ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion - Three ANH Greeblies Found
- Thread starter deadbolt
- Start date
kpax
Sr Member
I agree, but that kind of no money attitude belongs in the Star Trek arena... we unfortunately still operate on Galactic credits here me thinks...
; )
Just want to post this progress video here since this thread has been the motivation and engine that started it all. deadbolt was kind enough to share with me his original CAD creation of the c96 he did years ago to use as a template. I did have to remodel it from scratch but that’s been an amazing learning experience and I’m very grateful for it. Now that it’s coming to completion I wanted to share this video as it shows the beauty and accuracy Carson himself created. It lines up pretty much perfect doesn’t it?!
Sabs
Active Member
it's really unlikely that the moulds were 3d printed. It's actually more expensive since you have to mill the marks off in a second process in a 5 axis mill, if you don't do this then the plastic will melt into the grooves of the 3d print. They only use 3D printed tool inserts where they need cooling channels that can not be cut by traditional means, or if they are testing something, but you won't get more than 200 parts from a tool like that before its unusable because they don't harden 3D prints.
They cut tools with EDM which will give that rough texture from the spark, and also CNC the mould usually to start with to hog out the majority of the steel, which is likely what you are seeing, the lines of the endmill in the tool insert. Polishing is an extra step as well, and usually done so that you can have smaller draft on parts, but if you can live with large drafts, you don't do it either. I think it's a soft tool, which means only the outside of the metal is hardened so it can be cut faster, as opposed to a tool that is made from fully hardened steel, since it will have low volume (less than 100,000 a year)
Sabs
They cut tools with EDM which will give that rough texture from the spark, and also CNC the mould usually to start with to hog out the majority of the steel, which is likely what you are seeing, the lines of the endmill in the tool insert. Polishing is an extra step as well, and usually done so that you can have smaller draft on parts, but if you can live with large drafts, you don't do it either. I think it's a soft tool, which means only the outside of the metal is hardened so it can be cut faster, as opposed to a tool that is made from fully hardened steel, since it will have low volume (less than 100,000 a year)
Sabs
deadbolt
Sr Member
I work with an EDM specialist, he doesn't think they are EDM. EDM's can do rough as well as finish sinks too (much, much smoother), with graphite diodes especially, which are surprisingly smooth as it turns out.
I'm lucky enough to be the one to do the final polishing and such on them as they are completed. They're within .0001+/- tolerance on average, before finishing. Really impressive equipment honestly. Some of the best I've ever seen, well beyond any printing process, even jeweler's wax printers. And these are decades-old machines as well we work with. God only knows what more modern equipment can do..
I think by the mention of printing was intended to mean a printed/sintered mold, which is a solid metallic of any material (even titanium) fused together by laser rather than a polymer resulting in a very similar rough texture as well as a case-hardened surface. Also usable as a mold for everything from Alu to Steel, etc..
-Carson
I'm lucky enough to be the one to do the final polishing and such on them as they are completed. They're within .0001+/- tolerance on average, before finishing. Really impressive equipment honestly. Some of the best I've ever seen, well beyond any printing process, even jeweler's wax printers. And these are decades-old machines as well we work with. God only knows what more modern equipment can do..
I think by the mention of printing was intended to mean a printed/sintered mold, which is a solid metallic of any material (even titanium) fused together by laser rather than a polymer resulting in a very similar rough texture as well as a case-hardened surface. Also usable as a mold for everything from Alu to Steel, etc..
-Carson
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Sabs
Active Member
That’s cool, I didn’t know you worked with edm. I know the 3d printed moulds are sintered, but they still need to be milled afterward. You won’t get a surface you can eject the part from with that surface finish unless your using like 8deg draft.
Wow, it would be great to get some new photos of the scope! Last I read the consensus was that the scope is definitely original, yeah? (Clearly most or all of the rest is not). Those scratches on the bell are SO well defined, I can’t decide if it’s suspect or inspiring to duplicate. 
I agree that Todd’s mold wasn’t printed. For one this, I bought mine around 8 years ago, my guess is that he’s been selling them for 10 or more. Metal printing was not common or cheap back then. It does have some odd textures. Thanks for sharing the info about the originals folks!
I agree that Todd’s mold wasn’t printed. For one this, I bought mine around 8 years ago, my guess is that he’s been selling them for 10 or more. Metal printing was not common or cheap back then. It does have some odd textures. Thanks for sharing the info about the originals folks!
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The scope is to me 100% the real deal. MAYBE the top rings for the mount... but none of the rest. IF the mount upright is partially original, as claimed it's very tough to reconcile. It was supposedly very damaged and re-fabricated and repaired... making it basically unrecognizable aside from a few scratches on the upper parts of the cradle.
The rest is either extra bapty period made parts, (which I think was the claim), or newly fabbed parts to mimic the original... loosely.
They've even... re-treated the flash hider... or found another, as the one submitted to prop store a year or more before pawn stars debut was a refinished original and looked nothing like the one on there now in terms of finish.
The rest is either extra bapty period made parts, (which I think was the claim), or newly fabbed parts to mimic the original... loosely.
They've even... re-treated the flash hider... or found another, as the one submitted to prop store a year or more before pawn stars debut was a refinished original and looked nothing like the one on there now in terms of finish.
You know, I'm not very far from the Rock Island Auction. I don't think I'd ever have enough money for anything that passes through there though. Especially this.
The scallops around the base of the FH look different at first glance. I think the last one was bead blasted.. there’s no way back from that to smooth it out right?
That flash hider isn’t the same as the one on the hero. At least not in the same way as it appeared in the film, right after or before..
I meant different from the Pawn Stars appearance!
Sorry! My bad. Ya it’s the same. They are just getting wise and trying to doctor it up more. Looks that way anyways..
oh wow... thank you man, yes those are identical. I still see texture, I wonder if they just blued it. The rumor was that this was the last MG81 flash hider they had at bapty and used it for the re-build, the conservator in me is really sad it was stripped so roughly
Inaccuracies aside, it's a pretty sexy blaster. Someone put some vintage tomtits on that thang!
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