Rich330

Here we go then ... I had a quick suit-up (with the old thermal detanator for the time being) and got a few snaps done out in the garden. I'm really happy with the fit of the suit. It feels absolutely amazing. Super light-weight and it "behaves" just like the real thing when you move and bend. I had a load of fun building this and even more putting it on for the first time. Many, many thanks again to Paul for all the guidance and the patience with the daft questions. Would have been impossible without all your help, mate. And also the true pioneers of this hobby like Mark and Pete who are always one step ahead with the reaearch and development ... and let us copy them! The light wasn't the best but you get the overall idea. No suitable weapon at the moment as my ESB E-11 has given up the ghost. New version in the pipline ...

Very nice indeed! The texture of the paint looks just right and it looks as though it would chip nicely over time with natural wear and tear. Excellent!

I mean the only right hand guard in the picture! Yeah him, mate.

You can also use Ostfriesen tea!

Nice reference photo, mate! (All three of 'em! ) Check out him with his double set of drop boxes!

You're absolutely right, mate. I should hang my head in shame.

I'm not entirely sure I understand what you mean by "tape splits". (Du kannst mir ruhig eine Privatnachricht schicken und die Frage auf Deutsch stellen, wenn Du willst). All I did on the inside of the suit for the adhesive residue was apply cheap parcel tape (the thin brown stuff, "Packband") and leave it on all day. If you then rip it off quickly, it leaves a lot of adhesive residue on the plastic. The staining is black tea, rubbed on with a tea bag ("PG Tips" to be specific! ) This is what it looked like mid-process ...

Here's a good shot of one of those very straight-looking right handguards ...

My strapping kit arrived so I've had another busy Saturday. I have the armour ready to wear. I'll probably notice certain bits and bobs when I finally do a test fitting but I think the armour is complete apart from the thermal detonator. So, I might try on the armour later and post some photos. Here are some shots of what I managed to get done yesterday. Now, I'm not sure what you're all going to make of the next shots but I decided to add a bit of my own innovation. I figured that with all this weathering going on on the outisde of the armour, and attention paid to correct internal strapping, the inside of the armour needed some signs of wear and use too. Bear in mind, this is supposed to represent a suit which has already survived the filming of A New Hope and has been in storage for three years before being dragged out again. I wanted to show some signs of sweat and residue adhesive from internal repairs with sticky tape. So, adopting a common technique from guitar relic'ing and one I stumbled across myself, I added some 70's style grime to the inside of my suit ... Also, because I'm using either clear E6000 or Araldite (which is also largely clear) I wasn't getting the white adhesive residue on the elastic that you see on the originals. I also wanted to replicate that white "gunk", so I thinly brushed on some fabric paint ...

Very cool photo. Funnily enough, I was just contemplating a strategical position for a bit of white tape on my armour too.

Great! Exactly what I'm looking for.

Leave my bum out of this!

Thanks, Karin. Good tips. I think my wife has got a load of acrylic paint ... and some nail polish! I'll try the textile paitn first and see how I go.

Can you tell what it is yet?

THanks, Rolf. Good to know what not to try.

I've got something similar - it's what I used for the elastic on my boots.

Looks like I might have to get the pastels out too. Luckily they let me have soft crayons and stuff to draw with here in the home. So patsels should be OK too.

Yeah? Were the originals painted with gloss black on those parts? Didn't know that.

Dunno, I'm asking you lot! Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

I'm sure that gives you a great, lasting finish but I doubt very much that that was what they did on-set. I'm not looking for the best and most durable paint job, I want the most authentic-looking finish, i.e. flaky and battered after a few uses is fine.

It's the leather dye they sell over here in the supermarkets in the big El Corte Inglés department stores. It's called "El Color" and is produced by Industrias Químicas Cumbre SA in Sant Boi, Spain. It's good stuff. I used less than a bottle on my boots and got 2-3 layers on them and it's almost too good a finish. Unless of course you meant the bubble wrap, the dirty tea towel, the printer or the box of TM armour?

I knew what you meant. Lovely looking lass.

Does anyone have any tips for painting genuine latex handguards? I'd be grateful for any input. What would achieve the most accurate reproduction of the screen-used look (type of paint, primer/no primer? etc.)? Cheers!

You met a real computer game character?