Death Trooper REVISITED

[DarkPhoenix[TX]]

Hello there,

 

I really hope it's alright to start a new thread for the current work on my Death Trooper, even though it's "just" an extension in regard to my already existing and approved costume.

 

Regardless, I am in the midst of entirely reworking the armor, in order to become as screen-accurate as possible.
My first troop was about a month ago, but after seeing all the pictures and videos I decided that there is still much work to do for it to capture the presence of the movie DTs perfectly.

 

The upgrades that I have bought / I am about to buy:

Helmet:
Anovos, since it's lineage goes directly back to the screen used prop. I have also weathered it as best as I could (pictures can be found below).

Shoulder buckles and straps:
These will be from Paul Prentice. Currently, the straps are 3D printed, but that's not what I want. The print lines are a bit too obvious and the color is not quite right.

D-rings on the sides of the upper torso:
Those I plan to be out of aluminum.

E-11D:
The base will be an S&T Sterling whereas most of the E-11D specific parts will be made out of steel/aluminum, as well.

Stabilizers on left forearm:
Will be made out of aluminum, as well. Maybe even anodized. 


Apart from all these upgrades and add-ons, I think it's also crucial to create the perfect flair and weathering, which I can't really put into words.

Probably,  there are still many not entirely accurate things on my armor that I haven't even noticed yet, so feel free to criticize anything and everything you think is not perfect/accurate.

Such as:
The shoulder d-rings aren't that silver in the movie, the left panel on the chest should have a shinier clear coat, etc.
(The armor isn't perfectly assembled at the moment which means that I am very well aware of parts not being placed correctly.)
It might hurt from time to time, but feedback and criticism are the only way of improving one's work.

Thank you all in advance and best regards,
Dániel


Picture Gallery
Snout repaint:

 

Silver weathering (snout):

 

Silver weathering (entire helmet):

 

Dust weathering:

Armor:

[Moloch[501st]]

Great work ! How did you apply the whiter powder in the recesses ?

[DarkPhoenix[TX]]

On 5/15/2019 at 12:38 PM, Moloch said:

Great work ! How did you apply the whiter powder in the recesses ?

Thank you, Marco!

I sprayed a bit of hairspray into a little bowl, dipped a brush into the liquid and then "primed" the areas I wanted to see covered in dust.
Immediately afterwards I dipped another brush into the baby powder and applied it on the areas with hairspray. That's it.
And in case you aren't happy with the result, you can easily wipe down the weathering with some soapy water and try again.

[ComradeDave[501st]]

Which kit is this Daniel?

[DarkPhoenix[TX]]

19 hours ago, ComradeDave said:

Which kit is this Daniel?

It’s an ABS 3D print by ArmoryShop.

Couldn‘t be more happy with that kit.

[DarkPhoenix[TX]]

Hello,

 

it has been some time since my last update on my armor.

Whatsoever, I do not want to waste any more of your time and get right into what has happened/not happened in terms of my progress:

 

Helmet:
I have added fans and lights to the bucket, but had to remove the lenses. Unfortunately, they came with a big bump on the left side.
To put it in the words of the Bendu: "Once a flaw is seen it cannot be unseen."
I am about to order a replacement from OPLE Props and will post pictures once I have received and built them into the helmet.

Shoulder buckles and straps:
I have installed the ones I received from Paul Prentice and I am absolutely blown away by how they snuggle over the back plate and chest piece.
The buckles, too, are fantastic; both in quality and in accuracy.

Upper torso D-rings:
These are still on their way to me. The ones in the pictures are my old ones, but I repainted them.

Rubber bands:
Ordered these from a friend of the German Garrison. Cannot wait to receive those since they look perfect. No print lines or whatsoever.

 

Feel free to ask, if you have any questions regarding my build!
And as usual: Feedback and criticism are more than welcome. I really want to have a perfect Death Trooper!

Thank you all in advance and best regards,
Dániel


Picture Gallery
Shoulder straps and buckles:

 

Weathered straps:

 

Straps and buckles installed:

 

Impression of my armor's current status (troop from June 14th 2019)

 

[GregD]

how did you do the weathering underneath the shoulder buckles? 

 

[DarkPhoenix[TX]]

On 6/18/2019 at 4:37 AM, GregD said:

how did you do the weathering underneath the shoulder buckles? 

 

Hi GregD,

it is the very same method I used for all the other parts:

First of all, you need the following things: Hairspray, baby powder, two bowls or something you can put your "working materials" into and two brushes.
I sprayed a bit of hairspray into a little bowl, dipped a brush into the liquid and then primed the areas I want to see covered in dust.
Immediately afterwards I dipped another brush into the baby powder and applied it on the areas with hairspray.
It dries fairly quickly, but in my case I was always able to remove it with some soapy water and a paper towel.

I hope this helps. 

[Woodo007[TX]]

Great work so far dude. Think I am Gona try some weathering on mine using your technique. Your helmet is spot on. I also have Paul's straps and buckles and really pleased with them

[DarkPhoenix[TX]]

Thank you for your kind words, Nick!

 

If it's not too much trouble for you, I'd love to see your approach of using this method.

Oh yes, Paul's straps and buckles are fantastic. I just received D/V-rings out of aluminum and will install those within the next few days.

[DarkPhoenix[TX]]

Well, well, it has been a while since I last posted pictures of my progress regarding my armor.
 

Having said this, I have finally managed to acquire several aluminum parts that I deemed necessary to have on my armor.

1. The D-rings that are installed beneath the chest buckles.

2. The D-rings that can be found at the side of the upper armor (between the chest and back piece).

3. The three "stabilizers" located on the left forearm.

Also, I sanded, painted and weathered all these parts. As a matter of fact, I thought about creating this effect with something different than spray paint, but decided to stick with this more conservative method. Being very pleased with the result, I am more than grateful for any feedback on this matter.

Now I it is all about installing these parts.

 

Before painting and weathering:

 

After:

 

The finished chest buckle-D-rings:

 

The finished between chest and back piece-buckles/D-rings:

 

The finished forearm "stabilizers":

[DarkPhoenix[TX]]

Hello everyone,

 

again, it has been some time since I last updated this WIP thread.

Regarding the next update, however, I have a request to those who are familiar with the CRL or who have already been approved.
The CRL states that most of the armor may be weathered slightly. Looking at the screen-used costumes, it is safe to say that those are way beyond a slight weathering, since they are covered with countless scratches, dust, dirt, etc.

Now, if you are looking at the pictures below, do you think that it suits my DT and is in line with what a DT should like in the Legion, or should I remove some of the weathering?
Your opinion is really important here.

Thank you in advance

Dániel

PS: I am in the middle of replacing the lenses, so please don't worry about that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Devolver[501st]]

I love the work you’ve done to your DT. It really looks like it came right off the set!

As far as Legion standards, I don’t think you have anything to worry about at all. Your armor looks like many of the screen used armors, even the “tidy” suits seen in promo shots. 

[DarkPhoenix[TX]]

10 hours ago, Devolver said:

I love the work you’ve done to your DT. It really looks like it came right off the set!

As far as Legion standards, I don’t think you have anything to worry about at all. Your armor looks like many of the screen used armors, even the “tidy” suits seen in promo shots. 

Thank you for your kind words, Zac!

 

Well, yes, it is definitely my goal to make this armor look like it was actually used for the film. ?

Also thanks for your calming words. In that case I won‘t worry too much about that. It‘s simply that balancing between the CRL and the screen-used armor isn‘t exactly easy, I guess. ?

[nanotek[CMD-DWM]]

Hey dude, the armor looks great! The only thing you need to bear in mind with weathering is that it needs to be consistent across all parts of the kit. I couldn't see any shots of the lower regions so cannot comment, other than keep up the good work

[DarkPhoenix[TX]]

31 minutes ago, nanotek said:

Hey dude, the armor looks great! The only thing you need to bear in mind with weathering is that it needs to be consistent across all parts of the kit. I couldn't see any shots of the lower regions so cannot comment, other than keep up the good work

Thank you, Mark!

You are absolutely right, I haven't posted any pictures of the lower and leg armor.
Most certainly, I try to keep it consistent over all the parts.

Here are a few pictures of the thighs and shins:

[IcyTrooper[CMD-DL]]

Very nice on that last set of pics for the consistent weathering!

[DarkPhoenix[TX]]

18 hours ago, IcyTrooper said:

Very nice on that last set of pics for the consistent weathering!

Thank you, Ryan!

Doing my best. ??

[DarkPhoenix[TX]]

So, I finally had the opportunity to wear my Death Trooper costume at the Vienna Comic Con 2019 and I am more than happy with its wearability and durability.
A few things remain to be improved, such as the belt pouches and the length of the upper undersuit, but this costume has come a long way since its approval in terms of accuracy.

 

Next destination: Specialist.

I'll add a few pictures of my Death Trooper in action and please let me know if you see anything that isn't quite right and should thus be improved.

Thanks to everyone who helped me along the way to make my first costume such a fun and long-lasting (in the positive sense) project! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Devolver[501st]]

I already told you this on Facebook, but I’ll say it again: This is one of the best, if not the, best looking Death Troopers I’ve seen. It looks “off the set”. Incredible work you’ve done, and I can’t wait to see your take on the Specialist. 

[nanotek[CMD-DWM]]

Looks great. The canvas pouches are hard to get right. I have find by attaching them direct to the belt, I can get better placement. attaching via a belt loop doesn't work so great.

Your leather pouch needs to come around the front more, it shouldn't be sitting near the kidney box. Again secure it to the belt will fix it. Kind of same for the holster as well. They should be evenly spaced around the belt (if that makes sense)

The rubber rings on the left forearm also look loose. I think these are the most annoying in terms of getting them right.

The undersuit/gaskets is something I want to work on next personally as I don't think anyone has got this right yet and requires a lot more research.

 

Specialist applications won't be taken until we have the L2 requirements mapped out in the forthcoming CRL update (currently being rewritten) 

 

[DarkPhoenix[TX]]

7 hours ago, Devolver said:

I already told you this on Facebook, but I’ll say it again: This is one of the best, if not the, best looking Death Troopers I’ve seen. It looks “off the set”. Incredible work you’ve done, and I can’t wait to see your take on the Specialist. 

Thank you so much for these words, Zac! ?

As I said, the community has paved the way and I am more than grateful for being allowed to use all your resources. Thus I thank you all!

 

4 hours ago, nanotek said:

Looks great. The canvas pouches are hard to get right. I have find by attaching them direct to the belt, I can get better placement. attaching via a belt loop doesn't work so great.

Your leather pouch needs to come around the front more, it shouldn't be sitting near the kidney box. Again secure it to the belt will fix it. Kind of same for the holster as well. They should be evenly spaced around the belt (if that makes sense)

The rubber rings on the left forearm also look loose. I think these are the most annoying in terms of getting them right.

The undersuit/gaskets is something I want to work on next personally as I don't think anyone has got this right yet and requires a lot more research.

 

Specialist applications won't be taken until we have the L2 requirements mapped out in the forthcoming CRL update (currently being rewritten) 

 

Thank you, Mark!

 

The pouches will receive some stuffing that will also allow me to hold my trading cards for instance.

 

You are absolutely right regarding the leather pouch. Maybe I wasn‘t paying enough attention to it in the morning when putting on the armor. So yes, fixing it to the belt should do the trick.

 

You are right, the rubber rings are loose, however, I haven‘t found a solution yet to permanently attach them. Every glue I used so far dissolved and left me with a mess ...

 

I agree, the undersuit is still something that needs more research. In my case, though, I won‘t change a detail on it (apart from shortening the torso part a bit) as it was created by my mother for me in endless hours of sewing. I love it as it is and to me it is much more worth than movie accuracy. ?

 

Thank you for all your detailed feedback!

[nanotek[CMD-DWM]]

1 hour ago, RogueLeader said:

Thank you so much for these words, Zac! ?

As I said, the community has paved the way and I am more than grateful for being allowed to use all your resources. Thus I thank you all!

 

Thank you, Mark!

 

The pouches will receive some stuffing that will also allow me to hold my trading cards for instance.

 

You are absolutely right regarding the leather pouch. Maybe I wasn‘t paying enough attention to it in the morning when putting on the armor. So yes, fixing it to the belt should do the trick.

 

You are right, the rubber rings are loose, however, I haven‘t found a solution yet to permanently attach them. Every glue I used so far dissolved and left me with a mess ...

 

I agree, the undersuit is still something that needs more research. In my case, though, I won‘t change a detail on it (apart from shortening the torso part a bit) as it was created by my mother for me in endless hours of sewing. I love it as it is and to me it is much more worth than movie accuracy. ?

 

Thank you for all your detailed feedback!

You're most welcome! For the rubber bands, my first question is: are the forearms fixed? Mine have a split opening so it can stretch open to get my hands through. I find that this creates the same issue. If the opening closes the bands become loose. If I fix them to the armor then I won't be able to get my hand through!

To combat this I am thinking of using a small plastic strip to wedge in underneath both straps. I'll post what I mean at some point.

I have to totally redo my undersuit as the one I bought from ArmoryShop is getting too worn out after 50+ troops. It was lovely of your mother to make your undersuit! She did a wonderful job

 

[BlacktipShark]

@RogueLeader I just wanted to say your DT suit has come SO far! It's become my inspiration for my build. You've captured the subtle detailing and I've wanted to see that ArmoryProp armor with an Anovos lid. If you don't mind me asking... how tall are you? I'm hoping to get my hands on an Anovos lid myself! Hoping it will fit. I have a pretty average size head I think haha.

[DarkPhoenix[TX]]

On 11/26/2019 at 7:38 AM, nanotek said:

You're most welcome! For the rubber bands, my first question is: are the forearms fixed? Mine have a split opening so it can stretch open to get my hands through. I find that this creates the same issue. If the opening closes the bands become loose. If I fix them to the armor then I won't be able to get my hand through!

To combat this I am thinking of using a small plastic strip to wedge in underneath both straps. I'll post what I mean at some point.

I have to totally redo my undersuit as the one I bought from ArmoryShop is getting too worn out after 50+ troops. It was lovely of your mother to make your undersuit! She did a wonderful job

 

I have to apologize for my late response, Mark!

 

Yes, the forearms are fixed as I don‘t want anything to slide apart during a troop. I have tried using another glue (two component epoxy) which didn‘t work either, so I am definitely looking forward to your solution!

 

Thank you for your kind words. The undersuit is holding up great so far, but I am sure that at one point or another we‘ll have to make adjustments or repair parts of it. The more troops I do the more I realize that these costumes were not meant to be worn so frequently. I hope you have been able to make adjustments regarding your undersuit and that you don‘t have to worry about that aspect any more.

 

11 hours ago, BlacktipShark said:

@RogueLeader I just wanted to say your DT suit has come SO far! It's become my inspiration for my build. You've captured the subtle detailing and I've wanted to see that ArmoryProp armor with an Anovos lid. If you don't mind me asking... how tall are you? I'm hoping to get my hands on an Anovos lid myself! Hoping it will fit. I have a pretty average size head I think haha.

@BlacktipShark

Thank you so much for your encouraging words! It really warms my heart to read (and at some point to hopefully see) that a persons draws inspiration from my build.
I wish you a lot of fun for your own build and will follow your progress with great interest!

I am somewhere between 6‘2“ and 6‘3“ (190 cm), with the suit and armor (and very tiny lifts) I reach a height of roughly 6‘5“.

Well, I have heard from some people that their head didn‘t fit in the ANOVOS, but I for one had no issues at all. My head isn‘t small, that‘s for sure, and I can fit the helmet on effortlessly. One could also try to remove the lining, but if you have any chance to try the helmet on beforehand then do it (as our Emperor would say  ).