3D Printed Rogue One TK Build Thread

[bTonyd]

Hi @Platinum Lexi just want to say that i am following a similar path and i'm stalking your progress. ROTK 3d printed from white PETG.

 

I've tried to print GA files but there are so many screw-ups and differences between Akira files and GA files that i did not want to follow those files anymore.

 

Akira is chef's kiss indeed (and Nico). The only files from GA that seem decent to me were the biceps, forearms and shoulders. I am a very inexperienced beginner here so take everything with a grain of salt.

 

I even messaged GA to modify the belt because it was really incorrect screen-wise (and i am not that experienced as the veterans around here). They said that they don't really have that much time.

 

All in all i wanted to just give you an info because i took this path and wasted 10 kilos of filament but again, this is just my path. 

 

I will start a build thread too in the next months because i am very excited and i am really, really bad at strapping. I need all the help i can get.

 

P.S: the GA files are extremely hard to strap in some parts.

 

Looking forward for your news.

 

Cheers

[Platinum Lex]

Oh definitely, I actually regret spending so much money on finishing GA’s armor because at the time I didn’t realize how inaccurate and difficult to put together it is. Honestly I’m just going for level one and it’s on a bit of a budget at the moment so I’m not too upset about it.

[bTonyd]

35 minutes ago, Platinum Lex said:

Oh definitely, I actually regret spending so much money on finishing GA’s armor because at the time I didn’t realize how inaccurate and difficult to put together it is. Honestly I’m just going for level one and it’s on a bit of a budget at the moment so I’m not too upset about it.

I feel the same thing, yeah.

 

You really did a great job with those files, i will come back here to ask for some advice on my process.

 

Good luck with it, i'm looking forward for you to get accepted.

[Platinum Lex]

Of course, I really look forward to seeing yours and you should send me a message when you start it. Overall advice: don’t get GA’s stuff for this. He’s a great dude but his Imperial stuff just isn’t great.

[Platinum Lex]

So I figured out the issue with my printer (which was really stupid) and it was that the printer was printing on top of its own cords which I tragically couldn't realize (I promise I'm smart this isn't like me). This printer that I refuse to let die and that's being held together with duct tape and a rubber band is currently what is supporting my project, more updates to come once I finish printing all the remaining pieces.

Edited May 15 by Platinum Lex
Typos

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

53 minutes ago, Platinum Lex said:

So I figured out the issue with my printer (which was really stupid) and it was that the printer was printing on top of its own cords which I tragically couldn't realize (I promise I'm smart this isn't like me). This printer that I refuse to let die and that's being held together with duct tape and a rubber band is currently what is supporting my project, more updates to come once I finish printing all the remaining pieces.

Hey anything that works  I had a droopy feed on one of my machines which would catch when moving long distance, I used some fencing wire wrapped around to hold it higher than the prints.

[Platinum Lex]

I was looking ahead and I was thinking about adding a rubber trim and a rubber brow to my helmet. I'm seeing a lot of different trims and rubber sizes and types, but I'm not too sure which would be the best for the helmet. if it's not in budget then I'll probably skip it for now, but somewhere I read about an S-type trim for accuracy (might be from an OTTK though).

Additionally, does anyone know if I can just glue the rubber brow straight to the helmet if I have the right one? Thanks.

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Some use a U trim for around the base, Black Series build thread

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NDVCKG4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

For the brow some use Trooperbay's OTTK brow trim

 

 

[Platinum Lex]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NDVCKG4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
Ordered this neck trim and it fit PERFECTLY (thank you for showing me that gmrhodes). Gonna start working on the chest and back soon.
Additionally, I ordered a Rogue One style orange pauldron (I love pauldrons) so I will update with photos when it arrives.

Edited Monday at 02:39 PM by Platinum Lex

[Platinum Lex]

I made a list of the all the soft goods I would need along with cheaper but potentially unacceptable alternatives for someone and figured I might as well share it on here, I know there's probably a list out there with better choices but I figured I might as well share this one:
 

Undersuit:
Most accurate ($290):
New Era Undersuit

 

Decent alternative ($17 + any black t-shirt):

Thermal Underwear

 

Shoes:

Most accurate:
First Order Stormtrooper Boots ($150)
Rogue One TK Boots ($144)

Cheaper, not accurate ($110 or anywhere you can find these):
Original Stormtrooper Boots

Gloves:

Most accurate ($80):

Gloves

Cheaper, not perfect ($16 + ~$20 shipping to US):
Cheaper Gloves

Balaclava:
Good option ($6):
Balaclava

Neck Seal:
Both good options, only need it for 501st approval, many more on the internet:
First Order Neck Seal ($41 + ~$20 Shipping)

New Stormtrooper Neck Seal ($28 + ~$20 Shipping)

Edited Monday at 10:11 PM by Platinum Lex

[Platinum Lex]

I've spent some time looking at other build threads and reference photos and I'm at the point where I'm thinking about what shine I need for my armor and how I should get it. I was looking at reference photos and noticed that some of the helmets have different sheens (but I honestly think it's just the lighting).

 

 

I'm aiming for a level of reflection or sheen as seen in the second photo in the rain (assuming it's not just the lighting), but I'm not sure how to do that, and more importantly how to prevent it from yellowing.

This here is a lineup of the spray paints that I currently have, but I'm thinking about how to make the armor and helmet shine correctly. The Rust-Oleum Gloss White and some layers of gloss clear coat are currently my plan to get a shine, but most importantly I want the helmet to be smooth. If needed, I can wet sand the clear coats down with some 2500 or 3000 grit sandpaper, even if it removes some of the shine, but it's okay because I'm not going for a mirror finish. I'm not sure how to add clear coat, but I read somewhere that the coats need to be added before the other fully dries. My goal with the clear coat is to both make it glossier but to also to prevent it from scratches, but I'm not sure how many layers I need to add before I'm good. Apparently SprayMax 2K Glamour Clearcoat is also good for this but it's quadruple the price and I'm just not that sure how it'll work.

For the tears and traps I used the darker primer for my last build and I also have charcoal grey from a clone trooper build but someone also recommended Rust-Oleum Satin Granite and I was wondering if that was a better fit. I cannot for the life of me tell whether or not the tears and traps are matte, satin, or gloss (nor do I really know the difference). I was going for just a satin or matte granite with some matte clear coat to top it off in hopes that it prevents some scratching, especially with the armor. One of the biggest problems with the armor is that some of the edges rub against each other and scrape away the paint, especially the sharp edges, which is way I have some soft, thin padding under the armor.

For the details like the vocoder (chin detail) and the aerators (mic tips), I can't really tell if they are glossy or not, but if they are I'll use gloss black and if not I'll use matte or satin, whichever is more accurate. Actually I just looked at an auction for a real helmet from Rogue One and it says that the vocoder is actually more rubber so I think I'll stick with matte for that and the mic tips.

For the blue sections underneath, I'm using Brilliant Blue because I have it on hand, it looks like the medium blue that I see in the photos, and it tastes the best. If there is a paint that is considered to be SUPER accurate and it's not $400 per ounce then I might swap it out but or I'll decide that it's good enough.

If anyone has any advice or experience that's they'd like to lend out I'd really appreciate it, I'm still looking through other threads to see what others have done. This is still a learning curve for me so I'm still experimenting and learning.

[Sayless]

I think you're off to a really solid start with the paint! As several members pointed out to me during my own build—and based on my subsequent research—these new-era suits weren't actually painted white. That glossy sheen comes directly from the molds the armor was produced from. Achieving that exact factory shine is a bit tricky to replicate, but it's definitely doable. A 1K clear coat will probably get you closest, but to your point about yellowing: it won't entirely prevent it.

 

The chemical compound in 1K clear isn't nearly as robust as a 2K clear, but it should hold off yellowing for a few years. Sun exposure will certainly expedite the process, but even if the armor sits in a plastic tote in your attic, it will inevitably yellow over time.

 

Regarding sanding: the higher the grit you use, the more orange peel you'll remove, but you need to work up through the grits in steps. Since the screen-used suits weren't painted, they don't have true orange peel, though they do have small mold imperfections that resemble it. Normally, wet sanding is followed by a heavy compound and a fine polish. However, if you do a pass with something like 1500-grit and follow it with a lighter, "poor" polish, you’ll likely get closest to the screen-accurate finish you're aiming for.

 

From the SWC22 references, it’s clear this specific helmet was resprayed prior to the show (you can see the overspray on the cheek vents), which actually gives us some great insight into the paint details:

• Vocoder & Ear Greebles: The vocoder has a slight sheen to it, which I’d argue is a satin finish. Similarly, looking at the lower angles and the shots of the ear greebles, those are also a satin grey (which is why myself and others have used Satin Granite).
   

• Forehead Trim: On the screen-used suits, this is technically a matte rubber. However, I think a dusted coat of satin paint mimics the look of real rubber much better than a true flat matte paint. Flat matte is also highly prone to scuffing and scratches. Because of this, some troopers advocate for Plasti Dip here to get that rubberized texture. (I’m currently working with someone to source an accurate rubber trim, as the one TKModder used to import from the UK is no longer available in the States).
   

• Hovi Mic Tips: You could probably get away with a matte finish on these, but I opted for a satin coat on my last helmet to tie them into the vocoder. I might switch it up on my next one and try matte just to see how it compares.

 

From this angle, you can clearly see the orange peel on the helmet from the rush respray, which is entirely absent on the chest plate. Because the helmet refresh was done in a hurry, the blue on the vents is a much lighter shade than what we've seen on other reference suits. The Brilliant Blue you're using should get you pretty close. That said, if it's meant to match the blue seen lower on the abdomen armor, it might need to be a shade darker.

 

 

Technically, the blue section on the screen-used helmets is actually a breathable mesh fabric (as seen in some Kenobi BTS shots), so it’s always going to be tough to perfectly mimic that "texture" on a solid piece of painted plastic.

 

You're doing a fantastic job so far—keep it up!

[Platinum Lex]

Thank you so much, this is a lot of useful information and it’s really going to help me out.

 

When looking at screen used helmets, I noticed that they were slightly translucent so I figured that they were from a cast or mold.

 

For the clear coat, I’m not sure whether you’re talking about 2K SprayMax or Rust-Oleum, but I’m leaning more towards Rust-Oleum because I have it in hand. I’ve had the Rust-Oleum gloss give some orange peel before (or it might have just been the flat white I used) so I think my plan will be the spray the gloss white, spray the gloss clear, then lightly sand down the gloss clear with some super fine grit. Like I said, I don’t need a mirror finish, so having it more smooth than shiny is actually better for me. I understand that yellowing is inevitable, but it’s not the end of the world to me.

 

I’ll pick up some satin granite and satin black the next time I’m at Home Depot (along with materials for my DLT-19 build) and starts working on that when I can, thanks again for everyone’s help.