Introduction... and a New Build

Welcome mate. If u are picking up p38, u might want to consider upol? Almost the same stuff, but cheaper? Its in the same section in halfords.
nice work.

Thanks for the tip Heatshock; I'll be calling into Halfords over the next couple of days, so I'll give it a try.

Today, I attempted the rangefinder.


The top LEDs already incorporate a flashing IC, and the green internal screen ones are standard 3mm LEDs, which helped to simplify the circuit. With the 2 circuits in parallel, I could get away with only a pair of driver resistors, one for each.

I still need to make the screen, and the rangefinder is going to need a lot of filling and cleaning up, but at least the lights flash.

I managed to get a little further yesterday. I cut out the helmet arrows and then painted fiberglass resin over the exposed card around the rest of the helmet. The ides was for the resin to soak into the card, and allow me to sand it smooth to a nice finish without furring up the card.

After my last (failed) attempt at the same technique on the earpeices, I used extra hardner this time.

I'm happy to say it worked, although much sanding was required. The edges are much sharper.



I still need to so some more filling and sanding on the rangefinder and stalk, and I'll probably coat them with some resin too once they're good enough, but it's getting there.

Edit; As you can see, I didn't coat resin on the area to be cut out for the T-Visor... I thought there was little point, and may make the cutting out more difficult. Speaking of T-Visors; I also spent a couple of hours on google, trying to find a UK based supplier for the shade 5 Green faceshield; they all seem to be the wrong size; at 8" horizontal, with varying vertical sizes. I guess I'll have to keep looking.

Short update... a Shade 5 green Visor ordered and on its way, and I happened to pass a model shop yesterday, and walked out with a small servo, so today I've been upgrading the rangefinder and helmet to accommodate it. I've also received a transmitter and receiver modules in the post today, so I'll be looking at incorporating them too. The eyepiece on the rangefinder I've cut out of clay, and sanded it to shape. I'm not sure whether to use it as it is, or to make a mould and cast it out of something stronger. The central glass I was just going to use some polymorph, which, being opaque, should diffuse the light from the green LEDs better.


I'm now out of primer, so I guess I'll be visiting Halfords again tomorrow.

Yay, The visor has arrived, and I've managed to put the dent in, along with a load more sanding and filling... and a coat of silver paint. Tomorrow, I'll cut out the visor.

I couldn't resist; I've temporarily installed the visor, just to see what it looks like. It still needs trimming down at the front, but it's looking good so far...

Looking really great so far. Good work. Scratchbuilding can be very addictive. Thanks for the upol tip Heatshock. Might save myself some pennies.

really nice work bro, nice to see a fellow Yorkshire fett on here .. regards

Thanks for the thumbs up, and yes, this is addictive. The DH-17 parked beside the helmet, I scratched built last year, along with an E-11. I'm really looking forward to seeing some paint on the bucket now, and of course, I still need to fit the servo properly, but I'm chuffed with how it's come together so far.

Boba68, thanks for the complement: a complement from a fellow Yorkshireman is a complement indeed,