While I'm waiting on other blaster and saber builds, I thought I'd start a side project. It all started when I was searching for aircraft parts on ebay, inspired by the OT, and ran across this old pneumatic drill. There's tons of them I guess but this one seemed to have cool proportions.
I got it in the mail and studied it for a long time. A friend of mine had asked me something about Boba Fett's blaster and MPPs and the idea of using a flash unit struck me. I've collected a handful of service/Praco/Minicam flash units that are all about 29 mm in diameter. I started sliding them into the "muzzle" of the drill and they all nearly fit. Most of my power tools are broken except for a drill, so I tried to hand-file the diameter of the chuck smaller. That seemed like a fools dream so, impatiently, I started holding the flash and drill over an open flame and (with a ball peen), applying vegetable oil and hammering a minicam flash onto the front. It sort of worked. It seems to be stuck now - I expanded the tip of the flash but there's a gap where the reflector was mounted that sufficiently stopped any more hammering. I left the bulb socket stuck at the end for now...
I've wanted to bolt a scope to this for a long time. While thinking about this, I tried to remove the minicam to try a service flash. No go, it's basically permanently stuck, but I had enough grip that the chuck unscrewed from the body. Whoah.
regretfully I noticed the back of the chuck looked VERY lightsaber/blaster like, but theres no way to affix this barrel backwards realistically. The threading is already there. Thinking like a prop-maker, I put it back.
I'd like to remove this dented metal sleeve as the inside looks pretty western right? But thats on pretty well so far, it ain't coming off, it works like a selector, clicking as I turn it.
The idea of drilling holes in this and tapping them for a scope is not palatable...it's not like a gun frame, there's thick metal and mechanics in there, so on my second try I found the perfect solution! It's coming in the mail, and it's a barrel mounted Weaver (type) base. It fits 30 mm barrels so I'll wrap it around the flash as close as I can to the body. I may mount a long and short scope on this thing, with weaver rings on both (just like the greedo killer) and leave one on the top and one on the right side....pics are being posted
I got it in the mail and studied it for a long time. A friend of mine had asked me something about Boba Fett's blaster and MPPs and the idea of using a flash unit struck me. I've collected a handful of service/Praco/Minicam flash units that are all about 29 mm in diameter. I started sliding them into the "muzzle" of the drill and they all nearly fit. Most of my power tools are broken except for a drill, so I tried to hand-file the diameter of the chuck smaller. That seemed like a fools dream so, impatiently, I started holding the flash and drill over an open flame and (with a ball peen), applying vegetable oil and hammering a minicam flash onto the front. It sort of worked. It seems to be stuck now - I expanded the tip of the flash but there's a gap where the reflector was mounted that sufficiently stopped any more hammering. I left the bulb socket stuck at the end for now...
I've wanted to bolt a scope to this for a long time. While thinking about this, I tried to remove the minicam to try a service flash. No go, it's basically permanently stuck, but I had enough grip that the chuck unscrewed from the body. Whoah.
regretfully I noticed the back of the chuck looked VERY lightsaber/blaster like, but theres no way to affix this barrel backwards realistically. The threading is already there. Thinking like a prop-maker, I put it back.
I'd like to remove this dented metal sleeve as the inside looks pretty western right? But thats on pretty well so far, it ain't coming off, it works like a selector, clicking as I turn it.
The idea of drilling holes in this and tapping them for a scope is not palatable...it's not like a gun frame, there's thick metal and mechanics in there, so on my second try I found the perfect solution! It's coming in the mail, and it's a barrel mounted Weaver (type) base. It fits 30 mm barrels so I'll wrap it around the flash as close as I can to the body. I may mount a long and short scope on this thing, with weaver rings on both (just like the greedo killer) and leave one on the top and one on the right side....pics are being posted
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