Sandeman's DLT-19 in Foam and PVC

[Sandeman]

I had originally posted this on the FISD and BSN, since those are the forums I frequent with some regularity, but I recently received a request to post here. Makes sense, who uses BFGs more than the folks here? Enjoy.

Part I

I've decided I like BFGs. Who doesn't, right? But since a Hyperfirm is expensive and beyond my grasp, and the Cushman... I decided to make my own. I've seen many wooden MG34/DLT-19s, but I thought they'd be too heavy for trooping for long periods of time. Next best thing? Insulation foam! Got this 3/4" stuff at my local Home Depot. They also stock it in 2". Lowe's stocks 2" blue foam, FYI.

I downloaded the templates from here: MG-34 Blaster Rifle (print using Paint, and nothing else or the sizes will be all out of whack)

Using a Dremel with router attachment, I cut out the patterns. If you do this, wear a respirator, goggles and hearing protection. It sounds like someone pulling the ears off a gundark. Very loud:

Here you can see one of the pieces of the gun, the stock, and a bit of an axe I made for my daughter.

From left to right: the receiver (more or less), stock, grip. I laminated two receiver halves and two stock halves together:

A top-down view:

This shot was intended to show the installed PVC connectors for the barrel and the join between the receiver and the stock (for strength and shape), as well as the shaping. Then disaster struck. Someone (not my little Foamtrooper) thought it would be fun to swing the thing around. Not fun for me.

Luckily, I was able to repair the fissure using a number of dowels and a really long drill bit. I then painted the entire foam structure with Gesso, to seal the foam from harsh chemicals such as fiberglass resin and paint, and then began fiberglassing for strength. After laying down fiberglass (a step I would skip next time due to the added bulk) and sanding, I ended up using short-strand fiberglass filler to smooth out the gun. Great stuff; strong, light, easy to work with. Then came the detailing with hobby styrene and some "FOR SALE" signs, and some hobby greeblies. Sorry, I have no in-process pics since I inadvertently deleted them while trying to copy them to my computer.

Now, jump into your DeLorean and fast forward a month or two (life gets in the way of propmaking, right?)

Finally finished the BFG!

I'm about 80% satisfied with this first attempt. Lots of things I could have done better/differently, but the end result is above average in my opinion. I did end up leaving off some details, mostly because I'm sick of working on this thing!

And my bad parent/gunbroker.com pics (taken for size comparison and to show the light weight):

And the nostalgia pic from a 2009 troop:

In the end, the actual cost for the BFG was around $30 or so. The only metal used are two nuts and a brass rosette (conical disk).

Part II

So the in-laws are in town, and I wisely used my available time to work on the DLT - bringing her a little closer to what I had originally envisioned. A little airbrush action, a little styrene action, a little Dremel action, and a little home made T-track action resulted in this:

Before:

AFTER:

Before:

AFTER:

Improved muzzle and added front sight (I know, inaccurate muzzle):

Scratch T-track covered in PlastiDip for the beloved rubber look:

Improved bi-pod feet, middle sight on left side of barrel (since located to correct position), and far more accurate bi-pod mount:

Flip-up rear sight that doesn't flip up:

This brings the BFG up to maybe 95% on my satisfaction scale. I used a little artistic license here and there to compensate for the inaccuracies inherent in a scratch build, but they aren't such that I'm self-conscious about them. I hope someone gets some inspiration from this, just as the other scratch builds inspired me.

[DirtyBoy]

great job man....thanks for posting

[woodman]

that's great.

[Quartermaster]

Awesome job! I love seeing guys post scratch builds. Always interested in others creative ideas.

[FIVE]

Wow... that's so cool!!!

[TD6187]

good job mate!!!