Blastech DL-18 - the Jabbas palace guard blaster

Nice work Michael!

I know you'll make a mighty fine blaster out of that.

You also might want to consider casting that rear sight. While ROTJ E-11 market might be small, I'm sure there are some dying to find that nice greblie.

Don´t hate me - i have a second of these guns, also with the sight.

With a friends help (measurements and pics) i was able to make my accurate version of the threaded endpiece.


Turning some alu to the needed dia:




Drilling and tapping:




turning the step




After parting the ready piece we have this:




Drilling the endcap, first small then the big dia:




Looks gooooooood



You see the rod through the receiver? We need a cutout:


Drilling:




Some sawing and sanding/filing, doesn´t need to be perfect:




It fits.






I like it:






After a treatment with Alu-Black:



But i think i will paint it.

I had made the decision that the threaded end needs paint instead of the already used Alu-Black.


2-3 light covers with my beloved heat resistant stove-paint, and some mechanical weathering later:




The tool i like to weather with - it´s great (at least if the parts are real metal):




Additional the grips and the former silver gunparts got some flat black:



Definatly needs a more shiny and gruffest top layer. I don´t want to use the same paint as for the metal-parts, to get a more interesting/realistic appearance - maybe 1-2 layers of "Future".

Here we go again.

The metal is soft, so a needle-file is all you need to make a slot on the side opposed to the original. Don´t spend to much time on this, it is never visible, not even if you mess it really bad):




That way the securing screw can be insertet again in the upside down scope:




It got another 2 layers of a semigloss paint:




Mine, my second one, and another endcap-set ready to use. Next to it the old available parts. It´s threading is not M10, and no other M ..... so we can say it´s inaccurate for a german/italian made gun.




Next step was making some patterns of the side-plates, and transmitting them on some 3mm alu:




Not the funniest job, many holes to drill - but it eases the cutting a lot. Three cheers for the drillpress




Now it needs some filing and sanding:






As noone on the RPF had a good idea what to do with the second, i packed it up - so it´s easily stored and/or send when i decide to part with it:

Staying on target - slowly.

As the newer RO-72 have other screws than the old ones, i changed the phillipshead screws.






And i turned some M3 bolts from alu, which then were cut to the needed length to stay clear from the receiver.




Drilled holes in the alu-sidepieces




And in the gun






the inside was flattened with a dremel, and the sidepieces were mounted.








After that the receiver was put back in it´s place.

Yesterday i had some free time, and instead of working again on other guys stuff i decided to work on my own blasters. It´s another feel to see some progress on things, instead of just making a part and sending it away - as much as i love to help, it´s better to see parts coming together.

I put the time in cutting the last side piece from 1,0mm sheet-alu, and after that i glued the greeblies to the side pieces, painted and weathered them. And after that .... the long awaited moment .... i mounted and glued them finally to the grip shells of the gun.

I think i like it:





No, i know i like it.


Next job: the scope and/or the plug for the front sight.

OK, the other posts were older copy and paste stuff, but this is the actual progress from today:

Some of us were waiting for Dullas scope, but it seems he is still to stressed to have time for any progress. So i´ve spent today some hours in front of my lathe, after checking pics and making size calculations.

And this is the outcome of my try to make my own scope:

The parts




Assembled




And next to the gun, for size comparision




The parts breakdown is made in a way that it could be cast, as maching it is to time consuming if someone would request me to make one.

I think it looks not to bad. Feel free to chime in if i missed something