3rd times a charm: yet another ESB build with lots of scratching'!

[mainst69]

Started painting some armor today. Got the mix all mixed, ready to go. Starts raining. Since it's not my helmet (and I bought plenty of paint, I hope) if I have to redo it because of moisture in the air, then I'll put a light sanding on it and re-shoot it again. But I was just so ready to get some color on and the paint looked so good in my mixing jar, had to go ahead. Plus, I'm still trying to get my correct viscosity down. All I've heard is that you want it to look like milk. Really?! What kind of milk we talking about? My first memories as a small child are of drinking milk right out of the cooler in the milk house with my dad. We milked Jerseys with a butterfat content that made it resemble Elmer's Glue!!! And I know that isn't going through my airbrush!!! Lol. So now I'm going for tea. I feel like crap now though. I think I need to get some new elements for my respirator. Not good.

Yeah after re-examining reference images, I'm a little too Kermit and not dark enough. So, in my tradition of doing things multiple times, I'll be re-mixing and repainting!!!

 

[BudaFett]

That green looks great! How are the gauntlets coming?

 

[mainst69]

That green looks great! How are the gauntlets coming?

Not much progress on the gaunts. Just got some fiberglass in them. Need to do one or two more layers, finish the edges, mount the hinges, paint, etc.

 

[BobasDent1138]

Pics may change the colors a bit so I don't know how it all looks in person, but to me it almost looks like maybe you could use various weathering techniques and shading and such to get that green where you need it? Doesn't look bad!! And it went on really nice!

 

[Demmoc]

Things are looking great! I laughed so hard when I was reading your first post. You have almost exactly the same story as I do and we're apparently very close to the same age. It started to get creepy at one point! I finished my ROTJ build last November and have never been happy with it. Made EVERY piece on my costume myself with the exception of the ammo belt so I appreciate what you're doing. Good luck!!! I'll be checking back in on you so don't get lazy and quit!!

 

[mainst69]

Things are looking great! I laughed so hard when I was reading your first post. You have almost exactly the same story as I do and we're apparently very close to the same age. It started to get creepy at one point! I finished my ROTJ build last November and have never been happy with it. Made EVERY piece on my costume myself with the exception of the ammo belt so I appreciate what you're doing. Good luck!!! I'll be checking back in on you so don't get lazy and quit!!

Thanks brother! I'm too far in now to quit. I'm working on JP this weekend and hopefully getting some armor painted. I'm sorry you weren't happy with how your ROTJ build turned out. Cool thing is you can always keep tweaking away on it!

 

[Demmoc]

Thanks brother! I'm too far in now to quit. I'm working on JP this weekend and hopefully getting some armor painted. I'm sorry you weren't happy with how your ROTJ build turned out. Cool thing is you can always keep tweaking away on it!

Are you scratch building your JP?

 

[mainst69]

Are you scratch building your JP?

Well, sort of. I know how I can OCD on certain things (like for example when you get your flight suit back from the seamstress and she's sewn the thigh pockets too low, the flaps on the belt pockets are on backward and there is no flap to attach them to the belt with, and the ankle tie is still too long, and you had plans of dying the damn thing, but now... but I digress) so I knew that I could spend a month just building the rocket and thrusters, so I bought those from DVH. Now I just have to fab the pack itself. On top of it, I'm not going to make it the 15" version, because to my eye, that is too small. So I'm trying to pretend I'm Rafal and do some photoshop measuring to kind of make my own plans. But yes, the body of the pack I'm going to do. I may order the stabilizer and beacon from shape ways. But then again, I'd like to build them. But I have a deadline that has got me under the gun.
I feel like I should mention somewhere in here that I had 8X10 glossy photos of reference materials and patterns for the seamstress!!! I wasn't just assuming she would know how it was supposed to go. I can understand sewing the pockets on too low, but the rest of the stuff we went over. LOL

 

[Demmoc]

Well, sort of. I know how I can OCD on certain things (like for example when you get your flight suit back from the seamstress and she's sewn the thigh pockets too low, the flaps on the belt pockets are on backward and there is no flap to attach them to the belt with, and the ankle tie is still too long, and you had plans of dying the damn thing, but now... but I digress) so I knew that I could spend a month just building the rocket and thrusters, so I bought those from DVH. Now I just have to fab the pack itself. On top of it, I'm not going to make it the 15" version, because to my eye, that is too small. So I'm trying to pretend I'm Rafal and do some photoshop measuring to kind of make my own plans. But yes, the body of the pack I'm going to do. I may order the stabilizer and beacon from shape ways. But then again, I'd like to build them. But I have a deadline that has got me under the gun.
I feel like I should mention somewhere in here that I had 8X10 glossy photos of reference materials and patterns for the seamstress!!! I wasn't just assuming she would know how it was supposed to go. I can understand sewing the pockets on too low, but the rest of the stuff we went over. LOL

I feel your pain!! Been down that road on the belt and flight suit as well so I just learned to do it myself on the suit with the help of a female friend that is a great seamstress. Fortunately I have an outlet like that that can help me with those things. So now I'm a manly man that also knows how to sew! Pretty well rounded guy..... mostly......

 

[mainst69]

I feel your pain!! Been down that road on the belt and flight suit as well so I just learned to do it myself on the suit with the help of a female friend that is a great seamstress. Fortunately I have an outlet like that that can help me with those things. So now I'm a manly man that also knows how to sew! Pretty well rounded guy..... mostly......

I sew/saddle stitch leather, I think I'm about to have to make the plunge with fabric! Part of me wants to go back to mine, (I did pay her after all) but the other part wonders if I could just fix it myself with less hassle!

 

[mainst69]

OK, just an update. I failed at my only attempt at using a sewing machine. I think if I had someone who knew how to set it up, then I could probably make it work. But I sucked at it.

OK, on to what I can do. I started really updating on the armor. And I'm liking the way it's turning out. I have some Testor's Zinc Chromate. Looks great in the bottle. Get's really bright on the armor, loses its chromate-ness. I may see if I can weather it down or something. Worst case, I'll dull it with some grey or something.

First coat on the shoulder, custom orange yellow mix. Not sure if I like it. But, hey, first coat.

Started detailing ab plate. Really enjoying this.

So, I've learned that I hate jacking with an airbrush. I love the results you can get. But I hate the clean up and getting the paint to the correct consistency. I know I'll get better at it as I do more. But wouldn't it be nice if you had an airbrush tech. Like a guitar tech. He'd get everything running and hand it to you, then you'd do your thing!

 

[Demmoc]

I'm right there with you on the airbrush. I always try to do as much painting as I can in one day so I don't have to drag it all out for one little project.

It's looking good! over achiever............

 

[mainst69]

I'm right there with you on the airbrush. I always try to do as much painting as I can in one day so I don't have to drag it all out for one little project.

It's looking good! over achiever............

Lol. That's me. Last night I was in the zone, everything was working so I got done with green, started on black. Cleaned out, color change and sprayed some yellow. It wasn't happening so I cleaned up and did topical work.
Coming together though.
Why dont you finish my JP for me so I can mix paint for it and the gaunts and just keep spraying!

 

[Demmoc]

Lol. That's me. Last night I was in the zone, everything was working so I got done with green, started on black. Cleaned out, color change and sprayed some yellow. It wasn't happening so I cleaned up and did topical work.
Coming together though.
Why dont you finish my JP for me so I can mix paint for it and the gaunts and just keep spraying!

Probably a good thing we don't live next door because I would come finish it for you if you got my paint templates sized for my helmet! I'm having a heck of a time getting them right!

 

[mainst69]

Probably a good thing we don't live next door because I would come finish it for you if you got my paint templates sized for my helmet! I'm having a heck of a time getting them right!

Man I did too. I was pretty good at getting the back panels sized. Not so much elsewhere. I eyeballed most of it!

 

[mainst69]

Finished weathering my armor tonight and did a test fit. Still have shoulders to do but I had a massive clog in the airbrush tip, so I have some parts soaking to soften that up.

Overall I'm pretty pleased with how the armor came out. And I think it looks good on the vest. I may have to fudge it up a bit because ths collar armor seems to be riding high. We'll see.

 

[mainst69]

OK, so I got my homemade flight suit back from the seamstress. My daughter and I dyed it. We used 4 caps of RITdye in about 5 gallons of water. I think it turned out great.

Then we mixed up a bottle of grime and sprayed the suit while it was still wet. This is the first layerof the weathering.

Supposed to be getting gloves tomorrow morning. Hopefully.

 

[mainst69]

OK, my Halloween deadline is looming. Tonight I had to buckle down and get some work done on the JP. I know it doesn't look like I did much, but in my mind I got a lot accomplished before my 4 yr. old opened the door to the garage to tell me she needed me to come snuggle with her and thus ending the work session for tonight!
So I'm going off of reference photos and using Alan's templates, but I'm kinda winging it. I'm basically doing like I did with my EE-3 and trusting my gut. I want the JP to be a bit bigger than the 15" version so I'm kinda just taking measurements and making intense mathematical computations on the fly. (Eyeballing). Somewhere in my shop I have a protractor. It would have been very nice to have found it, I would have used it. But alas... I digress.

Started with a foundation of MDF. I wanted something strong as a frame and that I could anchor my clips to. Also, fair warning, I'm deviating a little bit from screen used on harness and attachment methods, largely to make it easier on my valet. The less griping I have to listen to the better. So I'm using some plastic buckles like you'd see on a dog collar. Click click, done.

Then I tacked on the fuel tanks....

Started taking measurements, and using a piece of sintra, started making a template to cut the thicker sintra with. I'll be doubling up with two 1/4" thick pieces of Sintra for the upper "shelf".

And I put too short of bolts on the thrusters, so I'm going to have to re-engineer how I mount those in the tanks! Yay! I love doing stuff twice!

Gloves were not ready. Tackle twill is proving to be a challenge on the finger patches.
More to come...

 

[mainst69]

Didn't get as much done today. Started work on a scary tombstone with my daughter. Still have a ton of sanding to do on that!

Started roughing out the exhaust vent in the bottom of the JP.

I had hoped to have this thing spackled, bondo'd and ready to paint today. Lol. I get pretty ambitious.

 

[mainst69]

starting to look like a JP.