Tom’s Andor Corporate Issue Blaster

[Scott2022]

Really great research on this. I've been struggling with how the scope mount is attached after looking at the images, but I think you're right in thinking the high res images released are from a casting of the hero and the actual hero prop uses two pins or hex bolts to attach the bracket and scope mount.
I do find it strange that they would use a 'stunt' casting for close-ups though?

 

[szkoda1974]

It’s comping on great keep going buddy.

 

[thd9791]

Really great research on this. I've been struggling with how the scope mount is attached after looking at the images, but I think you're right in thinking the high res images released are from a casting of the hero and the actual hero prop uses two pins or hex bolts to attach the bracket and scope mount.
I do find it strange that they would use a 'stunt' casting for close-ups though?

It’s comping on great keep going buddy.

Thank you, both of you! I’m sitting in front of it now, taking a break from yard work, and planning.

It is odd, although the Star Wars universe is not known lately for making sure the Hero is photographed for reference. Rey very often used a flat surface stunt saber in closeups and even in Ep. 3 we’re looking at resin sabers most often. If you’re able to chrome plate plastic what’s the point lol

That being said, yeah I’m a little miffed about it. Also they seem to have cast it in a few parts before assembling, hence the crooked parts.

I do REALLY like that they spray painted the scope mount while it’s on the gun that’s how the metal ESB Han/Luke blasters were done, the back of those mounts were bare aluminum while the exposed side was black. Here the lower half is bare aluminum. Also the lower front corner and the rear of the slot are rounded btw, you can see that on the photo I forgot to implant in my last post on the previous page.

 

[thd9791]

Okay, after trying to sand this I decided to hit the whole with with automotive filler primer first. Now I have a solid looking surface to work on

I also lathed a bevel in some Tasco 4x28 scope knobs, the thin plastic ones that came on the scope just didn’t do it for me




Wet sanded the primer, I do like this stage.. you get to forget about the color and only pay attention to the texture!

You’ll notice a Delrin tip. Hardest plastic I’ve ever tried to carve..

 

[thd9791]

We’re on our way!

 

[szkoda1974]

When you start to put primer on stuff you start to see it becoming something more than just a collection of parts.

 

[thd9791]

Long story short, I was stuck between doing all the detail and doing all the structure first. I went with the latter, and made a resin/aluminum/Delrin front all as one piece



Including a little piece of PVC for the step behind the barrel


With some putty we’re here now


Now, I swapped the Phillips screws out with Allen countersunk bolts, which are 8-32 threading… the ones on this RadioShack blaster?…. 8-41? Maybe? I have no clue but they were not 32 threads per inch

So I took some 8-32 nuts.. that are too big because the nuts on this are proprietary too.. ugh

So I ground the nuts 6 faces smaller to fit inside the gun


And finally I’m currently spraying lacquer on my custom grips. I’m sorry, I hate the rubber looking grips and I’m more of an Original Trilogy blaster person anyway



I got this wood from an old geezer who hoarded everything he could find to turn into physical art. This was an attempt at a guitar with flame ..maple? Oak? Something, but I’ve been using small pieces for things like this

 

[thd9791]

I used a piece of right angle aluminum to sharpie lines on the barrel. I thought I would do the engraving before I drill for the metal fins! I’m less worried about that and more worried about the gentle carving that needs attention.

I also laid down gaff tape strips as a guide for me and the bits. I’m going to try using the carbide bits I use for wood, and a thin cutting disc for the lines!

 

[thd9791]

Can’t forget where the lines stop and divert to the polygon shape!

 

[DamnYankee123]

Very cool. I have my "special model" waiting for me to work on it. Looking to see if anyone is going to offer a run of the printed scope mount, greeblies, barrel, etc.

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

I wish you luck on hand engraving the lines on this thing. I hated it working on my Dooku. I would've just opted for styrene instead to make the parting lines.

 

[thd9791]

okay, so it turns out those cross-hatched burrs for wood also eat away aluminum very well. I was a little shocked at HOW well and i mis-judged pressure and sliced open one of my fingers.

We're all good, it wast deep, and I cleaned/treated and bound it and it's knitted back together. So I went back at it.

I used a thin-cut Dremel cut-off disc to do the long slots, and some diamond bits for the connections. It's not perfect, but pretty damn good for free-hand carving! The slot on the bottom was very satisfying to do with a cylinder shaped burr. Yes I slipped and I'm going to have to sand and filler-primer some of these cuts

I also took some 6mm aluminum and made my very own bracket blank!

I used a rather thick drill bit to drill a bunch of holes around this shape, which I re-drew twice lol

Anyway, it was quite the thing but I made it through, and used those cutting discs to chop out the shape. Belt sander.... and many metal files brought it down to this shape

It's not perfect but again, not half bad for some power tools and handiwork! I'll be adding the details and sharpening the flat sides soon..... I do see a bump on the table-shot of the bracket. Now that I look at it, the bump is shorter. I'm going to move that bevel lower...

 

[thd9791]

 

[thd9791]

Okay, we're on a roll! It took some real patience to stop and re-eyeball after each hole and each cut. There are many meal files I used... here are just a few

I used a drill press to knock out a lot of material.. slog out material? What's the term for that

And a hanging rotary tool with cutting discs and engraving bits. Admittedly it was a lot of work, a full day overall.
The smooth surfaces are honestly a result of the metal files and a belt sander. Sandpaper does not do this, nor do engraving bits. For the most part I did not transfer the pattern directly, we have very few full face-on shots of the thing, so I referenced the corners of the shape to place where the changes in the pattern were. corners, where lines start, etc. used lots of Rapid Tap. You may notice, the leg is actually longer/wider than the body of the bracket!

After a lot of cleanup, hand filing etc.

Then I used little squeezy clamps to help line up the scope rings (This was a little confusing for me to setup, as it also needed backing: I used a transfer punch to mark the aluminum. Then I could drill for a hole slightly wider than some brass screws I salvaged from somewhere. about 5mm holes.

The internal lines could be straighter but I don't have a mill and shouldn't be too hard on myself, I do really like how this is turning out.

coincidentally, the bracket on screen seems to be about 4.5-5mm thick. My bracket is closer to 5.5-6mm and I may thin it down. It bumps into the scope rings

 

[thd9791]

Planning the next steps, the grips need some more sanding underneath, it’s not flat

The barrel fins are next. They do sit underneath the surface of the barrel. So I’m going to have to make grooves. I’m thinking I might also add two set screws or pins to help anchor them in the surface.

 

[thd9791]

I'm adding some more reference for myself. I took some 3,000 ish pixel shots from a screencap site and edited them a little.

It almost looks like the scope mounts are different. I don't see the grill in the window on the side of the gun either.

Some good detail on the barrel details. I have yet to carve and plant my barrel fins. It does look like the fins go into the surface but the surrounding ridge is a surface detail.

 

[thd9791]

I might be completely misinformed, but there might be a chance a grub screw runs up from the bottom, clamping the bracket to the internal bar.

It's almost like an optical illusion, but I'm starting to see the shadows of a grub screw head poking out (down towards the handle) just beneath the bracket

 

[thd9791]

I’m not 100% sure how I’m going to plant the fins yet but I at least needed a few hours of hand cutting and grinding to shape them. At least generally.

I used a toothed cut off saw to slice sections out and some carbide burrs to blow out the rest of the material. The outside shape I did with a hacksaw and my belt/disc sander… taking lots of breaks because they heat up so quickly!

I countersunk some screws into my mount instead, zero-flute bit with a circle instead of straight cutters, worked beautifully

And I’m actually going to add some vintage electronics to the window instead of weird lettering and a barcode

Finally planning for the fins, I sunk the groove in the “dial” feature deeper as it looks on the prop, underneath the fin

 

[PoopaPapaPalps]

The fact that you hand cut and all these little parts is insane. I know that all the filing and clean up afterwards is most of the job. Can I make one suggestion for greeblies? Get rid of those gross lettered buttons and replace them with OT buttons on like the EBS DL-44 or RotJ Leia Defender. The Aurebesh detail on this prop is so damn ugly.

 

[thd9791]

The fact that you hand cut and all these little parts is insane. I know that all the filing and clean up afterwards is most of the job. Can I make one suggestion for greeblies? Get rid of those gross lettered buttons and replace them with OT buttons on like the EBS DL-44 or RotJ Leia Defender. The Aurebesh detail on this prop is so damn ugly.

THANK YOU! I have to keep reminding myself I don't have a mill so doing this with only a drill press, hanging rotary tool and hand tools is not going to be perfect. I actually logged in because I have an update to post here next.

Exactly my plan too, I hate the aubresh and bar code, I have a neat plan in place for that area The buttons, I was thinking of adding some calc buttons inside out and sticking some death star brass in them... or I could just make closed buttons like the original blasters, I like those too. Square though I'm thinking..