Imperial Arms 3D E-11 (version 3) kit

[OddViking327[TK]]

The final piece: the E-11 blaster.

[This thread duplicates the blaster part of my build thread over in the ANH stunt armor section]

 

UPDATE May 2021: Imperial Arms 3D just released their V4 blaster today, which, based on this feedback on my build, has addressed all of the placement and accuracy issues (keyhole, knurled sights, some missing screw spots, and most notably, the scope and hengstler counter locations). Imperial Arms V4 E-11 blaster

 

I submitted for basic approval already, without the blaster, as I wanted to get the ball rolling, and the blaster isn't required. But of course, I can't wait to have it for trooping. For my clone, I used a really nice 3D printed kit from Imperial Arms 3D. I know many scoff at 3D parts, but I have experience finishing them, and as his kit looked really nice (his new Version 3 of the E-11) I was curious to see how it would work. His prints are very finely textured. It has a metal spring, sliding bolt, folding stock, and magazine that comes out with magnets. In the past too, he was responsive over Instagram and has adapted the clone blaster based on my feedback. I already have found two minor accuracy improvements, so I will see if he can add those to future kits. He does offer "finished kits" but I don't know for certain if they would be as finished as 501st people like. I prefer to complete it myself, and swap out printed screws for the real ones, and other modifications. Here is what the full kit looks like (so many pieces!):

 

Instead of my usual dance with coat after coat of Bondo glazing putty and filler primer, I am trying a new product, XTC 3D. It is a sort of two part epoxy like mix that you brush on, and it "self-levels" on the prints. It is sandable, but doesn't need as much as other processes do. Once I figured out the best application process, it actually is going to be my new go-to method of finishing a 3D print. The key is to mix very little, 5 ml of the one, and 2.5 ml of the other part. You have about five minutes of good glazing time where it really spreads out nicely. After that, it begins to thicken, and while it is good for filling the backs of parts, or less-detailed areas, it no longer will nicely level out. I found it also works best when the side up is all you do, so to do a "box" shape like the magazine takes about four passes. In about two hours, it is cured, and you can do another side. Here is what it looks like when it is working perfectly:

 

All told, I have probably mixed about ten "batches" and done light coats on parts, second coats on some, and third coats on trickier surfaces like the t-tracks that need to be really smooth. It sounds like a lot, but I just do one or two passes a day, and it is ready to go in a few days.

 

Adjustments to his model: I found so far two inaccurate little pieces, for some reason he has a second muzzle flash guard on the other side. I used epoxy putty to fill that slot, and will sand it smooth. The other is the kit is missing the bayonet lug. I thought maybe I had lost it, but looking at his site and the pictures of finished blasters, they are all missing it. So I decided it was simple enough a piece, I would just find a dowel that fit in the hole, and cut my own. Once coated with filler primer, it looks like a metal part:

 

Finally, I plan to hit my old drawer of antique flat head screws and bolts to replace any printed ones, including those five on the front of the scope. Also, while the kit comes with a flat disk of clear plexiglass for the scope lens, I wanted a more domed one. One benefit of having a 6-year old boy is that a lot of toys have lenses or little magnifiers, so I save all of them for things like this. Two worked, and I had to grind them down a little, but the fit nicely now. Also, by coincidence, there was this shard of plastic that found my foot a few days ago, and it is slightly curved, perfect for the Hengstler window. Cut down and set it, it should work well. His print has raised numbers, so I will paint those white, and then glue the window on top:

Edited May 28, 2021 by OddViking327
UPDATE

[T-Jay[TK]]

Good job done so far, Colin. You seem to have the right skills for this.

 

And a nice, clean presentation style.

 

Following with great interest...

[Firedog[TK]]

I am awaiting an E-11 kit from Imperial Arms for my son's TK. Your build thread will definitely come in handy! I'm excited to follow your progress!

 

[Bulldog44[TK]]

Great start. Nice work on fabricating your own bayonet lug. Looking forward to seeing this build progress.

[OddViking327[TK]]

Blaster continued:

This kit does have some nice details, and many of the fasteners are functional or real, but not all of them. I usually modify most kits, replacing any printed "screws" with real ones, or any other round details I can swap out. Like on the rear sight, I sanded off the round detail, and sliced two pieces of a wall anchor to glue on for that perfect round shape. I also added in that 5mm LED for the domed detail on the end of the magazine. Reading the threads on here, I also added the rear sight notches, and added the knurled texture to the front sights. I used epoxy putty, the first time I laid it on and rolled the tool, and it rolled it off the piece. Second attempt worked, I put the putty on, waited five minutes, and then tried the knurled texture. Success! 

 

The parts all primed, I moved to assemble some pieces before black painting. Parts that were smooth and nice already got standard flat black primer, Parts that needed a final smoothing got filler primer (grey). Some nice things I discovered about this Imperial Arms 3D kit: In the upper right, you can see some of the things like the flash guard and the sights actually go through a slot, and down to the barrel, for strength (flash guard piece marked in magenta). Many parts use functional fasteners, aesthetic on the muzzle end here, but many pieces like the handle and the scope rail, and the magazine all get "bolted on" which should make for a stronger prop than one that is all glued:

 

A note on filler primer. It works well as it is as a matte surface, but to get an even nicer surface, you can use fine steel wool to quickly rub the rough surface off (30 seconds), and the "burnish" it with a dry paper towel (30 seconds) and it literally shines. I have used this to prep a master for casting, but now I do it on everything if a shiny surface is what I am after. 

 

Painting and gluing more today, so I should have this in my holster by Halloween!

Edited October 27, 2020 by OddViking327

[OddViking327[TK]]

Just put on a layer of satin black. This is my favorite part, when you can really see all of your hard work pay off. Always nice when it is painting time to have a few days of hot, but not too hot, dry windy days. I did notice when putting a piece out yesterday to dry after washing dust, that it started to warp a little in the sun, so I am trying to get my painting done before the sun beam cuts through my painting area in the afternoon. [Note: It is still "glossy" being wet.]

[MaskedVengeance[Staff]]

Great work, and I love your imagery and descriptions. I’ve seen Troopers use XTC 3D on printed helmets before; cool to try it on a blaster. And that knurling on the front sight looks excellent! Really neat to read about the burnishing as well since I actually accidentally did that on a painted photo frame with sandpaper that was too fine. Never knew it was something one might want to do on purpose.

 

 

Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

[Bulldog44[TK]]

Nice job with the knurling on the front sight. Once that black coat of paint is applied it is like magic. The one thing I dislike about 3D printed parts is as you mentioned, they can warp in the sun. I had this problem with an F-11D kit I recently assembled. Was devastated to discover the parts warped beyond repair and had to finish it as it was. 

Great work and looking forward to seeing this completed.

[T-Jay[TK]]

On 10/27/2020 at 7:56 PM, OddViking327 said:

Not wanting to cause any panic now, but there is something wrong with the photos in the upper and lower right corner. That 'keyhole' slot at the flash guard is actually supposed to be on the bottom of the receiver tube (for the locking mechanism of the folding stock). Not sure if that is a mistake in the print-file or by joining two parts the wrong way.

I am very sorry for being so late with this comment and hope this is something you might still be able to fix. Maybe by adding a piece of plastic?!

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

3 hours ago, T-Jay said:

Not wanting to cause any panic now, but there is something wrong with the photos in the upper and lower right corner. That 'keyhole' slot at the flash guard is actually supposed to be on the bottom of the receiver tube (for the locking mechanism of the folding stock). Not sure if that is a mistake in the print-file or by joining two parts the wrong way.

I am very sorry for being so late with this comment and hope this is something you might still be able to fix. Maybe by adding a piece of plastic?!

Good catch on that, Tino!  Since the front and rear are 2 different pieces the front somehow got twisted.  It should be fairly straightforward to fill that extra space with a piece of plastic, but this will also affect the positioning of the bayonet lug hole which may need to be filled and a new one drilled out in the proper place.

[OddViking327[TK]]

@T-Jay Ooh, sorry I missed this, I finished it all yesterday, so that repair would be difficult. The keyhole is only on that one side, see the post below, the lug side is fine. I can maybe see if I can fix it, but it is all clear coated now, making a modification like that more difficult. It is not a rotated barrel, as the front sight array fits in slots on top. Can you send a reference pic, I can pass it along to the maker?

Edited October 29, 2020 by OddViking327

[OddViking327[TK]]

 

 

Blaster continued to completion:

        I have made more progress on the blaster, and just completed it. Some things need to be glued, like the T-tracks and other smaller details, but some of the stronger connections are different. The kit uses M3 and M4 allen fasteners in many places (similar to the muzzle ones) that make it feel much more secure. There are also lots of nice design features, where if you assemble it in the correct order, there are holes to aid in assembly. Things like the grip (which has a rubber band for the trigger that I thought would eventually wear out but be glued in a way to be inaccessible) actually all sort of lock together, and once the bolts secure it to the upper body keep it all closed but it can be removed later:

 

Other modifications: On the counter, I painted the raised numbers white (sort of dry brushed the high points), and added my window with a minimal amount of E6000 (do not use CA glue on any clear lenses, as it usually fogs them in a permanent way). It gets bolted on as well.:

 

The folding stock all went together well, and while it is a little floppy on the long side arms (which I may later reinforce with a strip of aluminum or stainless steel on the backside), when it is closed up, it looks really good. The one issue was I couldn't get the rod to "clip" to the protrusion below the muzzle. It just didn't fit quite right which may have been the finishing and paint, or a slight alignment issue. The last thing I wanted was for it to detach when I was holding it, so as a failsafe I drilled out the rod recess, and added a small flat magnet. I screwed in two very tine steel screws to the muzzle protrusion (painted black after this), and now it is held firm by the magnets:

 

The spring was fairly brightly coated, and it was distracting, so I gave it a quick brushing of black acrylic to make it look more like the blaster props. The spring is still quite strong, and sliding back the bolt all the way would be challenging, but I can slide it back an inch or so and let it snap closed with a satisfying sound that shouldn't break the blaster:

 

So I got it all assembled, and painted the remaining screws, and it was complete and new looking:

 

But... I wanted a minimal amount of weathering. I know many can get carried away, and I have a few other costumes where I had to walk it back, and paint it back to black in a lot of spots because it was too weathered. So I hit it in a few spots that would get abrasion going in and out of the holster (muzzle, flash guards, scope, folding stock, front sight, butt cap, and a few other spots. None on the handle or the t-tracks or the back part of the counter, and gold on the scope and the front part of the counter. I love how it turned out:

Some of the features of this kit, the sliding bolt, the folding stock, and the removable magazine (held in with magnets, though I had to add a thin flat rectangle of plastic in the magazine slot to keep it from rattling, and to keep the fit more snug):

 

So it is complete. Total time over a few weeks was about 14 hours.

 

My review of the Imperial Arms 3D E-11 Blaster (Version 3) kit: 

 

Pros: It turned out looking really good. Most parts that should move do move (like the butt cap strap holder). A lot of care and attention has been put into the model so that it assembles really well and in some clever ways, and lines up everywhere. The print lines are very fine, so it needs less finishing work than some other models, but still, in my mind for a blaster to work best, it needs to be so smooth that no lines are visible, so it still needs that high level of finishing work. Many bolts are actual bolts, I only drilled out and replaced ones on the scope, the side of the handle, and on the Hengstler. Some pieces are engineered to be stronger, like the front sight and the front muzzle, by going through slots to the barrel for additional strength. The maker Imperial Arms 3D is usually fairly responsive over Instagram Chat, and on previous builds as well as this one, he plans to update the future kits based on feedback. He already is planning to take out the left side muzzle flash guard and to model and add the bayonet lug.

 

Cons: While I love the folding stock and that care was made to make it look like the thickness of the original, the side strips are pretty floppy as a 3D print. I don't think any trooper actually uses the folding stock, so it isn't an issue with trooping, but I feel like that piece is likely to fail at some point if my kit were to play with it (he shouldn't, but he will). The missing bayonet lug, and the flash guard (that are being updated) need to be there to look more accurate, and also it needs the bolt in the very bottom of the handle. It comes with a flat disk and a target circle for the scope, but nothing for the smaller front hole. Because it already comes with so much hardware, I would just include the bolts for the scope  and un-model the printed ones (as well as on the Hegstler and the handle side). It came with the curled wires for the power cells, but they seemed too short to work, and his examples on his site appeared to have longer cords. I was on the fence about using them as many ANH blasters don't have them, and I like it without. The instructions were fairly good, but the pages got shuffled and weren't numbered, and there are a few key parts that must be done in order or else you can't access the bolt locations (I was also missing a page, but he shared it with me by message). The bolt sprint is very strong, and I imagined sliding it back and letting it snap, but it probably would damage the gun if that happened. 3D prints are all fairly delicate, and this blaster shouldn't be dropped, where other blasters that are metal or rubber probably are sturdier (but cost more, or have less detail).

 

Modifications I made to the kit:

- Used XTC 3D to fill all print lines

- Used Filler Primer and Bondo to further fill some print lines

- Made my own Bayonet Lug that was missing

- Because of the lug, did not use the 7th T-track rail

- Filled in the redundant left side muzzle flash guard slot

- Filled and sanded the joint where the barrel gets attached.

- drilled out the barrel a bit deeper at the muzzle to appear black

- All of the M4 bolts in the kit didn't quite self-thread into the printed holes for them, I had to pre-drill them larger (I believe a 9/64" bit) which made them work great.

- drilled out scope screws to replace with real screws

- drilled out handle screw to replace with real screw

- drilled out Hengstler screw to replace with real screw

- On the scope, replaced plastic disk with a plastic lens I had, as well as a small one for the front of the scope

- Added a glass cover for the counter numbers

- Cut off round details on the rear site, replaced with more perfect plastic circles

- Cut notches with a triangular file in the rear sight

- Added "knurled" texture to the front sights

- Used Bondo to eliminate seams in the scope once assembled

- Added a second small rubber band to the trigger

- replaced Phillips head bolts (on one spot that thread into the rod on the folding stock) with hex bolts that I had

- Added a magnet and screws to the connection for the folding stock

- added a strip of plastic to the magazine slot to make it fit better

- Added a 5mm LED bulb for the detail on the end of the magazine (kit came with a bolt instead)

- replaced the Phillips head screws for the magnets in the magazine with slotted screws

- Painted the spring to darken shine

- Painted several of the long tube Chicago screws ( on the folding stock) to darken the bright shine

[T-Jay[TK]]

22 hours ago, OddViking327 said:

(...)   Can you send a reference pic, I can pass it along to the maker?

[T-Jay[TK]]

Your work paid off and the blaster looks great.

 

The only thing sticking out to me is the position of the scope. Most E-11 have it next to the Hengstler counter. If you are still able to move it there, it would also cover the mounting screws and brackets. But I know how hard it can be to change things on a finished blaster, so don't worry. It still looks great.

 

Happy to see you decided for a light weathering. This always adds so much more realism to such builds.

[OddViking327[TK]]

@T-Jay Thanks. I am not able to move it, as it had pre-set holes, and then the front of the scope gets glued on to cover another bolt mount, so it can no longer be moved without some collateral damage. I just looked at a bunch of original E-11s, and you are totally right about the location, I will pass that fix on to the maker as well. 

What do people think about that scope location, as far as Centurion approval (which is my goal with the armor)? What about the keyhole on the side? 

[Firedog[TK]]

This thread is a lifesaver for me! I just received my son's kit from IA and I have no experience finishing 3D prints. My sincerest gratitude for sharing your progress and tips!

[OddViking327[TK]]

     Okay, @T-Jay, I think I figured it out. Moving the scope is possible, but tricky. As it is built, all of the bolts thread into the parts, securing them really well together. As it is assembled, you bolt the back two scope parts (glued to each other and I Bondo-filled and smoothed the gaps) to the scope rail, then you bolt the rail down, and then glue the front piece of the scope in to cover that rail bolt so it is hidden by the scope. To move the scope, I would need to break the glue on the front piece (not easy, but probably doable), in order to remove that bolt on the rail, the two bolts that go through that rail and the L-brackets to hold on the counter, and the one at the back that holds it to the rear sight. Then I can remove the scope bolts, and drill new holes for them, and touch up the glued area with spray paint. The problem arises when I move it, if the scope were re-mounted, there would be no way to bolt the Hengstler counter bolts that are under the scope.

      I figured, I can instead, thread the bolt into the rail from below, but drill the scope bolt holes bigger than the bolt's total diameter, and not put the scope on those bolts at first. Then, bolt the rail down, the Hengstler counter brackets, and then, use CA glue to fill the bolt holes in the scope, and slide it down onto the bolts, and glue the front scope piece down again which should secure it in place. This would be fairly permanent. 

Edited October 31, 2020 by OddViking327

[OddViking327[TK]]

So I moved the scope. The final straw was that when holstered in my Darman's Props holster, the scope prevented blaster from seating down where the magazine would be in the notch. So broke the glued front piece, and removed the rail and counter:

 

Because I would now be able to glue the scope down onto the bolts, I could glue the front piece to the main scope and keep it all as one unit. I added a third bolt, threaded into the rail, that would help secure the front part of the scope, so that all three "pieces" would have a bolt mount to help keep it all attached. I drilled new rail holes for the new scope location, threaded the bolts in, and then mounted the whole rail and Hengstler bracket mounts back on to the blaster. For the three holes in the scope, I widened them to 1/8", so that it could slide down onto the bolts. I filled the holes with glue (using a small nail to push it in, and add more), and the scope just slid on to the ribbed bolts with some pressure, a snug fit:

 

So it looks great, and it is now secure in the more accurate scope location, with the rear lens just peeking out beyond the Hengstler counter:

 

Fits the holster like a dream now:

 

 

All told, it was only about a 30 minute fix. Thanks for keeping me striving for accuracy!

Edited November 15, 2020 by OddViking327

[T-Jay[TK]]

Great job, Colin. I am really happy for you.

 

Modifying things on a finished blaster is always a tricky thing, but you took the plunge and did it.

 

Superb result and a good improvement! Congratulations.

[OddViking327[TK]]

So I was just approved as an EIB with this blaster. Centurion may be an issue though:

 

"Last up, I gotta' say that is one impressive blaster... you did a magnificent job getting rid of the 3D print lines!  Also, GREAT job on the weathering... not too much, not too little.  However, we are requesting that you move the Hengstler counter forward.  The rear of the counter should line up with the rear bolt of the folding stock."

 

(my blaster is on the left, the other two images are references).

 

The trouble with mine is that there are mounts on the barrel frame itself that would make moving it down a couple of centimeters very difficult, more so with the scope now glued onto the bolts. Doing that modification risks a lot on this blaster, so I think I may not risk that modification if it might make it more fragile to troop with.

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Standard blasters don't have that permanent mount

 

This is what is normally used for the counter and scope

 

 

 

 

 

Here's an all in one version

 

 

 

 

With some 3D print stripped holes I've used some wood (dowel) from paint brushes and glued into the print then re-drilled and retap the thread, may be an option.

 

 

[OddViking327[TK]]

@gmrhodes13 That makes sense now. The scope and the counter are mounted through the same bolts. Maybe I could do something similar if I do end up stripping it apart. Mine is mounted by brackets to the counter back section, not the front section, so perhaps I could re-mount it more like that.

[OddViking327[TK]]

Okay, I stewed on this a bit, @gmrhodes13. If I don’t save the 3D printed rail, and cut it apart to remove the scope, then make a new (more accurate) wider 2cm aluminum rail, and an aluminum angled mount for the counter, I think I may be able to do the modification. I will probably glue in some threaded inserts for the scope and counter, which will help keep it strong. I may be able to do this after all, without making it weaker.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

45 minutes ago, OddViking327 said:

Okay, I stewed on this a bit, @gmrhodes13. If I don’t save the 3D printed rail, and cut it apart to remove the scope, then make a new (more accurate) wider 2cm aluminum rail, and an aluminum angled mount for the counter, I think I may be able to do the modification. I will probably glue in some threaded inserts for the scope and counter, which will help keep it strong. I may be able to do this after all, without making it weaker.

I think it will be worth while, I find that some 3d pieces are just too weak especially with grabby little fingers and hands,. You are essentially fixing two things, the location of the counter as well as the strength of how it and the scope is mounted, got to be better in the long run.

[OddViking327[TK]]

Scope rail modification:

     Okay, in the interest of moving forward toward Centurion, I decided to go past the point of no return, and modify the blaster. My reservations before were about weakening the blaster, breaking glue, and re-threading bolts a third time into 3D printed plastic holes. To do this, based on @gmrhodes13 guidance, replacing the printed rail (which I now see was too narrow) with a 2 cm wide aluminum one will allow me to disassemble my scope and counter mounts by destroying the original rail. Because it was glued in place, this is the only way to get to those bolts, but it will end up making a stronger and more accurate blaster in the end. In addition, I will be gluing threaded inserts into the mounts on the counter and the scope, so it will be removable and strong.

     Here is where the rail needed to be cut, in four places, to remove everything. For my resin clone helmet, I made a simple tool using a coping saw blade mounted in a handle, and this proved handy to cut some of the very tight spots on the rail:

 

The next step was to saw off and file down the [inaccurate] Hengstler counter mounts that fixed that location:

 

And finally, I couldn't find the correct 2cm wide aluminum rail at any hardware store near me, but I had a scrap of angle channeling that was the right width and thickness, so I cut off one side, ground it smooth, and cut the front shape that fits into the barrel. This looks like it should work perfectly:

 

I am also planning on filling the keyhole notch that is on one side of the barrel, which should be the last inaccurate thing to fix on this. Update on that once I start filling.