My Fallout 3 AER9 Laser Rifle

[Mattlb]

Ok here's the thing! Fallout 3 is very high on my favourite games list, and early last January I felt like I needed to do something (apart from the tons of college study that I have to do). So after a bit of researching I settled on the laser rifle. I thought it would be a relatively easy build seeing that it's mostly square (aside from the various bits and pieces that it has on it). So I started on it. And stopped. And started again. And stopped again. And so on.

Anyway.

2 months later and it's still not finished yet. Far from it. Then I discovered The RPF. After a bit of browsing I decided to make an account and show the progress of the rifle to you guys. Here's a couple of pictures of it so far. Hope you like it.

And here is a picture of it from the side

Hope you like it pictures of the process are coming soon

 

[CynderBloc]

Looks great dude!

I'm also no stranger to 'easy' builds that end up taking months

I take it your basing the structure of it on Volpin's?

 

[Mattlb]

Yep, I got the idea off his blog. It took him about 3 days to do his. Mine is taking forever. Which is good seeing as it's the first practical thing I've ever done

 

[CynderBloc]

Well if it's the first thing you've built he had a lot more practice before he did his! Also, considering the fact it's your first build, it looks better than great

You never know, he might even offer you some advice...

 

[Mattlb]

That would be awesome! The main reason its taking me so long is that I'm so busy with college stuff I only spend about a day a week on it.

 

[Aus Askar]

Looking good so far man, I'm eager to see more if your education doesn't get in the way.

 

[Volpin]

Looking solid man - I almost thought your progress photos were mine for a second!

Looks like you've got a great base going. If you need any help on the decals, you can download the ones I used on mine here

 

[Jm419]

^I used those decals on my build. I have a lot of build photos, check it out if you like.

 

[Mattlb]

Looking solid man - I almost thought your progress photos were mine for a second!

Looks like you've got a great base going. If you need any help on the decals, you can download the ones I used on mine here

Haha well I have based it off of yours. Thx for the decals. They would sure help a lot. Can I print them at home? And if so what paper do I use? I've got a inkjet.

 

[Mattlb]

Ok I've been very busy the last week so I've been a bit quiet and I haven't had the time to do anything to the gun this week. However.
Here are the process pics I promised.

This is the barrel with the vents cut out and the slot for the MF cell ready to be cut.

Here it is slightly later with the slot for the MF cell cut out

Next I cut out a slot on the under side of the barrel to hold the stock in place.

The MF cell itself was made from 5 discs of MDF that I glued together. I put a bolt through the middle of the stack of discs and attached that to the end of a battery drill and tada! I have a lathe, which I then used with a sander to shape into a cell. Pics:

Next I started to work on the front of the barrel, attaching the "casing" first.

I then attached the MF Cell to its proper place.

I then started on the stock. I used the plans from Volpin's blog which were printed on an A4 sheet of paper and armed with a calculator and a compass I scaled it up to size on a sheet of 3/4 MDF.

And here it is ready to be sanded down into a more precise shape

Here is the a full view of the rifle at this point.

Next I started work on the grip. Which I made from two pieces of MDF screwed together and sanded down.

I textured the grip using styrene

I then joined it to the barrel.

Here is the front most part of the barrel fashioned out of MDF and styrene.

So that's the process so far. I hope you enjoyed it. Still have a lot of work to do and I haven't started on the support bar which I have no idea of how to go about doing.

 

[kiddo]

Looks great so far!

 

[Jm419]

On my build, I just lathed the support bar. Let me go find the photos:

It started life as a 7/8" dowel, and got a makeover on my lathe.

So after filing down the receiver for the rear end of the dowel so it'd fit flush, I glued the support rod in place.

Link to the whole build is here:

http://www.therpf.com/f9/fallout-3-aer9-laser-rifle-build-thread-103657/

All that I did was I lathed the bar, but left about a half inch on the forward end. Then I drilled a whole in the front end (I called it the beard) and put it in the hole, like a peg. After that, all I had to do was glue it to the stock arm, which I sanded down so it would cradle the rod instead of the rod being tangent to the stock at one point.

 

[Mattlb]

The only problem with that is that I haven't got a lathe. I've been thinking of using a different size dowel and just gluing them together. I just have to make sure the bonds between the pieces are strong enough.

 

[EamonClark]

Very well done, the wood work is excellent.

 

[Jm419]

Huh? Didn't you make your MF cell on a lathe?

 

[Mattlb]

Huh? Didn't you make your MF cell on a lathe?

Haha. No. I drilled a hole through a stack of 5 MDF discs that were glued together, put a bolt through them and attached to a drill. Very wobbly but sufficient enough for something that's only a few inches long. It will be impossible to make the support bar this way.

 

[CynderBloc]

The only problem with that is that I haven't got a lathe. I've been thinking of using a different size dowel and just gluing them together. I just have to make sure the bonds between the pieces are strong enough.

I would just use different sizes of pvc or acrylic pipe. Just match up the outer and inner diameters and slide sections of the thicker one over the thinner base, with a bit of body filler to finish it off

 

[A Toxic Microbe]

Man, I wish I had a lathe. That'd make this sword handle so much easier.

 

[Jm419]

Haha. No. I drilled a hole through a stack of 5 MDF discs that were glued together, put a bolt through them and attached to a drill. Very wobbly but sufficient enough for something that's only a few inches long. It will be impossible to make the support bar this way.

You know...

If you wanted, I could turn one on my lathe for you. I'd send it to you for just the postage, if you don't find another way.

 

[Mattlb]

You know...

If you wanted, I could turn one on my lathe for you. I'd send it to you for just the postage, if you don't find another way.

Thx man, I appreciate the offer, but I just started work on it today. I plan to use a dowel, and just glue sleeves to it. Thanks though.