Props Giveaway Magnum Build [Soon to be Pick Heavy]

[First Strike]

Hi everyone!,
It's been a hot minute i beg forgiveness however life ebbs and flows. Anyhow pictured below is the progress/steps on building a Halo Reach Magnum. i'm working on 2 for giveaway winners from my Instagram:

Step 1: [The Template]
The Template, as well as process is inspired and created by Andrew DFT. After securing the template i brought it into photoshop and scale the template on a blank document that is scaled to in cannon measurements. if i were scaling this to myself I'd set it against an 8.5 by 11 in canvas size, and scale until the template's grip looks to fit my hand.

Step 2: [Transcribing to foam]
After cutting the template from the paper, i transcribe it to the 8mm foam. i pick and choose certain portions to cut away from the main template to work on as separate pieces. [See second picture]

Step 3: [Freeing "Buck" from Foam]
For my version/process i usually cut b/w 3-4 bucks or blanks of the magnum. 1 for safety 3 for the 3 main layers. my magnums are comprised of 2 outer layers , and a single inner layer. the inner layer will eventually have a hollow for a removable magazine. stay tuned!

Pictures: Apologies, I'm not sure if I'm posting them wrong but it says my pictures are too large. going forward the pictures will be titled to match their steps and I'll be sure to make mention/marks on the pictures for specific reference.

 

[First Strike]

POST 2!
Tonight's post covers Making the inner layer have more interactivity,, as well as starting the "Jaw" section of the magnum.

Step 1) Stenciling the Magwell [See Pictures labeled "Stenciling Magwell 1, and 2]
This is probably the easiest portion of the build. after you cut away the "Mag" section of your Magnum stencil you will see indentations going up from the bottom of your buck. from here mark there those indentations start [Pic 1] remove your template and carry those lines up to about the top of the grip as seen in picture two. as you carry the lines up begin tapering the line closest to the back of the grip [Reference pic 2 again] this taper will help us in the assembly section for more connection between the layers. once complete it should look like picture 2.

Step 2) Free Mag from Inner Buck [See picture labeled Free the Mag]
Here get your hobby knife and begin cutting. for the cleanest edges ensure your knife is sharp. for crisper lines i tend to find cutting top - bottom yields the best results to free the main body of your magazine. To free the top i cut from the center and left, then center to right. seeing as we will be leaving less support material cutting from the center mitigates the chances of ripping and tearing of either side.

Step 3) Creating Magazine Support Material [ See Pictures Stenciling Mag, Freeing wood from slate, and width of wood slate]
Here i have procured an 1/8th inch wood slate from Hobby Lobby. i do not remember the name of this wood however it is easily cuttable via boxcutter knives or even easier if you have a Dremel handy. I cut my piece via a box cutter due to my room mate being asleep and not wanting to wake them [i'm second shift currently] step one is to use the freed piece of foam from step 2 as your stencil for step 3. with a pen [Recommend ball point or finer if possible] trace your magazine out. after stenciling take multiple passes with a sharp knife to cut through the wood. taking multiple passes decreases chances of splintering. Once complete your piece should look close [but not exactly...results may vary] to "Freeing wood from slate" ref image.

Step 4) Gathering Magazine Components [See Ref Image Magnum Mag Components]
After test fitting my wood piece, and magazine from the inner buck together i realized that the pieces would be too thick without having to "Rout" one or both of the outter bucks. to combat this i made two more components. i used the same stencil to make similar size pieces out of 2mm foam and 6 mm high density foam. these 3 components together made the perfect test fit within the inner buck.

Step 5) Magnum Slide [See Ref Image Magnum Slide Components]
for this portion you want to remove the top slide portion from your template The angled "grill" pieces and the top iron sight "Hammer" piece. each should be separated into two component stencils. the body of this should be stenciled twice and mirrored onto your 8mm foam [I'm using floor mats but 8mm high density is perfect for this build too] and cut. the "grill" pieces and Iron Sight/Hammer pieces should be cut from 6mm high density [See the grey pieces in the Ref Image] you will need sharp knives to get clean grill cuts. after your pieces are cut reserve to the side for later assembly.

Step 6) Creating the Magnum's Jaw [See Ref Pictures Magnum Jaw Bucks, and Magnum Jaw]
For this portion you are to free the "Jaw" template from the magnum ending up with the piece pictured in "Magnum Jaw Bucks" trace the outer most edge of this piece 3 times, reversing one for the 2 outer, single inner most layer. you wont need to do this if you are using High Density foam...you will if you are using floor mats. after you cut one outer layer buck it is recommended to test fit it to an outer layer magnum buck. Test fit to ensure that there are little to no gaps. there will be beveling on these pieces as well as raised and lowered details. at this step you can also test fit/see the components of your slide against the outer buck. see picture [Magnum Jaw] for reference.

That's what i have for my second post thus far! this is coming along nicely and i cannot wait to start all the beveling and detail additions! i tend to build/cut all my pieces and then assemble later...this method of assembly doesn't work for everyone but for getting back into the swing of things with my new work/sleep schedule it keeps me motivated. Thanks for tuning in!