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Bapty from a real Sterling project


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Concessions I'm making in this build:

1.  (permanent concession)  -- I'm going to cut the back end of the blaster off and insert an aluminum tube into the shaft and then re-attach the back end of the gun.    The originals, we think, had the back end cut off and replaced with a solid aluminum cast of the rear end of the gun.   I'm opting to keep the original Sterling parts back there for two reasons:   I don't have the heart to separate them, and coming up with an aluminum cast billet of the back end will be extremely challenging.   

2.  (temporary)   --  I'm going to use a realistic reproduction for the scope while I try to find a real one at a less than ridiculous price.    At the moment I can't even find the correct one to purchase even if I was willing to throw a ridiculous amount of money at it.  

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Hey man, 

A real hengstler counter & real M38 just got sold 350€. And this was last week. 

Are you part of the "Star Wars Blaster Build Group" fb group? Sometimes people post vintage items for sale there. Check it out. 

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Just now, m4vrick said:

Hey man, 

A real hengstler counter & real M38 just got sold 350€. And this was last week. 

Are you part of the "Star Wars Blaster Build Group" fb group? Sometimes people post vintage items for sale there. Check it out. 

I have a real Hengstler on the way to me.   I also have a power cylinder built from real parts on the way to me.    The only thing that eludes me is the scope (and of course the solid aluminum grip).  

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  • 2 weeks later...

Updates!   I'll break this down into a couple posts to make it easier to read.   

Firstly, I ordered and received a Bapty-correct type D power cylinder.   It's made from real metalmite capacitors as it should be.    

fHyfyLc.jpg

 

I have since painted it and rubbed a little off the back red wiring so that the red shows through just a hair to be accurate.    

I also found, ordered, and received an authentic Hengstler eagle counter.   This one cost me a good bit, but it was worth it.   It's going to be nerve wracking drilling into it to mount it to the bracket:

SKei8gy.jpg

eEyc8qP.jpg

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I've spoken about the other dilemmas that face me in this build.    1.  the lack of a source for a solid cast aluminum grip and 2.  the lack of a source for a solid cast billet that replaces the entire back section of the gun.   

For the grip, most of the past builders of this reproduction were able to get an aluminum grip from a guy that now no longer makes them.   To be exact, he fell out of touch with everyone so he dropped off the map.   This has presented current builders with a dilemma on how to proceed.   I had to come up with at least a temporary solution to emulate a solid cast aluminum grip while I look for the real thing.   Who knows...if it works well enough I might just keep this since it would likely be sturdier than a replacement.

I ordered a second stock grip and sanded it down smooth.   

Ao40uL1.jpg

I will attach this grip to the gun with the pins and screws and then use bondo to make those depressions invisible.   In addition to that I will fill the gap where the trigger mechanism goes with wood and filler.   This will emulate the piece being solid all the way.    One coat of aluminum paint followed by a nice coating of the flat black that will go on the rest of the gun.    Hopefully the end result will be what looks like a Bapty aluminum grip.      Here is a picture of the test fitting of the smoothed down grip:

moQ4wOC.jpg

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The second dilemma I face is the sawed off back end that is replaced with a solid aluminum billet.     I have to be honest with you guys -- I have a hard time cutting the back end off of this thing.   It took so much effort to piece the parts back together that I don't really want to cut it just to simulate a replaced back.    No current sources are available for billets for this purpose anyway...so really I'd just be simulating the back end.    

Therefore I'm attempting to do this with a combination of paint thicknesses, layering, and shading to make your brains think you see a seam where the back end is replaced with a billet.    The picture following this paragraph is a closeup of the first stage -- thick layered hammered paint on the front end without any paint on the back end.   I will now thinly apply aluminum to the back end and coat over it thinly with black.    The front end will get several more layers of black on top of the hammered.    I will then sand slightly right close to the seam line to bring a TINY bit of the aluminum through.    In theory this *should* result in a seam line as processed by your brains.     I'm also going to add mold lines on either side.   Still working the details of that out.     

L3FFyH5.jpg

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Slow progress.   I got the idea to use a wood block to help simulate a solid aluminum grip.    

c0Fdk8w.jpg

UagFg7M.jpg

iMMsmHh.jpg

 

Next will come bondo, sanding, and paint.  HOWEVER -- I think I'm stuck here until I get the trigger guard.   I need to figure out how to mount that guard before I do anything permanent in the way of gluing the block in there.    I will probably need to cut a groove in the block for the trigger guard to insert into.

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Getting close now.   Painting is complete.     I haven't completely weathered.   I did scratch and weather up the back (which is simulating an aluminum billet that replaces the back end:

HZyOEVm.jpg

 

Close up of the back end.   I still have some minor adjustments and weathering to go:

 

Fh4BTJO.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got as much bend out of that trigger guard as I could.  Not perfect in the top portion bending back inward but I think it's close enough.   I'd imagine that the on-site fabricated stuff in Tunisia didn't all perfectly match either since we are all just going on one reference photo.    It's very close.... just not exact.   

Anyway...afterwards I applied bondo and sanded to make that stock grip look like a solid cast replacement.   

uVGOiyA.jpg

gNjGY5O.jpg

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Looking really nice, bro!

 

I know you have asked around (FISD) for someone that can do the aluminium parts for a accurate Bapty build.

I‘m also looking, for years now, for some to finally tackle these...

So if you find someone able to accomplish such a project, I know of at least 4 more people who would be soooo in for a couple of sets if done accurate!

Keep me posted, please!

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17 hours ago, RoCKo said:

Looking really nice, bro!

 

I know you have asked around (FISD) for someone that can do the aluminium parts for a accurate Bapty build.

I‘m also looking, for years now, for some to finally tackle these...

So if you find someone able to accomplish such a project, I know of at least 4 more people who would be soooo in for a couple of sets if done accurate!

Keep me posted, please!

RoCKo, I feel your pain.    In the end I just decided to simulate those parts.    Honestly it probably makes for a more sturdy Bapty for trooping anyway.    I've been pondering how sturdy the replacement grip would be since it's held on by one or two rivets and the main gun frame is so heavy.   

Right now I'm going to be looking for a genuine M38 Scope to swap out for my replica that I have on there now.

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It will come Scott. It’ll pop up in eBay soon enough. Interesting that the M19s suddenly popped up more than the M38s these past few weeks tho... patience my friend

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Field marshal has expressed interest in making the aluminum parts for a bapty. Hopefully in the next year he can make it, that would be awesome, his work is top notch. 

The M38s seem to pop up a few at a time. I also recommend looking for the 1942 M40 or 1942 M47, they are identical to the 1942 M38 and are usually cheaper since most are looking for the M38

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4 hours ago, Airborne Trooper said:

Field Marshal has been doing mostly Han Solo's blaster lately. At least that's what comes up on my FB feed.

 

He does E-11s too, his all aluminum E-11 kit is almost ready to go. He just does his stuff in phases. Sometimes is scopes only, sometimes just dl44 sometimes e-11. But he's joined up on the bapty FB page now and has expressed interest in the bapty variant. 

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