Can not find a real HENGSTLER COUNTER ? Not happy with a solid resin copy ? well why not make your own!
Im going to build a HENGSTLE COUNTER for my E11 blaster with some ABS plastic sheet.Im sure this will work with HIPS as well.
First off cut a strip of plastic 145mm x 30mm.
Then cut the strip into 4 parts,going imperial now.
2 bits 1"7/8inches
2 bits 1" inch
Or cut 2 bits 1"inch and the remaining piece in half
I always use plastic weld for ABS its fantastic stuff.What it does is weld the parts you are gluing together.Its like water so a little goes a long way,very clean and fast acting.
ok load a soft brush with plastic weld,place one of the larger strips face down and glue one of the inch strips onto it.Just check its square(right angles to each other)
do the same with the other two strips then glue the two parts together to form an open ended box shape like so.
place the box shape on a bit of ABS and draw round the shape and cut it out. Then cut out the centre,i just cut out by eye to make the counter numbers area.glue some spare plastic to the back like so.
Now glue the two parts together to close one end of the box. sand all round to blend all the joins.I always use a sanding block.
the finished box is in the background.Now make another box in the same way to fit inside the first one.I have not made any measurements for the second box exept fron front to back 40mm.You can see that one of the sides has a 20mm square cut out and backed with spare plastic.Just do this by eye again and position it to the front.
the second box sits inside the first and sticks out by 30mm.glue the two parts together. and sand.
I used a metal saw blade to score the detail lines into the back box.I will also be using this method later for some more line detail.
Just make sure you go slow and do not cut all the way through,we are just trying to make some line detail.
Now its time for the front detail parts.Again trust your eye for the sizes a mm here or there will not affect the overall look.
First off cut some boot shapes out ,two in total and a long strip the same width as the boots.
After gluing the boots and strip parts to the front box.take your time cut the parts first ,if it does not look right cut some more.Once happy only then glue them on.
I hope you can see that the top detail strips are made up of three parts.Its real easy to do .
Three more strips to cut for the very front of the counter.No sizes again just by eye.One along the top and two at the bottom.
Now with the saw blade but it up against the back box and score a line all the way around the counter.This will give a great detail line to the finished job.A better shot in the lower picture of the two.
add a hourse shoe shaped bit of plastic to the front of your counter.
For the electric contacts i used some model kit sprus.just cut and shaped them.you get a better look at them in the final shots.If you have no model kicking about i would use Plastistruct rods.
The other thing i did was add a counter re-set button on the back side.
two Hours well spent.