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OP (MV) Post #31: Thermal Detonator Part #1 For those of you not up-to-date with my previous post, I had decided to continue assembly of my TD and helmet prior to letting go of my kit, since neither of them are related to armor fitment, and I figure it would be a fun last-hurrah. Completing them shouldn't negatively impact the eventual sale, assuming I do a good job, particularly with the helmet. I'm continuing to sell off personal items from my previous hobbies in hopes of miraculously being able to turn my TK situation around; half income is no cakewalk. Side note: If any of you have any leads on remote/virtual teaching/tutoring opportunities, let me know. My wife is a certified elementary ed teacher with a Masters degree in reading instruction and a TESOL endorsement. Ok, so on to Part 1 of my thermal detonator! Be forewarned, since I'm assuming that these are the only two components left with my build, I'm going photo-heavy here on out. (Not that I hadn't already been doing that). After all, I likely won't reach the 1,000 image flickr free max at this point. This post will document the resources I used as well as the process of preparing the end caps, control panel, and main tube. Painting and the clips will be included in Part 2, in case any alterations are suggested after this post. Resources From the beginning I have known that ATA thermal detonators run small, and I had primarily understood that to be in relation to the end caps' tightness, but it turns out that not only are the caps a tight fit, but they're actually designed for use with American imperial (seems appropriate) sized 2-inch (50.8mm) outer-diameter pipes. Now that I think about it, I suspect that most American-produced armor makers do the same thing, due to availability of piping. I had just never really considered that before. Apparently screen-accurate detonator tubes had a metric outer diameter of 68mm, but I'll need to make due with the 2-inch (50.8mm) sizing that my ATA parts are designed for. Oh well, it's not like I have an RS kit anyway, so it'll be fine. ANH Stunt CRL: PAGE LINK (excerpt shown below) FISD Image Galleries: Thermal Detonator | RS Suit Page 3 ATA Thermal Detonator discussion threads: 2012 Dutchtrooper | 2013 Dark Trooper Thermal Detonator build threads: ukswrath ANOVOS | ukswrath AM | A.J. Hamler | wook1138 For my build I elected to use the largest documented measurement for all the components of the TD. This way the proportions might be relatively consistent plus I'd be able to trim pieces down if it is suggested to do so by other Troopers. So here are my final measurements: Overall width: 7.5 inches (190.5mm) Panel width: 122mm Panel arc length: 185 188mm (limitation) End caps width: 20mm Clip width: 1-1/16inches (Tony's default) End Caps I began with the end caps since it seemed like they would be the easiest portion of the TD to complete. Turns out I was correct, and I actually made my job even more difficult than it could have been due to over-engineering. To measure the 20mm width of the cap edge I used a pencil and a ruler both set in a clamp, with the pencil point set 20mm off the tabletop. I then spun the cap around a couple times, letting the pencil mark a perfectly level line, and shown in the first two photos below. In hindsight, I could have simplified the setup by measuring and marking 20mm at a single point on the cap, then adjusting the pencil height in the clamp (no ruler necessary) to match the height of the mark on the cap. This would have eliminated needing to see the ruler with the pencil in the clamp. Oh well, lesson learned. With perfect 20mm lines drawn, I used my lexan scissors to rough trim close to the lines, leaving the excess to be sanded down. I then wrapped painters tape up to the line to serve as a guide and began sanding with 220 and 320 grit sandpaper sheets on a flat table surface. I worked slowly and intentionally to ensure level sanding all the way around each cap and avoid sanding too far and pressing into the tape. The end results were smooth, crisp, caps with straight lines and 90-degree edges and no chamfering. Control Panel The panel turned out to be the most technical aspect of the TD, with various measurements and alignments to be mindful of. I wanted my panel to be perfectly squared and not shaped like a trapezoid or parallelogram. I'm sure the construction of the original ANH screen-used panels was far less precise, but I wanted mine to be as close to perfect as possible, especially since this and the helmet are all that I have left. Documented in a previous post, I had already cut off the flashing from the edges of the panel, so next I wanted to get the left and right edges relatively straight. I started off with using painters tape to give me a guide to draw pencil lines roughly 4.75 inches (120.65mm) apart (later altered to 122 mm). At this point the lines did not need to be perfectly straight, and once drawn I cut one side with lexan scissors. I then used more painters tape to mark long horizontal lines 195mm apart along the surface of the panel (third photo below). In other words, the length/depth of the arc of the panel, front to back, would be 195mm, though I would later change that (described below). With the cut lines marked with tape I grabbed my tiny metal ruler and handy xacto knife. Since the ABS was protected by a layer of tape, and I wanted the straight edge to be as close the plastic as possible to minimize wayward cuts, I flipped my ruler upside down so the cork was facing up. I then clamped it and used the score-and-snap method. As a reminder, light pressure with the blade is all that is needed when scoring; press too firmly and your blade may slip. The ruler method worked will for the large open side, but when moving to the round "knob" side there was no room for the ruler. I decided to layer several lengths of painters tape to create a raised edge (third photo below) to guide my blade, and it worked pretty well (fourth photo). The next two photos show the end result of my score-and-snap reductions on the top and bottom of the panel. At this point it became obvious to me that additional trimming would be necessary due to some outward curvature still being visible. The light next to the shadow makes this clearly visible, and I was disheartened that I'd need to reduce the panel further and not be able to maintain the 195mm arc. That being said, I know that there were many incidental variations to the dimensions of the TD components, as shown by the many diagrams showing ranges of measurements, so really it's not a big deal. Heck, even Tony had to compromise on his ANOVOS detonator build. The next four photos show how I tackled creating perfectly straight edges running perpendicular to the length of the tube. First I grabbed a spare length of 2" PVC pipe which had a perfectly-cut 90-degree end (leftover from cutting my actual tube with a miter saw). I then aligned the lowest portion of the panel with the edge of the pipe and taped it all together like crazy with painters tape. I did not want the panel to shift at all, lest it cause uneven sanding. I then used 220 and 320 grit sandpaper on a flat surface, and the same fashion as with the end caps, to attain a straight, smooth edge. With one end complete it was time to re-measure and re-mark the width of the panel. You may recall that at the beginning of this process I had marked both edges with painters tape, but repeated sanding on one end resulted in me needing to shift the other end, and I simultaneously decided to change from a 4.75 inches (120.65mm) in width to 122mm. I used a ruler to measure and mark the new 122mm width, and then used PVC pipe again as a "straight"-edge. The first photo below shows this concept, but I actually used an un-chamfered pipe, rather than the one shown. Once I had the line drawn I followed the same process as before with lexan scissors and PVC pipe sanding. With the two ends smooth and straight I returned back to the issue of the long edges needing to be re-trimmed to cut off some remaining outward curvature. As has been used many times in my build, sandpaper (320 grit) on a flat table did the trick. I sanded until the curvature on both sides was consistent, and my panel arc length is now closer to 185 188mm. I am very pleased with the end results, shown below. As was the case with the end caps, my goal was to have perfectly straight and perpendicular lines with the control panel, and all the edges were left raw with 320 grit sanding except for a little edge-smoothing on the outer-facing long edges at the top and the bottom of the panel. The chamfering on those two corners is barely noticeable and is simply to prevent snags on any fabric the panel may come in contact with. Tube This was the first time I had the opportunity to bust out some power tools on my build, but alas I only needed my miter saw for all of a single three-second cut. Since there are documented thermal detonators measuring between 7.25 and 7.5 inches (184-190mm), I opted to cut my pipe to 7.25 inches and planned on the end caps to make up the difference and finish with a 7.5-inch long TD. As with everything on the TD, I'm using the largest possible measurements which can later be trimmed down if necessary. Once I had the pipe cut I began sanding the entire surface with 320 grit sandpaper in order to prep it for spray painting. I should mention that I'm using white PVC pipe rather than grey electrical conduit since I had purchased an extra 24-inch length for my HWT build. Per Tony's own TD paint job post, I will be using Model Master Custom Spray Enamel 1923 Gunship Gray FS 36118. EDIT: Later in my build I discovered that Model Master 1923 Gunship Gray is too dark for the Thermal Detonator, and more appropriate sprays are Testors 1237 Semi-Gloss Primer or Testors 1238 Gloss Gray. This single image below is simply meant to show how ATA's control panel section fits onto a standard 2-inch (50.8mm) PVC pipe. When simply resting on the pipe, you can observe that the ABS panel was pulled with a very slightly smaller radius than the PVC, which means that, when pressed onto the pipe and glued properly, it will sit tightly and there won't be a risk of the long edges pulling up from the pipe. Excellent design, and hopefully not unique to ATA. Moving ahead, despite the fact that I designed and cut the pipe to be 1/4-inch shorter than what the finished product will be with the end caps, I decided to chamfer the outer edges to further minimize any fitting issues with the caps. I know the interior edges of the caps are curved so I wanted to give them space to fit on the pipe properly. I believe I measured roughly half a cm from the edge and used my clamp/pencil technique to draw a straight line around the outside of the tube. I also drew a line on the ends which split the thickness of the pipe, and my goal with the dremel off a straight angle between those two lines as shown in the third and fourth photos below. Of course it didn't need to be perfect, just approximate. With the edge rough chamfered I wanted to do some sanding on the ends to clean it up a bit, plus I had heard that ATA end caps are typically very tight. I tested them out, and sure enough, it was a tight fit indeed. So much so, in fact, that I was afraid of getting them stuck on their or splitting the plastic on the caps. I decided to do some extensive sanding on the ends so I measured and marked an area which I knew would eventually be covered by the caps. I covered the rest of the tube in blue tape (not sure why I covered the middle) and proceeded to sand the exposed white areas. At first I opted to use my 320 grit paper but after several rounds of sanding and fit testing, it became apparent that I needed to shave off much more PVC. After all, not only did I need to make room for the caps to slide on comfortably, but I also needed to account for the layer(s) of enamel spray paint that I would be applying. I removed all the painters tape, wrapped 220 grit paper around half the tube at a time, and repeatedly twisted it in my hand. I added increased pressure and extra twists towards the ends where the caps would sit in order to wear those areas down a bit more than the rest of the tube, and eventually finished it back up with 320 grit paper. The end results of my cutting and sanding can be seen below. Those initially-angled dremel chamfer cuts smoothed out quite well, and in the third photo below you can see how I reduced the material at the ends more than the middle of the tube in order to accommodate the end caps. Pre-Paint Preview Here is a rough "fitting" of the parts along with the TD clips pressed somewhat loosely onto the tube. From what I can tell the proportions looks about right, but perhaps more experienced eyes can provide confirmation. The left clip shown in the first photo below will settle a little further towards the cap, and it wasn't flush with the tube anyway in the photo. When it's all assembled the screw-holes should be perfectly lined up with the ends of the control panel. These last two photos show the alterations I'm going to have to make to Tony's TD clips in order to get them to properly cradle my 2-inch (50.8mm) pipe. Tony constructs his clips with universal sizing in order to fit both 2-inch and 68mm (screen-accurate) pipe, and after inquiring he sent me his recommendation on how to adjust them to fit my TD. Consider this a teaser for what will be included in Part 2 of my TD build. If you made it this far, thanks for sticking with me. It seems that many build threads just gloss over, or skip altogether, thermal detonator assembly, so hopefully the documentation of mine will be useful for other builders in the future! Printable/downloadable PDF of my entire build thread to this point: NOW AVAILABLE HERE

Hey Those are ESB decals and not approvable for ANH so you are correct, every stripe need to be separate

Busy day. Here are the ears. Two coats of paint plus clean-ups. Phew - time for a Bespin Fizz!

I made small 1" elastic straps (by folding over my 2" elastic) to snap the biceps to the bells. I also put 2 small strips of soft velcro on each to hold the back closed. Pretty good! I think I think they're at a good height! I'll probably loosen the backs a little since they're pretty snug. I still need to work on lowering my chest, but Jim's shoulder straps might not let that happen...They're just too rigid to bend. Maybe I'll talk my wife into letting me get ukswrath's shoulder straps some day... I also sprayed gloss white on the cod and butt. It went great! Until a little damn fly landed on the butt But I left it alone and can hopefully buff it off in a day or two. I then got to my favorite: sanding! 400 wet sanding to the primer on the shins and sniper knee. I was hoping to leave most of the primer on, but 400 was too rough. I'll have to spread some more putty tomorrow...

Nice work, a couple of references for you

Already on that good sir! I’ve read about 40 approval threads for both Centurion and EIB and looked over dozens of build threads. Reading about it is one thing, but actually putting it into practice is another. Always hesitant to fully commit.

ok, so... as I stated before I was going to do a BlastFX, but seeing as how this thing is SOLID parts. I chose to start making a 3D model of some potions to help me replace them if I where to just destroy them. OR, maybe I would use the 3D printed versions if I needed space inside. this is the part I started with. I build a 3D model of it. adding details bit by bit. I haven't done anything more with this part since, and with my changes of plan, I may just need to print the end cap, if I overly damage the real one while trying to removing it to hollow out behind the LED windows.

Good luck with your submission, Sebastian! p.s. Let's see some of that green screen in action! You know, like a TK on a starship. Or riding a dinosaur. Haha.

Awesome and can't wait for the progress. I just got my KB FOTK kit and have this blaster sitting in my attic.

Excellent thanks for the update. I plan on finding ways we can help get this trooper approved, so this was the one spot I wanted to be more specific.

Thanks guys. The details will always get ya

Nice work

Spent some time today cleaning up the ab plate buttons. They look MUCH better and even have an imperfection, just like the OT TK suits! I might just scuff them up a bit once the suit is put together. Thanks to everyone for their feedback. Now on to the ears!

15th times a charm... Left forearm and detail shot. Right forearm and detail shot Cheers!

@TKSpartan & @shashachu problems which i had last night with IMGUR are gone, i reuploaded all pictures again - i think it should be right now ^^; Did the same for Dani too Thanks for the Feedback!

S trim in on. Just need to fix 1 decal, add som padding and get some more white paint for the screws. Can't seem to get the R ear any closer even with targeted sanding. But believe that was ok based on previous posts and being able to drive bus through the gaps in some of the original helmets. Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

I totally get it. Just wanted to make sure I understood as well. Easy peasy fix and I’ll get right on it. Thanks!

Nice work there is some difference in the forearms from TFA to TLJ which you may want to address A couple of adjustments you could make: Butt plate is not level on the rear Also your belt appears to be higher on the rear, over the ab section

Thank you! Interesting read.

Stormtrooper Helmets - Hero's and Stunts? The original contract was for the production of 50 Stormtrooper helmets. However, as soon as SDS began o produce them they he realised that the complex shape of their design (such as the male and female curves on the helmet rear) necessitated the use of a less than ideal kind of plastic, High Density Poly Ethylene. HDPE is a rubbery, flexible material now used to make things like milk cartons, which was better suited than ABS to handle the complex curves and undercuts. So the khaki-green HDPE helmets then had to be spray painted white after manufacture. However, because painted helmets don't look all that great under close scrutiny, Lucasfilm/Mollo requested that Ainsworth also produce six "close up" helmets when Stormtrooper were to be featured more prominently - such as when Luke and Han are disguised as Stormtroopers, although they can also be seen in numerous other shots as well. We refer to these six as the "Hero" Stormtrooper helmets as they were made to a higher specification. Instead they were vac-formed in a shiny white ABS plastic, with higher quality detailing including curved eye lenses. Hence in the screen-shot above the Hero is on the Left, with the Stunt on the Right. Note that the armor is the same, only the helmets varied. Three years later for The Empire Strikes Back, John Mollo and his team simply re-used the same Stormtrooper costumes and helmets that had previously been used in A New Hope. This was the simplest solution since only 12-14 were required - and it also saved them money on what was a strict budget since they only really needed a quick tidying up. For Return of the Jedi over 50 were needed so new armor and helmets were produced - cast from an original ANH set. You can read more about these different versions in the following sections below..... Some great Stormtrooper info can be found here: http://www.starwarshelmets.com/original-stormtrooper-helmets-sub-submenu.htm

Thanks for the updated pics! After conferring with the rest of the DO team, we'd like you to remove the remaining bits indicated below: I think at this point it's largely semantics and maybe not even correct to call that 'return edge' but the idea is that we remove all traces of the narrowing of the wrist. Should be a relatively quick fix. Thanks!

Yuppppp. I also have about a dozen Star Wars coffee mugs, as I would invariably receive at least one as a gift for almost every major holiday. Also, all kinds of random SW toys and knicknacks... on the bright side, I worked at a Children's Hospital for many years, so I would just give the stuff I didn't want away to our kiddos, so I wouldn't feel as bad. I don't mind being the Star Wars guy, but no, I won't come entertain your children's birthday party attendees, random employee of mine XD

Thermal Detonator: Speaking of the TD, I failed to provide details on how I created the hangers. As previously noted, I plan to make some changes to improve the fit and prevent movement but needed to see how everything fits before making final adjustments. The hangers are ABS strips, bent with a heat gun.

OK troopers, we currently have the applicant for EI #999 in review! However, several recent troopers have unfortunately not yet added the requested photos needed to complete their submission. What does this mean? While we cannot guarantee it, the next Trooper to submit for Expert infantry (with correct armor details, of course) could very well be # 1000! HINT! Please follow the guidelines as set forth in the CRLs. For examples of the details we look for when doing approvals, look here. Also, it is imperative that you submit all required photographs and information as seen here. Even if you don't get to be #1000, if approved you will still get your EI badge and be one step closer to Centurion!

Hello, TK40193 requesting 501st access please https://www.501st.com/members/displaymember.php?userID=26769&costumeID=408

Y’all need to get an OZ DO. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And I will Probably be asleep when it happens lol, damn you time zones [emoji12] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Every piece of SW news is sent my way, anything with a Stormtooper locally I get asked if that was me.... Someone hadned me an "ooshie*" this morning as she walked in as she knew i'd appreciate R2.... Its established I have May the 4th off every year as well as any dates for premiere events. Someone called me up and asked if I had a cape at work for something they needed.... I did... as well as a cheap Vader costume to go with it. I was asked about lightsabres, I had two under my desk... I've worked a shift on our service desk dressed as a Stormie.... so yeah I am definitely the Star Wars guy at work.... *limited edition collectibles from grocery store

Next up, I cut out the bottom of the scope for more accuracy. This part is what I would consider the most necessary modification: cutting down the T-tracks. I'm very happy with the end result; makes it look a lot less cartoon-ish. I still need to do some sanding and evening out, but I'll get around to it. I am waiting until I put both sides back together before I do the top track, just to make it easier to line up perfectly.

ID-52020 requesting 501st access. https://www.501st.com/members/displaymember.php?userID=23508&costumeID=76

Hello Michael and welcome to FISD. You're about to embark on a very fun and satisfying project! There's no better feeling than suiting up for the first time and becoming the iconic Stormtrooper from right off the big screen, especially when you're the one that built it! Good luck on your journey to Centurion!

Hey Michael! Good choice of the RS armor! You will be very happy with it. I've built three RS suits and have never been disappointed in the quality of their stuff (and with the customer service as well!). The Georgia Garrison is full of an amazing group of passionate and fun troopers. You will find no shortage of people who will be very excited to assist you get your armor up to snuff. Looking forward to seeing your build come together!