Aliens M41a Pulse Rifle (from a Nerf Stampede!)

[Goosebot 5000]

this is a very VERY interesting build! i cant wait to see the finished product and to steal the idea from you so i dont have to pay out the wazoo for a kit!

 

[Ranger Jean]

Nice rifle! Truely some good work, thats what I call effort

 

[thatdecade]

Yay arduino! Have you purchased the sound module you linked to yet?

I found it on sparkfun and and they have lots of info on using it, including this arduino example: googlecode

 

[Combust]

Theyre is an airsoft m41 on http://www.airsoftpost.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_217_498&products_id=24013
but its out of stock i think

Yeah i saw that. Amazing. Unfortunately all airsoft guns are illegal in Australia (Even though we have legal painball guns and Aus Battlegroup (Or something like that) that fire bb pellets.

There are even problems with importing those movie prop Pulse rifles. They are too much like a replica... *shakes fist*

 

[Combust]

Thanks Glen, Biscuits, Goose and Jean It means alot!

Im now onto pepping the last bits of the barrel ontop of the grenade launcher... I wish this was in Peppakura as there are some bits that arent completely clear in the instructions. It would be nice to be able to swing the view around.

 

[Combust]

Yay arduino! Have you purchased the sound module you linked to yet?

I found it on sparkfun and and they have lots of info on using it, including this arduino example: googlecode

Yep i have purchased one, but for another project. (Bought it directly from the www.4dsystems.com.au site) The project will have it set to KEY-MODE as i dont have enough pins left on the Arduino hahah. I was lazy and didnt multiplex it, but also to learn the code a little more. I may need to modify it later down the line but for now it looks like it will all work.

Quick vid of it in action:

Cheers.

 

[thatdecade]

I do agree that key mode is easier to program, but serial mode only uses 2 IO pins. If your serial wire output is already in use, can use the SOMO-14d's reset pin as chip select. Edit: oh yeah, you said multiplex, lol

Is it responsive enough in key mode? Switching tracks for playback, etc...

 

[xBeaver Feaver]

Excellent work. The amount of talent and imagination I see in these forums is simply amazing.

 

[Reign]

Wow, the build is amazing and it looks like ammo counter is going to come out really awesome. I never did understand that code stuff but it looks like you should have it down!

 

[Grave Hawk]

That is an epic build! I can't wait to see it in action with that signature sound and with the ammo counter. Keep up the good work and props for learning all of that code!

 

[Combust]

I do agree that key mode is easier to program, but serial mode only uses 2 IO pins. If your serial wire output is already in use, can use the SOMO-14d's reset pin as chip select. Edit: oh yeah, you said multiplex, lol

Is it responsive enough in key mode? Switching tracks for playback, etc...

Hmm your question has made me think about it in more detail...
It should be very responsive but the limitations of having it in KEY_MODE mean that i couldnt have seperate sounds triggered. It would just be one looping sound bite for the rifle (Unless i added a circut). Ok so new plan, get the ammo counter working, then later down the line multiplex it so i have more free pins on the Arduino free for the sound module control.

Trigger = Pulse rifle sound.
Cock the grenade launcher = Cocking sound (Forward and back 2 differernt sounds?)
Trigger grenade launcher = Thock sound.

FYI for those interested, page 6 of this document has the diagram on how to attach the module to a host micro: http://www.sparkfun.com/datasheets/BreakoutBoards/SOMO-14D-DS-rev3.pdf

 

[Combust]

Excellent work. The amount of talent and imagination I see in these forums is simply amazing.

Agreed. Ive been following Thorssoli, LongShot-X and a heap of other builds and they are all fantastic! It give me something to aim for. Im aiming high and as acurate and clean as possible due to the number of amazing builds here!

 

[Combust]

That is an epic build! I can't wait to see it in action with that signature sound and with the ammo counter. Keep up the good work and props for learning all of that code!

Wow, the build is amazing and it looks like ammo counter is going to come out really awesome. I never did understand that code stuff but it looks like you should have it down!

Thanks Grave and Reign! Im not a programmer by any means but i do understand the code in a general way. (Though ask me to produce it from scratch and I'd have a heart attack lol) Ive got an amazing group of people that are helping me learn the coding side.

Im trying to push through to a point where i get stuck or have to ask a question.

 

[Shadow1336]

Awesome. Just Awesome!
I'm totally doing this to one of my Stampedes!

 

[Combust]

Okay... due to some heavy rain over the weekend (Its meant to be dry! I dont know whats going on... Not that im complaining about rain after 5 years of drought hehe) ive had to take the bondo indoors, or at least in a shed. It was both good and bad: the good was i was dry, the bad was that it saturated my filters (And gave me a big dose of fumes... very bad.). Im going to buy some better filters rated at a higher ppm and try to setup some fans for ventilation.

Here are the last pepped pieces, the barrel, the grenade barrel and the grenade barrel tip:

The bondo looks nasty but as you can see, after some sanding it will come out pretty smooth:

Resin on the newly pepped bits. Unfortunately i didnt mix enough catalyst into the resin and it failed big time, 2 hours later and wasnt cured. I figured id break out the heater and see what i could do. 1.5 hours of the heater on high and it cured finally.

I fiberglassed over the rondo on the 'hand grip' as when the rondo dried, it warped alot. I then broke it a little to get it back into the correct shape then went over it in fiberglass. Its much better now but i think ill remake this bit without the little vent holes. These can be dremeled into it later. Also for the barrel brackets, ill make them out of some thin aluminium.

Oooo it even looks like a Pulse rifle now! (I was hoping it would fit in the case above but as you can see its too small hehe)

To-do list:
Remake the 'hand grip'
Sand sand sand!
Work out if i need to cut the shroud in half and strengthen with fiberglass.
Pull the Stampede apart and work out where it needs to be trimmed.
Buy ammo counter bits.


Phew!

 

[Combust]

Sand, sand, sand! OMG the amount of sanding ive done during the clear parts of the day is astounding! Also so much rain that the grass is green, this is nortmally unheard of here.

Added bondo to most of the pieces and sanded almost flat. There are a few areas that needed more bondo and more sanding. Note that ive sanded off the bits that stick out. Ill remake these in aluminium after its mostly finished:

After *alot* of backwards and forwards sanding and bondo, its come out very nice I still have to do inside the 'handle' area then round all the edges but its sooo smooth now!

Soon i will need to go up a sandpaper grit so it can be smoothed more ready for primer and paint. Im remaking the hand grip as the little holes are really **** to sand and they cause alot of warping.

 

[Combust]

So what do you guys think?

 

[Swift]

Will... you have my babies?

Also, what do you use for sanding? Do you just do it by hand? Or with a mouse sander? Becayse DAYUMN that stuff is smooth boy!

 

[Combust]

Maybe, I could perhaps be bribed with some Colonial Marine Armor

Thanks Swift Yep, its a mouse sander with a medium rough grit mixed with a dremel sanding wheel etc. Once ive rounded the edges Ive got a sanding block and fine grit for the priming stage.

If it gets any hotter im going have to put up the sail (that blew down 6 months ago) for shade. Sanding in full gear ends in rivers of sweat...

Oh and i found an actual ammo counter! Im still going to make mine but this is pretty cool none the less:

Cheers.

 

[Combust]

Ok no major updates this week except for:

Sand sand sand in the heat. Sand sand sand and get all sweaty! *sings*

*sigh* Im going to start with the test fitting soon, just so i dont have to sand so much. The trouble with this mod is that there are too many seperate bits that need to be bondoed and shaped.

First step will be to sit down and gut the Stampede (Scary! This will mean im committeed to the build!), trim the battery section, trim the barrel handle and see how much i need to trim off the sides before it will fit into the upper housing. Stay tuned!

Cheers.