Merr-Sonn Z-6 Rotary Blaster Cannon Project

[Mand alor]

Hey folks. Just thought I should introduce myself, so…allow me to introduce…myself.

Eh…never mind.

Anyway, my first Mando project is in its earliest stages and seems to be running smoothly. While I wait for my armor pieces to arrive, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to start work on my main weapon. Since I’m creating a Null-7 Mereel (from Karen Traviss’ Republic Commando series; not to be confused with Jaster Mereel) themed suit of armor…or, at least what I think Mereel would have worn after the Clone Wars, it only seems right that I stay true to the established literary canon.

That being said, this little sideshow is a modified Merr-Sonn Munitions, Inc. Z-6 Rotary Blaster Cannon. Moreover, it will be a fully functional prop replica, complete with spinning barrel assembly (featuring 6 independent barrels) and various light effects (but nothing too complex, lest it appear cheesy).

Here’s a concept sketch.

I’m using a Black & Decker BV2500 leaf blower as a base component, and building the rest of the prop on top of it. I’m also converting it to DC power (from the stock AC design). Here are some pics of the stock blower with the shroud, and without.

(Sorry for the poor quality…I’m having some trouble with my camera at the moment.)

Finally, this is what I hope the thing will look like when all’s said and done (along with my completed Mereel getup).

My next step will be constructing the barrel assembly from PVC (or CPVC) and plastic (or wood) support discs, and epoxy (gorilla glue). I will also be fabricating a modified ‘shaft’ for the motor to lessen the strain on the internal fittings, and will be ripping apart an 18v cordless drill for its power supply and connectors (then modifying the blower’s internals to accept the change).

More pictures and updates coming soon!


-Mand’alor
------------------------------
Josh: “What’s faster than the speed of light?”
Dan: “I dunno…what?”
Josh: “The speed of DARK…when you turn off the light, the dark’s already there!”

 

[Darasuum Verd]

I can't wait for this! The Z-6 will be awsome, but I love that pic of what the whole suit will look like! I can't wait another minute for this......

 

[Mand alor]

Hey, everybody...just picked up my barrel components yesterday at Home Depot. I bought two 10' pieces of 1/2" diameter electrical PVC (the only difference from the normal, gloss white PVC being a flat gray surface...which I suspect will take the primer better).

I'll probably rough the surface up in the spots where I'll be epoxying the barrels to the support discs.

I also picked up a 24x24 inch piece of 1/4" plywood for the barrels' support/structure discs, and cut the discs out. The disc diameter I used is roughly 4.6 inches (nearly 12 cm). Unfortunately, there is some variation from disc to disc, but that shouldn't matter in the long run. I also cut a slightly larger section out to use as a template for the 'base' disc (the part that the barrel sections will fit into, not through...which will mount directly to the motor shaft and receiver). The size of the base disc template is 4.9 inches (12.4 cm), as of right now, though I may increase or decrease that number once I've chosen an adequate piece of wood to cut the actual disc from (something thick enough to seat the barrels at least 3/4" deep).

To figure out where you should cut holes for the barrels, follow these instructions (that's what I did, making necessary adjustments for disc size). The 30°, 60°, 60°, 30° (starting at 180° from the x-axis) method seems to work very well, although I did change the distance from the discs' edge to 1 cm.

Here's a pic of my rough template.

Tonight, I sanded the discs down and rounded the edges somewhat. If you accidentally chip the plywood (which is very easy to do with a Dremel, so be careful) don't worry too much...makes for great pre-paint weathering!

Soon I'll be ready to drill the holes in the discs and do a dry fitting, just to make sure everything lines up. Then I'll glue everything together and begin work on the AC to DC power conversion so I can test this beastie.


Oh, BTW...I just got my fiberglass chest/butt armor in the mail today! Couldn't resist posting a few pics:

Pic 1
Pic 2

Not sure what's up with the two rectangular dents in the right shoulder bell, though...any ideas?

More pics and updates coming soon.


-Mand’alor
------------------------------
Josh: “What’s faster than the speed of light?”
Dan: “I dunno…what?”
Josh: “The speed of DARK…when you turn off the light, the dark’s already there!”