Hey Cosplayers, I'm skyler Ostler and in todays apprenticeship I will be teaching you how to make Han Solo's DL-44 Heavy blaster from the Star Wars Saga. Using PVC pipe, an off the shelf Thermoplastic, and a $3 airsoft gun.

Step 1: Watch the Video Tutorial

CLICK HERE TO WATCH ON MOBILE

Are you ready to learn how to make Han Solo's Blaster? Let's get started!

Step 2: What You Will Need to Get Started

Materials List

- 2' length 1/2" Schedule 40 PVC pipe

- 2' length 3/4" schedule 40 PVC pipe

- Rustoleum Metallic Silver Spray Paint

- Rustoleum Flat Black Spray Paint

- Minwax Polyurethane Clear Matte or Gloss Coat based on preference

- 35oz Tub of Polly Plastics/thermoplastic (You will use 1-2 cups (8-16 oz) Plenty left over for other projects

- A Double Eagle M32 spring Airsoft gun

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Tools List

- You can buy the template right here

- Heat Gun

- Ruler

- Towels/Heat Pads/ Gloves

- Pipe Cutter (optional)

- Sharpie/Pen/fine tip Marker

- Utility Knife

- Electric Sander/Dremel/or hand sander

- 80 grit sand paper

- 150 or 200 grit sand paper

- File

- Shaping Utensil (ex. Butter knife, wax Carving set, etc)

- mask

- 13x9 Cookie Sheet

- Rolling Pin

Step 3: Preparing the PVC and Plastic Pieces

To begin, soften and roll out 1 cup of Polly Plastics moldable plastic onto a cookie sheet

Then take a 9" or 22.86cm length of 3/4" PVC pipe, cut a line through one side, heat it and flatten it.

Next, I have made a template that makes this build super easy to complete and you can get it for only $2 by following the link in the description.

Download, print, and cut out the template pieces.

Trace I,E,F,A,and N onto the Flattened PVC pipe on what used to be the interior of the pipe and Trace J,H,C,L,M,N,and K onto your rolled out plastic sheet.

You can pause the video here for the lengths you will need to cut of skewer sticks and PVC pipe for O,P,Q,and R to move forward.

Gently heat the flatten PVC, not to much or it will revert to a cylinder, and cut out the pieces

Then cut out your Plastic sheet pieces. Before cutting out the letter J, poke holes in the template piece using a sewing pin and a fine tip marker to mark dots on the plastic.

While we have the drill out, lets finnish a couple of our PVC pieces.

Roughly cut out the square inside letter E.

Then sand it down smooth and rounded

Then drill the hole based on the template markings

Do the same with drilling the holes on the F piece

Then Trace the G piece from the template onto the front of the F piece.

Step 4: Creating the Scope

Let's make our own Hendzolt Wetzler Scope Using PVC and plastic

Make your mark on the O piece like this.

O and P will work in a Co-OP to make the base of the scope but first O needs slim down a little before they can complete their mission.

Now they are ready!

Next, soften 1Tsp of plastic and use it to create a seamless run from the edge of P to the mark we made earlier on O

If you need to, feel free to trim off any excess with a razor blade so it looks snazzy.

Then make your mark once more on the O piece and trace the B piece at that mark.

You will shape 1Tsp of softened plastic inside the lines, don't worry about making the edges too perfect because once it cools you can clean it up with the razor and make it not as scruffy lookin

C is for Captain, need I say more, heat and place this piece on the side of the platform we just made that faces the P piece, once more cleaning up the edges with a razor.

A is for Arugela which has nothing to do with Star Wars but it was a nice change of pace. Place 1/2 Tsp of plastic on this piece and smooth it out. Of course trim it till it is fit as a the fia.

This piece will become the dial on the scope, heat the edges and press in a crosshatch pattern, drill a hole through the center and create a counter sink look with the razor.

Use a bamboo skewer stick as an axle in the dial, roughen up one edge and place approximately 1/8 Tsp softened plastic on the end to create a cap that looks similar to a screw.

Trim the skewer stick down to length and spot heat the platform plastic in the center using a soldering iron or a heated nail. and secure the stick into the plastic, still allowing the dial to spin freely when cooled.

Step 5: Creating the Scope Mount

Let's dive right in to creating the scope mount to attach the scope to the gun.

F is for freedom from the Frist order. With 1 Tsp of plastic, splitting it evenly, place it on either side of the

F piece in a roughly circular shape making sure to press it into the holes helping adhesion.

Then Place 1 Tsp of plastic onto the opposite side of the F piece where we traced the G rectangle. Shape it like an upside down trapezoid, and don't worry about the edges because you can trim those up till they're as cute as a Bantha.

Once you've got that shape Wookie'ing I recommend rubbing it down with some vaseline or generic brand petroleum jelly and placing it in the freezer. It should feel right at home going from hot to cold seeing as how most of the star wars saga takes place in a desert or snow planet. The real reason no one could find Luke is he just wanted to get away to an Island and hang out in a normal climate for a change.

Pull your F piece from the Freezer and place 1 Tsp of the good stuff on the Trapezoid, covering it like a shell but leaving the ends open so that after it cools you can clean it up and it can slide off.

This piece will attach to the back of the E piece.

I'd recommend using a piece of scrap plastic sheet to heat and spread thinly on the back in order to attach the slider piece so as not to deform the slider shape.

I used #8 x 1/2" Hex head screws, you can use what you would like, I should have used a phillips head option but, as I always say, hind sight is 20/15.

I used a Double Eagle brand Spring M32 Airsoft gun which is a 1:1 scale mimick of the Mauser C96 which was the base of the original prop.

The F piece will go on the right side of the gun centered above the trigger heat the plastic with the screws in it, and adhere it to the gun making sure to leave the magazine clip release mildly accessible.

D is for Darth Bad guy, trace this shape onto wax paper, and Using 1/2 Tsp of plastic each, make 3 rounded knobs and press the screws into the center of them. You can re-heat the edges and press in a textured cross-hatch pattern and on the top press in a small circle to match the original prop. one of them should have a larger circle than the other two.

These knobs will screw into the threaded plastic you created earlier on the F piece and the E piece.

Next up, the Scope Mount, take a small piece of some generic fabric and wrap it around a scrap piece of 1/2" PVC pipe (make sure it is scrap, absolutely do not use your scope piece for this) heat up K for Kylo so that it wraps completely around the pipe and fabric seamlessly and tightly.

Then as before lets make sure to clean it up nice with a razor so that it is ship shape and Barabel fashion.

Now Attach the E piece, remember that it is not centered on the pipe but runs flush with the back side of the pipe as it comes down.

Now using 1/4 Tsp of plastic for each, create the 4 mount nubs that are used to screw the mount together. They should each be about 1/2" tall. Once cooled pre-drill each and drive the screws in and out and in and out to thread the plastic.

Remove the screws and use your razor to slice the mount down the center parrallel to the pipe.

Give it a trim and it's ready for the scope!

You can file or sand down the screw tips if it is an issue.

Step 6: Creating the Flash Hider

Time to create a flash hider just as good as the original that was taken from an air mounted machine gun. Ours of course cannot be used on a machine gun, but it will look just as good!

RQ is like HQ for the knights of Ren. Ren Quarters if you will.

Sand down about 2/3 of the inside of the R piece until it can slide snugly onto Q.

also bevel the lip of Q that will but up against the gun barrel.

R will be the flash hider piece, give a test fit before proceeding.

Wrap 1 Tsp of Plastic around the barrel of the gun and slide the Q piece into place. Make sure the barrel remains clear and centered.

Now to make it RPF approved, lets mill down the barrel on the bottom so it's flat.

To complete our flash hider we have a couple more additions, L will run along the Q side rim of R, M will go on the side opposite, leaving about a 1/4" gap between the two. While placing the M piece, press a ribbed look into it with the lines running parrallel to the Pipe.

Now, onto the J piece which will really bring the Flash Hider together. Cut out J and gently heat the two straight edge sides and connect them together as seamlessly as possible to create the conical shape that is iconic to Han's blaster. Very important to not over-heat this piece, it could get destroyed if over heated on this step.

Using the over-hang from M, heat the plastic along that rim and use it to secure the J piece, completing the flash hider, once cooled, just slide it into place :)

Step 7: Create the Heat Sink and Greeblies

Before before moving on, slide the scope into place and tighten down the knobs.

Final touches like the Heat Sink and the greeblies are up next.

Heat the PVC N piece till it softens and returns to its natural cylindrical shape, while its hot and soft, using gloves press and pinch it tight around the front of the gun with the wide base toward the bottom of the gun.

once it has stiffened but it still hot, pull it off the gun and gently press the edges slightly closer to one another so that it will clamp tighter to gun after cooling.

Melt Plastic letter N onto the exterior of PVC N and press ribs into it so that is looks like this. Then snap it onto the gun.

Last but not least, add 1/4 tsp plastic to each of the ends of your two skewer stick pieces. shape it into a reversed conical shape with the base being at the edge, and press in two lines running around the tip.

H and I, say Hi to the T-track that will house the Greeblies on the gun.

Use a small piece of scrap sheet plastic to adhere the T-track to the top of the barrel.

That is the last piece to the puzzle.

Step 8: Pat Yourself on the The Back

You have completed this Apprenticeship and now you know how to make Han Solo's DL-44 Heavy Blaster from Star Wars.

Just give this thing a sweet paint job of Flat Black base and a silver drybrush) and you are ready to blow minds at your next Convention or Costume party!

Make sure to check out some of my other builds on Instructables and my YouTube channel Cosplay Apprentice!

I have lots of other great Star Wars Builds like Kylo Ren's Lightsaber and Luke/Anakin Skywalker's Lightsaber as well as some other genres like Link's Master Sword and soon Deadpool!

Enjoy, and until next time, Cosplay on my Friend!