Ironmonk's ANH TK Stunt Build - AP

[Ironmonk[TK]]

I first encountered the 501st Legion at WizWorld ComicCon Cleveland in 2016. The authenticity and accuracy of the costumes blew my mind! I could not fathom how someone could build such amazing, authentic costumes. It seemed out of my reach to accomplish something like that. Still, I had the bug and the more I learned about the 501st, particularly the charitable aspects of the organization, the more I wanted to try. Over the last couple months I've been doing the research, learning, making connections, and saving money. Then, the week of May the 4th, I placed my order with Mark from AP.  My BBB arrived last week!

 

 

I have nothing to compare it to, but the quality of Mark's kit seems very good to me. I'm glad I did the research and chose AP for my first foray into this hobby. I'm feeling equal parts excited about doing this and anxious about getting it right.

 

 

Of course, I had to put the trimmed helmet together right away! I forgot the eyebrow trim in my excitement, but when I put it on I laughed out loud and felt like I was 12 again. What fun! I wandered around the house for the next 10 minutes quoting Star Wars lines to my family. The four year old thought it was the coolest thing ever. The teens (16 and 13) were less impressed. My wife just laughed and said, "whatever makes you happy."

 

I've never built anything like this, but I've been a miniature figure painter, model builder, and DIY guy for decades. I'm taking the attitude this is a 1/1 scale model build and so far that's helping me overcome my anxiety about taking this on. I'm starting slow, learning how to work with ABS, and practicing patience. I've cut some of the simpler parts. They need sanded and final shaped but I've made a start.

 

 

 

 

 

Encouragement, insight, and input is welcome and appreciated. I'm sure I'll get stuck here and there, especially with the sizing.

 

 

Edited June 24, 2018 by Ironmonk

[wook1138[TK]]

Congrats on BBB day!  Looks like you are off to a good start. I’m just starting my second AP build. Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll be posting all my trimming in the next few days. 

[Frank75139[501st]]

BBB day!!!! Ask any questions you have we’ll help all help out


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[Ironmonk[TK]]

Trimming forearms tonight and wondering about the return edge on the upper end nearest the elbow. Scrolling through the centurion submissions for AP kits it looks like most have very little or no return edge there. That seems like the right thing to do. Comments?

[PhilBobTheFish]

50 minutes ago, Ironmonk said:

Trimming forearms tonight and wondering about the return edge on the upper end nearest the elbow. Scrolling through the centurion submissions for AP kits it looks like most have very little or no return edge there. That seems like the right thing to do. Comments?

There is no set amount of return edge required on armor (except the wrists). If you think it looks better with more edge, leave more on. If you think it looks better with less, take more off. It is completely up to you about how you would like it to look. Have fun with it! Good luck!

[TheSwede[TK]]

Another Stormtrooper in the making - that`s awesome and welcome to FISD 

 

[CableGuy[Admin]]

Good progress. Look forward to seeing it come together. :-)


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[lucnak[TK]]

10 hours ago, PhilBobTheFish said:

There is no set amount of return edge required on armor (except the wrists). If you think it looks better with more edge, leave more on. If you think it looks better with less, take more off. It is completely up to you about how you would like it to look. Have fun with it! Good luck!

Just want to chime in regarding this that you should have return edge at the chest where it meets the ab. Ideally, you should keep return at the kidney and butt plates as well as it will help them sit better, but is not as important. If you can keep some return edge, in most cases, I'd suggest you do (e.g. top of shins), other than the wrist at the forearms as mentioned here. So don't simply go about removing return edge from everything right away...check if you need to remove it, and in most cases, you can. Take a look at centurion applications and the gallery for good references!

 

Other than that, happy BBB day! Good luck with your build!

[wook1138[TK]]

Yep, what Luc said. 

I trimmed the wrists of course.  I also trimmed the ankles so they wouldn't rub on the boots (and for a better fit) and I trimmed the top of the thighs at the recommendation of other troopers (and after my first big troop, I was very happy I did - most certainly a comfort thing). 

 

As for the top of the forearms - if fitting/sizing is not an issue, I would leave some return edge and see how it feels and looks.  You can always remove it later.  It is much harder to add it again  

[Ironmonk[TK]]

Rough trimming continues...

 

 

 

 

 

I've also finished trimmed and edge sanded the other parts I posted. Dremel and a sanding sponge made that simple but messy work. So far everything seems to be going well. I've found a combination of scoring/snapping and lexan scissors to be a good method.

 

I'm concerned about fitting, especially the arms and legs. I want to get a subtle taper on those parts. Is the recommended process to trim the front of the parts to accommodate the standard cover strip width and then trim the back to create the fit? If so, then I'm assuming to trim the back I should tape it all up for a nice fit, mark a center line, and then trim the two sides to that line. Am I thinking about that correctly? For what it's worth, I'm more-or-less "standard Stormtrooper size" - 5'9" 155#.

[TheSwede[TK]]

55 minutes ago, Ironmonk said:

Am I thinking about that correctly?

In short: Yepp

[Ironmonk[TK]]

I'm trying to fit the torso pieces. I've trimmed everything and tapped it up. My question is about the fit. I'm wondering if I need to take more off the ab and kidney around my middle? I cut to the "original movie prop size" as marked by Mark from AP. Should I take it in a bit more?

 

I'm also wondering about how high the cod should be. Does this look about right?

 

 

 

 

 

And yes, I'm always more bald and gray in pics than I recall...  : )

 

 

[Ironmonk[TK]]

I've tapped a mock up of the inside of my helmet. I'm wondering what people do about lenses. The film that came with the AP set seems thin to me, but maybe it's ok?

 

I'm planning to use Sugru to affix things when I'm ready for more permanent set up. I'm considering painting the inside black as well. Thought?

 

Finally, I think I want to trim the opening a bit. My head is big and it's tight getting it on as is. Not impossible, but very snug. Any suggestions on trimming around the bottom edge?

 

 

I know, he's a little short for a Stormtrooper. ; )

 

 

 

 

[wook1138[TK]]

The torso looks good to me.  you should be able to get at least two fingers in there.  I find the AP kidney a little wide for me.  I plan to reshape (hot water bath) on my next build to make it fit the shape of my torso better.  Anyway, you don't want to short change yourself for romm in the kidney-ab area. 

 

The AP green lens is actually pretty close to screen accurate, but,  it is thin.  And this may have been ok on the movie set, but a darker lens is usually needed to keep people from seeing our eyes when in person.  I bought a thicker and darker lens from Trooperbay.  I just attached it with the screws that are already installed by the ears. 

 

Painting the inside or using Plasti-dip looks pretty nice but may cause some minor issues when you go to add adhesives for electronics.  On the plus side, it darkens the inside so it is harder for people to see your face.  Just a personal preference for the most part. 

 

The helmet will be tight.  You don't want to trim any more off the bottom than you absolutely have to.  I have to do the 90° turn trick to get mine on - and it is snug even with that. But if you want to trim it, I would trim only a couple of mm off at a time to see how it fits.  I opened mine up a bit from Mark's original trimming - but just a couple of mm.

 

Oh yeah, and the cod piece... whatever is comfortable.  You don't want it too low or else it will rub on your thighs (more) when you walk.

 

I think it is the graphics on this site - a lot of us seem to have that grey tinge in our hair. 

 

Great work so far!

[Ironmonk[TK]]

Thanks, Wook. Positive feedback coming from you tells me I'm on the right track. I'm having fun with this thing but I have to admit it is anxiety provoking. Costs too much money to eff it up! Anyway, glad to have the support.

[magni[TK]]

Your Torso fits you well in that mock up!

You should have a great looking suit when you're done!

 

[Ironmonk[TK]]

I've been gluing snaps to the torso pieces in preparation for the strapping. Meanwhile, I disassembled my helmet and began painting it.

 

 

I need to do some touch up along the top of the vocoder. It's a work in progress. The teeth are fine, unless one of you tells me otherwise.

 

 

Obviously need black trim and lines, but traps are looking okay, IMHO. Didn't get a pic of the side, but the tears are at this same stage.

 

 

Ears still need black trim too. Screw heads are done though!

 

 

I spray painted my DT tube gloss gray. I hope the color is okay. I used Rustoleum's "Winter Gray" from their Painter's Touch line of primer-paint combo spray cans. I can always respray before assembly if there's another color I should have used.

 

 

Also managed to finish trim my forearms. I first trimmed the front to accommodate a 15mm cover strip on the ridge that comes on the AP kit arms. Then I taped, test fitted, untaped, trimmed, taped again, test fitted again, etc., etc., etc. I only took a tiny bit each time until I got down to what seems a good fit to me. My hands just barely get though the wrist openings and the pieces sit comfortably on my arms. I still need to finish sand the edges. Only issue is on the back the little ridge that is on AP will be wider than a 15mm cover strip. Should I do a wider cover strip in back or just do 15mm and not worry about it not matching the ridge?

 

 

I also rough trimmed my biceps. Hopefully fitting these will be less time consuming now that I understand the process a bit better.

 

[Frank75139[501st]]

I’ve never done an AP kit so I’m not sure of the ridge. Out of curiosity can you post a pic? Everything is looking nice.


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[hollowbodies[TK]]

9 hours ago, Ironmonk said:

Only issue is on the back the little ridge that is on AP will be wider than a 15mm cover strip. Should I do a wider cover strip in back or just do 15mm and not worry about it not matching the ridge?

 

 

You can go a little bit wider than 15mm for the back cover strips on the forearms. That's what I did on my AP kit - I think I made it 16mm or so. A few millimeters larger at the back don't bother at all as it's not that visible, and personally, I prefer having a cover strip that covers all the ridge rather than having a cover strip that doesn't cover it all. Guess it's still a personnal choice, but you'd be okay with a wider cover strip at the back.

 

On another note, the improtant thing is to keep it as proportional as possible. For example don't go 15mm front and 20mm back - I'd rather go for something like 17mm front and 17mm back or something like that if possible. Anyways, you get the point!

 

Good start by the way - lovely job on that AP kit so far! 

Edited May 29, 2018 by hollowbodies

[Pretzel[TK]]

Great work on the trimming. Your paint job is excellent as well. You should be proud of that. 

 

 

As for the Ridge? I think I need to see a photo, but if I understand you correctly, you are talking about the little excess towards the top where the two ends meet? If so, it is okay to dremel it down a bit to make it even (that is what I did). If you can provide a photo, we can better assist. Keep up the good work!

 

[wook1138[TK]]

Looking good.  Yes, cut your back cover strips the same width as the raised return edge.  The cover strip should cover all the flat part of the return edge.

 

Like you mentioned, the top of the vocoder needs some definition, but otherwise things are looking great.  Keep it up!

 

Also, if you did use a slightly wider cover strip on the back of your forearms, you are going to want to do the same for the back of your biceps - just so they look uniform from the back.

[Ironmonk[TK]]

Work continues, albeit slowly this week. No photos to share other than these:

Obviously my boots arrived! I ordered from Imperial Boots when they were "open" in May. I was delighted with how quickly I received them. Can't say I'm a shoe expert or anything, but quality is very good to me. I normally wear a 9.5US, so ordered a 10. Fit is good and they are surprisingly comfortable. The 4 year old said, "I don't have boots for my Stormtrooper..." with a big sad face. We'll have to negotiate that! Kid is going to eventually have me building a child TK!

 

Anyway, I've begun looking into blasters. Right now I'm leaning towards a Hyperfirm E-11 but I'm wondering what others have to say. I'm looking for something in the midst of the spectrum between "display piece" and "good for trooping". Any good recommendations out there? Anyone have input about Hyperfirm?

 

Thanks, all! I appreciate this community. So much good info and stellar people.

 

[Frank75139[501st]]

I have a hyperfirm and it’s easy to troop with. I’m not much of a display person and haven’t compared it to other blasters so I’m not sure if any others are more intricate which would look better on display. It’s light and doesn’t weigh down my side when it’s holstered.


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[Ironmonk[TK]]

21 hours ago, Frank75139 said:

I have a hyperfirm and it’s easy to troop with. I’m not much of a display person and haven’t compared it to other blasters so I’m not sure if any others are more intricate which would look better on display. It’s light and doesn’t weigh down my side when it’s holstered.

Thanks, Frank. I'm wondering how is it made? You say it's light so is it solid rubber or is it rubber skin over a nerf-like foam rubber? Also, did you paint/weather yours? Does it take paint well?

[TheSwede[TK]]

23 hours ago, Ironmonk said:

I'm looking for something in the midst of the spectrum between "display piece" and "good for trooping". Any good recommendations out there?

I have a rubber one from Imperial Warfighters and loving it