activation email

[Sea_Marshall]

Copied from the Wolves of Mandalore forums to be part of the canon forums. Hopefully the contribution here will be helpful to others as well!

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Hey Folks,

I've decided to upload my ESB Boba Fett WIP on TheDentedHelmet.com. "TDH" is the leading authority and largest collection of Boba Fett builders on the internet. If you are seriously considering learning about Fett's armor build, this is the place to learn, if not directly from Fett owners/builders themselves. MMCC has their own Fett's and after speaking with Walter and Ma-Anne about their build, I was reinvigorated to create a WIP. I have decided to post to the TDH forums for the greatest amount of assistance and feed back, but if you are interested, you can follow that conversation with this link. 

https://www.thedentedhelmet.com/forums/threads/sea-marshall-esb-fett-wip.31024/

In no way am I an authority in this subject, I just happen to be crazy enough to pursue it. There are much more knowledgeable folks, and I will be looking to them for answers to my own questions as well!

_________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ ____________

I have collected a number of items over several months and plan to knock out a lot of the build in what little free time that I have. I have already begun, but the progress has been slow. I aim to pick up the pace and hopefully suit up and approve by summer. I will be prepping and painting my own kit, and I hope to receive help and feedback from this great community of Fett Fanatics. I have already had the pleasure of speaking with several folks from the community and have had the honor of meeting a few in person.

My aim is to build the kit per the 501st CRL Costuming: http://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:BH_Boba_Fett-ESB and cross check it with the Mandalorian Mercenaries CRL: http://mandalorianmercs.org/boba-fett-empire-strikes-back/ -- but I will not be following the strict "film accuracy/canon" build regarding parts, until I am able to troop with my standard build, rather I will upgrade over time and if I'm crazy enough, collect original 'found parts' over the years. I plan to attain a high quality status, but approval and troop status is the goal. I plan to at least have servos in the helmet, and LEDs in the Jetpack and Gauntlets.

Here is where I am as of 11.27.17:

Helmet per Wasted Fett




"Hero" Armor per Wasted Fett


Jetpack per Man of War Studios


Soft Parts per Man of War Studios Gloves, Flight Suit, Rope Belt, Pockets, Cape, Vest (not pictured)


Gauntlets  and Shin Tools per Man of War Studios


Chest LEDs per Fettronics


Boot Spikes per Evolution_Props (eBay) - Item to be upgraded with MachineCraft Replicas
Gauntlet Darts per Fenix Props (eBay) - Item to be upgraded with MachineCraft Replicas


Boots per Man of War Studios
In Transit (ETA Dec 2017)

Alco MPA 106-D Pushbutton Switch
In Transit (Dec 4th Arrival)

Items missing for completion:
EE-3, Side Arm, Holster, Ammo belt, Gauntlet Tubing, Wookiee Braids (horse hair), Collar Studs

In the comments I will update my progression as photos are taken of steps leading to completion of each item. Feed back is welcome, as are links to tutorials that may be helpful. Here are a few that I am following, or will at least keep an eye on while I work on this project - which you may or may not be able to access, but are here for my reference.

Wasted Fett Helmet Assembly: http://wastedfett.com/index.php/boba-fett-helmet-assembly/
Marie-Ann's Pro-Build: http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=115665.0
MachineCraft Replicas: https://www.thedentedhelmet.com/forums/threads/machinecraft-replicas-consolidated-sales-thread-boba-fett-metal-parts.24096/
Happy Trooper EE-3 DIY Build: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpHJ6KMtMlk&feature=youtu.be

I will be happy to leave reviews of my chosen items and post requested photos of each item or stage of my progress - please leave a comment or request. Thanks everyone.

[Sea_Marshall]

Gauntlets from Man of War come with instructions to dremel out the resin plugs and degrease the resin mold release off.



I soaked the Gauntlets, bits, and shin tools for about 30minutes, then scrubbed with a brush until the rough texture of the resin could be felt instead of the smooth mold release agent. If you skip this degreased step, paint will not cling to the surfaces. It can be argued that you could thoroughly sand the surfaces, but as a best practice, I recommend soaking the resin items in degreaser and scrubbing the surfaces.




I used 80 grit and 120 grit sand paper blocks to smooth out the surfaces. Also recommended by MoW is to lay a flat piece of coarse sand paper on a table and level out the rough edges of the gauntlet halves/seams. These particular gauntlets come with a hinge system to open and close the gauntlets. Flattening the surfaces is ideal to have a straight edge.



I have attached the hinges temporarily with Gorilla Glue to get the gauntlets fitted. I will be revisiting the hinges with a more solid adhesive, perhaps fiberglass, bondo, or other method. For now, it serves its purpose.



Flame Thrower Assembly: It is recommended to dry fit these parts as you put the weapon together. You may want to trim the tubes to fit your preference. Let the parts slide freely around as you determine the right length. It is worth noting that you may want to file the inside of the tubes and bits to make for a better fit on the pipes. It is also highly recommended to have a heat gun handy because in the case of a tight fit, you can heat the bits for a better shape on the pipes.



It is worth noting that the resin gauntlets from Man of War did not have a perfect fit. As with many resin products, warping occurs and you may need to reheat the resin and reshape. I spent the better part of three hours reshaping the gauntlets to a perfect fit, and even then, it's pretty snug on my right forearm. The left gauntlet is great, but the right side is uncomfortable to wear and I will likely replace these at a later date. For now, they will do. Getting the seams to match when closed took a long time.

Note that the hinges are on the inside of the gauntlets. The outside of the gauntlets fortunately come with greeblies that cleverly disguise the seam.




Regarding the gauntlet closures, I have decided to use heavy strength magnets acquired from a Home Depot. These magnets are bulky, but cost $2.50 per pair and are ridiculously strong. They caused blood clots on my fingers when they snap shut. If you choose to use magnets, be aware they they can shatter if you snap them together too hard. I have heard of other closure methods, but I wanted something easy and I'm a big fan of magnets. Keep in mind that I plan to replace these at a later date for something more comfortable for my wrist size.


 
There they are. Prepped for paint. I will be priming in gray, base coating in antique nickel, top coating in hunt club green, and hand painting everything else. I have yet to finalize colors.



Feed back is welcome on your preferred methods of gauntlet closure, what gauntlets you have, and choices of colors, upgrades etc.

Thanks for following along.

[Sea_Marshall]

Hey folks,

I managed to get a few hours in on the build - this is the dull, boring, same-ol'-stuff, but a crucial step to proper paint prep. I've found that doing these steps in one sitting is a good armor session to prep for the next phase: sanding.

Here's the Man of War Jet Pack in all its individual parts glory.



As with all resin casts, you're going to want to degrease the release agents off the items. Soak in warm water for 30minutes and scrub until you can feel the rough texture of the part. Soak longer and scrub again as needed, then let dry. Everything's drying so - you fine folks get a WIP update.





Here's the assembly process on the instructions provided by Man of War Studios



Not included in the kit are the pvc pipe fittings to connect the jet pack thrusters on a swivel, instead of attaching them individually. I'll have to swing by a home depot to pick these up before my next step.



In the next phase, I'll be sanding the resin to get rid of mold lines. Resin casts will always have these and it's worth the time to clean them up, otherwise they'll show up in your paint and looks like amateur hour. Other options will be to bondo the surface to balance the lines, then sand. I'll be sanding first and if the groove is still too deep, I'll clean it up with bondo.



What jet packs do you folks have? The Man of War pack seems a bit heavy. I will be ordering MachineCast Replicas metal parts for the beacon and stabilizer at least. Those two parts looks like they can attach and detach easily. The greeblies look like permanent fixture and I'd want to finalize my jetpack before making those purchases. Does anyone have the NME Jetpack? What are your thoughts?

   

[Sea_Marshall]

No real progress report here. Just acquired a few more items. Got the eye hooks installed, waiting for a good armor session to dremel out the jetpack and sand it down. Then I can pop in the thrusters and glue in the bits. Think the only metal parts I'll be adding on this one is the beacon and stabilizer.

The momentary switches arrived for the gauntlets (yay!) and picked up the braided vinyl tubing in 1/2inch, eye hooks and mini bungee cords.

[Sea_Marshall]

Got a few hours of progress in today: Jetpack paint prep! Boring stuff, but needs to be done for a nice canvas. Got everything sanded to a good stopping point and have a few WIP photos for those interested in cleaning up the Man of War jetpack. I hear Man of War is moving to soft parts only? Or at least not doing hard part/resin runs any longer? Either way, I was fortunate to pick up one of his last ones then.

Here's a quick look at the parts after they were sanded down and rocket assembled.



Piano Keys! The part of the jetpack I've never paid attention to until I had to grind off a bunch of resin and use an x-acto knife to cut away the rest of the flash. Ended up grinding down the block until it was thin enough then dialed it in between the corners



I ended up attaching the piano keys to the pack after I sanded it down. The pre-shaped resin fit in pretty good, but I ended up using a heat gun to reshape the keys for a tighter fit on the corners.



In the previous posts above, I noted how many seams there were to the casts. Fortunately they just came off with sand paper and didn't need any bondo work. Should be a nice smooth coat once paint comes in. Here's an after photo of the sanding for those wondering if they should clean up the lines. Yes, yes you should.



I didn't spend much time on the back portion. But you can see the bungee installation on the eye hooks. I believe this should work. I knotted up the cord a bit to snug the fit more, but it appears that the thrusters will move freely if bumped.



And here it is! Almost in its glory. Still need to order the MachineCraft Replica's beacon and get the dental file for the stabilizer, but this thing is ready for paint! Pretty stoked to have gotten to this point. I will likely magnetize the rocket to the pack for disassembly and packing.

What to work on next?

[Sea_Marshall]

Minor update while the holidays roll through. Put some time cleaning up Wasted Fett's FPH2 helmet. Great to work with! The filing and sanding was pretty easy going. Key slots are like a rite of passage.



Working on this helmet is a new thing for me. My first bucket came from NME props, The Mercenary, and when I received it, it was cleaned up and visor was installed. With Wasted Fett's I used a diamond dremel blade to cut out the visor. This was my first time using a dremel blade and working with a quality helmet like this. You can imagine my caution and see how far away I made the cuts. I didn't want to chance hitting the actual helmet itself.



I had originally planned to file out the helmet, but the work was slow going, so I got a piece of 100 grit sand paper and wrapped it around a piece of plastic and made a thin sanding block to work the edges of the helmet and clean it up. It worked way better than I expected. I hear others use painters sticks or scraps of sintra.



For the corners of the visor I took a small file that I used on the key slots and trimmed back the left over cast before using the sand paper stick to smooth it out.



Here it is, edges and key slots cleaned up. Still need to lightly sand the surface and clean up the range finder and ears. The details on Wasted Fett's FPH2 is great. There are scratches in the helmet that I know should be there for the paint, but I'll probably lose some of that detail in the prep. All good. It's nice to know that the quality and workmanship is all there though!

[Sea_Marshall]

Another slow but steady WIP update. Finally found some time to belt-sand the armor rough cut (Thanks, Vinny!) then smooth out the edges and sand the surfaces for paint! Primer down, silver added. Now to get some masking fluid...

EDIT: The chest and collar plates are too thick in these images. The return edge should be more of a 3mm thickness.







Filed out the chest for the LEDs. This looks to be about right?

[Sea_Marshall]

During the holidays, a few items arrived! Boots via Man of War and cod / collar studs, gauntlet darts, and borden from Machine Craft Replicas.




At the first anticipated Armory Party of the year, it afforded me some time on the belt sander and some open air to lay down the primer and silver base coats on my gauntlets, shin tools, and jetpack.

In a previous post, it was noted that the return edge of the chest armor was too thick, and bringing that to my attention is greatly appreciated. Here's a before and after of the thick edge compared to the trimmed armor. I was hesitant to trim it this low, but in the end it looks much better.




Also found the time to dry fit the Alco push button switches and gauntlet darts. Stoked to finally have these fitted.



Spent the whole day watching paint dry. Put on the flat gray primer and followed with Satin Nickel for the base layers.



Now that these items are primed, I'll start on the masking fluid as I can. I'll be doing a layered paint job with some thick top coats to really give the armor and gauntlets a realistic chipped look. Really looking forward to the next time I can put down some paint. I have the Spruce Green (?) for the gauntlets and jetpack and hunter green for the armor. Great to finally get some extra time on the kit!

[Sea_Marshall]

Updates! The Spruce green colored items are masked with Hubrol fluid. I really like that stuff. Easy to apply, but say good bye to your brush if you don't have a solvent for the masking fluid.

I've decided to push forward with my choice of color simply because the MMCC and 501st requirements for entry level Boba Fetts are not dependent on exact screen accurate colors. While I will do my best to match the reference photos, the TDH community's next level dedication to screen accuracy and replication will be something that I will strive to achieve some day. If I try to achieve that now, I will never move forward. Additionally, I noticed that 501st recently updated their Level 2 requirements for Boba Fett to include options that I had not prepped for, and I'm not going to scrap my progress. While I will achieve what Level 2 reqs I can, it's an end goal, not a start.

That said, the color requirements for both costume clubs simply refer to "medium green" "olive green" "darker green" or "green that varies from the armor" and that is a whole range of colors. I feel the colors I have selected will move me in the direction I need for the time being. This isn't in reference to the helmet, which will be it's own challenge. For now, I'm prepared to knock out the armor and soft parts.

I am doing a layered approach instead of a topical application. I will be layering paint to give a realistic chipping or worn effect that will naturally occur to armor and paint. Topically painting will yield a more accurate depiction of the screen images, but as long as I stay within screen accuracy guidelines, I don't see why I shouldn't pass. And if not, hell with it, I'll have a sweet set of armor I can be proud of because I put the work into it and the goal is to have fun with it.

Here we go! First layers of masking fluid is down. I may consider changing the jet pack paint from a layer to topical because it appears that the silver is revealed from rubbing away the top coat versus a paint chip from a blaster bolt as seen in the helmet and armor.

[Sea_Marshall]

Updates!

Masked the armor parts using stencils provided from RafalFett. The Hero armor from Wasted Fett and the stencils are not sized to match. I suppose a I could have magnified the image before print with some testing, but meh. I ended up using the stencils as a guide line and free handed the markings, which will take from the accuracy, but will suit my needs. Also to note is masking and layering vs topical painting for weathering effects. For some parts I ended up opening the file on my laptop and sized the image to fit the size of the armor plate and matched the markings. Have a look and be the judge.

I could not, for the life of me, locate a single Humbrol vendor, and I went to 5 separate paint vendors in my area...Decided to stick with rattle can colors: Hunt club and spruce green. Will have to sort out some airbrush colors to dial in weathering.

The collar was the first attempt. I've masked the silver and gray portion as a single part and will hand paint in the gray as a middle layer between silver and green. This is when I discovered the stencils were proportionally incorrect and began to free hand instead.



Left chest plate masks yellow and silver and will hand paint yellow as the middle layer.



The right plate has very little silver weathering, but a large patch of dark gray (base metal), and a darker green/gray (lark gray). With the recommended colors, I didn't feel like it was a match and decided to mask the silver and dark gray area on the left. I will be painting over the silver area in gray to still give the chipped look and will topically apply the lark gray areas as a stain to the paint rather than a chipped layer. (added the masking in a later photo)



The back plate was pretty straight forward and just used the online image to guide the mask.



Same with cod and kidney.



Here's what I came up with before laying down the Hunt Club green layer.




Now I wait for the paint to completely dry and cure before I start peeling away the maskol and applying yellow and gray. Achieving the carbon scoring and weathering appears that I will need to airbrush on the damage to get the best effect, perhaps touch up the green to give it that brighter color I see from the Bespin hallway.



In addition to the first paint layers going down, I've sent out payments for the ESB Belt and Wookiee Braids. Still need to obtain boot spikes and jetpack beacon from Machine Prop Replicas, and need to sort out the EE-3, Pulce 40 and holster. Locking pin backs are in transit after I read through Fettastic's thread for attachment method. Ugh, and sort out the jetpack harness.

When I get the chance I can lay down Spruce green for Gauntlets and Jetpack. Next to mask are the knees and shoulders. Following that I can begin weathering the soft parts: girth belt, flightsuit and boots. It's getting there! It seems attainable. And... then the helmet. That's a whole another project by itself. When I get there, I'll be stoked because it's the cherry on top.

In the end I decided to go with my chosen colors and free handing the maskol because the requirements for the costuming clubs (which is my end goal) states: "Weathering reasonably matches visual reference", colors are "medium dark green", with exposed silver damage. Pretty mellow considering the amount of attention the Dented Helmet community puts into the detail. Part of the fun with this build is being able to do what I can without reaching out to others for assistance and doing the work for me. With that, I can accept any errors or mishaps that happen along the way, learn from it, and improve the skills for the next one.

Thanks for following along! It's a long journey for sure.

[Sea_Marshall]

Just got a lesson in patience when I decided to paint on an overcast, relatively cold morning instead of waiting for the sun to be out... the rattle can decided to gunk up and spit debris into my top coat on the ab plate and pool with lack of heat to cool it fast enough...

The Horror: good job, noob.



Fortunately only the ab plate took the hit, but I'll have to strip it down and lay down new coats, which will likely set me back a week just on this one item. A lesson in patience indeed.

I decided to take the opportunity to test the maskol and started to strip it away. Here's a side by side of the result. Granted, I didn't wait for the paint to completely cure, but I'm scrapping the paint job anyway.



Not too bad. Definitely want to have thicker coats of the maskol for a better result, but even the this pieces came off with little difficulty. Just rub a ringer across the top of the layer and it rolls right off. Obviously the longer you wait for the paint to cure, the less will pull up on the edges of the maskol; semi wet paint will pull on the edges and peel up more than intended - you can see the differences in some parts. That said, the result is good and detail stayed.

If I were to continue, I'd be painting the yellow along the green, but instead, I'll share my failures with you. One day I'll invest in an airbrush. Next armor upgrade for sure.

[Ashen Kelborn]

ESB too, you really are going great guns.
Keep it up buddy 

[Mi'ix]

Bummer about the paint.

Are you planning on taking this to the brigade level?

[Sea_Marshall]

Bummer about the paint.

Are you planning on taking this to the brigade level?

I sanded off the paint and can now reapply when I get a nice day of weather. Easy and a nice reset.

Brigade level? I was unaware of such a thing. I'll poke around and look for reqs.

Yes. I'll be taking this to brigade level.

[Ashen Kelborn]

I sanded off the paint and can now reapply when I get a nice day of weather. Easy and a nice reset.

Brigade level? I was unaware of such a thing. I'll poke around and look for reqs.

Yes. I'll be taking this to brigade level.

Is there anything worth doing that isn't brigade level? 

[Mi'ix]

Awesome! That's what we like to see.

Are you planning redoing your whole paint job or just the ab plate?

I'm about to paint my chest plates so you'll want to make sure you have some varying shades of green. Your left chest plate, collar, and back plate are all going to be the same green.  Right chest and ab plate are going to be a little bit lighter and the diamond will be the darkest since the ESB Hero turned out to be a mismatch of various suits.

You and I are using identical parts for this project and you've done a great job so far! Looking forward to seeing what you do with it!

[Sea_Marshall]

I'm about to paint my chest plates so you'll want to make sure you have some varying shades of green. Your left chest plate, collar, and back plate are all going to be the same green.  Right chest and ab plate are going to be a little bit lighter and the diamond will be the darkest since the ESB Hero turned out to be a mismatch of various suits.

You and I are using identical parts for this project and you've done a great job so far! Looking forward to seeing what you do with it!

Yes, I'm aware of all the shades. I'm just putting down Hunt Club green as the Med/Green req. I will likely revisit the plates at a later stage to airbrush on the shades, lighten the plates, and add weathering. Only the ab plate got sanded down because of the mishap. As I near the finish line, which is a marathon away, I'll put more time into the color detail. I went to a variety of paint shops and can't seem to find the right colors and will likely order the colors online once I acquire an airbrush.

I hope to do the plates justice! Just moving it along to get it done and will sort it out if it's not up to par.

[Mi'ix]

Airbrush is definitely the way to go! 

I've got a working color list I would be more than happy to share with you!

[Kebiin Ke'Varek]

Mi'ix is not only the Canon Division Captain, he is an excellent source of information in this department.  Keep in mind that the Brigade Team is here to help and guide you throughout the building process.  It is important to note that in a Canon build, it all has to be right, down to the colors....so his suggestion above is a good one.  You won't be able to cover the wrong color scheme with weathering, so he is simply aiming to help you there by giving you (REALLY GOOD) advice.  No one is here to insult you or your build in any way,  EVER, so never take what we say as anything but constructive, to get you and your kit to the highest possible level. 

[The Unknown Mando]

Awesome work so far vod, nice selection of parts too

[Sea_Marshall]

Decided to scrap my paint job, invest in an airbrush, and pick up the appropriate humbrol paints before moving forward again. 

[Ashen Kelborn]

Heart breaking buddy but probably a good move if you want that finer detail.
Looking like I'll have to do the same with my Jodo too, so i really feel for you 

[Mi'ix]

I'm sorry to see that Sea Marshall.

I saw your PM, I'll get back with you either tonight or tomorrow since I'm kitting up a couple times this weekend.

[Sea_Marshall]

Ah, it's no big deal. Its a primer, silver, mask, green. And I my gauntlets, jetpack, shoulders, and knees are still at a good stage. So just the chest, back, cod, and kidney. Agreed, the finer details will show and I'll be happier that I reset. I still have a long way to go, so this is a minor set back in the bigger picture.

I read up on the TDH forums and it appears that lots of folks are using enamels. I've only ever painted with acrylics, but I'd image thinning enamels would still have a nice look. I wanted to approach the paint with multiple layers of paint to really get a chipped feeling to the armor, but even after the coats I put on, it doesn't look much different than a topical application. The masking layers with thin airbrush coats will give better detail and the accuracy of colors will make all the difference.

Already sanded down a few pieces and reapplied the primer layer. Came out nice, so that's a definite win. Thanks for following along! This only my second kit and painting something this detailed is a new challenge. I knew I wanted to do a Boba, but made my rando to see what goes into the hobby.

[Sea_Marshall]

Updates!

After screwing up my rattle can paint job, I decided I didn't like the color after all and achieving the weathering would have to be airbrushed anyway. Add to that the Flight Suit, boots, and cape can all be airbrushed for weathering, so I broke down and invested in a relatively inexpensive airbrush with a few needles, compressor, and ordered the appropriate paints from Humbrol online.



I've finally finished stripping and sanding the original rattle can color and have started to prime the pieces back to masking prep. Fortunately the shoulder and knees are still primed. Here's the current state as of last night:



Never doing that again, and let me just recommend to other first time Fett painters: Just do it right, get the right colors, and invest in the airbrush... I've already dumped a bunch of money into the suit, what's another couple hundred bucks for a sweet tool that will be used on just about EVERYTHING. At least three other folks told me the same piece of advice and now I'm kicking myself for trying to cut a corner.

Other things in prep:
Fabric dye for the Man of War flight suit (I'm considering an Arkady suit in the future, but will work with what I have)


Locking back pins for armor attachment. Fettastic's post on attachment method (TDH) seemed simpler, cost effective, and user friendly, so I jumped on it too. Should be an easy replacement if it doesn't work out, but appears this will be a great method.


Wookiee Braids! per Woodman, found on Dented Helmet. Fast turnaround, great product.


And finally got the ESB Belt! per Delta Leather Works, found on Dented Helmet. Fast turnaround, great product.


Jetpack beacon should be shipping from Machine Craft Replicas soon, then will sort out electronics on that front.

Once the weather warms up, the last primer/base coats will be going down, masking again, and then I can take the airbrush for a spin. Progress is ramping up! Finish line is still a ways off, but it's coming down to the last laps.