sskunky

Reserved.......for updates

I thought you would like to see how I score & snap my armour when trimming...... https://youtu.be/-bO0ERaOjho

I said I'd do a tutorial on belt assembly. So here it is. First sew the Velcro on the belt then lay it out. Trim about 10mm off each end of the abs belt part and drill the holes centrally at the ends. Lay that on the belt in the middle and mark the holes. Then cut the white elastic for the drop boxes and lay them down on the belt and mark the holes. Glue the white elastic to the drop boxes. Take the abs belt part and clamp it to the ab plate and drill the holes to attach everything. With a hole punch, cut the holes in the fabric belt part and the white drop box elastic. Make sure everything lines up and all work is good.... Then with a couple of rivets and washers thread the rivets through the abs belt, elastic, and fabric belt and the ab plate. Put a washer on the back and secure .....DONE! HOPE THIS HELPS......

Hi Guys and Gals........ I thought it about time I put together a guide on how to trim and assemble the armour and helmets I offer. I get asked numerous times about this and thought it would be easy if I could direct them here...... I will update with further information and photos as I go. First up how the armour should look once it's trimmed.... I will add a few tutorials on how I trim the armour and helmets and what tools I use etc, etc.......... For now it's what it looks like trimmed...... CO2 Detail End Caps Sniper Plate Knee Ammo Pak Shoulder Straps Hand Guards Drop Boxes Belt Shoulder Bells Forearms Biceps Shins Thighs Back Plate Chest Plate Ab Plate Butt Plate As you can see there is little to no return edge to most of the armour. I put a small edge on the leg parts and a couple of the smaller parts but that's about it. You will also notice I pay little attention to dead straight cuts as I feel you get a better look if it's not perfect. There is so much asymmetry going on I feel it would look wrong perfect. The originals were thrown together and so are mine! I will add more as I go..........

Yes I have fire hose or the standard cheaper stuff. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Email me at medwards5 at mac dot com. It's easier.

I can give you tips on the trimming and what tools and glue to use for the best results. Just ask.

I think viscosity is the wrong word in this case as that describes the friction between particles in fluid.

I should get out my moulds that are already bent. But they aren't as nice and the straight ones! Or make some more. Mind you that wouldn't help you ANH or ESB troopers as my Rotj are different. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good point Paul. I use 2mm so I guess you should choose the method that suits the material thickness you are using. 1.5 mm is more risky in the oven.

It's just what you're comfortable doing. I've always done it this way with great results. As long as you keep checking the straps while they are heating up you shouldn't have a problem. I actually find this method safer than a heat gun or holding it over a stove. If you're not experienced with a heat gun you can easily hotspot the plastic and melt it. Anyway you choose to do it you must be careful not to over hear it. When putting it in the oven you generally get an even heat all over the straps and the whole thing will bend evenly. Just heating a small part of the strap you are more likely to get kinks or uneven bends. But hey what do I know? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

160 Centigrade. Or 325 Fahrenheit You can go higher but at your risk. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I stick em in the oven at about 160 for 3mins or do. Just keep an eye on the ridges that they don't start to loose definition and go to soft. Take them out and bend them over a small saucepan. They'll cool pretty quickly if you run them under cold water. Check them periodically while heating them.

Well done Todd. That turned out great. They say you shouldn't polish a turd but you did it well.

Well....... He's still at it and I cannot hold it against anyone that falls for his BS. My mic tips are the only mic tips that have the Hovi Pa-2 where it is. All others have it in a different place. Yet he still tries to convince himself and others that they are cast from a set his father gave him! He now has stopped people messaging him. By the way I still make these and are always available.

Sorry to have to correct you but the original moulds were not destroyed in a fire as AA did not have the original moulds! In fact the original moulds as far as I know are still alive in a workshop getting dusty. A guy walks into the company I use for my forming to get some parts vac'd for the batboat on the last Batman movie. He was an older Modelmaker in his late 60's. Anyway he sees one of my faceplates and says that looks familiar. The vac boys told him they make them for me. He says " it looks wrong" and was told that they were Rotj helmets. Long story short.... Turns out this guy worked at the LFL plaster and vac rooms at Elstree and when LFL shut them down in the mid 80's they were going to throw everything away. Yes you guessed it the original TK moulds! From ANH. I tried to get hold of this guy through the vac shop but had no joy and they would not give me his number out of client curtesy. :doh: Still haven't given up but goes to show you cannot believe everything you hear. Incidentally AAs suits are a combination of TE and GF reworked as far as I'm led to believe. Cheers!

Welcome aboard trooper.

LOL, I've just noticed this untrimmed pull.......With the bulge run off! Maybe just a couple of wooden blocks placed somewhere either side will help........

Very nice. Loving the work! When you vacuum form the faceplate it will help to build up the run off under the chin and tubes. It will help the pull not creasing at the base of the tubes. Like a sloping bulge. It will pull the plastic away from the bottom of the tube. Adding blocks etc to moulds in certain places will help with any creasing forming on the pulls on any pull. Just experiment...... Good luck.

Nice write up Vern! OK, I can tell you that this was cast from the correct parts originally except the the power cylinders. How do I know? I supplied SDS my parts to cast many years ago before all the S*** hit the fan! I got my parts back totally infested in silicone. Not really usable and got absolutely nothing in return for my troubles. Not even a crappy blaster! I tried to educate AA about all the details but it just went in one ear and out the other. They are injection moulded would you believe! Using this method you should get cracking results but I think the initial casting was poor. There you have it! In the true words of Vern...... ENJOY!

When I assemble suits for customers I find it much easier to split it into sections. Get all the tools, magnets, stanley knife, rachet clamps, glue and music to make armour by . Trim all the parts. Assemble the helmet Glue arms. glue legs. paint details, Ab buttons, helmet. Rivet belt, sniper plate and ammo pack. Strap it. done! As others have said, take your time and enjoy the build. If your not sure, ask. You'll feel better asking and doing it right rather than going in all guns blazing and doing it wrong. Good luck!

When glueing in strapping I use Stelmax. It's close to what was used originally in ROTJ armour. Be careful though as it will warp if you use too much. -------

I use Liquid solvent cement for ABS and HIPS. Although I rarely use HIPS but it does bond. Most people use it incorrectly. You are not supposed to apply it to the surfaces until the two are clamped together. You cannot really go wrong as long as you make sure the pieces are in the correct orientation before applying the liquid. Technically you would use ABSOL for ABS and HIPSOL for HIPS but the universal liquid cement works. I decant it into a needle bottle applicator which makes it easier to use from this: ------- to this ------ or you can use one of these(remember the top has a reverse thread) just dispose of the glue inside and replace with liquid solvent. --------- You can apply it with a brush to the seam too but I find it quicker to use the bottle method. Once the two parts are clamped securely together all you need do is run the needle down the seam and the liquid will seep into the two pieces in a capillary action and bond them together permanently and very cleanly.... Be careful not to let the liquid drip across armour as it will eat into it! You can sand it down and polish it if it does so not all is lost if you do drip it. I have used this for years and it never fails me. It's clean and invisible bond.

His armour is reworked GF and Oakley/TE derived armour. Not much in the way of links to original. I believe his helmet was a reworked Promotional helmet from what I can tell.....

Power Cylinders works for me. That is what I've always called them.