Doggydoc’s AP ANH stunt build

[CableGuy[TK]]

Yes. It is the #5. I stirred it for a few minutes with a toothpick.   Could it be because yours is going onto white paint and mine onto very shiny abs?
couls also be the brush but the black went on thick. 

maybe I will drop a few ball bearings into the container at shake better?

How odd. I wonder if you have paint from a bad batch or something? It really shouldn’t be that thin.

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

Got a bit more of the strapping completed. 
 

one question about the butt plate. Should the edges be even with the back of the notch in the kidney plate?  Mine are a little bit longer as you can see in the side shot. Should I trim them back to make the edge line up with the kidney plate notch?

 

 

 

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

15 hours ago, CableGuy said:

How odd. I wonder if you have paint from a bad batch or something? It really shouldn’t be that thin.

I think I figured it out. I believe it was a mixing issue. The store I bought it from is no longer carrying Humbrol paints, actually I think that Humbrol is no longer supplying in Canada unfortunately. As a result I suspect the paint sat on the shelf for a very long time and had settled excessively. Dropping a few ball bearings into the can and shaking for 10 minutes seems to have fixed the issue. 
 

 

[TheSwede[TK]]

9 hours ago, Doggydoc said:

Should I trim them back to make the edge line up with the kidney plate notch?

Nope

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

Have my helmet painted to Mr No Stripes CRL now. LOL

 

I beefed up the vocoder as recommended by @CableGuy to give it more of the stunt look. 
 

How are the teeth and gums?

 

Any corrections I need to make if I am going for centurion?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Doggydoc

[revlimiter[Staff]]

On the shot showing the right ear and the front frown shot, it looks like two of the larger teeth have paint going into the lower gum. It's very subtle but maybe worth cleaning up. The left ear shot doesn't seem to have any teeth with that problem.

 

Fantastic work on the vocoder paint. I have the same bucket and really had to guess at my paint. The pull on my own was very faint there. Yours looks similar in terms of pull definition.

 

Also, nice Mr No Stripes.

[Chemi[Staff]]

 

As Adam rightly says, I would fix these two. Very nice work!!!

 

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

Is this the right way to put the neck seal on or is it upside down (I tend to like to put things on upside down apparently).

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

 

 

 

 

 

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

Painting is now completed on the helmet. Please let me know if anyone spots any issues. I cleaned up the gums as suggested earlier. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

One quick question on the belt snap covers. Are they squared like the one in the image or do I trim back to the edge where it curves?  The movie used ones seem to be embedded in the belt.

 

 

[CableGuy[TK]]

Hey Gerald,

Excellent job on the helmet! I’d say you’ve really covered the key defining features of a stunt helmet.

Regarding the belt covers, I’d go for nice, clean, sharp edges. Essentially, removing all of the edge curve…

Original screen used belt (from gallery):




Suggestion (approx):

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

I am WELL impressed with that bucket, Gerald.  One of the best I've seen in a long time!  Lots of great attention to detail, and something you will be proud to wear.  

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

I am ready to size my ab / kidney plates but am anxious to make the cut. I will leave a couple of inches in case I gain some weight ( which I tend to do).  
 

my question is about the return edges at the top of the pieces.  They seem to be different shapes.  I know that for centurion, the tops should line up.  
 

1.  Do I need to heat and bend the raised return edge on the ab plate to match the kidney plate one?

 

2. On the one side, the notch on the bottom of the kidney plate doesn’t line up with the ab plate- should I just trim the notch up at the front to meet the ab plate?  Assuming that I need to keep the tops level.

 

 

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I just trim mine to match

screen reference

[CableGuy[TK]]

I am ready to size my ab / kidney plates but am anxious to make the cut. I will leave a couple of inches in case I gain some weight ( which I tend to do).  
 
my question is about the return edges at the top of the pieces.  They seem to be different shapes.  I know that for centurion, the tops should line up.  
 
1.  Do I need to heat and bend the raised return edge on the ab plate to match the kidney plate one?
 
2. On the one side, the notch on the bottom of the kidney plate doesn’t line up with the ab plate- should I just trim the notch up at the front to meet the ab plate?  Assuming that I need to keep the tops level.
 

 

 
 

Hi Gerald

I wouldn’t be too concerned here. Just bear in mind that your armour maker has added a few inches to the sides too allow for different sized troopers (I’d guess maybe 3” on the back plate, and 1 or 2” on . You can see the extra inches when you compare:





As such, it’s not going to be quite the same as the originals. When you start sizing it to your body, you can then start looking at trim lines and how the return edges might be.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be too worried about it. The sides end up under your arms (most of the time) and are partly obscured by your belt. Unlike the helmet, which is a focal point, the sides will be less so.

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

Did some test fitting with the torso , arms and helmet today. Had trouble snapping on the shoulder bells because the snaps were very tight and then I couldn’t get them off. LOL. 
Still felt good to see some semblance of a storm trooper when I looked in the mirror. 
 

 

Then I snuck into my daughters room. 
 

 

 

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

Quick question. 
 

I will be doing my ab plate rivets today. I have seen a few ways of strapping on the left side;

 

1. Straps from the rivets only

2. Rivets by themselves and snap plates added around them.

3. Both straps from the rivets and snap plates together.

4. Rivets attaching the strap on one side and snaps on the other with the second set of rivets not holding the straps.

 

Is there a preferred method for this that works better or are they all fairly equal?

 

 

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

The strapping all depends on your personal taste, Gerald.  I personally don't attach the straps to the rivets in any way and I put snaps on them to attach them to the plates, so # 2 for me.  The reason being is that I may have to replace the elastic in the future (and I have) so that way I don't have to remove the rivets to do so.

 

The most important part of setting those rivets (as I'm sure you know) is the placement of the rivets themselves.

Note on the diagram below how the measurements are taken from the center of the rivets, not the outside.  

 

 

Looking forward to seeing your results!

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

30 minutes ago, justjoseph63 said:

The strapping all depends on your personal taste, Gerald.  I personally don't attach the straps to the rivets in any way and I put snaps on them to attach them to the plates, so # 2 for me.  The reason being is that I may have to replace the elastic in the future (and I have) so that way I don't have to remove the rivets to do so.

 

The most important part of setting those rivets (as I'm sure you know) is the placement of the rivets themselves.

Note on the diagram below how the measurements are taken from the center of the rivets, not the outside.  

Thanks Joseph. 
 

That is the exact guide I used for the rivet holes. 
 

should I use nylon or Elastic for the snaps on the abdomen?

 

 

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

So I finally got my lenses installed and did some work on the inside of the helmet.  I followed @kamikaze’s helmet interior and have the acer amp, icomm and fan battery pack up top.  Still need to fill in some of the gaps up top with neoprene, install the fans and get some cable management going.  
 

 My head seems quite large for the helmet and I won’t be able to put the switch controls up front in the face area because my face is already in there. 
 

 

 

 

[CableGuy[TK]]

Hi Doggydoc,

Wow - that’s a packed helmet, for sure. ;-)

Is the Aker amp IN your helmet? Those things are loud and I’d be concerned for your hearing if it’s actually in the helmet.

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

5 hours ago, CableGuy said:

Is the Aker amp IN your helmet? Those things are loud and I’d be concerned for your hearing if it’s actually in the helmet.

Hey Dan. I have the hovi tip speakers, so just the acer electronics are in the helmet.  
 

Thanks for being concerned.  Really appreciated.

 

 

 

 

[CableGuy[TK]]

Hey Dan. I have the hovi tip speakers, so just the acer electronics are in the helmet.  
 
Thanks for being concerned.  Really appreciated.
 
 
 
 

Hehe. Cool. That sounds MUCH healthier for your ears. Lol

Keep up the good work.

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

Belt is done now. Just want to cover up the rivets with some white elastic or soft side of the Velcro to protect the armour. 
 

 

 

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

I have been working on the helmet interior, the thermal detonator and have started to tackle the thighs. 
 

I am having some trouble with the torso.

 

When I do the belt up, it pulls the lower portion of the ab and kidney pieces together and creates a gap at the top portion of the pieces.  I am using nylon strapping to attach these.

 

I am thinking I have a few options.  
 

1. Trim the pieces a bit smaller to reduce the pull from the belt but I have lost a bit of weight recently and suspect that I may put it back on, so I would prefer to not do this.

 

2.  Put some foam in the ab piece to make the fit tighter, which can later be removed if I gain weight.

 

3. Some kind of bracing system on the inside to hold the pieces in place.

 

 

How does the thermal detonator and the sit of the thighs look? I need to paint the screws on the thermal detonator still.