My ANH ATA Build[*ATA]

[TK-4088]

Alright, i started this project back in May of this year, and then ran into a few snags and stressful moments, however here i am just days from being done and i wanted to share this over here and get some opinions, comments, and criticism. I have recently been sharing this all over at the Florida Garrison boards and now for your viewing pleasure from the beginning.

 

 

The Box

inside the box - not shiney

The bucket - uncut

 

The bucket - you can see i got really excited and cut to much here

The bucket - bondo to the rescue - at this time i was contacted by ATA who offered to hook me up with replacement ears but i went with the bondo and was really happy with that.

 

The bucket now - plus how not to paint tube stripes

 

do not paint tube stripes free hand like this, it is wrong in just so many ways lol

 

*ATA

[Quebectrooper]

You have skills but need to redo that bondo on the ears and just get stickers for $15-$20.

 

Look at www.starwarshelmets.com

[TK-4088]

Back to the armor build -

 

Armor pre cut and laid out

 

Cut, Primed and drying still not shiney

 

And now for the sexy shine

 

Soon as the neckseal and gloves come in there will be more coming all suited up, please let me know if you see anything that needs fixing,

 

Special thanks go out to other troopers who have made some of this possible,in no order what so ever,

 

MissingPieces - his tutorial threads in the FLG forums

TKittell - Canvas belt supplier.

TK8280 - leather holster

TK-4510 - Humbrol paint and tube stripes

TK6294 - MR 1506 amp

TKboots - the boots of course

[pandatrooper[TK]]

Hey Alkesh, please take this as constructive criticism. For the most part, the construction is OK. Your thermal detonator looks a bit long (is the pipe 7.5" long?).

 

I think you have the left and right arm assemblies mixed up left to right. Just swap the entire arm to the other side. Also, the cover strips on the arms are a bit too wide.

 

The helmet paint work could be improved. You can salvage the lower vents by using grey paint to "cut in" on top of the wonky black lines, this will tighten them up. You can clean up the outer black outline by touching up the outsides with white. Use a smaller brush! A round number 1 or 0 brush works great for the details.

 

I think you need to redo the blue cheek tube stripes. You either need to remove them and repaint them using a stencil, or as Quebectrooper mentioned get some tube stripe decals. There is a certain level of quality we should maintain here.

 

If all if this is too much work, I would sand those details down and repaint the helmet and use all decals for the details. The frown is fine.

 

Good luck!

[TK-4088]

Hey Alkesh, please take this as constructive criticism. For the most part, the construction is OK. Your thermal detonator looks a bit long (is the pipe 7.5" long?).

 

I think you have the left and right arm assemblies mixed up left to right. Just swap the entire arm to the other side. Also, the cover strips on the arms are a bit too wide.

 

The helmet paint work could be improved. You can salvage the lower vents by using grey paint to "cut in" on top of the wonky black lines, this will tighten them up. You can clean up the outer black outline by touching up the outsides with white. Use a smaller brush! A round number 1 or 0 brush works great for the details.

 

I think you need to redo the blue cheek tube stripes. You either need to remove them and repaint them using a stencil, or as Quebectrooper mentioned get some tube stripe decals. There is a certain level of quality we should maintain here.

 

If all if this is too much work, I would sand those details down and repaint the helmet and use all decals for the details. The frown is fine.

 

Good luck!

 

Absolutely, i posted here looking for exactly this. The thermal det is exactly 7.5 total from one end to the other, i have another picture of it measured, it does look long i know i think this is from cutting off to much so that more gray is shown then should be. I will have to compare the arm assembles again, i might have switched them like you said. The strips are 20 cm wide on the front and 25 on the back for fit. i really have no idea how to make them smaller or look smaller and still be able to fit in the armor. I see now that i posted the old pictures of the helmet painting, i ended up sanded down all of the black vent lines and using blue tape to give them a clean edge, i will have to post a new picture of this when i get a chance lol. The blue lines have been removed and i have ordered some tube stripes from TK-4510.

 

Thank you for taking the time to review my build, any advice is greatly appreciated. The way i see it, if someone else notices something i missed then the quality is improved.

Edited October 14, 2010 by Alkesh

[TK-4088]

ok well i was wrong in my reply. I remeasured the strips on the arms and they are a bit big, i will try to trim the front ones down but as they are tight on my arms i cant make them smaller. also the biceps might be swapped, they are right according to this thread but thats for the ROTJ biceps and not the ANH, so i am looking through screen shots again.

[pandatrooper[TK]]

Most of the armor that is based off original molds (TE, TE2, AP, ATA, etc.) use those ROTJ tour suit molds / forming bucks. Take a look at your pictures again, you have them backwards (look at the notches in the biceps).

 

Cover strips are "generally" considered to be 15mm for the arms, 20mm for the thighs and shins, and 25mm for the shin backs.

[RogueTrooper[TK]]

I hate to put another thing on the list, but you have got a little too much material on your butt plate and back piece Return edge / tumble line. You should trim these areas back about a 3/16" to 1/4" or back to where the shadow line is.

 

[TK-4088]

I hate to put another thing on the list, but you have got a little too much material on your butt plate and back piece Return edge / tumble line. You should trim these areas back about a 3/16" to 1/4" or back to where the shadow line is.

 

 

k good to know, that is a real easy fix, just cut it back. thanks for the input