Ok, finally done!
This is Aaron’s (Solo’s Hold) Han Solo ANH DL-44 Blaster with blaster core 4.0, accurate parts, on a denix based that’s bee accurized a bit.
After getting the request to build this, came the tough part… finding the parts. The Dark Energy Creations runs of parts pretty much sold out, and there’s a little to NO spares out there, without begging and scrounging.
I did have a leftover replica hensoldt scope in steel from my last full steel kit, and an aluminum bull barrel and flash hider that I was saving for my mersonn power 5 blaster. So we needed to find the scope mount, the grill, and greeblies. Luckily, Dave from DEC had his prototype scope mount in aluminum available after some begging, and we were mostly in business. It had some rough cuts on the inside of the scallops, but you’ll never seen them so it was perfect.
Aaron found a substitute grill from evolution props on ebay, and ordered that. Many moons later, it came it, and I am finally done.
here’s the build:
The first thing I did was take the aluminum bull barrel, and the scope mount, scope, and rings and get them blued. I used Birchwood casey Super blue on the steel scope, and Birchwood casey Aluminum black on the AL bits. Getting aluminum to resemble blued steel is doable but takes a TON of work. I mean, you gotta apply AL Black, buff, polish, re-apply, and repeat over and over and over and over. The results are worth it though.
Then I painted all the brass scope fittings with Satin Enamel, just like the real Hendoldt scopes. I did a thin pass, and baked all the painted parts for a cure. I didn’t go thick since I would be weathering, and if you bake straight wet paint you get a natural thinning on edges, which really helps the weathering.
I weathered up the scope, then started on painting and weathering the mount cross bar to be as prop accurate as I can with the Chronicles and reference pics.
Next I decide to start the metal work. I decided to mill the plain jane Denix Bolt down flat (It’s all crazy mottled cast metal) and mill in an extractor. I used my real Mauser as reference for the dimensions of the extractor.
This part had me cussing. Fitting the sleeve bull barrel isn’t as easy as just sliding it on, when you want prop accuracy. It needs to sit a certain way, and dang it I will make it so. It took a lot of filing and finagling to get it right.
Then it was time to remove the denix and Spain logos from the side. So I milled it like the real Mausers are
Also I hand filed and reshaped the nasty, fat, blocky, denix trigger.
Then I added my auxiliary button hole to resemble the mag plate release on a real Mauser. It can’t be in the correct spot due to structural issues inside the denix, but close enough.
I also widened the gap between the grip frame and trigger guard. Now it’s not narrow and uncomfortable anymore, and more accurate.
Since Aaron got a denix with wood grips, next came milling out the recesses for the 2W bass speaker and resonance in the grips. I had to make a little room on the frame too.
Add a recharge port hole, and tap it.
Here I used AL black to blue the extractor I milled. Real Mauser bolts are left bright (they age and dull over time), so I left the rest bright.
Now I had to mill some wire clearances
Mystery disc and trigger done
Wiring begins
I forgot to get good pics of my switch and little delrin holder I machined, but they’re just like my last ESB build.
here it sits with my two
Now for the sight greeblie, I didn’t have any more DEC accurate pushrods, but I did have some older ones I got on therpf. I THINK they were bobadebt pieces. Mated to a DEC piece of aluminum T track that I shaped, and they came out great.
Forgot to get progress pics of the flash hider weathering, as it was SUPER labor intensive. I got it looking like a real found MG81 FH, and LOVE the way it turned out. Here’s a pic of me accurizing the mount knobs on all three blasters. I wanted to finally get the weathering on the knobs right.
And now the finished piece
and now the video:
This is Aaron’s (Solo’s Hold) Han Solo ANH DL-44 Blaster with blaster core 4.0, accurate parts, on a denix based that’s bee accurized a bit.
After getting the request to build this, came the tough part… finding the parts. The Dark Energy Creations runs of parts pretty much sold out, and there’s a little to NO spares out there, without begging and scrounging.
I did have a leftover replica hensoldt scope in steel from my last full steel kit, and an aluminum bull barrel and flash hider that I was saving for my mersonn power 5 blaster. So we needed to find the scope mount, the grill, and greeblies. Luckily, Dave from DEC had his prototype scope mount in aluminum available after some begging, and we were mostly in business. It had some rough cuts on the inside of the scallops, but you’ll never seen them so it was perfect.
Aaron found a substitute grill from evolution props on ebay, and ordered that. Many moons later, it came it, and I am finally done.
here’s the build:
The first thing I did was take the aluminum bull barrel, and the scope mount, scope, and rings and get them blued. I used Birchwood casey Super blue on the steel scope, and Birchwood casey Aluminum black on the AL bits. Getting aluminum to resemble blued steel is doable but takes a TON of work. I mean, you gotta apply AL Black, buff, polish, re-apply, and repeat over and over and over and over. The results are worth it though.
Then I painted all the brass scope fittings with Satin Enamel, just like the real Hendoldt scopes. I did a thin pass, and baked all the painted parts for a cure. I didn’t go thick since I would be weathering, and if you bake straight wet paint you get a natural thinning on edges, which really helps the weathering.
I weathered up the scope, then started on painting and weathering the mount cross bar to be as prop accurate as I can with the Chronicles and reference pics.
Next I decide to start the metal work. I decided to mill the plain jane Denix Bolt down flat (It’s all crazy mottled cast metal) and mill in an extractor. I used my real Mauser as reference for the dimensions of the extractor.
This part had me cussing. Fitting the sleeve bull barrel isn’t as easy as just sliding it on, when you want prop accuracy. It needs to sit a certain way, and dang it I will make it so. It took a lot of filing and finagling to get it right.
Then it was time to remove the denix and Spain logos from the side. So I milled it like the real Mausers are
Also I hand filed and reshaped the nasty, fat, blocky, denix trigger.
Then I added my auxiliary button hole to resemble the mag plate release on a real Mauser. It can’t be in the correct spot due to structural issues inside the denix, but close enough.
I also widened the gap between the grip frame and trigger guard. Now it’s not narrow and uncomfortable anymore, and more accurate.
Since Aaron got a denix with wood grips, next came milling out the recesses for the 2W bass speaker and resonance in the grips. I had to make a little room on the frame too.
Add a recharge port hole, and tap it.
Here I used AL black to blue the extractor I milled. Real Mauser bolts are left bright (they age and dull over time), so I left the rest bright.
Now I had to mill some wire clearances
Mystery disc and trigger done
Wiring begins
I forgot to get good pics of my switch and little delrin holder I machined, but they’re just like my last ESB build.
here it sits with my two
Now for the sight greeblie, I didn’t have any more DEC accurate pushrods, but I did have some older ones I got on therpf. I THINK they were bobadebt pieces. Mated to a DEC piece of aluminum T track that I shaped, and they came out great.
Forgot to get progress pics of the flash hider weathering, as it was SUPER labor intensive. I got it looking like a real found MG81 FH, and LOVE the way it turned out. Here’s a pic of me accurizing the mount knobs on all three blasters. I wanted to finally get the weathering on the knobs right.
And now the finished piece
and now the video:
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