BH-32700's ESB Boba WIP

[BH 32700]

Hi! Simon here, and I'm a member of the 501st, Nordic Garrison. I'm currently working on an ESB Boba Fett. I will post here from time to time, and I hope to hear some thoughts and advice along the way!

Edit: this list will be updated as I'm making progress.

Inventory list, completed:

• Helmet: Bobamaker
  • Borden connector: MachineCraft
  • Helmet padding: a hardware store.
  • Hollow rangefinder stalk: MachineCraft
  • Rangefinder lights with Honeywell microswitch: Jc27
  • Wireless rangefinder servo: Black Tusk Workshop
• Armor: Bobamaker
  • Armor attachments: plastic M5 screws and nuts from eBay
  • Chest display: Fettronics
• Flight suit, vest and neckseal: Arkady
  • Grommets, antique brass 12mm: local hardware store
  • Black wire: old, discarded power cable
• Gauntlets: Bobamaker
  • Hose: a boating supplies webshop
  • Padding and strapping: arts and craft store
• Jetpack: Bobamaker
  • Beacon light: Jc27
• Jetpack harness: Bigdane
  • US Divers Co buckle: Full Metal Fett
  • Jetpack hooks and clips: Full Metal Fett.
  • Some of the strapping: thrift store, arts and craft store
• Boots: Imperial Boots
• Braids: Woodsman
• Cape: MoW
• Gloves: Mike M
• Girth belt: White mohair from Victory Canter, dyed maroonish brown.
• Shin Tools: 3D-printed from Toolguy / CSB Props on Shapeways
• Belt: Delta13
• Holster: Nemrod rubber replica from Bobamaker.
• Sidearm: Fettology

Todo/upgrades/in progress:

• EE3: Stormrider. Todo: assembly, painting, weathering.
  • Muzzle from Sidewinder.
• Dental files for gauntlet and jetpack.
• Copper for the gauntlet.
• Shin tools: Paterson squeegee and stirrer.
• Jetpack greeblies, gauntlet rocket, shin tool rods in metal: MachineWorks.

Upgrades wishlist:

• Flamethrower with clear nozzle.
• Gauntlet light / Ever ready minilight

 

[BH 32700]

These past few days I've been weathering my boots. I've never done any weathering before, so it's a bit daunting. Hopefully I'm on the right track? Please let me know what you think.

Before:

After:

 

[Funkyred]

Looking good

 

[Tfett40]

Nice work on the boots

 

[BudaFett]

Boots came out great!

 

[boba87fett]

What did you use? They look good!

 

[BH 32700]

What did you use? They look good!

Thank you!

I first went over the boots with 120 grit sandpaper. Just with a light touch.

Next I used acrylic paint. I painted the mid-stripe with a paintbrush and Black paint. And then a mix of Black, White and Deep Grey for the overall boot with a mix of Deep Grey and Burnt Umber for the sides. For this I used an airbrush -- for the first time ever!

The first coat did not look so hot. After letting that dry, I used a wet cloth on the boots to dampen them a bit before the next few coats. This made the paint blend much better. I will definitely use wet-on-wet on the jumpsuit!

For the soles I used Yellow Ochre on a mostly dry paintbrush, just painted stripes randomly down the middle of the sole. I then used a wash of Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber and Deep Grey to blend these stripes and make the soles look grimy.

Since posting I have also fastened the toe spikes. On these I used a wash of Black and Burnt Umber, which I let sit for a minute or two before wiping off.

 

[BH 32700]

Progress update: I have dyed my mohair girth belt. I used a waterbased wood stain.

Staining the belt was easy, but it took longer than I expected to dry. It hung for two days before I could touch it and about a week before it stopped being sticky.

The CRL states "gold/brass buckles" for basic approval. Mine were metallic gray, so I needed to paint them. After cleaning off the stain, I sprayed the buckles with flat gray primer and then antique gold. The paint was a bit runny, so I hope I don't end up with ugly drops. I've just done a second coat.

 

[BH 32700]

Shin tools!

I'm looking for the Paterson squeegee and mixer, but haven't found any yet. (Most online providers are too expensive when importing to Norway.) Until I find the original parts, I guess 3D printed versions will suffice. I got mine from Toolguy via Shapeways.

These last few days I've been sanding, painting and weathering. Not entirely sure I managed to match the correct colors, but I'm pretty happy with the result.

 

[BH 32700]

My cape's a wool cape from Man of War Studios.

Before starting working on it, I washed it (on a wool program with low spin cycle - I didn't want it to shrink or become fluffy!) to get rid of creases and any production residue.

Next I marked the damage with a sharpie before getting stabby with a steak knife. I also used scissors and a hobby knife, but the steak knife did most of the fringing.

To weather the cape down even further, I used an electric hair trimmer to get rid of any fluff. I then dragged it around the floor, hitting it against the wall, jumping on it with my shoes and just abusing it. I don't know if that had any effect on the overall look, but I had fun.

 

[BH 32700]

I've been weathering my gloves, but I'm unsure if I'm happy with them. What do you think?

Also, I live in a place without any daylight for three months, so bad lighting conditions + bad photographer = not very good pictures. Sorry

 

[BudaFett]

Weathering on the gloves and cape came out really nice! They'll wash with flash but I think they look good!

Those shin tools came out great, too!

 

[BH 32700]

Thank you!

These last few days my living room's been a mess. Plastic bags, newspapers and water all over the floor...

Flight suit in progress:

The wet-on-wet technique came out great! Pictured here while still wet. The weathering looks slightly more subtle when dry.

 

[mattman1138]

Good progress so far! I love going through these threads and reading different techniques. I like your cape weathering method

 

[BH 32700]

Things have slowed down since December, but I'm still lurking forward. Progress is progress, right?

What I've done:
- Added helmet padding (quick and easy) and install the Borden connector (scary! Had to make a hole in the helmet!)
- Completed the Jetpack harness. (Well, mostly. I still have to attach metal rings to the white straps, but I'll need some help to adjust them.)
- Glued screws to the armor.

 

[BudaFett]

Putting those screws on is fun, isn't it?!

 

[BH 32700]

Putting those screws on is fun, isn't it?!

Never mind the screws, how about that glue? Someone on another forum said that the smell of E6000 is the smell of progress

Last week I installed all of the grommets. Tedious! I could then finally start weathering the vest. I first used the same spray bottle on wet fabric method as with the flight suit. But the result was terrible, so I had to wash it.

I then airbrushed it. I had to go a bit darker than I'd like to hide some spots and splatter that didn't come out when I washed it. This is most noticable in the top right corner between the chest and neck.

 

[BH 32700]

I'm struggling with figuring out the white straps on the jetpack harness. I think I have done things in the wrong order. I have already sewn them onto the black straps, and now I need to find their length and sew on the metal rings. But I'm starting to wonder if it hadn't been better the other way around, to attach the rings first and then sew the white straps to the black straps... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[VutycFett]

It’s looking really good! What technique did you use to installing the gourmets in the right place?

 

[BH 32700]

It’s looking really good! What technique did you use to installing the gourmets in the right place?

Thank you!

So this is how I did the grommets:

I first measured the vest and found the vertical center line, which I marked off with painters tape. Both the collar, chest diamond and ab should be centered on this line.

Using screenshots from the movie as a guide, I placed the armor where it looked about right and marked it with a rough outline in tape. (Big fan of painters tape!) But the geometry of the vest laying flat is different from on the body, so before I even thought about grommets, I put on the vest and did some re-adjustments until it looked right.

And then came the tedious part. I held the armor piece at the spot where it should go, carefully marked the placement of one of its screws with a pencil, took off the vest, installed the grommet, and put on the vest again. And repeated. For each and every screw. There's probably better ways to do this.

I started with the collar, then the abdomen. Once those were in place, figuring out the chest and diamond was easy (or at least easier). I did the shoulders last.