Ord Mantell's ESB build

[Ord Mantell]

The day I posted this: Ord Mantell's ESB build was the day I realized the old FP armor just wasn't good enough for what I wanted to accomplish with this build. It all started with that pesky collar. The FP collar was wholly inadequate.

All praise to Janet Stevens.

INITIAL RESULTS USING THE NEW ARMOR​

 

[RafalFett]

Wow! What a great setup! It screams Boba Fett from all its molecules.

 

[sutt_hero_rotj]

Have I ever mentioned boba Fett is a pain in my A$$

 

[Ord Mantell]

Some progress

 

[Ord Mantell]

If you're following me on Instagram @Ord.Mantell, please let me know so I can follow you back. It's sometimes hard to tell who is who on IG.

 

[HawkFett]

If you're following me on Instagram @Ord.Mantell, please let me know so I can follow you back. It's sometimes hard to tell who is who on IG.

View attachment 230127

Beautiful build. Have been following on here and on IG. My tag on IG is Hawk_Fett_. Keep up the good work!

 

[TantivOdessa]

When will this new armor be available to buy?

 

[roger12RAMJET]

When will this new armor be available to buy?

It’s available to buy now. Starts shipping October.

 

[Fettacini]

My process for mounting the armor on the vest begins with using an extra set of armor with holes drilled in where the posts and grommet holes should mate under the armor.

View attachment 228316

Place this on some kind of form, either yourself with the help of a friend or on a mannequin of some kind.

View attachment 228317

Mark where the holes are, and voila. That's where you punch holes in your vest.

View attachment 228318

Then punch holes.
View attachment 228319View attachment 228320

So how to get the post locations on the armor? Easy, use the same armor you used for the vest to mark the armor you will mount.


View attachment 228321

place the drilled armor on top.

View attachment 228322

Mark the holes.

View attachment 228323

That's where your posts go.

View attachment 228324

Initially I place them on with CA glue, but then you will still need to put the plastic cutouts on top to secure them better, and for that you can use more CA glue or what I think they used on the originals was sprue glue. Which is just the armor clippings melted in acetone and mixed to the consistency of glue. It's essentially liquid plastic that hardens in place like concrete. I'll take pics and show that part was well.

One thing I think is worth mentioning to people who can’t afford two sets of armor is you can make resin blanks from vacuformed armor
Using a good mold release spray , coat the inside of the armor and simply pour in your favorite casting resin. Let it dry and pop that sucker out. Clean the inside of the vacu formed armor with denatured alcohol. Then drill your holes in the thin resin casts. Voila!

 

[RamSkirata]

Ord Mantell ... your build is really a class apart. Im lost for words.

 

[Ord Mantell]

Ord Mantell ... your build is really a class apart. Im lost for words.

exceptionally kind words. Thank you! I look forward to finish painting armor this weekend. I have two more tidbits to upgrade, and two other unannounced projects I'm working on to increase accuracy of the costume just a little further. Plus the right gauntlet piezo project will be ready at some point relatively soon. And also, I plan to work with Clothears to alter the vest fit for the ESB version. Then I gotta get John Morton to put on the costume.

The new armor is a mix of lineage + photogrammetry. The results surpassed my expectations. I really don't think there will ever be a need to upgrade armor any further. In fact, I'm going to have to change my long-time avatar of my RotJ costume because I can't stand looking at the old armor anymore.

 

[Slave1Pirate117]

I love watching your motivation and drive for extreme accuracy! Top notch work!

 

[Ord Mantell]

 

[jedisushi]

I’ve also recently tried wearing the jetpack harness without putting the crossbar through the flak vest. Did you do that on purpose here?

 

[Ord Mantell]

I’ve also recently tried wearing the jetpack harness without putting the crossbar through the flak vest. Did you do that on purpose here?

Yes. I'm setting this display up to be how John Morton wore it. There is plenty of evidence things were not fitting well on John, and one thing for sure, the jetpack was sitting lower, with the belt going lower on his waist which would've made it difficult for the slots to fit in the vest properly as intended. I'm going to have the vest redone, though, to correct some issues.

 

[jedisushi]

Indeed. I’ve found that balancing the placement of the jetpack, back armor, and harness to be the trickiest bit of wearing the whole costume.

The jetpack/harness needs to sit lower (on my body), but the "wings" of the backplate enforce some limits there and the length of the vest (when correct for armor on the front) easily becomes too short for the needs in the back!

 

[Krewkid82]

View attachment 231119View attachment 231120

View attachment 231122View attachment 231123

That paint job is insane!!! Great job dude!

 

[Ord Mantell]

 

[Ord Mantell]

 

[Fettacini]

Indeed. I’ve found that balancing the placement of the jetpack, back armor, and harness to be the trickiest bit of wearing the whole costume.

The jetpack/harness needs to sit lower (on my body), but the "wings" of the backplate enforce some limits there and the length of the vest (when correct for armor on the front) easily becomes too short for the needs in the back!

I’m glad I’m not the only one who has encountered this, even with the slits on my flak vest the (big Dane) harness tends to sit lower than the vest. It’s all very tricky once you start trying to lay it all on. It’s a wonder they didn’t come up with a simpler solution but I do see the genius of some of the build strategy. It is very much a reality that the Boba Fett costume( whichever version) is absolutely the most complex costume of the series and seems to have been made to a higher standard than say a stormtrooper or other armor