Sticks DT WIP - over my head again

[stick[TX]]

Well my start stop DT project is now fully started due to an opportunity to finally purchase armour I'd put off forever. 

At 6'3" it's always kind of bothered me that I'm a TK that kind of needs to stay well back of Vader. So when I saw the DT's in Rogue One, which pretty much is my favourite of the new releases, it was inevitable that I needed to do the build. I had no idea what I was doing with my TK, but I learned a lot, and now I'm off on the same thing with the DT. Hopefully it does not end in disaster. 

I started with a partially completed bucket from Al3d Prop shop. 3d print.

Then after much waiting and putting off, I got a V1 of Plastic Arms Dealer armour.

And Tom Campbell's SE-14r print

So now all are kind of in progress a the same time. 

The helmet is getting closest and I'm trying to determine the paint scheme I want to go with 

I'm tending to the more black, less silver route. Since it seems most schemes talked about can meet approval and right now it really is up to personal preference. 

I've done the tubes in a plastidip because I kind of like that matte rubber look for them.

and I'm using Tamiya TS-40 for the regulator and I might wear with a bit of silver.  Not sure if that is the right step or not.

Then I think from there I either go the gloss black (flat black with clearcoat) plus a matte black for the alternating panels. 

[stick[TX]]

Have a nice coat of flat black on the helmet now.

and on the se-14r

and all the armour is trimmed and sanded

[stick[TX]]

So did some more sanding. My pieces are looking a little two-toned. Obviously shows where I have not sanded, and it seems to be even when I put water on it, so I don't think I should be too concerned.

But, when I put alcohol on to clean it, the darker surface got a little tacky, even leaving my fingerprints in it. I'm not thinking that's the gel coat, but I also don't know if what I'm doing is right or wrong or ruining things. Any one know?

 

 

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

To be honest, I have never used plain rubbing alcohol (<90%) on anything, it contains additives that leave a residue. If you want to use alcohol as a cleaner it is always best to use 100% or a Denatured Alcohol. I use diluted Dawn dish detergent as my cleaner/degreaser and have never had an issue it it reacting to any type of material.

[stick[TX]]

Thanks I went the dawn route, plus another pass of sandpaper and it seems to clean up and get really even. It all kind of goes that greyish black. there is a surface that seems to come off with sanding. I don't think the parts had any paint because the whole point is the gel coat. I guess it might just be residue. 

I've never worked with fiberglass before so it's very hard to know if what I'm doing is right or wrong.

 

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

Could be the release agent used to make the casting come out easier.

[stick[TX]]

It is definitely something on top of the fibreglass. It sands off, and it gets sticky when 99% rubbing alcohol is put on it and comes off black. I'm not sure if it is some paint or a release agent like you say. I wonder if I should just use something like paint thinner to really clean it all up.

 

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

On 10/25/2018 at 6:44 AM, stick said:

It is definitely something on top of the fibreglass. It sands off, and it gets sticky when 99% rubbing alcohol is put on it and comes off black. I'm not sure if it is some paint or a release agent like you say. I wonder if I should just use something like paint thinner to really clean it all up.

 

Have you contacted Andrew over at PAD to get advice?

[stick[TX]]

I've asked him for advice previously, I'm just not bugging him at the moment. I've been sanding more, and finer, and that seems to be resolving itself, I'm up to 1000 grit now, and it's getting really good.

 

[stick[TX]]

 

So I've been working on on lots of bits and pieces, I'm starting to get to fit and I need advice. The back piece, to the chest piece doesn't quite fit me. It needs to be narrower in the chest. Currently, when the collar fangs lay flat against the front like they should, the chest pushes out too far. Here are some shots showing the issue...

Here is how it all naturally fits together...

 

But here is how it needs to be narrowed to fit me (narrowed as in the space for my chest, back to front, needs to be less)

That's more or less about the width, not concerned with the connection front to back, I can make that work, it's the fangs that concern me. They are up about an inch from the chestplate when the back to front is the right width for me.

 

So something needs to get bent into shape. I can either bend the back piece below the collar and above the backpack, and that would make it fit, or somehow bend the fangs. Not sure if either would work. Anyone have any advice?

This is what I'm talking about with it on...

fangs aligned but chest/back piece too wide...

 

Chest and back piece right width, but fangs no longer aligned.

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

People have cut out sections of the collar and bonded them back together to move the "fangs" back so they lay flush against the chest piece. Others have heated and bent them down.

[stick[TX]]

5 hours ago, Chaos said:

People have cut out sections of the collar and bonded them back together to move the "fangs" back so they lay flush against the chest piece. Others have heated and bent them down.

Okay. Great. It's good to know I'm not about to do something stupid and others have been down this route before.

[Woodo007[TX]]

I had this very issue, being skinny build and narrow in the chest. I did two things. I first reshaped the back plate to curve more at the top. This helped a bit but I still had quite a gap between the fangs and the chest plate. As I had the files and my printer I did some slicing and reprinting to alter the angle the fangs sat at. Similar to what chris has said already.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[stick[TX]]

 

5 hours ago, Woodo007 said:

I was thinking about the backplate, because that seems like it could solve a bunch of the issues and the fit would still be good and it doesn't look like it would be odd for the armour. 

I tried bending the fangs, but they are resin and they don't bend like that easily. I think if i go that route I'll need to notch the bottom edge, and cut the top edge so there is some weakness and give, then just refill.

 

[stick[TX]]

Well that didn't go too well. Fangs did not want to bend at all. One snapped instead. 

So cut clean and bonding them back together. It's going to be permanent weakness though. Total pain.

 

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

It won't be a weak point. You can fix this. Sand the inside down, get a piece of sheet tin, cut to fit the entire collar, glue it in with a two part epoxy. Then sand that again, put two layers of fiberglass and resin, then paint. That's how the people who had to shorten their collars did it.

[stick[TX]]

1 hour ago, Chaos said:

It won't be a weak point. You can fix this. Sand the inside down, get a piece of sheet tin, cut to fit the entire collar, glue it in with a two part epoxy. Then sand that again, put two layers of fiberglass and resin, then paint. That's how the people who had to shorten their collars did it.

Hmmm. Well that's good to know. The work for this kit is crazy complicated. I had wondered about re-enforcing the collar after the cut. Good to know that there is a tested way to do it. 

It's a very tight fit with the fangs and the chest plate. The fangs are a big wide so I need to wedge the chestplate in there. When I cut the fangs, I notched one, thinking it would help with the bend, however I removed part of the bottom edge that made contact with the inside edge of the chestplate collar. As a result the fangs/collar pops up from the chestplate because there is no edge to catch anymore.

That's the spot I was worrying about. Seems like with tin, and then new fiberglass, that would be fixed.

I have an epoxy resin for the fiberglass cloth, is the epoxy to glue the tin in a different type of epoxy? Is there a brand name so I can find it or its equivalent?

Also I'm assuming the fiberglass is added in only on the inside correct? 

FYI this is my foolish attempt to make a bend work...

 

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

I have an epoxy resin for the fiberglass cloth, is the epoxy to glue the tin in a different type of epoxy? Is there a brand name so I can find it or its equivalent?

https://goo.gl/images/S9JMEZ

Also I'm assuming the fiberglass is added in only on the inside correct? 

yes just on the inside

[stick[TX]]

I will not show pictures of my fiberglass work. It is ugly. So ugly. But I still think it is going to work really well. The collar was strong after I added the metal. 

Since the collar was it's own part, I also used the fiberglass to tie it in to the backplate instead of using just glue. 

I overdid it with hardener though, so not quite as much epoxy as I wanted. It went solid so quick. 

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

5 hours ago, stick said:

I will not show pictures of my fiberglass work. It is ugly. So ugly. But I still think it is going to work really well. The collar was strong after I added the metal. 

Since the collar was it's own part, I also used the fiberglass to tie it in to the backplate instead of using just glue. 

I overdid it with hardener though, so not quite as much epoxy as I wanted. It went solid so quick. 

Glad to hear your repair went well. 

[stick[TX]]

Thanks. Yeah the fangs nearly broke me. This kit is a big challenge for my skillset but I've been making my way through it and enjoying it, but fangs, the fangs....

Here's hoping this repair hold and looks good once sanded up and painted.

[stick[TX]]

It's been some time, but I'm waiting on approval (hopefully a TX is coming my way), but this is my near complete, pre-submission photo I took...

 

 

[Blackwatch[CMD-DCA]]

Jeff this kit has been your crucible, and you have come out the other side.  Look back and think about how much you learned, and how far you pushed your skillset.  Before I built the Boushh that I built with Niki Powers I had never touched Bondo, Fiberglass or used wooden paint sticks to enlarge armor.  Now those "forbidden car body guy" skills are part of my standard build teckniques. 

 

Im not a DT expert, so Ill let those better in the know comment.  Best of luck on your approval! 

[stick[TX]]

2 hours ago, Blackwatch said:

Jeff this kit has been your crucible, and you have come out the other side.  Look back and think about how much you learned, and how far you pushed your skillset.  Before I built the Boushh that I built with Niki Powers I had never touched Bondo, Fiberglass or used wooden paint sticks to enlarge armor.  Now those "forbidden car body guy" skills are part of my standard build teckniques. 

 

Im not a DT expert, so Ill let those better in the know comment.  Best of luck on your approval! 

Hey thanks for this. Yes...totally crazy and I learned so much about working with these materials. I don't even know the hours I put in. The fangs nearly broke me but it's the advice I got here that got me over it. The whole thing was a very enjoyable puzzle, and when someone here would give advice, I'd go to the store and start collecting parts that could put that advice into action. I don't think people realize the ownership you get when you build the kit. I know every part of it, every connection, and every reason for that connection or flaw, or fix.  Such a great level of confidence. As a mid-life project, it's weird (some people just don't get it) but so positive. Adding constructive weirdness to life is always a good thing.

No TX yet (1 month and counting, though it is the busy holiday time) but I do know, that anyone who has seen me in the kit (test fittings/pictures) is just totally blown away by the DT. Heck, I'm blown away. It's a seriously intimidating kit. I stand about 6'6" in it and unlike my TK, I don't need to hide that height.

As a kit it looks amazing right now. Pretty confident there are no major issues with CRL because the kit looks so clean right now. Who knows on the small details though...we'll see.

 

[Blackwatch[CMD-DCA]]

yep. total agreement. this is a major build.  and you came through it. In time you will be the one passing on the knowledge, and at six six you will be properly intimidating in this~!