General ConvergenceProps - ESB Build thread - Found Part heavy

ConvergenceProp

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Latest Blaster Updates on Post #48

Very happy to finally be able to show this off.
This is my completed Found parts Boba Fett: Empire Strikes Back EE-3 Blaster rifle.
It was built using a combination of Original parts and 3D printed models designed by myself to replicate the still unknown parts as close as possible. I may still make some changes here and there down the road, especially if more original parts are ID'd, but I'm very happy with where she sits right now.

Original FoundParts Include
1917 Webley No1 Mk1 Flare Gun (with correct variant of D-Bracket that has the slightly different shaped lug with the 3 chamfers)
ASI 4x20 Scope
Molex Connectors
1977 Revell Visible V8 Rods
Vintage LMK/AM Aerial Earth Plugs
Vintage Unimax Fail-safe Type “O” Switch Housings

Replica Parts Include:
MPP Microflash Tube (parks sabers)
Walnut stock (so not to damage the 100yr old original)
Barrel Mounts (3D print)
Scope Mounts (3D print)
Breach disk (3D Print)
Leather Sling (My own design)
 
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Here's the next part of my ESB build. Figured I'd just keep it in this thread to keep things simple

This is my converted original Pulce 40
Mines an earlier variant with the blue/grey plastic and all metal internals. All the holes including the grip were filled in using hard sculptors clay, and then glazed over with a paper thin layer of CA glue, so as not to make anything truly permanent should more photos of this blaster show up someday showing otherwise. I then sprayed it with Floquil Zinc Chromate Primer, which I think is the general consensus for the originals color. Then went over everything with some 0000 steel whool to give some natural weathering to some of the high spots like is seen in what few photos exist


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Honestly didn't think I'd be updating this thread anytime soon short of finding a MPP hahaha!
Managed to snag a pair of the recently discovered Unimax type "O" Fail-safe switches and took the time tonight to replace the 3D printed stand-in ones and update it in a couple ways. (I'm actually not that disappointed with how close my model was just going off that B&W photos lol)
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First, I chose to position the switches as they are in the Carbonite Chamber scene. The right-hand switch is facing upright as can be easily seen in the straight on production photo. Figuring out the orientation for the left side was a little trickier however... I went to the gallery references to find anything I could, and it would appear that the switch is on sideways like in the Cloud City hallway shots. You can see the slot for one of the connectors in the switch on top, and slightly closer to the back indicating that the top of the switch is facing the butt of the stock.They were airbrushed in Model Master: Aircraft Interior Black, which is pretty close to Floquils "Weathered Black" in color and likely the original color used to paint the parts I feel
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Now that everything on the stock is found parts and with the positions and measurements being spot on, I decided to finally add the visible parts of the stock numbers sicking out from underneath the rear AM Plug.
"Stock Numbers" you ask? Well many surplus firearms sitting in depots had numbers hand painted onto their stocks (most often in yellow or white) for recording purposes, and it would appear that the Hero 1917 Webley was no different in this case. If you look at many of the hallway photos you can see these yellowish marks sticking out from underneath the rear AM plug. I believe these to be the Webleys depot ID numbers and that those numbers are "67". The top of the 6 and just a smidge of the 7 visible sticking out on top, and the tail of the 7 sticking out below the bottom of the plug. Unfortunately the the numbers appear washed out and almost non visible in many of the B&W Carbonite Chamber scene photos, so positioning needs to be done using mostly the hallway photos. But I'm pretty happy with how they came out after a few tries. For these numbers I wanted a muted/earthy yellow and went with Vallejo: Medium Flesh-Tone. Ive still gotta do a light black-wash over it once its fully dried though
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Again, Big thanks to Chris at Parts of StarWars for finally ID'ing this piece after all these years
Thats all for now! :D

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Sweet. I had thought the second digit might have been a 9 due to the tail length.

As the box is in a different orientation in the hallway photos I'd always thought it likely that the two boxes had started off being placed symmetrically and the most visible one had fallen off and been re glued in place. Hardly surprising given the outer V8 rod and one of the molex definitely fell off at some point.

Lovely job. Hoping to see a MPP here soon.
 
I thought it was 69 for a while as well, but changed my mind to 67 last night while looking at it a final time before painting it since the small bit of the top of the 7/9 looks to come to a soft point a its top. But it honestly still could be a 9 depending on the handwriting hahaha. Dealers choice so to say lol!!
I also totally agree that both were probably facing sideways early on in filming (i think Raf made a filming timeline where he pointed this out if I remember right)

Me too bud, lol. I did used to have an MPP tube a few years ago, but sadly the incorrect varrient (small “B” hole) and ended up selling it
 
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My remaining MPP is small B hole too. I used my only large B port hole for my Vader saber because that was a prop I was in a position to finish. I was considering the feasibility of enlarging the small B hole on my MPP.

I like that you added the oft missed chip from the stock. What made you choose three AM plugs over four? Conscious choice or availability of items?
 
My remaining MPP is small B hole too. I used my only large B port hole for my Vader saber because that was a prop I was in a position to finish. I was considering the feasibility of enlarging the small B hole on my MPP.

I like that you added the oft missed chip from the stock. What made you choose three AM plugs over four? Conscious choice or availability of items?

Ive honestly always been super torn about finding an original MPP for the build because of just how rare they are, not to mention finding the correct variant, and then on top of that having to drill in the two additional mystery holes in the bottom of the tube.. I was really hoping that Romans new MPP replica would be the perfect stand-in solution for this piece, and it really almost was, but underneath the button section he unfortunately got one of the holes wrong and so alas its not suitable for Boba... so for now Im still using my Parks tube until I can find a vintage MPP or if Roman decides to make a V2 of his MPP with the correct holes in the future

I actually do have a 4th vintage AM plug in my parts stash, lol! If I remember right the 4th plug is present in the Cloud City hallway promo shots as well as the Executor bridge scene and Torture room hallway scene, but seems to be missing in the Carbonite chamber scene.
Since both 3 and 4 plugs are technically correct depending on what point in filming you’re looking at, in addition to the fact that getting the stupid thing to stick to the oiled metal of the flaregun is kind of a total pain in the you know what, hahaha, Ive been leaving it off for now. At least until I can make a nice display case for it to live in. Ive also been occasionally trooping with it at cons with my 1313 Boba recently as well and would never want to risk it popping off into the abyss where getting a replacement is neigh impossible these days.
 
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I have no issues with carving these things up, drilling holes, or whatever is necessary for this stuff. My only reticence is that I might make an error on a one shot deal. I felt that way when I cut my nemrod holster up but it came out okay. My Webley has so many issues that compromises are already there so I'm not to bothered about that either.

I know I've definitely an image of the 4th AM plug during the bridge scene but I'm not sure about the other areas you mentioned.
 
Thats honestly more it than anything else. Not knowing the hole size or the spacing for the holes, and god forbid the tube shows up someday in the Archive and you got it wrong on a $1200-$1700 part. Ive actually been thinking of drawing the tube up in CAD to try and figure out the hole positions and sizes using the program and a little bit trig, but its still largely guess work given the few images that show them
About the purpose of the holes themselves, I’m personally of the opinion they’re from an attempt at a stunt Vader saber, where they added set screws through the shroud for the stunt blade to be held in. With the ones I added in my Parks saber tube they get covered up nicley when I tried the replica shroud that came on Romans MPP. I think I made clearance holes for M3 screws in the tube when I added them
 
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That's as good a theory as any. I had thought that this was a Bapty weapon and that the Webley had turned up at some point although I can't recall where.

Did you use linseed oil on that stock?
 
Yeah Ive heard that the hero Webley is in a private collection somewhere a few times over the years, but that’s been almost entirely just rumor to my knowledge with no actual proof as to such. If that were the case I’d think features like the painted numbers and missing chunk would be more well known, but who knows hahaha
There’s actually a similar situation with the Greener Mk2 Light Harpoon Gun from JAWS where someone has claimed to own the original hero gun and supposedly having a COA, but the wood grain on said gun doesnt actually match whats seen in the cabin scene in the film leaving a lot of curious questions

Yeah I used a combination of Linseed Oil and a little WATCO Dark Walnut Danish Oil to help darken it up a little bit where its a new stock. Linseed Oil will darken over time and with sun exposure, but I didn’t feel like waiting years for that to happen hahaha. It was actually funny because when I pulled off the old 3D prints and rear plugs for repositioning with these new parts, the walnut underneath was a lot lighter from lack of sun exposure over the last few years
 
If you want to preserve the original stock from damage (cant remember if you said you got a replacement yet or not) Woodman makes excellent walnut repros that require minimal reshaping work for to look like the heros stock. Feel free to HMU if ya find you need any help!
 
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