ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion - Three ANH Greeblies Found

...watch them fingas ! Ouch. Hope it works out easy for you.

I just trying this pic as a link I am making an Album with best pics as well.

As you can see in the bottom pic, I added the Mauser W-O roll stamp under the Crossbar and the proof mark on the right rail as well as the "Crown U" on the Left rail.

I recut the thumb button knurl on the rear sight to be raised diamonds rather than the MGC pressed in knurl.

I added Carson's Lump, reshaped and reset the trigger, recut the bolt so it has the proper number of grooves as well as the safety.

Added gouges seen on the HERO on the frame under front thumb nut. (from a pliers tightening it) among other things.

The Mystery disk is not milled in. It is etched. All the marks match exactly the best reference including the center and the appearance changes with the lighting...like the real Hero.

Also note the front sight. I have no doubt this is the way it was. It matches exactly in all photos. Can't be any other way.



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What I would love to see would be a reasonably accurate back end of the lock frame assembly -- frame, hammer, safety, lock frame stop, and some flavor of spring to put tension on the hammer and lock frame stop. With some sort of easy rigger release. Nothing so complex as sear and all of the other workings of the front part of that frame. Plus a bolt and extractor, both for accurate dimensions and to have them as separate pieces.

Hunting original parts, when the frame is ~$90, the hammer is ~$60, the hammer pin is ~$50... It adds up pretty durned fast. To get an original lock frame assembly, plus bolt (with extractor), that's looking at an outlay of in the neighborhood of several hundred to a thousand dollars.

Since MGCs are so hard to find these days, and none of the other replicas get that area right... *shrug* It'd just be nice to have a movable safety lever on my Denix. *heh*

--Jonah

Agreed. Though, if y0u look closely enough, you CAN manage to get real Mauser parts pretty cheap online, if you know where to look. I managed to get the frame, hammer, safety, and the entire hammer locking and cocking assembly for a little less than $75 all together.

As for the Denix, if you are willing to put a great deal of time and effort into it, you can indeed make it much nicer, although it will never be as good as an MGC, or a real Mauser.
 
I am willing to put much work into this thing, as was the guy I got it from. He'd already addressed a lot of things, and I'm building on that. Reshaping the receiver rails and breech, adding actual rails to the frame, etc. If I can source an original bolt (with or without the extractor -- my Merr-Sonn build has the Tomtit "catamaran" part hiding that area) and lock frame assembly, then absolutely I'll cut out the relevant area and mount them -- probably permanently. Not going for a firing replica. It'd be nice, but the catamaran and scope on the Merr-Sonn would put the kibosh on that idea.

--Jonah
 
I used a low melt solder made for pot metal/zinc.

http://muggyweld.com/

Super Alloy 1
I have only a Denix, but I have also filled it a lot, such as on top of the receiver/slider rails.

I have been using a home-made putty made from saved Zamak shavings, epoxy and colloidal silica.
It sands to a finish that looks mostly flat grey with grains in it, but it can be "blued" with Gun Blue or Aluminum Black to a black that blends quite well, but not perfectly, with the surrounding blackened metal.

I might pick up some Muggyweld for some details in the bolt (which isn't supposed to be blued). Thanks!
 
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Man, nice work, kpax! Had me totally fooled for a minute, then I started looking closer. (Much closer. Had to really state for a minute to realize I'd been duped). Excellent job matching the photos and angles. Beautiful replica!

Can you tell us how you did your front sight?
 
Thanks again guys. Coming from all of you who have spent so much time studying every photo and reference for so many years, really makes me humbly happy.

I really wanted to make this replica as a "duplicate" of the HERO or as close as the MGC and "reasonable" time would allow. (too late)

I wanted it to represent what the real hero would look like if it were found... as if Ford just put it down and I picked it up.

I think this can give us an idea of what the real prop would look like in all it's glory - although as someone pointed out, it still looks too good, but I didn't have the heart to really bash it up any more.

I am sure the real one, like the stunts, looks like hell up close, but we love it for what it is.

Mine is just a little cleaner and sharper.

The sight was made from the real TomTitt push-rods assembled beside the T Track blade. The base flat was totally cut off so the antenna lay directly on the barrel (atop a thick glob of glue on the real hero) Mine was assembled, molded and cast in a black resin as the full T track blade and rods so I could test different Track blade cuts to see what worked best. I think the pistol sight shape would ave been an obvious choice for the builders.

I believe this is the only way it cold have been done.

Scotts latest pic shows this too.

In the blasters history, Ford is test firing for the first time most likely. This pics shows the sight with only the full right antenna head and rod, the Left one got blown off when an ejected case hit it...



Look at his face... he knows he broke it !

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I REALLY wish I had the spare time to finish up my own build, but full time work and college has sapped me of most chances to keep going. I'm strongly considering selling my first modded MGC as a ready base for someone to do their own ANH build on, and doing my own build on my second MGC.

Of course, I'd REALLY want to get a set of run two spec machined aluminum parts to work with, as the cast three run, while perfectly fine, just isn't quite up to snuff with my own personal wants.

I REALLY want to get back into this, 'cause damn if this isn't one hell of a motivation! :cool
 
More fantastic detective work, Pat! Your theory about the test firing damaging the sight greeblie sounds plausible to me. Thanks again for taking the time to do the research, do the work, document everything, and then share it with the rest of us. The whole DL-44 community owes you big time!
 
...thanks for the compliments but this was a group effort for sure.

If Carson (Deadblot) had not agreed to get involved and do the painstaking 3d work none of this would have been possible. He actually started this thread and found our great greeblies which prove out this build quality. His 3d models were within the molding tolerances of the actual parts so we can take great pride in knowing that our replicas are about as good as it gets. Thanks Carson. !

And thanks to Dave at DEC for coming to the rescue and making these parts after the first machinist crapped out on us !

Thanks also to the dedication of all the RPF members who shared their interest, knowledge, experience and observation, we were able to talk through - sometimes vigorously, and came to these conclusions which I believe are as close as can be without the actual HERO prop available. All without any banning or violations from RPF HQ !

More to come later... maybe a little surprise...

- - - Updated - - -

Can you make castings of the sight available? I'd be interested in trying one out!

I'll be talking with Dave about the MGC and Denix replacement Hammers and front sight. If there is interest I am sure he will make them.
 
I REALLY wish I had the spare time to finish up my own build, but full time work and college has sapped me of most chances to keep going. I'm strongly considering selling my first modded MGC as a ready base for someone to do their own ANH build on, and doing my own build on my second MGC.

Of course, I'd REALLY want to get a set of run two spec machined aluminum parts to work with, as the cast three run, while perfectly fine, just isn't quite up to snuff with my own personal wants.

I REALLY want to get back into this, 'cause damn if this isn't one hell of a motivation! :cool
If anything you should, you deserve it! Sorry probably dont want encouragment. :(
 
...I am sure a real steel run of parts is possible with dave, but there would need to be enough people interested to make it happen.

You can always start an interest thread and see.

Ask Dave about it.
 
I wouldn't even mind aluminum parts, as Dave has told me in the past that Steel parts chew up his machining tools, and are very costly and time consuming to make.
 
I think I would prefer cast Zamak, to match the finish of the bolt which is Zamak in MGCs and Denixes. Zamak oxidizes in only a couple of weeks into a grey that looks somewhat like steel.

Aluminium is too whitish to look like steel. There should be some way to make it more grey, but I don't know how. I haven't got good results with Aluminum Black.
It is frustrating, because I have a block of aluminium that I have been using as a sanding block for years and it has a grey finish on the back side ... and I don't know how it got that finish. Some chemical in contact cement, maybe? :confused
 
...thanks for the compliments but this was a group effort for sure.

If Carson (Deadblot) had not agreed to get involved and do the painstaking 3d work none of this would have been possible. He actually started this thread and found our great greeblies which prove out this build quality. His 3d models were within the molding tolerances of the actual parts so we can take great pride in knowing that our replicas are about as good as it gets. Thanks Carson. !.

Definitely good points to remember, Kpax. Thank you, Carson!

And thanks to everyone that made this fantastic build possible, whether it was with observations, models (both physical and digital,) previous experience, techniques, or just guesses.
 
I think I would prefer cast Zamak, to match the finish of the bolt which is Zamak in MGCs and Denixes. Zamak oxidizes in only a couple of weeks into a grey that looks somewhat like steel.

Aluminium is too whitish to look like steel. There should be some way to make it more grey, but I don't know how. I haven't got good results with Aluminum Black.
It is frustrating, because I have a block of aluminium that I have been using as a sanding block for years and it has a grey finish on the back side ... and I don't know how it got that finish. Some chemical in contact cement, maybe? :confused


Zamak oxidizes as does Aluminum. If you leave aluminum raw in the weather it will get gray and they a whitish layer of oxidation.

Any oxidation can cause issues over the long term and should be "arrested" by using a sealer.

The Zamac parts were quite good and only vary slightly from the steel.
 
I'm sure I've read in the thread somewhere before but I can't seem to find it now. Could someone kindly tell me the best way to measure where to drill and tap holes for mounting the scope mount? Thanks in advance!
 
Assemble the scope mount and use a clamp to secure it to the Mauser body. Once you have it positioned where it looks good, mark the holes. That's how I did it anyway.

I'm sure I've read in the thread somewhere before but I can't seem to find it now. Could someone kindly tell me the best way to measure where to drill and tap holes for mounting the scope mount? Thanks in advance!
 
Prob the easiest way to go^^
as above ^^^ get the crossbar set where it looks good. (Hint-step back and view from a few feet back). Make sure it looks straight and centered. The crossbar should be more or less parallel with the rails.
When you are happy with the placement. Scribe the holes or you can use the 1/4 drill (by hand ) to mark the center. Twirling the bit.

Unclamp and drill.
Is you model disassembled? If not don't drill thru the innards!
 
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