FP Budget Paint up for Vegan Mando by Deadland

Alright here we have it a FP Budget lid one of FP's copies before he sold the molds to ASOK. Great lid light and everything is all molded on so there is nothing to attach except for the right ear cap. This will be your standard ESB paint up and it seems that the only challenge I may have on this is the range finder itself. The range finder on this is all molded together so it is one big piece of clear resin but I will get it figured out.

I spent some time last week trimming out the visor section and mounting the visor inside the lid to give it some strength while I paint it. I used the bolt method that way the visor can be removed at any time for any reason. Then over the weekend I hit it with a nice primer coat and then hit it last night with its first base color. From here I will mask out the damage that I need and will then spray it with the silver coat. Then rinse and repeat on down the line. Anyway on to the pics.

Can't wait to see how it comes along

Working on an Asok for Eagc right now, ROTJ though of course

Please be very descriptive. I have one from Asok and will be trying my hand at painting it in the near future.

Thanks for taking this on for me Rob! Im super excited!

Originally Posted by Mullreel

Please be very descriptive. I have one from Asok and will be trying my hand at painting it in the near future.

How descriptive do you want it? I know the biggest difference in the process with the ASOK version will be if you want to add the base metal layer as you will need to mask out all the silver damage first before you apply it. Since this was one of Chris's pull's it was done in the white gel coat.

Originally Posted by Vegan Mando

Thanks for taking this on for me Rob! Im super excited!

My pleasure bro!!! Oh and love the new avatar.

I guess if I was asking I would love to see what order you paint as far as location on the helmet, and I would like to see what size templates you use to make the damage scale properly.

And then it would be color selection (which might just be a referal to another thread)

I have always noticed people painting the panels and the dome and the area around the visor at different times. Since I have been a Jango guy up to this point I have never noticed why that is or if there is a reason for it.

But with all of that said, I will be happy to watch whatever you put forth........

I can defiantly break it down. For me it is a combination of resizing the templates by Rich D found here http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/f23/b...tencils-23320/ along with RS color list with a change of the light gray used to SP Dark Lark Gray. I also use some templates that I have made from the ref pics by using different points on the helmet for size references. For the templates you will need to do a lot of measuring and adjusting in a photo editing suite like photo shop and dividing some of the templates into section to get it to fit right. then there are the times where you kind of just eye ball it.

I think the reason why most of us break it up into sections is to break up the insanity, wait I mean breakup the complexity. I usually like to do the back panel and then the mandibles and trim since they require so many layers. From there the rest of the lid go fairly quick.

Mullreel for the Asok...what ur gonna wanna do is hit it with steel wool, then seal it with a clear, probably a satin or matte, just touching the CC for a few seconds with my hot hands has left finger prints in the CC, so I sealed the CC with a clear then went to work....listen to Deadland as he knows whats up with painting with the stencils...measure the helmet resize the stencil to that area, then get it transfered....thing with that though is how do u go about it...print it the trace it onto the lid or trace it off the screen...whichever works for you...I trace off the screen transfer then liquid mask...trying to leave the lines under the new paint...which is why u want to trace around the area so u leave the line under the paint....

Thats what I was looking for. Thanks for the tips from both of you. I wouldn't have thougt about sealing the CC but that sounds like good advice.

I am not going to start for a few more weeks so I will be checking back to this and other threads when I get started.

Thanks
Chris

also I dont know how well the right ear cap is gonna take paint, it didnt like the krylon clear I put on it, might have to experiment with dust coats over it for the khaki...if you need help with colors let one of us know, r u gonna use airbrush or what?

I have never air brushed. I have always used rattlecans. But this seems like a good excuse to try something new. I might look into an inexpensive airbrush.

Well if u want a list of rattle can colors I can certainly lend my knowledge there...I have a current list of paints that are available that are very close

How well do rattlecans do for a Boba paint up? I was a little worried that the lack of control would be a real hinderance. I am comfortable using them but I am just ignorant of using them for this level of precision

Originally Posted by Fett 4 Real

also I dont know how well the right ear cap is gonna take paint, it didnt like the krylon clear I put on it, might have to experiment with dust coats over it for the khaki...if you need help with colors let one of us know, r u gonna use airbrush or what?

Yeah you are defiantly want to try and seal it with something after hitting it with the steel wool. I think on my FP premium lid I masked out the silver damage and then hit it with a coat of primer. as far as colors go I will list northing I use in the thread.

Originally Posted by Mullreel

How well do rattlecans do for a Boba paint up? I was a little worried that the lack of control would be a real hinderance. I am comfortable using them but I am just ignorant of using them for this level of precision

I went straight with the air brush on my first lid as I did not feel comfortable with rattle cans. I got a cheap compressor at Harbor Freight and picked up a Paschee VL air brush at the local hobby store for about $70 well worth it.

Alright so last night I masked out what I like to call the base metal layer which is a layer of Lichtblua RLM 76.

Using my stencils that I have created using the templates created by Rich D I place them on the section and then with a piece of graphite paper behind it I trace out the damage.



Then once I have all my damage marked out I then go back and mask it off using my color shaper and Grafix Liquid Frisket (Thanks F4R).


Once done I usually let it set overnight and at some point the next day I spray the next color. In this case it was the silver layer for which I use Krylon Silver Metallic Spray paint as I like it better than the Floquil Bright Silver.


Now from here I will go through and mask out all of the silver damage and they aly down the gray layer.

You may want to add a few drops of food colouring or water colours to the masking fluid it makes it easyer to work with ,
Its what I do any way

Originally Posted by jinto

You may want to add a few drops of food colouring or water colours to the masking fluid it makes it easyer to work with ,
Its what I do any way

Yep I sure do I add about two drops of blue food coloring to it to make it more visible.

Alright got some more work done!!! I have spent the past few weeks tracing and masking out all of the silver damage on the lid in preparation for the gray layer. Once I got that done I sprayed a layer of Floquil SP Lark Dark Gray. I have left the gray damage on the back masked and have only removed it on the the other sections to reveal the silver. At this point I will give all the other parts of the lid a clear coat to seal it. there has been to many times where by not sealing the gray layer that it pealed up once I removed the painter tape.

So now I will move onto the next color of the back panel and mask out the damage for the concrete. I will tape off the rest of the lid and focus on the back panel till completed.

You are already helping me out a great deal!! I am getting ready to paint my CC Asok FP helmet and the photos and step by step are great. Thanks for this thread. Looking forward to updates!

Wow Rob your detail is amazing!

Thanks Bryan, glad you like it so far.

vegan brother u havent seen anything yet, it's gonna be even better then u think when u see it in person. When I got mine back from rob I think I just sat and looking at it with my jaw on the floor for like an hour haha!!

Army, I've actually seen your lid in person and it is a work of art!!! I cant wait to be able to wear mine.

Alright got the Gray layer all masked out and have now prayed down a layer of concrete. For some reason it did not cover real well when I looked at it this morning my thinking is to hit it with another coat of paint. Thoughts? Have a look at the pics and you will see what I mean. Any how once I have a good concrete layer I will mask out that damage and the proceed by applying the last color which is German RLM73 Green.

Well got some more work done got all the concrete damage masked out and laid down the layer of German RLM73 Green let it dry for a day and then peeled back all the masking fluid leaving the end result. At this point I will now go through and mask out the the gray areas on the trim and mandibles before I spray a coat of PRR Maroon Which more than likely won't happen until Monday after I get back from Vegas!!!!

Lookin sweeeet! Have fun in Vegas. Win big! And dont let any hookers roll ya lol

Originally Posted by Vegan Mando

Lookin sweeeet! Have fun in Vegas. Win big! And dont let any hookers roll ya lol

Yeah i don't think the wife will let that happen but I do hope to win big!!!! Who am I kidding lol.

Wow awesome work and lots of help too. Not quite sure if I want to tackle this myself yet, or send it to somebody like you and have it done right the first time lol.

Amazing work you have here sir! I love all the attention you put in the paint details. This will be a great helmet. Vegan Mando is a one lucky guy.

if ya dont mind whats a job like this cost im gonna be looking to get a lid made soon gonna need a paint job

Originally Posted by RafalFett

Amazing work you have here sir! I love all the attention you put in the paint details. This will be a great helmet. Vegan Mando is a one lucky guy.

Thanks Rafal I appreciate the kind words.

Originally Posted by thewanabefett

if ya dont mind whats a job like this cost im gonna be looking to get a lid made soon gonna need a paint job

PM coming your way.

Alright got the trim, key slot and mandibles done just need to go back a touch up a few spots where a little of the red came through nothing to major. I also got the range finder painted up and mounted the right ear cap with magnets. I also started on the left ear cap as well.

Next steps will be getting both the right and left ear caps complete along with the upper cheeks which I should have done by Monday. After that all that is left is getting the dome and the lower cheeks done.

On to the pics.

Wow Rob! The level of detail is definatley something I will be working torwards...Phenominal!
B

Love it! It looks amazing just at this stage. I really await to see the finished helmet. Excellent job so far!

Alright got the Upper cheeks along with the ears done. Next step will be clear coating all current work and then start masking out the damage for the lower cheeks and the dome. I also include a shot on how I mounted the right ear cap.

What a beautiful helmet! It looks so sharp and perfect. I Love it!

You get better with each paint job

Thanks guys, hopefully more to come by Tuesday!!

Alright just a quick and dirty update. Cheeks and dome are done except for the Kill stripes. At this point I have a little touch up to do from some bleed through and that should not take to long. After that it will be adding the kill stripes and then start some of the weathering. I am hoping to have this wrapped up by the weekend.

I will post some better pics tomorrow afternoon but for now here are these.

Excellent! Sir, your paint job is awesome.

Oh, man! I may have to invest in an airbrush after all!

Using a different green Deadland? it looks great as always
And Csk225 and any one who is serious about painting replica helmets an air brush is a must , that being said for costumers who just want to look the part spray cans are also great , but you can always tell a spray can job to an air brush job

Nope still using the same green its just the **** lighting I have in my house and with the flash it really changes the color. I will take some better pics outside today weather permitting.

For anyone doing painting I would highly recommend using an air brush especially a dual action one you are able to control the amount of air and the amount of paint coming out of it. I am in no means an air brush expert but it has made painting a lot easier and allows for better control and detail.

Update with better pics!!

WOW! Cant wait to see this tonight man!!!!

Alright this thing is done!!!! I finished up the kill stripes along with doing the weathering on it touched up a few spots and now it is ready to go back to its owner. I did have a little trouble with the visor flaring inward and due to the narrowness at the bottom of the mandible area I had to use hot glue to secure it in place. The rest of the visor is held in place via the t-nut and bolt method so if need be later on Bryan can swap out his visor. On to the pics.

HOLY COW!!! you are the man, Rob!!!

the helmet is stunning !!!!!

That helmet is so sick! You have mad skills. Excellent job!

Wow Rob...You never sieze to amaze me man! Unbelievable!

Wow!!! That is just stunning! I love it... I will send you my address so you know where to ship it.

Originally Posted by CSK225

Wow!!! That is just stunning! I love it... I will send you my address so you know where to ship it.

I don't know if Vegan will go for that but sure send me your address.

Originally Posted by RafalFett

That helmet is so sick! You have mad skills. Excellent job!

Thanks, Raf I appreciate it.

Originally Posted by dynamic1

Wow Rob...You never sieze to amaze me man! Unbelievable!

Thanks Bryan now we just have to get your done!!!

Ya, im tired of the earless clean avatar LOL!

One of the most beautiful ESB paint jobs I have ever seen. Awesome work.

Absolutely amazing! If mine turns out half this good I will be pleased!