revlimiter's Kenobi HWT Pack Build

[revlimiter[Staff]]

Lastly, weathering!

 

One weathered pauldron as promised. It looks so good! Hopefully this still counts as light. It's got some grime airbrushed on and then partially wiped off for that used look.

 

This is how I'm attaching my chest pouch. Madness? Perhaps. I figured if I needed to, I could replace the one section I added the snaps to without TOO much pain. Maybe a little, but better than doing snaps in the puffy segment.

 

Huge thanks @TheRascalKing for your chest pouch guidance. I got mine as low as possible and it doesn't limit my head movement at all. It also doesn't limit arm movement and looks, IMHO, to be a perfect match for the game model placement.

 

Here's the pack in it's weathered glory. This is, I think, still "light" weathering. Anything grey or white got some junk airbrushed on it for flavor. Anything black got steel wash and edging.  It looks like a lot from up close, but any less weathering is invisible from 5 feet away or greater.

 

And how about that oval wipe bottle? With a velcro strip.

 

I scrubbed the black acrylic to take off the shine. The black painted radio box also got some scrubbing.

 

MMmmmm. Junk.

 

I didn't neglect the buttons.

 

And I got the airbrush nozzle up into the vents and sprayed, then let the wash start to flow out a bit before wiping away.

 

Weathering is so much fun.

[revlimiter[Staff]]

Tiny update - I modified my rolling bin to allow the pack to strap on. This is a $7 truck bed bungee from Harbor Freight cut way down.

 

I can roll it, I can tip it. I can even open the lid and the pack stays right in place.

 

I'm gonna suit up on Thursday for my first HWT troop. EXCITED!

[Sly11[Admin]]

Great idea Adam, looks awesome too.

[revlimiter[Staff]]

Alright... I've now had three (3!!!) heavy weapons troops. I did two troops on the first day for a total of about 5 hours with the pack. 

 

Five hours. These little straps were TORTURE DEVICES. There are no words for how much pain my shoulders were in with these little 1" guys. And as a bonus I had the buckles right up on the front of my chest. It's four days later and I still have bruises.

 

I skipped a morning troop and redid my straps.

 

This is a 50oz Camelbak hydration pack. It's the smallest Camelbak I could find. I bought it with the idea of wearing it under my actual TK armor on extremely hot troops. I did a test fitting and with the bottle full, I can't get my armor to strap shut. It's honestly a very small hydration pack. I thought it could fit inside the OII, but it's still just too big, so it has been sitting in my closet for about 3 months now.

 

Then I had the death march with those terrible 1" straps.

 

Then I started eying all the backpacks and padded laptop straps laying around my house. I noticed this guy just waiting to go into service.

 

SCORE.

 

The camelbak came with this sort of strap connection. Not at all a quick release. I sliced the old buckle free and installed my own. It was quite easy with an X-acto knife.

 

Held together with pop rivets like most of my pack. I'm not sure if the DOs will be happy with this for EIB and Centurion, but I can always paint them black. I liked the little pop of metal on the strap.

 

The new straps are 1.5" wide vs 1". Not a whole lot wider, but it's honestly enough. I strapped the empty hydration pack on and had my daughter climb on it to see how the straps felt with weight. Uncomfortable due to the bruising but not at all painful. So... I hacked the holes up a bit more in my oil can.

 

And there it is installed. It's a thing of beauty. Note that the chest strap extensions (loose 1" webbing) are still there if, for some reason, I figure out how to have a chest strap on this rig. The buckles are also nice and low near the bottom edge of the pack. This makes it much more comfortable and much easier to strap myself into. I actually did a full solo suit-up on my third HWT troop.

 

The little plastic buckles are also still present. Their purpose is to hold the hydration pack hose in place on a shoulder. They hide under my armor and are completely invisible when worn, so I'm leaving them in place for now.

 

My wife sewed some hook-side velcro onto the webbing at the shoulder rub zone after some test fitting. I've got cheap paintball helmet padding velcro'd in place to give my shoulders a bit of extra padding. And it's WONDERFUL! I can dance, run, jump around, and troop happily for hours even with previously bruised shoulders.

 

The hydration pack storage pouch is still accessible if I want to try having water in my HWT pack.  It would be a bit of a chore to wedge in there, but I think it could be done. And there's a hole in the side of the oil can to let the hydration hose come out of and into my bucket.

 

All closed up under the velcro & jersey liner.

[Sly11[Admin]]

That is a neat idea, I like it.

[revlimiter[Staff]]

 I GOT CENTURION TODAY!!!!

 

My pack build was approved! Huge thanks @Chemi @TKSpartan and @justjoseph63 You guys made me very happy.  And I'm specifically mentioning you all because... I'm now changing my pack.

 

See, I wanted to build a replica of @equuspolo's Kenobi pack when I started this. Step 1 was getting the pack built and Step 2 was reaching Centurion. Because Ardeshir started out with a Centurion pack before modifying it for the show, I wanted to start from the same place.  It makes sense in my head anyway...

 

So. No disrespect meant to the DOs at all by my modification of an approved pack.  Thanks for declaring my build Centurion Quality!  I just am moving onto Step 3 - Recreate the Kenobi HWT Pack.

 

I was SO excited when I saw these two run onto the screen. Seriously. I liked the Heavy Weapons Trooper pack and CRL before, but seeing it on the screen, even if just for a few seconds... it ignited a fire. I started buying parts for it that same week.

 

This was the best screen grab I was able to do myself. It shows all the lights, the E11 mount, and pack config. I will not admit to buying software just for this... I used it on my E-11 ANH Leia Leveller replica build also!! So I already had the screen enhance software laying around... heh.

 

All photos below were taken by and shared publicly by Ardeshir. They are not mine.

 

Ardeshir shared these photos with the FISD staff and on the Facebook HWT group. Ultimately, it was decided against having a CRL for the Obiwan HWT... but I still want to build the pack.  So I'm gonna!

 

Very close to its roots. It just has some extra lights, switches, and the beautiful Disney drink bottle tops.

(photo by equuspolo)

 

Cog on the drop siphon, nice weathering, oval Meguiar's wipe bottle. I believe that's a battery box glued to the side of the radio box.

(photo by equuspolo)

 

Mortar tube side - pretty stock looking over here, just with the lovely weathering.

(photo by equuspolo)

 

The blaster side - I will likely paint up a Rubies E-11 because I don't have a Rebels one in my armory. Nice use of velcro tape! Also, Kenobi confirmed the existence of velcro in the SW universe (close-up of Leia's gloves). 

(photo by equuspolo)

 

And LOOK AT THAT!!! That's the pack lights at night. Note that the blue lights are in fact white LEDs. It's a camera white balance making them appear blue.

(photo by equuspolo)

 

I cannot wait to have this. It will be mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Or at least there will be another one in the universe made out of my own pack.

(photo by equuspolo)

 

So that's the next step in my HWT pack build - lights, an antenna, some switches, and a pack mounted E-11.

 

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

Gonna look awesome. 

[revlimiter[Staff]]

I want to have a pack mounted E-11, but don't want to use any of the ones in my armory (of which there are three)... so I took an unloved Rubies blaster and painted it up. I didn't manage to take any in progress photos. Sorry about that.

 

They start out looking like this.

 

The thing weighs about 5 oz, so it fits the weight requirement for me. I don't have a Rebels E-11 in my collection yet, so it's not a duplicate for me. And if it gets destroyed on the side of my pack... I can just get another. Perfection!

 

This is mine after paint and weathering. I sanded the seams and filled the holes (visible on the other side).  I also put a screw in the side of the grip. No other mods. The grip got a coating of gloss clear while the rest is painted in matte.

 

The ejection port is done with brushed metal foil, which the phone totally blew out. It looks a bit nicer than the bright blob in this pic.  I weathered it a bit heavier than my usual taste so that the details would be noticeable from 10 feet away.

 

I gave the front of the scope a small epoxy covered black dot to let it catch some light and look better than a piece of hollow plastic.

 

And the back got a counter sticker and a printed holofoil scope decal - also better than hollow plastic. Not that these will really be visible on my pack...

 

Just needs some velcro strap tape (on the way from amazon) and it'll be mounted up.

I also added a couple latches to the side of my radio box to allow easier access than removing the 4 corner screws. The factory radio corner screws got removed and I glued (JB Welded) matching screw heads in their place. Now all of the boxes have the same mounting hardware, which satisfies my OCD.

 

Gotta say, the latch details on the sides also make me happy. They look quite period correct for a 70s vintage piece of Star Wars tech.

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

Looking amazing. Your work is truly inspiring 

[revlimiter[Staff]]

I FINISHED IT!!!

I've got a bunch of pix to put up and will try to sound coherent whist being excited to have the HWT pack I saw on Kenobi.  (totally geeking out here)

 

I sourced all my parts from amazon. I know there's better places, but this was the easiest for me. I work a lot so just getting to hit an order button on one site really helped.

 

I couldn't find everything in 5v, so I settled on 12v lights. I figured I could make the power work easier than finding 5v pilot lights and toggles. LEDs are easy but those pilot lights are a pain.

 

Pilot light: The "Keenso" red 4 pack is a match for the lamps used in Kenobi. 12 volt, about $6.50. They bulbs are not held in those metal housings very firmly. I added a bit of glue to each internally.

 

Toggle switch: I absolutely hate the ones I got, but they match the screen used pack. This is the "Twidec" 8 pack SPST. 12 volt, about $10. If anyone else builds a Kenobi pack, try to get a switch that has a screw mount on the back. Mine clip on and would not stay in place on my thick radio box. I had to cut off the clip mounts to keep the switches from pushing themselves out and glue them in place. Easy, but annoying.

 

LEDs: Any white LED will work. These are 3mm "Edgelec" in a 20 pack for $7. Pre-wired, non-flashing, 12 volt. All the white ones in my parts bin were 5v, so I had to buy these.

 

The Kenobi pack has a whip antenna, so I needed one too. Metra 14" universal. It's not lightweight either, but it seems to be the exact one used.  (About $19)

 

I removed my printed blocking plate and used the round one that came with the antenna. It's a lot more sturdy than my printed one and covers all but one hole. I set the printed one aside in a bag with the screws for reinstallation in the future if I needed. 

 

And yeah, the base got sanded to match the pack shape before I finished the project.

 

I held the laser cut fascia on with just a few dots of E6000 so that I could peel it off later for this purpose.

 

I glued some speaker cloth over the radio face. I have tons of it from my daughter's jawa kit and like the look of the radio having a speaker element.  This isn't on the Kenobi pack, but seemed like a worthwhile small addition.

 

Er... the dremel slipped and I cut a bunch. Oops.

 

Actually, this was planned. I want sound to be able to escape from the radio box, so I cut some ports to be hidden by the speaker cloth.

 

Speaker cloth and fascia reinstalled. Switches!!! installed. And I figured out a decent mounting method for my Disney Parks radio knobs.

 

I want the knobs to still be able to spin like the 3D printed ones could. A 2" machine screw is long enough to let the knob mount to the radio surface. I double nutted the screw near the top so that the knobs could spin without unscrewing the hardware. Inside the case, the screws are held in with nyloc bolts to prevent loosening.

 

Three LEDs per knob. Overkill? Very likely. But I have all of these LEDs and I need to get enough load to prevent my power supply from shutting down by itself...  Nine LEDs on the radio itself will help that.

 

I drilled things and made a wiring harness for the inside of the pack. This connects the red lights on top of the vent and button box as well as the two white LEDs on the drop siphon. I glued it in place along the outer edges of the pack to prevent the straps from bothering things. Near the internal LED connection, the wiring harness has some metal worm clamps holding them in place.

 

Here's the finished internal radio box. I spent WAAYYYYY too long running these wires, but I'm nearly as proud of this as I am of the whole pack. Nine LEDs worth of wiring and the pack's internal wiring harness all got neatly sorted and tucked, allowing the radio box to be opened  without being a rat's nest.

 

The power pack is a "TalentCell" 12v 3000mAh tiny guy from amazon. It weighs 400g and can power both 12v and 5v. It has an on/off switch (hiding behind the plug in this shot) to turn the pack on and off. It should run the pack for a couple days before needing a recharge. It was about $28.

 

I've also got a little Bluetooth speaker velcro'd inside. It won't live in here permanently, but I wanted to see how it works. Spoiler: AMAZINGLY!!! The hollow interior of the radio box gives everything a slightly more tinny sound. The TK Chatter loop sounds super authentic coming out of this. Stupid loud too.

 

And lastly, I added expanded metal to the face plate cut out holes. Whilst wiring things up I nearly put my stupid finger through that speaker cloth at least five times. I know it would have been punctured accidentally on a near-future troop. Some mesh protection seemed to be in order. And as a bonus, it looks super cool from the front when the light happens to hit it.

 

The last bit I needed was the Imperial Cog for on top of the wipe box. I lasered this tiny 40mm guy out from the same acrylic I used on the radio face plate. It's delicate but securely glued to the top and away from harm. Hopefully it won't shatter right away... or ever?

 

And here it is... my finished Kenobi pack.

 

Daylight with power off.

 

Blaster side. I used 3 strips of velcro tape to keep the blaster from moving around.

 

Top. You can almost see the wipe bottle cog and my reshaping of the antenna base.

 

In the dark garage with lights on!!! 

 

I wanted this since July.   It's SO satisfying to have it.

 

And with that, I think this build is complete. My first troop with it is tomorrow evening at a Make-A-Wish trunk or treat. If I get a good photo, I'll post. 

 

 

[Sly11[Admin]]

Looks awesome Adam.

[MaskedVengeance[Staff]]

Excellent work, Adam! You should make a new not-at-your-post signature image with you in process of updating your pack load out. 

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

Great Work ! Congratulations 

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

Amazing work Adam. 

[Chemi[Staff]]

Looks great...

Can't wait for @justjoseph63 to see that brand new antenna. I know he loves antennas!

[MaskedVengeance[Staff]]

2 hours ago, Chemi said:

Can't wait for @justjoseph63 to see that brand new antenna. I know he loves antennas!

Honestly I thought the same thing. I sense a resurgence of antenna installs, and perhaps mounted E-11s. I'll admit, two years ago I bought a Rubies E-11 to attach to my HWT pack. I'm sure I'd never actually implement this, but it'd be cool to see a smoke generator install inside the vent box someday, perhaps using a vape pen.

[revlimiter[Staff]]

@Sly11 @MaskedVengeance @TKSpartan @Doggydoc @Chemi  Thanks for the kind words y'all!!   

 

10 hours ago, Chemi said:

Looks great...

Can't wait for @justjoseph63 to see that brand new antenna. I know he loves antennas!

HA!!! I should have an Antenna Trigger Warning on the thread. Sorry in advance Joseph.

[Nairy[Staff]]

Amazing work Adam! Would be an honor to troop with you some day!