DrMatt's Imperial Armored Commando build

[DrMatt]

I really want to help out and troop with the 501st... and this is my first build.  I was told by my local Garrison that I should make a build thread, so... here it is!  (I'm really worried that I'm going to get to the end of this and there's going to be some major change I need to make.)  Thanks for Francois for the help (and the creation of the CRL)... No matter!  Here we go...

 

I'm primarily using Big Fred's STL files.  Printing primarily on an Anycubic Kobra 2 Max (also have (my first) smaller Creality Ender-3).

 

I wanted to do the "easy" pieces first to start to understand the process of building.... big pieces without much detail - jetpack and shin armor.

 

Because I didn't have a large printer yet, I had to print these in pieces and then glue them together.  It's much easier to print on a larger printing in fewer pieces, but I did learn how to deal with seams.   With increasing confidence, I printed out the chest pieces and started to work on those.  I continued to print out every other piece as my confidence grew.

 

Started to develop my own understanding and process of filling, sanding, painting... and sanding and painting and sanding...

 

Currently I'm working on the helmet.  After learning that one of my belts was loose and destroying my prints at the very end, my fourth-try helmet was finally printing.  I'm currently on the paint phase of the helmet.  I'm kinda proud of my work on this.

 

Now I've caught you all up on my build.  Here are some pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DrMatt]

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

Welcome to FISD Matt.  looking forward for your advances 

[shashachu[TK]]

Welcome, Matt! (I'm from the GGG and am the one who suggested you start this thread.)

 

Looks like you're making good progress! If you haven't noticed already, you're very limited in the size and number of photos you can upload directly to the forum, so we suggest you host your photos elsewhere (eg imgur or similar) and embed links instead.

 

And if you haven't already, definitely peruse the other build threads here to get guidance and inspiration from folks who have already completed their builds or are farther along.

 

Looking forward to seeing your progress!

[AsBlondeAsLuke[TK]]

Hi Matt!

I am also from your local garrison. Welcome!  Building from 3D prints is a very long yet rewarding process because you genuinely get to say: "I built this from scratch." I don't have expertise on the Imperial commando,  so as Sha Sha suggested, read all of the other builds for guidance. Sometimes you can learn a lot just from what went wrong on someone's build and when they are kind enough to share that experience to spare the rest of us from making that same mistake.  Printing in smaller pieces and gluing it together is an excellent way to go. I learned that from building clone helmets. Trying to print them in one piece meant a bunch of frustrating half-finished prints. With some glazing spot putty, you can get those seams quickly filled in. I just started using an autobody filler to speed up filling in the print lines faster than Bondo alone. I just started using this filler, in conjunction with glazing spot putty for the deeper print lines, to speed up finishing. 

https://imgur.com/XzDu2fr

 

Here's what it looks like, combined with glazing spot putty on a current project (a gauntlet for another costume.)

https://imgur.com/7iQ8djF

Looking forward to meeting you, Matt, and following your build.

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

Hello Matt. Welcome to FISD. Things appear to be progressing well. 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Hello Matt looking forward to seeing your progress, one big thing for printed armor is the finish, make sure you remove the print lines before paint, good luck with the build

• 3D printed components must have no visible print lines and must be smooth for a realistic appearance.

[Sly11[Admin]]

Welcome Matt, looking forward to your build progress.

Exciting to see another one under construction

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Welcome Matt, look forward to your build 

 

[DrMatt]

Here it goes!  My first time with detail painting...  Four colors... 

 

Wow!  I need to do a bit of minor touchups (I'm a detail kinda guy), but it turned out well!  Phew!

[DrMatt]

On 9/26/2024 at 8:04 AM, shashachu said:

Welcome, Matt! (I'm from the GGG and am the one who suggested you start this thread.)

 

Looks like you're making good progress! If you haven't noticed already, you're very limited in the size and number of photos you can upload directly to the forum, so we suggest you host your photos elsewhere (eg imgur or similar) and embed links instead.

 

And if you haven't already, definitely peruse the other build threads here to get guidance and inspiration from folks who have already completed their builds or are farther along.

 

Looking forward to seeing your progress!

 

Thanks, ShaSha!  I'm hoping to meet you in person during a troop... soonish.

[DrMatt]

On 9/26/2024 at 8:25 AM, AsBlondeAsLuke said:

Hi Matt!

I am also from your local garrison. Welcome!  Building from 3D prints is a very long yet rewarding process because you genuinely get to say: "I built this from scratch." I don't have expertise on the Imperial commando,  so as Sha Sha suggested, read all of the other builds for guidance. Sometimes you can learn a lot just from what went wrong on someone's build and when they are kind enough to share that experience to spare the rest of us from making that same mistake.  Printing in smaller pieces and gluing it together is an excellent way to go. I learned that from building clone helmets. Trying to print them in one piece meant a bunch of frustrating half-finished prints. With some glazing spot putty, you can get those seams quickly filled in. I just started using an autobody filler to speed up filling in the print lines faster than Bondo alone. I just started using this filler, in conjunction with glazing spot putty for the deeper print lines, to speed up finishing. 

https://imgur.com/XzDu2fr

 

Here's what it looks like, combined with glazing spot putty on a current project (a gauntlet for another costume.)

https://imgur.com/7iQ8djF

Looking forward to meeting you, Matt, and following your build.

 

 

Thanks for the info.  I've found that painting on a thinned coat of glazing spot putty works well for me for the lines.  Then, for the deeper grooves some straight-from-the-tube glazing putty.

It's a process!

[DrMatt]

On 9/26/2024 at 2:18 PM, gmrhodes13 said:

Hello Matt looking forward to seeing your progress, one big thing for printed armor is the finish, make sure you remove the print lines before paint, good luck with the build

• 3D printed components must have no visible print lines and must be smooth for a realistic appearance.

 

Yup!  Made sure of that...  Thanks!

[DrMatt]

Sanded... painted... sanded... painted... Now it's smooth and white and ready for gloss.  This process is NOT good for a perfectionist.  I'm really shooting for 501st acceptance, so every little blemish or ANYTHING is meticulously removed.  Lots of time...

 

Edited November 14 by DrMatt

[DrMatt]

I really wanted to do the bucket right.  Even though this is my first time, it turned out pretty good.  The outside is done.. now it's time to work on the insides (especially since we've traveled outside of painting weather).

 

 

FINAL:

 

[DrMatt]

Installed the eye shield...  I used the Hobart 770580 Face Shield Replacement Lens.  I printed out just the eye holes so that I could make a template of just the holes.  It worked fine, but left holes because of the janky cuts.  Instead, I just make a rectangle to lay flat behind the holes.

 

I debated on how I would attach to the inside.  I considered glue and velcro.  I really wanted to be able to replace the lens if I had to, but I wasn't tied to it.  I landed on using chicago screws (I had them from another leather project) and epoxying the screws to the bucket.  First I punched holes using a leather hole punch  that made some nice holes that fit my screws in the locations that fit.  The first lesson I learned... don't use the lens itself as a template.  It's WAY too stiff.  I needed the screw to stay put while the epoxy cured.  Instead, I used a thin piece of cardboard and punched holes where I had punched the holes in the lens and then used the cardboard as a template where the screws would be.  Worked out really well!

 

Also, another lesson, let the epoxy cure for a LONG time before trying on the lens.  One of my screws popped off because it wasn't cured well enough. Ugh.  Also, the screws are a bit tall, so, if you're doing this, get the shortest ones you can.  I'll probably have to add a thick washer to make sure the lens doesn't lift.

 

Now... on to the other internals...

 

 

Here's the result:

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Nice work