bluebantha

Yeah, I figured. Ill do thinner coats going forward

Hi my friends! It's been a while since I posted an update. Ive been super busy with finals and performances, however, I managed to get a pretty good amount done. Firstly, to hold me over until I purchase a metal one, I printed out a functional holster for the thigh armor, here it is: I made some ABS slurry using the scraps I had, and Klean Strip acetone. I began putting it on the shoulders and abdomen seams: I cracked the Yolk when I was trimming the excess, so I started to patch it. I have begun sanding these pieces, however, I learned a valuable lesson. I figured it would be good to slap it on, quite thick, as it would build up nicely. This was however not the best way of doing things, I should have done multiple thin layers. I found that having it on thick would result in it heating up and becoming gummy as I would sand. Not a huge deal, but it would require me to stop, and then start again. I also noticed there being quite a few bubbles in the slurry when I did it this way. So, if you're doing this, learn from my mistakes. Next, and this was for some reason a big worry of mine, I began on cutting out the forearms. Before: And after: Once this was done, I cut out the recesses in the chest and biceps: I then added the gaff tape to the back: Feeling pretty good about my progress thus far. I also began glueing the limbs together, so I will post that when I post updates on the seams. If I could have some guidance on the shoulder/chest rigging, I would greatly appreciate it. I have found that even after the 2-3 times I have slid the unit over my head, I am already developing cracks. I have since reinforced those areas with ABS and some slurry though. Thanks for looking!

Completely unrelated, but I am an actor, and in theater, I have access to a lot of black gaff tape. So, I took some today, and am trying to make sense of exactly where it goes on the armor. I understand it goes in the black areas where stickers are often used, but is it taped on from the back, or placed on top like a sticker?

New update! All of the pieces are trimmed with the exception of the forearms, which I'll tackle tomorrow. In addition, I glued together the abdomen, and hope to begin the filling tomorrow. I did a mock fitting, and am finding that the tips of the chest dont sit flat, so I'll need a way to flatten them. Here's some pics; Abdomen before: Abdomen after: Chest before: Chest after: Yolk before: Yolk after: Back before: Back after: Spine before: Spine after: Spats before: Spats after: Hands before: Hands after: Here is the abdomen glued:

Productive night yesterday! I got a ton of the pieces cut out, and the greeblies painted! Here's the paint: Onto the cutting! Cod before: Cod after: Shins before: Shins after: Thighs before: Thighs after: Butt before: Butt after: Shoulders before: Shoulders after: Knees before: Knees after: I'll be working on the torso armor tonight. Id like to do the forearms soon, however, they feel a bit daunting.

Thanks for clarifying!

Entirely unrelated, but, for the black ring around the neck of the helmet, is paint used or is an actual rubber gasket used? If it's a rubber gasket, where do people typically get them? I have left over trim from my ANH helmet, although, I dont know if this is the same.

This was super helpful. Thank you! I plan on trimming more pieces tonight

It has begun! I started with the biceps. as they seemed relatively straight forward Before: After: So, I trimmed as the directions said, and they seem fine, however, I just got a bit concerned about return edges. I know for ANH TK's there's a ton of discussion and reference regarding what is correct. What seems to be the consensus for FO TK's? I also know that the gaskets add a bit of heft. I know the chest and back have some, but is it ok that I trimmed the biceps to the edge? I can attach more photos.

Cool cool. Thanks for the insight, I appreciate it!

Hey guys! Wanted some clarification on this, if it can be offered. I was on Keep Trooping, looking for boots, and found them have this "New Era Undersuit" https://keeptrooping.com/product/new-era-undersuit/ Does anyone have experience with this specific suit? I can tell that there is a gasket material on the knees and arms, however, I cant tell if the thigh material is shiny. Im still looking into the best gloves to get.

Hey all, today is the big day! After work, I went outside and was surprised with a BBB, MBB, and SBB! Here they are! They were the kit, the helmet, and the neck seal respectively. Im still amazed how quickly they got here, and so far, the quality is seemingly amazing! Here is a comparison of the Anovos TFA Premium helmet, and the Denuo Novo TLJ Standard helmet. The colors seem to be ever so slightly different, Anovos being a cooler white, DN warmer, but I don't see either of them being an issue with the armor. Here's a look: Happy I ordered the neck seal, it looks great, and feels great too! here it is with the included gaskets: Chest, yolk, and back: Shoulders: Biceps: Forearms: Abdomen: Cod and Butt: Thighs: Shins: Spats and Knees: Belt: Resin Greeblies: Decals: Fastening: That pretty much sums everything up. Im super super excited to get started. Just some observations going forward: - Bummed that the tall belt pouch cover doesn't fit the pouch, so I'll have to buy a set from Trooper Bay. - My big head doesn't fit in the hard hat rig they have set up in the helmet, so ill need to get that taken out - Ill either need to paint or find rubber for the neck ring on the helmet - Still need boots, gloves, and shiny shorts I'll keep you all updated, for any following along. Im gonna start trimming some stuff up tonight when I get home from my show!

Second, I got tracking for all of the pieces of my order from DN today, and it seems that they'll all be arriving on Thursday! The tracking is updated, and they're already moving! Crazy to me how fast they shipped, especially considering the likely influx in orders due to the May 4th sale. I absolutely love supporting smaller businesses, and independent makers, but you cant beat a turnaround time like this for a kit, it's crazy.

Some welcome updates today! Firstly, the Anovos Premium Line TFA helmet arrived! Here are some photos: This piece is lovely, and I truly cant wrap my head around how it was being let go for so little, nonetheless, I am satisfied with it. It's got a great weight to it, it's comfortable, and certainly high quality. With all that said, there are some minor details that would make the retail price of $600+ feel a bit steep. In the first photo, you can see a slight divet in the nose plate above the chin. In addition, the recessed lines above the ears are unevenly deep in spots, and some of the black paint apps look not entirely crisp. here's some photos of that Again, im just being nit picky, im super super happy with it.

Hi my friend, thank you for the advice! I actually have your thread in my google resource doc lol, so ive been following it closely. Im leaning towards using the paste, it just seems to be all around a good idea. I have some experience with that method on my Anovos ANH TK

Just received 3 UPS tracking numbers!

I winced at the price, but I finally pulled the trigger! Lets hope this is smoother than Anovos... So, as things currently stand: DN TLJ Helmet- Ordered DN FO TK Kit- Ordered DN Neck Seal- Ordered Anovos TFA Helmet- Ordered I still need: Boots Gloves Imperial Surplus TFA Parts Metal thigh bracket Metal shoulder brackets Shiny shorts New gaskets (?) I cant wait to start this thread!

Thanks for this!

Hey all! Quick question before I pull the trigger on my DN order. I have seen a number of people approved with the DN standard line TLJ helmet, which has a few inaccuracies, most notably, the clips. I did notice, however, that even for basic approval, the CRL states that the helmet MUST include the appropriate TLJ style clips. What is the workaround here? Do people replace the clips with 3D printed ones? And if so, how? Any help is appreciated!

Hey guys! Quick question. DN just started their May 4 sale, which is 10% off, plus free shipping. Im also able to apply my other 10% off code from the email list, giving me 20% off, which is crazy, so I think I'm pulling the trigger tonight. From what I can tell, the standard ABS they provide is plenty glossy, especially with a proper polish. I have seen, however, some really wonderful glossy automotive finishes, and am wondering what you all would recommend? I am fairly experienced when it comes to using automotive paints. I have a HVLP setup, and have been painting Mando armor for a number of years now. What I'm really wondering however is if it is worth the time and energy needed to paint it, or if the standard ABS is fine? Really, which is more screen accurate? Any guidance is appreciated!

Premium Anovos Helmet is arriving Monday!

Caught an Anovos premium line TFA helmet for $250 on Mercari. All things seem well, seller seems nice. They do offer buyer protection however, so if things go wrong, I can always get a refund

Yes! The last thing I want to do is make some irreparable mistakes to the armor lol

Thanks for all the links! super, super helpful. And thank you for also pointing out the thermal detonator

Hey all, I'm hoping to document my first order TK build here! This will be my first build, and I will inevitably have a million questions, so I'm hoping I can have some guidance! Here are my current plans: My dream is to make the TFA version of the trooper, as this design is what truly got me invested in stormtroopers years ago when I first saw them walking around Hollywood Studios. The DN kit is obviously intended to be used as a TLJ/TRoS suit, but from what I can tell, it can be made into a TFA kit. So that leads me to my next question, are the only differences between the two versions the helmet, forearms, and cod piece, or are there more? My plan is to order the individual TFA pieces from Imperial Surplus, and make both versions of the suit. Long term, id like to have an approved TFA kit, TLJ/TRoS kit, and Executioner kit. Lofty, but doable I think. As far as the helmets go, I would love to have both of the DN premium helmets, however, im not keen on dropping nearly $1,300 on the two of them. I will certainly get the premium TFA one, however, for TLJ, im going back and forth between the premium and standard line. The premium line helmet is very accurate. The standard line helmet is slightly inaccurate beneath the mouth, using the TFA chin. I thought about converting a black series helmet, as the chin is more accurate, however, I have quite a large head, and worry it won't fit. I have 3D printed 5th Horseman's F11-D, and SE44-C. Geeky Pink seems to be the go-to for gaskets, however, I am looking for rubber ones, as I hope to apply for centurion. I believe there are runs of accurate metal holsters, as well as well defined resin hand plates, both of which I hope to purchase. In addition, I may upgrade to Dino's spats. Any guidance and/or tips are greatly appreciated! I have completed a few ANH TK kits before this, and I'm excited to add this to the roster!