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Zerop1ng's first time build - 850 Armor Works FOTK


Zerop1ng

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Hey guys and gals, 

 

My name is Shawn and I am brand new to this world. I have dabbled a bit in 3d printing some SW blasters and helmets to make masters of and then cast but never really pursued it further. 

This go around I decided to fully commit and build a complete armor set, and I have learned a ton so far and have even more left to learn. I wanted to share some of my progress, I know there are big gaps in the pictures as I didn't intend to create a tutorial/guide when I started, but I think some people may benefit from what my life and work experiences bring to the build. I run a small automotive/marine detailing company in southern Alabama ( but I am originally from the Boston area), went to school for CAD (mechanical/architectural) and an avid hobbyist in multiple fields ( electronics, model making, music)

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Everything trimmed out

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Edited by Zerop1ng
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Parts list:

Armor : 850 Armor Works

Helmet: Anovos Premier TFA 

Undersuit:  stormtrooperundersuit.com

Neckseal: Imperial Boots gasket material

Gaskets: Imperial Boots gasket material

Boots : Imperial Boots

Gloves:  White Eagle goatskin (which I will mod)

Belt: 850 Armor Works

Belt Pouches: custom made from Cordura 1000D

 

As a detailer finishes are everything to me, and a good paint job (I am lucky enough to have a good friend who is a professional painter so yes - it will be painted :) ) needs a prepped surface. So we knock down the shine and remove basic imperfections as well as identify others

 

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All basic joints were done with ABS glue, but anything was going to be stressed and/or needed seam filling was done with Plexus MA310, a 2 part MMA structural adhesive.

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After all the parts were sanded down with 400 then I used a flexing glazing putty to make the surface as uniform as possible and eliminate low spots. I used Evercoat Polyflex 411 which is a flexible polyester based material designed for repairs on flexible parts such as urethane bumpers on cars. It is hard to the touch and sands very nicely, and flexes a surprising amount without cracking. 

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Edited by Zerop1ng
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Ha thanks. It's a very thin coat (skim) which is why they call it a glazing putty. Filler is designed to fill large areas or defects, and there aren't any of those. But I found low spots that , if painted, would produce weird warped, wavy reflections. It is inherent in vacuformed items, but my effort is certainly cheaper than a cast or injection molded kit. It is a lot of work, yes . 

 

Good example

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I hope the skim coat doesn't produce any cracking in the final paint work if the armour flexes. Great progress so far.  :popcorn:

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On 6/24/2019 at 5:28 PM, Sly11 said:

I hope the skim coat doesn't produce any cracking in the final paint work if the armour flexes. Great progress so far.  :popcorn:

Thanks! The glazing putty Im using (Evercoat Polyflex 411 is specifically designed for flexible material applications and is rated to bend 70°+ at 1/4" thickness . It is amazing stuff 

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On 6/24/2019 at 5:02 PM, yo_its_nino said:

Fantastic progress! Test fit looks really sharp so far! Looking forward to seeing completed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks , I appreciate it!

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On 6/24/2019 at 5:02 PM, yo_its_nino said:

Fantastic progress! Test fit looks really sharp so far! Looking forward to seeing completed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks! I will be posting more progress very soon

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On 6/22/2019 at 11:00 AM, ukswrath said:

Wow Shawn you're making so quick work with your build. Excellent!

Thanks! I was lmpressed and inspired by your FOTK build (I have even bought your pill hole material, shoulder reinforcement plates and usb y adapter )!

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1 minute ago, Zerop1ng said:

Thanks! I was lmpressed and inspired by your FOTK build (I have even bought your pill hole material, shoulder reinforcement plates and usb y adapter )!

Glad to be of assistance and thanks for the props. Keep up the great work :jc_doublethumbup:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Finally had some time to upload more pics and updates :) 

Here is the gasket material from imperialboots - haven't decided if I will glue or sew the seams 

 

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It is rubber coated foam, interesting stuff

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I have started the pouches and nearly finished the suspension harness. I am no tailor ( had to borrow a sewing machine) so be gentle with your criticisms haha!

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I also wanted to show an example of the flexibility of the Polyflex 411 glazing putty I am using . This is the back plate area where it wraps to the front. 

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It is more likely the ABS will break first haha.

Working on the seam on the abdominal armor

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The majority of my pieces are at the painter's waiting to be primed. I can do a lot of the strapping and gasket sizing/attachment points when it comes back before final painting. 

I am still trying to get a metal holster which I need before I can do final paint. If I had a 3d file of it I could bring that to anyone with a water jet and crank it out. Alas I may have to build the model from scratch..

Edited by Zerop1ng
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1 minute ago, ukswrath said:

Looking great Shawn, loving the inner suspension ;)

Thanks! Putting it on is a little awkward , it will definitely be more so once it is attached to the abdominal armor lol. My kit doesn't have add on boxes they are "molded" on, so I intend to rivet at the top hidden edge and then a copious amount of MA310 to the lower rigilene hoop and cross my fingers

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Oh I almost forgot , I scored this on ebay for 26 bucks ( Im the evil bastard who comes in at the last second and outbids you hah). This is a great piece, unlike the POS I bought from a site which shall remain nameless in the UK

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14 minutes ago, Zerop1ng said:

Oh I almost forgot , I scored this on ebay for 26 bucks ( Im the evil bastard who comes in at the last second and outbids you hah). 

haha I'm the same. Watch all the crazies run the price up, or not, then sneak in the last 3 seconds and place the bid I'm willing to pay and BOOM! it's over and 95% of the time I kill it. 

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1 minute ago, ukswrath said:

haha I'm the same. Watch all the crazies run the price up, or not, then sneak in the last 3 seconds and place the bid I'm willing to pay and BOOM! it's over and 95% of the time I kill it. 

Exactly! So frustrating watching an item with like 3 days left and the goofballs are all trying to outman each other! So dense lol. I also remove myself from the watchlist so I am full stealth mode before I strike :)

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