Babylon 5 PPG Build

[textzombie]

I'm a long-time lurker here, and I thought I'd share the result of my machined PPG build.

This is a prop I've long wanted to tackle but never felt confident enough.

It's around 15 months in the making, made first in CAD using lots of references and old posts on the forum, for which I'm very thankful, then 3d printing to see how it would fit together. Finally machined using a combination of home-built CNC and manual machining.

I don't know how accurate it is, but it looks like a PPG to me, so I'm made up

I'm still working on making the trigger move and the cap removable, but it's almost there.

 

[sstnickg]

That looks great to me, well done!

 

[Funky]

Put me down if you decide to do a run!

 

[OzDean]

Awesome!

 

[eethan]

Very cleanly made!

 

[skiffy]

Fantastic work! Is the Bulldog grip original? I made a 3d printed PPG a few years ago and it's still one of my favourite gun props.

 

[textzombie]

Thank you for the kind words

Finding the Pachmayr grip on eBay kicked the project off; I'm not 100% sure, but I think the original prop used a grip that came in two halves, and the grip I got was a single piece. I had a nerve-wracking time cutting it in half with a scalpel, hoping I didn't ruin it. It came out well and I think using a crazy sharp blade helped a lot.

There are a lot of intricate, fiddly parts that need to be machined in multiple axes with limited work-holding options. I understand now why other people who've made these say "never again"

I made it out of 6061, and it picks up marks if I look at it funny. I feel like that look actually matches the original props, but I do wonder if I could have picked a more scratch-resistant alloy.

 

[DamnYankee123]

Freaking Amazing. Everytime I look at a PPG here or for sale on Etsy, etc, they are almost always cast in resin. I always think, man I would like to try machining one some day. You did fantastic work.

 

[enterprise0216]

Amazing work and you captured alot of details good on you. I have always wanted a PPG myself after binge watching Babylon 5.

 

[textzombie]

I made and installed a sprung trigger and hid a magnet in the cap, so I'm calling it done for now and sticking it on the wall.

 

[Uridium]

Metal machining is such an impressive skill I wish I had. Fantastic work.

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

I'm a long-time lurker here, and I thought I'd share the result of my machined PPG build.

This is a prop I've long wanted to tackle but never felt confident enough.

It's around 15 months in the making, made first in CAD using lots of references and old posts on the forum, for which I'm very thankful, then 3d printing to see how it would fit together. Finally machined using a combination of home-built CNC and manual machining.

I don't know how accurate it is, but it looks like a PPG to me, so I'm made up

I'm still working on making the trigger move and the cap removable, but it's almost there.


View attachment 1907021

Inspirational!

 

[BajaTym]

Gorgeous work! I'm a mega B5 fan and generally astonished by the lack of B5 costuming and replicas.

 

[starbuc]

I have to say, you knocked it out of the park with your metal work. It looks amazing.
As someone who owns a screen used original prop, you managed to capture all the correct aspects of the prop.
Here are a few pics of my original so you can compare.
Nice job!

 

[textzombie]

Thank you for your photos Starbuc, it's such a cool prop.

When I started out making a CAD model of the PPG to try and work out how to make it fit together, I spent a lot of time studying your historic posts and photos as references. Thank you so much for sharing them.

Your comment made my day