Early's Pistol

[AZSneed]

So who is going to buy one to convert over?

[pennausamike]

Dimensions and shapes:

[pennausamike]

Well, it has been over a year since I've posted an update; and boy, what a year.
But, with the 2015 Browncoat Ball coming up,
there is one new and two old projects I'd like to wrap up and take off the "to-do" list.

First is the new project, a 3-D printed project to replace a cast-from-original prop that I sold awhile back.

This is the Joatrash Jubal Early pistol kit:



This is a top-notch effort that, with a little bondo and filler primer will turn out a super nice replica.
I modified a few of the kit features to suit my own builder sensibilities
(solid brass barrel and grip weight to add weight to the pistol for example)
but anyone who would normally tackle this kind of kit will get better than average results.
I'll be finishing off the main body with Dupli-color bumper chrome,
which is how I painted the first two Early pistols I did, and I like those results.

[Joatrash]

Glad it got there safely!

Tips: You shouldn't really need any bondo unless you really want to use it. Don't be afraid to go to town with courser sandpaper at first. The "walls" of the print are about 0.8 thick and inside is a grid-like structure. Filler-primer ha always been sufficient. Also, use ACRIFIX 116 (or another acrylic cement) to glue the parts, just like you would a styrene model. The bond will be super-strong.

[pennausamike]

Glad it got there safely!

Tips: You shouldn't really need any bondo unless you really want to use it.
Don't be afraid to go to town with courser sandpaper at first.
The "walls" of the print are about 0.8 thick and inside is a grid-like structure.
Filler-primer has always been sufficient.
Also, use ACRIFIX 116 (or another acrylic cement) to glue the parts, just like you would a styrene model.
The bond will be super-strong.

Heyo Joe:

Thanks for the tips, and I would agree this is a very sturdy print.
I ran a .500 inch reamer through the barrel port so I could use 1/2" solid brass for the barrel.
That worked great.
All the parts have basically cleaned up really nice, and I'll be relying on the filler primer to fill the layer lines.
I'm still going to use bondo on the main body, but that is the ONLY place that calls for it to my eye.
EVERYTHING is a very precise fit.
I made a few mods to suit my personal taste, both mechanically and aesthetically.
I filled all the oversize screw holes with JB Weld
and drilled and tapped them for the 8-32 stainless steel flathead screws I'm using.
I opened up the "hammer/cocking piece" to accept a slightly turned down stainless 3/8th rod.
(The original pistol is brass, like you supplied.)
I also machined two 3/8" copper buttons for the side pieces,
(once again, the brass you supplied is more correct to the original pistol.)
Those were both my choices based on what I thought I saw when I watched the episode.
The little spring loaded trigger works well, once I found a good extension spring.

I would say that you have done the best job to date capturing the shape and flow of this odd pistol;
just a super effort all around.

[pennausamike]

I'm nearly finished with my Early pistol.
I have to paint the trigger "steel" color and sort out the under barrel pieces, but it is pretty much "done".



Here is mine in comparison to the original as photographed by Badger and found in the Titan Companion volume, "Still Flying".



And looking at the other side,



and a view down the .30 caliber barrel, (which reminds me, I have to paint the inside of the bore.)



To say it again, this was a marvelous, straight-forward build and I think Joe's nicest kit thus far.

Mike

[Joatrash]

Wow! You got a killer metal finish on that thing.

Hmm... I see now that my trigger and trigger guard aren't really 100% there. Odd thing is that the images I was working off (not the companion photo above) those details match pretty much exactly. Shows how much just the tiniest switch in perspective can affect the end result.