ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion - Three ANH Greeblies Found

[kpax]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

Well, reading that is really funny. :lol

The first rule is always "After something was made up to the newest discoveries, there will always be a more accurate one after the next new discoveries. Maybe after 1 month, or after 4 years, but it will happen." :love

You may be right, but these will be really really, really close. If someone can come up and make it better, I hope they will and will help if I can, but I think they will need to find the real parts for anything better.

I know I'll be very happy with these parts and I think everyone else will as well.

 

[lonepigeon]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

If you are saying that the:

"The track's center ridge is broken or purposely cut."

"The reason you don't see the antenna's stem in some pics is because it angles inward and gets obscured (or the pic you're looking at is very low quality). "

makes me wonder if you are seeing it any better. If the photos you have access to are that much better, wouldn't you know for sure?

Broken or purposely cut is difficult to say. Photos don't show the prop maker's intent. The ridge is not intact. I would guess cut because T-track plastic isn't brittle enough to snap easily like that.

As for image quality, The original high res files for these images are much clearer, but not like the Merr Sonn photos. The reason good Merr Sonn pics exist is because those guns came back to the US after filming, the Han blaster did not.

These are really blurry to judge small details...

Those color photos are all from the same photo shoot, but you're inferring conflicting observations about the prop. There are several from that shoot that show the rod intact like that bottom pic.
The black and white Chronicles pics are a little unreliable when it comes to the outlines. They weren't cut out perfectly. They're dark too so interpretations vary. I see a line under the antenna which I would bet is the T-track. The stem may have been partly trimmed off.

If you look at the pic below again, you can see that if the antenna was sitting on top of a flat track, it would show for sure in these pics.

Except your angle is off and your T-track mockup isn't sitting like the real stuff. It's a fine line.
The t-track ridge is obvious on the real prop do you think they trimmed the base off?

Sorry if I came off as harsh in my last post. It's a good thread, but so much of it is rehash of conversations from years ago for me.
Unless new photos or info comes to light it's hard to spend the time having the same discussion again.

I do think some great parts will come from this.

 

[lonepigeon]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

Just wondering if the full sight is on at this time which I assume is a pre production shot.

The sight is visible on this shot including the antenna rod. The prop appears to be in the same condition as in the color publicity shots.

 

[kpax]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

Thanks for posting again.

I do understand your being tired of going over the same ground.

Thanks for the new better pic. Yep it looks the same as the promo.

I appreciate your time and expertise.

If you don't mind a few Q's

Is the track used on these blasters the same as the lightsabers?

Are all the Merr Sonn cast with the track?

Are the antenna cast as well or added to the cast frame?

Is there any reason to think the base was not trimmed?

I know I said it before but my model with the track base looks the same as the MR and you can see the track edge from a very low angle especially on the MR. If that is accurate, why cant you see it on the Merr Sonn?

I'll take some more pics from lower angles and post soon.


I'm sure you can see why this is puzzling.

I don't really care which way we make it, I just want it to look correct and the antenna on the track base just sits too high.

I think the MR Elite antenna are too small when scaled against the Merr Sonn. Maybe they did that to compensate for the barrel being a little narrow?



Again, I really appreciate your input and thank you for all the photos and guidance in the past.

Stick around. We are almost finished with the 3d models. I think you will be impressed and surprised at the new details.

Can't wait to make some!

 

[kpax]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

Except your angle is off and your T-track mockup isn't sitting like the real stuff. It's a fine line.
The t-track ridge is obvious on the real prop do you think they trimmed the base off?




What did you mean the Track isn't sitting like the real stuff?

Mine is a flat track sitting on the round tapered barrel creating a tangent if the track is not flexible.

Do you think they ground a hollow in the bottom so the track would sit tight against the barrel or would they have filled that void/space with putty. I think the latter.

But then my track base was only about 3/32 thick and still shows too much.

I thought the ridge was obvious too, but now it looks like it may just be glue residue or both, but if it is there it is very hard to see but could be as your side drawing was with the glue filled up the sides a bit. Seems reasonable.

At any rate that is the way it should be anyway.

 

[kpax]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

here is a possible way the blade could be there. Not unlike Lonepigeons drawing.

The RED is the antenna head - GREEN the track blade - yellow the glue

This is entirely possible but the issue of the height of the antenna still remain.

The top pic shows what may be a cracked area (note break in pic) at the base of the blade in the back or could be the break where the rod broke off and you can just make out a hint of an angled line following the angle of the antenna head. This is not visible on the bottom pic so maybe butterfingers Solo dropped it again!


The highlight on the "sight" is horizontal so this very well could be the blade. The highlight on the angled antenna on the Merr Sonn is angled as well meaning the hilight followes the angle of the antenna, so I tend to think it possible that the blade (or glue pretending to be blade) is there.

I think it needs a blade to look like a front sight.

The $64 question is whether the antenna (s) sit against the blade or not and also if they sit against the barrel or on the track base... but that would be $128 or $ 192, I'm not sure.

My model says the antenna sit on the barrel and against the edge of the T track base OR the blade with the base ground off.

The MR version track base is too thick and wide not to be seen in these pics IMO. If it was that thick we would be able to see it.


If the antenna heads sit against the blade, then I would tend to think the base was ground off at least a little because the edge still can't be seen from the side of the Merr Sonn.

No top angle shots of the Merr Sonn exist?

Anybody know George?

Thanks again for the input Chris!

 

[TridCloudwalker]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

My suggestion: If you're planning on offering all these parts as a kit, just buy a bunch of t-track from Gino, cut them up into correctly sized pieces, machine the antennae separately, and let everyone attach them in the way they feel is correct. So long as the parts are made in the correct size, it's all good. Let the builder decide how best to attach.

 

[deadbolt]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! :cheers


-Carson

 

[kpax]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

My suggestion: If you're planning on offering all these parts as a kit, just buy a bunch of t-track from Gino, cut them up into correctly sized pieces, machine the antennae separately, and let everyone attach them in the way they feel is correct. So long as the parts are made in the correct size, it's all good. Let the builder decide how best to attach.

That's what we will prob do, but I'd like to know how it is situated, as best we can.

We will post some other images that I hope will prove the relative positions and comparisons of the parts.

Thanks for the input

 

[kpax]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! :cheers


-Carson

Thanks Carson!

You as well.

 

[kpax]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

Ok... I know there was some question about the angle comparison causing optical issues and questions about the T track base etc.

I did a very careful overlay of the Merr Sonn barrel and Carson's 3d model getting them lined up as accurately as possible in order to see if there was indeed a base under the antenna as is commonly assumed.

In this image I think it shows that IF there were a base on the T track (if it is T track as we know it) and the antenna was sitting ON the base as on the MR replica, it would surely show in this photo just as in the 3d model.

The Track size was estimated from the available photos and compared against Gino's track and is as wide as the blueprinted Lonepigeon drawing.

I think this proves that the T track we assumed used on the blasters was either cut down or trimmed to allow the antenna to sit on the barrels or the "sight blade" is something different than the track used on the lightsabers etc.

The base of the track simply can not be there in the Merr Sonn image or we would see it.

Again, I believe the antenna head and rod are sitting on the barrel beside the sight blade. The TOP view shows the placement of the right antenna head fairly clearly a little further right than the Lonepigeon drawing.

Where ever the antenna ends up when you coordinate these two views is the proper placement IMO.

I would guess that if the base was ground off from the sides up to where the bottom of the blade curves into the flat base and leave just the curve, the antenna would sit perfectly.

What do you think?

 

[kpax]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

well, however it was, I think the best we can do is offer the antenna and track separate and let everyone put it together as they see fit.

After talking with Carson and listening to some comments here, I guess the best thing would be to make the antenna with long rods like the Merr Sonn and a length of track.

The question is, do we make new track or get it from other sources?

Any thoughts?

 

[lonepigeon]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

Do you think they ground a hollow in the bottom so the track would sit tight against the barrel or would they have filled that void/space with putty. I think the latter.

Actual T-track already has a channel underneath (for adhesive when installed in cupboards). It's not enough to contour completely to the barrel, but enough to sit a little lower than a flat piece.

I would suggest using Gino's t-track. There's no point in reinventing the stuff.
Or you could go with the real track that Marv was offering if you want something with a thinner base (.466").

 

[deadbolt]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

Thanks for your input, Chris.

That is likely to be the route we're going to take, the measurements I can figure are maybe a 1/4 of a mm larger than Gino's, but his track is darn close as it is and readily available. :thumbsup


-Carson

Actual T-track already has a channel underneath (for adhesive when installed in cupboards). It's not enough to contour completely to the barrel, but enough to sit a little lower than a flat piece.

I would suggest using Gino's t-track. There's no point in reinventing the stuff.
Or you could go with the real track that Marv was offering if you want something with a thinner base (.466").

 

[deadbolt]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

Okay, now about these antenna/toggle rings.

Two decent photos, seemingly one antenna with and one without a band/rings. Something we're missing?

-Carson

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

I would just say the antennae were intended to be whole since they are that way on the Mer Sonns. Either that or give the option to do it either way. That's one thing I see that bugs me to no end is when people intentionally replicate something that was broken after the prop was filmed, just because their references show that.

 

[deadbolt]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

Hi Jason, I know just what you mean.

We do plan however to mainly offer the parts closer to their Original state, reasonably of course for the prop. But adding the difficult modifications that need machining and such, which would mainly be our one-piece DL-44 grills and modifications for the possible C96 base.

But antennas and plastic grill pieces etc. will be as close to the unmodified/untrimmed originals as we can get them, that way everyone can cut and glue things however they like. :thumbsup

But the area I was referring to for the antenna/toggle is the 'rings' or 'ring' that looks to be around the Merr Sonn antenna. I wonder if it's possible for that to be just a run in the paint, or residue like whatever that stuff is on the Flash Hider?

-Carson

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

I've always assumed they are rings. It looks too clean and uniform to be paint runs.

 

[deadbolt]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

I was considering the rings too, or even an imprinted band. But now that I look at the antenna from different angles, it looks more like it has a raised ring, possibly two?

Hmm... What does everyone else think?

Landspeeder cockpit photos courtesy of Forbidden Plastic.


-Carson

 

[DL 44 Blaster]

Re: ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion

Looking at it from a fresh set of eyes, it looks like a groove is a good possibility and what look like rings are the edges of the groove.