Cheapo Rubies 3D Print E11 Build

[djmatrix09[TK]]

Greetings! After lurking for some time, I've finally purchased my armor kit from WTF. While I wait, I thought I could figure out a super cheap E11 build.

 

After seeing this amazing build : http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?/topic/40643-Rubies-E11-mod, I decided to try my hand at a less Dremel intensive build. Using some 3D printed greeblies, and a killer paint job should suffice.

 

Wish me luck!

 

 

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[artimorty]

Hi there Andrew.<br>

Thank you very much for the credit. Very nice of you. Already following to see the progress. Best of lucks with your build!

[djmatrix09[TK]]

Did I mention this is a speed build? Ala Adam Savage's One Day Builds... Progress, Dremel-tastic!

 

Fitting my bayonet lug:

 

Used my needle files to get relief around the port, and make a faux strip:

 

Greeblies in place, with some CA glue:

 

 

Tomorrow, I'll sand then hit it with primer, fast cure then the magic. Trust me, this little Rubies mod will come together!

 

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[msouza[TK]]

you weren't kidding on the speed build part now were you!!lol great job!

[djmatrix09[TK]]

While the charging handle prints...

 

 

I made a spring out of an old coat hanger.

 

 

Hit it with some silver paint:

 

I didn't like how the charger track came out, so I widened it a bit.

 

It took a bit to figure out how to get the charging handle installed. I had to shim a bunch, and attach it to an inside flange underneath the scope.

 

Hit it with a layer of 2x base primer:

 

Next up is black, then bolt action detailing, spring assembly, etc!

 

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[djmatrix09[TK]]

Secret weapon, a trick I learned from Adam Savage... Your wife's old hair dryer!

 

 

Looks awesome with just one light coat of black:

 

 

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[djmatrix09[TK]]

Well, it's been a day! I've been working the blaster on and off between errands and running around town.

 

Here I use a metallic silver paint pen on all the edges. Wipe with a damp, new diaper, then rub with the dry side.

 

 

Using a black sharpie and more silver paint pen, I drew in the details I etched previously. Then I cut a strip of aluminum tape to fit the bolt mechanism.

 

 

My wife is really the paint expert (#BB8Charleston), so I turned it over to her to weather some spots. Black acrylic, water and Elmer's glue does magic around some of the details.

 

 

 

Looks pretty awesome for a one day build. Though I couldn't snake the spring I made out of a coat hanger through the slot, it still looks good:

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed my cheap Rubies mod, with a bit of 3d greeblies and paint. If I get inspired to get a spring in there, I'll be sure to post. Thanks for clicking!

 

~Andrew

 

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[Daenerys[TK]]

That looks really amazing.  I'm hoping to figure out to properly weather some of my gear.  

[artimorty]

Woow Andrew. Very nice speed build. Can't get it any better any faster. The adds make the piece stand out. You weren't kidding about the killer paint job. You and your wife make this seem easy, but nailed that subtle equilibrium between weathering but not too much. Congrats, it looks great in the final pics with that nice background.<br>

One question, what's that "black acrylic, water and Elmer's glue" thing for the weathering? I mean, I've seen the watered acrylic paint for weathering, but never with glue! What's that for? To add some texture or something?<br>

Again, very nice job.

[djmatrix09[TK]]

@artimorty the elmer's glue trick we learned watching a weathering tutorial by Gordon Tarpley for our BB8 build.

 

The video is very detailed regarding layering colors, and includes this magical last step of combining the glue with the acrylics.

 

https://youtu.be/3UPZLGcc-tc

 

Here's a good shot of our droid's weathering, and the same tricks applied to Rey's blaster from Ep7. Again, all the credit goes to my wife!

 

 

 

Two things Gordon points out, and you should remember, 1) layer the weathering, build it up, you can always wipe it away with a damp cloth, and 2) up close the weathering might look too heavy, but it probably reads really well on camera. Take a picture of your weathered piece, to gauge how much our little effect you want.

 

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[artimorty]

Thanks for the tips and the tutorial, I'll keep in mind that Elmer's glue trick. In fact I already hit amazon to see if I can get some here in Spain. Your advice gets proverbially in the right time, an also with the best example! Cause I'm just about to finish a little side project for my daughter, precisely a small nn-14, and surely I'd use yours as reference... (by the way, build thread also on this boards )<br>

Double thanks.

[djmatrix09[TK]]

Okay, so making this a two day build, I needed to hit it with automotive clear coat to protect the paint. Upside is, the paint is sealed. Downside is, it's shinier.

 

I really wanted a charging spring in the channel, so I went to Home Depot and got some 18ga picture frame wire. Wrapped it around a piece of pvc pipe:

 

 

Then I flattened it out:

 

 

Then, after taping the channel with Masking tape, I used two small Allen wrenches to elongate the spring in the charging channel:

 

 

So there you have it, my TWO day build.

[artimorty]

Very nice! Don't worry. Probably you still hold the record for the best fast build so far, and even Adam Savage himself cheats some times and takes more than one day to accomplish the task. Miracles of the video editing... god job.

[kman[TK]]

Nice job!  I'll have consider whether I should give my Rubies a little more love one of these days.  So far some black paint and 3D printed power cylinders is all I've done.  Hard to make the time, for a backup blaster, when I already have a Hyperfirm, though.

 

I like some of the things you did there, though, so one of these days...

[djmatrix09[TK]]

Nice job! I'll have consider whether I should give my Rubies a little more love one of these days. So far some black paint and 3D printed power cylinders is all I've done. Hard to make the time, for a backup blaster, when I already have a Hyperfirm, though.

 

I like some of the things you did there, though, so one of these days...

Yeah, my pocketbook is already stressing having gotten all of my TK Armor accessories. So I scaled back, using the Rubies. Very happy with it, and if I drop it I won't be TOO disappointed.

 

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[djmatrix09[TK]]

I wish I knew how to update the cover photo for Tapatalk.

[djmatrix09[TK]]

Now that my basic approval was submitted to my GML, I started back on the blaster to add the D-Ring for EIB. I masked off the blaster, just forward of the end cap. Then, I Dremeled off the formed D-Ring and drilled the mounting hole. Good thing, the Rubies cast makes the top section of the mold solid! After a bit of sanding and detailed filing, I installed the D-Ring from a spare light fixture, and I was ready for paint. I masked off the rest of the blaster with a large ziplok bag, and followed the same process (above) for painting the cap and new D-Ring. Voila! An EIB modded Rubies build.

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[artimorty]

Nice addition there. It improves the general silhouette... good luck on your EIB application and congrats on your imminent fatherhood. Wish you the best.

[djmatrix09[TK]]

Nice addition there. It improves the general silhouette... good luck on your EIB application and congrats on your imminent fatherhood. Wish you the best.

Thanks, artimorty! Did you finish your Anovos build yet?

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[artimorty]

10 hours ago, djmatrix09 said:

Thanks, artimorty! Did you finish your Anovos build yet?

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Haven't been able to start it yet! It's my top priority project this year... all I need to do its get my workshop tide up and prepare a nice big table to lay down the pieces while working on it. I've been keeping an eye on your build thread though.  

[Mad Dog 20/20]

On 4/5/2017 at 3:20 PM, djmatrix09 said:

Okay, so making this a two day build, I needed to hit it with automotive clear coat to protect the paint. Upside is, the paint is sealed. Downside is, it's shinier.

 

I really wanted a charging spring in the channel, so I went to Home Depot and got some 18ga picture frame wire. Wrapped it around a piece of pvc pipe:

 

 

Then I flattened it out:

 

 

Then, after taping the channel with Masking tape, I used two small Allen wrenches to elongate the spring in the charging channel:

 

 

So there you have it, my TWO day build.

Awesome build. I too am moding a Rubies. So on the spring, was the pvc pipe you wrapped it around approximately the same diameter as the blaster? Also the thinner wire makes it easier to snake into the slot?

[djmatrix09[TK]]

Awesome build. I too am moding a Rubies. So on the spring, was the pvc pipe you wrapped it around approximately the same diameter as the blaster? Also the thinner wire makes it easier to snake into the slot?

It was a smaller diameter pipe. There's a bit of spring in that wire. Then once I slid the coil into the channel, i used a screwdriver to tease the coil into the correct position.

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