Yup, it's gonna be all singing and all dancing.. well singing and lighting anyway!

Very nice! If this Smartgun turns out ok I think an electronics filled Lawgiver might be my next project.
Sadly I made very little of the Dredd costume as it was my first one and I had no idea how to do anything. I made a few sundry items but it was nearly all purchased. I have a new more accurate helmet shell based on a screen used lid that I need to sort out but I need better weather for spraying.. and to be able to go and buy spray But I'm too into building the Smartgun right now, it can wait

Yeah defo concentrate on finishing it. I'm a bugger for not finishing projects. I have an unfinished Stallone lawgiver on the bench as well as two star wars blasters. My aliens projects took years

Work has been carrying on with the smartgun but lots of photos of me sanding things or poring over Arduino sketches isn't very interesting!
However this weekend I got to do some gap filling and then a final sanding means she is now masked up and ready to be painted. Hopefully it's a dry day tomorrow

The code is nearly complete but the new soldering iron I ordered hasn't shown up yet (my old one was oxidised to buggery!) so I need to wait for that before I can attach the display digits to the feather that controls them and complete the final functions.
I've gone for a green 4 digit display - I'm not sure if the movie ever showed 2 digits or if it was just assumed based on the size in the counter housing, but I wanted 4 digits for more rounds (99 doesn't feel like enough with a 1200rpm cyclic rate!) and so I can have additional messages (flashing "bAtt" when the battery is taken out, "SAFE" when the safety switch is on, etc).
Once the code is complete and working I'll try and make a short video of it running on the breadboard.

This is going to be an amazing build.

Undercoat done.. but more excitingly the code is done. Need to fix everything together nicely rather than being spewed all over a breadboard but I got all the features I wanted.
And here's a demo.
https://youtu.be/AQCbHPit1KQ

Counter is set to 100 for the demo but Mark Rolston read on the USCM video the other day that it has 500 rounds, and that's good enough for me so that'll be the install version. Also part of it but not in the video is when you take out the battery cable (which will be wired through the "real" battery) the display flashes "batt" and obviously doesn't fire until you put it back in (let's hope Vas has some spares again!).
It's also running through a small Aker amp which I use for my Chewie costume but for the real thing it'll be a 20W portable amp behind the chest plate for some real head turning sound.

What if you added some reverb to the sound? Havnt seen anyone do that, could run the main sound through it and modulate it like a guitar pedal plus on/off. it would make the sound HUGE.

Lots going on lately - I've rewired and re-coded the electronics a bunch of times but think that's finally sorted, just waiting on an XLR to 3.5mm cable to complete the set up and get the sound from the gun to the amp.

But today I got it on the harness and got outside for some pictures.



Still much to do - harness plate which will be made from foam, and mounting the amp behind it, put together and paint the shoulder lamp to go on the back.
Everything needs weathering but I'm going to wait until everything is completed so I can do it all together and get a uniform effect.

Very pleased with it so far, the hardest thing I've ever made BY FAR!

it looks awesome. great work

Looks awesome. Glad you enjoyed the experiance builing it so far.

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Sgt. Frank Peters 'reload' Smartgun Operator
A03/TQ3.0.12136E1 "It will be no picknick!"
AL Colonial Admin. - Sergeant at Arms (SgtA) -- 2020-2022
GERCM - Executive Officer (XO)
UKCM Foreign Legion: The Deviant Dragoons

Outstanding! Very nicely done so far

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Pvt J. DeGraff, C.M.D.
A14/TQ3.0.65090E2

Hey man, just seen this post. I see you are just over in Plymouth. I'm in Exmouth. I notice you also built a Chewie costume. Me too lol Looking good mate.

Just found and read this thread.
Chicken bone necklace.... using chicken bones. Genius.

Talented labor.
Really great stuff there.

Thanks everyone

@ronin677 Cheers, I'm actually in Portsmouth not Plymouth (someone else also just joined the forum from there) although I do have relatives in Saltash so I visit quite often - hope to make the local Comic Con next time so would be cool to meet. That's a good looking Chewie! I'm sure this Drake costume won't get the same level of attention - and certainly not the hugs!

Things have been a bit quiet as I wait for something as simple as a right angle 3.5mm stereo adapter to arrive in the post which is holding up my vest plate fitting!
However I've ordered some trousers (went with UK MTP in the end as Polish Desert seems to be like Hen's teeth unless you have a 26" waist - I don't!) and last night on a whim I started messing about in Photoshop and ended up ordering this..

Pretty pleased with the font matching and the USMC logo is as close as I could find at a decent resolution. As with all of my kit, it'll pass muster to all but the most studied of viewers and at £15 to my door I'm not going to lose sleep. It also has sleeves because I don't have Drake's physique and I'm too lazy and old to get it!

If anyone else wants the png I'm happy to upload it and you can get it put on a shirt - I used Vistaprint in the UK on a basic fruit of the loom T in Khaki but I'm sure there are lots of custom places you could use.

I'm very nearly finished on this costume, just sorting out some last bits and pieces.
The T-shirt arrived on Saturday which I'm very pleased with.

Today I was ordering my jungle boots and WW2 enlisted belt and I started looking at rubber knives I could strap to my leg. None of them were really close to the original Night Raiders so I set about modelling a con-safe version that I can print. I'll need to make the sheaf as well but I have some leather already so that shouldn't be too hard.

That knife looks perfect. I made a mold of the one I had. might be worth modeling the regular blade and then just cutting the blade to a stub. Lots of cons are being total pussies about weapons lately, might not let it in with any sort of blade. which program did you model that with?

Thanks Seven.
The current "blade" is slightly tapered, rounded at the end and has no point to it at all.

I could do more damage with my house keys - hopefully common sense will prevail at any con, the ones I attend are normally pretty good (I've never been stopped yet for my Dredd Lawgiver pistol not having an orange barrel tip).

I model in Blender - it's what I use for my business so I'm very familiar with it although I've only been using it for 3d since I made the headset 3 months ago.
I normally make these

Nice work, I've got to learn blender.

Done

And I think with that, everything is complete. Now I need to find some time to put everything on and get some decent pictures.
And then I fancy printing a pulse rifle.. just because

The Con knife looks great.
Good luck with the rest of your build.

_________________
Sgt. Frank Peters 'reload' Smartgun Operator
A03/TQ3.0.12136E1 "It will be no picknick!"
AL Colonial Admin. - Sergeant at Arms (SgtA) -- 2020-2022
GERCM - Executive Officer (XO)
UKCM Foreign Legion: The Deviant Dragoons

Finally managed to get out today and get some pictures even if it was just in the back garden.











Also a video of the smartgun counter and control in action - had to do it indoors as it was too bright outside!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji0r9vv8CxM

Happy to call this done. Can't wait to get out to an event in it

very nice work. loving the electronics pack

Personally, I believe this ranks right up there with the best Drake builds I've ever seen. Amazing work.
Are you sure you've only been doing this for 2 years?

Thanks Martin

And thank you TS826, that is high praise indeed
This is really my first big costume design project - Chewbacca was many hours of work but latching hair is just repetition, there's not much problem solving or creative thought involved. I'm fortunate that I'm a quick study when it comes to things that interest me, I research like crazy and make lots of notes and I've got a stubborn streak a mile long so the harder it looks the more I want to master it!
I'm actually a bit sad this has come to an end to be honest

Those BDU pants look better then Polish desert.

This is great! Way to go nailing the details.

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My entry-level prop and costume tutorials: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12751