The Builder ESB Build

Hi guys...and thanks for the nice comments.

As far as painting technique on the jetpack I'll try to go a little deeper into it.To get a worn metallic look you not only need a lot of color and value variation in the overall basic color scheme but you need to vary the surface texture as well.
This has to be done before adding the final metallic dry brushing. Two ways to do it.

First you could make the variations in the primer coat. I know this goes against sanding and priming smooth before painting that everyone talks about but it will work.
Simply take a small piece of rough cut sponge,say 1/2 inch and stipple into the wet primer creating a uneven surface texture.This should be an overall very small tight texture.You have to do it in small stages to keep the primer wet. Before applying your silver base... sand smooth those large areas of worn silver on the center line of the pack and rocket.
Now mask and paint however you want.....then dry brush hitting those small high spots.

The other way,which I used, is to sand, prime, spray silver, mask and air brush a variety of shades and color values within the overall color scheme.
Now to get the texture... I'll use the sponge and stipple the same un-thined and additional colors over the paint colors I air brushed..... If at times you add a touch of thinner(very little)you can get a kind of blended marble effect (see close ups of the jet nozzles).
This color layering will give you the small surface high spots to pick up your dry brushing.Yes it does take time but Rome and Boba wasn't built...........This can be fun and interesting to do....Patience-patience -patience will be your greatest asset.

The close ups and flood lights show the texture well... but in reality it's very small.....but effective.
I hope this helps... just another way of doing things.
 
Gathered together some more things we did on this build.I posted some of them in other discussions in the forum but figured I may as well have them here to.

After reading how people have had trouble with pull back on the collar armor I worked out this solution for us. To correct the discomfort you have to watch out for two things.
The first are the two slits you make for the rails that the lower jet pack hooks ride on...If the slits aren't low enough the weight of the jet pack will hit the bottom of them and pull down on vest and in turn pull back on the collar armor .
It may not be apparent until you troop a while.
The second,and probably the main cause, is the jet pack tilting back on the pack frame. Or to put it another way,when seen from the side,the pack frame isn't vertical.
When you put the straight frame on the convex curve of your upper back and tighten the waist belt.... the bottom of the pack gets pulled into the concave curve of the lower back.Making it tilt back.
To fix this I built a foam pad to fill in the space between the frame and lower back. When the waist belt is tight the jet pack stays vertical. Now the back armor slides between the frame and jetpack and connects without pull back
to the collar armor.
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The 501st CRL states that the straps for the jet pack are white but they are clearly gray in ESB.
I used this spray dye and then wiped them to even the color a bit.
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Another tip that works well is to use a stapler to hold straps or Velcro in position.
When satisfied just squeeze or tap with a hammer to make them tight. Easy removal for adjustment.
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Here I used them for extra hold with sticky back Velcro on the jet pack straps.
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We also added extra shoulder pads for comfort. Found on E-Bay.
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Thought a lot about the best way to connect the kidney and cod armor for easy suiting up.
Again on E-Bay we found this Velcro belt...kind of military or law enforcement grade, but not expensive.
Used nylon nuts and bolts to attach the kidney armor with one permanent costume stud on the cod armor.
Flexible enough to slip on ,tighten belt, then attach other stud. Very quick and solid.
DSC_7499.jpg
You're probably looking at the picture and asking "Where's the elastic strap?" It seemed to me that it would be
much easier to suit up by simply sewing the strap, with a little tension, to the flight suit!
Sew it up under the kidney armor, near the waist in back, and forward near the front of the crotch. Faster to dress,- comfortable,- no fear of it coming loose while trooping,-
and no one can tell the difference to look at it. Worked for us.
 
Gathered together some more things we did on this build.I posted some of them in other discussions in the forum but figured I may as well have them here to.

After reading how people have had trouble with pull back on the collar armor I worked out this solution for us. To correct the discomfort you have to watch out for two things.
The first are the two slits you make for the rails that the lower jet pack hooks ride on...If the slits aren't low enough the weight of the jet pack will hit the bottom of them and pull down on vest and in turn pull back on the collar armor .
It may not be apparent until you troop a while.
The second,and probably the main cause, is the jet pack tilting back on the pack frame. Or to put it another way,when seen from the side,the pack frame isn't vertical.
When you put the straight frame on the convex curve of your upper back and tighten the waist belt.... the bottom of the pack gets pulled into the concave curve of the lower back.Making it tilt back.
To fix this I built a foam pad to fill in the space between the frame and lower back. When the waist belt is tight the jet pack stays vertical. Now the back armor slides between the frame and jetpack and connects without pull back
to the collar armor.
View attachment 160102 View attachment 160103 View attachment 160104

The 501st CRL states that the straps for the jet pack are white but they are clearly gray in ESB.
I used this spray dye and then wiped them to even the color a bit.
View attachment 160105

Another tip that works well is to use a stapler to hold straps or Velcro in position.
When satisfied just squeeze or tap with a hammer to make them tight. Easy removal for adjustment.
View attachment 160106

Here I used them for extra hold with sticky back Velcro on the jet pack straps.
View attachment 160107 View attachment 160108

We also added extra shoulder pads for comfort. Found on E-Bay.
View attachment 160109

Thought a lot about the best way to connect the kidney and cod armor for easy suiting up.
Again on E-Bay we found this Velcro belt...kind of military or law enforcement grade, but not expensive.
Used nylon nuts and bolts to attach the kidney armor with one permanent costume stud on the cod armor.
Flexible enough to slip on ,tighten belt, then attach other stud. Very quick and solid.
View attachment 160110
You're probably looking at the picture and asking "Where's the elastic strap?" It seemed to me that it would be
much easier to suit up by simply sewing the strap, with a little tension, to the flight suit!
Sew it up under the kidney armor, near the waist in back, and forward near the front of the crotch. Faster to dress,- comfortable,- no fear of it coming loose while trooping,-
and no one can tell the difference to look at it. Worked for us.


I am interested in your attachment method for the cod / kidney...can you send me a couple more pictures of the inside of the cod and what you exactly used?
 
I'll post an answer here to Chris4321 if it can help others.
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In this first picture I have taken the end screw,(the very small short nylon one), loose from the aluminum fitting you can see epoxied to the kidney armor.
Below that screw is the combination of screw parts I used. The nice thing is that the nylon screws are easy to cut to the length you need for different applications.I used them in many ways on Boba.
All of the other fittings shown are just examples of other sizes etc. that you can find at the hardware store. Mix and match to make things work.
The side stud screw is glued under the white Velcro pad and it passes through the kidney armor and then the cod armor to be held by the stud.

Tip...the aluminum fitting has a hole all the way through it .When gluing it down you must have the screw turned down to the bottom of it so that the glue doesn't
get up inside . As soon as the epoxy starts to set, and won't run anymore, back out the screw. No need to have to start over. Live and learn. I did.

DSC_7913.jpg

When I first cleaned it up I reinforced all of the armor any place that connections would be made.
You can see the fiberglass tape in the photos.The belt should be a nice clean fit as it matches with the armor so they can bend, move,and conform together.
 
There's not much about the helmet build that hasn't been said buy others in their paint ups on TDH. I consider Rafal Works templates and the "Paint by Numbers" Humbrol Visual Guide invaluable as starting points
for anyone painting a helmet. Can't imagine the work that went into them!
Here's a shot of some of the things I kept handy during the helmet paint up. I guess about the halfway point. A lot of color mixes based on the Humbrol suggestions.
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The helmet interior was a challenge.As you know there's a lot to balance out.
Here's how I finally did ours.
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Clockwise at about one o'clock is the rechargeable battery for the fans,inside and above that the rangefinder servo, and a little above the visor and to the left a fan.
At four o'clock the battery for the rangefinder lights,then at seven another fan.Next are the servo batteries( 9 o'clock) and then(at around11) the receiver box for the servo switches in the right gauntlet.
Most are attached with Velcro with some elastic added over the servo battery and receiver. All wires are trapped between strips of Velcro for easy adjusting.
The servos weight is offset by its battery.We found basic foam helmet liners on E-Bay and at my sons suggestion, (he's the one wearing it), I made the yellow foam cheek support pads which worked very well to stop " Bobble Heading".
Considering everything in there the air flow and comfort turned out well.


Here are some helmet pictures, more to come..

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What are the pins that you used as an alternative to sewing the strap ends together on your jetpack harness?
It sounds like you are asking about the round silver connectors near the buckle end of the gray jetpack straps. They are nickel plated Double Cap Rivets.
The heads are 1/4" (listed as small) from Tandy Leather Factory. I also did sew the ends of the straps down with gray thread. It's hard to see it in the pictures. Hope this is what you were referring to.
If not and you're asking about the black harness straps...they are sewn on to the frame and after final adjusting
I use staples to stabilize the adjustments and hold the loose ends in place.I found that staples work and hold really well for this.
 
The Tandy rivets were indeed what I was asking about. I don't have a sewing machine and sewing these straps by hand sounds like more trouble than it's worth. Thanks for the info!
 
The Tandy rivets were indeed what I was asking about. I don't have a sewing machine and sewing these straps by hand sounds like more trouble than it's worth. Thanks for the info!
I don't have a sewing machine either so perhaps having the end of the strap a little closer to the rivets would help to keep it down.
In all it was only about 5 min. each to hand sew the ends down. Glad to help.
 
as i said earlier on this thread... wow just wow, this is a beautiful step by step walkthrough and i think that this is very well thought build that shows things that can help people that are new to all of this with building a boba fett. and as always keep up the good work.
 
Seeing as how the EE-3 was the first piece of our build I've been waiting to get a little time to upgrade
the brass grip to a more antique metallic look. After testing some different paint combinations I ended up
using a combination of Model Master Non-Buff Brass as a base coat with Tamiya Smoke (X-19) varied over it.
The effect looks like this.......
DSC_8409.jpg DSC_8409.jpg DSC_8413.jpg DSC_8415.jpg DSC_8421.jpg DSC_8351.jpg

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A few new gauntlet pics. These are according to the old CRL..have now made adjustments
on the right gauntlet switch tip colors, dart tip colors,light button color and hose.

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