TheDon's Build: BSP/KB Props TLJ FOTK

[TheDon[501st]]

then that is what I shall do. 

 

I need to see if I have a switch to power the LED's and some form of battery to stick inside the blaster 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

[TheDon[501st]]

Today I learned that the suggested paint is terrible.  

 

Fisheyed and just sucked hard.  

 

I want to try the Montana gold white paint with a gloss clear but it’s an acrylic paint and isn’t as durable as a spray enamel 

[Jonelli[TK]]

Here's my finished Heavy F11D (minus the black dot on the ammo box and the stickers). I used the Rustoleum Painterr's Touch 2x gloss white and satin black.

 

I'm in the middle of building a new standard one now and I'm adding the sounds and lights modded from the E11 Arduino project here.  Here's my progress on the electronics). I've already changed the weapon-select sound to include a "click-click" then F11D power up sound so you know it changed weapons (in the video it is the same sound for start up, reload and weapon select):

 

Edited March 4, 2018 by Jonelli

[TheDon[501st]]

 

 

helmet is painted and it’s so beautiful.  100% automotive finish from base to clear coat.  The rest of the armor will be done the same way.  

 

I may may need to get an aluminum aerator instead of the cast / painted piece I have now to really finish it off. Anyone know of one for sale as well as suggestions for helmet padding.  

Edited March 24, 2018 by TheDon

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Beautiful!

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Looks great, well done

[Harbinger[IPM]]

1 hour ago, TheDon said:

 

 

helmet is painted and it’s so beautiful.  100% automotive finish from base to clear coat.  The rest of the armor will be done the same way.  

 

I may may need to get an aluminum aerator instead of the cast / painted piece I have now to really finish it off. Anyone know of one for sale as well as suggestions for helmet padding.  

VaderPainterStudios sells aluminum aerators.

[TheDon[501st]]

I can’t seem to find him here on the forum. Where does he sell his aerator? 

[Harbinger[IPM]]

He isn’t on the forum. Google and you’ll find his FB/eBay.

[TheDon[501st]]

Forearms sucks and KB’s are no different in the level of suck.  It also doesn’t help that I stupidly trimmed them all wrong.  I’m not exactly having fun with this build.  The parts I got really have no detail lines where the mold ended and that continues to trip me up. 

 

I’m  going to see about getting a set of his new easy build forearms 

Edited March 24, 2018 by TheDon

[ukswrath[Staff]]

1 hour ago, TheDon said:

Forearms sucks and KB’s are no different in the level of suck.  It also doesn’t help that I stupidly trimmed them all wrong.  I’m not exactly having fun with this build.  The parts I got really have no detail lines where the mold ended and that continues to trip me up. 

 

I’m  going to see about getting a set of his new easy build forearms 

If it makes you feel any better the majority of builders have experienced some level of utter frustration building this armor. That said, most have completed the task and some are EIB and Centurion status. Don't fret Joe, we're here with ya.  

[bearings[TK]]

+1 Tony speaks the truth!

[TheDon[501st]]

Yeah. It’s one of the hardest and that before you have to paint it.  

[sandtrooper[501st]]

On 3/24/2018 at 7:20 AM, TheDon said:

I can’t seem to find him here on the forum. Where does he sell his aerator? 

FO Aerator

 

Don't know if you found it yet but here it is on eBay.

[TheDon[501st]]

I found it. Thanks for the link.  

 

 

I did did some work on the ab boxes today.  Trimmed the a little tall so I could then dial them in with a contour tool.  I also think I need to heat up the openings and slip them over the vacuumformed boxes on the abdomen.  The pull on those boxes flares out a bit so the trimmed boxes won’t fit over them unless that’s normal and I just bondo /devcon the gap

[TheDon[501st]]

still stuck on the ab boxes and abdomen armor. I will hopefully be getting a replacement from KB otherwise ill have to get creative.  Most of the armor is glued together, minus the thighs, and forearms from hell

 

once May passes I can once again focus hard core on the armor and get it all strapped together and then send it to paint. 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

You can do it Joe 

[TheDon[501st]]

KB is sending me a replacement AB piece and I think boxes. Just the ab piece would be great if thebpull is better. 

 

I will hopefully have it in it in a week or three. No rush. I have tons to work on 

[TheDon[501st]]

im not going to count on the replacement ab piece so I need to use what I got.

 

my only option is to mount the boxes and make them seamless which for base level approval should work because jimmi's armor has integrated ab boxes.

[TheDon[501st]]

No go on the ab piece replacement and an boxes. Saturday is a squad armor party so I aim to finish the thighs and forearms. 

 

Im going to go seamless on the ab boxes and try and cheat in some sort of line that makes them look not seamless.  But there’s no going around the weak pull.  

 

It is what it is. 

[TheDon[501st]]

I'm terrible at adding photos but I finally properly mounted the aluminum aerator to the helmet and the lens. I'm not thrilled with the BSP lens, it is not dark enough for my liking. I do not believe the vaderpaintStudios lens will fit the BSP helmet. 

 

I am going to probably order the vaderpaintStudios FOTK greeblies, it looks like his castings are far superior to anyone else. What came with mine looks like its a direct cast of a 3d printed part and has a fair amount of bubbles. 

 

this weekend ill get the thighs glued up and trimmed and hopefully get started on the cursed forearms and ab boxes.  I did notice in the CRL and many build threads here that the shins and thighs either have a curved seam or a straight seam. I attempted to go for a curved seam even though the CRL makes no direct mention of it. 

 

 

 

Since I am getting the parts professionally painted is it best to assemble the belt after painted?

[TheDon[501st]]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

notice that the forearms have yet to get touched. The spats are done, just need to add greeblies and I’ll do all of those at once. 

 

Thighs are gluing up now and once I finish with them I can trim them to fit around my legs. 

 

Shins are almost done. I need to get my

boots on and see where the Velcro overlap will go and make sure it’s good to go. 

 

I might get to finsihing the yoke/back piece. 

 

The abdomen/kidney plates haven’t been split at the back yet but I can fit into it without it being cut.  Should I leave it or cut it so the back can cinch in ?

 

I will say laying it all out like this helps this helps make it seem less overwhelming.  

Edited June 16, 2018 by TheDon

[Ensi[TK]]

18 hours ago, TheDon said:

The abdomen/kidney plates haven’t been split at the back yet but I can fit into it without it being cut.  Should I leave it or cut it so the back can cinch in ?

I don't see why you can't just leave it uncut if you can put it on from above and slide it on. Worst case you can just do a single cut later.

 

I started putting my jim-ab piece on from above as the constant flexing from going into it via the opening made everything crack.

[TheDon[501st]]

Cool. I like it and will leave it. I just need to make sure the ab barrel at this point doesn’t knock around 

 

I do need to fill the seam where the ab box ends and its just an open hole. Apoxie sculpt to the rescue.  I need to find my nylon bolts I bought to mount the ab boxes and any hardware for the holster. 

 

 

Edited June 17, 2018 by TheDon