Author Topic: Jkno's Imperial Command Center  (Read 236563 times)

Offline Tamer

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Re: Jkno's Imperial Command Center
« Reply #705 on: May 31, 2012, 04:30:13 AM »
Thanks Shawn. An AT-AT Driver can carry an E-11 without any problem. Many 501st AT-AT drivers are using Stormtrooper blasters.

Well I am finally putting the final touches on my at-at driver costume (I know a long time coming) so I am gonna need something that is movie accurate for it.

Oh, I put your update on the fp. I can but drool.

Offline jkno

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Re: Jkno's Imperial Command Center
« Reply #706 on: May 31, 2012, 04:37:04 AM »
So when will the At-AT Driver costume be ready? Any progress pics? Will you put it on a mannequin or wear it and apply for 501st?

When talking about a real deactivated Sterling Mk4/L2A3 converted as E-11 Stormtrooper blaster there are a few things you might want to know first:

1. First thing is to read carefully the gun laws regarding the deactivated/demilled weapons in your country and especially your state. VERY important to know if allowed to own one and in what conditions. There are 501st members from US who didn't get a real Sterling conversion because they were not allowed by law (Californie IIRC). It's easier to get a real gun in US than a deactivated one. Insane but true...

2. Second. You need greeblies. The Sterling itself is just a part of the equation. See here: http://www.partsofsw.com/index.htm and click on the purple Item button on the lower part of the page and then go to: BlasTech E-11 (Stormtrooper Blaster) , and read the info there. You can go 2 ways for the greeblies: originals or resin copies. Personally I have originals on the Sterling and copies on the SDS blaster.

a. Thus first you need a tank scope: M-38, M-40 or M-19. All rare and expensive ($100-$500). Then you need to make a scope rail for it to hold the scope. b. You also need accurate T-tracks to be put on the barrel of the gun ($20-$80). c. Then you might want a Hengstler counter to attack to the scope rail, even better if you get the accurate but the VERY rare Eagle version with metal socket ($70-$200) - I just got an Eagle one after looking for one since last year. d. The last thing you might want is a set of cylinders ($70-$150). So in the end these greeblies are quite expensive and hard to find.

The MR Stormtrooper blaster doesn't come with replica cylinders or Hengstler, just with scope and rail and T-tracks. But is quite accurate.

3. Third, you need your gun to be deactivated by US laws and not EU for example. In EU a deactivation means a bit of reworking inside and welding by a professional authorized gunsmith, the overall appearance of the weapon remains identical. But deactivation in US means that gun is cut into pieces like this:



Thus you need someone to get it fixed for you, with authorization of course. There you have the spring removed and many parts welded back. So a Sterling deactivated in US will never look as good as one deactivated in EU. And it is not allowed to own in US an EU deactivated weapon. Sorry.

4. If you get a deactivated, but unmodified Sterling you need to cut the magazine to be shorter like it was in SW.

5. You need to get a Sterling MK4 L2A3 and not other versions.

Still you can get a cool deactivated Sterling converted as E-11 Stormtrooper blaster from here: http://yhst-5672966975550.stores.yahoo.net/swste11.html  and here: http://yhst-5672966975550.stores.yahoo.net/swstbl.html (some greeblies might need updating and changing) or a simple demilled Sterling from here: http://www.ima-usa.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=sterling&x=0&y=0 (but in last case you need all those greeblies)

DO NOT buy a real working Sterling because the last time we meet will be with you behind bars. Only deactivated/demilled as per your country and state laws!

I haven't seen too many Sterlings for sale especially if modified/converted as Stormtrooper blasters. On forums there were not more than 4 or 5 in many years (one was mine). The last UK deactivated blaster sold last week on RPF for $1000 plus shipping (UK only) and it sold VERY fast.  These are RARE and hard to find and not all countries allow them. And if you have extra greeblies on them they are even more expensive. But real deactivated Sterlings professionally converted as E-11 are the closest thing to the real SW prop. Nothing will beat that.

Or you can go for the MR Stormtrooper blaster, which is easier to acquire due to more permissive laws, but also quite expensive.

Glad I collect only OT Imperials otherwise I would have to go for Denix Mausers and others LOL.

Sergiu
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Offline Tamer

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Re: Jkno's Imperial Command Center
« Reply #707 on: May 31, 2012, 04:44:25 AM »
Wow, what a great set of instructions. Geesh, this thing is gonna set me back almost as much as the costume! Oh well, if you are gonna do it, may as well do it right.

Offline jkno

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Re: Jkno's Imperial Command Center
« Reply #708 on: May 31, 2012, 04:56:24 AM »
So when will the At-AT Driver costume be ready? Any progress pics? Will you put it on a mannequin or wear it and apply for 501st? ;)
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Offline Tamer

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Re: Jkno's Imperial Command Center
« Reply #709 on: May 31, 2012, 05:18:13 AM »
So when will the At-AT Driver costume be ready? Any progress pics? Will you put it on a mannequin or wear it and apply for 501st? ;)


I haven't even decided half of that stuff yet Serg. Not sure yet when it will be ready. I definitely want to put it on a mannequin and set it up in my display room, but I might apply for 501st status. Perhaps.

Offline jkno

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Re: Jkno's Imperial Command Center
« Reply #710 on: May 31, 2012, 05:32:03 AM »
I was asking because a deactivated Sterling is very, cool but no way it will be good for trooping, neither to be held in the hands of a mannequin. It is too heavy and when trooping you might also have problems with police.For that I would recommend a Doopydoos blaster kit, a Hyperfirm or SDS blaster. They are very accurate but made of light plastic and resin instead of metal.
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Re: Jkno's Imperial Command Center
« Reply #711 on: May 31, 2012, 10:40:20 AM »
A link would be appreciated. I am starting to clutter your thread so if you want to pm me that would be cool.


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Re: Jkno's Imperial Command Center
« Reply #713 on: June 02, 2012, 05:27:15 PM »
Serg, if you see any great prices on any of these in your travels in the next few months I am ready to get one. I would love to have the sds one, but wow they won't go near the US.

Offline jkno

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Re: Jkno's Imperial Command Center
« Reply #714 on: June 03, 2012, 01:10:48 AM »
International shipping for look alike weapons is a pain in the a$$ alas. That is why the very cool Hyperfirms are not to be shipped internationally, though since you are in US I would advise to go for one of those. They are simply AWESOME!
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Re: Jkno's Imperial Command Center
« Reply #715 on: June 03, 2012, 05:08:45 AM »
I think I am gonna start with a Droopydoos just for the sheer fact that its not overly expensive and its light if I want to walk around all day with it.

I have got to figure on some type of holster and for the life of me don't know what that would look like or how to go about finding a white one. I know it wouldn't be canon either. Why wouldn't they give a holster to Imperial Troops who carried blasters!

Serg, I appreciate all your advice. Heaven knows I have cluttered your collection thread up enough with all of this.

I can delete all of these posts if you would like so as to focus on your great collection. I do apologize.

Offline jkno

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Re: Jkno's Imperial Command Center
« Reply #716 on: June 03, 2012, 08:06:32 AM »
Not a problem Shawn, at least you'll know where to find this info in the future, PM's get deleted in time. And I like discussions about collecting too :)

The doopy's blaster is used by many 501st and is made from an original Sterling too, so very accurate. As I said before 501st FISD/Whitearmor and RPF forums are great to learn about these things and also to buy stuff
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Offline jkno

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Re: Jkno's Imperial Command Center
« Reply #717 on: June 12, 2012, 01:11:54 AM »
Brian Muir "In the Shadow of Vader" book with autograph and signed plaque:




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Offline jkno

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Re: Jkno's Imperial Command Center
« Reply #718 on: June 17, 2012, 02:43:33 AM »
My converted Sterling is now almost finished :), with real Eagle Hengstler, genuine M-40 scope (next week a M-38 arrives too), accurate T-tracks, and the new cylinders:










The 2 cylinders sets I got from Joerg, the one with dual small capacitors (left) and the one with 3 holes (right) arrived. In the one with the 3 holes I added the newly found screen accurate small capacitors I received from a good friend after painting them, they are just attached with their wires and no glue or anything else, so if I want to reposition them or take them off, it can be done in seconds.


The entire ensemble is connected to the blaster with 2 flat and powerful rare earth magnets (glued to the cylinders and painted black), thus I can exchange between the two options and also change the position of the cylinders if want to - too bad Master Replicas didn't add some of these greeblies to their version of the Stormtrooper blaster, it would have been so much better:


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Offline Tamer

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Re: Jkno's Imperial Command Center
« Reply #719 on: June 18, 2012, 04:48:40 AM »
Wow, I can but marvel. Nice Serg.