Well, hit more snags on my BFG build. I should have figured out my whole design before I started piecing it together. Some pointers for others (things that pushed me back to nearly ground zero on sections of my build):
The order of operactions for fabrication that I should have used: Cut/Sand/Drill/Machine —> Braze —> Epoxy
Some things I didn’t consider:
- If you epoxy before you braze, the workable temperature for the epoxy is WAY lower than the brazing temp. Attempting to braze will scorch the epoxy, breaking its bond and roasting it onto the metal, resulting in the need to heavily sand/file or refabricate the piece...
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-The brazed pieces are incredibly durable when it comes to handling the prop roughly. I could hold the entire 15+lb weapon up by the reddot attached to the scooe, shaking it around, and have no movement throughout the shroud. That being said; the brazing is not durable to excessive pressure, heat, or friction caused by power tools. Or at least my skill in brazing has that limitation. Sanding small pieces on the belt sander broke brazes and epoxied joints. Drilling through my shroud support rod to get access to my mounting screws for the barrel and stock was a combination of pressure and friction heat, completely breaking my braze...
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So yeah.. productive week, I suppose. Lots of learning, which I am all for, and truly enjoy, though it can be disheartening when so much happens at once.
Also had some filing issues with my Chipset, and completely ruined that whole piece. So i have to do that from the begining as well. I wonder if my rushing to finish for the con is opening me up for more mistakes. I’ll think on that and figure some more stuff out before I try this all again, and definitely have to figure out the full assembly before I do a single thing more. I can’t afford to have mistakes like these happen again if I want this done in two weeks.
On a positive note, I found exactly where the rail goes to mount the Fenix, and had actually already had my rail in the exact spot. A micro success in an ocean of fails haha.
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