Dan’s ESB Build-Anovos

[themaninthesuitcase[Admin]]

If you look at the shape of the shins, as shown by the red lines, close you can see that it follows the natural leg shape too. It's just far more subtle.

[DocDan[TK]]

Thanks guys! I will look again at the contours.

 

I am following Tony’s build thread @gmrhodes13.

 

These were pre-trimmed when I got this kit and there were no Anovos number stickers on them so that is why I want to make sure I have these correct.

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

47 minutes ago, DocDan said:

Thanks guys! I will look again at the contours.

 

I am following Tony’s build thread @gmrhodes13.

 

These were pre-trimmed when I got this kit and there were no Anovos number stickers on them so that is why I want to make sure I have these correct.

 

Tony mentions incorrect labels in his thread  

[DocDan[TK]]

Worked on trimming the shins today.

 

 

I measured 10mm in from each ridge enough for the 20mm cover strip...

 

Fine tuned them to fit tight...

 

Also tried them on with the boots and wrapped the backs and made a pencil line for where it will overlap. Divided that measurement and trimmed...

 

 

[DocDan[TK]]

Found time to glue the cover strips to the front of the shins!

 

Right:

 

 

Left:

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

A nice combination of clamps, magnets and tape 

[DocDan[TK]]

10 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

A nice combination of clamps, magnets and tape 

@gmrhodes13 Isn't it a thing of beauty?!  😆

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

4 hours ago, DocDan said:

@gmrhodes13 Isn't it a thing of beauty?!  😆

Indeed, you can never have enough, well almost 

 

[DocDan[TK]]

While the shins are clamped and curing, I decided to get to the detail work of the  MTK helmet. Whoever had it before me tried to clean the black frown off and the vocoder, plus it has the ANH cheek decals that will have to be replaced. I started by paining in the vocoder area with the proper Humbrol paint:

 

 

You can see how the paint was removed on the frown and vocoder. I traced out the vocoder as to where I should paint:

 

 

 

The finished frown and vocoder:

 

I'll work on the cheek decals and the ear squares next. 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

You may want to remove the paint from your gums. Paint on the gums is more a ROTJ look

 

CRL: 

• Frown is painted black and does not leave the teeth area. Eight or six total teeth on the frown are cut out.

 

 

References 

 

 

 

 

[DocDan[TK]]

@gmrhodes13 OK-got it. I can try to scrape some of the gum overlap off.

 

I'm planning on applying the correct cheek decals and tube decals as well. Is there a certain way to apply the side tube decals or just put them on like the ANH ones that are currently on there?

 

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

31 minutes ago, DocDan said:

@gmrhodes13 OK-got it. I can try to scrape some of the gum overlap off.

 

I'm planning on applying the correct cheek decals and tube decals as well. Is there a certain way to apply the side tube decals or just put them on like the ANH ones that are currently on there?

 

 

 

Just like ANH should be fine, pencil width from the cheek (although some helmets have a wider gap)

• Ideally, the tube stripes are positioned approximately a pencil width from the side of the cheek.

 

 

Wider gap

 

Application you can add them dry (as long as your alignment is good) OR wet (soapy detergent in a water spray) BUT that is a slow process to wipe all the water out and get them to dry, but you are able to get rid of air bubbles.

 

More references here http://starwarshelmets.com/original-ESB-stormtrooper-armor-helmets.htm

 

[DocDan[TK]]

I tackled the ear squares. They had not been painted yet with the black outlines...

 

 

 

 

 

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

Looks great.

 

If you want to try and sharpen the edges, you can use a toothpick and carefully scratch away the paint along the edge to get a nice clean line.  
 

Also, for the black bars, not sure if it is just the photo, but it looks like they may be stickers that are lifting off a bit at the bottom?

[DocDan[TK]]

12 hours ago, Doggydoc said:

Looks great.

 

If you want to try and sharpen the edges, you can use a toothpick and carefully scratch away the paint along the edge to get a nice clean line.  
 

Also, for the black bars, not sure if it is just the photo, but it looks like they may be stickers that are lifting off a bit at the bottom?

@DoggydocToothpick? Wow-I will try that trick!

 

Yes-they are stickers. Should I paint the black ranks or leave them stickers?

Edited February 7, 2025 by DocDan

[DocDan[TK]]

On 2/3/2025 at 8:29 PM, gmrhodes13 said:

You may want to remove the paint from your gums. Paint on the gums is more a ROTJ look

 

CRL: 

• Frown is painted black and does not leave the teeth area. Eight or six total teeth on the frown are cut out.

 

 

References 

 

 

 

 

@gmrhodes13 I removed some of the black on the gums...how does this look?

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

1 minute ago, DocDan said:

@gmrhodes13 I removed some of the black on the gums...how does this look?

 

 

For basic approval you should be ok (but it's up to your GML) For EIB and Centurion I would think you would need to take more of the gums, especially between the teeth I'll tag the @Deployment Officer Team for comment

[DocDan[TK]]

Continuing work on the bucket. Added the new cheek decals from Trooper Bay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My questions is now... Should I replace the rest of the decals so the shade of grey matches or leave the existing?

 

[revlimiter[Staff]]

I would absolutely replace them. Those colors are very different.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

1 hour ago, DocDan said:

Continuing work on the bucket. Added the new cheek decals from Trooper Bay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My questions is now... Should I replace the rest of the decals so the shade of grey matches or leave the existing?

 

Yes they should be matching.

 

Also note with the tube stripes: 

EIB

• Fall of tube stripe tops ideally lean toward the front.

 

 

 

[DocDan[TK]]

3 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Yes they should be matching.

 

Also note with the tube stripes: 

EIB

• Fall of tube stripe tops ideally lean toward the front.

 

 

 

@gmrhodes13 got it. I will change the rest of the decals out to match the grey.

 

The ANH tube stripes are still on in those pictures. Here are the ESB stripes I put on:

Taking the ANH stripes off.

Cleaned off…

 

 

How do these look?  Are they reversed or should I keep them they way they are?

 

 

 

 

Edited February 7, 2025 by DocDan

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Should have swapped those tube stripes to the other sides, Fall/Lean is from top to front, yours is leaning backwards

 

Hopefully these should explain what I mean, sorry for the rough editing 

 

 

 

You should be able to see the lean forward from the top in this image below.

 

 

 

 

 

[DocDan[TK]]

@gmrhodes13 I’ll swap the tube decals out tomorrow 🫡

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

19 hours ago, DocDan said:

 

Yes-they are stickers. Should I paint the black ranks or leave them stickers?

Stickers are fine, as long as they are not peeling up at the edges. If you can’t get them to stick down, then it is a pretty easy paint job.  
 

[DocDan[TK]]

12 hours ago, DocDan said:

@gmrhodes13 I’ll swap the tube decals out tomorrow 🫡

Ok-swapped the tube stripe decals…They look the same to me 🤔 but I’m sure you folks have more trained eyes. @gmrhodes13