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Another DLT-19 Build (Finished!)


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So having placed myself on the 8-month waitlist for ATA armor, I've decided to build a gun in the meantime. As we all know with guns, bigger = better, so I opted for a DLT-19 scratch build. I have never done this before, but reading a few threads on here and at whitearmor inspired me to start. A huge thanks to gmrhodes13, as I'm following his build fairly closely.

Fair warning: I anticipate this build will take me several weeks/months, but I'll be sure to keep updating as I go. Also, Wall 'o Text inbound...

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For starters, I got templates for the MG-34 here. This is the same resource that has been linked to in a few other threads, and it's a little more robust than the other template set I found from Blaster Builders. To get the templates to an appropriate scale, I loaded the picture file in GIMP, changed the ruler to inches, and took a few measurements. When I measured the total length of the gun at the image's default size, it was much longer than 48", so I rescaled the image until the gun length hit the magic 48" mark. If you're doing this now, load the image and go to Image > Scale Image and set the width to 89 inches. This will scale things appropriately. Use the measuring tool to double check dimensions.

Because the dimensions of the image are still huge, I did what gmrhodes did, and created a new image file that was 8.5" x 11". I then selected areas from the templates that would fit onto a standard sheet of paper, and printed them off section by section. After rough-assembling the pieces, I was almost ready to build.

A note on the barrel: I looked around forever trying to find the actual barrel width so I could determine what size PVC pipe to buy for this gun. The threads here and here helped narrow things down. Long story short, the outside diameter for the main barrel is about 40mm or 1.57" (1 & 9/16"), and the outside diameter for the wider part of the barrel (near the receiver) is about 43mm or 1.70" (based on my printed templates, not the actual measurement someone did in a thread from a while ago). For a quick and convenient chart that will take you from mm to decimal in to fractional in, check this out.

Now here's a catch - there are no Schedule 40 PVC pipes with an outer diameter of 40mm/1.70". The closest you can get is 1 & 1/4" PVC pipe, which has an outer dimension of 1.66". This is large enough to be the big end near the receiver, but a bit thick for the actual barrel part. (I realize this is totally splitting hairs, but when I bought 1 & 1/4" PVC pipe and wrapped the barrel hole template around the pipe, it was too short. Given that the other measurements were correct on the template, I figured there must be an error somewhere). However, a 1" Sch 40 PVC pipe has an outside diameter that is more inaccurate (way too small) than the 1 & 1/4" pipe - so I stuck with 1 & 1/4" for the build, even though the outer diameter is a bit large.

Purchase list:
One two-foot long PVC pipe - 1 & 1/4" inner diameter
Five couplers for said pipe
One bushing with octagonal end
Screws
3/4" thick pine board

Approximate total cost: ~ $20


I cut out the side templates from my paper versions and traced them on the pine board, and then cut out the resulting pieces with a jigsaw. Results: (apologies for crappy cell phone camera quality)

Stock
This is very thick. Should leave plenty of room for sanding though.
Yks6NzFl.jpg

Main Receiver
For the main part of the gun, I cut out one center piece that had the handle included, and then cut two pieces for the left and right sides that only fit the top part of the receiver. I know the front part of this isn't as wide as it should be - I plan on carving out some curved pieces and using small dowel rods to fix them to the sides of the gun later.
LYhGzycl.jpg

RJfD8lUl.jpg

Grips
I decided to fashion the grips out of wood with a little Dremel carving, so I traced two grips for the left and right sides of the gun. The tops of the grips overlap with tabs on the receiver - this was deliberate. My goal is to carve out the tabs and the tops of the grips using a Dremel to fit them into the receiver. The grips will also need to be sanded down significantly (they're very thick when you put all three together). More to come when that happens.
QnyvFutl.jpg

Top
The top of the gun pictured here. This creates a nice gap between the receiver and the top of the gun, which is where future electronics will go (along with inside the metal box, as in gmrhodes13's build).
dxOoAX8l.jpg

Barrel
The mostly-fitted barrel shown here. As you can see it matches my printed (to-scale) template pretty well. It's a bit long but nothing that can't be shortened fairly quickly. I have a little work to do on the front end (cutting the octagonal piece to fit, fitting the funnel part, etc.), but all in all it's coming along. The barrel holes still don't line up perfectly, but I figure it will be easy enough to replicate the pattern with a drill press.
PRfVQuZl.jpg

The pieces all arranged look like this:
Hd21xrCl.jpg

The basic form is there. Next it's on to gluing/sanding the stock, finishing the barrel fit, and screwing the receiver together. I'm leaving the receiver in three pieces for now. Eventually I want the build to include a translucent center barrel with LEDs that run the barrel length and animate when you press the trigger. I may need to make room in the center receiver piece for electronics - we'll see.

Future challenges:

  • How to attach the barrel to the receiver. I neglected to make the front long enough to slip the PVC over a tab on the receiver's front. I'm considering a few options, like using a bunch of small dowels to create a "plug" that fits onto the front of the receiver and slides into the PVC pipe. However, any solution I come up with needs to accommodate a hole for running/connecting electronics.
  • Which sound system to use. I like skyone's Arduino idea, but I'd have to learn how to code the thing to do the blaster barrel lighting effect. Alternatively there's Blaster Core, but that's $$$ and questionable availability.

That's it for now - sorry for the mega post. I should have time this week to work on the project, but I have plenty of time before my armor arrives :-)

Cheers!

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK - got some time to crank away this past weekend - time for an update!

I assembeld the main body and side pieces, and installed a 3/8" diameter metal rod through the body of the gun.

Posted Image

This metal rod serves as an attachment point for the barrel. I glued two PVC couplers together and found a washer that was the inner diameter of the coupler.

Posted Image

A few more washers and a nut later, and I was able to connect the coupler to the gun.

Posted Image

Sanded the butt down into roughly its final form, and glued it to the body with a PVC ring as a coupler:

Posted Image

I had forgotten to make the center tab on the top of the receiver long enough to fit as a hinge. So I borrowed a trick from Warmachine/Hordes assembly and used a metal pin and some Gorilla Glue to install a tab that will serve as a hinge point:

Posted Image

After that I used the blueprints to carve out the "wings" for the sides of the top piece.

Posted Image

I pinned, glued, and clamped them onto the top piece as well.

Sanded down pieces to use as grips until they were about 3/8" thick:

Posted Image

Still need to sand a bit more and actually fashion the "grip" part out of these, but that's a lot of detail work.

As it stands now (sans the top piece - not sure why I didn't have it in place when taking this picture):

Posted Image

Most of the work to be done on the gun now is in the details - sanding out the body where I need to and making cuts in right places, etc. I also have some work to do on the barrel, but I need to buy a P-clamp or two to finish those.

In other news, my Arduino clone came yesterday and I successully got it working and running a simple 4-pin LED light. I have about 1/3rd of the electronics I need - the rest should arrive from China in the next 2-3 weeks. I'm hoping to have the body work pretty much done by then, so I can start building the feeder box and planning out how to wire the circuits.

Cheers mates!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Updates!

It's been a busy month. For starters, I got pretty much everything sanded down to the proper width. I also installed the right side grip (used an old flashlight handle) and started installing hardware/greeblies. For the most part this has been a mix of post screws and threaded rods that actually serve a purpose (like holding the thing together).

O8cyb9kl.jpg

You can see the Arduino Nano knockoff in the pic above. I fried the first one by not paying attention to my circuit and had to order a second (whoops). On the bright side, I successfully wrote a program that lights up the barrel and creates a cool effect.

Here's a closeup of the handle/grips:

ZwRD662l.jpg

I sanded the grips down from 3/4" board so they're about 1/4" thick now. I'll engrave details later with my Dremel. It's not perfect, but my goal on this build is only "rough approximation", so with a little more work I think it'll do just fine. I've also been making use of a lot of wood epoxy - in the pic above you can see where I had to epoxy my trigger guard back on after I accidentally snapped it off.

Here's a shot with the top in place - that took a lot of sanding (could still use more, probably):

h70cbZYl.jpg

I drilled wiring holes for the barrel lighting and worked it into my barrel attachment:
xksHATDl.jpg
xhHRMG3l.jpg
And my major accomplishment so far: the track-mounted LED assembly:
El6Y4pnl.jpg
rUx2TJwl.jpg
I used an old 2-liter soda bottle and cut sections of it out, hot glued them together, and glued posts onto it for the LED mounts. Using clear plastic helps spread the light around and you can't really see much even with the barrel full of holes (it'll have T-track in it anyway as well).
Here's closeup of the front assembly for the LED track:
kQ26W7Wl.jpg
All the LEDs are Adafuit Neopixels - at first I tried using the bare versions but they were crazy hard to solder with my big fat soldering gun. Neopixels are easy to program for - Adafruit publishes the library - and crazy easy to install.
All in all, things are really coming together. I've been trying to work from the back of the gun forward in terms of adding details (there are lots!). I have all the electronics to start programming sounds, but I think I'll hold of on that for a month or two so I can maximize the nice fall weather to work outside. It gets dark early nowadays...
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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks everyone for your support & comments - this is slowly but surely coming along as I get time in the evenings (and it's keeping me from playing too many video games, so there's that). Here's what I've been up to:

Trigger:

Zp8QFBGl.jpg

I carved out two trigger pieces and sandwiched a micro momentary trigger switch between them. Drilled the wire hole and verified it worked, then pulled it out of the gun - this will be one of the last pieces I glue in place.

Top:

rxblRCFl.jpg?1

I finally found furniture buttons to use on the top piece - got them at Hobby Lobby. This piece is pretty much finished now.

Left side update:

ZqmJQiMl.jpg

Finished the left side handle and sanded the handle down to fit my grip pieces:

fswPPLDl.jpg

Added the (non-functional) flange on the bottom:

ZC7q2oWl.jpg

Carved out the side piece where the sight will be mounted. The shaded area will eventually become the location of my on/off switch - I've got to carve it out and install a sliding switch, and inlay some material that will preserve the look of the release switch on the mg-34.

ldohh3vl.jpg

Right side update:

MZUDZ2Jl.jpg?1

Installed metal "track" for the grip handle:

f5VzxSol.jpg?1

Carved out the side piece:

bKqvnsPl.jpg?1

I was working on forming the metal box today - got something roughly cut out but the dimensions are a bit wonky. I'm wondering how to attach it while still preserving my ability to pull the top up & open - if anyone has any thoughts I'd certainly welcome your advice. Part of me wants to do a hinge, but I'm not quite sure where I'd hide it. The other complication is that it will be stuffed with batteries, a speaker, and possibly even my arduino (if I can get it all to fit).

The other thing I've been wondering over - what have people used for the selector switch on the left side of the gun (above the trigger)? I'd like to make that a functional piece to change the firing mode on the arduino, but I can't seem to find a switch like that anywhere...my thought for now is to carve/make something up to put in place there, and put a momentary switch underneath it. It'd be a bit counter-intuitive because you'd have to press it in rather than turn the selector, but I'm not set on doing it that way either.

Cheers!

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  • 2 weeks later...

More progress!

Sculpted more of the side:

wP86DZzl.jpg

Finished details on the side/bottom for the "rail":

zJcTM0Ql.jpg

Added the metal plate behind the top piece and the dividers in the feed section:

CauKroVl.jpg

Added the ammo feed cover box:

HTDZvb2l.jpg

ZVE8uXTl.jpg

Replaced the acorn nuts on the handle with pegs:

mlJ166ml.jpg

Here's a couple shots from the front:

vUcUJphl.jpg

kStixKVl.jpg

I got my battery holder today - it almost fits into the ammo feed box (I need to do some slight trimming where I folded it on the bottom). This weekend I'm going to try to get that fitted along with some fake switches/details on the left side of the gun and along the bottom. Will probably try to drill the appropriate holes for my on/off switch as well.

Moving right along!

PS - if anyone is noticing things that are incorrect or small details I could correct, please feel free to point them out! I'm going for "reasonably accurate" since I didn't order a kit that was molded from an original :-D

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  • 2 months later...

Quick update - it's been a while!

I finally got through the electronics hurdle I've been facing. Basically I was having a problem with the Chinese MP3 player I ordered - it wouldn't play sounds from any of the SD chips I had. After several weeks now of trial and error and ordering different SD chips, I finally found a combo that worked.

I managed to fry my audio amp in the process but have another on order from China. Should be here in the next week or two.

This is big news because I'll finally be able to stuff the electronics into the gun to test it out, once I get all this stuff together. Most of the gun is sculpted and I have to do finishing details on the barrel as well as build the stand, but other than that I think I'm in good position to finish in early spring. I need to get T-Track too but that's small potatoes.

In the meantime I did some more detail work...

Added the on/off switch to the side of the gun:

w9BTLVYl.jpg?1

Added the bottom (non-functional) release switch:

8Y8BACdl.jpg

5kCHcJ3l.jpg

Fitted the ammo feed cover for my Li-ion batteries (haven't purchased these yet - they're expensive!):

bPsZ5o0l.jpg?1

In between all this I've been working on my helmet - I will update that thread in the next week or two, as I've been slowly hand-painting all the decals on it. French Blue MM enamel paint is on its way for the tube stripes.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Electronics are working! :woot:

Here's a Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/86566355

Now I can focus on doing more detail work to the body of the gun without having to worry about if this will all work in the end. Nothing like a little win to keep one motivated!

Thanks again for your encouragement - I'm looking forward to pulling this whole thing together. Batteries are on order and should arrive in 2 weeks, and in the meantime I'll be working on the barrel and other details.

Cheers mates!

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Now that I have all my switches working, I wanted to figure out a way to mount the weapon selector switch on the gun. I figured the safety selector would be a good place. I know the original switch would slide up and down, but I rigged up a pushbutton alternative instead.

I carved the switch components out of spare balsa wood and glued a 1/8" magnet to the top of the switch.

lyqNt39l.jpg

Then I carved out a furniture button and drilled a hole for a second 1/8" magnet. This way if the switch needs maintenance I can take the switch cap off to replace it.

7cJlSL3l.jpg

A little glue got it all in place. I did a little bit more detail work around the top edge but forgot to take pictures before I went to bed. Will update with that later.

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Mate this is impressive so far it's clear you have mastered and perfected every detail available to you

I can point out a few things you've missed only because you asked and seem to want to get it as accurate as possible

Let me firstly say-

Your barrel is awesome

Have you studied real mg34,s?

I'm thinking you haven't

Only because you have done such an amazing job but some things are missing you clearly would have no trouble with

A few things I noticed are the PVC between breach n stock- is two pieces and the release catch underneath connecting it- there should be another connecting to the stock

The ejection port - I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure it folds up to where you have it but should close underneath meaning the position you have it in would be the open position and the ejection port under breach between trigger n barrel would be open

I noticed you haven't made a feed tray to go in receiver !? Are you planning on doing that?

And wat are you doing for a bi-pod?

I'd love to hear wat you have planned

But so far this is spectacular

Awesome job

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Mate this is impressive so far it's clear you have mastered and perfected every detail available to you

I can point out a few things you've missed only because you asked and seem to want to get it as accurate as possible

Let me firstly say-

Your barrel is awesome

Have you studied real mg34,s?

I'm thinking you haven't

Only because you have done such an amazing job but some things are missing you clearly would have no trouble with

A few things I noticed are the PVC between breach n stock- is two pieces and the release catch underneath connecting it- there should be another connecting to the stock

The ejection port - I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure it folds up to where you have it but should close underneath meaning the position you have it in would be the open position and the ejection port under breach between trigger n barrel would be open

I noticed you haven't made a feed tray to go in receiver !? Are you planning on doing that?

And wat are you doing for a bi-pod?

I'd love to hear wat you have planned

But so far this is spectacular

Awesome job

Thanks Vince - I did ask, but I'm not clear on some of what you're describing. Mostly I've been using the pics in this thread as a reference: http://www.gunpics.net/german/mg34/CGN/MG34DisCGN.html combined with the template files I downloaded online.

I've still got some sculpting to do on the stock - here's a reference pic as an example.

SCENpRnl.jpg

The green line shows where I've currently got things divided between wood and PVC - I need to sculpt back the wood to get the right shape (marked where the crosshatched orange box is). I've also got to carve out the indent on the bottom (at the very left side of the green line).

I'm not very familiar with some gun terms - apologies for my ignorance - is this what you mean by the insert for the feed tray: http://www.gunpics.net/german/mg34/CGN/MG34_035.JPG? Haven't built one yet to try and conserve space for the electronics, but I can certainly attempt one for greater accuracy.

Is this what you mean by ejection port (green arrow)?

gLAvh92l.jpg

If so, I haven't carved it out yet...honestly I hadn't paid that much attention at all to where the lever was in relation to what the port would look like. This is certainly doable though.

My original plan was to work my way up the gun from the butt to the tip of the barrel. I was going to do the stand last - probably by fashioning aluminum angle pieces into the rough shape I need and combining with whatever PVC/wood I have handy. I may try to make it functional (with springs, etc.) but this will depend on time.

Last night I incorporated some PVC connector pieces into the barrel components - just jamming them together and taking them apart was making them a bit too loose.

Installed a 1/4" connection in the main barrel with some JB Weld PVC Putty.

ZHjaVODl.jpg

Cut up the female connector for the larger end of the barrel

Ls6YBHml.jpg

Doesn't look pretty, but works and the barrel is straight

AY5t2bAl.jpg

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Cool

Email me if you want

I find it hard to post pics n stuff

No laptop just iPhone and it likes to bug out 1/2way thru posting and have to start again

Love wat you've done so fat mate

Email: vincentmc2@hotmail.com

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OK all, time for next round of updates... lots of little things accomplished.

First off, after installing threads in the barrel, I realized that I'd inadvertently made my barrel about 2" longer than it was before, *and* I'd messed up the spacing between the holes in the barrel. Oops. Off to the hardware store I went - $5 later and I had another PVC pipe and thread insert. Went ahead and glued all that up, trimmed the barrel to the proper length, and now I just need to add new holes.

The gun now appropriately measures right about 48". Here's the right side:

n4wGQ3Xl.jpg

And the left side:

YoygGAql.jpg?1

I also reshaped the right side a bit - brought the front back and put more of an indent in back.

4DAlvHol.jpg?1

Since my batteries should be arriving soon, I needed to make space for some of my electronics. The metal feed cover is big enough to hold batteries, amp, speakers, and wire - but my Arduino and mp3 player had no place to go. I started carving some room out in the feed section:

F6jS7hQl.jpg?1

My Dremel was my friend :-)

mB86nFol.jpg?1

R6VHxRel.jpg?1

J1rb4x7l.jpg?1

rZosA7gl.jpg?1

None of this is actually wired yet, but with the lid closed you'll be able to see the chips inside. I need to come up with a good way of anchoring them so they don't rattle around, and possibly a screen to cover them and the wiring from view.

Cxc9gPEl.jpg?1

Vince - I may create a shield that gives the appearance of a feed tray which also doubles as a screen for the electronics. Will probably be one of the last things I do.

I cut a ring of PVC and used plumber's putty to sculpt the rest notch for the main sight (which I haven't built yet). Glued that in place and also cut and glued a thin strip of metal which will sit at the bottom of the base of the barrel:

lNAwMLWl.jpg

I probably need to screw this in for additional reinforcement (plus I believe the original had two screws installed here):

JzSA1F0l.jpg?1

Anyway, lots of details. Work continues down the barrel - will be drilling holes with my dad's drill press this weekend. Progress!

Cheers mates!

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Oh bouyah!!!

Looking awesome!!

Yeah feed tray would cover that nicely

And I like that you added the bipod clip in last pic

Will they be functional?

My rear one isn't but front one works pretty good

This is gunna be so darn cool

Keep the progress updates coming bro

Again awesome :)

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