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dashrazor's ata incinerator trooper build thread[*ATA]


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i am starting out my incinerator trooper build thread

 

my plan of action

1. helmet

2. armor

3. custom pauldron

4. flamethrower

 

got my brown box of goodies

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also my scrap built ammo pouch is complete (click here for templates and howto)

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HELMET

 

before i do any trimming, i am coating the inside of the helmet with rustolium truck bed liner, first i scrubbed the inside of the helmet with dawn dish soap and a steel wool, then i wrapped the helmet in an old walmart bag to prevent over-spray, also i taped around the edges to hold the bags in place

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after 2 coats

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now ill let this cure over night and then begin trimming

 

now for rough trimming

 

i will be using my craftsman radial arm saw to do most of the rough trim work ;) no im not kidding... i made a makeshift hot wire cutter using my radial saw and some junk

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making first cuts, it works very smoothly and by adjusting the voltage i can fine tune the cutting speed

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you cant see the cuts because they almost re-weld after cutting

 

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the cut pieces just pop off after cutting

 

this is the cutting circuit it is made from a 12 volt transformer, variac from a sewing machine and a guitar stringDSC01391.jpg i tested this on some scrap plastic first and was surprised how much easier it was than scissors or a blade, i like this method because it reduces the risk of cracking the plastic, also it is very easy to guide the cuts and you can change cutting angles on a dime...

 

*ATA

Edited by dashrazor
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i love the smell of burning plastic in the morning :)

 

i made a short demo video of my hot wire trimmer (please note i am cutting with one hand while filming with the other)

 

here it the other ear rough trimmed

 

DSC01397.jpg

 

now i will start fine trimming with a dremel

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i hope this is looking ok :unsure:

DSC01399.jpgDSC01398.jpg

 

the final trimming is scary....

 

i am trying not to over trim but i dont want to under trim.. any input would be helpful ;)

 

thanks to jessie for your ata helmet build thread, it has been a big help

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i am attaching the ears with a combination of 3 glues. gorilla super glue gel, automotive goop and hot glue

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i allied the goop to the edges of the ears and clamped in place

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then i put in all the ear screws and tightened, applying small drops of super glue gel in any small gaps

i filled the seams inside the helmet with hot glue for reinforcement

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i cleaned up the little bits of visible goop with an exacto blade and pencil eraser

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then sanded every inch with imperial wet dry sandpaper and claened with automotive surface prep cleaner

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first coat of primerDSC01410.jpgDSC01411.jpg

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i hope this is looking ok :unsure:

 

nope... not right at all. you should just get a new kit and send this one to me. i'll pm you my address.

 

 

 

 

kidding, obviously. looks great, and some pretty innovative methods here to boot. :duim:

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starting the helmet detailing, i taped the areas to be detailed with automotive masking and filled in gaps with blue painters tape and plastic bags to prevent overspray

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i painted all areas black first then re masked the details

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after i went over the black with grey

 

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it didn't come out as good as i would like, but hopefully the battle damage will cover the problem areas :huh:

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i masked off the tube stripes and touched up some overspray with an airbrush

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then masked off the red areas

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i airbrushed it with 3 different shades of red starting light around the edges and then darker shades

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next im gonna do the battle damage, weathering and fine detailing

Edited by dashrazor
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  • 2 weeks later...

thanks guys iv actually done a lot since those photos, i have almost the whole set trimmed and ready to assemble, i also touched up the helmet decal areas some, it has been a good learning experience

 

i did learn a few do's and donts

 

i used rustolium appliance epoxy for the white finish (great stuff) but be carful when applying painted details, fortunately i tested on scraps first, testors model paints are ok but if you thin them too much you will get orange peel (cracked finish) i ended up using acrylic craft paints from wal mart (they can be thinned with water or windex so there is no chance of a bad reaction) but then the deatails need to be sealed, i tested several clear coats before i found one that didnt react badly with the rustolium finish. the only one that worked was krylon matte finishDSC01461.jpg

 

even the rustolim clear finish reacted badly with the appliance epoxy :huh: to do the cracked battle damaged areas i applied hot glue to the area then ripped it off slowly, this removed the epoxy finish to expose the bare primer, then i filled the cracks with khaki colored craft paint and sealed with clearcoat, oh and a other helpful hint... if you live in a buggy area like me burn a couplel citronella candles nearby when painting it helps keep bugs from getting in your paint ;)

 

also the hot wire trimming is insanely easy and quick i recommended it to anyone doing an ATA it cut the hips like butter

 

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enough ramblings lol..

 

installing lenses

 

i put 2 part epoxy around the eyes and inserted female threaded hex nuts (from an old pc card) into the epoxy

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then i cut the lenses and warped them slightly with my propane heat gun

 

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i drilled out holes and bolted in the lenses with the same PC card hex screws

almost done :D

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Edited by dashrazor
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Hot wire trimming? Is that a new TIP thread I smell? :)

ha :D the melting hips actually smells quite nice, but i haven't tested on abs yet. i cant remember exactly where i got the schematics (i made it a few years ago for cutting foam insulation sheets) but if you google hot wire foam cutting, you can find plans to make one or buy a premade foam cutter pretty cheap

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  • 2 weeks later...

i took out the foam lining from an old hokey mask i got at a yard sale and glued it into the helmet with plumbers goop (i also may use the helmet strap from this also)

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fits perfect and is really comfortable...

 

then i installed Smittys awesome mic tips :D

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doing the final sanding and trimming was taking forever with a dremel :( and the dremel (no matter how good your skills are) is prone to kickback and slipping.. so i decided to take a gamble and try my bench belt sander :o i was a but reluctant at first, but using the drum end it was super easy to trim/sand in one easy step, i used an extremely worn out belt so it removes the excess plastic slowly and precisely. i am in a bit of a time crunch on this build because my cousins 10yr old son son having a birthday soon and him and his brother are super crazy about Star Wars .. i sure to give them one big surprise since they have never seen a real life star wars character before.. :) enough rambling on... i hope to start priming and painting some parts today if all goes well

 

 

here is a video of me trimming with a craftman belt sander (my daughter filmed it so the camera work is a bit wonky)

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Nice work Mason. I understand from others that used it that a belt sander is the fastest way to trim armor and get nice edges. Alas, it's also a dangerous tool to use too. Can't wait to see how this shakes out :)

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i started fitting the pvc trim before i start painting.. this stuff looks nice and for 75 cents a foot it was a great deal ;)

 

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tip: leave the trim out in the sun for a bit...it makes it easier to work with

Edited by dashrazor
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i joined using a strip of white rubber and hot glue

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i will reinforce the hot glue seam permanently ;) soon as i come up with a good way of doing it

Edited by dashrazor
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