DL-44 ESB Blaster Discussion - Greeblies POST 208

[Dann]

I guess you're talking about the Thorens disc on the scope mount. We've already hashed out what it is, but it'd be interesting to get some close shots of the messy yellow weathering in the center.

The flash hider could be aluminum, with paint over it to dull down the shine. It does look like some bare aluminum is shining through in little areas.

We NEED more angles and as close up as you can get on that flash hider!

Thanks so much for sharing these photos!

 

[mortifactor]

I guess you're talking about the Thorens disc on the scope mount. We've already hashed out what it is, but it'd be interesting to get some close shots of the messy yellow weathering in the center.

The flash hider could be aluminum, with paint over it to dull down the shine. It does look like some bare aluminum is shining through in little areas.

We NEED more angles and as close up as you can get on that flash hider!

Thanks so much for sharing these photos!

It wasn't the top circle (thorens disc?) but beneath the bracket. Between the bracket and the MGC. In one of my pics you can see from the shadow how high the bracket seems to sit from the gun itself. It was more than I expected, but I have no DL-44 replica so it was all new to me anyway. I will do my best to get some pics from many angles. It is in a glass box with spot lights, my auto focus caught the glare on the box instead of the gun. I will try to avoid that next time!

If anybody has any ideas how to get the invigilator who sits on a chair 3 feet from the glass case to get up and leave for a minute, please come forward :lol What would Ethan Hunt do?

 

[Dann]

Oh, I gotcha. The "spacer". Very cool!

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

Oh man, I can't believe that these pictures show up, literally the day after I pay for an inaccurate flash hider with a machined knurl and no lip. This is what I get for not listening to my gut and trusting by own eyes:facepalm:lol

 

[mortifactor]

Oh man, I can't believe that these pictures show up, literally the day after I pay for an inaccurate flash hider with a machined knurl and no lip. This is what I get for not listening to my gut and trusting by own eyes:facepalm:lol

My V2 on the wall says you can recreate this flash hider no problem from pics!

 

[matty matt]

So is everyone in agreement that the knurls are drawn on?

 

[newmagrathea]

Hey - I managed to see what I believe is the han hoth blaster at Star Wars: Visions.

It was the MGC base, with the flash hider that has the details drawn on. To me they looked like sharpie thickness, not like a thin pencil.

The scope bolts were identically sized, but the front one wasn't screwed completely in and was slightly askew.

The flash hider had a definite step where the diagonal cone met the cylindrical base. Both it and the scope bracket looked really hand made and a little rough.


I managed to take a couple of embarrassing pics, out of focus and horrible. Worse than the existing 35+ year old pictures. It was an iPhone and a point and shoot in low light. I had a bit of an ordeal to get them though, in Japan photos are not usually allowed in exhibitions. It was also packed with 100s of people doing a big conga line around the edge of the room, spending equal amount of time with each exhibit like a big shuffling queue. I had to stand still in the middle of it. I had 2 attendants a few feet away from me and was told off for taking the pics I got. Doesn't helping being a white guy over 6 foot in the middle of Japan at these moments, I stood out a lot and was collared straight away.

Now, this exhibition had a lot of really bad replica costumes and props made up for the crowds - but this had the lucas museum tag and looked legit. I'll post the pics up when I'm not at work. If it is anything interesting, I'll go back with my DSLR and act like a dumb tourist.

It was placed with the scope side up, other side not visible.


edit: They also had a resin looking (but might have been real) ROTJ Boba blaster, resin Leia blaster, resin DH-17, real parts ROTJ E-11, ROTJ Stormtrooper suit (which had some interesting details on the helmet, but might not have been screen used. It had ventilation holes drilled in it and the decals and ear paint looked different to what I always thought), a weird looking Vader ROTJ stunt with some grips missing - looked different to the known one and may have been a promo one (had the lucas museum tag though, was definitely vintage), R2 and C3P0. R2 looked a bit shabbily made, but also had the lucas museum tag.

They had an old Vader suit too, but I know nothing about that costume to verify what it was or if it was used in the movie. Same with Han's belt rig. They had it, but I don't know which one it was.

Also for real props: Jedi training remote, hoth macrobinoculars, "rebel sensor unit" (the scanner from hoth, big white box with aerials) but these where in a bad spot to view.

It was a very awkward exhibition with the huge numbers of people and the big conga shuffle.

It's in Osaka, if anyone is in the area.




https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8281/28403155475_58b741d176_z.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8603/28324057281_1b6d7b4148_z.jpg



https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8855/27786650814_7d85e31fc7_k.jpg


Even though these pics are pants, I have the raw files for the first 2 (lol) that can maybe show more detail.

That is amazing that it's out on display. Definitely try for better photos. I'd be very interested in seeing some good photos of many of the items you said they have. Specifically, that vader saber, the ROTJ Boba Fett blaster straight from the side (so I can use for proportional measurements) and one of the end of the barrel, good clear hi res photos of the training remote would be excellent too.

I have several reference photos of these, but they are all old, small and/or poor quality. It would be absolutely amazing for some fresh reference photos.

Thank you so much for snapping those pics, excellent work. I'm very jealous you get to see them in person.

 

[mortifactor]

So is everyone in agreement that the knurls are drawn on?

When I saw it, I didn't plan any specific details to observe because I wasn't sure what was known and what was a mystery for this prop. I didn't realise the drawn on/knurling debate existed, but they were definitely drawn on. I'd say with 100% certainty. I know human memory and eyes are fallible though, and will observe this more specifically when I go back (if there is a feint underlying texture or if it is just smooth)

I remember thinking it was sharpie, or a thick piece of graphite. Not a normal pen/pencil size. The weathering looked like it was potentially "textbook rattle can black" to break it down, with whatever the silver is (real alu or something else) showing through in places.

One aspect I knew was debated, as it was one of the few things I remembered from discussion months ago, was the flash hider step. I made sure to notice this.

When I was building the guts to get the camera out with an attendant right next to me, I procrastinated by just looking at it :lol. It is real - the really bad iPhone pic (final ones) shows it. I tried to get the camera completely face on so perspective was eliminated, but I didn't quite succeed.

You can see the middle (short) cone (between the made flash hider hood and the perfect cylinder) approach the cylinder then a new angle appears and it heads off that way - creating a little step that isn't perfectly 90 degrees. I think I remember seeing tool marks too, from when the piece was turned.

BTW, is there any chance this blaster could have been painted? It really was very black - but very smooth. Like wire wooled or #2000 sandpaper finished. I'm not sure if MGCs came this black or if gun bluing can make a gun as black as it was. It wasn't like the pics of the Luke Bespin gun where there is tonality and a metallish hue. The grips were also black plastic.

I reckon I'm going to ditch trying to do Luke's Bespin blaster because I can't get a real mauser, but can easily paint my gold MGC to do this one accurately.

 

[Boba Debt]

I just don't see the step

 

[mortifactor]

I just don't see the step

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p298/BobaDebt/Star Wars/ESBBB/Hoth 014_zpstfdro4jv.jpg

I hope I can get a clear shot when I go back. Should be some time next week hopefully. I really hope I can get some decent shots. In this day and age we should have a super megapixel bus sized poster of this - it's just sitting out on public display in the middle of a metropolis for goodness sake. This show has been touring Japan since around fall 2015, it has been to Tokyo and all over. It is on one of its final stops in Osaka at the moment.

 

[OdiWan72]

Wow...it is great to see my theory finally being proveable. I think I was one of the first/ THE first who guessed the knurling to be painted on. :cool

Any yes, the fh seems to be aluminum painted over/ weathered.

PLEASE take more pictures

Thx in advance

 

[Jedifather]

Here's something I've been working on:



Not quite there, but close.

 

[tomm1999]

I really like it, what did you make it on?

Here's something I've been working on:

View attachment 646418

Not quite there, but close.

 

[Dann]

Here's something I've been working on:

View attachment 646418

Not quite there, but close.

I think all you really need to do is shorten that section at the very back end of it, and you're pretty much there!

Possibly make the transition angle slightly more concave.

Nice work!!

 

[Jedifather]

I really like it, what did you make it on?

A piece of PVC tube, some styrene strips, resin and autobody filler

 

[thd9791]

I just don't see the step

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p298/BobaDebt/Star Wars/ESBBB/Hoth 014_zpstfdro4jv.jpg

I think there might be a slight radius or swoop up top here, maybe giving the illusion of a step.

and the transition from bevel to cone is definitely rounded .




not on the bottom though

also, looks to be a sharper angle than we thought earlier

 

[mortifactor]

It wasn't really round, but like a 45 degree angle meeting a 50 degree angle (not exact numbers - for illustrative purposes only). I'll go back just to be sure though. It looked a bit hand made, not like how a professional or a machine produced (like a real flash hider) would likely look. "Imperfect" transition.

I think when looking at blurry pics your brain renders a simple, perfect shape too easily.

 

[newmagrathea]

It wasn't really round, but like a 45 degree angle meeting a 50 degree angle (not exact numbers - for illustrative purposes only). I'll go back just to be sure though. It looked a bit hand made, not like how a professional or a machine produced (like a real flash hider) would likely look. "Imperfect" transition.

I think when looking at blurry pics your brain renders a simple, perfect shape too easily.

I'm guessing you can only view it from one side. It would be nice to get some pics of the other side of the gun, perhaps we could confirm or deny the Thorens bolts drilled all the way through or not.

I think we should compile a list of things you could observe to help us all.

The screw head size on the Thorens disk
Flash hider metal or delrin
mauser painted or aluminum black
grips painted or black plastic (my theory is painted black)
The center of the Thorens disk has a yellow discoloration, what does it look like the cause was (paint, heat discoloration, left over epoxy resin)


Also another tip for taking photos in places where you're not supposed to is: there are some camera apps that don't save to your camera roll immediately, you have to send each photo to the camera roll. So if you take a photo with one of those camera apps, get caught and they ask you to delete the photos. Kill the camera app before they have a chance to see it and then show them your camera roll. Your photos will still be in the apps memory. I don't know if you are using iOS or Android or something else, but a good camera app on iOS that does that is called Camera+.

 

[mortifactor]

I'm guessing you can only view it from one side. It would be nice to get some pics of the other side of the gun, perhaps we could confirm or deny the Thorens bolts drilled all the way through or not.

I think we should compile a list of things you could observe to help us all.

The screw head size on the Thorens disk
Flash hider metal or delrin
mauser painted or aluminum black
grips painted or black plastic (my theory is painted black)
The center of the Thorens disk has a yellow discoloration, what does it look like the cause was (paint, heat discoloration, left over epoxy resin)


Also another tip for taking photos in places where you're not supposed to is: there are some camera apps that don't save to your camera roll immediately, you have to send each photo to the camera roll. So if you take a photo with one of those camera apps, get caught and they ask you to delete the photos. Kill the camera app before they have a chance to see it and then show them your camera roll. Your photos will still be in the apps memory. I don't know if you are using iOS or Android or something else, but a good camera app on iOS that does that is called Camera+.

One side only unfortunately. Different venues may display it in a different way. Keep an eye out for Star Wars: Visions appearing outside of Japan in the future. I bet it is a global exhibition.

The grips looked like black plastic, I think if anybody knows if MGC made a black mauser with black grips it would be useful. It could have all been painted, but the entire gun was jet black but with a very smooth surface. No brush marks or orange peel or airbrush/spray can speckle or texture on the grips. If MGCs made mausers with black grips then I'd wager they used that for this gun. Will have a harder look when I go back, just in case.

 

[mortifactor]

http://www.cinemacafe.net/article/img/2015/04/29/30899/154300.html Can anybody rip the pic from this site? Doesn't show much apart from the spacer. I don't know if it is known, but you can kinda see the yellowy-ness brassyness I mentioned.