My Builds: The growing of an eclectic collection

Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

Thanks. there are a lot of things on this project I probably would have shied away from in the past such as:

-carving out the hammer well; in the past I would have left I filled in.
-drilling a deep hole down the barrel; I would have feared the barrel breaking or drilling a crooked hole.
-fixing the side switch that I screwed up; not only had i applied it crooked, i sanded too much off the bottom. I used scrap plastic to fix it.
-cutting up the grills, cutting up the barrel; usually I would prefer something already remade like a one piece 3D print.
-using the resin cast side squares: Not that I don't like them, its just that it is easy to sand off too much of the bottom or on a slant.
-rebuilding the rear sight: It was the only part that did not cast cleanly. i used scrap plastic to make a new sight.

The more a project needs that type of work, the more chances I have at screwing something up. Surprisingly, this project went pretty smooth.

I am hoping to get this done today but it is very humid. So painting may be problematic.

This is exactly the same things that i have done with my most recent build - was afraid of cutting the barrel because I had never done anything like that.... :) I cut the radial model part in half, but am not completely happy with the seam. :( Luckily I only paid like $2.88 per set direct from Reed Models, and got a couple extra sets, so I can go back and fix it and all it really costs me is my time. :0) Thanks for being more curageous than I and providing the example of what I should have done the first time around!
 
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Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

This is exactly the same things that i have done with my most recent build - was afraid of cutting the barrel because I had never done anything like that.... :) I cut the radial model part in half, but am not completely happy with the seam. :( Luckily I only paid like $2.88 per set direct from Reed Models, and got a couple extra sets, so I can go back and fix it and all it really costs me is my time. :0) Thanks for being more curageous than I and providing the example of what I should have done the first time around!

The way I cut the grill in half was drill out a hole at the same diameter of the small end. Cut off the 5 rows off the large end (you will remove 6 in total, I'll get to that later). When it is time to cut the remaining part of the grill in half, don't try to make it exactly half. Instead, cut it so the it is a little more than half on one side. Take the largest part and sand it on a piece of flat sandpaper on the bench. Keep going till you get it to the actual half cylinder you need. Then do the same thing with the last grill... Sand it off till it pretty much falls off. You should only have 8 raised grill section on the cut tomtit piece.
 
Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

Here is my updated Leia - took off the old parts that I had cut and cut the barrel and inserted a rod before adding the new uncut part. Got her painted up today. I am much happier with this outcome than having a visible seam down the middle of the radial part! Not sure if I am gonna rough it up or leave it in pristine condition. Seems like Leia would have taken pretty good care of her blaster. :)
 

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Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

Here is my updated Leia - took off the old parts that I had cut and cut the barrel and inserted a rod before adding the new uncut part. Got her painted up today. I am much happier with this outcome than having a visible seam down the middle of the radial part! Not sure if I am gonna rough it up or leave it in pristine condition. Seems like Leia would have taken pretty good care of her blaster. :)

Looks good. I am ruffing mine up. My thinking it is not a princess blaster, it's a rebel blaster. I feel that it was a blaster she got from the armory unlike her A New Hope blaster which was a personally own blaster. I could see it being a gift from her father.
 
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Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

Here is my updated Leia - took off the old parts that I had cut and cut the barrel and inserted a rod before adding the new uncut part. Got her painted up today. I am much happier with this outcome than having a visible seam down the middle of the radial part! Not sure if I am gonna rough it up or leave it in pristine condition. Seems like Leia would have taken pretty good care of her blaster. :)

I have been reconsidering the weathering. after I apply the graphite and seal it, I am going to wipe on and wipe off black acrylic paint. I did this on the A New Hope version, to help the recessed areas pop a little more. After that, I will look at it and determine if weathering is needed to sell the affect that this looks like a realistic weapon or just a painted piece of plastic.
 
Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

Wasn't sure if I was going to do this but I figured I might regret it if I did not... used fishing weights to the grip area. It added an additional 2oz. Sure help the overall balance with the added metal threaded rod inserted in the barrel.

IMG_2554.jpg IMG_2555.jpg

They will be glued in place using silicon cement to keep from wiggling.
 
Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

Ok, I'm calling it complete. I was not happy with the sterile look of a pristine blaster so I went weathered.

These pictures are crappy because it's nighttime and the house lighting does not do it justice... and the flash is even worse.

The kit was provided by @OdiWan72. He also provided a metal muzzle that was from an old @Boba Debt run.

IMG_2557.JPG IMG_2561.JPG

Total weight: 13 ounces
 
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Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

Well done...love the paintjob!

Markus
 
Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

Very nice. Now I want to convert my other Rubies to a ROTJ version.
 
Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm gonna do the same. New ANH and weathered ROTJ

Just need a good ROTJ barrel ending.
 
Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

Tom, i´ve a resin muzzle i´ve never used (as i made my own alu one) - if you want it, you can have it.
 
Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm gonna do the same. New ANH and weathered ROTJ

Just need a good ROTJ barrel ending.

Really happy with using graphite powder. Not only does it help sell a gunmetal look but since it is not straight black you can also apply a black wash over after it has been sealed. IMPO, the black wash is important on items that have been cast like this one or the Rubies. It helps add depth to areas that should be naturally deeper causing shadows. However due to casting limitations, those areas are shallow. By doing a black wash, the black settles into those tiny areas and creates faux shadowing. The added benefit is that you break up that monochromatic finish and accentuate the finer details. It's very subtle but I feel it does make a difference.
 
Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

My pleasure.

If you want i can put it on my lathe and drill a hole in the rear to glue a threaded rod in?
 
Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

My pleasure.

If you want i can put it on my lathe and drill a hole in the rear to glue a threaded rod in?


That would be awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm telling ya RPF is one of the last bastions of humanity.

Thanks so much.

Tom
 
Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

Be my guest.

I can tap it in metric, maybe M5 or M6 (and include a short piece of matching threaded rod), or just a plain drilled hole - whatever suits best to the inner dia of the plastic barrel. Just let me know your wishes. :)
 
Re: LEIA ADDED! Blasters on the bench: Greedo, DL-18, GK, Droid, E-11, DH-17 more

Be my guest.

I can tap it in metric, maybe M5 or M6 (and include a short piece of matching threaded rod), or just a plain drilled hole - whatever suits best to the inner dia of the plastic barrel. Just let me know your wishes. :)

Let me cut it off tomorrow and see. Then figure out metric measurement. :)


You rock!!!!!!!!!
 

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