MatterMaker Builds: Star Wars LPA NN-14. Rey's Blaster Build Thread.

I'm jumping into the fray!

I spent some time working in a local machine shop and have worked on quite a few really interesting projects, including props for a couple upcoming films. The shop has two enormous CNC machines and two equally enormous injection moulding machines. I worked mainly as a 3D modeller but spent a good chunk of time on the shop floor as well, helping out when extra hands were required. It was a great experience and one I hope to repeat as the need arises.

Working in this shop has inspired me to no end and as such, I've now begun work on my latest and greatest project. I've made a number of props in the past, out of many different materials, including wood, plastic, EPA foam, to name a few. I'd been searching for a new project which would capitalize on my experience in the shop and I found it in Episode 7.

The LPA model NN-14 Blaster.

If you're familiar with the latest Star Wars movie; the 4th Star Wars film ever made. You will undoubtedly be familiar with the blaster that Han Solo gives to Rey for her protection.

Here is my list of criteria for my NN-14 Blaster build:

Hero Prop accuracy in look as well as material
Full sound and lighting integration
Fully functioning logic (on the FX front)
High build quality (when you pick it up, I want it to feel real.)
Heft (aluminum, while being a light metal, is still metal and pretty darn heavy)

So with all that in mind, I think the NN-14 is the perfect next project for me to tackle.

I will be recording the entire build here on The RPF for all you crazy prop nuts, myself included.

A note about 3D modelling. Solidworks is very expensive and luckly two of the places I do work for have multiple seats. My background is in Maya (having used it exclusively while in the video games industry) This build thread is not going to cover modelling techniques. There are countless video tutorials online for that already. If you ask me modelling questions, I will politely ignore you! I'm only going to show some of the modelling work... The majority of this thread will be in regards to the physical build progress.

Modelling the LPA NN-14

Reference, reference, reference. There was a recent exhibition of Star Wars props from the new movie. I believe it was in California? I am not 100% sure. What I am sure of, is that it was very very far away from where I live! Luckly, the amazing and resourceful members of TheRPF came through and took lots of reference photos at the event. A quick search for the blaster here on TheRPF brings up some great reference shots I'm constantly referring to. I will suggest if you're building your own version, stay away from the photo that can be found in the Star Wars Visual Dictionary. I believe it's from a cast model used in long shots. You can see what looks to be a mould line above the handgrip. I don't think it's the Hero Prop.

Here is my early progress on the model: (All of the CNC machining which will come later, will come from this model.)



As you can see, I've got the shape of the grip/trigger area done and have added the end plates for the charging chamber and some of the screw holes. I've decided on M3 and M4 size screws, the two tiny screws above the trigger pivot are M2.5 I think that's what I chose! (more about screws in a later post) There are 3 grip plates, on thicker center plate and two side plates, which you can see in the trigger guard.


More to come... Subscribe and stay tuned!
Thanks for following along.
MatterMaker.

Remember to check out my other build threads below!

A new NN-14 build enters the fray! Subscribed

I love seeing so much, well, love for this blaster.

More progress on Rey's Blaster.


At this point, I'm almost done the power core (middle section) you can see I've connected the two end plates with upper and lower cylinders, added side panels, the window and panel behind, vertical details, Apparently this was taken before I transferred the front details around the bottom and added the top front cut.

I chose M3 size screws for the side panels and to secure the front and back panels. The hole in the front panel is in place for the lower front bobbin detail.

more to trickle out as I get to it!

Thanks for reading,
Subscribe to follow along!

mm.

Looking good so far!

I don't know what it is, but I really love this blaster design. I look forward to seeing what you do with it. I'd love to get my hands on one some day as well.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Update three of a multi-coolness thread of blaster awesomeness.

Here's a new update on the modelling...



Front barrel, vent holes, barrel neck (somewhat hidden in that view), barrel cap, and the front bobbin is in place. Coming along nicely.

I had to spend quite a long time estimating dimensions, I used a side view of one of the reference shots found online to trace out the general proportions of things. I also deviated a bit in places after measuring different parts in detail on different views. Trying to accurately measure dimensions on a plane photographed at an angle, with inherent perspective is an art in compromise. Ultimately though everything needs to be properly proportioned. I believe I chose 33mm for the barrel diameter, the top and bottom cylinders of the power core I set at 35mm, slightly larger than the barrel. As all the photos revealed the barrel as being slightly smaller than the power core.

One thing I discovered while modelling is that this blaster is smaller than it looks. When Han hands (hehe, Han hands) it over to Rey, you will notice that it's pretty darn small in his hands. Rey has smaller hands, so it fits her perfectly.

Cheers! and subscribe!

Starting to look like something!

Thanks for following,
MatterMaker.

The grip!

Ok, the work on the grip is completed. I'll tell you, the ribbing was such a pain to get working but after attempting a few different methods I got it to stick. For some reason while I was tweaking other areas of the model, the ribbing failed and just up and disappeared, I have no idea what happened... So I had to do it all again. Second time's a charm.

I know it looks as if the screw hole at the top edge touches the diagonal cut at the top, and it does! The hero prop shots show that screw hole just touching that chamfer. There is also a little wingy bit that sticks up at the top edge so I think I got that pretty accurate.






Here's a close up.



Upcoming... The safety plate and post, all the screws to put in place, do a bit of work on the interior, mechanism for the trigger.

Thanks for putting up with my rambling!
MatterMaker.

Rey's LPA-NN-14 Blaster Update!

Safety lever, Trigger and trigger "chamber"

As discussed in another thread (here), we've surmised that the fire position for the safety lever is down/back and the safe position is up/forward. Safety is done. Not exactly sure how I will manage the knurling on the end of the post, it's pretty tiny, I guess It'll be sorted out when it comes to building...

If anyone has any thoughts on how to handle the knurling, please comment! I am wondering of the knurled knob part is an existing piece of hardware and not made custom for the prop?

Below you can see the safety plate, post, and trigger along with the space for micro switches. There's just enough room in there for 2 micro switches. One for the trigger and a second which will align with the screw holding the safety post in place when it slides down into fire position. I may have to figure out a method of holding the safety in the up position as well. Might see if I can use a second micro switch, or better yet, a small detent that the pan head screw can contact with. You can also see the slot towards the right mid level, this is the wiring path for the switches which will go to the middle chamber that will hold the sound and lighting pc boards.

The curved area in front of the trigger is for a spring. I think it'll work having a spring put into that spot under some compression without any other method to hold it in place. It should stay put. If I had to I could put a tiny cap head screw on the end of the trigger lever which would hold a spring, but I really don't think I'll need to.



Screws screws and more screws.

Holy, this thing has a lot of screws! I will be buying Torx anti-tamper screws as used on the real thing. Bit of a pain having to hunt them down, but screen accurate is screen accurate... I decided I would use metric screws, as they're readily available and personally easier for my metric brain to understand when figuring out all the hole, drill sizes and taps.



That's a lotta screws!

So I think I'm close, if not completely finished the model. I'll be discussing everything with the shop in the next week or so and will figure out a build plan going forward. The majority of the cnc work I will be getting help with. (ie: having someone other than me do it!) I will be handling all of the tapping, assembly, audio and lighting effects, including sourcing sound, editing, logic programming and electronics assembly. I'll of course also be doing all of the weathering/patina work to get it super screen accurate. I've looked into bluing for Aluminum, specifically for the end of the barrel, but apparently aluminum won't heat treat or blue the same way as steel so I think that they probably just painted the heat effect on the real prop.

The finished model!



Thanks so much everyone for following along with me as I build this awesome blaster!
I love comments and feedback so if you do have thoughts, ideas, questions please by all means post them here!
I'm happy to answer questions! Let's get a conversation going and keep this thread alive!

Cheers!
MatterMaker.

Does anyone have an opinion on building a stand for this blaster? I've been toying with the idea but not sure yet. As my plan is to make it as realistic as I can, I think it would deserve a matching stand.

mm.

Looks great as always!

I just got Taig mini lathe for machining small greeblies. Doesn't have a knurling tool but could always buy one.

I have a cool idea for a stand. I need to doodle it up

pandatrooper said:

Looks great as always!

I just got Taig mini lathe for machining small greeblies. Doesn't have a knurling tool but could always buy one.

Click to expand...

Go for a scissor type knurling tool - the smaller lathes are not ridgid enough for the simpler one direction pressure types.

pandatrooper said:

Looks great as always!

I just got Taig mini lathe for machining small greeblies. Doesn't have a knurling tool but could always buy one.

Click to expand...

I'm very interested in getting a mini lathe, must know more!

Very nice work. Looks like you will have a top prop when finished, I like the idea of the working trigger and sound/lighting
as well. I look forward to seeing the actual machining and the finished blaster.

Cheers :thumbsup

I was going to do a stand as below

JDiamond said:

Very nice work. Looks like you will have a top prop when finished, I like the idea of the working trigger and sound/lighting
as well. I look forward to seeing the actual machining and the finished blaster.

Cheers :thumbsup

I was going to do a stand as below

View attachment 597464

Click to expand...

Thanks JDiamond! What were you thinking of making your stand from? Is it acrylic? What about the text? I'm tossing around some ideas for a stand, but nothing to show yet. I think I'll go with a combination of aluminum and clear acrylic (or something similar to acrylic), with the text machined into the acrylic.

mm.

This is awesome! I have a 3D printed LPA NN-14 but started modeling one to make out of aluminum on a Shopbot CNC.

I mocked up a stand using a DL-44 acrylic base with two thinner posts but I like the tapered posts in your sketch better. Honestly, I think something like this blaster would look awesome with an aluminum base with acrylic posts. The lettering wuld be engraved/ machined into the base then filled with black paint.

Finally, i'm working on a wall mount (or stand up with Adafruit lights inside a wooden base) for a DL-44 which Im thinking of trying out on the NN-14

If you need anything cut with the laser let me know

Lichtbringer said:

Go for a scissor type knurling tool - the smaller lathes are not ridgid enough for the simpler one direction pressure types.

Click to expand...

Thanks Lichtbringer! I haven't got it fully set up yet but will soon. I got it mostly for making little knobs and greeblies etc. Thanks for the tip!

LPA NN-14 Stand model.

I mentioned that I was working on a stand for the blaster as well...

Here is the blaster with stand. I wanted to design the stand to match the blaster. The base will be aluminum, the clear parts, plexi. with the text CNC'd into the face of the plexi. Not sure if the stand will make it to the finished piece. It all depends on the manufacturing cost. We will see!



Comments always welcome!
Thanks for subscribing and following along.

MatterMaker.

Nice work MatterMaker. I like what you have done with continuing the design of the blaster into the stand.
Mine all have to be acrylic so that the light in the display will reach the bottom shelf.

When I was looking at your stand I thought, as you have height in the base, why not try
and illuminate the stand. If you cut out the small square as on the blaster at each end of the stand and use
acrylic instead of painting them black and put in some LED lighting??? Just a thought :confused

Look forward to the build..

Cheers :thumbsup