Limited Run Dredd Lawgiver 2012 Full Electronics and Action

[Props3D]

The last few days of quiet have been focusing on the conundrum of the box, thanks to BeakZ for breaking the dead air . I've been diligently sanding and painting on the side and getting pretty close. I'm hoping to have the first lot of 3 shipped by next weekend and up to 5 the week after, with more soon to follow. These things tend to come together quick near the end with so many parallel operations. More on that and pics tomorrow.

For today:

(again, this is a just a bunch of test prints glued together for bashing about with and testing, NOT one of the final Lawgivers!!!!!)

And I think I've finally got it! This is one of the final boxes. It's embedded in the card stock and sandwiched between two sheets of EVA foam. This keeps the paint protected from pressure, while still being very strong and drop resistant. So it seems cool enough, strong enough, and doggone it, I like it.

I'm done about 2/3 of them, it's been quite the slog because each box is 3 CNC jobs with a tool change in the middle, I also can't use my bit setter with these wacky DIY CNC tools so it's all manual offsets. That's pretty crazy if you've ever done CNC work. Worth every min for a run like this, really didn't want to ship it in a wad of bubble wrap .

 

[enterprise0216]

Props3D for a mashup it looks killer thus far and I will be saving the box it ships in just as a keepsake of the run. Your hard and the rest of folks involved in making this run happen is stellar. Loving the Box, Lawgiver, Metallic Card, Display Stand geez. Keep up the great work folk.

 

[Props3D]

Props3D for a mashup it looks killer thus far and I will be saving the box it ships in just as a keepsake of the run. Your hard and the rest of folks involved in making this run happen is stellar. Loving the Box, Lawgiver, Metallic Card, Display Stand geez. Keep up the great work folk.

Thanks, been a lot of work but also a lot of fun. So many concepts in this one run so it's both exciting and incredibly relieving to see it all working out so well and come together so smoothly.

I keep pointing out that one in the pics is just a proxy because I want to make sure nobody thinks that's a final, don't want anyone to get the wrong idea.

 

[enterprise0216]

Yep gotcha when I said "mashup" i was refering to the NOT finalized Lawgiver and boxing. Not final product

 

[Knightmare]

I Would take it in a paper bag and be happy lol

 

[Props3D]

I Would take it in a paper bag and be happy lol

I have standards.

I also need something to do while sanding,

 

[zanderman]

That thing is absolutely beautiful. Wish I saw this thread earlier. Hope you do a second run at some point.

 

[Props3D]

Here's how it's going:

It's getting close! I was going to a post a whole breakdown but I think I need a shower. I'm covered head to toe in PLA dust and paint. Hopefully a picture says 1000 words

If you'd like any elaboration on anything here just let me know!

 

[Props3D]

Just a note on the electronics only option:

I added names to the last 2 spaces on electronics only so that's closed now. If you do want electronics in the future DM me and we can work it out after the run (No full lawgivers, only electronics). Unsoldered only because the video tutorial will be done and I really need to move onto other projects.

I will be shipping all electronics kits at the same time or just after the first 3~4 final lawgivers are off, so very soon. They will be shipping in a finished caddy to make life easier for you, so it's all drop in and go. I had some inquiries about the battery and charger, I never really said either way. I wasn't going to include it since it really cuts down the already slim margins but since this is pretty much a lark I'll include the battery and charger just so you can get to judging that much faster. I will also include a set of unfinished resin parts since I have so many extras.

But my price for all these free extras is that I want pics on the build thread when you're done!!! I'm serious!! Since these ones are made by you I really want to see how you are painting/finishing them, and I just get warm and fuzzies seeing other people's builds.

 

[Props3D]

And we have our first supply chain issue! (already resolved, not playing the suspense card)

Airbrush paint and primer are things I usually buy just as much as I need but they just instantly vanished from the market. After some calling around the nearest place that had primer was a 14hr drive but I managed have them order it in closer and snagged the rest of their inventory, and the only place that had the airbush paint was in another country but I got that shipped in too. But dang, inflation is crazy. The primer was 14 dollars a can, now 25, and the airbrush paint cost me double! But I did get enough to cover the run so phew..

(primer cans without tops are already used, middle is airbrush paint for the darker top and metal parts, small bottles on the right are Tamiya for layering)

Haven't been idle though, I've been sanding like a fiend and I've soldered the entire run now. So things are trucking along:

(14 kits: 8 for run, 4 for electronics only, 1 for YouTube, 1 backup)

 

[Props3D]

Ok, I said no more scope creep but I would also counter that the scope creep hasn't affected price and gotten a lot more cool things included, so here's one more, and it's BeakZ fault this time.

He watched the movie last night and got a bee in his bonnet over this:

Can you see it? There's an exposed metal pin on the slide.

My (probably right) belief that this pin is there for the shots where they're firing blanks to keep the Glock slide and the prop slide from flying apart under force. I mean, there's at least 3~5 variations I found and not all of them had this pin, so it's not really an omission in my books since it was more of a utilitarian thing.

He countered with the fact that he already went ahead and did it on his part of the run so tough luck:

(one in the pic is his test one, the ones for the run you can see behind it on the table)

So I checked with the WIP images Michael VK sent:

And there it is, sigh. Bar stock ordered, looks like I have some lathe work to do...

 

[enterprise0216]

Amazing guys the Halls of Justice have been super busy. Gotta say at times details can make the difference. With that being said details can also drive ya nuts in good kind off way. Thanks for all the cool photos.

 

[Props3D]

Amazing guys the Halls of Justice have been super busy. Gotta say at times details can make the difference. With that being said details can also drive ya nuts in good kind off way. Thanks for all the cool photos.

To be honest the rod stock is pretty cheap(ish) and it's a really cool detail. If it involved remaking a major part for the run it would be obviously not be even considered, but since it slots right in and it's such a simple thing to machine, eh, we've gone this far to get it right why not?

It's also the only exposed metal part on the lawgiver, and the right side is kinda bland compared to the left, so this adds another piece of flair in a spot that could use it, which takes us well over the required 15. After seeing how well BeakZ turned out I think it adds a lot more than it costs in time.

(kyds3k I'll include it in your care package since you already have yours)

 

[kyds3k]

To be honest the rod stock is pretty cheap(ish) and it's a really cool detail. If it involved remaking a major part for the run it would be obviously not be even considered, but since it slots right in and it's such a simple thing to machine, eh, we've gone this far to get it right why not?

It's also the only exposed metal part on the lawgiver, and the right side is kinda bland compared to the left, so this adds another piece of flair in a spot that could use it, which takes us well over the required 15. After seeing how well BeakZ turned out I think it adds a lot more than it costs in time.

(kyds3k I'll include it in your care package since you already have yours)

you da best!

It's been a crazy-ass month of work/life ups and downs, but I'm hoping to get back to the States in January and do a nice video shoot with my friends the PreGamers (https://www.youtube.com/c/ThePreGamers), so will keep ya posted on that!

 

[Gee2]

Seriously, does anyone disagree at this point that this is BEST run on a prop that the RPF has seen in years?! Just knocking it out of the park!

 

[Props3D]

Just a note on delivery times. I thought I'd go on another long, rambly explanation of what's going on behind the scenes, and what you can expect when, and just whatever else comes into my head. All is good, just keeping you posted

(And a note for the purposes of this long winded brain dump: I'm focusing on my end, the other two fine fellows helping me out have very similar journeys, so for the most part when I say 'me' it applies to 'we'.)

First, I don't usually finish props to this level, I do it to a very high standard, but I'm also collaborating with two other amazing makers and we've been using this as both a knowledge/technique sharing exercise, and lets face it, there's some 'one-upmanship' going on in the background.

Here's some examples of retail props I still have in stock:

This is a close up of what I consider to be a 'very good' finish. This exact E-11 is featured on Bucketheads. The 501st has also been through this at exhibitions and has highly praised the accuracy and finish, I dare say some have said it's the finest E-11 they've ever seen.

But if you zoom in this close you can clearly see the layer line, print artifacts, etc.

Here's me showing it along with the story:

Same with my upcoming mando baster release (there's a demo if this in the vid above as well):

(Signed by Paul Lee, fellow Canadian and Mando/Boba Fett actor)

Unless you're VERY picky you will not see these defects very well:

These prints were also done with standard PLA, not as strong as the stuff I'm using now. This has also meant that it's WAY harder to sand and finish!

Which has meant a whole slew of extreme finishing tools to both improve quality and cut through this crazy material!

This is an Asian signature stamp making kit, my new secret weapon against layer lines and overhang artifacts. I'm sharpening them with a 6000 grit stone and then stropping, that's what it takes to smooth out these small details on tough PLA.

I got by for years with nothing more than files and sandpaper, and now everything I'm using is diamond coated:

This has added a LOT of scope to the sanding, but the really hard part is out of the way for the entire run now, all the initial sanding and smoothing is done. You'd be shocked how long the details take though.

I was also up last night fabricating the new pins, see the post a few above for details. These 'little additions' take quite a bit of setup and time. They look awesome btw, time well spent.

There was also a code build pushed an hour ago by Spidey74 with better lighting F/X, and I still have to recompose some of the audio to fully max out the sound level and replicate the movie sounds. This also means not installing it yet since pulling them all apart every time we make a change would be crazy, they're happy in their little trays until we put a pin in the code and sound.

So between the feature additions and slew of other improvements you can read about further up this thread, I think we're rocking along. But that being said, I'm working a lot more parallel than I expected (I did say sets of 3 at the start), this way every one is getting the benefits of progressive experience and improvements and a much better end product.

So while the first shipment is later than expected, the rest of them are bunching up close behind. I've literally being at this every day and I really feel we're in home stretch territory now.

Here's a summary of where I'm at personally:

1. All electronics are done and tested for the run, we're just tweaking the code and audio before shipping the kits and installing into the blasters. It's a real pain to pull them all out for changes so it's better to leave them on the trays for now
2. All resin/metal parts are finished and ready to install, this includes the glow sights which looks awesome after some extra tweaks
3. All frames are sanded. 3/9 frames have had primer and and now in finishing sanding, 3 have had filling and primer, 3 are in filling. This part alone is still following the 3/3/3 I established at the start since it's by far the hardest thing to deal with
4. All slides/mags/tops/etc have been primed, not doing the second prime/sand and finish until the frames are done

There's a lot more than these 4 points, if you have any questions, want any pics or elaboration, etc. just post here. It's officially coming "soon", and I'll keep posting here., unless you really need it by a particular date, in which case I can rush it no problem. They're more than good enough as they are now that I can just top coat on what I have, ship it out, and they'll still rock

 

[enterprise0216]

Holy COW BATMAN!!! I actually read your post twice. There is alot going on behind the scenes with you and the other Artisans. I totally get the one-upmanship makes for a healthy collaborations and there is always a better way of doing something. On the front end us the folks patiently waiting. We all know by just looking at pics and constant communication by you all working on the Lawgiver run. It's going to be incredibly insane piece of art either display, or cosplay. Keep up the great work!

 

[Props3D]

It's time for the weekend update with your host... me. Sorry, I couldn't get a guest host.

3 frames have their final base coat, just drying before another round of detailing and final coat. 5 frames have their first base coat after being sanded to death (my death, not the frame). There's one out of the pic if you're a good counter.

All the magazine plates are done, this was more challenging than it looked. On my first attempt 8/18 were a write off, on my third it was 18/18 (I can fit 18 on an 8X10 sheet of plexi)

How so straight? Cheated again and used a machine, There's still manual scoring and snapping after but it really helps to have a shallow guide. I'll throw a set in each kit, I really got carried away after the failure rate of the first set

Glow sights? Yes!

Soo satisfying.... still have one more coat to do to get as much in as I can, if I put too much in at once they crack while drying, this is coat 4? 6? dunno..

Those new aluminum pins? All lathed up!

Brass plates? Yup! All done. The fit is so tight I can just press fit and be done with it, they sit perfectly flush. I love math! (well after screwing an entire set up but that's another story) Shown here is the lovely example for BeakZ

Metal barrels and triggers are on their final coat, doing VERY light coats to build up on the metal to prevent flaking later. There's various other bits and bobs ready for final coat here too..

Pretty much everything has been sanded and painted to a fine shine, now I have to wet sand it all down again... This is the final sanding for all the parts you see here, except for those two mags in the bottom, long story. This, folks, is how you get rid of layer lines: The secret is time, elbow grease, and a lot of primer.

Electronics are all in a queue. I was on a call with Spidey74 doing super technical code stuff, well, mostly watching him do it. Hoping he can give his own breakdown later, that's a whole story I don't want to spoil full of hair raising moments involving compiling errors with U8G2, phew. Suffice to say a new build is live on https://github.com/Props3D/dredd-lawgiver as of this message and there's a lot of quality of life improvements, like actually working properly.

There's obv more, I was going to keep posting pics but they get progressively less interesting, I'll finish on this high note.

 

[Props3D]

Time for another mega update!

I've started doing bi-weekly updates instead of daily, I was feeling like a heel for posting so often and pushing other run threads down.

The last week has been primer, primer, primer. Primer hates cold and going into the fall this was always going to be an issue. I usually have to heat the can, heat the prop, and spray close and fast. But thanks to ummm... 2022? when it's usually 5c and raining it's 29c and sunny, I'm still in shorts in a Canada fall! So I've taken advantage of ... this... and been sanding and priming like a fiend.

Tops are sanded and primed:

Cocking mechanisms are sanded and primed:

Magazines are sanded and primed:

And a just about done 6 frames, which are by FAR the most time consuming part:

Oh, and I FINALLY got the boxes finished, what an ordeal:

Each one needed 3 CNC jobs with 2 tool changes each, then all carefully assembled and taped, they took about an hour each! And yes, this seems silly, but at the same time a lot of this run for me is 'the art of the possible'. So while past and future props from me were, and probably will be, just bubble wrapped, I love how these turned out!

BeakZ , who will be posting an update tomorrow, is chomping at the bit to get his mailed, he's mostly been held up by me getting my parts done, like the boxes, and mailed to him. Remember he did all that amazing machining work at the beginning of the run, so this is my tat for his tit. There was some debate if he should mail 2 out to me to repack and send, or if I should mail the boxes to him. Turns out US shipping from the UK and Canada is about the same, so here you go BeakZ :

(well, I say 'here you go' but this was shipped off days ago)

Which brings us to the biggest point: When will they be done?!? First off, I think we're still on a very brisk pace considering these are hand made, but I'm feeling the burn to get these out as soon as possible, so the first shipments are just about ready!

I will have 3 ready to mail next week, and maybe beakz will too depending on box delivery. I'm mailing Knightmare 's on Monday for sure, part of a pinky promise as he's been waiting for this longer than anyone, I'll ship jds12 and pnag 's a few days later as I'd like to let them cure for a few more days before sending. I'm hoping to have more ready to not too long after but I'll put ETAs on those when I'm closer.

Oh, and I'll be contacting everyone who ordered kits tomorrow, I've been focused on taking advantage of the weather while it lasts. Hours in a day are never my friend. EmmaInCandyland , Since you're in the UK your kit is on a plane right now to beaks, he's kindly offered to train it with an English accent. My mom is British and the last time I tried to imitate her accent I got slapped.

addition: To those who've asked about tutorials and 'how to's and the full guide to build you own, they sorta have to wait until the run is done. I don't even have one of my own! Shipped my really slick demo out as part of the run and now I'm #17. If I make one for myself before that it means I'm holding someone from getting theirs. So be patient, it's coming!

 

[enterprise0216]

Man what a great update. Cool looking boxes as well Total presentation for sure. Great pics thanks as always for informative update.