General UK Boba Fett budget build.

Hi guys.

Just posting this up for two reasons, really. One, as a quickie build log, and a second, as a massive thank you to the forum for all the help in putting my first costume together.

Please go easy on me, as, despite being halowe'en ready, it'll be tweaked more ready for celebration next year.

Armour: As per AFettFullofDollars' technique, the main plating and shoulder bells were cut from (clean, new) paper bins. I couldn,t find curved ones to suit my figure, so I was liberal with the heat gun for shaping, and dents. The plating was sanded, primed, and basecoated green. The details and weathering were hand painted using techniques learned building models. Dents were done by overheating the plastic, and pressing the butt of a ratchet screwdriver in. 'Decals' on upper chest, and bells were hand-painted (to give that rough, used feel). The vest underneath was a cotton T-shirt, modified and sewn, and the armour was attached with velcro.


Flying suit - tropical engineers coverall, weathered with tea/acrylic/water mix.


Helmet: As I am on a low budget, I couldn't shell for a more top-end helmet. Found this Don Post 95 on eBay for the equivalent of $25. I fabricated a new visor out of acrylglass and vinyl tint left over from tinting my shed windows. Hand painted the helmet with acrylics, and varnished to suit, as I wasn't happy with the factory finish.


Gauntlets: Fibreglass / resin kit found on eBay (cheap). Hard to turn around, but I'm happy with the job.



Ancilliaries:
Cape - Cut from a ream of sand canvas, with hand-dyed flying scarf (lightweight) sewn on. Weathered with tea/acrylic/water mix, belt sander, and fire.
Wookie braids (shown here pre-dying) - Curtain braid, cut to length, pleated and brushed. 1x pleat dyed Black with acrylic water mix.
Utility Belt - Leatherette formed over balsa blocks, screwed on to leather belt.
Girth belt - Hemp cord cut to length and dyed. Sewn on to leather belt ends.




EE-3 Carbine - Limitations in UK law dictate that the weapon can't look too realistic on the street (RIFA laws), so I built a street suitable one with no triggers etc...and the ghastly dayglo plug required by law.
Hand shaped wood for butt / grip. 'Scope' from hollow curtain pole and pole grips, barrel from painted water pipe.


This is intended as an amalgam, not to be accurate to one specific (also to cut down on cost). Hope it's worthy of inclusion here.



Again, many thanks to AFettFullofDollars for posting up the 'trash can' technique, and to Wizardofflight for the outstanding templates!

There is still a LOT of work to be done, be it chest display, finishing the boots, better gloves, or practicing my best Jason Wingreen voice for the Aker voice amp...

It looks good. In all honesty, most fans will be thrilled to take a picture with Boba Fett whether he is screen accurate or not. It did a nice job putting it together with what you had.

Thanks! A lot of it I treated like I was painting and weathering a model kit, only with bigger brushes and sponges, and considerably more fire

looks good to me for using stuff laying around the house.

Thanks! I built it using the old Royal Navy mantra 'Adapt & overcome!'

nice build ! i like those gauntlets

Thanks! The kit I got was covered in flashing, and had been damaged in the post. It took a lot of work, but I was happy with the result (I was prepared for the flashing, as the guy did state they would 'need a bit of work')

Looks good mate, especially for the price. I do like scratch built stuff

yeah i agree....looks great for what you've spent on it....well played sir

Can't thank you guys enough!

Hi Moorkey - love your build. Interested to hear what you said about the blaster and UK laws. I'm planning to run a Half Marathon in my build and was thinking about carrying my blaster. What are the regulations? Do you have a close up picture of the plug? It's the hasbro toy and I was going to paint it black/silver to look more realistic...

The orange barrel tip for replica guns is part of a US law and the UK has absolutely no such regulation.

There is no legislation that states any replica gun owned or carried in public by someone must be a certain bright colour etc. - a common misconception. There is no specific law prohibiting the carrying of something that could be mistaken for a real gun (be it toy, airsoft, deactivated or whatever) in public. This type of thing comes under public order offences.

Unless you have a really good reason and have taken all precautions to ensure that no one will be concerned about such a thing, then you will probably find your self being reported as "a man with a gun" and at best being politely questioned & at worst having the men with real guns pointing them at you and shouting a lot. You'd be charged with threatening behaviour or some public disorder offence and or wasting police time etc.

Even if you have made every effort to advise the organisers at an event etc. there is still a chance some random will spot and report you.

The current UK legislation regarding replica guns only cover the manufacture, sale and import of such items (note it is not illegal to buy such an item it is illegal to sell them). The painting of at least 51% of an item one of the bright colours is one way (within the legislation) of being allowed to avoid the above prohibitions. There are other things like appropriate defences against prosecution but none of those apply to us as costuming is not a valid defence in the eyes of the law

So if you have a hasbro toy and paint it 'realistic' colours (or even just black) you are, strictly speaking, breaking the law. The whole legislation is poorly done, full of grey areas and to my knowledge has never been 'tested' in court. It's intention is to stop criminals using replica guns to commit crimes but has in actuality (IMO) had the most impact on minority groups like us and airsofters etc.

I will say I am no legal expert but as a costumer, airsofter and prop gun collector i've had to deal with this legislation and work within it if not to maybe the letter but certainly to the spirit and intention of it.

SAS

runFettBoyRun said:

Hi Moorkey - love your build. Interested to hear what you said about the blaster and UK laws. I'm planning to run a Half Marathon in my build and was thinking about carrying my blaster. What are the regulations? Do you have a close up picture of the plug? It's the hasbro toy and I was going to paint it black/silver to look more realistic...

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Hey, which half are you planning on ?...I was thinking of doing the Cradiff one on Sunday in mine, but chickened out and am just wearing my Boba Fett running vest instead...GOOD LUCK

It is the Great Eastern Run in Peterborough - a week on Sunday. It a good one - loads of crowd support and flat! Thanks Buddy. I'll be posting lots of photos

runFettBoyRun said:

It is the Great Eastern Run in Peterborough - a week on Sunday. It a good one - loads of crowd support and flat! Thanks Buddy. I'll be posting lots of photos

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I finished it yesterday...My first ever one....almost killed me...if you manage that in full gear you will be a legend in my eyes !!!!

Well done! Great achievement. I bet you are feeling a little sore today!

I'm aiming for 75% of the full gear. No cod piece/back plate/jet pack - as they are not finished.

runFettBoyRun said:

Well done! Great achievement. I bet you are feeling a little sore today!

I'm aiming for 75% of the full gear. No cod piece/back plate/jet pack - as they are not finished.

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Yeah it was painful.....I advise you to make sure you dont wear the boots ....unless theyve invented Boba Fett running boots somehow !! LOL

No way on the boots - my kids are going to paint my trainers to look Fett-ish.

Great work!

looks great. do you remember the seller as i am struggling to find gauntlets.