DC 15s WIP

[FETTCLONE]

I've been slowly building up my own DC 15 carbine, and I'm finally getting to a point where I can start putting up a few pics.

I started off working with MDF and built up the layers as I went along. ABS barrel, sheet plastic to make a couple easy parts, and a little bondo here and there.

I've since shortened the folding stock a little more, and am still tweaking a couple of things. Then I got into the fun part.

While a wood and ABS scratch-built rifle is fun, I wanted to take it a step further and make something that could be a little more trooping-friendly. So I started molding things up and making one out of a high-density foam. It's lighter, and has a reasonable flexibility. I threw it against the ground just to see what the worst case could be. It bounced. I've also been casting in a rigid pipe for support when it's hanging on pegs, etc. It could make for easy dis-assembly too, but there's still the stock to consider.

The barrel came out pretty clean (I handled it a touch too soon after molding creating a couple of low spots- lesson learned :lol ). First mold I've made, and it turned out quite well in my opinion. The receiver portion has a couple of spots that are trapping air, but that should be an easy fix.

I'm still working out the folding stock (not quite done the mold yet), and touching up some surfaces on the receiver portion mold to eliminate some of the surface irregularities. If that doesn't work out I'll just remold that part. What's a little more rubber when I've already jumped in the deep end? :lol

The colour runs all the way through so any nicks and scratches won't be standing out like a sore thumb. I have yet to see how it takes Rub'n'Buff for weathering but that'll come soon enough. I gave a test sample a shot of spray paint. I found that while it coats well the paint tends to flake away from the foam underneath in areas of high flex. Not totally flaked off, but good to know all the same. Any suggestions?

More pics of molds, etc. and castings to follow as I get more done. Feel free to make comments

 

[rmschneider104]

Nice work. Interesting approach with the foam. Keep us synched up as you progress on the build. I'd be interested in seeing how it ends up.

 

[wuher da brewer]

Very interesting technique. I'd love to see further progress.

 

[Darth Kahnt]

Very nice. :thumbsup

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

Looks good.

Where do you get MDF? Someone said that Lowe's or Home Depot carry it, but all I've found is particle board (very thick chunk particle board) when I get to where they point me to.

 

[wizardofflight]

That is one of the best clone carbines I have seen. Great job..

Alan

 

[The Manlet]

looks great....

 

[jedeyenight]

Really nice.

 

[FETTCLONE]

Home Depot will have MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) for sure. The easiest place to find it will be in with the small sheet materials (about 2' x 4' sections). When in doubt just ask an employee. Remember to wear a dust mask when cutting or sanding as it has been known to contain some unhelpful chemicals in the past.

Thanks for the compliments. I'll keep you posted on further developments as I'm still refining a couple of details. A local store where I go to find everything imaginable just got a small shipment of 2" nylon blocks in assorted sizes... looks like I'll be lathing out a new connection at the receiver tomorrow. :lol

 

[FETTCLONE]

Well, I've been plugging away at it and making some progress. The rough areas on the previous receiver mold just weren't something I could leave alone. The texture differences were just too odd looking to me, so I went back and re-molded the section. The results were much better.

I've worked out a few bugs with the new molds and added a couple other details, and things are looking pretty good IMO. The finish is much smoother after going back into the master and doing a little more sanding and priming, followed by more sealer. Just a couple of small air traps to work out, but with the finish and a little bubbling these portions actually just look worn/ weathered. I'm dying to get a little silver Rub'N'Buff on it. I also refined the internal support structure so it runs farther into the handle (no drooping when held only by the handle ), and added a cute feature; the barrel just unscrews for compactness.

I'm much happier with the colour this time as well. Much blacker than before, and because it's pigment and not paint I have no worries about scratches and scrapes. Speaking of which, this rifle does bounce nicely. I gave it a good 14-foot toss straight up and let it drop to the cement floor to give it the old gorilla test. Try doing that with a resin rifle. :lol Nothing broke away or got otherwise damaged so I'm feeling pretty chuffed about that. After all, this is my first real casting project. :$

The rifle is currently weighing in at 2.5 lbs, so it's still pretty light for the size. That being said, this is the most dense foam I could get so I could just as easily make a lighter version with a little more "give" to it. All in all, I think it's a great all-in-one kind of rifle that gives me a nice looking prop I can also take trooping sometime and not be afraid of handing it over to children or a security check. Should come in handy for C4, if I can get my armor finished by then.

I'm still working on the folding stock mold but should have things done before the weekend. I'll update with more info then. In the meantime I'd love to hear what you folks think. I'll be putting up an interest list in the JY very soon.

 

[FETTCLONE]

Folding stock mold is almost done, so I should have a pull and more pics by tomorrow afternoon.

 

[WhiteCommando]

Yep, that is what MDF is like (a fancy re-naming of particle board)... 2' x 2' squares of Beaver or particle board are available at Lowes and Home Depot. It takes bondo well. I also use thin-ply basswood, styrene (sign plastic from Wal-Mart) to make the flat parts more smooth. Use wood dowels for detailing.

I made this with MDF, balsa and bass wood (and a touch of Bondo)...

Basically, the centerline is the gun shape, the butt-stock, and the pistol grip. It is a piece of MDF sandwiched together between two 1/2" thick pieces of Balsa, then on the outer sides, I added 1/4" inch Bass Wood for strength... then some medium-sized rectangular dowels, and two segments of 1" x 1" dowel to make the small boxes towards the front of the "receiver" ... I then shaped it a bit with a rasp and palm sander and filled with Bondo. Sanded smooth... easy.

I sent off to a friend, and he makes copies by vac-forming over the prototype. It took me about 24-30 hours to make the gun.

To assemble the copies, it takes about 3 or 4 hours.

MDF is good. Bondo helps... but be sure to wear a mask... I always cough after I bondo something... nasty dust.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sluis Van Shipyards @ Mar 22 2007, 02:29 AM) [snapback]1445214[/snapback]</div>

Looks good.

Where do you get MDF? Someone said that Lowe's or Home Depot carry it, but all I've found is particle board (very thick chunk particle board) when I get to where they point me to.
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