My New Weapon: Blaster Carbine Rifle [Archive] - The Custom Saber Shop Forums

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Jedi-Loreen

11-02-2009, 12:29 AM

I had been posting my progress of this in the "Blasters?" thread, but now I'm giving it it's own thread.

I've been wanting to have a new weapon for my RFT to use at informal events. Something like a rifle that would give me more firepower than a pistol, but short barreled to use in the confines of ship corridors, like a carbine rifle. So I decided to modify my Nerf CS-6 Recon blaster.

It started out life like this.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/373845.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/Nerf_Recon_04.jpg

I never really liked the spindly stock, so I knew I'd be replacing that with something. I originally wanted to use parts of the stock and make something retractable, but it didn't work like I wanted it do and looked ugly.

Some of those pieces I was going to use are on the right side of the little table:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/SUNP0104.jpg

Anyway....the first thing I did was to open it up and remove all the Nerf dart firing guts. I already had a sound board that I'd ripped out of this toy blaster:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/51I0VmTziPL_SS500_.jpg

Then I ordered a red Luxeon 1 LED and the 5 degree lens and holder for it. When those parts came, I saw that I could put it inside the barrel coupler by adding a short piece of 3/4" thin walled PVC pipe (as a prop builder, I have various sizes and thicknesses of PVC pipe in the garage) to the inside of it and wrapping a couple layers of electrical tape around the lens holder.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/SUNP0095.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/SUNP0097.jpg

I found out that a 3/4" piece of clear polycarbonate tube (left over from my old EL lightsaber blade making days) fit in place of the original inner barrel perfectly, so I sanded it on the outside to diffuse it so it would light up and shine out from the slots in the barrel.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/SUNP0091.jpg

I knew had to make a resonating chamber for the speaker (not the original one, because somehow I FUBARed that when I took the sound board out of the toy blaster pistol) because it wasn't very loud. I didn't care about the messed up speaker, because I had a TCSS premium speaker that I would be using.

I did some reading about resonance and made up a chamber 2" long and glued strips of styrene 1/2" from the bottom what would hold the speaker which I would later glue in with some RTV. I cut a slot in the side for the wires to come out, epoxied on the bottom and put a small piece of foam at the bottom of the chamber before the speaker went in.

I needed a DPDT switch to run both the LED and sound board, so I got that and I had already wired the speaker, the LED and the battery pack, so I was able to test everything before I soldered it all together.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/SUNP0108.jpg

I still had to make a mount for the switch and something to attach to the trigger that would press on the switch, so I built those 2 things out of styrene. I keep small sheets of that of varying thicknesses, too. Comes in handy for scratch building things.

But since my original stock idea wasn't working like I wanted, I reached a creative stumbling block that made me put it aside for more than a month.

My Fan Force was going to be in a Halloween parade. I knew we'd have Jedi and Sith with their lightsabers, and I really wanted a cool like up prop for the night time parade, since I was going in my RFT costume, so that got me re-motivated, but I still wasn't happy about even a static version of my first stock idea.

Then, last Monday, I was looking for something in the garage, and came across a crappy looking, cheap airsoft rifle that I'd had an idea to mod for a costume prop weapon. But when I got it it was so cheap, that I didn't want to use it. But I looked at the stock, and it was pretty cool looking, it was actually the nicest part of the gun, and it was removable.

I looked at the mount for it on the gun's receiver and thought it would be fairly easy to replicate it with some bits of sheet styrene, so I built the mount for it and it worked well. I also beefed up the inside of the end of the Nerf gun so it would be stronger where I was going to screw it all on.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/SUNP0125.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/SUNP0126.jpg

Once I got that made and got it and the stock painted, I spent Friday mounting and wiring up the electronics. I had a few small problems, like the positive tab breaking off the first battery holder, but I worked them out and got the gun finished early that evening. The battery holder was one that I'd used for something else and had rather large gauge wires on it. I'm kind of glad it broke, because I did the next one better, epoxied the tabs down and made a strain relief.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/SUNP0116.jpg

Here's the guts. The battery pack it housed inside the cut down magazine. The speaker/resonating chamber is the black tube above that. The sound board is hot glued to the upper right and the red and white switch is below that.

The slide is locked back and I filled in the slots with more strips of styrene, because I wanted the sound to come out of the Access Door (used for clearing Nerf dart jams).

Here's how it turned out:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/SUNP0122.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/SUNP0123.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/SUNP0124.jpg

I didn't want to have to hold it all the time, so I made a 3 point rifle sling, I found the instructions for it online and got all the supplies from strapworks.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/SUNP0120.jpg

I like that it breaks down, because it will fit inside my small tub on either side of my RFT helmet.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/SUNP0118.jpg

Here it is in action:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/OCSWShalloween2009019.jpg
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x318/odinbear/OCSWShalloween2009021.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/OCSWShalloween2009023.jpg

No, I was not aiming right at the camera, the LED is VERY bright. I was actually aiming about the photographer's knees.

I had lots of fun "shooting" at the crowd along the parade route. I'm glad I was in front of the Jedi and Sith and their lightsabers. I got a good response from the crowd.

I was aiming so that the LED hit the ground 2 or 3 feet in front of the people, but it's so bright, you can still see the "muzzel flash". Even if I wasn't "aiming" at anyone, you can still see the slots in the barrel light up from the sides.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/SUNP0127.jpg
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/SUNP0129.jpg
My crappy camera does not pick up good color saturation from colored LEDs.

I'm pretty happy with the way this turned out. I know a lot of the Mando Merc are using this gun, but they are just repainting it most of the time. So mine looks unique with the stock, and it has sound and an LED in it.

EDIT:

Here's a short video I did while I had my tripod out for something else.

Sorry there's no sound, but I don't have a video camera, this is the video setting on my digital camera.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/th_SUNP0139.jpg (http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/JediLoreen/Weapons/My%20Blasters/?action=view&current=SUNP0139.flv)

ARKM

11-02-2009, 02:22 AM

Very nice J-Lo.

Jedi-Loreen

11-02-2009, 02:37 AM

Thanks. :-)

strengthofrage

11-02-2009, 05:33 AM

Very well done, I really like what you did with the stock, very mean looking :)

Rhyen Skytracker

11-02-2009, 05:59 AM

Looks very nice. I really like the stock. Great job J-Lo.

Jasten Skywalker

11-02-2009, 07:43 AM

Looks great J-lo. I too like the stock you chose. It turned out awesome.

Alcfalath

11-02-2009, 07:47 AM

Very nice :) an inspiration to blaster makers out there :) Including myself :)

$tarkiller

11-02-2009, 08:23 AM

Personally, I would like to see what it would look like with the original stock, but still, this was very creative and Job well done!

FenderBender

11-02-2009, 08:27 AM

Sweet job on this one J-Lo! Need a video:D

Jedi-Loreen

11-02-2009, 09:22 AM

Thanks guys.

Don't have a video camera, or access to one.

I could to a short video with my crappy camera, but there'd be no sound.

$k, I already said that I hated the original stock, and I chopped it all up, anyway. If you want so see one with the original stock, go to the "Blasters?" thread and look at Obi-Dar's.

I like having one that doesn't look like all the other repainted Recons out there.

Lawrs1

11-02-2009, 01:38 PM

Looks great J-Lo, you have done a great job with that, I like it alot

Jedi-Loreen

11-02-2009, 02:13 PM

Thanks :-)

Invisas1979

11-02-2009, 03:38 PM

Slick work J-Lo, slick work indeed. You are a prop master or is that mistress??? :)

How much to make me one?

Vos Malek

11-02-2009, 06:27 PM

Wow nice work! I've been watchng the other thread and now I have to make one. I picked up a Longshot but and going to convert it to a carbine. I'm thinking black and red to go with a mando costume (if I can ever get one together). Thinking about a lux and some kind of sound. I have no experience with Lux 1s though. I searched and found 3 or 4 different red ones. What kind did you use? I don't want to go overkill and blind someone..

Jedi-Loreen

11-02-2009, 06:27 PM

Thanks.

But if your request is serious, you shouldn't be asking that in the open forum

When I make something custom for myself, whether props or leather work or whatever, I will not replicate it exactly for anyone else, it needs to be unique for me. Though I can't stop someone from trying to copy me. :p

Besides, I don't even remember where I bought that cheap airsoft gun I got the stock from.

Vos Malek

11-02-2009, 06:34 PM

Ingchao

11-02-2009, 06:41 PM

X-cellent work!

After seeing that, I think my Ronin Jedi character is gonna get himself a sidearm!
'cause sometimes you don't wanna wait until your enemy is close enough to take him out!

Jedi-Loreen

11-02-2009, 10:39 PM

I'm not trying to replicate your blaster. I just wanted advice on what type of led to choose. Trust me I have plenty of ideas of my own. And I'm starting with a completely different gun you did. I just called it a carbine because thats what it is, not really alluding to your specific design. Well I guess mine technically won't be a carbine anymore since I'm going with a round clip now.. it's going to be more of an auto rifle.. Sorry if I made the impression that I'm trying to copy you.

This is what I'm starting with
http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy283/VosMalek/6198323d720a_main400.jpg
and I'm adding this
http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy283/VosMalek/Bb-vSIg2kKGrHqIOKjEq4gH8fhBKygyTkUm.jpg

If people want to try and copy me, I guess I should be flattered. :p

If you want to put an LED in it, where would you put it? It looks like you still want to retain the Nerf dart firing capability, if you're getting the drum magazine.

I went with a Luxeon 1 (not sold in the Store) because it's easy to run off 3V and it's plenty bright used in a blaster.

Invisas1979

11-03-2009, 02:03 AM

Vos Malek

11-03-2009, 07:56 AM

I'm doing a complete conversion, the drum is just for looks really. I think it makes it look more aggresive.

astromech_kuhns

11-03-2009, 04:28 PM

very nice job! i will be doing something similar as i have already begun some work on my recon mod. i will be adding a strap as well. it will be for my mando.

good job on that! love the mod!!!

Jedi-Loreen

11-03-2009, 04:58 PM

Thanks, guys.

For anyone that wants to make a 3 point sling (or you can just make a simple one), I used the instructions here:

http://theprepared.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=106&Itemid=55 (http://theprepared.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=106&Itemid=55)

I ordered polypropylene webbing and hardware, plus some extra slide locks and 2 swivel snaps, plastic D-rings and metal powder coated D-rings at strapworks.com.

Do-Clo

11-03-2009, 05:21 PM

Very nice looking blaster Lori, I like the custom touches and the nice bright led setup.:D

Jedi-Loreen

11-04-2009, 12:00 PM

Thanks, Don. :D

Sairon

11-06-2009, 04:04 PM

Looks great J-Lo, very nice.

Paar Ad

11-07-2009, 12:25 PM

Wow...

Jedi-Loreen

11-07-2009, 05:41 PM

Added a short video to the bottom of the first post.

No sound though, I just used my digital camera, I don't have a real video camera.

lone-jedi

11-09-2009, 11:43 PM

is there somwhere i can read about instaling a sound card like that ? i dont know much of anything about that kind of stuff

Jedi-Loreen

11-10-2009, 12:12 AM

It's pretty simple.

Positive and negative battery input to the board, switch input and speaker outputs.

It's not rocket science. ;)

Nightwing

11-10-2009, 09:58 PM

I just picked up a Nerf Recon this week; I think I'm gonna repaint it, blaster-style. I'll probably make it two-tone, making certain sections (like the dark grey part) bright silver, and the rest of it black.

Goltar Bias

11-10-2009, 10:10 PM

I think you have set a new bar for us to reach for as far as original blasters go. Awesome job.

Jedi-Loreen

11-10-2009, 11:42 PM

Heh, thanks. :smile:

Novastar

11-11-2009, 12:14 PM

Ahhh! I didn't see this post before... good job, Lori! It reminds me a little bit of the blasters we had goin' on for BOP II. I guess I should have brought one during the L.A. trip, but... the last one I have I gave to Gundamaniac (it's just sitting around doing nothing I think, lol).

I especially like how your blaster breaks down, and the nice long "polycarb" barrel for the light to illuminate through nicely.

Jedi-Loreen

11-13-2009, 10:46 PM

Thanks, Nova. :D

Darth Securis

11-16-2009, 10:19 AM

Yeah, definitely one of the nicer conversions I've seen. I really like the stock on your rifle it completely changes the way it looks. I appreciate that kind of a conversion more than one that was just painted. I like making it challenging for people to recognize the source(s) for my projects. You did a great job on this one.

Jedi-Loreen

11-16-2009, 11:18 AM

Thanks!

I was at a costumed event (Orange County Buddy Walk at Angel Stadium to increase awareness for Down Syndrome), and I had a couple dads comment on my blaster.

One said, "Hey, that's a really cool blaster. I need to get one for my son." I said, "Well, you can't just "get" one of these, you can't buy it as it is. You have to make/build it." His face kind of fell, "Oh, I see."

I get that a lot, regarding my lightsabers and props, "Where did you get that?" "I built/made it." "Really?" As if they can't believe that a girl can build cool props.

The other conversation was cooler.
"Excuse me, your blaster, let me guess, converted airsoft?" "You're partly right, but only the stock is from a cheap airsoft rifle. The rest is a converted Nerf Recon." "Really? I would have never thought that was a Nerf gun. Very cool." "Thanks!" :-)

sekrogue1985

11-16-2009, 01:10 PM

nice j-lo i have one of those actually i might try it out.