Sayless's 3D Printed R1TK Build Thread

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Yea the movie armor wasn't even painted. It was simplly the color of the material. Almost a satin, or semi-gloss look. That said, my entire armor was automotive painted with a semi-gloss clear. I just like things new looking forever I guess.

 

But like others have mentioned, not too shiny. I think no matter what you do it will look awesome. 

[TheRascalKing[TK]]

2 hours ago, Sayless said:

 

Thank you for the insight—I’m always happy to hear pointers, tips, or corrections if you have the time!

 

My current thought process is to only use the 2K clear on the helmet. For the remainder of the armor I’m leaning toward a simple 1K automotive clear, mostly for cost reasons but also to avoid going too glossy (like you stated). I do agree that the screen-used armor doesn’t have that "high-gloss sheen", so I’m still trying to figure out the best balance between protecting the finish and replicating the look.

 

One idea I had was doing a mid-grit wet sand and light buff, rather than the full 1000 → 1500 → 2000 progression that would produce a mirror finish. That way the coverage is even but the final result stays closer to the screen-used appearance, while hopefully helping prevent the paint from yellowing over time.

 

Good point as well about potential cracking. I’ve already had a couple issues with my abdomen armor developing cracks due to poor reinforcement, and even just redoing the primer on those areas has been… interesting.

 

Looking forward to seeing future updates on your own ROTK thread as well—it’s been an awesome resource to follow. I actually borrowed a couple of your Rustoleum color choices along the way.

 

Personally, I plan to just hit it with either the Spraymax automotive 2k gloss white, or just the Behr Premium No 52 Gloss White, and then not polish or clear it unless I get orange peel. Or if I do clear, 1k and/or semi-gloss or satin if I can find a product I like. 2k cans are expensive and can't be used for small touchups easily (once you crack one, you gotta use it). The suit is GOING to rub all over the place, especially at first, so you want it easy to repair, so I've just been leaning towards the cheaper Behr paint. It's gonna yellow over time either way, but I've been wiping my suits down with Aerospace303 and we'll see if that helps. 

 

I've got all of the MPSB parts printed (below, plus the shins and ab, and an S&T + all the parts for a proper E-11 build) and plan to use those to submit for Centurion, but may end up building the rest of the suit out of printed ABS (I have a K2+) from the Akira Yuming files in time. I have exactly one arm piece post-processed, three other suits I want to finish building first, and a second baby due in April lol So I've just been low-key advising some of the other guys that are printing and finishing these at a high level until I get around to redoing mine. I'm happy to help and learn from you guys too. 

 

Edited March 11 by TheRascalKing

[Sayless]

1 hour ago, ukswrath said:

Yea the movie armor wasn't even painted. It was simplly the color of the material. Almost a satin, or semi-gloss look. That said, my entire armor was automotive painted with a semi-gloss clear. I just like things new looking forever I guess.

 

But like others have mentioned, not too shiny. I think no matter what you do it will look awesome. 

 

You learn something new every day—I had no idea the original armor was simply the raw material, but that actually makes a lot of sense. If I’m putting in all this work, I’d definitely like it to stay looking new for as long as possible. Sounds like I’ve got a bit more research (and probably some trial and error) ahead of me to land on the right finish. Appreciate the info!

 

 

22 minutes ago, TheRascalKing said:

 

Personally, I plan to just hit it with either the Spraymax automotive 2k gloss white, or just the Behr Premium No 52 Gloss White, and then not polish or clear it unless I get orange peel. Or if I do clear, 1k and/or semi-gloss or satin if I can find a product I like. 2k cans are expensive and can't be used for small touchups easily (once you crack one, you gotta use it). The suit is GOING to rub all over the place, especially at first, so you want it easy to repair, so I've just been leaning towards the cheaper Behr paint. It's gonna yellow over time either way, but I've been wiping my suits down with Aerospace303 and we'll see if that helps. 

 

I've got all of the MPSB parts printed (below, plus the shins and ab, and an S&T + all the parts for a proper E-11 build) and plan to use those to submit for Centurion, but may end up building the rest of the suit out of printed ABS (I have a K2+) from the Akira Yuming files in time. I have exactly one arm piece post-processed, three other suits I want to finish building first, and a second baby due in April lol So I've just been low-key advising some of the other guys that are printing and finishing these at a high level until I get around to redoing mine. I'm happy to help and learn from you guys too. 

 

Whoa, build spoilers! Kidding—but it sounds like you and Tony are in very similar boats when it comes to finishing. Honestly, I had no idea SprayMax offered 2K paints with color infused. I’d be tempted to borrow the idea, but I already have several cans of white that I’ll probably end up using.

 

It definitely sounds like you’ve got your hands full—but congrats on the second baby! I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for updates on your build as well. I love seeing other builders taking the 3D-printed approach. It might be unconventional, but the ability to resize everything so easily is a huge advantage.

 

I’m also considering lining the inside of parts of the armor with white foam or felt (in places where it won’t be visible) to help reduce some of the wear that comes from armor rubbing together. Nothing in the CRL explicitly says not to, though I realize it probably moves things a little further away from screen accuracy.

 

[themaninthesuitcase[Admin]]

3 hours ago, Sayless said:

In the spirit of full transparency, after fixing the run on the chin piece (which I sanded and repainted flawlessly, I might add), I promptly dropped it in the yard.

This is why I hate painting, I do something like this more or less every single time.

Builds coming on well but I also wouldn't want to clear coat it, it won't look right.

I'm not doing a Non saga build but for things for my TLJ I've just been leaving them in the bare white paint, which is an acrylic.  This gives a pretty decent approximation of the bare castings used. It also doesn't really buff up properly if you do polish it. It also dings up and weathers in pretty well, which for something I've never trooped shows how clumsy I am.  

 

I am using Halfords paint in the UK so not how sure this compares to the Behr but I can't imaging they are a million miles apart if they are both acrylic auto style paints.

[Sayless]

39 minutes ago, themaninthesuitcase said:

This is why I hate painting, I do something like this more or less every single time.

Builds coming on well but I also wouldn't want to clear coat it, it won't look right.

I'm not doing a Non saga build but for things for my TLJ I've just been leaving them in the bare white paint, which is an acrylic.  This gives a pretty decent approximation of the bare castings used. It also doesn't really buff up properly if you do polish it. It also dings up and weathers in pretty well, which for something I've never trooped shows how clumsy I am.  

 

I am using Halfords paint in the UK so not how sure this compares to the Behr but I can't imaging they are a million miles apart if they are both acrylic auto style paints.

Chris, I appreciate the insight. I’m slowly starting to rethink clear coating the armor itself. The more I read and hear from others, the more it seems like leaving it closer to the raw paint finish might actually be the better route for accuracy and long-term maintenance. So I’m definitely going to keep digging into that before I commit to anything on the armor (thankfully, I've got some time!).

 

That said, I do still think I’m going to proceed with clearing the helmet regardless, simply because of the amount of work that’s gone into it at this point. I’d hate to damage the finish after finally getting the paint where I want it.

 

With the little bit of research I’ve done this afternoon, I’ve seen some recommendations to clear coat and then wet sand with something like 1500–2000 grit to knock down the shine. My only hesitation there is that I assume that would start pushing things toward more of a matte finish rather than the satin/semi-gloss look the armor seems to have.

 

And circling back to the dropping-parts discussion… this definitely isn’t the first casualty. Helmet #2 cracked after a drop, and I also managed to drop one half of a calf during the primer stage. At this point it almost feels like a rite of passage to drop at least one piece per phase of the build.

 

I’m definitely curious to see how the Rustoleum acrylic ends up holding up long-term compared to something like the Behr paint you mentioned—or even some of the higher-end finishes others are spraying through proper paint guns.

[ukswrath[Staff]]

"... higher-end finishes others are spraying through proper paint guns". That's very true. My FOTK was my one and only to receive a professional paint job. As much experience I had with auto guns, I still paid someone to shoot mine. I'd find some way to jack that up. It's hard to believe it been 11 years since building my TFA. Even though it's been trooped in quite a few times it still looks like the day I brought it home form the shop, except for a couple nicks and dings naturally. 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

5 hours ago, Sayless said:

I’m definitely curious to see how the Rustoleum acrylic ends up holding up long-term compared to something like the Behr paint you mentioned—or even some of the higher-end finishes others are spraying through proper paint guns.

I've not seen that locally so interested in seeing how you go.

 

Like any paint it does take some time to work out how heavy or light you can spray as well as distance from the piece. 

 

As I've said previously I found auto acrylic really the easiest of all the paints I've tried, very forgiving but sure you can still get runs. I've painted 3 sets of armor and 1/2 dozen helmets without much issues. I would suggest cleaning the spray tip between spraying as well as shaking the cans, no matter how long you have shaken it before you begin.

 

One paint I did try with my Mandalorian was the 2K clear, love this stuff, expensive and highly toxic and you need to use the whole spray can once activated but what a finish, gives a deep look and very glossy, it also has very little orange peel due to how it dries. 

 

Hope you have better luck this time 

 

 

[Sayless]

This is a moment that feels like it’s been a long time coming for me—at least since I started this project back in December—but the third iteration of my helmet is finally “complete” (-ish).

 

I’m still waiting on the rubber neck trim/seal to arrive, along with a temporary green visor until I feel ready to tackle vacuum forming, but this is my first fully completed attempt. Then in a couple of days, I'll go through and outline the greebles with black paint, and throw in the mesh behind the teeth.

 

It’s not perfect, and there are definitely a few things I’d still like to go back and refine, but for now… it’s good enough for me.

 

 

While this isn’t a major progress update, I have made some moves behind the scenes. I went ahead and pre-ordered the Anycubic Kobra S1 Max, which will give me a much larger build volume, heated chamber, and I opted for the AMS system to run multiple spools for longer prints. The goal there is to eventually reprint certain parts of my armor (and helmet potentially) using ABS or ASA so I can take advantage of acetone vapor smoothing and push the finish even further.

 

Long term, I’d also love to either invest in a large-format resin printer or potentially commission a shop to print the helmet components, just so I can really take my time and chase a more refined end result.

 

That said, I am genuinely proud of this one. All things considered, this came together in about three weeks of actual work time (with a vacation in the middle while the clear coat cured), and it’s a massive improvement over where I started.

 

There are still things I’m not entirely happy with—but for now, this feels like a big step in the right direction. 

 

Anyways, back to the agenda—more sanding and primer, because apparently this stage never ends.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Great to see you have had a win with the helmet, nice work 

 

I have a few Anycubic printers, the last was the Kobra 3 Max, great build area and prints are coming out quicker with less issues. However Anycubic did not supply any print presets until halfway through last year and they had been on the market since Dec 2024, with promise after promise and delays. I was almost ready to pull the trigger with another 3 Max with the multicolor print but I've decided I'll wait to see how the S1 Max preforms. 

 

Anyway upwards and onwards, back to sanding 

 

 

 

[Sayless]

11 minutes ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Great to see you have had a win with the helmet, nice work 

 

I have a few Anycubic printers, the last was the Kobra 3 Max, great build area and prints are coming out quicker with less issues. However Anycubic did not supply any print presets until halfway through last year and they had been on the market since Dec 2024, with promise after promise and delays. I was almost ready to pull the trigger with another 3 Max with the multicolor print but I've decided I'll wait to see how the S1 Max preforms. 

 

I’ve definitely heard mixed things about Anycubic as well. There’s already been a fair amount of “bad” surrounding the S1 Max (already)—mainly delays with shipping—but for now I’ve still got my trusty Elegoo holding things down.

 

Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if I don’t see the new printer until summer, and by that point I’m hoping to have the armor finished in some capacity—at the very least enough for basic approval.

 

At this point, the theme of this build seems to be slow and steady, so this feels pretty on brand.

[themaninthesuitcase[Admin]]

Congratulations on the helmet looks awesome!

 

I've started using ASA on a blaster build. Didn't know I could vapor smooth but good to know, I'll try some slurry to fill a few gaps and issues!

[Sayless]

There hasn’t been as much progress as I’d hoped this week, as work has picked up—but that hasn’t stopped me from trying!

 

First up, I did attempt to make some semi-concave lenses for the helmet. Truthfully, I’m not in love with them, and they’ll likely serve as a temporary solution until I either commit to buying a vacuum forming machine or commission a proper set that I can dye myself. That said, they’re decent for now, and I believe all that’s left on the helmet is outlining the greebles with black, adding mesh behind the teeth, and installing the rubber neck trim (which I’m still deciding how to adhere).

 

While I haven’t had as much time this week to tackle the usual bondo → sand → primer cycle, I have been looking more closely at how everything fits together in preparation for ordering nylon webbing—and I’ve hit a bit of a roadblock.

 

Like others working with newer-era armor, I’ve noticed some of the inconsistencies with the upper thighs and their cuts, so I took some liberty to improve mobility… which meant removing a healthy amount of material.

 

On one thigh, I attempted to plastic weld over the exposed infill, which gave mixed results and led to some delamination. On the other thigh, I used leftover plastic bonder from the helmet—which, honestly, worked much, much better.

 

This led to two new issues I’ve been putting off:

1. Fitment (likely scaling-related) of the thighs
2. Mounting the thigh ammo boxes

The first issue likely ties directly to the second. As it stands, the thighs are pinching just above my knee (not pictured). I was able to improve mobility by trimming the upper portion, but it also confirmed that my scaling may not be quite right after all.

 

Then there’s the ammo boxes… which, at the moment, I don’t believe fit at all.

 

There’s very little usable surface area to mount them, aside from the lower trim near the knee. Looking at @BigJasoni’s build, he secures his using a nut and bolt, which may still be the best approach.

 

I’ve been digging through other builds to see if this is specific to Akira’s files, but unfortunately it seems to be a fairly common issue with 3D printed armor. One option is to use something like E6000 and hope for the best, but since my thighs are a single solid piece (which I’m starting to regret), I’d prefer something more secure.

 

After hitting that wall, I took a couple days to reset and came back to the build with something a bit more productive: the belt. This has actually been one of the more enjoyable parts so far—especially after realizing Akira's belt design still hasn't improved since Jason's build in 2020ish.

 

The first step involved a lot of measuring to determine spacing above and below the ammo boxes. I ultimately landed on:

• 1/8” gaps top & bottom

• 3/8” tall teeth

…resulting in a belt height of roughly 4 1/8” including the tabs.

 

Once that was dialed in, I started marking out placement for the ammo boxes using a mix of SW Celebration references, production/screen images, and other build threads. I also began mapping out the teeth placement, though I plan to trim those gradually to ensure a proper fit.

 

Progress has been a bit slower in this stage—partly due to time, and partly due to a bit of procrastination.

 

While working on the belt, I realized I could clean up some excess glue on the circular details of the abdomen, so I’ll likely revisit those with a Dremel before moving forward (last picture, shown above).

 

Looking ahead, I’m debating whether it’s worth reprinting a few parts once the new printer arrives—potentially using ABS or ASA for added durability and the ability to vapor smooth. I’ve cracked a few PETG parts already (notably the cod and posterior armor), mostly from sanding pressure and dry fitting. That said, those prints were done before I started properly drying filament, so that could absolutely be a contributing factor (95% odds I'd say).

 

Anyways, back to it.

 

The goal now is to finish shaping the belt (including cutting out and shaping the rear portion), revisit a few areas that need additional sanding before paint, and start finalizing a shopping list for nylon webbing, elastic, and snaps so I can begin working on the strapping system.

 

Oh—and here’s an embarrassing amount of leftover filament (minus the nearly full rolls of TPU and PLA in the top right). I’ve found one of the biggest downsides of printing armor without an AMS-style system is ending up with a bunch of spools like this—each with just enough filament left to be annoying, but not quite enough for another full part.

 

The plan is to start burning through these on smaller, around-the-house prints (like chip clips or fridge magnets) so it doesn’t all go to waste.

[Sly11[Admin]]

That helmet looks schmick as, great work.

[Sayless]

On 3/22/2026 at 5:09 PM, themaninthesuitcase said:

Congratulations on the helmet looks awesome!

 

I've started using ASA on a blaster build. Didn't know I could vapor smooth but good to know, I'll try some slurry to fill a few gaps and issues!

Sorry for missing this yesterday, but thank you! I'm wanting to use either ABS or ASA on my future E-11 build for that very reason! 

 

3 hours ago, Sly11 said:

That helmet looks schmick as, great work.

Thank you! It's been tedious, and while it isn't nearly perfect, I love it.

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Looking good Zach

[Sayless]

Okay, now I’m getting excited.

 

After receiving notice that my Anycubic order was being delayed immediately after paying (I have a lot to say about this, but won't here), I jumped ship and picked up a Creality K2 Plus instead. I was looking for similar features, but from a company with a slightly better reputation—and I’m very excited to finally put this beast to work, and utilize that heated chamber.

 

For scale, an MPSB abdomen at 100% scale fits perfectly on the print bed of this 350mm³ behemoth, which is wild coming from my previous setup (of 256mm³). This was originally printed in 8-pieces on my Centauri Carbon... but I do wonder if down the road a 1-piece print would be better for longevity... or a Shoretrooper build.

 

With the new printer, I also decided to move away from PETG for the remainder of the armor—not because of any major issues, but because I wanted to try ASA (and potentially ABS later) for its acetone vapor smoothing capabilities.

 

For those unfamiliar, ASA/ABS can be vapor smoothed by placing the print in a sealed container with acetone (typically soaked into paper towels). Over time, this helps soften and smooth the outer layer, reducing most of the obvious visible layer lines. For armor at this scale, that’s a massive advantage—especially since I’ve grown to strongly dislike sanding.

 

Quick disclaimer: this build thread is not a direct tutorial—just a documentation of my own process. I’m still learning as I go, so take everything here with a grain of salt, and always handle chemicals safely with proper PPE.

 

With the new ASA, I reprinted both the posterior and cod armor. My original prints had some issues—most notably fitment (and some infill separation). The posterior armor was… tight. I only realized how tight when I tried to flex it into place and it snapped down the middle on the seam (now welded twice...). I repaired it, then promptly snapped it in two more places shortly after.

 

Lesson learned: scaling matters. A lot.

 

The cod armor had similar proportional issues, so I rescaled and reprinted both pieces to better fit my frame. Both of these are pre-vapor smoothing (future update), so here’s the before (minor layer lines, nearly "perfect" prints):

 

Now, while waiting on these prints (because the K2 Plus is not exactly a “fast” printer), I revisited my good friend: the thermal detonator.

 

It’s funny how such a small part can have so many intricate details—but after spending time studying references (especially while working on the belt), I realized that neither Akira’s files nor Jason’s updated versions were quite where I wanted them.

 

Now—I’m not claiming mine is more accurate, especially as a first-time builder—but I decided to take a shot at improving it.

 

This past week I had to learn Fusion360 for a project at work (designing an "LED sign"), so I used that as an opportunity to try fixing some aspects of the control plate.

 

My main focus areas were:

• correcting the rounded recess seen in Celebration reference photos

• avoiding the hard 90° edges present in most files (even Akira’s)

• giving the oval greeble more breathing room by shifting it slightly inward

 

After about 10 minutes of trying to tweak the existing model (because I don’t fully know what I’m doing yet), I gave up and started from scratch—which ended up being great practice.

 

That quickly spiraled into a bit of a rabbit hole of “I can keep improving this,” and before I knew it, I had re-modeled the entire thermal detonator assembly.

 

The most notable changes:

• added slots for the oval greeble and control panel buttons to properly nest into the control panel for assembly

• refined the oval greeble “knurling” to better match reference photos

• smoothed out the end cap chamfers and rounded the edges on the ident detail

• added chamfers to the control panel buttons

 

And with that… here’s the result of about 8 hours of not fully knowing what I’m doing and filling in the gaps with tutorials:

 

Again, I’m not claiming it’s perfect—this is only my second real modeling attempt—but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

 

I printed it first at 50% scale in some leftover PETG as a proof of concept, then it'll be re-printed in some leftover ASA soon for the actual armor.

 

 

It was only after finishing all of this that I realized Jason had actually included two different versions of the control panel:

• a simpler plate (~¼ coverage)

• a larger cuff (~¾ wrap around the detonator tube)

 

At first, I wasn’t entirely sure which was more accurate when I began printing—and then re-designing—these.

 

After going back through reference photos from Celebration EU and Celebration 2022 more closely, it does appear that the larger cuff-style piece is closer to what’s seen on screen.

 

That said, a lot other new-era TK builds I’ve come across still lean toward the simplified, non-cuffed control plate, which—for now—is the direction I’m sticking with too. If that ends up being the wrong call, I suppose it just gives me another opportunity to revisit this and refine the model later on.

 

Thankfully, I’m not completely strapped for time this month—my April travel plans have been put on pause (and potentially June as well, TBD)—so I’ve got a bit more breathing room to make adjustments if needed while continuing to focus on the rest of the armor.

 

I may very well be getting lost in the minor details instead of focusing on the bigger picture… (but if I’m being honest, that’s probably just procrastination kicking in).

 

While continuing to avoid fully committing to paint (shocking, I know), my latest shipment from Mr. Paul finally arrived from across the pond:

 

These pieces are awesome. I originally had it in my head that I wanted to print absolutely everything myself, but in this case, this was 100% worth ordering. So Paul—if you happen to see this—thank you!

 

Anyways, this update has been a bit all over the place while waiting for the new printer (plus a massive printing project for work), but things are finally getting back on track.

 

With these new shoulder brackets in hand, I’m ready to finally move into the strapping phase, and once fitment is sorted, we’ll be pushing into base coat.

[themaninthesuitcase[Admin]]

5 hours ago, Sayless said:

 

OOOF that's a big bed.

The TD looks great, and is probably a nice piece to learn on. Nothing too exotic to discourage you.  You've clearly thought a lot about printability as well. So many models don't and then need tons of support and look bad. I'd rather print 5 parts and glue them than deal with loads of support.

After you mentioned it before I've printed a SE-44C in ASA. It's really good, even the super cheap stuff prints well (enough anyway). The parts sand nicely compare to PLA and PETG and also I was able to make a slurry to fix a bit on one part where the support didn't quite work as well as hoped. Also seems for the most part support comes off pretty cleanly and easily.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I would look at other references and not just the celebration model, that armor has some details not seen on other versions. 

 

Once you fall down the rabbit hole of costume accuracies there is no turning back 

[Sayless]

5 hours ago, themaninthesuitcase said:

OOOF that's a big bed.

The TD looks great, and is probably a nice piece to learn on. Nothing too exotic to discourage you.  You've clearly thought a lot about printability as well. So many models don't and then need tons of support and look bad. I'd rather print 5 parts and glue them than deal with loads of support.

After you mentioned it before I've printed a SE-44C in ASA. It's really good, even the super cheap stuff prints well (enough anyway). The parts sand nicely compare to PLA and PETG and also I was able to make a slurry to fix a bit on one part where the support didn't quite work as well as hoped. Also seems for the most part support comes off pretty cleanly and easily.

 

My mentality was definitely “go big or go home” with the print bed, but I also hit a point where I was getting tired of fusing together parts that just want to snap at the seams (the posterior plate being the main offender). This felt like the long-term fix.

 

Really appreciate the feedback on the TD too—that was exactly the goal with this one. After working through Greg’s helmet files, I’ve been paying a lot more attention to how other parts/files are broken down and assembled, so this was kind of my test run in that direction.

 

And I’m with you on ASA so far. Aside from the heat requirements, it’s been noticeably cleaner than PETG (could be the new printer helping too), and I’m curious to see how it sands once I get some time with it this weekend. I’ve also got a metal rack on the way so I can safely try acetone smoothing without accidentally turning everything into a puddle.

 

1 hour ago, gmrhodes13 said:

I would look at other references and not just the celebration model, that armor has some details not seen on other versions. 

 

Once you fall down the rabbit hole of costume accuracies there is no turning back 

 

I’ve started to notice that too—namely the red buttons(?). You’ve got some really solid screen grabs from R1 that I’ve been referencing as well, and a lot of those seem to confirm that the control panel really should sit closer to that ~¾ wrap around the detonator tube (especially around that second red circle from the left, which I was originally trying to avoid). I’ll likely go back and model that out as well—if nothing else, it’s good practice.

 

The costume accuracy rabbit hole is… bad. Really bad.

 

So much so that I went ahead and picked up a set of files from CGTrader this afternoon after noticing their back armor incorporates that same recessed channel along the raised section (not sure what that area is actually called?). It’s similar to Jimmiroquai's fiberglass kits, which caught my attention right away.

 

Some of the other pieces aren’t entirely accurate—but the back plate (minus the II's being "inverted"), thighs, and a few others definitely stood out when compared against references from Andor and Rogue One.

 

EDIT:

Okay, it was bugging me. I made the larger cuff variation. Honestly, I eyeballed as best as I could from the reference photos available, but I think this looks really good (obvious bias).

 

Edited April 8 by Sayless
Added new TD render photos at the end.

[TKNick8350]

13 hours ago, Sayless said:

Okay, now I’m getting excited.

 

After receiving notice that my Anycubic order was being delayed immediately after paying (I have a lot to say about this, but won't here), I jumped ship and picked up a Creality K2 Plus instead. I was looking for similar features, but from a company with a slightly better reputation—and I’m very excited to finally put this beast to work, and utilize that heated chamber.

 

For scale, an MPSB abdomen at 100% scale fits perfectly on the print bed of this 350mm³ behemoth, which is wild coming from my previous setup (of 256mm³). This was originally printed in 8-pieces on my Centauri Carbon... but I do wonder if down the road a 1-piece print would be better for longevity... or a Shoretrooper build.

 

With the new printer, I also decided to move away from PETG for the remainder of the armor—not because of any major issues, but because I wanted to try ASA (and potentially ABS later) for its acetone vapor smoothing capabilities.

 

For those unfamiliar, ASA/ABS can be vapor smoothed by placing the print in a sealed container with acetone (typically soaked into paper towels). Over time, this helps soften and smooth the outer layer, reducing most of the obvious visible layer lines. For armor at this scale, that’s a massive advantage—especially since I’ve grown to strongly dislike sanding.

 

Quick disclaimer: this build thread is not a direct tutorial—just a documentation of my own process. I’m still learning as I go, so take everything here with a grain of salt, and always handle chemicals safely with proper PPE.

 

With the new ASA, I reprinted both the posterior and cod armor. My original prints had some issues—most notably fitment (and some infill separation). The posterior armor was… tight. I only realized how tight when I tried to flex it into place and it snapped down the middle on the seam (now welded twice...). I repaired it, then promptly snapped it in two more places shortly after.

 

Lesson learned: scaling matters. A lot.

 

The cod armor had similar proportional issues, so I rescaled and reprinted both pieces to better fit my frame. Both of these are pre-vapor smoothing (future update), so here’s the before (minor layer lines, nearly "perfect" prints):

 

Now, while waiting on these prints (because the K2 Plus is not exactly a “fast” printer), I revisited my good friend: the thermal detonator.

 

It’s funny how such a small part can have so many intricate details—but after spending time studying references (especially while working on the belt), I realized that neither Akira’s files nor Jason’s updated versions were quite where I wanted them.

 

Now—I’m not claiming mine is more accurate, especially as a first-time builder—but I decided to take a shot at improving it.

 

This past week I had to learn Fusion360 for a project at work (designing an "LED sign"), so I used that as an opportunity to try fixing some aspects of the control plate.

 

My main focus areas were:

• correcting the rounded recess seen in Celebration reference photos

• avoiding the hard 90° edges present in most files (even Akira’s)

• giving the oval greeble more breathing room by shifting it slightly inward

 

After about 10 minutes of trying to tweak the existing model (because I don’t fully know what I’m doing yet), I gave up and started from scratch—which ended up being great practice.

 

That quickly spiraled into a bit of a rabbit hole of “I can keep improving this,” and before I knew it, I had re-modeled the entire thermal detonator assembly.

 

The most notable changes:

• added slots for the oval greeble and control panel buttons to properly nest into the control panel for assembly

• refined the oval greeble “knurling” to better match reference photos

• smoothed out the end cap chamfers and rounded the edges on the ident detail

• added chamfers to the control panel buttons

 

And with that… here’s the result of about 8 hours of not fully knowing what I’m doing and filling in the gaps with tutorials:

 

Again, I’m not claiming it’s perfect—this is only my second real modeling attempt—but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

 

I printed it first at 50% scale in some leftover PETG as a proof of concept, then it'll be re-printed in some leftover ASA soon for the actual armor.

 

 

It was only after finishing all of this that I realized Jason had actually included two different versions of the control panel:

• a simpler plate (~¼ coverage)

• a larger cuff (~¾ wrap around the detonator tube)

 

At first, I wasn’t entirely sure which was more accurate when I began printing—and then re-designing—these.

 

After going back through reference photos from Celebration EU and Celebration 2022 more closely, it does appear that the larger cuff-style piece is closer to what’s seen on screen.

 

That said, a lot other new-era TK builds I’ve come across still lean toward the simplified, non-cuffed control plate, which—for now—is the direction I’m sticking with too. If that ends up being the wrong call, I suppose it just gives me another opportunity to revisit this and refine the model later on.

 

Thankfully, I’m not completely strapped for time this month—my April travel plans have been put on pause (and potentially June as well, TBD)—so I’ve got a bit more breathing room to make adjustments if needed while continuing to focus on the rest of the armor.

 

I may very well be getting lost in the minor details instead of focusing on the bigger picture… (but if I’m being honest, that’s probably just procrastination kicking in).

 

While continuing to avoid fully committing to paint (shocking, I know), my latest shipment from Mr. Paul finally arrived from across the pond:

 

These pieces are awesome. I originally had it in my head that I wanted to print absolutely everything myself, but in this case, this was 100% worth ordering. So Paul—if you happen to see this—thank you!

 

Anyways, this update has been a bit all over the place while waiting for the new printer (plus a massive printing project for work), but things are finally getting back on track.

 

With these new shoulder brackets in hand, I’m ready to finally move into the strapping phase, and once fitment is sorted, we’ll be pushing into base coat.

I know they are stinky and gross. But ever thought of a Resin printer? I’m in the process of a ROTK after I complete my Droid Division IG-11. I’ll tel you what, they are a lifesaver with the finer detail parts. I’m building the TK with ABS filament. Gotten the files from galactic armory.

this is a great post on your build!

[Sayless]

10 hours ago, TKNick8350 said:

I know they are stinky and gross. But ever thought of a Resin printer? I’m in the process of a ROTK after I complete my Droid Division IG-11. I’ll tel you what, they are a lifesaver with the finer detail parts. I’m building the TK with ABS filament. Gotten the files from galactic armory.

this is a great post on your build!

I would love to pick up a resin printer down the road—especially for helmets and some of the smaller detail parts where that level of resolution really shines. My biggest hang-up right now is just the cost when it comes to larger build volumes (and material cost). Elegoo just announced the Jupiter 2, which I’ll be keeping an eye on, but it’s definitely one of those “maybe someday” purchases.

 

That said, I’m definitely not opposed to it—and honestly, I’d probably end up with more than one if I went down that road.

 

Looking forward to your ROTK build as well—we definitely need more TKs being 3D printed to keep proving this is a viable route!

[SirNameSurname]

I've been using a bambu p2s and have been experimenting with ABS printing the past couple weeks. I'm not sure if the software you're using incorporates these features but see if it has something called "fuzzy skin". It will probably give you the option to paint any surfaces you choose "fuzzy".

 

What this feature does is introduce random jiggles into the extruders path on the surfaces you choose and let you decide how big of a jiggle. If you crank it way down to 0.05mm and combine this with 0.1mm layers, you will end up making the surface an almost eggshell matte consistency. Id also recommend lowering the speed on the outside walls considerably to prevent errors. The thinner the layers, the more likely it will fail at higher speeds. It will take a long time to print but it will be worth the wait.

[Sayless]

57 minutes ago, SirNameSurname said:

I've been using a bambu p2s and have been experimenting with ABS printing the past couple weeks. I'm not sure if the software you're using incorporates these features but see if it has something called "fuzzy skin". It will probably give you the option to paint any surfaces you choose "fuzzy".

 

What this feature does is introduce random jiggles into the extruders path on the surfaces you choose and let you decide how big of a jiggle. If you crank it way down to 0.05mm and combine this with 0.1mm layers, you will end up making the surface an almost eggshell matte consistency. Id also recommend lowering the speed on the outside walls considerably to prevent errors. The thinner the layers, the more likely it will fail at higher speeds. It will take a long time to print but it will be worth the wait.

 

I haven’t done much research on the fuzzy skin effect (I’m using Orca and Creality slicer, both of which support it), but it’s definitely something I want to experiment with down the road if I can find the right application for it.

 

With ABS/ASA, I’m leaning more toward smoothing and finishing rather than introducing texture, especially since most of the armor will be sanded and painted anyway. That said, I could definitely see it working well for other builds where a slightly grittier finish makes sense.

 

For most of my prints, I’m running a 0.20 layer height, and for larger structural pieces like the kidney plate, cod, and posterior, I’ve been using 4–5 walls with 35% wall overlap for added strength. From what I’ve read, vapor smoothing should also help chemically bond those outer layers a bit more as well, which I’m hoping will add some durability to the finished parts.

 

I’m actually about to test vapor smoothing on some ASA parts in a couple of hours, so I’ll report back with how that turns out.

[Sayless]

Well… not entirely sure how to intro this update, other than with a quick before and after.

 

Before:

 

After:

 

So… all I have to say is: don’t attempt acetone vapor smoothing while dozing off in the evening. I unfortunately left the posterior plate sitting in my Home Depot tote overnight and woke up to… well… that.

 

The piece has completely lost its complete structural integrity, and even after sitting out of the tote for the past nine hours (in an attempt to "solidify"), it can still be folded into a ball (I’m honestly not even sure how I managed to take this photo).

 

I can’t say I’m entirely surprised, but this was a good (and expensive) experiment to say the least.

 

Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

• Acetone smoothing is a slow burn (no pun intended?), but when you get the timing right, it’s absolutely worth it.

• YouTube tutorials are… not really tutorials. They’re more “this worked for me, but I won’t tell you all the things I’m leaving out.”

• ASA seems to take longer to soften than ABS (at least in my experience).

• ASA can either come out beautifully smoothed—or end up… like the photos above.

Now with that said, I did have one "success" from this process: the new kidney plate.

(Yes, the print failed a bit early, but this is all covered by the rear belt! *phew*)

 

I probably left it in a touch too long, as it started to soften more than I’d like, and the stainless rack left a few small grooves—but those are easy fixes. The big win here is that while it still looks wavy, the surface is actually incredibly smooth. I’m genuinely confident that with some very light sanding, this might be one of my cleanest prints yet.

 

The biggest takeaway, though, is just how strong this piece feels now. With some of my other parts, I’ve been able to flex them just enough to hear the infill starting to separate—but this process essentially fused all of the layers and infill together. That’s exactly what I want, especially for a part like this. 

 

But, because I enjoy documenting my own mistakes almost as much as making them, I also managed to melt the outermost ammo boxes.

 

All of that to say: I’m now reprinting the posterior armor for the third time… and I’ll be keeping a much closer eye on anything sitting in a sealed tote full of acetone from here on out.

 

I have spoken.

[TKNick8350]

On 4/9/2026 at 4:33 AM, Sayless said:

I would love to pick up a resin printer down the road—especially for helmets and some of the smaller detail parts where that level of resolution really shines. My biggest hang-up right now is just the cost when it comes to larger build volumes (and material cost). Elegoo just announced the Jupiter 2, which I’ll be keeping an eye on, but it’s definitely one of those “maybe someday” purchases.

 

That said, I’m definitely not opposed to it—and honestly, I’d probably end up with more than one if I went down that road.

 

Looking forward to your ROTK build as well—we definitely need more TKs being 3D printed to keep proving this is a viable route!

Thanks! Hopefully I don’t wonder off this project. Since I found stls for a 5ft falcon…I need to settle on one thing and be finished for the next. So right this instant, I have the two of the forearm halves being printed on the K1 that will take 9 hours to print, looking good so far. And my top of the helmet has been printed off on my CR10s Pro V2 looking also good. I’m slicing my torso armor for it to be printed on my Ender 5 plus.

I’ll definitely start a thread. Hopefully soon!