Another Denix based DL-44 build log.

tehguitarist

New Member
After 3d printing and painting a DL-44, I had a hankering for something a little closer to the screen prop. I have a few lightsabers (TCSS for a couple of customs, and an OWK, and TGS for an ESB/ANH hybrid Graflex) and thought it’d be cool to have a metal DL-44 (ANH hero) too! Whilst a Blaster Factory or Todd’s Costumes base would have been amazing, I’m in Australia, and importing even replica firearms (even the fully built blasters, toys or otherwise) gets you a very stern warning and the goods seized unless you hold a replica pistol licence, which is incredibly difficult to obtain depending on what state you live in.

What we do have (though still difficult depending on state) is access to buy Denix C96s locally - so that’s where I started!

The plan was (and continues to be) to use the Denix as a base, reshape & sharpen to be closer to screen, then use parts from Sabers Forever (electronics & sound), Blaster Factory (additional metal parts) & Todd’s Costumes (grips and greeblies - largely because they’re cheaper, but will source everything from BF if that falls through).

Whilst I would like it to be close to screen, the goal isn’t perfection (I won’t be shaping to get the perfect trigger curve by referencing against a 1:1 photo for example), but to get something close, that looks great, and feels great in the hand.

I’ll post pictures of progress below, and I’ve already made a mistake or two (some where JB Weld came to the rescue, another on the flippy site thing that I’ll just live with), but ultimately, it’s also just a fun project.
 
And this is where it all began. This is a newer generation Denix without the big logo, and just the stamped lettering, but also the fixed sight slider. The edges are soft, but not awful, but I also have no point of comparison so I don’t know how this one stacks up. Mould lines were also not awful, and even the hammer wasn’t too bad, the safety, not as great but that’s what small files are for.
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I started by doing a bit of filing, adding cross hatching to the sight slider, and sharpening and deepening the grooves of the safety and hammer.

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Next up! I make a few mistakes, and I keep moving back and forward between parts.
 
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So when looking at photos, i thought i saw that the notches in the sight went all the way through… I was wrong… but I’m considering expoxying it down anyway, so I’ll likely just live with it. It was at this point that I realised that disassembling everything would be the smart choice.
Getting that firing pin out of the bolt was fun! Ended up having to use a nail to punch it out from behind, whilst holding the bolt out. The plan is to replace it with a steel one from BF.
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I then continued sharpening edges, but also filled in all the mould divots and writing
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I also experimented with countersinking the sight pin, and everything came up nicely after a file and a brief sand after filling.
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I then started reshaping the gap between the grips and trigger guard. I missed taking some photos at this point, but also did some general shaping around to make it more comfortable in the hand, as well as smoothing out the transition between the side of the guard, and the body with some JB Weld.
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Next up - some more shaping and refinement. Last things I can do before buying more of the bolt on parts.
 

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Good luck with your build.

I am also in Australia and so the Denix made for a great option and reworking the body as you are doing can result in a very satisfactory result.

MARK

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And this is where I’m up to at the moment, the trigger is shaped more or less, I chopped off the knobbly bits on the site, and I’m unsure if I’m going to fill the hole and re-drill the hole to get it perfectly flat or not.
I also made the little t-junction in the sight slider which needs some refinement. Actually everything does really.
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Nice work so far. I just got a second hand denix and blaster factory kit. You’re a few steps ahead of me on cleaning up the denix. The previous owner of mine drilled 3 unnecessary holes and bolted the top of the flash hider (ruined), through the sight (which went through the bolt and pin), and through the side to attach a 1” washer as the mystery disc. I’ve been spending time filling those with metal.

Will be nice to follow along with your build while doing mine. I assume you plan to paint the denix since you are using jb weld to patch?
 
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Nice work so far. I just got a second hand denix and blaster factory kit. You’re a few steps ahead of me on cleaning up the denix. The previous owner of mine drilled 3 unnecessary holes and bolted the top of the flash hider (ruined), through the sight (which went through the bolt and pin), and through the side to attach a 1” washer as the mystery disc. I’ve been spending time filling those with metal.

Will be nice to follow along with your build while doing mine. I assume you plan to paint the denix since you are using jb weld to patch?
Oh jeez! Why spend the money and do that (the previous owner), glad it’s coming together though!

Yeah I was going to paint the body flat black (with bull hider when I get it) and then blue the scope/mount and flash hider. Not sure how I’m going to handle the hammer/safety yet, the Zamak is a bit bright, so I might see if aluminium black does the trick to knock it down a bit after some steel wooling.
 
Oh jeez! Why spend the money and do that (the previous owner), glad it’s coming together though!

Yeah I was going to paint the body flat black (with bull hider when I get it) and then blue the scope/mount and flash hider. Not sure how I’m going to handle the hammer/safety yet, the Zamak is a bit bright, so I might see if aluminium black does the trick to knock it down a bit after some steel wooling.
I’ve never used aluminum black or the bluing chemicals before. But that is my plan for the upper, bull barrel, flash hider and scope mount. I’m putting off work on the lower for now. Other than the trigger and hammer. I am going to order the steel bolt, steel hider and grip escutcheons from blaster factory. Also going to stamp serial numbers on it. Doing some size testing now.
 

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I’ve never used aluminum black or the bluing chemicals before. But that is my plan for the upper, bull barrel, flash hider and scope mount. I’m putting off work on the lower for now. Other than the trigger and hammer. I am going to order the steel bolt, steel hider and grip escutcheons from blaster factory. Also going to stamp serial numbers on it. Doing some size testing now.
Very nice! I was thinking of dremeling in some fake lines for the hammer mount to make it a bit more in line with a real Mauser, not sure if my hand is steady enough to get it straight though.
Waiting to hear back from BF if they will have the mag plate for Denixs available on their website. At the moment it’s only on eBay, and shipping to Australia is more expensive than the part! Was hoping to combine it with other bits.
 
Very nice! I was thinking of dremeling in some fake lines for the hammer mount to make it a bit more in line with a real Mauser, not sure if my hand is steady enough to get it straight though.
Waiting to hear back from BF if they will have the mag plate for Denixs available on their website. At the moment it’s only on eBay, and shipping to Australia is more expensive than the part! Was hoping to combine it with other bits.
That’s funny. I just emailed them today to see if they could add a mag plate to my order because I saw them on eBay. Have you seen the posts where the guy cut out the back below the hammer and made a piece from aluminum? I have good hands with tools for plastic but I can’t scribe straight for metal.
 
Yeah, that’s next level! Maybe I can make up some sort of jig, might have to do that with mag plate anyway. Let me know how you get on, I sent an email too this week but hadn’t heard back yet.
 
A little more refining today, added the little slopey bit on the sight slider:
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And smoothed out the back end of the safety, as well as continues the grooves along the entire cylinder
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Did a bit more work on the trigger guard and I’m pretty happy with the new shape now, it feels MUCH more comfortable.
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And this is a “ohhhh am I making a mistake?” Moment, but trying faux grooves in the back for the hammer section. Then filled with JB Weld and refined. Then neatened when more dried. We’ll see how it goes once it sets and I file it back.
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Finished shaping the sight thing and I’m happy with how it turned out. Likewise with smoothing out the safety for now. I’m also relatively happy how the hammer mounting lines came out a little messy, but we’ll see how it goes painted up.

Until I buy the next round of parts, I think I’m basically there aside from just sanding and minor refinements. Happy for any feedback or advice in the meantime!

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You’ve made a lot of progress. What grit level are you going to sand to before painting? You’ll be done and I’ll still be sanding.
 
To be fair, this has been over two weeks, but I’ll probably do 400, and finish with some 0000 steel wool on the mystery disc area. Paint will hopefully help smooth out any small marks too, I don’t know enough about paint, but my worry is that if I polish too much, the paint won’t adhere as well.
 
Another day of progress, and some mistakes that i need to fix.
I hand milled the extractor thing on the bolt, and I’ll fill that with paint. I also sharpened up the grooves on the bolt too.
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I then slotted the firing pin in preparation for threading the pin and bolt hole (M6 worked well for the bolt, the pin was too big and I ended up chewing it up so I didn’t get good teeth). I’ve currently got the pin slathered in job weld to try get better teeth on it when I run the die over it again. I should have made it more cylindrical and filed it down a bit first.

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I took the liberty of sharpening up some corners where I could and shortened the sight pin.

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I then got back to my hand dremelling grooves for the mag plate! I also milled inside the mag chamber and drilled a hole for the aux button (rather than having it in the middle like most people). It’s a bit on an angle but seems ok!
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I then thought to myself “hey, I think I can paint now!” And forgot that I needed to mask off the mystery disc. But that’s ok, I’ll just sand that back and hit it again. Pictures of how that came out soon. I’m trying to get it back to the assembly stage whilst I wait to buy the bolt on parts.
 
Nice work. For the mystery disc, there are a couple thing you could get from a craft store. They typically sell sheets of adhesive vinyl and you could get a 25mm punch from the scrapbooking area. Punch out the hole in the vinyl and it gives you a nice round mask. Them lightly sand inside the mask. That’s how I did the disk on mine. Only risk is the vinyl might peel the paint
 
Appreciate the idea! Unfortunately I already sanded it back ha! Mine is nowhere near as polished as yours. Paint job is already wearing in places because I handled it before it set properly… but I can call that weathering ha!

Just a few photos of it all dry fitted together after painting. It’s ending up a bit of a ANH/TFA hybrid, but I don’t hate that. My Graflex saber is an ANH/ESB hybrid.

Also ended up just chopping off the end of a bolt, drilling it out, and JB welding the pin into it, and adding a slot. Next is the fixing up the paint a bit, and then I’m ACTUALLY ready to start buying bits. Communication from BlastFactory (or lack thereof) has me slightly concerned, so I’ll try and get some parts from Todd’s Costumes (his grips, antennas, and flash hider, if he’s going to restock it, are cheaper anyway).

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