TFU Shadow Stormtrooper #2

[toddo[TX]]

Amazing. You may send it to my address for inspection immediately.

[xanthis02[501st]]

looks awesome

[T0R1[TX]]

yeah totally awesome

[Scubacat[TX]]

I will have to second the inspection. I think Colorado needs one of these. XD

[Master Tej]

Aw, I was looking forwards to spamming your inbox . . . email too.

 

But man, that is A W E S O M E!!!!

 

- Master Tej -

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

You forgot the ankles, id put lights inside the shin bottoms

[Fivezero[TX]]

Thanks for the comments guys! Very excited to have this thing finished and all put together, just a couple tweaks and it should be ready for approval!!!

 

And Dizzy, reread my post brother, I didn't forget the lights (just misplaced some batteries for the pics). This isn't my first rodeo...

 

Fivezero

[DeathMOS30[501st]]

Oh my gosh that looks incredible great work

[mikedwelle94[TX]]

Any official word on approval yet? I recently read through this whole thing and I'm itching to know if it got the green light!

Nice build!

[Fivezero[TX]]

No word yet, because.....

 

I haven't sent it in yet. I still have to do those minor adjustments I mentioned before (chest straps/forearm foam). Other than that she's good to go to hopefully get it approved, I'm aiming to get those taken care of this weekend, then it should be ready to submit!

 

Fivezero

[Griffin-X[501st]]

Awesome news Fivezero!

[Scubacat[TX]]

Sweet Jesus! This is awesome! I can't wait to see it in the CRLs!

[Fivezero[TX]]

Alright all straps I forgot about have been added now I only have one more thing to check, and that is the EL tape on my right forearm was dim, so I'm hoping it is just a dying battery issue. Otherwise, time to suit up again and take more pictures!!

 

Fivezero

[Darth Emphatic[CMD-DWM]]

This better make it in the plane to So Cal...

[DeathMOS30[501st]]

Yay hope to see the pics soon. I'm planning on using the lighting techniques for the evo shadow trooper

[Fivezero[TX]]

Okay guys! I got a draft done for the CRL today, hopefully get some new pics taken this week while I wait for materials for the EVO parts. Time to get this guy submitted! I'm going to put the suit on tomorrow just to double check and make sure I have everything secured this time.

 

Fivezero

[toddo[TX]]

If you need any help with the CRL Ty, let me know.

[Master Tej]

Pics! Pics!

 

It's exciting that this is so close!

 

- Master Tej -

[Fivezero[TX]]

Clear shoulder bells!!!! Did some messing around with some clear plastic I had while testing EVO parts and finally got some decent results for once. They'll need a bit of work (all those bubbles...) but most of that is getting covered in black paint anyway so not a huge deal.

 

 

 

Basically I don't think I'm going to send this thing in UNTIL I have the clear parts I want made up. While I'm glad my idea for the shoulders worked, they still felt too big and bulky (and ugly) to me, so that is partly why I haven't sent this guy in for approval yet. I'm going to try and make some clear legs as well (at least the ankles, then graft them to my current shins). I'm fine with the forearms as they are currently. They'll eventually get replaced, but they look and work just fine right now.

 

 

 

Fivezero

[Darth Emphatic[CMD-DWM]]

And another completed 5-0 costume gets so more tweaks...

[toddo[TX]]

That's awesome. Make me a helmet like that

[Fivezero[TX]]

And another completed 5-0 costume gets so more tweaks...

 

Yeah, I love this trooper too much and really was starting to hate those shoulders the more I looked at them. Want it to be perfect before it gets sent in for approval.

 

 

And Toddo, was originally planning to make a clear helmet, but that option would be very hard to pursue.... Hence why I pursued other options to achieve the lighting effect. This plastic is a pain to work with, those bells are literally the two only semi-decent pulls I got out of about 10 tries. The stuff really like to web and cinch together. Here's one of the first attempts I tried last year. We might be able to make to make a silicone mold then make a clear helmet using clear resin though.....

 

^ Ew....

 

 

Fivezero

 

 

Also just noticed that this project is 2 days away from this its 3rd birthday, I was still in high school when I started this thing, wow....

[Fivezero[TX]]

Been a long time, I know. I've been real busy lately and haven't had much drive to work on any projects the last few months. Fortunately, I just suddenly felt like working on this yesterday and a LOT got done on it too. As in a little gluing and some paint and it's ready...again. So let's commence with the pics (there's a lot)!!!

 

First, i cut the ankles off of the shins. Oh yeah and I built a new workbench, that is a lot bigger than the computer desk I was using before.

 

 

Then using those cut-offs, I created some clear copies to then glue back on the shins. I heated up a small chunk of plastic and then pressed it into the cutout to get the shape.

 

 

Gluing them on. Also had to apply a little heat here and there to get them to fit to the shin.

 

 

Because they're not exactly perfect, I had to cut out some rectangles to blend into the ridge on the shin (it's clear, you can barely see it).

 

 

Ready for some Bondo!

 

 

This morning hit them with some bondo and got the ankles all sanded and blended in.

 

 

And now for the fun stuff! Took a quick picture comparing the previously used EL wire to the new LED/Clear ankle method (EL on the left, LED on the right). The LEDs are an amazing improvement, I think it looks 1000% better. The EL wire (while it looks bright) is actually pretty dim at a distance and they drain these little batteries like crazy (lost TWO while setting this up). The final illuminated area won't quite be that big though, just showing off the new effect.

 

 

 

 

And I also got working on my new clear shoulders! Had to do a little sanding, trimming and filling to make them usable, that plastic doesn't like heat and had some ripples on the edges from being stretched.

 

 

After that, taping them off for some gloss black!

 

 

Paint (was literally painting this at midnight, I got into a good groove yesterday)!

 

 

Got the tape off this morning, and quickly rigged up an LED strip to compare against one of the old shoulder bells (new on the left, old on the right). Again, a huge improvement over before. And yes, the old shoulder lights are on. The new bells all around look better, the light stands out a lot more and they have a much better profile since they're only one bell, not two with an LED strip sandwiched in between.

 

 

 

Overall, I am very happy with how these tweaks have turned out. I feel about 15,000 times more confident sending this in for approval with these improvement. But, now I just need to get the shins assembled (again), trimmed, painted and LED strips mounted. The shoulders need a little more sanding (for the light diffusion), then LEDs mounted. It feels so good to work on this again.

 

Fivezero

[toddo[TX]]

Much brighter indeed. It's great to see you back Ty. I don't know about the rest of this motley crew, but I missed seeing you around.

[Griffin-X[501st]]

Agreed, good to see the Ty man back in the shop and on the boards!