Ord Mantell's ESB build

[Short4ATrooper]

I am LOVING this thread! As someone who is new to Fett building, it’s fascinating to read about the differences not only between ESB & ROTJ but from scene to scene. Continuity obviously wasn’t a huge priority for Lucasfilm!

The effort you’ve gone to in perfecting the accuracy of this build is very impressive and frankly, slightly intimidating!

You’re a credit to the hobby mate, please keep it up and don’t leave us hanging for another decade!

 

[RafalFett]

That blue-gray is definitely the base color/primer and we believe that this is what the "Suit No. 6 - Helmet painted gray and sent to the US" means in the Boba Fett Progress Record:

The order of suits 2, 3 and 4 (and possibly for suit 5 too) is random.

 

[Ord Mantell]

It's interesting the ESB helmet was this blue gray color in the same time period Nelvana was working on the Boba Fett cartoon for the Star Wars Holiday special sporting a helmet pretty much the same color. Production on the cartoon was in the spring of 1978 for a 6 week production. Coincidence or did one influence the other?

 

[Ord Mantell]

 

[BudaFett]

Beautiful!

 

[AlphaCloneFett]

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no yellow around the paint damage?

 

[Ord Mantell]

no yellow around the paint damage?

For the ESB right shoulder? I don't see any. I don't mind hearing your opinion, though, if you do.

 

[TheBobaFett]

Lovely work Eric!
The yellow chipping Alpha is talking about is actually kinda hard to see but I messed with the saturation and gamma bit more so its easier to spot.
Pretty sure its simply just the same shade as the left pad...Probably used on both knees and on the Green too.

 

[Ord Mantell]

Lovely work Eric!
The yellow chipping Alpha is talking about is actually kinda hard to see but I messed with the saturation and gamma bit more so its easier to spot.
Pretty sure its simply just the same shade as the left pad...Probably used on both knees and on the Green too.

Nice. That's interesting. It's unfortunate these ESB pictures are so poor. I have some thoughts about this, but it might make for a better discussion on the other thread where I like to go into the detail/weeds more. Like I said there, I'm not done tweaking. I might even start over.

 

[AlphaCloneFett]

For the ESB right shoulder? I don't see any. I don't mind hearing your opinion, though, if you do.

the prepro1, prepro3 and ESB are the Joe Johnston style paint design, painted by JJ probably, fundamentally speaking
they are very similar, for example, the darker green right plate and diamond, the two tone knees, paint damage placements,
the orange right shoulder, yellow left shoulder...of course, esb had green gauntlets and jetpack, probably changed by kershner
just before filming with lucas approval of course lol. if you look at prepro1 knees and right shoulder, not much different to the ESB



basically the same damage pattern, and there you can clearly see the two tone.
It can clearly be seen on esb knees too



logical to conclude that it was also present in the right shoulder for ESB
but sadly there are no good quality photos of that area and so it does not show as well




with that presentation, i rest my case lol
i am 100 percent certain that esb right shoulder was 2 tone just like the knees

 

[Ord Mantell]

with that presentation, i rest my case lol
i am 100 percent certain that esb right shoulder was 2 tone just like the knees

For certain JJ painted PP1/3 & ESB (except the ESB jp and gaunts). I was aware of those spots you indicated. If you notice, all those spots are coupled with quite distinct dark spots, and JJ doesn't do that anywhere else on any of the other armor he painted, ESB, or otherwise. What it looks like to me is blending with a small brush with thinner reactivating lower layers as he put on details of weathered black. But I acknowledge it's just pure theory and could be wrong. I remain open to changing my mind as I continue to test. I mean its happened more than once that better photos come along and blow our minds at how wrong we were about something. The likelihood we are both wrong is very high given the quality of the photos we are dealing with. But I like your theory better than mine right now.

 

[Jango Fett Jr]

What it looks like to me is blending with a small brush with thinner reactivating lower layers as he put on details of weathered black.

FWIW I interpret it similarly as masking fluid being applied on top of the base yellow, before the misting of orange/black/etc. It’ll be a couple weeks before I can start experimenting, I was also going to try a coat of Foundation before the SP Armour Yellow.

 

[Krewkid82]

I feel pretty lucky to come back to this project at this magical time when all these amazing things are happening with lineage items. It's exciting. Finally! An ESB helmet that's the correct size and shape.

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Trying to figure out a pose. My original inspiration for the pose was my favorite shot of Fett in ESB, outside the torture room:

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I'll have to make updates to the wookie braids which are wrong. still need the gauntlets. several things to work on, but will get painting soon. I don't plan to use this new lid on this display. I want this to be strictly ESB so I'll be going with a cleaned up version that has only ESB production-era damage. Also the girth belt on this is too long. I need to find a shorter one. I'll put this one in the cargo hold soon for sale or trade.

Here's my ESB helmet journey:
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On the left is my Don Post purchased in 1996, which I painted based on a single reference photo. In the middle is a 2014 FPH1 painted by Fettpride, and on the right is the new helmet of all helmets. It's HUGE, especially next to the pathetic DP. Absolutely beautiful. Like I said, it's an exciting time. They kind of look like Matryoshka dolls here.

Speaking of helmets, if you get one of the new lineage helmets, you should get one of these helmets, too:

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*** edit - I must correct my earlier statement about the chincup in this helmet. My info was outdated. I had not seen intwenothor's exhaustive research thread on the ESB helmet interior until just now (intwenothor's accurate ESB interior thread.). The chin cup in the ski-doo has four holes where there should be three. But the interior attachments are still good if you are able to get a chin cup replacement.

What helmet lineage is this bucket....it looks awesome!!!

 

[Ord Mantell]

What helmet lineage is this bucket....it looks awesome!!!

ah, that was a MinuteFett ESB lineage cast.

 

[Krewkid82]

ah, that was a MinuteFett ESB lineage cast.

Thanks Ord your w.i.p. is insane!! Such a esb bible hahaha

 

[Ord Mantell]

May the 4th be with us.

Back to the new thin shell helmet interior.

 

[jedisushi]

Anyone else who was following this thread suddenly getting tons of email notifications for the latest post over and over again? 20 so far today… cc: Art Andrews

 

[sutt_hero_rotj]

Anyone else who was following this thread suddenly getting tons of email notifications for the latest post over and over again? 20 so far today… cc: Art Andrews

Yup me too ,

 

[Ord Mantell]

Hopefully the email notification problem was transitory or has been solved.

Ammo Belt Repaint​

While testing paints for my PP2 ammo belt I discovered a really great paint brand for vinyl belts. Brillo Color Spray.

The Brillo is great for several reasons:

1) Correct sheen
2) very tough adhesion to the vinyl
3) easily removed from the threads after drying
4) good spray flow and easy to mist in very thin layers
5) wide array of brown shades to choose from

I've not seen another vinyl colorant do all of that in one package. I decided to strip my ESB belt and redo with Brillo.

 

[Ord Mantell]

Making progress on the new helmet. First a comparison to the old G2 I repaired. The blue helmet is the new MF, gray is the G2:

Been hemming and hawing which one to use as the final helmet. Did this informal size comparison tracing their base outlines. Red ink is the MF outline, blue is the G2.

Look at that. These helmets are pretty much interchangeable. Except the extra thin, more accurate glassing on the MF is yielding a better looking interior build.

Just waiting on some more accurate visor clips, and can get everything else into this and complete the interior. Might sell the G2.