Linus' ANH Stunt Build (TM)

[Linus]

OK, before I start this build thread officially, as I'm await my Big Brown Box Day, I thought I'd lead in with a prologue of sorts. I'll list out the tools, accessories and supplies I chose as they trickle in. That way I can get feedback on those choices as well and hopefully, others can gain from my stumbling about *ahem learning*.

 

Couldn't resist starting with my first shiny new accessory (after all, gotta test my imgur right?). The last of the 12C's available at TK (Totally Killer) Boots:

 

 

BTW: Please let me know if you can't see the image. I have the album setup in Imgur as Hidden (versus public) since it indicated this is still accessible via URL.

 

Edited April 30, 2018 by Linus

[TheSwede[TK]]

Looking forward seeing your build 

[Frank75139[501st]]

Pic is there. Looking good so far!

 

 

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[68Brick[TK]]

Those boot will serve you well.

[Linus]

Thought I'd add a quick summary of my build approach.
Lemme qualifying this by saying I'm a total newbie, have not built a single shiny white plastic thing yet and these are merely my opinions arrived at after (merely?) three exhausting yet exciting months of research.

I've read quite a bit on the topic of what I'm calling build approach and there is a lot of passion and opinions around what type of build 'philosophy' people have ranging from what they reference, what they like personally or who or what they're modelling after example or build-thread wise. I'll just try to summarize based on two aspects; references and (personal) preference.

 

References:

This is a simple one for me but I realize it leaks into philosophy and preferences.

1. First and foremost, ANH - Movie Pics and Armor reference pictures (Lucas Film Archives JoeR and TKCaleb) to the actual - original armor. This is the state we hope to arrive at, a visual source of the armor we strive for and while there are countless other sources, I maintain that these are my base source in my attempt to stay true if for no other reason than I don't want to get too lost in translation. I emphasize "too" lost because there is so much great information and versions of information available, it's easy to fall down a rabbit hole or go squirrel  so to speak which I've done many times.
2. Picture references that refer to the actual - original armor and add dimensions, specifications, criteria, etc. (CRL's, Billgrams...) While I list this as second, I only do so because these include translation and criteria added after the fact by the all the fine folks that came along after the movie and turned this into something closely resembling a science!

Preferences:

1. This gets into the more subjective and debatable aspects but I'll throw my preference in by stating the following in hopes of staying true or 'on course' as I progress. While I admire those that take this approach and will likely tread down this path in due time as I expand on builds, I'm not (initially) attempting a perfect rendition of Movie (specific set of armor in a specific movie scene) armor. Rather, I'm shooting for an "idealized" copy that looks like a set that just came off the assembly line and admittedly omits a few of the visual elements that make it truly movie accurate (examples; calf closure using hooks and helmet-mold impurities). Idealized as in Splinter of the Minds Eye is a clean, shiny and as perfect (as in unblemished by use) as this newb can manage, set of armor that fits as well as the armor (size and my ability) allows. That's one of the reasons I chose TM armor because, while it does not contain the (accurate) blemishes and exacting scale that a number of derived armor sources do, it meets the visual model that I envision as idealized.
2. One other aspect of my build preference is to take advantage of the modernized techniques that a number of FISD have pioneered. I hope to limit this to internal (non external) - visual aspects such as strapping, snapping, velcro, reinforced areas and other improvements that do not effect the outward, screen or CRL accuracy.

 

OK, that wasn't much of a "quick' summary but captures what I've been thinking about.

Both aspects of my build approach are where I'll try to stay attuned but please, by all means, keep me honest  

  

 

Lotsa good stuff trickling in over the last few weeks as I gather my tools, materials and accessories. In my next post I'll be shooting for a visual reference, cost break-down and link-source for everything I acquired in preparation for the build. 

[Frank75139[501st]]

Looks like you’ve put the thought in. I like the informative nature of the post. All the thought process background.


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[Linus]

Thanks Frank! Yea, put a lot of thought into it for sure. Maybe too much at times. So much so that "I see Stormtrooper people" and armor parts in my everyday ...

 

(internal dialog)

"that guys stormtrooper head - coffee mug is not 501st Centurion, the rank has two bars and the vocoder's poorly defined"

"hey, that's cars a perfect TK white or, hmm, that's not quite white enough"

folding white napkins into calf enclosures, altering fold angles to create a cone and making sure ends meet and are symmetrical

That ruler reminds me of a cover strip...

 

Anyone else catch this "affliction" on the first build?

 

 

 

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

2 hours ago, Linus said:

 

Anyone else catch this "affliction" on the first build?

Caught it, but the bad news is that it only gets worse.

Sounds like you will be headed for level 3, Dave! My advice (in addition to following some of the great build threads we have here) is to go over the (approved) Centurion submission threads in the Advanced Tactics area:  https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/72-request-centurion-status/

Studying these will give you a better idea of what details we are looking for, as well as a lot of suggestions and advice.  Once you pass your basic approval and get assigned your official 501st TK ID number, you will need to submit for EI approval (which, judging from your positive attitude will be a cinch), then, on to Centurion status!

As you will find mentioned here in many places, be sure to ask questions, no matter how inane you may think they may be.  We are here to help every step of the way.

 

 

[Linus]

Copy that, always a great help (commiserate and various Centurion purchases included) Joseph. Much appreciated!

[Linus]

Alrighty, my armor delivery is just around the corner and I'm getting pretty excited to get started. I've been trying to keep busy preparing with more research and assembling my equipment. To that end, one of the questions I had when I first started on this journey and one of the reoccurring comments for beginners like myself are, what will it cost? While I will not address armor costs for obvious reasons, I have been keeping track of what I've bought, where I bought it (links are embedded for online purchases) and how much it cost.

 

Here is a compilation of all the things I've acquired in three categories; Tools, Accessories and Materials. I generally looked for quality, preference, what I felt most comfortable and informed on and the best price. I would not say I went overboard because I could have easily spent more but I also know one can do this on more of a shoe string budget so I'm not trying to discourage anyone. Hopefully this will be useful to some.

 

 

 

Tools:

(1) Lexan Curved Scissors (Amazon $10.40 USD)
Not shown in Pic; I purchased Lexan Straight Scissors for $10.40 too since I saw evidence of curved leaving 'wave' patterns when cutting straight lines
(less to sand?)
(2) Small Clamps w Rubber Articulating Tips for outer glue clamp work (Harbor Freight $4.49 for 4)
(3) Pencils for marking cut lines, 5B - slightly darker (Hobby Lobby $3.98 for 2 plus sharpener)
(4) Respirator for paint, glue fumes, Acetone, etc. (Ace Hardware $34.99)
(5) 3M Sanding Sponge - Fine, for light shaping and finishing edges (Amazon $5.44)
(6) Folding Lock Back Utility Knife (Harbor Freight $5.79)
(7) Qty 12 - Neodymium Rare Earth Magnets 7/8x1/8 N40 for inner glue clamp work (ebay $19.98) (Ref: Joseph's Magnet 101)
(8) Blue Painters Tape (Already have a bunch on hand)
(9) Set of 12 small files, various shapes - half moon, triangle, flat, etc. for Frown/Teeth (Harbor Freight $4.89)
(10) Soft measuring Tape US/Metric for circumference and angled measurements (Hobby Lobby $1.99)
(11) and (12) Tandy Leather Craftool Line 24 Snap Setter 8058-00 + Tandy Rivet Anvil - 20/24 (Amazon $8.54 USD)
(13) Leather Punch Tool for creating holes in strapping and elastic (Harbor Freight $6.99)
(14) Rivet Gun for helmet Rivets (Already had this on hand)
(15) TEKTON 30812 Double-Faced Soft Mallet, 35 mm recommended as easier on snaps (Amazon $7.91)
(16) Not numbered in pic (40 inch Aluminum  Ruler US/Metric straight edge for measuring/cutting cover strips (Harbor Fright $2.99)
(17) Not Shown in pic (Dremmel with sanding drums for helmet eyes and smaller rounded corners)
(18) Not Shown in pic Popsical sticks for even spreading of E6000, toothpicks for cleanup of paint or glue. Various sandpaper 150, 180, 250 grit for smoothing edges and roughing up of glue surfaces.
Subtotal: $ 118.88
 

 

 

Accessories:

(20) TK Boots Size 12C ($84.00, $102.00 USD Shipped)
(21) Correct TD Screws (Justjoseph63 $3.25 USD)
(22) 5/16th Single Cap Rivets - set of 4 REPLACES HEAD SET RIVETS FOR AMMO PACKS (Justjoseph63 $3.00 USD)
(23) Centurion Level Rivet Set of 10 (Justjoseph63 $2.50 USD)
(24) Correct screws for TK ears (Justjoseph63 $3.75 USD)
(25) Centurion Flexible Silicone Hand Guards (Justjoseph63 $25 USD)
(26) Lavento Men's Compression Long-sleeve T Shirt, Large (Amazon $12.99 USD)
(27) CompressionZ - Compression Pants Men, Large (Amazon $18.97 USD)
(28) Trooper Black Latex Gloves (Trooperbay $9.00, $16.99 shipped)
(29) Neck Seal (Trooperbay via Amazon ($59.99 +Shipping)
Subtotal: $248.44

 

 

 

Materials:
(30) Qty 100 Nickel plated Line 24 SNAPS (Joseph recommended) (ebay $32.33 USD)
These will be for double snap method on 2 inch strapping.
(31) E6000 220011 High Viscosity Adhesive - 3.7 fl. oz (Amazon 3.7fl.oz. $7.80)
(32) Cosmos 2 Inches Wide 10 Yards Black Nylon Heavy Webbing for high tension areas if you are using the double snap method. (Amazon $6.98)
(33) XFasten Adhesive Hook & Loop, White, 1-Inch x 10-Foot Industrial Grade Velcro (Amazon $12.97)
This will be for back of calf closure although I'm not entirely certain I'm going with Velcro for this as yet.
(34) Dritz Ribbed Non-Roll Elastic, 2" by 1 yd, White (Amazon $7.69)
This is elastic between chest and back plate, under shoulder Straps
(35) Dritz Nylon Strapping - Black - 1" x 60" (only need 8ft total) (Amazon $6.13)
Additional nylon strapping as/if needed for additional areas besides torso-2 inch strapping.
(36) 1/4 inch wide white Elastic (1 ft.) for securing rear shoulder straps (Hobby Lobby $ 4.95)
(37) Performix 11203 Plasti Dip Black Multi-Purpose Rubber Coating Aerosol (Amazon $5.82)
For coating inside helmet in black.
(38 and 39) Gourd 1 Inch Heavy Knit Stretch Elastic 5 Yards White and 5 Yards Black (Amazon $9.99)
1 inch wide black for shoulder bells, etc. and 1 inch wide white for drop boxes.
(40) Sugru Mouldable Glue - Original Formula - Black 3-Pack (Amazon $9.99)

For attaching lenses to inner helmet (Ref JustJoseph63)
Subtotal: $112.45

 

Total: 490.17

 

nylon (correction previously referencing elastic)

 

Additional Consideration: I May go with 2 inch nylon (correction previously referencing elastic) on arms and 3 inch nylon (correction previously referencing elastic) to hold upper thigh to inner belt but I need to have the armor in hand, fitted and positioned such that I can determine what will better hold some of this in place. This is by no means an end all, complete list. I have numerous aditional items to obtain (helmet stuff, TK Belt (awaiting armor fitting to size it), holster, E-11 and probably things I haven't even thought of yet) but this was the minimal "base" list of things that I both; felt comfortable enough in my research to purchase and knew I'd need to begin and get through much of the build.

Special thanks to Joseph for helping me to prepare for my build and getting me set up with many of the Centurion required components (absolutely love the Centurion Flexible Silicon Hand Guards). He is the epitome of Stormtroopers helping Stormtroopers. 
While I have a growing list of 36 links to reference as I build, below were excellent supply and resources references that helped me to fill in a number of gaps:
Supply list for your TK build - by justjoseph63 (Extensive list of tools/supplies for TK build)

TK Resource Thread - by bobojuice (Great TK Build Resource References)

 

Edited May 25, 2018 by Linus

[lucnak[TK]]

Wow, great job cataloguing all that info! I'm sure it will be helpful for future builders!

 

Everyone I know uses nylon strapping from the garter belt to the thighs, as it will prevent them from going too low - you'll want to keep them hiked up.

[Pretzel]

Nice work on the Catalog! Very professionally done. 

[68Brick[TK]]

Great Start. Thanks for posting how much all the little stuff costs, as this all has to be part of a TK's budget. It all adds up! 

 

And like Luc said, strapping for your thighs to garter belt. No elastics here.

[Linus]

3 hours ago, lucnak said:

Everyone I know uses nylon strapping from the garter belt to the thighs, as it will prevent them from going too low - you'll want to keep them hiked up.

Ah, good catch, thanks Lucnak! For some reason, I tend to mix/confuse nylon and elastic. In this case I meant nylon. Don't need it to pull just remain positioned right?

Thanks gents for the feedback

[Linus]

High brow/low brow thoughts. From what I've read and seen in various build threads (and since this isn't a CRL specific item), I just wanted to confirm.

Brow position, as in height above eyes, is a personal preference? 

 

I've seen where some have duplicated a high brow as seen in a few Stormtrooper scenes in ANH and others have gone with the low brow, hero - look. As long as these are tolerances as seen in the movie, I assume anything in between is acceptable? I'm leaning toward something just above the eyes where there is a small gap of white between eyes and brow much like the below scene. Any guidance, thoughts and opinions are encouraged :-) Thanks in advance!

 

Dashrazor's ANH Album (Ref pic) 

Edited May 25, 2018 by Linus

[lucnak[TK]]

Yes I'd say just be sure that there is some white showing.

[hollowbodies[501st]]

Some people like it high and others keep it almost right over the eyes and that's ok too. Personally, I like it not too high but still with some white showing as Luc mentioned. If what you prefer is just a small gap between the eyes and the brow, go for it. It surely will be okay and still looks real good in my opinion!

 

And great list of mats you posted earlier by the way. This can be really helpful to a lot of newcomers. The more info there is, the better! 

Edited May 28, 2018 by hollowbodies

[Linus]

Thanks Luc n David. Appreciate the feedback!

 

[Linus]

That time has finally come. The long anticipated, often lamented, childlike (as in a Christmas Story - level) anticipation for something yet to come. The almighty Big Brown Box Day! 

Yes, a big box of fun with an invoice no less entertaining. My "Men's cotton & silk fancy dress costume" (inside reference from Paul - Troopmaster) extraordinaire) which sat on my porch awaiting my euphoric yelp that could be heard from the far side of my cul-de-sac.

 

 

The package contents were well protected with individually bubble-wrapped pieces of beautifully sculpted armor. Thanks Paul! Challenge accepted... 

 

 

Now the real fun begins :-)

[CableGuy[TK]]

High brow/low brow thoughts. From what I've read and seen in various build threads (and since this isn't a CRL specific item), I just wanted to confirm.
Brow position, as in height above eyes, is a personal preference? 
 
I've seen where some have duplicated a high brow as seen in a few Stormtrooper scenes in ANH and others have gone with the low brow, hero - look. As long as these are tolerances as seen in the movie, I assume anything in between is acceptable? I'm leaning toward something just above the eyes where there is a small gap of white between eyes and brow much like the below scene. Any guidance, thoughts and opinions are encouraged :-) Thanks in advance!
 
Dashrazor's ANH Album (Ref pic) 

Great thread so far.

Regarding the brow, personally I’d always have a small gap above the eyes for ‘stunt’ lids. Whilst the odd one here and there had a lower brow (similar to Hero), most Stunt helmets had a ‘normal’ height brow.



Dan :-)


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[Linus]

Thanks for the feedback Dan! I agree, definitely going for Stunt so the white has to be there, just slightly on the shorter side of brow height per my reference pic of the Trooper that stuns Leia (within your pic, I'd say the Trooper on the far right fits my liking).

 

OK, onward with some pics and thoughts on my first cuts. I'm going to dwell here a bit more than I likely will as I progress in the build with thoughts and experiences after making those first cuts but only because this is another resounding topic I've read throughout the forums that I can relate to. Numerous other peeps (noobs like me) have expressed fear and trepidation on what to use and how to cut. Now, I'll qualify this with a little background on myself. As a Systems Engineer by trait, I tend to dwell on topics and details more than most. Some say ad nauseam or with a degree of analysis paralysis. While this approach is sloooower, my success rate in terms of defining requirements, attention to details and solid solutions is high as a result. Personally, I appreciate analytical and methodical and appreciate it even more when I recognize it in others. Ah yes, self validation lol.

 

So, I apologize in advance for the following. Hopefully it's not too much for a topic that ultimately will rely more on individual practice and the experience gained...

 

Trimming Biceps:

Preface this by saying, this was all done with Lexan scissors. No score n snap as yet. (I personally think I'll reserve this method for the longer/straight cuts such as cover strips but that's more inexperienced comments since I have not attempted this method yet)
Also, these are just rough cuts and not the final lines, for practice sake. One of the larger lessons or take away's that I've learned in these forums is "if you're not sure, take a little off at a time. You can always taker off more later but it's much harder to put it back".

 

1st Cut

I used the curved Lexan scissors for this and while it went well enough, I was far too conservative in getting close enough to my pencil marks. (sorry for the poor quality of this pic as I used my iPhone due to camera being out of charge but you can sorta see on the right, I was well outside my pencil guide marks). 
Thoughts on this:
I was pretty impressed by how easily the Lexan scissors cut through this 1.5mm ABS.
I had to press inward (toward line) on the cut to hold my line. If you lose your line, its kinda hard to get back on track (the blade just wants to shave off rather than bite) so try to maintain your line and not drift too much. The curved scissors seemed a bit better at regaining the cut line than the straight ones. Go figure  In addition, the more you leave, the more you have to sand/cleanup later right!
The curved scissors tend to make curved-wave-like cuts of you use the entire length of the blade. I learned quickly to make shorter 'choppy' cuts just using the center/sweet spot on the blade which resulted in much straighter cuts. I'm guessing I was using about 1/4 the length of the blade in each 'chop, maybe a bit less. 'This approach does have a slight downside in that it leaves a little 'chug chug' pattern (which will be easy sand smooth) as you can see in the 3rd cut - image below.

 

2nd Cut

I learned that a combination of the curved and straight Lexan scissors works well (depending on the length and curve of course) but also when you need to get under the lip of a cut to resume, the curved ones did that nicely with a little less torquing of the plastic.

Be mindful of the upper surface of the scissors in relation to your cutting surface. If you angle them like I did to get through the tight curve seen in the picture below, you'll score the surface of your armor (argh, first self inflicted scratch/mistake ).
On the angle and torque factor, I was a little concerned at first that bending the plastic with various scissor angles as I cut might result in a crack, especially around the 90 degree return edges. Turns out, while this is still a concern or suspicion for me that I want to be wary of, the plastic is impressively pliable and forgiving. No cracks yet...!

 

 

3rd Cut

Gained more confidence with the scissors as you can see by a cleaner line. 
As with anything, practice makes perfect so I feel good about my first experiences here knowing I'll get better. 
Part of the cutting - success criteria for me is less sanding or cleanup later.

Note the gouge in the upper left portion of the curve as it's more easy to see in this pic. That was the outer/upper surface of the scissors making that scratch because I angled them too much to get through that tight corner cut.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 16, 2018 by Linus

[ukswrath[Staff]]

[Linus]

hehe, I'm on it thanks Tony! Just got another project (putting up the foundation and a 8x11 ft yard shed) I gotta knock out then I can afford to focus on armor  Trimmed the biceps to about 1/16/1/4 (minimal) return using a larger belt sander versus rotary tool. I've found that the rotary tool takes a faster bite and harder to control whereas the larger 2" belt affords me a more forgiving sanding surface for finishing the edge after a cut. Just gotta take it nice and slow... I'll post pics later this weekend.

 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

6 minutes ago, Linus said:

hehe, I'm on it thanks Tony! Just got another project (putting up the foundation and a 8x11 ft yard shed) I gotta knock out then I can afford to focus on armor  Trimmed the biceps to about 1/16/1/4 (minimal) return using a larger belt sander versus rotary tool. I've found that the rotary tool takes a faster bite and harder to control whereas the larger 2" belt affords me a more forgiving sanding surface for finishing the edge after a cut. Just gotta take it nice and slow... I'll post pics later this weekend.

 

Especially with the belt sander, one slip and it takes a huge chunk away lol 

[Linus]

That's true. I don't know if you've watched the TK1636 youtube video series for building TK armor. That guy is a score and snap and belt sanding beast. Makes me cringe when I see him bending that armor about and taking pretty large swaths of armor away on each sander pass but he's admittedly well practiced. I take it very slow, precise swipes which takes a fair amount of time but that's because I sand, check, sand, check again, sand a little more, etc. As long as patience is the rule, it seems to be working well. That won't obviously work for the smaller areas but it's definitely saving me time on the larger surfaces.

Edited June 16, 2018 by Linus