Jump to content

themaninthesuitcase

Administrators[Admin]
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    4,180

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    32

 Content Type 

Posts posted by themaninthesuitcase

  2. themaninthesuitcase 3D printed TLJ build

    in TLJ Build Threads

    Posted

    Took a day or so off to organise.  There's a lot to deal with in this project: about 17-18 armour pieces (made up who knows how many sub components), 2 blasters and a helmet that all need more planning than "that bit looks like a good one to do next".

     

    I went through all the blaster parts I have and decided what needs a reprint in resin.  Modified some to make it easier to add electronics to them.  Things like adding a switch on the mag holder, went for a bigger one to make it easier to use but in the correct place, and hollowing out the Hengstler to make more room.

     

    I now have a plan for all those and will slowly work through the list.  Some parts will be grey as shown above and I picked up some black for bits that will be black to help with con damage. 

     

    The first plate came out prefect but was ruined when I washed them. There was a build up of old resin in the cleaning tub that stuck to the new parts.  This has now been filtered and so should prevent future mishaps.   It was a bit cold today due to rain so will re-run that plate again another day.

     

    Picture for interest: on the resin front here is my UV curing "bucket".  It's a Rogue One Popcorn bucket lined with almost 5m of 405nm UV LEDs.

     

    UXnbXu4.jpg

     

    YaGGQ4p.jpg

     

    Don't look in there, it's bad for your eyes.  I take care to ensure its not on when not covered.

     

    I also scaled all of the upper body armour to what I think should fit me.  It's up at 105% in the horizontal planes, and no change to height. 

     

    The scaling was done part using armorsmith, partly in meshmixer.  Armorsmith I'm using for a "does this look about right all together", this is so that nothing ends up out of proportion with the whole.  Whilst 5% doesn't sound like a lot it's better to be able to see it before you spend days and money printing.  The actual scaling was all in meshmixer.  I won't go into to much detail as the plan is to make some videos on this process but I need to figure it out for my self first.

     

    GXN6APr.png

     

    This shows all parts after import into mesh mixer, combining, scaling, separating and then finally renaming.

     

    I also did was a couple of sizing tests.  I was a bit worried about if certain parts would fit me after my scaling.

     

    Rather than print 4 full sections at about 11-13 hours each and over half a roll of filament, I cut out a ring from the model in the area I was most concerned about.  I have child bearing hips my mother used to say...  This was then cut up to fit onto my printer and printed as fast as I could get it to.  We don't need quality here, it's only a test.

     

    R1X2obl.png

     

    This hopefully shows what I mean, I've move the parts to exaggerate what I am doing.

     

    Once this was printed out, which took about 4 hours for all of it, I was able to super glue it together.  You need to let the glue truly set, so leave it for a few hours or you'll just break the glue when you flex it.

     

    ZsDuHi0.jpg

     

    I also did a slice from the chest plate as a check for further up the body

     

    You can then use the slice as a real test of size on your actual body.

     

    Tomorrow I will start printing part 1 of 8 abdomen parts.  I'm able to print about 1 a day as I only print during the day and only have a single printer.

     

    I've taken a short screen capture as an experiment to see how I will make the videos so you might as well get to see it.  It's rough as I didn't plan on actually making it until I was checking my work at the end.

     

     

    • Like 5

  5. themaninthesuitcase 3D printed TLJ build

    in TLJ Build Threads

    Posted

    So it turns out my wife is a bit of enabler.  Around 10 or so days ago she starts asking about why I don't 3D print a costume, to pass the time during lockdown. Maybe a Death Trooper like our friend did or maybe a First Order Stormtrooper.....

     

    So I present the next in my semi regular series I like to call: Projects I am starting but may not finish.

     

    I know someone who is also printing one and also asked around and also asked a few UKG FOTKs for a bit of advice.

     

    I am going to be using these files: https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-print-models/art/other/star-wars-tlj-storm-trooperhelmet-chest-shoulder-armour-ep8

     

    They aren't perfect, I've already adjusted a 1 file for accuracy and will probably need to adjust more either before or after printing.  They also will need adjusting for fit, there's far less flex in this than with the ABS or Jim kits.  I have printed 2 Ab sections and stopped to double check my measuring. Once I am happy I'll probably need to start over due the below :(

     

    Another isssue I have found is as I need to scale some things, I have to do multiple items as a group so they all scale from the same point, and will still fit after printing.  I am using meshmixer to do this, though I have also bought armoursmith to try help with the sizing.

     

    LK7rSPn.jpg

     

    For example if you scale the ab section and the boxes seperately then once you go to fit the boxes to the plate the fit is off and so it won't sit properly.

     

    To get started I didn't have a huge amount of filament, so whilst I waited for some more to arrive I printed the knee plates, hand plates, and the helmet beak which used all the filament I had.

     

    HARNfaJ.jpg

     

    I ordered some Monoprice PLA+ to try and it seems to be a good choice so far.  It's cheap, prints good enough that the mandatory sanding won't be a nightmare and also takes the afore mentioned sanding well.

     

    X4tPom9.jpg

     

    S619o1e.jpg

     

    The first "fix" I have done is to improve the accuracy of the hand plate.  The "indent" that face forwards was just no good.  Rather than try fix it with filler and drills I went back to the provided V1 file where it was missing.  I took this into fusion and modified it with a far more accurate version, or at least I hope so.

     

    znaPERR.jpg

     

    I also, after a EPIC screw up by the main UK video game store, treated my self to a DLP resin 3D printer to chear my self up.  Not gotten far with this but have printed some of the helmet detail parts and plan on printing all small details on it as I get to them.

     

    There's a bit of a learning curve, as with all new technologies, but I'm starting down the path.

     

    There were a few failures:

    WdgJzoF.jpg

     

    and some sucesses:

    ycgRdGH.jpg

     

    Looking forwards to getting better with this technology.

     

    So on to things I already have:

     

    • 3D printed SC-44C, TFA version needs finishing. I'm not sure if I'll swap to the TLJ yet as they are rather close from more than a few inches away.
    • 3D printed F-11D Standard by 5th Horseman (also needs finishing)

     

    The blasters will be getting some new parts from the resin printer so they look better, also getting the paints I need may need to wait for the world to re-open.  I've also ordered the smallest torch I could find and have modified the 2 parts to try and fit it. I'll start a build thread for that at some point.

     

    Ordered:

    • Imperial Boots
    • Imperial Boots Gloves - bit nervous of these as I was between sizes and they aren't cheap.  But I HAVE lost feeling in my hands due to gloved being too tight which took days to return to normal so I hedged up not down.

     

    Lots of work to do yet, and not sure when I'll be ordering things like the gaskets and undersuit/some shiny shorts. 

     

    I also need to find some more reference images, and dig through some more build threads to check things like fit and position of where things sit etc.

    Learning curve example:

    Whilst taking the photos this morning I noticed one hand guard was missing it's bottom layers!  I was playing with the settings on the print and clearly pressed the wrong thing.  Not a huge issue, I can fix this part with some filler but just shows some of the issues you may run into on a build like this.  Worst case I can re-print it's about 3h a hand guard.  I also plan on casting these for both fun and to be able have a couple of spares in the case.

     

    C2quaZ8.jpg

    • Like 3

  13. FISD Coins - How Many Do You Have?

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    I am not much of a collector so just these 4 (same coins just flipped I only have 1 of each)

     

    NFi8Wi2.jpg

     

    Think its a full set of 2018 (normal, EIB, staff) and then the 2019 staff coin on the right.

     

    The only other coins I have is a pair of these:
    Mo0iYTY.jpg

     

    These are the first coin run my Garrison did that I remember since I joined, there may have been one just before I joined but not 100% on that one.

    • Like 1
×
×
  • Create New...