Given that this is the 7th custom build thread that I have posted today, you can see that I have been busy of late, if not a little lax in keep y'all updated. So, anyway, as you can probably guess, I am going to show off another custom weapon WIP. This time around I have decided to get a little more creative than usual and am proud to present you with some early progress on my new Thales EF-88 Austeyr. This is the latest incarnation of the Australian Steyr AUG built under license in Lithgow, NSW. The export version of this rifle is also known as the F90. I only came across this quite recently and being taken by its striking profile, thought I would take a crack at her. I dug an old AUG out of the spare parts box which I had cannibalised for another build and set to work.
First things first - I began by separating the barrel assembly from the receiver to see what I had to work with. I then discarded most of the barrel and the grenade launcher which came with this particular weapon. Happy with what I had, I sealed her back up again. Next, I cut out the vent holes in the side of the receiver, although I might need to revisit these to make them a little bigger - what do you think?
I then chopped the handguard off and built a skeletal frame with strips of styrene. Once dry, this was covered with Miliput modeller's putty and shaped to produce the smooth lines seen in some of the later pics below. The handguard still need a little more work to tidy it up, although you can see that the profile is now about the right shape. While I had the Miliput out, I also slapped some on the butt stock to build up its chunkier profile. Again, once dry, this was sanded smooth, and once this is painted you will not even be able to see the line of the old AUG stock. What little Miliput I had left was added to the upper part of the receiver to build up the cheek rest, although this is still very rough and needs a lot more work.
I still have a long way to go, but am happy with how she is shaping up already.
This is not an illustration. This is a photo of the silhouette (contrast boosted to its maximum in PhotoShop) of the rifle thus far to show how far I have progressed in producing the distinctive outline of the EF-88.
Meanwhile, this is the look that I am going for ... what do you think of her so far? Compare the silhouette above with the photo below.
As always, your thoughts / comments / suggestions / constructive criticism are welcomed.
First things first - I began by separating the barrel assembly from the receiver to see what I had to work with. I then discarded most of the barrel and the grenade launcher which came with this particular weapon. Happy with what I had, I sealed her back up again. Next, I cut out the vent holes in the side of the receiver, although I might need to revisit these to make them a little bigger - what do you think?
I then chopped the handguard off and built a skeletal frame with strips of styrene. Once dry, this was covered with Miliput modeller's putty and shaped to produce the smooth lines seen in some of the later pics below. The handguard still need a little more work to tidy it up, although you can see that the profile is now about the right shape. While I had the Miliput out, I also slapped some on the butt stock to build up its chunkier profile. Again, once dry, this was sanded smooth, and once this is painted you will not even be able to see the line of the old AUG stock. What little Miliput I had left was added to the upper part of the receiver to build up the cheek rest, although this is still very rough and needs a lot more work.
I still have a long way to go, but am happy with how she is shaping up already.
This is not an illustration. This is a photo of the silhouette (contrast boosted to its maximum in PhotoShop) of the rifle thus far to show how far I have progressed in producing the distinctive outline of the EF-88.
Meanwhile, this is the look that I am going for ... what do you think of her so far? Compare the silhouette above with the photo below.
As always, your thoughts / comments / suggestions / constructive criticism are welcomed.