How to get started.

M

marsan

New Hunter
Recently I've become very interested in making my own Boba Fett Suit. However I have no experiance in armor or costume making, however I am eager to learn. If anyone could point me in the right direction as to how to get started, whether it be a website, book or just advice it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!
 
Welcome to the forums! I think the best way to start is to look at some of the pictures available here and decide which version of Fett you would like to be. There are differences in the versions, some subtle some not so.

Once you have made that choice then you should look at your budget to determine how you will build it and which parts you might want to start with. I think the armor is the easiest place to start and it can cost as little as $30 to do or over $300, depending on your approach.

You may also want to start looking for a helmet - these can take a LONG time to paint correctly. Ultimately the choice on a helmet will come down to budget, time, and (from my standpoint anyway) your size - a mystery helmet won't look so good on your if you are only 4'9" :D There are some folks here that make some awesome raw helmet bases if you decide to paint it yourself. There are also some true artists here, not always the same people as the bucket makers, who will paint it for you if you have the budget and don't feel comfortable doing it yourself (though for me that's where the fun is).

Anyway, that's the way I would start if I were doing it again. Look around, see what others have done, you'll quickly find out who makes what and find the threads where people give you the "how to". Check the "sticky" lists in the various sections as well. Try not to feel overwhelmed and most of all, have fun!
 
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Website? I think you found it. You will find no other place filled with such a plethora of seemingly useless facts about Boba Fett. If it's Fett, someone here DOES know it.

Welcome aboard.
 
For some reason I just got a flash back from the Three Amigos. :lol: Why Thank you El Wapo. (I think that's how you spell it.) Sorry the fumes are getting to me. :wacko Back to the topic.

Rudy G.
 
Ok, so ive rounded up most of the colors ill need for the helmet. However im not sure what tools will be essential to making the helmet. Like prepaint clean up, what to use to apply paint etc?
 
In the last 4 years here is what I have learned: save your money and best part you can and do as much research that you can about a part. When I did my Jango I thought I would buy what I could then upgrade. I spent more money that way. This should not be a race. Enjoy the journey. For example, it has taken me over 1.5 years to get just the parts for Boba. I have yet to start painting or anything like that. The reason, I want to do it right the first time.
 
The key in building a Fett is to learn what you want. Decide how accurate you want it to be, see who the best sources are, and most of all, why are you doing this ? To show off the best Fett, just have some fun or to feel like a fictional character. You can take this to an extreme or just have a fun indulgence with it. Whatever level of committment you make to your project, make certain it's what you choose to do. The rest, I leave up to you.
 
marsan said:
Ok, so ive rounded up most of the colors ill need for the helmet. However im not sure what tools will be essential to making the helmet. Like prepaint clean up, what to use to apply paint etc?
Click to expand...

I'm fairly new to prop building and had little experience when I got started about 6 months ago-I'll tell you a little about what I've learned. Once you're ready for paint, prepare the surface with some 400 grit sandpaper-just sand the whole surface lightly. Then clean the entire surface to be painted with denatured alcohol or the like to get all the oils from our hands off, thus making the paint adhere to the surface. Primer the surface using sandable automotive primer-I tried the testors primer and when I had to resand and repaint after messing up, it was a mess. Once the primer is dry, lightly sand it with 400 grit sandpaper and reclean the surface and prepare for paint. If you have to mask anything off, buy some of the "blue" masking tape you can find in any hardware store. It won't pull up the paint when removing it after painting. It's a bit pricey but worth it. Once everything is masked the way you want it, then paint. That's the in a nutshell version, but I'm sure it'll at least get you started. If you have any questions, this is the place to ask them as well as the Heroes, Villians, and Mandalorians site-there's a great bunch of folks there also. Good Luck!

 
I don't think $300 can really come close I mean maybe if you are making your own jet pack, gauntlets, and all that from scratch but then the quality of the suit may not be as high unless you are a total pro.

Fett suits can really ad up if you get the best jet pack, gauntlets, helmet, and so on.
 
CanadianFett said:
I don't think $300 can really come close
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$300?! Who said $300? Sorry, if I was not clear. I meant that for just the armor. The helmet, gauntlets, jet pack, and all the soft parts would be on top of that. The entire suit can cost upwards of $2,000 depending on how much accuracy you are going for. It can also cost as little as $300 for the whole thing actually :) if you are willing to lose the accuracy and just want to do something fun.

Again, I think the best thing to do is pick your Fett and then figure out your budget. The budget (and any time constraints) will drive what you do with it.

I totally agree with ASOK (because I have made this mistake many times), if you can avoid the "I will go cheap and upgrade" path do so. You only end up throwing away a lot of money. Give yourself time to gather the parts and do it right. My Vader has taken a year and it is still not done. My son's Fett I rushed through in a few months (but the stress of trying to get in done in that time is killing me).
 
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Here are the approximate costs: $ 1,000 gets you a good Fett. You need to know what to buy, mostly used and be handy with paint and tools.
http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/showthread.php?t=15535

$ 2,000-$ 2,500 gets you a really good Fett with most parts from the premiere artisans.

$ 3,500-$ 4,000 and you'll have a near film perfect Fett, parts from the best folks, painted by professionals and tailored jumpsuit.
 
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