SchratVader
Hunter
thanks for the idea with the heatgun and the sink!! it worked perfect on my armor!!
keep up the good work, lets see us some progress soon!
keep up the good work, lets see us some progress soon!
Sci-Fire TDH Clone Trooper WIP
- Thread starter Replicant Shadow
- Start date
Trooper937
Jr Hunter
hey, how much is the sci-fire's kit?Or the helmet by itself?
Replicant Shadow
Active Hunter
Tonight I continued the process of trimming the chest plate, on the back ends of each respective side. I am happy with the result, so I went ahead with some 80 Grit to smooth down the cuts. I bumped it up to 120 Grit to clean off thumb prints and pencil lines. The desired effect is beginning to reveal itself, and with these final cuts made, the chest plate tapers inward perfectly at the sides of my chest. The fit is exact and now I can focus on remaining nip and tuck.
Trim line scored.
After trimming the remaining excess plastic.
Note the inward tapered effect towrd the waist/belt line. The next step in the preliminary nip and tuck phase will be to clear away plastic in the interior neck opening, and set the shape of the Chest Strap Ports. I am going to clean-up some of the molded details by going leaner, and I will be introducing sheet plastic plating on the backside. I will also be bondo-ing over the chest center line, to be restored later in the final steps prior to painting.
Trim line scored.
After trimming the remaining excess plastic.
Note the inward tapered effect towrd the waist/belt line. The next step in the preliminary nip and tuck phase will be to clear away plastic in the interior neck opening, and set the shape of the Chest Strap Ports. I am going to clean-up some of the molded details by going leaner, and I will be introducing sheet plastic plating on the backside. I will also be bondo-ing over the chest center line, to be restored later in the final steps prior to painting.
Spideyfett
Well-Known Hunter
James, great build so far.
Timmer
Active Hunter
Hi JennyAnn, your best bet is to do A LOT of reading in the Clone section here, and also clonetroopers.net and I believe cloneempire is another site.
With any of these costumes, you'll want to do a ton of research to find out what you need, and where to get it. I'm sure the Clone experts here on TDH will be chiming in with more info for you as well.
Good luck and have fun !
With any of these costumes, you'll want to do a ton of research to find out what you need, and where to get it. I'm sure the Clone experts here on TDH will be chiming in with more info for you as well.
Good luck and have fun !
Hello Timmer,
thanks for your answer. I needed a time to get through but I think I found my right armor. I read different opinion and noticed that straight questions about where to get a armor are not so welcome. Now I understand that all the guys spend a lot of time to find out what is the best. And I just asked, sorry for that!!I have not think about this.
My helmet is on the way. Im looking forward to get it and paint and build all day long A really fantastic hobby.
thanks for your answer. I needed a time to get through but I think I found my right armor. I read different opinion and noticed that straight questions about where to get a armor are not so welcome. Now I understand that all the guys spend a lot of time to find out what is the best. And I just asked, sorry for that!!I have not think about this.
My helmet is on the way. Im looking forward to get it and paint and build all day long
A really fantastic hobby.
Timmer
Active Hunter
No problem JennyAnn. That's the same process I went through when building my stormtrooper last year. It's sort of like "earning" your armor : ) There are so many people who would like a quick Star Wars costume, or armor, etc. but don't want to work for it or just need it for Halloween or something, ( which is totally fine ), but they can pick up a Rubies costume somewhere for that.
You'll make out just fine if you spend a decent amount of time on a Star Wars costumin site like TDH.
You'll make out just fine if you spend a decent amount of time on a Star Wars costumin site like TDH.
Mandaflorian
Active Hunter
Hello, Im a new member and have some questions
clonetroopers.net is THE source for building up an clone-armor or to find YOUR armor
Sign In and start your research
It´ll take a lot of time, believe me...
My ESB Fett has its first appearence in 2007 but I´m still upgrading... a never ending Fett I think..
Replicant Shadow
Active Hunter
I will be updating this thread tomorrow with progress on my clone forearms. At which time, I will take the liberty to remove some of this off track discussion, so no offense homies! You are guys are awsome for helping out, Jenny is gonna rock the Shock!
Replicant Shadow
Active Hunter
Tonight I update on the latest work to the Left Forearm Gauntlet. I have stopped work on the Chest Plate Armor, as I have a few problems with it that I need to figure out and address. In the meantime, while I sort out my thoughts, I am moving full steam ahead to finish off both Forearm Gauntlets. My short term goal is to finish the Left before this Saturday, as I have a little kids Star Wars birthday party to appear at in the afternoon. Funny, thier parents-my friends were making fun of me a few years ago, but now because of Facebook I am getting all kinds of birthday party requests LOL!
One of the more obvious characteristics with Clone Armor is the somewhat combined geometry of each of the respective armor components. There are super sharplines, combined with the grace and flow of subtle yet, distinct curves. Part of my mission here is to preserve as much of the sculpt as possible, and enhance the sharp edges and lines. So much of the sharpeness is lost in the paint process, that I decided to get all the lines hyper-sharp, so the loss in detail after painting is miminal. The sharpest, cleanest Clone I have seen to date is TD-1536's Gree.
In the first image below, I apply solid Styrene rod, to the leading edge of the forearm triangle. The styreene I am using is by Evergreen Strip Styrene (Item #220) The diameter is .035" U.S. or, 0.88mm World Spec. After looking at a few diffirent diameters, I felt this would be the right size to use, to aid in the sharpening and enhancing of the lines (as we know, sharp lines tend to be softer on the final pull, over the master buck original specs)
Left Forearm Gauntlet with styrene rod super glued into place.
Top view looking down. Here in this image you can see how the forearm tapers inward toward the wrist area, not only the "triangle" side of the component, but the inner side as well. The sculpt that this armor is borne from is masterful. Even after taking away tons of plastic (to scale to my forearm proportions and overall body size) I am still blown away how precise the two halves mated. The pink line of Bondo down the middle is minute and will be invisble when all is said and done.
In the next two images below, I begin to add the final layer of sheet plastic to the interior. I am using paper-thin sheet styrene to finish off the inside.
After installing one sheet of styrene, I begin to score a template of the remaining area to be covered. Here I am using masking to tape to score a line with my pencil, the intent here to determine the size and shape for the remaining piece of sheet styrene, by using the outside of the component to assist.
Second piece installed.
Excess sheet plastic trimmed away.
First application of white putty, initially sanded with 220grit, then blocked with 320Fine, to combine the rod styrene into the forearm surface.
One of the more obvious characteristics with Clone Armor is the somewhat combined geometry of each of the respective armor components. There are super sharplines, combined with the grace and flow of subtle yet, distinct curves. Part of my mission here is to preserve as much of the sculpt as possible, and enhance the sharp edges and lines. So much of the sharpeness is lost in the paint process, that I decided to get all the lines hyper-sharp, so the loss in detail after painting is miminal. The sharpest, cleanest Clone I have seen to date is TD-1536's Gree.
In the first image below, I apply solid Styrene rod, to the leading edge of the forearm triangle. The styreene I am using is by Evergreen Strip Styrene (Item #220) The diameter is .035" U.S. or, 0.88mm World Spec. After looking at a few diffirent diameters, I felt this would be the right size to use, to aid in the sharpening and enhancing of the lines (as we know, sharp lines tend to be softer on the final pull, over the master buck original specs)
Left Forearm Gauntlet with styrene rod super glued into place.
Top view looking down. Here in this image you can see how the forearm tapers inward toward the wrist area, not only the "triangle" side of the component, but the inner side as well. The sculpt that this armor is borne from is masterful. Even after taking away tons of plastic (to scale to my forearm proportions and overall body size) I am still blown away how precise the two halves mated. The pink line of Bondo down the middle is minute and will be invisble when all is said and done.
In the next two images below, I begin to add the final layer of sheet plastic to the interior. I am using paper-thin sheet styrene to finish off the inside.
After installing one sheet of styrene, I begin to score a template of the remaining area to be covered. Here I am using masking to tape to score a line with my pencil, the intent here to determine the size and shape for the remaining piece of sheet styrene, by using the outside of the component to assist.
Second piece installed.
Excess sheet plastic trimmed away.
First application of white putty, initially sanded with 220grit, then blocked with 320Fine, to combine the rod styrene into the forearm surface.
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MandalorFett
Well-Known Hunter
Wow! Amazing attention to detail.
Replicant Shadow
Active Hunter
Thank you folks. Here is a quick photographic update of progress made since Tuesday evening. Here I have applied Bondo Glazing and Spot Putty to fill in the smaller pits and divets. Once that dried, I sanded with 320fine grit then proceeded to 400grit.
After all that sanding, I decided it was time to lightly prime with Tamiya Fine Primer, to see how it's all shaping up
Here's the money shot:
Here are some images comparing the left, against the unfinished Right Forearm Gauntlet. I have logged roughly 22 hours to achieve 95% completion of the left gauntlet:
After all that sanding, I decided it was time to lightly prime with Tamiya Fine Primer, to see how it's all shaping up
Here's the money shot:
Here are some images comparing the left, against the unfinished Right Forearm Gauntlet. I have logged roughly 22 hours to achieve 95% completion of the left gauntlet:
Last edited by a moderator:
Replicant Shadow
Active Hunter
Moving along. All righty, did a quick test of the Left Forearm Armor along with the Left Shoulder Armor. I spent a few hours Dremling both the Right and Left Shoulders this weekend, removing about 1/16th of plastic that formed the undercut that was giving the respective components a faux sense of armor thickness. Like the forearms, I will be rebuilding the 3rd dimensional aspects of the shoulders, adding back a little less than 1/8th of an inch. By doing this, it will allow for me to get the sharpest lines, while giving it real world visual.
