Cricket's 3D Print FOTK (TLJ)- ABS, Kid-sized- FINISHED!

[Cricket[TK]]

5 hours ago, LTM said:

Step away from the ledge! :-)

 

You have time, I know what it is like to want to be done with a step/project. No trooping for the immediate future, but you know if you get it professionally painted you will be worried about touch ups (and there will be scratches). Better to do it yourself and be able to deal with the fix-ups. So take what you have now, and start the strapping while waiting for better painting conditions.  

Okay, I've stepped off the ledge.  Solid advice there, Lou.  Thanks!     I know there are other things to work on for this kit, but they aren't nearly as much fun as getting that gloss white on the parts.  Ah well, time to get to building snaps and whatnot.

 

5 hours ago, TheSwede said:

That’s too bad :/ If it weren’t for huge delays  in shipping I would happily paint it for him, hopefully someone nearby has the ability to help with indoor painting

Hey, thanks for that, Daniel!  Much appreciated.  I'll just have to be more patient!

 

47 minutes ago, ticopowell said:

Get some halogen lights, Harbor freight sells some that come with 2 lights on a tripod, if that isn't enough light to paint with i'm not sure what is...

 

https://www.harborfreight.com/detachable-dual-head-halogen-shop-light-62565.html

I can totally use that kind of thing, and I don't own any.  Well... now I do. This was a great suggestion for sure!  Halogens get too hot for my liking, so I picked up something similar over on Amazon with LED lights instead.   They should be here before the weekend (yay!).  Soon I'll be outside painting at night, with nothing but the fireflies to keep me company.   

 

I spent the rest of my afternoon shifting gears and wiping down all my armor parts again, especially cleaning that back plate.  It had all sorts of smudges from the ABS and aluminum dust work yesterday.  And I realized that I still needed to mount the thigh bracket on the thigh before painting anyhow, so now I'm actually glad that I didn't pull the trigger yet on painting (ha, see what I did there?).

I drilled the holes all the way through the layered bracket first.


One last test fit over the area where it will be attached.  Everything lines up, so it's a GO for glue!

 

Glued into place with e6000 and secured with tape as the glue cures.


I will be further securing the bracket to the thigh with M3 and M4 hex button screws after painting (so there will be no issues with the holster staying put).  

 

And now it's time to get my plans for strapping this kit in order.    

[LTM[TK]]

Yay! Ledge averted.

 

When blazing the lights and having your neighbors wondering if you are doing "burning man" in your yard, use some bug lights. You are going to be attracting a few new buddies that would love to "join" the armor.  Use your box fan as well to direct them around the painting area(think of the wind deflectors above automatic doors. Put the fan so that it is blowing over the lights away from the armor, this will send the bugs downstream. I also recommend that your husband video tape because this is going to be a sight 

[Scimitar[TK]]

11 minutes ago, LTM said:

Yay! Ledge averted.

 

When blazing the lights and having your neighbors wondering if you are doing "burning man" in your yard, use some bug lights. You are going to be attracting a few new buddies that would love to "join" the armor.  Use your box fan as well to direct them around the painting area(think of the wind deflectors above automatic doors. Put the fan so that it is blowing over the lights away from the armor, this will send the bugs downstream. I also recommend that your husband video tape because this is going to be a sight 

Well Lou beat me to it, exactly what I was typing up regarding the bug lights.

Edited June 29, 2020 by Scimitar

[Cricket[TK]]

41 minutes ago, LTM said:

Yay! Ledge averted.

 

When blazing the lights and having your neighbors wondering if you are doing "burning man" in your yard, use some bug lights. You are going to be attracting a few new buddies that would love to "join" the armor.  Use your box fan as well to direct them around the painting area(think of the wind deflectors above automatic doors. Put the fan so that it is blowing over the lights away from the armor, this will send the bugs downstream. I also recommend that your husband video tape because this is going to be a sight 

 

 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

I'm cracking up reading this build. It's entertaining on so many levels , oh and you're doing a fantastic job also 

[Cricket[TK]]

Hey, wondering if these boots would work for the FOTK kit.  I was able to find these in white, size 4.5, which is a little big for Cameron, but much closer to his size than anything else I've seen.  They have a zipper on the inside.  The rubber trim on the sole could be painted black. 




I know it's missing the swoop seams, but this is for Galactic Academy, and they won't care that those little details aren't there.  Thoughts?  Thanks, troopers!

EDIT: After looking at these and comparing them to the CRL, I've gone ahead and snagged them.  Should be a nice upgrade over the slip on shoes Cameron currently has.   

Now, if anyone sees an Anovos FOTK lid for sale, please let me know!!!  Cameron is giving me grief about the seam on his current helmet (an adult Rubies Deluxe conversion).  I am considering getting him an upgraded helmet as a surprise for his birthday in November.   

Edited June 30, 2020 by Cricket

[LTM[TK]]

Ok, this is now in the works (nothing more for you to do on the helmet request). We got you Christine!

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by LTM
text

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

They look pretty good

[Cricket[TK]]

I got a piece attached!!!!  Yay!!!

All right, it's not a lot, but it's progress.  I had no idea as to how to attach the cod to the ab, then I referred back to Tony's FOTK build thread, and voila- there was everything I needed to get me going.  This 3D print isn't the same as the Anovos armor, so I had to wrap my mind around what mods I needed to make.  First, I realized that I needed to make some cuts at the belt line to accommodate the cod snaps.  I still haven't lost my fear of cutting this armor yet.  But it went a lot faster than expected.


Next, I installed the male snaps into the cod piece and verified that they would fit into the holes I just made in the ab.  All good!  I also drilled holes for rivets to attach the webbing inside.


Installed the female snaps and webbing together.  This was my first attempt on this part.  I remade it later with a bit of ABS sandwiched in the snap for easier removal.


Here is everything all assembled together, rivets and snaps with ABS.  I was pleasantly surprised with how well this all attaches together.  It looks like it'll allow for some great mobility- much more comfortable than the OTTK suit.


All apart so you can see how things look...

 

And inside view, looking down at the bottom of the ab.


This is yet another reason why I'm really glad I haven't done the final paint yet!  

I have my sights set on rigging up Cameron's suspenders next.  I had started work on them earlier, then got distracted with putting the cod together today. 

[Cricket[TK]]

Working in my nerd room today, and Cameron decided to wander in, pick up some armor bits and try things on.  And he let me take photos of him!!!  He is typically shy when it comes to photos, except when he's got a helmet or mask on.  So, yeah, it's a big deal today.   I don't have the chest and back plates strapped in yet, so he's holding things together loosely on his own.  


I even got the boy to crack a smile for me!!!  He adores that blaster. 


Question for those of you who have strapped the FOTK... does the waist belt inside simply cinch around the waist?  Or is it attached to the inside of the ab?  I'm trying to wrap my mind around how it fits.  I get the suspenders part, but I'm seeing that the suspenders are attached to the ab and a belt.  Any tips or guidance is appreciated!

EDIT: nevermind about the belt question.  I think I figured it out. 

Edited July 2, 2020 by Cricket

[Cricket[TK]]

Okay, Cameron must be super excited today, because he let me take a few more pics while trying on the armor.  And he looks happy in them, too.  Bonus!  I think I've worked out a good harness system for the most part.  He says it's comfortable, and it's sturdy, so, yay!  It all snaps out as well as being adjustable.  I'll still be adding a cross strap in the front for support (when I attach the shoulder bell straps to the suspenders).


I love how in the front view pic, it looks like Cameron is carrying Baby Yoda in a front facing baby carrier. 

Edited July 2, 2020 by Cricket

[StarTrooper]

Great work so far, what an awesome build!

[Cricket[TK]]

I had a window of drier weather today, so I took the leap and decided to get things painted.  I moved our cars out of the garage, turned on the new shop lights, and also turned on a fan because it was still about 90 degrees.  But with the humidity at just 50%, I knew that I could get a lot done.   The fan mostly helped to keep the overspray out of the garage itself.

Here are all the parts on their hangers.  I still had a few pieces to prime before painting.  This was the "dry zone".  Out of frame, and to the right, is another garage door opening.  That's where I did my painting to keep the other parts free from overspray.


After almost 3 hours, I suddenly heard thunder, and I checked my local weather radar.  A huge storm cloud was headed my way!  Luckily, all the parts had been covered with white gloss, and I was just waiting for things to gas off enough for the 2k clear coat.  So everything went onto garage hanging storage at the back wall of our garage until the weather cleared up.


I was pretty happy with how things looked at this point.  The armor looked nice, and if I wasn't such a perfectionist, I could have called the armor "done" for white paint. 


I ran some errands after this, and noticed that the rain never happened.  Realizing that I still had about an hour of time left to paint, I pulled out all the parts again, popped the 2K Gloss, and began to apply the final clear coat.  And while I thought the gloss white was shiny on its own, the 2K Gloss was blindingly glossy!  This stuff is remarkably gorgeous.  In the pic below of the back plate with the 2K Gloss applied, you can see the reflection of my car.  Shiiiineeeeyyyyyy!!!!


And the chest is also just as glossy.  Swoon.

The pics don't really do justice to the shine on these parts, so you'll just have to take my word for it.   


I used 2 cans to cover most of the parts in 2K Gloss.  I have two more, thankfully.  I still have to fix some paint hiccups on the ab, belt boxes, and thermal detonator.  One can should be more than enough for those.  And I'll have an extra can on hand for future touch-ups.  

Now to wait for a week or so for things to cure really well.  Then it'll be time to polish.  I am thrilled to be done with the bulk of this part of the build!

 

Edited July 4, 2020 by Cricket

[Cricket[TK]]

I spent this past week patiently waiting for the gloss coat to cure.  I was able to get more strapping details done, such as fine-tuning the ab suspenders and adding velcro to the inside of the limbs.  I've decided to close the shins with a strip of elastic that has velcro sewn at each end, so I sewed a few closures together.  Easy and quick, and should hold up well for trooping.  Yeah, I know it still might be a while until then, but it's always good to keep looking forward, right?

Yesterday I did a little detail painting on some black areas of the armor.  I know that some areas are supposed to use black decals, but I've got semi-matte Testor's on hand, so that's what I'm using.  I got the paint for the forearms and back plate done. 



Here's the back plate.  So shiny!


And the partially-completed shoulder bell elastics.  I've got the snaps done inside, I just need to sew in the velcro into the ends (and yes, I know the straps are too long.  I still need to take proper measurements for fitting.).


Today I installed the screws into the thigh holster, and I am thrilled with how it now looks.  So legit!


I installed the hex button screws into the blaster and made sure that everything lined up.  It worked!  That blaster fits in there perfectly.

 

Holding the thigh up here so you can see how it looks.  Love this!


Cameron is super happy with it as well, but I couldn't get him to stand still for long enough to get a pic with him wearing it!

[KeeptheBOX]

This looks so awesome iam always thrilled when i see you made a new post

[MaskedVengeance[Staff]]

Somebody previously proclaimed “Mom of the Year,” but I think “First Lady of the Legion” might also be applicable!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Looking great

[Cricket[TK]]

On 7/10/2020 at 4:41 PM, KeeptheBOX said:

This looks so awesome iam always thrilled when i see you made a new post

 

23 hours ago, MaskedVengeance said:

Somebody previously proclaimed “Mom of the Year,” but I think “First Lady of the Legion” might also be applicable!
 

 

22 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Looking great

Aww, thanks, troopers! You all know how to make a FOTK Mom feel amazing! 

 

Finished painting the remaining odds and ends that needed some cleanup today.  The big thing was getting the ab piece all done.  It had some drip marks last week, so I sanded them down and repainted it entirely.  Very happy with how it turned out. And it feels good to get everything white and glossy!

I also tackled refurbishing Cameron's helmet.  It's an adult size Rubies Deluxe helmet that I had converted for his old FOTK kit.  He doesn't know about the surprise upgraded lid, so in order to keep up appearances, I needed to repaint the old helmet to match the new armor.  I wet sanded the helmet with 400 grit to remove some of the old paint and give it bite for the new white gloss.  I bought a small paint shelter and a cheap turntable so I could paint the lid without worrying too much about extra particles landing on it while it dried.   A turntable is a really nice convenience for painting something like a helmet; it allows for slow and consistent rotation while the paint is being applied.  I also rigged the spray shelter with a small swivel hook in the inside top so I can hang and rotate small objects in the shelter while painting.  I didn't need it for today, though.

 

I had enough extra 2k Gloss to cover the helmet twice.  And whoa.  Again, I am in love with the ease of how it applies.  It self levels beautifully, and I didn't see any drips at all on any of the parts I've painted.  It's pricey stuff, but seriously worth every penny.  Before repainting this helmet, it was shiny, but nothing like how it is now.  The finish is like glass.  You can see the blue sky and trees in the reflection on the dome.


It is so difficult to get accurate pics of how shiny this stuff is because the white color blows out the reflections.

I'll be letting everything cure for a week before painting the black details on.  I still have a lot of strapping things to assemble and sew, but it feels like the finish line is in sight!

 

[ticopowell[TK]]

Is the long cure time normal for that clearcoat?

[Cricket[TK]]

9 minutes ago, ticopowell said:

Is the long cure time normal for that clearcoat?

I honestly don't know the exact cure time for it.  There isn't much info on the can except for how to mix the product once activated.  Oh, and a TON of warnings.  I'd say it's basically Death in a Can if you don't wear PPE.

 

From what I've read on various automotive forums, it's best to wait 24 hours until you handle it, and at least a week (preferably longer) before polishing.  It goes on fairly thick.  The only areas I'll need to polish down are due to small contaminants that drifted onto the paint shortly after application (dust, curious gnat, etc)- and there aren't many of those (you really can't see them unless you're looking very closely). 

[Cricket[TK]]

For those who don't believe that the 2K Gloss is serious stuff, I present the can's label.  Ye be seekin' adventure, eh? 

[LTM[TK]]

What are you using for the white (can you take a pic of the can)?

 

[Cricket[TK]]

2 minutes ago, LTM said:

What are you using for the white (can you take a pic of the can)?

 

Sure!  It's Rust-oleum Automotive Enamel, Gloss White.

[Cricket[TK]]

Assembled some belt greeblies.  Instead of printing out the entire "belt box" files for the narrow center ab boxes, I cut them so I could make them a little more accurate.  Basically, I just printed out the covers and painted them white.  Next, I used some pieces of dense EVA foam in 1" thickness to make the bases of the belt boxes.  I used a belt sander to smooth out the edges and create a curve that matches the curve of the ab.  Then I poked two Chigago screw stems through the foam (this was really easy).

 

I slathered on a bunch of E6000 on the posts to keep them secured in place.


Then I applied E6000 to the back of the belt box covers to make 'em stay put. 


I let the glue cure overnight, and in the morning, I had this:


I will probably round off the corners of the black parts once the glue is fully cured in a few days.

Next, I tried to wrap my mind around how to attach the thermal detonator plate to the back.  The piece has a little bit of a lip on the top, but it's not enough to secure the thermal detonator to the back of the ab at all.  I didn't want to do just velcro for this connection.  For me, I really wanted something like a hook, so the top of the thermal detonator would have most of the weight hanging securely from the top back of the ab.  Enter aluminum!  

In the same way that we score and snap ABS sheets, I decided to score and snap some 1" strips of aluminum.


I snapped it by putting the sheet into a vice grip and bending slowly at the score line.


Once I had my 1" pieces, I made folded-over bends to accommodate the top of the back of the ab.  

 

They kind of remind me of bicep hooks.


I dry fit them into place to make sure they fit.


Everything looked good.  I applied a generous amount of E6000 to the backs of the clips and stuck them onto the thermal detonator plate.  Everything got clamped down with tape, magnets, and a clamp for good measure.


I consider this "Phase One" of securing the thermal detonator.  The next phase will involve a small amount of velcro and some EVA foam to keep the bottom half secured snug against the ab.  Stay tuned!
 

Edited July 13, 2020 by Cricket

[Cricket[TK]]

Okay, so the posterior connection between the butt plate and the lower back of the ab was making me insane.  On this print, the pieces just didn't feel like they fit correctly together.   There is this odd overlap of the lower back ab and the upper butt plate that is entirely unnecessary.  It also makes for no flexibility in the butt plate connection whatsoever.  Below in the pic you can see the two horizontal bands.  The one at the bottom of the ab doesn't need to be there.


And here is how they overlap.


Things fit, but I think I can do better for trooping.  Did I mention that I was afraid of cutting this armor?  Well, that time is gone.  Here is where I measured that I needed to remove the entire horizontal band from the lower ab.  All that horizontal material towards the back was gonna go.

A few minutes with a cutoff wheel, and off it went.


Sanded down the edges, and things look much better now.  The butt plate will have some flexibility now at the ab connection, and still fit nicely.


Here you can see how they line up now.  It's upside down, but the butt plate fits perfectly on the ab plate now.


And you can also see where I removed some extra material off the horizontal end areas of the butt plate.  This will also allow for good movement, but will be hidden by the belt.


Time to get that butt strapped in!   

Edited July 13, 2020 by Cricket