lightside

The kit seems to be one of the first FX made. My first armor was a FX/GT, bought in 2003, and the helmet was in 3 piece and vocoder had to be glued separately.

I was writing with my cellphone while I was working. Now I can be more specific. I use this method and it works perfectly, even in making latex hand-plates. I use the inner part of the drop box/hand plate as a negative mould. First, I put a little bit of talc inside my "mould" and after I coat a first layer of liquid latex by using a paintbrush (It's important to make an operation on the paintbrush first, because if you use it as it is, the latex will dry istantly and you can't lay it down. The thing you have to do is to soap the brush without wetting it with water first. It must to be dry. With this operation the latex stays liquid while you coat it). Once the first layer is dry (you can get it faster by using a heater) you pass other 10 layers (you must wait every layer has dried before passing another one). At this point you put a layer of kitchen food paper (like Scottex) and cover it with a layer of liquid latex with the same method I described above. You must pass layers of paper and latex until your mould is full and then you close it with a three or four layers of liquid latex (without paper). This will speed up your job and harden the piece without making it too heavy. Once it's all dry, take off the whole piece and you have a smaller copy of your drop-box. Now just turn it and put it back in its place inside the inner part of the drop boxe and you have close it perfectly with your smooth visible angles. At this point the latex has a dark-beige color. To avoid future unpaintings due to the rubber material you can use oil colors, those ones used to color latex prosthetics, mixed with 90% alchool, and fixing them with a neutral powder. I will post picture of the whole operation as soon I will come back home. Cost of the operation: 15$ for less then three hours job. I apologize for some mistakes, I'm not english motherlanguage. I hope my description is clear anyway.

You can use this method, I assure you it really works: Just turn your drop box and fill it with liquid latex. Let harden the latex and once it's hard just pull it off and you have a perfect curved inner box ready to be painted.

Got it. No, there are not any bumps, vacuum is perfect.

What do you mean with "smooth cap"?

Uh? Why should you look at the picture as you stand behind what is pictured in? The helmet on the left of the picture is the TM. They're both in two pieces plus ears.

I assure you the helmet has a real good looking live. It's asimetrical as it has to be and my cellphone camera does not give it justice.

I am assembling two different helmets for my new armor: one TM in ANH hero style and one in ANH stunt style. Well, the stunt helmet is a helmet I bought from an USA prop maker in 2005. At that time, I didn't know anything about TE, GINO, etc... the only helmets I know something about were the GF and FX. After 7 years I decided to assemble it, and once assembled I realize I couldn't say which lineage it is from. Is there anybody who can help me? I'm just curious. The details are soft but the ABS is thicker than usual (2,5mm), so I think some details were missed during the vacuum. TM on the left, the other on the right (both have to be finished).

Thank you for explanation Paul.

We know that Hero and Stunt helmets have details which difference them each other, but by looking some shots picked up by a New Hope I noticed some helmets mixing these details. Look at this picture and specifically at the stormtrooper on the left: He has the three hero teeth and the higher stunt frown. Opposite, the stunt on the right has a lower frown than the hero on the left. What do you think about that? It's not very clear in the image, but it seems lenses are not bubbled as well.

To cut ABS I use a welder, that one used to seal microchips to the PC boards with tin. I use it slowly and cut the plastic with the heat. After that I refine the edges with file and sand paper.

This is insane man! I'm very impressed!

Got it. Thank you.

Ogni tanto io passo a leggiucchiare sto forum.

I am a "classified record" in 501st database. What does it mean? If I search for my ID by using my last name it's still there as TK-676.

I have one, bought a couple of years ago. It's a TE2 recast with a ROTJ helmet. Casted in level two white ABS (not blueish), is very flexible even though it has a good thickness. The guy is very gentle and honest on his price. The bad thing is it's a recast with very smooth details in some points.

Yes, sorry, I wanted to say AP, not AT.

I mean these pictures: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&rt=nc&nma=true&item=260750146077&si=buXlKETAr9dkGUWc7IFxiM2upQM%253D&viewitem=#ht_1681wt_905 I don't know about the armor, but the helmet in the first picture is not so visible and seems mostly AT instead of a GF. In the second and third pics it is not a GF for sure.

The Helmet shown in the picture doesn't seem to be a GF. I have a GF ANH Helmet and it is very different (the one in my avatar is a GF too but is not mine).

I know it. You talked about different problems people can find when they purchase armors from ebay and I just took off one from this case (well, probably. I'm not sure it is not a recast of course).

In this case, the details seem to be very sharp to be a recast.

39 bids at 600$?

It seems to be a FX with a MR helmet. And... LOL for the main pic, it seems the guy doesn't know how the armor has to be worn.

Got it. And yes... your choice is logical and I agree with that. So you're simulating as you took possession of a screen used armor for real. Amazing! Jez normally takes his time to reply and to update his site, but he always replies.

Just a question (only for curiosity, not more): We know the ANH stunt helmets were grey/green poor plastic (not ABS) white painted, and this is the reason why I consider this amrour the most accurate so far, over the rest of the job. But should this display a specific stormtrooper character seen in ANH? I do not rememeber a stormtrooper with a helmet so weathered (I've just seen the upper part of the dome in the other thread and it is very "ruined"), this is why I ask.