85421 Sithtrooper Build

[gmrhodes13[501st]]

12 minutes ago, Raider said:

 

@gmrhodes13 I may be having pic loading issues... but do you have a pic of the back fully suited?

No @RaiderI never bothered taking any images of the back finished as it's a fair way of being ready for approval, just wanted to wear it for the premier here, I still have to swap a few pieces which Jim has adjusted molds since more references came to light, damn those infernal lines  

I may even try to move the opening to top of the shoulder, may be less noticeable BUT it would still have an opening which may not clear basic. 

 

[gmrhodes13[501st]]

I did find a very early trial fit back image, pretty ugly at that stage  

 

[Lee_C_77[TX]]

I guess it’s up to the crl guys but there isn’t a whole lot of options. Somewhere on the neck piece there must be an opening as it has to go over your head. 
it’s fine for Disney as they make it from rubber and money is no object. It’s only really visible for a couple of cm’s and with the bucket on probably even less. 
but that’s just my opinion

[Blackwatch[CMD-DCA]]

its something we have to address, but if you have to split it open to get your head in, you have to split it open to get your head in.....

[gmrhodes13[501st]]

Perhaps @nanotek this is an issue that should be discussed separately outside of a build thread in case some aren't following  

[nanotek[CMD-DWM]]

7 minutes ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Perhaps @nanotek this is an issue that should be discussed separately outside of a build thread in case some aren't following  

Fair call Glen, I have moved discussion about the split in the collar to following location

 

 

[Pascal vdB]

loved this thread! definetly nice to read through, especially since i am new to building armour. I really like your blaster, do you have a build thread for the sith trooper blaster as well? I would like to see how you built the blaster with electronics.

[gmrhodes13[501st]]

7 hours ago, Pascal vdB said:

loved this thread! definetly nice to read through, especially since i am new to building armour. I really like your blaster, do you have a build thread for the sith trooper blaster as well? I would like to see how you built the blaster with electronics.

Unfortunately not, was a little busy building it to take photos but I will be doing another one down the track, there are a few things I want to update since I printed this one  

[Pascal vdB]

13 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Unfortunately not, was a little busy building it to take photos but I will be doing another one down the track, there are a few things I want to update since I printed this one  

thank sfor the info! i'll definetly wait for that since i really like your work!

[gmrhodes13[501st]]

Ok so just looking at the neck slit now and I'm just trying to warrant the move to top/shoulder, I'm thinking it's going to be more noticeable. Having a look at what I have now I'm really not sure if the work will achieve a better look. The armor does slant downwards from that point so it will bee seen.

Here's how mine looks now. 

 

Potential position to move to

 

 

 

[gmrhodes13[501st]]

For anyone with Jim's early kits he has made some updates so if you haven't already you may want to contact him about replacements or make the modifications yourselves 

On to prep and paint

[RAIDER[COTG]]

14 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Ok so just looking at the neck slit now and I'm just trying to warrant the move to top/shoulder, I'm thinking it's going to be more noticeable. Having a look at what I have now I'm really not sure if the work will achieve a better look. The armor does slant downwards from that point so it will bee seen.

Here's how mine looks now. 

 

Potential position to move to

 

 

 

Looks like you have it flush and flat.  It is noticeable more so at the top.  Helmet wouldnt cover that eh?  Hard to tell.

14 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

For anyone with Jim's early kits he has made some updates so if you haven't already you may want to contact him about replacements or make the modifications yourselves 

On to prep and paint

I heard he redid the neck piece as well in a flex material so theres no seam.

[gmrhodes13[501st]]

On 1/29/2020 at 11:55 PM, Raider said:

Looks like you have it flush and flat.  It is noticeable more so at the top.  Helmet wouldnt cover that eh?  Hard to tell.

I heard he redid the neck piece as well in a flex material so theres no seam.

No the helmet sits up high at the back and there is no way it will cover it.

 

Jim has tried some experimenting with a flex material BUT at this stage there is no way to color match it

[nanotek[CMD-DWM]]

3 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

No the helmet sits up high at the back and there is no way it will cover it.

 

Jim has tried some experimenting with a flex material BUT at this stage there is no way to color match it

 

For the paint matching, I commented on Jim's Instagram recommending he try using a plastic adhesion promoter prior to putting paint on it but he never responded.  This could potentially resolve everyone's colour matching issues. Plastic adhesion promoter or clear primer for plastic is used by auto painters for bumpers which are made of PU. I have had to do this for other things and had great success. I have also seen people print in flexible filament and just paint the crap out of it and end up with a nice smooth and flexible piece of armor.  I saw this on one of the Praetorian Guard builds...

Also, based on the pics submitted it looks like the gorget neckline curves up, which I have only seen on the toy, all other reference material points to the neckline sitting flat. Even though it is flexible I have only seen it sitting flat around the neckline. It might be worthwhile that Jim reassess the size of the opening and remove the curling up towards the neck. Widening the neckline could potentially resolve some issues (probably not but you never know). I'm not sure if the current piece of kit you have is alterable without ruining the proportions of the neckline details.

Failing all of the above the CRL could be written to accommodate for the current issues:

1. You have a gorget with an opening. The opening will have to be down the back trying to make this as inconspicuous as possible. I'm not entirely sure it is possible to move the gap to the shoulders without fixing to the chest back (see below) Otherwise there might be sagging. If we go down this path it has to be made clear that this gap must be closed at all times, it shall not flex open or overlap and be as inconspicuous .

2. Gorget is split in two (front and back) and attached to the chest/back (effectively becoming the neckline of each piece). The seams will sit on the shoulder line (buckle area) and try to be inconspicuous as possible. (Kind of inline with the toy).  This will make it easier on both makers and builders, but makes the CRL a bit more of a pain in terms of L1 > L2.

 

[gmrhodes13[501st]]

1 hour ago, nanotek said:

 

For the paint matching, I commented on Jim's Instagram recommending he try using a plastic adhesion promoter prior to putting paint on it but he never responded.  This could potentially resolve everyone's colour matching issues. Plastic adhesion promoter or clear primer for plastic is used by auto painters for bumpers which are made of PU. I have had to do this for other things and had great success. I have also seen people print in flexible filament and just paint the crap out of it and end up with a nice smooth and flexible piece of armor.  I saw this on one of the Praetorian Guard builds...

Also, based on the pics submitted it looks like the gorget neckline curves up, which I have only seen on the toy, all other reference material points to the neckline sitting flat. Even though it is flexible I have only seen it sitting flat around the neckline. It might be worthwhile that Jim reassess the size of the opening and remove the curling up towards the neck. Widening the neckline could potentially resolve some issues (probably not but you never know). I'm not sure if the current piece of kit you have is alterable without ruining the proportions of the neckline details.

Failing all of the above the CRL could be written to accommodate for the current issues:

1. You have a gorget with an opening. The opening will have to be down the back trying to make this as inconspicuous as possible. I'm not entirely sure it is possible to move the gap to the shoulders without fixing to the chest back (see below) Otherwise there might be sagging. If we go down this path it has to be made clear that this gap must be closed at all times, it shall not flex open or overlap and be as inconspicuous .

2. Gorget is split in two (front and back) and attached to the chest/back (effectively becoming the neckline of each piece). The seams will sit on the shoulder line (buckle area) and try to be inconspicuous as possible. (Kind of inline with the toy).  This will make it easier on both makers and builders, but makes the CRL a bit more of a pain in terms of L1 > L2.

I apologise for my bluntness here or if I come across as arrogant, or non-empathetic;  this is not my intention. I think we an agree we want a great outcome for the costume and people who want to build it. I find that I am getting frustrated that we are focusing on one piece which takes time away from just gathering all the details for the entire costume. I would like to focus on getting all the details documented on what we see from the reference material and then tackle what's going to be L1/L2 . The challenges associated with a build are irrelevant until we have a final set of details upon which to build the CRL. Again happy to discuss all possible options, but again it blocks me from getting the CRL done. We still have a long way to go. And I'll reiterate that some of the potential build challenges may get resolved in the meantime.  

A little, generally from my experience people only want to help with a CRL when they are working on a costume and at this point many are holding off until an actual CRL is written so it's a catch 22 there. I also know many who know about the hold up on the neck opening and won't purchase until a decision has been made.

We are focusing on one piece as many want to know if the split at the back would be allowable for basic and a definite YES/NO has not been forthcoming,  although there was mention that it would be discussed and decided on. "Failing all of the above the CRL could be written to accommodate for the current issues:" great but when would that call be made. There was mention that the split may be allowable for basic hence why many are waiting for that final decision, if it's NO then everyone definitely knows they have to follow other options and no doubt can move on or continue to troop on unapproved.

Personally I have painted bumpers in the past and although they have some give I doubt it would have the ability to allow the paint to stretch to get over the head, and I'm not aware of any piece of a praetorian which would need that amount of flex but I've not fully researched those. The neck opening can only be so large or it will have too much gap when fitted around the neck so the bigger the opening to get over the head the worse it is.

Jim is aware of the inner lip curving upwards and made it specifically so it wouldn't cut into the neck but I'm sure he could modify that.

I'll pass on those details to Jim. I don't follow anyone on Instagram so I didn't know any advice was given to him, perhaps info could be shared here, god knows people don't like sharing elsewhere, seems everyone wants to use FB and closed groups but rarely bring info to forums, hence why only a few are interested helping get a CRL written.

Not too worry will leave it at that and continue on with the updates for the time being, will see what Jim comes up with. 

 

 

 

 

[nanotek[CMD-DWM]]

2 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

A little, generally from my experience people only want to help with a CRL when they are working on a costume and at this point many are holding off until an actual CRL is written so it's a catch 22 there. I also know many who know about the hold up on the neck opening and won't purchase until a decision has been made.

We are focusing on one piece as many want to know if the split at the back would be allowable for basic and a definite YES/NO has not been forthcoming,  although there was mention that it would be discussed and decided on. "Failing all of the above the CRL could be written to accommodate for the current issues:" great but when would that call be made. There was mention that the split may be allowable for basic hence why many are waiting for that final decision, if it's NO then everyone definitely knows they have to follow other options and no doubt can move on or continue to troop on unapproved.

Personally I have painted bumpers in the past and although they have some give I doubt it would have the ability to allow the paint to stretch to get over the head, and I'm not aware of any piece of a praetorian which would need that amount of flex but I've not fully researched those. The neck opening can only be so large or it will have too much gap when fitted around the neck so the bigger the opening to get over the head the worse it is.

Jim is aware of the inner lip curving upwards and made it specifically so it wouldn't cut into the neck but I'm sure he could modify that.

I'll pass on those details to Jim. I don't follow anyone on Instagram so I didn't know any advice was given to him, perhaps info could be shared here, god knows people don't like sharing elsewhere, seems everyone wants to use FB and closed groups but rarely bring info to forums, hence why only a few are interested helping get a CRL written.

Not too worry will leave it at that and continue on with the updates for the time being, will see what Jim comes up with. 

 

 

 

 

LOL you got me before I managed to realize that I had posted content in the wrong discussion, hence my edits  So apologies!

Yes, there seems to be a lot of discussion outside of here, but it's all lost for the CRL. I kinda get that it's a lot easier to chat via Facebook groups etc, but it doesn't really add anything to the CRL, and it kinda ends up being a little bit like the cart leading the horse.

I get that people don't want to make a move until the CRL is written, however it's also the risk we take if we decide to build a costume prior to the CRL being written or confirmed.  So yeah catch-22. At the end of the day we all have to be comfortable with what is written and that it is fair and reasonable so we all decide, but we should explore all options fully IMO.

With regards to the query around "Failing all of the above the CRL could be written to accommodate for the current issues:" this would be done once we have a complete set of details.  Again we all only have so many hours in the day to spare to get the CRL completed, but we can talk about one detail or get the whole costume documented. I'll move the remainder of my  conversation to the CRL section. 

Again I appreciate your patience and contribution to the development of the CRL. My advice is the quicker we get the details from the reference material, the quicker the CRL will get developed. 

 

[gmrhodes13[501st]]

Long break but underwent two hand operations, time for an update.

Some details on the chest/shoulders had been missing from Jim's original kit and he made some modifications and sent out updated pieces, I was all ready to repaint the updated chest/shoulder when I noticed compared to references the angled ridges had been placed in the wrong spot, they should actually mostly meet with the ones coming upwards, 4 to 5 ridges overlap.

 

So had two options, fill in these ridges and recut or modify my original chest/shoulder and add the ridges to that, here goes nothing.

Mark out position, pencil and bent ruler.

 

Pretty happy with the placement and gaps, time for the Dremel, which I'm really not looking forward too. Decided to use the ruler as a guide and cut along the edge.

 

Cleaned up with files and sandpaper and here is the comparison

 

Comparison to updated chest/shoulder

 

OOPS top thigh clips not included with the initial kit, don't know how I missed that, thanks to Jim for giving me the 3d files, printed, sanded, painted and applied.

 

Ok another updated needed to the small box on the left shin, originally it was very rounded and stepped, so attacked this with the Dremel, files and sandpaper and now ready for paint.

 

 

While I'm on the shins I wasn't happy with the Velcro closure so decided to remove that and add magnets, glue magnet directly to inside of the outer pieces, then recess magnet on the insides of the inner pieces, some shims had to be used as the thickness of armor varied, a much better close now.

 

Now this little bugger, the collar/gorget, I still really can't do anything with the split at the rear, I was going to move it to the top BUT after marking with a pencil and trying on it is really noticeable from the front and I'd prefer if I have to have a split that it's mostly not seen which is the back, so that stays how it is BUT it was mentioned that it should not have a bent up section next to the neck.

Thought long and hard about this one, oh well come here Dremel 

 

Step cut out and a sheet of plastic place inside, also run a piece of tape around the inside to get approximate width.

 

Trim to size

 

Check alignment

 

Glue with JB weld, sticks to anything and easy to sand, lots of clamps to get it sitting nice and tight.

 

Will wait for this to dry then see if any bondo will be needed, then it's on to primer and paint.

 

I have tried all sorts of things on the boots trying to get a gloss finish, wax's, polishes, leather shine but no luck, I had thought of a clear vinyl spray but off course nothing local, then I came across some automotive vinyl wrap spray, which isn't permanent and can be peeled off if damaged, you apply 5 to 6 coats and allow to dry, I haven't applied much on the shaft of the boots more just the bases as the tops are going to be covered anyway. I'm going to leave them overnight to make sure they are completely dry before trying the flex test, here's hoping this works.

 

 

 

 

 

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

Thanks for the update Glen, I'm liking the modifications. 

[gmrhodes13[501st]]

Thanks @Chaos

 

So it's time to test these boots and see who the vinyl wrap spray has gone, really happy with the results, have dried great, very shiny, tried flexing and it appears it's a winner, it is quite rubbery and will stretch. 

 

As I've still got a lot of spray left over I thought I would see how hard it is to remove, it sticks really well and you need to give a lot of pressure to pull away but once it starts it comes off easily.

 

For now I think this is the option to go with, not sure how they will go with trooping, obviously the more movement and getting scuffs it may start to peel but it will just be a case of peel off, tape sole and apply another few coats of spray. 

 

 

[RAIDER[COTG]]

Great updates @gmrhodes13

[ukswrath[TX]]

Glen you have the MFG and model of the spray you used?

[gmrhodes13[501st]]

Thanks @Raider

 

On 5/1/2020 at 10:10 AM, ukswrath said:

Glen you have the MFG and model of the spray you used?

Here you go Tony Part Number: CWRC901

 

 

JB weld completely dried, clamps off, looks messy but JB weld is pretty wet to apply so can move and run a little.

 

Hit it with Dremel and drum sander attachment then sandpaper. Also trimmed the inner edge so it matched all way round, to get the same spacing I used a scrap piece of plastic, drilled a hole in one end, held a marker in the hole and pushed the plastic around the inner edge.

 

Spray putty applied, needs a touch more sanding in the lower inner rim and I have a couple of air holes to fill.

 

 

[ukswrath[TX]]

Thanks Glen and keep up the great work

 

[gmrhodes13[501st]]

Thanks @ukswrath will do, nice warm couple of days coming up perfect for painting  

[nanotek[CMD-DWM]]

The modifications look great! Also that was a nice and simple solution to the boots. Well done!