Jump to content

Jimmi FOTK build + Anovos bucket


rtfitzpa

Recommended Posts

Hello FISD!

 

I ordered Jimmi’s V5 armor last November (after well over a year of waiting on Anovos) and am finally getting around to acquiring all of the needed supplies. It’ll be the first FOTK in Alaska, so I hope to continue the influence of the Empire in the great white north!

 

I’ve already put together a Centurion-level Anovos ANH TK and a WTF Snowtrooper, so I’m looking forward to this build, having had a bit of experience and practice.... not to mention practice mistakes and then having to fix them... more than once!

 

I’ve not documented either of the builds before, so I thought I’d keep track of this one a bit more thoroughly. I’ve always had GREAT support from those who have built before me, so I hope to continue that trend and share my experience with others.

 

I’ve got the armor, and I’ll post the unboxing photos in the coming days, as well as listing where my other supplies came from.

 

Thanks all for your support, guidance, and inspiration bringing this world to life!

 

For the Empire!

TK38991

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great to hear we have another FOTK build thread coming, Ryan! :jc_doublethumbup:  No pressure here, lol, but since you have the experience we look forward to great things, trooper.  I've been mulling over whether or not to order one of Jimmi's kits, and hopefully your build thread will push me over the edge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Laid out all of the parts from Jim today - turns out I'm missing the spats, but he's sending them right away!

 

I'll take some close up photos this afternoon.

 

--------------

 

Edited by gmrhodes13
link removed no longer working
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Initial thoughts - armor is well made and already quite smooth. I live in Alaska and have limited use of a garage, so sanding may have to wait until warmer weather when I can use the deck.

 

There are four small cracks in total. I have not worked with fiberglass, but it seems like it should be easy to fix.

 

Most of the pieces are going to have to be cut down for my frame (5 foot 7 inches, 140 pounds). I’ll have to order some ABS to help bond these split pieces, unless there is another suggestion?

 

I’ve ordered decals from Trooperbay and will pick up some bondo and new Dremel saws.

 

Obligatory photo dump....

 

 

e9c975d6272dcde4f143c767e7eb84de.jpg&key=ba1307360becaa28b0500a829a45551e3be221c091a117660c46bb686b670fd4

 

f1a6db0be9a7dec157f9c28369afdfc0.jpg&key=7793ac618dfcabfefa9366e9a7219dcfe3b304b2375e13f62f3012da0f894c46

 

Small crack

1003fd59c37d92b71d71c1c2cf9ae157.jpg&key=36ef26ece336d771c11328249ef9bec636f12cb9683a82122ae350cd8319b7f1

 

Two small cracks

c305a96b5e866c7ab4eab9dab67ce628.jpg&key=47e3119be5495d622c45fd86e4d5fbbadb2b40c730f24213a31d602c2b6b910e

 

7891b949e3afb39360fcd45b27b3e884.jpg&key=cce543072ced3b5ca28cbb63f72f8c8017cab0a98ff759a4dcf738d5ac47b4dd

 

70f64a823455ab1534a619cea1ada5b0.jpg&key=c8f1e87909dedfb5e0cd2a5461b2c712fd6a784116c51aa83fcebebba8e1e28e

 

bf933b8a4b8636b436027f4e651bdb12.jpg&key=aaa780d6b4d75696d840cbc360556405046737d753b06678d06c6ea054121c18

 

bc9372f9c44e036f06cbbd894715ae3e.jpg&key=d1e7d339011ed0fbc0b91940a476523233903e33fad4a84640e74de154d14fe4

 

5b9df33e872e0591f669a0dd8144aed9.jpg&key=f6802bedff961120486ef9d9d1d31ef237d0228b613da33857c368e193368920

 

161cc351fb35b10f2b9d1685d505fbb1.jpg&key=95c504b942e3a1dea5f1f05363a84358046c16a2a194aa9b9cf94fd748a7b0cc

 

fb7b34b6a1701635ed2a5b3304e2c810.jpg&key=40259896731a46d8a3bb3ad059e3b7324bee539e9d6d655783eaa7bdf5b4d678

 

07fbb4c9168fa3c15766992ef2d4cfd9.jpg&key=f4c1e47f9fe0306569ad8100d32ff22fe97355ea7701e70747016a8b4243dcbd

 

bd53f353e646a458908cbccf8ad0b704.jpg&key=f3f38315fb03ac4ab8a3a36e7f301e71bbc04beb996479d17011ca5c8fd87092

 

09e249b5534fda10728e4f2f0b86ea13.jpg&key=daf193c1562726c8803b2ec64c36c292952b7b704a7ce3eb229a7f780592c439

 

94692f0cabac3136078369303eac0cef.jpg&key=27117033dc627a636becd4bf5bb0a9470fc92ce810bff6e01cfde83f426b0085

 

c98300726caec61855ce1762dbed3ead.jpg&key=54ba5762dd94d68a98f4a4b4136195897dc786292a5f26c374d92cfa4cf03837

 

f834416a78b191f360064437e6cb1e4c.jpg&key=4e0b087b936a43bcb6336f5010749065435b481538e1269bb5171af4ef388d22

 

9d69a237697f7ff6e9c57816c15fe293.jpg&key=d331d3732a13d1895408a39f85a58f42777f70e6d1d9edc486991514848d3532

 

a78253a92a4190f794cd4e46f2fc0869.jpg&key=8f5bd121d965a33598fe40f25dc28355f924623a019d8918cd7a36076d908dd4

 

R2Dan’s holster (top) next to Jim’s. I’ll be using R2Dans.

bc316be5e9337ec9d24875075ada8c0e.jpg&key=586db8ec6d8d854b8c3f707efa0348220d6e521acc5f309f32ba0c652f6e39f8

 

JAFO’s belt and Imperial boots and gloves. All fit perfect and are of excellent quality.

d94645e73a861abde0332ea0241af3c0.jpg&key=f233948b12cc8c4d2702e5ecca4bbee050b22a1b8d869c56a75af9eb0b2071ce

 

Ukswrath yoke brackets

3b91667bb4965c1ab4472e5444433d93.jpg&key=8e8ed26d60f836a7e981d56e1fc9a631ac1a56765eae34be31fa4fd422207d19

 

Anovos bucket with Vaderpainter aerator. Good quality, but not sure how to get the plastic one in the helmet out...

e7b8711ae4425f46752d0a6617723ad3.jpg

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've seen one of Jim's kits in person and seems pretty sturdy. You can purchase fibreglass filler, you can also get fibreglass matting and resin, this is more for strengthening areas from behind as it can get quite messy. Mask sure you are wearing gloves and a mask as the tiny fibres can go everywhere, I normally keep a set of clothing just for working with fibreglass and don't mix them with others.

 

Lots of youtube videos on working with fibreglass and filling so I'm sure you'll be fine.

 

One thing in case you haven't considered it is to give all the pieces a good wash with soapy water, this will remove any release agent that some use in the molds.

 

Looking forward to the progress, good luck.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congrats on the Jimmi v5 kit! I have the same setup you have and his armor is amazing! His fiberglass material is very strong and those cracks are easily fixed. I’m 5’4” so you should not have any problem scaling the armor to your size. Be prepared to sand and fill a whole lot. The more time spent on prepping, the better the end result! Good luck and don’t hesitate to reach out for any help or advice.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've seen one of Jim's kits in person and seems pretty sturdy. You can purchase fibreglass filler, you can also get fibreglass matting and resin, this is more for strengthening areas from behind as it can get quite messy. Mask sure you are wearing gloves and a mask as the tiny fibres can go everywhere, I normally keep a set of clothing just for working with fibreglass and don't mix them with others.
 
Lots of youtube videos on working with fibreglass and filling so I'm sure you'll be fine.
 
One thing in case you haven't considered it is to give all the pieces a good wash with soapy water, this will remove any release agent that some use in the molds.
 
Looking forward to the progress, good luck.
 
 


Yes, I was planning on the wash. I have gloves and a mask as well. That’s a great idea to have specific clothing for fiberglass work.. Thanks for the advice!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Great to see another FO! :jc_doublethumbup:

 

For the cracks I used fibreglass matting and polyester resin from a boat repair kit. I applied on the backside of the armor where the crack was and made sure to cover way more area than just the crack itself. This will kill the flex in that area and prevent the crack from progressing. After this you can use body filler as normal on the front and sand flush :)

 

I sanded all of the pieces on the inside with 120grit sandpaper to get rid of stray fibers and sharp spots, then gave the entire kit a good wash. This eliminates itching/snagging and just promotes good adhesion for snaps etc. Some use plastidip on the inside but I don't see the point in that personally.

 

After this i'd recommend giving the outside of the kit a light sanding with fine grit sandpaper (320+), then hit it with a coat of primer. This will show every single little blemish, pinhole, and crack. My kit looked flawless until I had a layer of primer on it :laugh1:

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good luck trooper! Just remember success in your base coat starts with solid prep work. I would strongly advise sanding your primer all the way to 3000 the Phasma's do it and I actually learned this trick from local Phasma. If your primer looks great in theory everything else should look good as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Whew! It's been a couple of months, but I moved across town and all of my projects (personal and professional) got put on the backburner. But spring has arrived in Alaska!

 

Over the next few days, I'll be washing down the parts for the first time and hitting those cracks with the fiberglass matting and resin. I'll post some photos as it happens.

 

I've been looking into heavy-duty snaps, as they are some of my last parts to acquire, but am also very interested in this magnet idea, especially for the chest and back.

 

 

On another note, I know I'll have to trim down quite a bit of material and reshape as much of it as possible, as I do not have an especially large frame at 5'7". I have some ABS from Trooperbay that I'm hoping to use to bridge some of those cuts.

 

Does anyone have suggestions on paint/primer?

 

Huzzah!

Edited by rtfitzpa
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking forward to the progress.

 

I used an automotive acrylic paint, dries quick and can be sanded and buffed, standard white match the anovos helmet perfectly but that paint is local here down under.

 

Some threads you may find useful for paint info:

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/37847-tfa-tk-which-paint/

 

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/37377-questions-on-finishing-and-painting-fotk-armor/

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Looking forward to the progress.

 

I used an automotive acrylic paint, dries quick and can be sanded and buffed, standard white match the anovos helmet perfectly but that paint is local here down under.

 

Some threads you may find useful for paint info:

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/37847-tfa-tk-which-paint/

 

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/37377-questions-on-finishing-and-painting-fotk-armor/

 

Perfect - I may take to be professionally painted. The video in your second link was made by a former member of this garrison - thanks for linking it!

Edited by rtfitzpa
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
On 2/2/2019 at 4:36 PM, gmrhodes13 said:

I've seen one of Jim's kits in person and seems pretty sturdy. You can purchase fibreglass filler, you can also get fibreglass matting and resin, this is more for strengthening areas from behind as it can get quite messy. Mask sure you are wearing gloves and a mask as the tiny fibres can go everywhere, I normally keep a set of clothing just for working with fibreglass and don't mix them with others.

 

Lots of youtube videos on working with fibreglass and filling so I'm sure you'll be fine.

 

One thing in case you haven't considered it is to give all the pieces a good wash with soapy water, this will remove any release agent that some use in the molds.

 

Looking forward to the progress, good luck.

 

 

I have actually recorded some of the work I’ve done with repairs on my Jim Kit that I will post to YouTube and include some links on my Build thread as well.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/13/2019 at 10:41 AM, Ensi said:

Great to see another FO! :jc_doublethumbup:

 

For the cracks I used fibreglass matting and polyester resin from a boat repair kit. I applied on the backside of the armor where the crack was and made sure to cover way more area than just the crack itself. This will kill the flex in that area and prevent the crack from progressing. After this you can use body filler as normal on the front and sand flush :)

 

I sanded all of the pieces on the inside with 120grit sandpaper to get rid of stray fibers and sharp spots, then gave the entire kit a good wash. This eliminates itching/snagging and just promotes good adhesion for snaps etc. Some use plastidip on the inside but I don't see the point in that personally.

 

After this i'd recommend giving the outside of the kit a light sanding with fine grit sandpaper (320+), then hit it with a coat of primer. This will show every single little blemish, pinhole, and crack. My kit looked flawless until I had a layer of primer on it :laugh1:

 

 

Good advice. Definitely do this, sand and fill again, then sand to 600/800 grit but not higher prior to painting otherwise your run risks of your

paint running.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, FN-1313 said:

Good advice. Definitely do this, sand and fill again, then sand to 600/800 grit but not higher prior to painting otherwise your run risks of your

paint running.

And professional automotive painters use 400 grit before final paint, so yea no higher than 600/800 ;)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...