Scratchbuilt M36 Blaster Scope

Nick K

Sr Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
Hello again All.
I thought I would share this small project with you as this is a starting point for two Blaster Projects I have in mind for the future. They are a DL44 and a E11 for my 'Tie Fighter Costume' I'm putting together. So I thought 'here' would be a good place to put the thread. I hope I'm right. Anyway onto the build. I decided this would be better detailed than the one I did in this thread : http://www.therpf.com/f79/another-dl44-blaster-cheap-bb-gun-201930/
I was loaned an actual M36 scope from Indy Magnoli and this was a good starting point. Next I went to Blaxmyth and he said I could use his wood turning lathe to turn up the main pieces. Using the original, I drew up the dimensions on card and the turned up all bits together as I would be cutting them off and gluing in the correct positions later. The first thing I did was seal the cut ends with Superglue. When this was dry, I glued the two main pieces together and then primed them to see where the imperfections would be. And there were plenty of them, so it was on with the filler. While this was drying, I cut out the eyepiece plate with all the holes drilled in afterwards.

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Next came trying to work out how to replicate the number '4' on the side. I thought I could get some stick-on numbers about the same size, but this was not to be. Then I realized that I had some thin aluminium Litho sheet (used by printers ) that I use from time to time and decided to go with this. I cut a small block of MDF out and cut the sheet to a workable size, then positioned this over the cast number and putting the block on top, got a pair of heavy side cutters ( I don't have a small hammer-must get one ) and hit the block. This pushed the sheet over the number and it turned out really well. I then cut out the number with a knife and glued it to the side or the scopes in the correct position.

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I've just had a look at this work in progress and it is a stunner. Nick has replicated the cast effect perfectly, with smooth areas for the areas which were milled and machined. The '4' is indistinguishable from the areas around it - no join marks at all. Superb work.
 
I next did the screw heads for the eye plate. These were done using round heads and grinding the top flat and squaring off the sides using a Dremel and drum sander.They were then cut to about 1/2 inch or 12mm in length and glued in the appropriate holes where the eye piece would go.

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That would be the deposit, right?... :lol
Anyway back to the build. Next were the eye-pieces. These were made from aluminium tube with thin plastic strip wrapped round to build up the overall diameter. Once this was done and I glued them in place, they looked too 'thin' so I cut some more ali tube and glued this inside the piece and they looked a lot better. I then made some lense holding bezzles out of plastic and cut grooves in the face with a small warding file. Now all I have to do is cut some thin clear accetate and fix in position once painted, which is what I am doing at the moment.

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Hi there. Thought I would update the thread with some current pictures of what I have been experimenting with. And that is a two part silicone rubber that Blaxmyth gave me to try out. It is weird stuff in that it seems greasy but when you knead the two parts ,blue and white, together, it becomes lite blue and you apply it straight onto what ever detail you want to produce. Leave it for about 5 minutes and peel it off, and you have a mould to cast from. I decided to try it out on the etched wording on the M38 scope I borrowed from Indy Magnoli and sanded the paint away to the brass and then cleaned out the numbers and letters with a sharp modelling knife.I then mixed the rubber, applied it to the wording and after it had cured, removed it carefully.
I then applied a thin skim coat of Tamiya putty to the area on the scope I had made and then lightly pushed the rubber mould onto it and left it for another five minutes. I then gently popped the rubber of and what do you know, after two goes to get it formed right, a very good impression of the etched wording and lettering.

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Well, here are a couple of pics roughly showing what the area has turned out like. I'm happy with it as it lends itself to the overall weathered effect I was looking for.:)


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Thanks veektohr. I am planning on using one of them on a E11 blaster I am going to do in the future.
 
Hi guys. I haven't gone anywhere, I am just busy with other projects at the moment, but will get back to the unfinished ones when I can. Cheers:)
 
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