are solid except for the top track. I know after market tracks would be too long, but that wouldn't TRUELY be an issue, one could trim them, as long as they go down in the holes it should be alright?

Thoughts?

Yes. That would be a nice option. I think I saw around there somebody doing it on a doopy kit and I took it into consideration since t tracks is really the only add you can make that can be adapted to the minor size of the rubies just cutting them (unless you get to 3D print scaled down a bunch of parts, like Andrew did on his build). But that would not only be a lot of work but also a change on the main goal I'm seeking here. I mean, I could also change the counter or take the scope out and replace it for a better one (one of those bulldog's beauties, f. e.) or change the whole magazine, and the terribly narrow front sight, or replace the rail with a metal one... but at some point it would be no longer a rubies, and the rest of the blaster remaining wouldn't worth the price or the efforts of the new parts added. And also not much you can do about the length but change the barrel itself or add tube sections on the rear to make it longer and wider.

This build is more oriented to mod what it already has and keep it in a tight budget, and that is the funny part. And it took me a while to understand that myself and don't go around buying parts for this.

This being said, I'm having a big cheat myself waiting for further on. Early in the process I bought some 3D printed parts that I think would be difficult to build, the 3 pins plug that goes at the upper top of the counter, and this came in a lot with a set of power cilinders... they weren't expensive at all (about 15€ or so) and specifically made at rubies size, but as soon I got them I had a weird feeling that using them woul take me out of the path...

Of course I'm using them later on nevertheless.

This is were I am now regarding the "philosophy" of this particular build.

Those were my thoughts on the subject. But if you go ahead and replace the tracks... damm it, that would be great to see how this come out!

Thanks for your interest, Mark.

Cheers...

Edited June 2, 2017 by artimorty

[BULL65]

hahahaha I'm on the fence about the tracks... I completely understand about wanting to keep as much as you can original. I think, I might go down your road again, with a slight detour.
I use a 2-part epoxy called Plastic Weld... A LOT! I love this stuff... strong? Oh BOY is it strong! I'm thinking, that once cutting those half moons at the end of the tracks, I can add some of that epoxy to the ends of the tracks, leading down into the holes. Might be some work, but it should end up looking right. Most things look good in my head, till I try them out for real, LoL!!
Some things you've done, I've had to make parts using alternative materials... just using materials I have at hand. I wouldn't even know where to find sintra anywhere near me. I live in a pretty small town. No craft or hobby stores anywhere near me (the closest would be an hour's drive away). The guys at my local hardware store love seeing me come in... "Whatcha making Mark?" Well... I am modifying a Stormtrooper Blaster toy! You could go your whole life and never hear that! hahaha
Like you, I have ordered a 3-D printed cylinders and the three prong plug thingie, same day I ordered the Rubies.. still waiting for those parts. I have an old phone charger for vehicles, that might be the right thickness for the cords to connect the two. I won't know for sure until they arrive (anywhere from today to the 9th, according to eBay). The auction I ordered them from, includes a decal for the counter, and the scope.

[BULL65]

nuts, double posted

Edited June 2, 2017 by BULL65

[artimorty]

hahahaha I'm on the fence about the tracks... I completely understand about wanting to keep as much as you can original. I think, I might go down your road again, with a slight detour.

I use a 2-part epoxy called Plastic Weld... A LOT! I love this stuff... strong? Oh BOY is it strong! I'm thinking, that once cutting those half moons at the end of the tracks, I can add some of that epoxy to the ends of the tracks, leading down into the holes. Might be some work, but it should end up looking right. Most things look good in my head, till I try them out for real, LoL!!

Some things you've done, I've had to make parts using alternative materials... just using materials I have at hand. I wouldn't even know where to find sintra anywhere near me. I live in a pretty small town. No craft or hobby stores anywhere near me (the closest would be an hour's drive away). The guys at my local hardware store love seeing me come in... "Whatcha making Mark?" Well... I am modifying a Stormtrooper Blaster toy! You could go your whole life and never hear that! hahaha

Like you, I have ordered a 3-D printed cylinders and the three prong plug thingie, same day I ordered the Rubies.. still waiting for those parts. I have an old phone charger for vehicles, that might be the right thickness for the cords to connect the two. I won't know for sure until they arrive (anywhere from today to the 9th, according to eBay). The auction I ordered them from, includes a decal for the counter, and the scope.

Hey Mark.

I think we've hit the same 3D printed parts provider TK421... that's hilarious!

 

Nothing fancy about sintra. That's a commercial brand for pvc expanded foam, a product quite popular in cosplay and props builder. And I'm acting smartass here cause I knew nothing about it just six months ago. You can have it from amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s_ss_i_0_7?k=pvc+foam+board&sprefix=pvc+foa

I've used it for another project here on the boards and it's great, and I still have plenty around. (If you please, check my other build with sintra in

http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/40483-reys-nn-14-blaster-pistol-child-size-from-scratch/ )

 

 

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Edited June 2, 2017 by artimorty

[artimorty]

Ok. Back to business...

Following Mark's idea, I've gone adding some milliput inside the tube under the t tracks to provide more depth to them. It's only a test since I've to let enough room inside for the inner barrel I already have.

I've also cannibalized an old binocular for the rear lens and it fits perfectly an makes it look much better, thanks again to Mark!. Also combining Mark's idea with Andrew's suggestion on the reticle I made some tests placing inside the scope a reticle printed on an acetate disc at different distances from the lens, getting different effects. Finally I decided to place the reticle just behind the glass in contact with it. I think I'm gonna leave the scope interior white or light bronze to get some light playing inside.

And finally today I've cut out the excess plastic between the barrel and the scope rail. It hasn't been as easy as I expected and caused more damage and trouble to the surrounding areas (mainly the hengstler front and the magazine port back) that will need repairing. I should've done this much earlier, but I was afraid that this would make the rail fragile, and didn't want to break it while messing around with the scope.

If anybody want my piece of wisdom, do this early in the process. Better when the halves are still separated. Just rejoining them once you've carved free the rail, you can see that both together aren't any more feeble than before carving the plastic since the hengstler attachment to the barrel gives enough strength for it. The right side alone is quite feeble tough, take care.

And also, once you take out this excess plastic, the rail is ok, but the tube of the barrel shows a huge gap all along, more like a trench, that will have to be filled and sealed once glued.

 

Thank you all for your interesting ideas.

 

 

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[djmatrix09[TK]]

Curious which binoculars you cannabalised. Also, where can I print that reticle from? Do you have the file?

 

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[artimorty]

Curious which binoculars you cannabalised. Also, where can I print that reticle from? Do you have the file?

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Hi Andrew. Sorry but not pics aviable now of the binoculars. The remains are in my trash bin and forgot to take pics. When I get home I'll try to get you some. For the reticle, as Mark said a couple of posts before, my plug and power cilinders came with two decals. One for the counter and one for the scope. I couldn't use the decal cause the background of it is white, not transparent. So I went to a print shop and got several copies of it in a single acetate sheet. For what I know, I saw first those designs somewhere on the rpf. Here you have a link:

http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=86295

I think there you can donwload HR images of four different reticles, one of the seems to be the one that came in my set of 3D printed parts. Also there are some interesting advices about faking a lens with the curved bottom of a soda plastic bottle .

Hope that helps.

 

Cheers.

PD: I have here on the cell phone a copy of those reticles, but don't know if you could scalate them properly.

 

Edited June 3, 2017 by artimorty

[artimorty]

And this are the remains of the poor binocular that generously donated parts for my scope.

 

 

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[BULL65]

I couldn't get the smaller lens of the binoculars to fit inside the scope's front, so I ended up cutting off the scope's front, enlarging the hole, now the binoculars piece has replaced it. Clamped together, you CAN actually see thru the scope, somewhat, but lol everything's upside down! Ah well, at least light passes through!

You're right! Same supplier for the power cylinders! Small world!

[BULL65]

For the FREE & LOCK letters, not having any access to alphabet pasta, I was lucky enough to find someone with a Dymo embossing labeler. I had a strip printed out with FREE & LOCK several times, and using an exacto knife, very carefully cut the letters out. Good thing I had printed out the words several times, as I dropped the C when I was peeling off the backing to it! I can't see me crawling around on the floor looking for a teeny little letter! Ugh!! As it is, neither the C or the K would stick, so I had to dab them with glue. I'm going to prime, clear coat and then spray paint the plate before glueing the plate to the inside of the handle, to help hold the letters in place better.

[BULL65]

For the FREE & LOCK letters, not having any access to alphabet pasta, I was lucky enough to find someone with a Dymo embossing labeler. I had a strip printed out with FREE & LOCK several times, and using an exacto knife, very carefully cut the letters out. Good thing I had printed out the words several times, as I dropped the C when I was peeling off the backing to it! I can't see me crawling around on the floor looking for a teeny little letter! Ugh!! As it is, neither the C or the K would stick, so I had to dab them with glue. I'm going to prime, clear coat and then spray paint the plate before glueing the plate to the inside of the handle, to help hold the letters in place better.

Edited June 8, 2017 by BULL65

[artimorty]

For the FREE & LOCK letters, not having any access to alphabet pasta, I was lucky enough to find someone with a Dymo embossing labeler. I had a strip printed out with FREE & LOCK several times, and using an exacto knife, very carefully cut the letters out. Good thing I had printed out the words several times, as I dropped the C when I was peeling off the backing to it! I can't see me crawling around on the floor looking for a teeny little letter! Ugh!! As it is, neither the C or the K would stick, so I had to dab them with glue. I'm going to prime, clear coat and then spray paint the plate before glueing the plate to the inside of the handle, to help hold the letters in place better.

Hey there Mark... You kidding????

I had exactly the same idea trying to improve mine!!!! The dymo are still a little too big but much better than the pasta, I tried to make one but up till now no success. I approached the issue cutting a square around each letter and gluing them in position. But that got me two main problems still unsolved: first had to level up the background with the square of the letters and cover the in between lines with putty, and secondly, when I tested painting the prototype, the paint blurred all the letters. Didn't thought cutting each letter separatedly! Did it work? Was it difficult? How does it look? Can you post a picture?

Here are two of my dymo letters test.

I'm amazed we are having similar approaches and wanna thank you for your great suggestions so far. Not only inspiring but also pushing me farther on the build. I'm also stealing your idea for the minor lens and actually working in getting real lenses on the front part, but I'm going inside it, instead of replacing it. Hopefully this weekend will have some progress about that.

Thank you again!

 

 

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[BULL65]

Pic's kinda blurry from my crappy phone camera, but you can see them. This was after priming twice, clear coating twice, and flat black twice. I trimmed super careful with an exacto and a cutting board each letter individually, the only thing just too small to trim inside was the E's.

[BULL65]

Pic's kinda blurry from my crappy phone camera, but you can see them. This was after priming twice, clear coating twice, and flat black twice. I trimmed super careful with an exacto and a cutting board each letter individually, the only thing just too small to trim inside was the E's.

[artimorty]

Pic's kinda blurry from my crappy phone camera, but you can see them. This was after priming twice, clear coating twice, and flat black twice. I trimmed super careful with an exacto and a cutting board each letter individually, the only thing just too small to trim inside was the E's.

Woooooooow Mark... they look GREAT, you even cut out the rectangular piece over the circle! Definitely I've to try this! It's supercool... they look so clean...

Thanks for pointing it out. Hopefully I can get something similar on my own.

Thank you very much, nice job!

[artimorty]

Hi again.

Not much advance this weekend. Just improving some of my previous mods to let's say v 2.0.

Following Mark's tips I changed the FREE-LOCK letters and cut out the square part over them. In my case more like a triangle due to the position of the circle and the folding stock.

I think it looks much much better now. Tanks Mark!!!

Then changed the front part of the scope. Reused the small lenses set of the cannibalized binoculars, inserted in a aluminum tube cut to size. For this I had to sand again the interior of the front part of the scope to make more room. This is how the pieces are placed now.

And here a funny shot laying the phone camera flat against the mayor lens. You can see all the way through now, aiming an stormtrooper bucket at the other side of the room, although inverted.

Tough I made some tests to fit inside the prism of the binoculars, didn't get any inversion effect. I know zero of optics or phisics of light or any other phisics for what matters, but I know positions, order and distance are key factors in getting the desired results. So... no much more I can do about it.

And finally, I upgraded the release bottom on the magazine port, covering it with a random plastic cap I found the other day, that has exactly same size and shows concentric circles on the top part just like it should be...

 

I think the time to close the blaster is tight, have to sand all and prepare the halves and now I'm studying wich way is best to get all the new parts inside and the correct secuence of painting the interior and assemble...

 

Thanks again to you all for your patience and support.

 

 

 

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[BULL65]

Just about where I am now as well. I've been looking around the net looking at images of E-11's, just to see what else I can do on this. 

Like you, trying to figure out painting order. Since the "rod" in the folding stock is going to be silver, I'll have to prepaint the halves first I imagine?

[artimorty]

Just about where I am now as well. I've been looking around the net looking at images of E-11's, just to see what else I can do on this.

Like you, trying to figure out painting order. Since the "rod" in the folding stock is going to be silver, I'll have to prepaint the halves first I imagine?

I've already prepainted the rod of the folding stock and the bolt. I think that I'm going to paint first around the ejection port and the slot of the spring from the outside first. Then glue the bolt in position. After that paint black the whole interior while still open, then glue the inner barrel and the fake rod... assemble both halves, mask the bolt and the sprig slot from the outside and finally paint all the outside in different layers and weather the lot... it appears to be the right secuence... at least is what I've got in mind for the time being. But first I need to finish some minor detailing. Edited June 12, 2017 by artimorty

[BULL65]

Artimorty, the replaced cap with the concentric circles... Does that still need a slot across like a big screw?

[BULL65]

I ask, because I have a small brass drawer pull, perfect size, with the circles. I just had to trim the stem of it down a bit. I haven't glued it on the magazine yet, in case I do have to cut a slot across it.

[artimorty]

Artimorty, the replaced cap with the concentric circles... Does that still need a slot across like a big screw?

Hi Mark. Not an expert here or anything even close. But going through a lot of reference pictures I have here on the phone (all from different fisd sources) all the release bottoms have the slot, no matter wich of the three or four different models I found.

Here some examples.

The last is from praetorian blasters. The have a photo gallery of their beauuuuutiful rubber e11 that are great for references.

Hope this helps.