General New here and overwhelmed! Some general questions for advice:

[SigSavage]

Hi- First of all, I want to say how awesome I think this forum is! I can't believe I have never heard of it before. Well, better late than never.

I came across this site and the 501 club looking for a Boba Fett costume. Everything out there seems like overpriced junk. I wanted something somewhat authentic, but not necessarily a perfect working replica that would cost many thousands of dollars. Looking at some of the amazing stuff here though, I'm starting to reconsider my stance

I'm not planning to be an actor, or the local Boba Fett who does parties and events. But I have always wanted a Boba Fett suit, ever since I saw ESB and then ROTJ at the drive- in movie theatre with my dad (to give you a hint of how old I am lol). I am not very artistic to paint things like many of the people here, and I'm not that good at constructing stuff, nor do I have access to the tools or materials to build from scratch. I'm pretty good at building models though, so I was thinking if I could get all the pieces, I could assemble it all together. Depending on prices, I may choose to have some of the bigger parts pre-painted. I would like to over time put together a 501 quality set, with the moving rangefinder on the helmet, and the voice synthesizer, etc. I figure even with that stuff, I could put it together myself, so am not out to purchase a fully functional helmet. I've waited many years to get an awesome Fett suit, so I'm OK to do it slowly over a couple years to defray costs a bit, and to allow some "self building" to occur. I'd really like to have a complete suit finished in a year or 2 though. I don't have a budget per se, but would like to keep it in the realm of maybe $2-3000.

So, with this background in mind, I have some questions on how I should proceed:

1) Is one suit (ESB or ROTJ) considered easier or less expensive to assemble? I prefer the look of the ROTJ suit, but I'm a bit of an ESB a purist. It is my favorite of all the movies. Is one suit more likely to be easier to find pieces for from other people, due to popularity and people upgrading, etc?

2) Is there a compiled list of pieces somewhere of a complete set that I could look at and check off as I got them, and know what I need to look for?

3) Is there a recommended starting point on where to start the build, and a logical order to do the build to ensure everything fits together properly? I'm thinking my first purchase would be the flight suit and soft parts. Start on the inside and work my way out. I'd really like to find a "complete how-to guide" on adding the electronics to the helmet... What materials are needed, etc. I would like to purchase a ready- made helmet, preferably painted with the moving rangefinder, or at least a moveable rangefinder that I can add the electronics and lights to so it is functional.

4) For anybody reading this who has 501 quality stuff that they are maybe not keeping due to upgrading, could you please pm me what you have and what you might want for it? I'd like to try to get as much as I can afford that needs minimal manufacturing work. I could probably handle painting, but manufacturing is a no go for me.

5) Where do I acquire the CA boots from? I'm a size 9 1/2-10 if anybody has some that are in good shape


I think that covers most of my initial questions. I'm sure more will come later.
Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for any responses and advice.

 

[bcurtis]

Welcome to TDH! With so much information here, it is easy to get overwhelmed. I'd suggest first deciding which version of Fett you'd like to do and then research, research, research. It sounds as though you are leaning toward ROTJ Fett. That means you'll have to decide if you want the classic ROTJ Fett or the SE Fett.

You are wise to spread the project out over time. I have been working on my ESB Fett since October of 2013 and I'm hoping to be finished by this Summer or Fall. You said that you're good with model building. Does that include being handy with an airbrush? That could save you a considerable amount of money on this already expensive costume. There are many amazing vendors here for many of the items you'll need and there is the Cargo Hold as well (you never know what will pop up there). As far as the boots go, MOW boots are what you want. They are hands down the most accurate available. You just have to wait until he does a run of them, which is usually about once a year. Once you know which Fett you're building making a checklist will be much easier.

Check out the gallery here to see all of the different versions of Fett. The members here are outstanding and never hesitate to give advice and assistance. Glad to have you aboard here and good luck to you!

Bryan

 

[Fett 4 Real]

1) Is one suit (ESB or ROTJ) considered easier or less expensive to assemble? I prefer the look of the ROTJ suit, but I'm a bit of an ESB a purist. It is my favorite of all the movies. Is one suit more likely to be easier to find pieces for from other people, due to popularity and people upgrading, etc?

Not really any cheaper somethings make ROTJ more expensive IE more ammo belt pouches more complicated jetpack paintup...but other things make ESB more expensive....




2) Is there a compiled list of pieces somewhere of a complete set that I could look at and check off as I got them, and know what I need to look for?

The 501st bounty hunters guild has a CRL (costume reference Library) there is a list of all the pieces you are required to have to be approved...that works for a list...



3) Is there a recommended starting point on where to start the build, and a logical order to do the build to ensure everything fits together properly? I'm thinking my first purchase would be the flight suit and soft parts. Start on the inside and work my way out. I'd really like to find a "complete how-to guide" on adding the electronics to the helmet... What materials are needed, etc. I would like to purchase a ready- made helmet, preferably painted with the moving rangefinder, or at least a moveable rangefinder that I can add the electronics and lights to so it is functional.

Theres no starting point per say...but I think youve found it (thedentedhelmet) Theres no such guide really as no two helmets are alike inside...so mounting a servo isnt the same for every helmet...



4) For anybody reading this who has 501 quality stuff that they are maybe not keeping due to upgrading, could you please pm me what you have and what you might want for it? I'd like to try to get as much as I can afford that needs minimal manufacturing work. I could probably handle painting, but manufacturing is a no go for me.

This isnt the place to post a WTB, and you have not met the requirements to post in the cargo hold yet...be patient buy good stuff 1 time and youll be happy trust me buying junk in a mad rush is NOT the way to do this.

5) Where do I acquire the CA boots from? I'm a size 9 1/2-10 if anybody has some that are in good shape

Buying things in a rush like I said above is BAD....CA Boots are VERY much crap. You want to look for Man of War boots...or Mark Cheng boots...anything else is pretty much junk

 

[syllander]

To the ones above you should listen. 1. Pick your Fett. Spend time in the gallery, and explore the preproduction Fetts too. 2. Makers, read a bit and you'll find them.3. Painters, same as above but almost always aren't makers.3. Patience, it's actually more than a virtue with Fett, but sounds like you come equipped.4. Starting point- most hard parts take the longest to get, so I'd start there. If you get a helmet and decide NOT to do a ful costume, you can always make a great display piece.5. Some makers parts fit different size folks better. Sleepalot posted a new thread that shows good detail on this.

 

[sleepalot]

This is going to take awhile. You should pm someone who's been here awhile and ask them questions. j/k

Heres an armor thread to help you out with sizing. It's still new but has a little bit of information that could help. http://www.thedentedhelmet.com/f20/boba-fett-armor-comparison-thread-51478/

 

[SigSavage]

Awesome- thanks for the advice so far! I'm going to try to take baby steps and not panic! Haha.

To answer bcurtis, no, I am not handy with an airbrush unfortunately. That's why I'd prefer not to paint if possible.