The Noisy Cricket Build

[Garrett Smith]

I bought this kit as well. I was so bummed by the quality of it, I put it back in the box and tossed it in a drawer. I messaged Elilay several times about instructions and the terrible casting. His response was you can solder the pits etc, and that instructions are on the way. I sent him several emails about the instructions with zero reply. I brought it out last week and started messing with it. I still would like to know the screw layout if anyone has an Idea

 

[eethan]

I almost finished my kit, just waiting to buy bateries today to do the electronics. You know, the best is to mount it as you feel it should be mounted, I personally replaced all the screws. first there was no instructions, and second, comparing with the screen used references, the screws were wrong anyways.
good luck, it's still a very very nice kit when finished, it's just that you really have to work hard to make it look nice.

 

[McKeePhoto]

Garrett: I feel ya. I was hoping for a bit more.

Eethan: I pulled it back out today and was thinking the same thing. No sense just leaving it in parts in a box. I am gonna wing it tomorrow and see what I can come up with.

I would love to see yours when you finish it!

 

[eethan]

Cool!
I finished it a few days ago actually but gave up on the electronics sadly. I made it work but the day after it was already failing. Tried to rework it but I think I would need to rethink completely the battery system as it's too crude for now.
I'll try to take pics tommorow, not an easy one to photograph without a proper setup.
looking forward to see your progress

 

[McKeePhoto]

After a 4 month hiatus, I pulled it back out (after uncovering my workbench again) and tried to finish up the polish as far as I could without obsessing too much.

I also went to the hardware store and got some 1/2” od reinforced tubing for the slots. It was loose in the housing.

Then I went back and got some 3/8”. Too tight. But, I was able to cut a large slit out and now it fits nice and snug. I needed to make the cut in any case so the led would fit up from the handle.

Tomorrow, hopefully, I will use the supplied screws and start actually putting it together!

 

[McKeePhoto]

Eethan I am having a battery issue too. My connection keeps getting loose. I’m gonna have to look at that again tomorrow too.

 

[eethan]

Weird that you have issues with your battery setup, it seems quite clean. Mine was with two batteries and tape instead of the clean fix you did to hold the wires. I hope you can figure it out.

The trigger with the switch was a bit tricky to setup. You definitelly have to cut the switch shorter. everything seemed fine in mine but when I was putting the screw holding the trigger and trigger guard, the trigger was immediately pushing the switch always on. I had to work quite a bit on that and reshape the trigger a bit. Also my trigger was a bit thin compared to the slot in the trigger guard, it was moving from side to side, making it very flimsy. I fixed that by cutting a very small piece of 0.5mm aluminium the same shape as the trigger guard recess to fill that gap. I first made it a bit too tight and the switch wasn't strong enough to push back the trigger.
The result of the trigger mecanism is nice overall. It's very light but the slight "clic" you get from the switch makes it a nice feel.

I don't know what else to say, I definitelly replaced all the screws on mine and would like to replace again the grips screws that are black on the screenused one. I used a longer screw on the trigger on just one side like the screenused. Used a pin instead of screws to hold the front of the trigger guard and cut two 4mm small rods of aluminium to fill the two large holes on each side above the trigger guard. I think nothing was provided in the kit for that. Will try to take picture tommorow to show that better.

A good advice I can give is to paint black the metal under the grips as they don't fit perfectly into the metal around the plastic. that will give the impression the grips are a much better fit. I made a black wash on all the recessed areas too as it seems to me it's like that on the screenused too.
cheers

 

[eethan]

Hey there, here are quick photos of my finished Cricket. Very hard to photograph nicelly without a proper setup. Looking forward to have a small photo box and take nice pictures of my props.

looking forward to see your own progress

 

[ventuoguy]

That is a fantastic job Matthieu!! I also have a kit but have not been brave enough to start it!! Love the weathering too

 

[eethan]

thanks! do it do it! it's a complex kit but very very rewarding and I totally love my cricket! it's something I wanted for a long time. The kit was quite rough and Elilay's communication is awefull but for the price we paid, the result can really be awesome!

 

[ventuoguy]

Luckily my parts arrived and there are no major pits or casting errors but yes it is rough! Any way you can tell us which screws sizes/lengths you used?? Congrats again- you sure have some crazy skills (and patience!)

 

[eethan]

I used just 3 screws for the visible parts (there is a very tiny screw included in the kit to hold the back part with 2 nuts), the screws I used are M3 (they were as well in the kit), the one that holds the trigger is 12mm long (threaded part length) to hold the grips, I don't remember the size but there is one long that threads into both sides of the grip frame and one short that threads only a small bit on one side. This is to hold tightly the grip frame together, I think it's better that two screw of the same size. I also added a threaded hole at the bottom of the grip frame, under the grips and used a grub screw here to get even more strength there.

edit: once again, those visible screws should be black oxide screws, not stainless as I used or as was included in the kit. I need to source some
cheers

 

[ventuoguy]

I used just 3 screws for the visible parts (there is a very tiny screw included in the kit to hold the back part with 2 nuts), the screws I used are M3 (they were as well in the kit), the one that holds the trigger is 12mm long (threaded part length) to hold the grips, I don't remember the size but there is one long that threads into both sides of the grip frame and one short that threads only a small bit on one side. This is to hold tightly the grip frame together, I think it's better that two screw of the same size. I also added a threaded hole at the bottom of the grip frame, under the grips and used a grub screw here to get even more strength there.

edit: once again, those visible screws should be black oxide screws, not stainless as I used or as was included in the kit. I need to source some
cheers

That is awesome, thanks so much!! That replaces the missing information from Elilay- thanks for doing the reverse engineering and research to help us all out!! )

 

[McKeePhoto]

Wow, Eethan. That is beautiful!

Thanks for the details too. I can’t wait to get into the shop today and start my assembly!

 

[McKeePhoto]

I think I have ided the screws in the kit:

2 m3 x 4 which, I think, go thru the trigger on each side (??). Really not sure because they are too short! If they are for the grips, then I really need to take a ton of material off to get them thin enough. Not gonna happen. Instead I went to the hardware store and got some m3 16mm and cut them down to the 5+ size and did one at 10.5mm for the trigger.

2 m3 x 5 which are for the grips. Live and learn: after drilling the hole in the frame, test fit the grips and mark the drill hole prior to threading!

2 m3 x 6 set screws one goes under the grips, one goes thru the frame and trigger guard. As with the one below, this seems to take a 1/16 hex.

1 m4 set screw for the big hole in the frame and thru the trigger guard.

And one m1.5 (??) with nuts. Actually this one takes a 1/16 hex, so not metric?

So, order of opps:

1. fill holes, file and sand exposed areas
2. Build led set up and set into place and add the two nuts in the top cavity.

 

[McKeePhoto]

3. Put the weird one thru the back piece into the 2 nuts. This holds the two halves together.
4. Add 1 m3 set screw to bottom of grip area.

 

[eethan]

if you want to mimic the screenused cricket, you have to use just a long screw from one side to hold the trigger and trigger guard, and a pin in the front. there is no big screw in the big hole through the trigger frame either, it's just a solid piece of metal.

 

[McKeePhoto]

And then I noticed how bad the front part was.

Not that I made it much better, but I pulled out the silver solder and tried to build it back up.

Adding solder

File down

Sand some more and use Mothers polish

And, for my sins, I have soldered the two halves together!
A problem... for future me...

And, thanks Eethan. I was studying that pin, trying to figure out what it was and how it was secured.

That, too, may become something for future me!

On to the trigger...!

 

[eethan]

for the pin, I used a rivet that I had already snapped. cut it to the right length, rounded a bit a thinned a bit each end and then pressed it into the hole. it's a bit advanced of course and it will not come out, so you have to make sure you want to do the same. Maybe make it fit less snuggly than mine and glue it, that way you can still remove it in the future.
for the big ones on each side, I used 4mm round aluminium stock, made a small hole in the center with a center punch to mimic the one from the screen used and then I just pressed both "buttons" into each hole on each side as well, it's not moving.

good luck for the trigger, nice work so far

 

[McKeePhoto]

Thanks Eathan!

Yes, the trigger was... interesting.

More on that in a moment.

How did you stick the hammer on the back? Epoxy? Solder?

I will definitely be looking into how to do the big pin, but that will probably have to wait a week or so.

Thank you so much for the hints and tips!

Here’s the trigger assembly about to go in.