tipperaryred

As expected, there were a few gaps in the model after assembly, so I used some Isopon car body filler to deal with this. It was quite straightforward to mix and apply, and once it was dry I sanded it down with some more wet and dry paper.

The first major job was the sanding, so I started off with an 80 grit sanding bit on the end of a power drill. Then I used some 220 grit wet and dry paper to do some wet sanding over everything. Finally I used some modelling files to sand down some of the smaller and more detailed parts. Once all this was done, I glued together the barrel, the scope, and the stock/receiver in 3 separate sections.

So I just finished a DLT-19x build for my Del Meeko, and thought I'd copy my build thread over from the Irish Garrison in case it comes in handy for anyone here. It's the first time I've build and painted a 1:1 prop, so it was very much a learning process but I was happy with the end result. I'll split various parts of the build between replies to keep some structure to it all. I started off with a 3D print of the necessary parts from Breaking the Mold here in Ireland. I know PLA plastic has a reputation for being quite brittle, and this is a huge rifle, so I decided early on that it needed some internal supports. Jimmy kindly printed a 1/2" channel through the middle that an aluminium tube could be inserted through (found on Ebay), while the barrel was to be supported by a thin steel 1 1/4" tube kindly donated by my GCO Chris. The steel tube has an acrylic disk insert so that it can be fed onto the aluminium tube sticking out of the receiver (ie. so the two pieces can be stored disassembled).

Clearance granted. TX86327 reporting in. Thanks to my many brothers and sisters that helped along the way, with a special shout to Tony for keeping me up with the proposed CRL changes.

A lot of progress since my last update here. I've now finished the armour, helmet, inner belt, outer belt and gloves. My flightsuit and scout pouches are due at the end of this month, and then I'll have everything I need to finish the job. All that's needed now is a little more work on the vest, to add the shoulder pouch to the flightsuit, and to put some finishing touches to my boots.

Photo update: Base fibreglass parts sanded down and cleaned, ready for first primer After a double coat of Halford's filler primer After another round of sanding and cleaning After a double coat of Vallejo black primer spray After the first coat of Rust-Oleum gloss black After the second coat of gloss

So a good length building update today! Jim's armour was wet sanded with 240 grit sanding sponge and then cleaned up with a tack cloth and some rubbing alcohol. I then applied two coats of Halford's Filler Primer spray and gave it 24 hours to dry. I then used both Polyfilla and some Citadel Liquid Green Stuff to fill in any holes (including Versio's oval shaped indent behind the left shoulder - thanks for the reminder Tony!). Again I cleaned this up, before moving on to the next primer - Vallejo Hobby Paint black primer spray. I applied this in two thin coats and left for another 24 hours. The Vallejo sprays did have an unfortunately habit of spitting large drops of paint onto the armour occasionally, so after 24 hours I dried sanded these parts with a 400 grit sponge and cleaned it all up. Then I applied one coat of Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch gloss black spray. Looks good so far, and I'll give it a second coat early next week. For some reason I can't upload any more photos (Max total size 0.09MB), but if I'll keep looking to see if I can find out why!

So, I'm overdue an update on my build! Component list, updates and photos below! Flight Suit & Scout Pouches (both oxford weave), being made by NerDIY [NL]. Vinyl on fabric patches arrived courtesy of Stitch me Up (FB) [UK]. Compad arrived from 2BlueTwiLeks (Etsy) [AT] - I'll make a few small alterations to make sure it matches the CRL. Jim Tripon [PHL] provided the Armour, Tac Vest, Scout Belt and Thermal Detonator. Inner belt provided by Belting Imperials [UK]. E11 holster through Friedel D, based on a recommendation from Tony [DE]. MP40 pouches arrived from a seller on Etsy [USA]. Gloves obtained through Giovanni Rodriguez [EC]. Helmet - ordered from 3D Schmiede on FB [DE]. Balaclava - I've already got a CRL friendly one. Boots - I got a great pair on the recommendation of one of the Ireland Garrision last year. They're for Imp Officers, so would just need an adjustment flap and buckle added on for Inferno clearance. DLT-19X - As it's optional, I'm going to wait until I have everything else sorted first. More photos to follow!

So, my first components have arrived so time for another update! TS-23116 (Wayne, UK - Belting Imperials) produced a great ROTJ belt for me. He was also kind enough to include an extra length of leather to assist with the holster attachment (see below). TK-6845 (Friedel, Germany) made a great holster for me. The current CRL specifies "loop" attachment, but Tony let me know that it isn't strictly accurate to reference images, and showed me a way to attach the holster underneath the belt instead. That's where the extra strap of leather from Wayne will come in handy! The boots were a pair I bought last year when I planned on building a Line Officer uniform instead. I'll need to create a flap and adjustment strap for each to bring them into line with Inferno appearance. I had one idea which I'd appreciate some opinions on - fixing some magnets on the inside of the boots to create a temporary attachment point for the extra details. This way I could simply pull the adjustment strap off if I later want to use the boots for a different costume. Can anyone think of any reasons why that wouldn't work? Thanks! Daniel

Thanks David, I've been talking with Tony and he's kept me up to speed on some of the most likely changes. I'll keep tuned in! Latest update: Flight Suit & Scout Pouches (both oxford weave), ordered from NerDIY. Vinyl on fabric patches ordered from Stitch me Up (FB). Compad ordered from 2BlueTwiLeks (Etsy) - quite reasonably priced, so can be modified or replaced if necessary. Have asked Jim Tripon for a quote on Armour, Tac Vest, Scout Belt and Thermal Detonator. Inner belt ordered from Belting Imperials. E11 holster ordered on FB through a recommendation from Tony. MP40 pouches - still looking. Gloves are proving tough to find, so if anyone knows of any split gauntlets that match the CRL I'd appreciate a heads up! Helmet - I've been told to try 3D Schmiede on FB for the most accurate Inferno helmet. Balaclava - I've already got a CRL friendly one. Boots - I got a great pair on the recommendation of one of the Ireland Garrision last year. They're for Imp Officers, so would just need an adjustment flap and buckle added on for Inferno clearance. DLT-19X - I've a couple of different options already, but I might leave that until I have a few other pieces.

Hi all, So, an early update on my Del Meeko project after getting some great guidance, especially from TX-20113 who already has a great Del Meeko built over in the German Garrison: Flight Suit & Scout Pouches (both oxford weave), ordering from NerDIY. Vinyl on fabric patches ordered from Stitch me Up (FB). Compad ordered from 2BlueTwiLeks (Etsy). Have asked Jim Tripon for a quote on Armour, Tac Vest, Scout Belt and Thermal Detonator. Requested a quote from Belting Imperials for the belt. Have found a few options for E11 holsters and MP40 shoulder pouches on Etsy and Ebay, but will continue looking to see if I can find some better value and/or quality. Recommendations welcome! Gloves are proving tough to find, so if anyone knows of any split gauntlets that match the CRL I'd appreciate a heads up! Helmet - I've been told to try 3D Schmiede on FB for the most accurate Inferno helmet. Balaclava - I've already got a CRL friendly one. Boots - I got a great pair on the recommendation of one of the Ireland Garrision last year. They're for Imp Officers, so would just need an adjustment flap and buckle added on for Inferno clearance. DLT-19X - I've a couple of different options already, but I might leave that until I have a few other pieces. All in all, a start that I'm happy with! Got to have something to do while confined to the house for weeks on end!