Chest armor LED cut-outs

Before I massacre my chest armor, does anyone know wher I can get a template so I can position the openings correctly. What has everyone been using?

Here are the measurements for the slots in the chest BB came up with based off the MoM suit:

Top slot is 1/8" tall
Bottom slot is 1/4" tall
Slots are 1/4" apart.
Slots are same length; 1 5/8" long

I need to know where to cut them in relation the the armor chest plate. How far down and to the left and so on.

Best thing you can do is get a straight on shot of the breast plate, blow it up to life size (will fit on an 8.5X11" sheet of paper and then lay it over the top of your piece of armor and mark it that way. Your armor probably won't match up exactly to the real deal but it should be fairly close. This is how I plan to position my slots.

Here here.....buly Art just buly!

Jimmy

Great idea, Brak's. Thanks.

You also want to make sure that the opening you make matches up your led's:]

You might also want to cut some strips of tape to size and stick them around till you're happy with the placement. Then just trace them, remove and cut.

Good Luck!

-Sarge

Originally posted by Tigerbytes:

Can someone post the GIF of the Fett chest display. I might have someone that can help out on this project. Thanks.

Originally posted by fettcicle:

Um....... Well I saw what has been accomplished, and well I think Mr. Man has certainly out did himself. That was great! I can remember seeing some costumes and being able to identify the solo foam cups under the poster paints, the cardboard tubes, all the elmers glue,and knowing how that person was praying to god that it doesn't rain! Still admiring their inventiveness, but this is like the difference of launching a bottle rocket outta a coke can and working for NASA. I can only imagine how this will improve on these costumes!!!!!!! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT="">

Originally posted by Braks Buddy:

As I mentioned in another thread, just wait to see what else is coming down the pipes. This is just the tip of the iceberg! This is the beginning of a new era for accuracy in Fett related props. I believe all of us will do for Fett what the guys at the RPF have done for sabers. Now if we could just get some of the big names prop builders to turn our way and give us a little of their time and expertise we could help direct them in building armor that NO ONE could rival...

Restless soul, enjoy your youth - Eddie Vedder

Originally posted by imprissonedfett:

The big names attract the fans as Braks said. Braks could you email me the clip? I can't wait to see what the new piece is but I kind of have an idea, as I said in the other post on the RPF.

Originally posted by ShackMan:

OK, update.

Brak's has been kind enough (again) to host the schematics on his website (same link as the animation posted previously). Whether you plan to do this yourself, or want to buy one pre-assembled, PLEASE check out the thread on the RPF:

pub2.ezboard.com/fswvstit...7574.topic

I've tried to answer all questions ahead of time, including warnings for anyone wanting to attempt this on their own. I'll be monitoring that thread for the next day or two. So if you have any questions, please feel free to post there. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT="">

And as I stated on the other board, IF you attempt this on your own, please let me know how it goes. I want to hear from others, whether or not my schematic was easily readable and if I forgot anything.

Thanks,

ATM

Rapier wit? This is the end of the twentieth century! I'm using a laser sighted under-and-over twin barrelled wit, with a 7.62 mm floating breech pulse rifle firing caseless one-liners on top, and a 40mm explosive gag launcher underneath. For backup I've got a 14mm pump shotgun firing flechette rounds with 10 barbed comments in each, which can also shoot sabot ego-piercing rounds. Of course when all else fails, there's always the trusty flamethrower which I've strapped to my pulse rifle with duct tape in the approved style.

Can someone point me to measurements for the size/position of the slits in the chest plate and the right size LEDs to use? For now I plan on just leaving a piece of dark plexi behind the slits but eventually I'd like to try and get some real working LEDs going. I could swear I saw the dimensions posted somewhere before but I can't find it now...thanks!

Mark

I have Shackman's LED set and believe me, they were worth every penny of what I spent. He does do great work. A must for any costume.

I'm not sure if Shackman is making these anymore. However, he was more than willing to share his schematic drawings and photos of the unit with my brother and me. He was very helpful.

Mafight, here are the dimensions for the left breast slits (as provided to me by Richie). TOP: 2" wide x 1/4" tall. BOTTOM: 2" wide x 3/8" tall. The gap between the top and the bottom slits is 3/8". These dimesions will accurately fit a set of ShackMan's lights which, by the way, Richie sells for $100.00 (no, I don't have a set, YET). Hope this helps.

check Brak's Buddy's page

http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/bbt/

Here are the measurements for the slots in the chest we came up with based off the MoM suit:

Top slot is 1/8" tall
Bottom slot is 1/4" tall
Slots are 1/4" apart.
Slots are same length; 1 5/8" long

Yes, but do these MOM measurements jibe with what is needed for Shack's lights?

According to Richie, no. The measurements I posted, while maybe not exactly accurate to the MotM suit (but close), they are the size needed to accomodate ShackMan's lights. Remember, this is per Richie. I don't know anybody else you can get these particular lights from other than him, or ShackMan himself. Being that both sets of measurements are only slightly different, the lights may line up with both.

Are richies and Shackmans chest lights the correct sequence?

Yes! Shackman created his light per our sequence. Check the link above for more info. you can even see a video of Shack's lights in action!


As far as the measurements, I imagine both would work. Keep in mind that several of us believe that the last digit in the display is partially covered due to the slot being too small.

Your best bet is to wait until you have the light then draw a template using a sheet of paper and use that to make your slots.

Sweet, anyone know if he still offers these? and are RA's the correct sequence?

Richie is the salesman (per se) of ShackMan's lights. I don't personally know of anything closer to the movie than these. Depending on who you ask (or how good you can still frame your VCR), the bottom display has either a two or three sequence flash pattern. See the link Brak's posted in this thread to see both possibilities. Either could be correct.

Here are pics of Jbarela's metal chest plate with Shackman's chest light installed!

That looks great!

Hey I wanted to let you all know that have these displays from shack, that there is a problem with them so far that I just found out...the top row of LEDs are exactly the same leanth on the board as the characther LEDs. The problem is that the slits on the armor are not supposed to be cut out the leanths as the top LEDS but rather the same leanth as the character leds, but even more specific where the actual character on the Character LED block is located and not by the leanth of the five blocks together. some of the top LEDs flashes are unseen as they are hidden behind the armor. So that also means the top sequence is not showing correctly as per the movie.....we may need some reprogramming...looks that way to me so far. If I did not explain it well I will try again.

More to follow..

Jimmy

Can we re-program the boards ourselves? I can't speak for Shack, but I'm not sure he'd be up for doing them all for us.

Jbarela, you are correct. I think the problem we ran into was that we could never find leds small enough to fit together close enough to create the exact effect. As much as I hate to say it, some sacrifices had to be made.

Here is the way the board is set up. The top row of lights (The ones in question are hard wired and will not be easy to change. I can amost assure you Shack will not be willing to change them as it would require a tremendous amount of rewiring and soldering. If you are confident enough in your electronics knowledge and background you could rewire them yourself but I would strongly advize against it. If you are determined to do it yourself you can find the original schematics here:
http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/bbt/I...BoardTopV2.jpg
and here:
http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/bbt/I...rdBottomV2.jpg

The bottom row (characters) of lights are controlled by a PIC which is an easily replacable chip. Shack built the board this way so that if we ever discovered a more accurate sequencing of the characters he could make new PICs and we could just replace the old with the new.

Jbarela, I have to disagree with you about changing the sequencing of the top row. I think you are coming at this from the wrong angle. The top row sequencing is correct (you of all people should know that ). The problem is that the LEDs used in the top row are slightly too large. If you are intent on trying to correct this I suggest searching for smaller rectangular LEDs. We couldn't find any but who knows, they may be out there. If you could find them it would be a fairly simple task to have someone who has electronic soldering skills to replace the old LEDs with the new ones and all would be correct.

Hey BB...Yes you stated it alot better than I....yes the top sequence is correct you just cant see all LEDs...what I was thinking was more of having maybey just two or three LEDS light up per flash instead of four..just so I can see all five flashes sequence in the top slit.
Jimmy

what about just blacking the 2 or whatever ones that dont show or arent supposed to show?

darthgoat, if you cut the slots out to exactly fit the characters in the bottom row you wouldn't have to black anything out. The last light or two in the top row on each side would be covered by the breast plate. What you end up with is the lights on the end looking a bit shorter than the lights in the middle. Not a huge deal but as jbarela pointed out, not exactly accurate.

ahhh...i see what you are sayin now.

Me again,

someone wrote that the led´s are to big.
Maybe we can work something out with lightsheet/
electro-luminescent
Thats the thing what the prop builder use for lightsabers.

Robin
Fett2210
elfadil@aol.com

Brak's Buddy wrote:Here are pics of Jbarela's metal chest plate with Shackman's chest light installed!

Jbarela

The lights look great mounted in the armour.

Can you please tell me what you used to cut out & finish the openings for them.
Did you have to insulate the lights from the metal chest plate?

Thanks
Nathan

Thanks, Nathan...

Very tough proccess for me anyways...I first scratched my template and then started drilling out the slots with a drill bit slightly smaller than the slots opening, this was very time consuming as I only had one chance at it so I did it slow...very slow...but once I had most of the center drilled out I then stuck a flat file in there and went to work squaring it out..I have yet to open the slots both top and bottom ever so slightly...like maybey 10 or 15 more passes of the file...I did this because I was mutilating the back of the armor so that my display will sit closer to and better to the armor..dont think that made sense but if you look at my pics of the back of my armor you can see just how thick the metal is now that I have removed a good portion of it or else it would still be as thick as the rest of the armor so that when you look at the armor dead on the display would clearly look recessed behind the armor and not accurate looking. I have not actualy mounted it yet as I have a new display comming to me with the connector pins mounted on the back of the display board. But for the most part the LEDS and Character display blocks are going to sit flush against the armor...the only thing that I will put inbetween the armor and the display will be some sort of dark plastic or window tint to give it that movie effect when it is not on....

PM me if you have any more questions or if I was not clear....

JImmy

Wow! Those look great jbarela!

Thanks Jimmy.

Understood that perfectly, ill try the same with mine.

Thanks again
Nathan