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[CaTra Dral]

Thanks! I got a bit more work in after that, a second layer of spot putty on the knees, but nothing too exciting to write home about.  So many things are in the works today, I can’t wait to see what I get done.

The most exciting is that my dark saber blade finally came in!  I pick it up from my friend’s today.

Thank you for the great reference photos! I don’t know if I can get the leather all the way to black, but maybe I can take a swatch and try to dye it. If not, I’m sure I can find a use somewhere else.

I do have a question about the dark saber. Bo receives it at the end of the episode, so she never carries it. Is there an approved way to attach it? Sabine puts it on the back of her belt if I remember correctly. I don’t think I plan on having it on me all the time, especially since you would have to remove the blade and stash that somewhere. I was just curious.

[CaTra Dral]

So much done in the last two days! Progress makes me so happy.

Got my dark saber in. I do wish it had some of the white scrollwork in the dark part, but it’s pretty cool. It will not leave my hands at cons 😂



I sanded and primed a lot of things. My first jetpack piece came off the printer, and it looks a lot bigger! I’ve got the right top side printing to double check it’s the right width, and then I’m going to take a break and reprint my shins.

I will not buy a 2nd printer... I will not buy a 2nd printer...

Anyway. On to work. Yesterday, I added a comb to my headband to be able to put it on my wig. I’m not sure this will be a long term addition; contemplating adding a few stitches that can easily be removed. Originally I thought it was too big, but that was because it was in the wrong place. It is the perfect fit and on top of it,  there will be space to add the electronics for the lights. I ordered some small battery packs that should fit in it pretty perfectly. It will also fit in my chest piece and better in my gauntlet than the giant ones in my maul mando. Those should be coming in this week, I hope.




All the buttons are done and installed. Only one problem... despite all the reference photos and me checking a million times, I put one of the side pieces on the wrong dang side. Pulled it off, sanded it down and will reglue it after the electronics are added. Oh well, it’s still fixable.






These pieces are ready for the second coat of primer:


On to paint. It was a bit misty outside, but barely. This morning, I was able to paint my boot and hand plates.



I don’t know what happened after that. It was a hot mess. It got warmer, but everything bubbled and orange peeled. I thought at first it was unprimed Sintra vs primed 3D print, so I sanded down the Sintra and tried again. Nope! My painting was done for the day. Oh well. I’ll wait for a drier day. My guess is humidity. It won’t take much sanding to prep it again for paint to retry.

[Rayne]

Paint issues are the worst! I hope it gets better for you!

Your pieces are coming together nicely though. Great job!

For the dark saber, since we don’t have any references of it on her belt, I would recommend a hidden attachment of some sort on the back of your belt.

[CaTra Dral]

They really are! But thanks! 😊 it’s so much fun getting these pieces to move forward.

Today it was a bit windy, but drier. I was able to get some painting done.







The ab plate and shoulders are ready to sand tonight and I’ll paint them tomorrow. Then the shoulders will go to my friend who painted my bucket so he can add the sigils. So excited to see that!!

Sounds good about the dark saber! I look into that.

I’ve already got my eyes on my next kit... ordered a resin cast bucket and flight suit for the live action version of Bo. Should be ready to get started on by the time this kit is done. 😂😂 I may need to get that second printer...

[Rayne]

Looking good!  Glad the weather has been cooperating for you!

[CaTra Dral]

Thanks! I am too. In fact, it was so nice that I went ahead and painted my ab and shoulders. It is amazing to see some colors coming together; looking so much more like Bo!

I’m also glad I live in the middle of the country. Otherwise I’m sure people would think I’m crazy for going out in the dark to spray paint 😂 although, let’s be honest, that’s not the craziest thing I’ve done with prop building.

[Mi'ix]

It's odd that we've really never seen the dark saber carried on anyone but Din's belt, but we still have to account for some practicality when translating animated to real life. 

As Rayne said, done in a subtle way at the back of the belt would be best. 

This reminded me of a similar issue with snowtroopers in Empire Strikes Back.  The regular stormtrooper costume has a black leather holster on the wearer's left side for the E-11 blaster rifle.  Snowtroopers, while carrying the same blaster do not have a similar holster of any kind.  However, people end up making a white leather holster all the same because they don't want to carry around their blaster all day.  So, in essence, a practical solution for a silly problem, like we have here. 

[CaTra Dral]

It is so weird! I went and rewatched the mando episodes of Rebels and clone wars. Pre Vizsla had his on his jetpack, Sabine kept hers attached to the back of her belt somehow (there is no visible attachment) and I have absolutely no clue how Maul had it attached. Sheer hatred?

That is pretty funny about the snow troopers.

I could try magnets, but I’m worried with the weight of the hilt it would fall. It’s got a lot of heft. I’m also worried someone with sticky fingers might try to grab it and run, now that I think about it. So I probably will end up carrying the saber when I can, and if not it will stay in its case. I bought an architect tube and I’ll put foam in it to keep it from bouncing around.

[CaTra Dral]

Got some more work done; the second piece of the jetpack finished and it looks a lot more to scale. I’ll have to see if I can get comparison photos. The old one fits my friend’s 9 (I think?) year old daughter perfectly 😂😂



Dropped my shoulders off to have the sigils painted and picked up my chest plates to paint. I also put a second coat on the rest of the parts... in the dark in 38 degree weather. Everything survived, lol.


I gave up, my CR-10 V2 will be here the 29th. With kit 3 started, I need two printers to run everything. I might as well give in. I’ve got my shins currently on my V1, and I still have the jetpack and backplate to finish haha.

I do have a new question... any suggestions on how to attach the cod? I normally attach all of my armor by industrial velcro on the armor and sew on velcro on the flight suit. I worry that will look like plate lift on that though. I don’t really want to do magnets if possible. I worry about them staying put. I lost so many detonators on my first troop, I don’t want to have to wonder where in the world my armor has disappeared to... I am open to any and all suggestions.

[Rayne]

Yay jetpack!  Those pieces are looking really nice!

For cod attachment, I stick with velcro. Pins on a cod sound terrible, magnets might pop with movement, rivets might work, then it’s never coming off. To make sure you don’t have float with the velcro, maybe try to get the velcro placement closer to the edges of the plate like 1/2 inch or so without it being visible. That’s should hold it in place with minimal gap.

[CaTra Dral]

Thanks! Perfect, I  will stick with velcro. Can’t wait for my flight suit to start working on some of the placement! Weathering is next though.

I glued the first pieces of my jetpack together; once my shins come off the printer I’ll resume. I tested it against my current arena jetpack. They are pretty close to the same width, and should be a similar height. Here is a size comparison and a photo of my current jetpack; keeping in mind that my Bo Katan jetpack body is only 4 pieces with one top piece and the deathwatch jetpack for my current kit is six pieces, I think it should be pretty close.

[CaTra Dral]

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I’ve been making slow but steady progress;  nothing to write home about but at least it is forward momentum. I finally have some small improvements to post about.

Shins are off the printer, as well as the top piece of the jetpack. Last two pieces of the jetpack will start tomorrow.



I assembled the shins, bondoed, spot puttied and primed them. Just need to sand and prime one more time and I’ll be ready to paint.



Printer #2 was set up and just needs leveling, haha. Just in time for me to pretty much be done with this kit, but ready for kit 3 😂

Started making a list of what is left. This is what I think I have:
Print Jetpack bottom section
Print jetpack thrusters
Print backplate
Cut thighs and holsters and paint
Assemble and paint jetpack
Assemble and paint backplate
Paint shins
Print belt buckle and paint
Weather armor
Paint sigils on shoulder
Cut leather belts
Finish pouches
Add light gray panels to flight suit
Make flak vest and neck seal
Make gloves
Mount armor on soft goods
Weather soft goods
LEDs on gauntlets and chest plates

Starting to get shorter. It’s awesome to see things get ticked off.

[Rayne]

Prints are looking good! Great job on the print lines on the shins!

[CaTra Dral]

Thanks! 😊 I think I’m starting to get the hang of it with so many items I’ve done for these kits, haha.

It was warmer today, so I started putting base layers down. I was even so adventurous as to tape off and try a second color. I need to paint some details gray, fix a few places the tape took off the paint, and then weather it.

[CaTra Dral]

Started weathering some of my armor today. I am going to start with a blackwash and then I’ll add damage after that. I didn’t get most of it done, but I did get it started.



I always love seeing the difference between clean and weathered pieces. I did try to recreate some of the damage on the shin, but didn’t love it. It’s a good thing the blackwash fixes all sins. It gave me a clean (well, dirty) slate to start over with tomorrow.