[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

Only a couple more days until the Blu-Ray comes out...for purchase.

 

This thread should get interesting. 

[HOWTO: ukswrath's FO TK (Trooperbay) Pauldron assembly with multiple rank colors]

You make me sick....

 

Great work, as always, Tony!

[Want your TFA build thread public? Post here]

Build threads should NOT be in open forum areas. 501st member area ONLY. This is from Anovos. If they get posted to open forums, we are going to have a problem. Your NDA may have ended, but most of ours did not have an expiration date. I implore you to reconsider this idea.

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

McMaster item numbers.<br><br>

8694K84 - Neoprene foam. Adhesive backed 3/8" x 2" x 25' (I'm buying for 4 guys, there are smaller amounts with or without adhesive backing)<br><br>

8630K83 - Neoprene Spring Rubber 1" x 12" x 12" - again, I'm buying for 4 guys. A 6" x 6" x 1" would be plenty for 1.<br><br>

The spring rubber is cheaper than the "Isolate it" brand on ebay and amazon.

[Ukswrath's FOTK build thread]

question is this a seemless build like the clone troopers were, or are the joints visible???

 

nice work and will soon be starting my build.

Yes and no.

 

Biceps have one seam

Thighs have two seams

Shins have 2 seams

Gauntlets have no seams on the sides

 

Some seams are bondoed, others are supposed to be visible...and more defined.

[Ukswrath's FOTK build thread]

So proud...so so proud! Great work, Tony!

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

Brian,

 

I will say thank you for your efforts here to assist us. I'm in the same camp as Tony, in that I want to build my armor now, with level 3 ultimately in mind. Some call that elitist, or a waste of time/effort/energy, but I firmly believe that as the "preferred costuming group" of LFL, we owe it to the public to give them the best possible representation of the characters seen on screen.

 

Also, as you said, we spent a lot of money on these kits. I'd prefer to have it looking as much as possible like the ones on screen.

 

You don't buy a Ferrari and head to Walmart to get some seat and rim covers.

Same here. And anyone I help build, I build them with Centurion in mind. I enjoy finding the brass split rivets and buy as much as I can when I do find them. I always have the good elastic belting from Joanns to give to new troopers. I don't like using the cheap stuff. It has a pattern and usually turns into bacon after 2 or 3 troops. I use snaps that I buy from Tandy leather to use on their suits. I don't charge folks for the stuff. It's just something that I like doing. It's kinda my thing.

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

Germain they are on us like white on rice with the NDA. As private as this form is, it's still public. Brian and others in his position are bound to even a higher standard until released from that obligation.

I wish I could post everything I have. Not only would I violate the NDA, but I would disappoint the folks who gave me an unbelievable opportunity to be a small part of history. I just can't break that trust. Not to mention the legality portion.

 

With that said, I hope most folks don't think I started this thread only to blow my own horn or whatever. I enjoy helping people build armor as accurate as possible. What I should have done was get my armor done first before starting this thread so I had something tangible to show...instead of....you should do this...for that, I appologize.

 

I do realize that many of you will read this and the previous 4 pages of this thread and think it's all here say until the movie comes out, and that's ok. I totally understand that prospective. We paid alot of well earned money on this kit and to hack it all up on 1 person's information sounds ludacris. But, I will keep answering questions and posting my own progress to help others.

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

And let me guess, no one besides Disney has the fabric info?

I doubt Disney has the info. Disney didn't build the suits...another prop making company did.

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

Do you have a good hi-res photo of the Dizny fabric?

 

We have a few textile places in Seattle I could check out.

I do but I can't post it here.

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

So here is my question...it is just a matter of time until they get out, so how do we get access to the studio's 3D files to print por own suits? I can get access to the correct resin powder printer if needed, It will just cost a small fortune. Then it is just a matter of having the original files. <br>

Thoughts?

Good luck.

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

Disney suits used formica. The fabric, it's still a mystery as to what they used. Could be a chunk of a dish rag that grandma knitted. <br><br>

The pattern was perpendicular to the pill holes.

[Ukswrath's FOTK build thread]

^^^^^^^^<br>

What he said.

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

No, there is no fabric inside the torso...except for behind the chest pill holes.

 

They also used the same fabric as a poor man's fiberglass. In the kidney, where you see the tabs just like in the front, there are snaps on the strapping that connect to the kidney. This strapping is sewn right to the top of the butt plate. Through the armor.

 

The fabric on the butt plate is glued down via black epoxy in the upper left and right sides that connect to the strapping via a snap. Meaning, the snap has dual purpose. To connect the butt to the kidney and to hold this strap to the butt. 

 

The photo above is too poor to make out details...but the armor is not coated with fabric.

 

The strapping used for the butt...appears to be elastic belting 2 inches wide. There are 6 snaps spread out equally. 3 on one side and 3 on the other. In the middle of snaps 3 and 4, is a chunk of Velcro approx 4 inches long and 2 inches wide. 

 

Clear as mud again, huh?

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

Back to the above photo, is it just me, or is there a black material on the inside of the armor?

I'll investigate when I get home.

[Ukswrath's FOTK build thread]

That's about right. 80 on the belt, 150 on the disk. It's a handy thing to have.

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

Who is to say 501st people weren't in on it and we just don't know? They used R2 builders from that group to do droid builds..

If that's the case...I would like to smack each and every one of them. :-)

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

I would definately concentrate on the outside details. The insides of these things were, if I'm being honest, a joke. Poorly assembled. Evidence of many repairs. Maybe some of us should send Disney and LFL our resumes. ;-)

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

I will resume helping to get these suits as close to screen accurate as possible.

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

ADMINS,<br><br>

Please lock and hide this thread until further notice.

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

One thing I've notice now in a couple screen shots is how the TD is shaped to the curvature of the kidney.

 

Also, Brian did we ever get more info regarding the belt box rubber back section and how it's mounted to the belt?

 

I'm wondering if we could use some type of motor mount rubber, or similar, something very tough. You can counter sink holes into it for Chicago screws then cover it was a black glossy paint? Just a thought.

 

Edit: Do the belt boxes in question cover the rubber edge (return edge overlaps the rubber), or cap the rubber edge (the return edge is flush with the rubber)?

 

 

 

Yes, the TD does have a curved plate. But, remember, when the Anovos suits were made, there was a time deadline and lots of red tape and hoops to jump through. It's going to be tough to mod the detonator as is.

 

Motor mounting rubber could work. There isn't a definate material listed or talked about. 

 

The rubber should be flush or close to flush with the white plastic tops. They were mounted via two Chicago screws. Assuming counter sunk into the rubber with the white top glued on.

[Ukswrath's FOTK build thread]

You're hired! Now get ur butt over here and get to work! ;-)<br><br>

Great job!

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

I'm glad someone posted that picture of Finn because I've been wanting to ask about the gaskets shown in it.<br><br>

Is it just me or do the shoulder and forearm gaskets look like they're different materials? The ribbing seems different, and the shoulders ones actually look like they' might be fabric. They definitely seem more flexible than the rubber ones anovos is using.

 

The shoulder and forearm gaskets are the same material. Rubber or rubber-like. 

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

We cut the wings off, then sanded the edges flat.

 

 

Make sure to leave a noticable gap between the two pieces. Also, on the biceps IF you cut the step detail out...when you reassemble...leave about a 1/8 inch gap.

[HOWTO: Make your ANOVOS TFA kit more accurate]

On 9/17/2015 at 6:39 AM, ZacMuleer said:

Brian - you did not mention to make any cuts in the forearms/bracers and I was wondering if holes were cut there (with a fabric backing)?  In particular, I'm talking about the black stripe towards the elbow-bend behind the "tracks".  It looks like it could be a cut-out.

 

Additionally, on some of the cardboard cutout details of the forearm boxes (where we're looking at the duct tape), it looks like the square detail is also cut out.  What say you, sir?

 

Thanks for all your help on these details, Brian!

 

No holes in the forearms/bracers/guantlets or whatever you choose to call them. All black details are decals.....EXCEPT for Finn...

 

 

 

 

It seems the wardrobe department guy was sick on decal day. 

 

NOW, as I am typing this, I am looking through the 1000 or so photos I have...one shows a black decal in that horizontal recessed area right behind where the track greeblie goes....and another shot of a different suit. the decal is missing....OR....wasn't there to begin with. That could signify a few things...

 

A. Decal guy forgot to add it.

 

B. It fell off due to heat from shooting.

 

C. There are different ranks of FO Stormtroopers.

 

D. ?

 

I'm going to go through these again to look for any other discrepancies in decals.

 

Thanks for the question...now I'm confused. 

 

INTERESTING:

 

The LEFT forearm has the black decal....The RIGHT one does not.

 

Now, this is one screen used suit. Did it fall off? Did someone forget to put it on and they just said screw it, we need to shoot now? Right now, it's unknown.