Devolver's MTK ANH Stunt/HWT Build

[DEVOLVER[501st]]

Hey everyone!

This is the thread for my first build: An MTK ANH Stunt that will eventually become an HWT. I will be building the TD and drop boxes just in case there are occasions I want to go clean, but my major objective is an HWT suit. I am going for Centurion from the start and I would appreciate any and all advice/critique as I build. I have only minor experience in building models and zero experience in building armor and costuming, so I hope all goes well.

 

Just to let you know, I have already built an arm and a half, but I will show the process and start updating my progress from here on out.

 

The first thing after the big purchase was to gather supplies for the build:
There is a wealth of knowledge here for fledgeling troopers. Using this thread (https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/31404-supply-list-for-your-tk-build/) by justjoseph63, I was able to get a good head start. It was immensely helpful and I highly recommend every new builder to read it and gather as many of these supplies as possible.

 

In my build I have decided to use E6000 over CA Glue. E6000 was the most recommended adhesive for beginners and I am so glad I went this route. So far, I have had to pull apart several sections and re-glue due to just trying to get them as cosmetically pleasing as possible. I have fixed several mistakes as well, and had I been using CA Glue, I would already have most likely ruined my armor. I highly recommend using E6000. The only downside being it's cure time which, at minimum, is 24 hours. I've tried to make it a point to glue and clamp everything that is ready at the beginning of a build session to maximize my time. Even still, it can be a long wait if you're impatient like me. 

 

A metal ruler, Lexan scissors and a sharp shop knife and Exacto knife have been invaluable as well.

 

Edited May 4, 2018 by DEVOLVER

[DEVOLVER[501st]]

The right of passage for every TK: BIG BROWN BOX DAY!

 

Taking inventory and basking in the glory!

 

To say I was excited would be accurate, and to say I was feeling pretty nervous would be a massive understatement!

 

Everything was there, and MTK even packed a checklist to show every part had been inspected and packed. Also in the box were helmet decals (though I will probably end up hand panting), black rubber chemical gloves, assorted screws and washers and the S-Trim for the helmet. I was extremely pleased. The ABS looked great and felt nice and thick. Definitely a sturdy ABS here.

 

MTK was very fast with his responses to my questions and obviously supplies a great product. I would definitely buy from him again!

 

 

Edited August 3, 2017 by DEVOLVER

[DEVOLVER[501st]]

Alright, before I started cutting I read just about every build thread on the forum and watched every Trooperbay YouTube video (found here: https://youtu.be/jmcZ8J_ZECA). I was time to dig in!

 

I decided to start with the forearms, as that seems to be the most popular place to begin. I can see why now, too. Lots of (relatively) straight lines help to get the hang of scoring, snapping and cutting ABS plastic.

 

From what I have found, 15mm or 5/8 or an inch was the standard width for each cover strip. Trooperbay tutorial videos also recommended this width. Given that, I double checked on my own arm that this would not be too small. Luckily for me, I have little chicken wing arms and it was a perfect fit. FUTURE TROOPERS please keep in mind, this may not be the width that works for you, but I wanted to list it here as a reference at least. With that knowledge, I brought out the ruler and measured the cut lines for my forearms.

 

Keep in mind, it's 5/8 of an inch for the entire width of the strip, so that is 5/16 of an inch per side or 7.5mm if you go with metric measurements.

 

 

I am using the score and snap method for the long straight cuts and trimming with scissors on the areas that require more intricate cuts or are located curves. After trimming the excess ABS off and making my cuts for each edge, I put the arms together with painters tape to verify the fit and find the spots that needed to be trimmed to get each side as straight and close together as possible. I also trimmed the return edge from the wrist and elbow side, the wrist for the Centurion requirement and the elbow side to make it easier to add the elastic between it and the bicep in the future.

 

 

And make note fellow builders: I'm not sure if this is true for other kits, but the left arm pieces are more curved. It is slight, but you will notice the contour when looking at them from the side. ALSO NOTE: This contour makes the left arm wrist opening tighter. Be conservative when trimming here. I was lucky that my arms are relatively small. Had I trimmed any further, the left wrist would have been too small.

 

From the top view, you can see what I mean on the left arm.

 

I've also been saving all my ABS scraps for paste just in case I get a crack or over cut an area.

Edited August 3, 2017 by DEVOLVER

[DEVOLVER[501st]]

I used 220 grit sandpaper to rough up the bottom of the cover strip and the area on the forearm edge to get a better adhesion. I decided to glue one edge at a time to make sure I got a good, straight fit.

 

Gluing the first cover strip!

 

Use lots of clamps to hold that sucker down! ALSO NOTE: If you are using clamps that have colored plastic, I HIGHLY recommend putting a bit of masking tape over the end to prevent color stain. I have seen in some threads that there can be a reaction between the E6000 and pigment in the clamp that can stain the ABS. I didn't take any chances, and in fact, it helps to have it there as the E6000 doesn't stick to the tape very well and makes it easier to remove the clamp if there's any excess glue.

 

I have been pretty liberal in my use of E6000, too! If you have excess, it peels off pretty easily. Just rub your thumb over it until the heat from the friction peels the glue away. In the tighter places around the edges, I have found that a scrap piece of ABS will scrape the excess E6000 away. DO NOT USE METAL! It will scratch up your ABS!

 

After I had glued down the cover strips, it was time to put the pieces together! I used lots of tape, clamps and N52 rare earth magnets to hold everything in the right place. I used smaller magnets on the inside to prevent the arms from moving apart during the curing process.

 

After 24hrs of curing, I was ready to see how it fit.

 

Yep! 

 

I decided to use inside cover strips as well, just to make sure everything will hold even during heavy movement or an accidental whack. I cut the inside strips to about 4/16" of an inch so they would fit in the seam really well.

 

 

After the inside reinforcement strips had dried, I sanded all the edges to be nice and smooth and sanded the inner strips to be curved to prevent snag on my undersuit. I think it just looks a little more attractive, as well.

 

 

I may go back at some point later and and a bit of ABS paste to the top there to create a seamless appearance on the forearms.

Edited August 3, 2017 by DEVOLVER

[Sentry71[TK]]

You are off to a great start!! I would say to enjoy the process, but I believe you already are.

[DEVOLVER[501st]]

17 hours ago, Sentry71 said:

You are off to a great start!! I would say to enjoy the process, but I believe you already are.

It's a long and daunting process for sure but I'm loving every minute of it. Thanks for stopping by Sentry71!

[CptCasey[TK]]

Looks like you are off to a great start. Good to see a fellow MTK aiming for centurion. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

[starsaber25[Admin]]

Congrats on getting that beautiful set of armor!  I can see from the photos that MTK has made numerous improvements over the years. 

 

You are off to a good start. The only thing I would say is to wear your under suit when you are fitting your pieces. Have fun!

[DEVOLVER[501st]]

Thanks for the warm welcome guys! As I move further into the build, I'm sure I'm going to have plenty of questions, especially to make sure I am meeting all the Centurion CRL requirements. 

 

As I move onto the biceps, I feel like there have been some changes as compared to some build threads I've seen from the past. The shape definitely seems more symmetrical than what I've seen as I remember some builders having an issue with having to reshape the right bicep, if I recall correctly. These seem pretty circular. 

 

I will I'll be updating again soon!

[magni[TK]]

Keep up the good work! Always room for another HWT Centurion!

[DEVOLVER[501st]]

1 hour ago, magni said:

Keep up the good work! Always room for another HWT Centurion!

Thanks magni! It would be a huge achievement for me. 

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

GREAT job so far, Zac, and awesome to see that we have another HWT (and future Centurion) on the way!  Everything so far looks like a textbook build, brother.  Since you will be occasionally be doing the shiny white armor thing, I would recommend purchasing an extra canvas belt.  The reasons being are that the one for your HWT can (and will) get dirty, as it should.  Plus, it won't have drop boxes or holster.  Having a nice clean backup holster with these items attached will make life easier when transitioning.

If I can be of any help with anything HWT related, like the pack build, supplies (and where to source them) or any questions in general please feel free to PM me.

P.S.  Thanks for the kind words about my Build Supply thread... glad it helped!

[DEVOLVER[501st]]

On 8/5/2017 at 6:25 AM, justjoseph63 said:

GREAT job so far, Zac, and awesome to see that we have another HWT (and future Centurion) on the way!  Everything so far looks like a textbook build, brother.  Since you will be occasionally be doing the shiny white armor thing, I would recommend purchasing an extra canvas belt.  The reasons being are that the one for your HWT can (and will) get dirty, as it should.  Plus, it won't have drop boxes or holster.  Having a nice clean backup holster with these items attached will make life easier when transitioning.

If I can be of any help with anything HWT related, like the pack build, supplies (and where to source them) or any questions in general please feel free to PM me.

P.S.  Thanks for the kind words about my Build Supply thread... glad it helped!

 

Thanks man, I appreciate the kind words. Also, that's great advice on the belt and probably the route I will end up going. As I get further along towards the HWT specific armor building, I will definitely hit you up on the proper and best ways to reach HWT Centurion.

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

My pleasure, Zac.  This is the route I would recommend going:

 

1.  Apply for basic TK clearance with your local Garrison to get your official 501st I.D. (TK #).

2.  Submit for your HWT with your local Garrison.

3.  Submit for your EIB with the FISD.

4.  Submit for your EIB HWT with the FISD.

5.  Submit for your Centurion with the FISD.

6.  Submit for your Centurion HWT with the FISD.

 

I'll make you a deal...  If you get approved as a Heavy Weapons Trooper at EIB level, I will send you a free HWT patch!

[allan1313[TK]]

Looking good Zac! Always good to see new troopers shooting for centurion. Also love seeing more HWT's. Keep on trucking!!

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[magni[TK]]

It's a really nice patch Zac!

Just sayin'

[DEVOLVER[501st]]

The simultaneous submissions sound like great idea and it'd be cool to have multiple certifications for sure.

 

Joseph, I will definitely take that deal! I know the road to EIB and Centurion is tough, but I'm up for the challenge. I've seen the patch and I can say that's a pretty sharp reward. 

 

I should have another decent update in the next few days. Work has kept me busy lately, but I have been working on the biceps as well as converting a Rubies E-11 for basic approval standards. Later on, I plan on acquiring a hyperfirm DLT-19 but the Rubies should do for now. When it's done, I will probably post that Rubies conversion process in separate thread for those who are interested. 

 

I truly appreciate the kind words and encouragement  from everyone. It's a great community for sure. 

Edited August 8, 2017 by DEVOLVER

[Pledford[TK]]

Dude!!!!!! You are killing it!

If you ever have any questions and are in my neck of the woods, PM me and swing by my place. You can look at everything in person, see my mistakes so to not make them on yours LOL

I am always here to help!

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Comin along nicely, I would suggest just to take off the point on your cover strips, ever so slightly with some fine sandpaper, will just help not to catch on your undersuit

 

Keep up the great work

[DEVOLVER[501st]]

On 8/17/2017 at 2:48 PM, Pledford said:

Dude!!!!!! You are killing it!

If you ever have any questions and are in my neck of the woods, PM me and swing by my place. You can look at everything in person, see my mistakes so to not make them on yours LOL

I am always here to help!

Thanks Phil, I really appreciate that and I may take you up on that offer. You've already been really helpful! I'm looking forward to trooping with you in the near future! You have a great set of armor. 

 

On 8/17/2017 at 4:31 PM, gmrhodes13 said:

Comin along nicely, I would suggest just to take off the point on your cover strips, ever so slightly with some fine sandpaper, will just help not to catch on your undersuit

 

Keep up the great work

That's good advice and thank you. I'm trying to find and smooth all angular points that may catch my undersuit, so I might as well hit the strips while I'm at it. 

 

I just got got back from vacation and will be getting back to work soon enough. I will have more progress soon and will be posting that Rubies blaster conversion thread very soon. 

Edited August 22, 2017 by DEVOLVER

[DEVOLVER[501st]]

Hey, I hope everyone is doing well! I'm finally getting around to another update.

 

It's been a while! My wife and I have been really busy working on setting up a move, home shopping etc. and it's been hectic with school starting up again for our girls. I have also been working on converting a Rubies E-11 alongside the armor build which has distracted me a bit. In the meantime, I also managed to find an undersuit with no logos, which is a lot easier said than done.

 

Here's what I've gotten done with my armor in the last couple of weeks.

 

I got the biceps put together and the inner strips applied to the inside of the right forearm:

 

The only odd thing I have run into, and need advice about, is the left bicep. The back lines up perfectly, but the front doesn't match up completely. The inside piece is longer than the outside piece:

 

Now, I have done some research and have found a couple of FISD members who had the same issue but did not show or tell how to fix it in their threads. I also looked through the FISD photo archives and found this to be the case on some of the original, movie worn left biceps. Here are a couple of examples:

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/gallery/image/2926-dsc02597jpg/

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/gallery/image/4019-img-20160313-152408/

 

So, basically the ideas I've had about this are:

Since the bottoms of the bicep are lined up perfectly and the top of the bicep will be under the shoulder bell, I doubt anyone will see the misalignment, which would leave me to think to leave it alone. If that doesn't affect centurion status, I could do that. The only hangup being that I know it's there and it may end up being uncomfortable against the inside of my armpit.

The second possibility would be to trim the two pieces to line up by cutting them evenly. This would remove a part of the return edge, but again, no one would see it under the shoulder bell. If that doesn't affect centurion status, sounds good, but leaves the return edge missing in a section of the bicep.

The third possibility I came to was to just remove the entire top return edge. I'm nearly positive this is allowed for centurion and I have seen screen used suits that have no return edge. This may be more comfortable is allowed.

 

What do you guys think? I appreciate any advice you guys have about the subject and would love to hear it. Just keep in mind, I am going for centurion, so any fix has to be compatible.

 

Thanks everyone, hopefully I'll have a some more progress to share soon!

 

Edited September 25, 2017 by DEVOLVER

[DEVOLVER[501st]]

As it turns out, of course I was overthinking the tops of the biceps. With advice from a local trooper (thanks Phil), I removed the return edge from the top of the biceps and trimmed just enough to level out one side to the other. The shoulder bells are trimmed and ready and, essentially, all that's left to do on the arms is strapping!

 

During the early parts of October, I finished my Rubies blaster conversion:

 

I sanded the body and used Bondo to fill in all holes left by screws as well as any seams between the two halves of the blaster. I then inserted rivets the rear sight and into the front of the blaster at what I presume would be the joints for the fold out stock beneath the barrel. After that, I primed and repainted the body using Krylon flat black for the body and Krylon semi-gloss for the grip. All that was left was to apply weathering. For that, I used metallic paint markers I found at Walmart.

Edited October 31, 2017 by DEVOLVER

[DEVOLVER[501st]]

Last week, I began my helmet build. At first, I was a bit apprehensive to do so after reading so much about the difficulty of this process. So far (knock on wood), I haven't experienced too much trouble. My biggest advice to other new builders would be to "measure twice, cut once" as so often repeated. The measurements here are not as set in stone as the limbs, so it's super important to trim little by little and check as you go. The only trouble I have run into so far is that the right side cut lines on the MTK helmet don't seem to give much leeway in terms of extra ABS. They just barely allow connection at the ears and my advice would be to cut at least half an inch outside the cut lines and trim as necessary. It didn't end up too short, but the area underneath the bottom section of the ear could bare to have a bit more ABS.

 

About to make the first cut! I wish I hadn't had to remove the MTK logo. It looks cool.

 

Initial trim complete!

 

Getting everything where I want it. I opted for a high brow:

 

Drilled the first holes and got the face and cap together for ear trimming.
Note: I would suggest against using rivets straight out to attaching these pieces as you may want to adjust the halves a bit.

 

I got the ear marked for trimming. I was super generous with this starting guideline. I wanted plenty of room for adjustment.

 

Testing the fit of the ear as I go:

 

And from the back:

 

I had to try it on. 

 

So there we go! I am going for minimal gap, but a bit is fine. The screen used helmets are all over the place with ear gap, so I'm not going to beat myself up over it, lol.

 

It seems to me I need to trim more off the ear. What do you guys think? I'd love your input.

 

Thanks everybody! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

[DEVOLVER[501st]]

Hello! It's been quite a while since I last updated. Holiday season has been super busy and any free time I have gotten has gone into building rather than posting, but here's a quick update:

 

The MTK helmet I was working on (and was nearly finished with) had a mishap. In the process of reshaping the ear to better fit the bottom of the tube and allow a flatter fit with the "S" trim, I over heated the bottom of the helmet with my heat gun and melted a section of the tube near the ear. Not only that, but where I had trimmed above the ear, a crack has formed. I know this must have happened because I cut at a sharp angle and didn't round out the cut. The stress of the ears being screwed in tightly must have been too much for the plastic.

 

Needless to say, I was pretty bummed, and still am, but I did manage to purchase an RS commissioned helmet from another user on the forum. It looks great and I'm really happy with it. Down the line, I will go back and try to repair the damaged MTK helmet. It's just not something I want to deal with during the middle of my build with no guarantee I can even make it look passable. I could possibly build it into a sandy helmet at some point. We'll see how that goes.

 

Here's the RS helmet:

  

 

In other progress, I finally trimmed out the torso sections but haven't gotten around to fitting the kidney and ab plate. Here's the chest piece:

 

 

I also started on the legs, and I'm nearly finished. The thighs got 10mm front cover strips and 25mm rear strips. Right and left, prior to trimming the top of the strips:

 

 

Applying the sniper knee plate to the left shin, making sure it lines up with the upper section:

 

 

As for the rear calf closure, I went with Toybiz's classic build method. Velcro with an inner piece of ABS to serve as a lip where it attaches. This keeps the velcro at a lower profile and allows a tight fit between the halves.

 

 

I did a quick look just to get an idea of my progress. By the way, I highly recommend getting your footwear from Imperial Boots. The boots are very soft and comfortable as well as Centurion compliant. Just make sure to order up one full size!:

 

 

And finally in this update, I received my flexible handguards from Joseph. I attached those to my chemical gloves with E6000. The duck cloth backing he uses make adhesion super easy and I highly recommend his product. Super fast shipping and solid dude!:

 

 

As of this time, I'm finishing up the right calf and will be starting the torso soon. I have my neck seal and holster coming in from Darman soon, too. I am a bit nervous about measuring and trimming the ab plate as well as putting the snaps in. Hopefully all goes well.

 

It's crazy to actually see tangible armor from what was just a clump of untrimmed ABS plastic so many months ago.

 

Also, if you haven't tried it, there is a great app called Trello for keeping track of your build (or any other project for that matter). It allows you to create "to do" lists with step by step progress tracking and places to keep notes. As a naturally unorganized person, this has helped out a ton:

   

[TheSwede[TK]]

Welcome back and nice "replacement helmet"