My Hero M41A Pulse Rifle - Moving on to the Build... finally!

[DBoz]

Well, it's been almost a year since I did anything with the Pulse Rifle. I got it out last night and had a look at it, to decide what should be next. Here's what I have planned:

Drill out and install brass threaded inserts to all the places where screws are threaded into the resin. With all the assembling and disassembling, some of them have been stripped.

Permanently install a spacer between the mag and base. Without the spacer, the mag base does not line up correctly with the shrouds. Right now, I've got a couple of washers stuck in there that do the trick, but I want something permanent. As can be seen in the pic, I also have some shaping to do on the mag well of the shrouds to get them to blend with the mag base.

I got one of SD Studios' new, more accurate stocks. It is really nice and more screen accurate, but it has a different pattern to the slots on top, so I have to re-drill and tap the top of the receiver for this new pattern. Luckily the shrouds will cover that part of the receiver, so the old holes will not be visible.

Once that stuff is done, then I need to do some painting. Based on the color comparisons that are floating around, I had decided to use Aervoe 999 Earth Brown, as it looks like the closest match (without mixing) to Brown Bess. I'm not 100% sure now, as in person, it looks really brown. I think I will paint it and if I don't like it, I will repaint. For the metal parts, I am planning on using Aluma-Hyde II Dark Park Gray, just to be a little different than the normal black. Again, if I don't like it, I will repaint.

 

[DBoz]

ARRRGGGHHHH!!!! I swear I am cursed when it comes to this project. While rooting around in my garage yesterday, I bumped something that bumped something else that fell over and knocked my shrouds off of where they were perched while some JB Weld was drying and SNAP! they broke... Again!

They broke along where they had broken before, so the area was already weak. Now I have to JB Weld it again. That was going to be my task for the day, but I have been called in to work, so it will have to wait.

The only other things I've gotten done are to drill and tap the receiver for the bolts holding on the new SD Studios stock and to put threaded inserts in all the places where things screw into the resin shrouds. I drilled the holes out, inserted the brass inserts and then JB Welded them in place. Next up, is to grind down where they stick up too far. No pics of this yet as there really isn't anything to see. I'll post something once I've got them cleaned up.

The new stock in place:

Unfortunately the stock will not be adjustable without taking the shrouds off, due to the layout of the holes on the new stock and the internals of the real Thompson parts combined with the aluminum receiver, there is not really any way to make it adjustable without doing some heavy mod work. I can live with it not adjusting, though.

 

[Matsuo]

Put those shrouds aside , they're cursed... I'll make you some new ones.

M

 

[DBoz]

Put those shrouds aside , they're cursed... I'll make you some new ones.

M

Cursed indeed. I'm not quite ready to give up on them yet, though. I've got a lot of time invested in them.

I'm thinking about using a small wood joining plate to try and reinforce it when I glue it back together this time.

 

[Matsuo]

go to a hobby shop that has a lot of RC parts, get some carbon fiber spars, thats better than wood... epoxy them into place.

M

 

[DBoz]

Ah! Carbon Fiber! Brilliant! You sir are a genius. That is why you are the Master and I am a mere shadow of a pupil.

 

[mattrendar]

Nice gun can't wait to see it put finished. Keep us posted on your progress

 

[DBoz]

Finally got around to having my data plate design printed by Gaitorbait and they arrived today. I'm very happy with them.

 

[Hirohawa]

Nice! Looking good.

 

[crappish]

Uh-uh. Nice. Definitely the Holy Grail of props, hoping to build one myself as well some day. :>

Can you give any approximates of the prices of the real deal parts? Specially the Thompson wares.

 

[masterjedifocus]

Looking foreward to seeing this coming to life soon! great job so far!

 

[DBoz]

Well, haven't done a whole lot lately. I did manage to get the shrouds JB Welded back together. I then put threaded inserts everywhere a screw went into the resin. Once that was done, I got it fully assembled. The only thing i didn't do is wire up the trigger Here's how it looks:

In the pics, it looks kind of wonky at the barrel end, but it's not. It is just a result of weird camera angles.

If you've been following this thread, you will know that I have very limited skill when it comes to this stuff. And, hard as it may be to believe, I am even worse when it comes to paint and finishing. So, I made a deal with Matsuo (the God of Resin and all things Pulse Rifle) to do the paint and finish. I sent it off last week. Pictures will follow when it comes back. Matt, if you are reading this, sorry for how badly I mangled your awesome parts and thanks for agreeing to clean it up for me.

 

[gyoung2993]

If you've been following this thread, you will know that I have very limited skill when it comes to this stuff. And, hard as it may be to believe, I am even worse when it comes to paint and finishing. So, I made a deal with Matsuo (the God of Resin and all things Pulse Rifle) to do the paint and finish. I sent it off last week. Pictures will follow when it comes back. Matt, if you are reading this, sorry for how badly I mangled your awesome parts and thanks for agreeing to clean it up for me.[/QUOTE]


Hey DBoz, dont knock yourself down brother , you have ultimately built the hardest prop ever to be built from 3 guns , no one ever said it was going to easy or cheap for that matter , I for one know...... first hand .....the major complications involved with this build myself , I would never comment on this ,if I didnt....that being said , you have done a superb job in every aspect , I for one am so pleased ,to see your favorite prop coming to life ,once and for all, outstanding work sir, look forward to the ending result , matsuo ,is awesome at what he does .....but Matt builds these things in his sleep, me and you learned the hard way on our building process with limited resources , so that thing is your creation and no one elses, you should be damn proud to accomplish this work of art, now you really are making me want to build my other hero version....:love.....awesome work man.......been waiting on this for so long ,as I am sure you have too, great job......Guy

 

[DBoz]

Thanks for the kind words. It has been a fun project and I'm glad I learned a lot. Looking forward to getting the finished product.

 

[DBoz]

Uh-uh. Nice. Definitely the Holy Grail of props, hoping to build one myself as well some day. :>

Can you give any approximates of the prices of the real deal parts? Specially the Thompson wares.

The Thompson parts are getting difficult to come by. I got a parts kit which included everything except the receiver and it cost about $900. That was a couple years ago, though. The Aluminum receiver came from SDStudios. Those are gong to be harder to get as well, because SDStudios is no longer going to be offering parts. Although, there are other sources for replica receivers, you'll just have to search around.

 

[gyoung2993]

The Thompson parts are getting difficult to come by. I got a parts kit which included everything except the receiver and it cost about $900. That was a couple years ago, though. The Aluminum receiver came from SDStudios. Those are gong to be harder to get as well, because SDStudios is no longer going to be offering parts. Although, there are other sources for replica receivers, you'll just have to search around.

I guess its hard to say from my end ,cause I bought each individual piece from different sources and their prices are subject to change ,on what you pay , to whoever has those rare parts at that time...all together it was right around 2500.00 , this second one parts are a little higher trying to obtain these, I guess it really depends on the vendors and sources really now, at least for me ......before long DBoz , there wont be many more chances to get these anymore ....
Scary aint it !!!.....

 

[planet]

Any final pics of the rifle painted ?

 

[DBoz]

No final pics yet. It's still at Matsuo's. I will definitely be posting pics when it's done, though.

 

[planet]

What's he doing to it paint?

 

[gyoung2993]

No final pics yet. It's still at Matsuo's. I will definitely be posting pics when it's done, though.

Yeah DBoz , cant wait to see your PR ,when Matsuo does his paintjob, that will look so good ,especially all the hard work ,you put into it and completing your build, simply outstanding , happy you will be getting back and ready to display.....cant wait to see the pics, you getting a prestine look or Matsuo's famous weathered look ???