SarlaccSlayer14's ROTJ Build

since you barely see those areas... do what the fellas were saying. BUT, what I would personally do would fit the pieces in and use CA glue and baking soda.... way easier then trying to fiberglass into that tight area.
F4R, I haven't heard of that process yet. Can you explain the technique, along with pros and cons with it?
 
Easier if you went on youtube and saw it... but quick and dirty way of creating a bond and adding filler. The CA glue hardens instantly when you put Baking soda to it.... also it adds material. So you can fill small gaps
 
It’s probably a more logical solution due to the area being so hard to get to from the inside. I was just encouraging some type of reinforcement because if he ever accidentally hits the thrusters on a door jam or other object, it could possibly blow that whole area out again.
 
Got a few small things done tonight. I flinch every time I hear a noise outside because I’m expecting 3 packages from MoW, 1 package from Dakota/Machine Craft, one from DVH, my blaster from HFX, and a box from Woodman!

Once all those boxes arrive, things will escalate quickly!
 
MoW boots arrived today, along with some rivets for my JP straps and some other small goodies.

I was very nervous the boots would be too small since I read somewhere to go one size larger than normal, and my normal size (12) was the largest offered. Happy to say the 12s fit me well. Lots of weathering to do!

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Ab plate question.

For the three holes, do you guys drill these all the way through and then glue a plate on the back of the armor as a backfill? Or are they just indentations? Curious if there is a “right” way to do this. Reference pic is from the gallery MOM exhibit. Thanks.

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Three-day weekend for me and I put in around 8 hours work today, mostly taking advantage of the weather break to get in some painting, masking, clear-coating, and a little weathering.

Hurrah for Testors dullcoat! Way back, I decided on a primary armor color of Hunt Club Green (rattle-can), and all along, I’ve been worried that it was too deep of a green for my reference pics. The dullcoat really “drabbed” down the HC green, even more so than the black mist. Just goes to show how much weathering and sealing will affect the final coat, and you won’t always know it til you get there.

I’ve only dullcoated two pieces so far: the center chest diamond and the butt plate. Doesn’t show up real well in the pic but what a difference! So much happier with the Hunt Club green now that it’s dulled. Still some touch ups to do with the paint.

Applied Delucks Designs decals on chest and shoulder and did an initial weathering run on the shoulders with mists of orange, ground up pencil lead shavings smeared on with my finger, and some very faint streaks of a watered down acrylic wash. Looks great in person, but as others have stated, it takes a lot for the weathering to show up in photos. I’ll try for better pics tomorrow.

Also picked up my JP straps from the seamstress (suppose I should really learn to sew). Rivets will go in those tomorrow and there may just be a JP fitting.

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Don't be afraid to go back in and weather more. If it doesn't appear in photos, chances are, it's not enough. There are a lot of details in the weathering that you can have fun with - take some thin brushes or some flat-edged tools and run them over the armor. You'll get some very nice subtle effects that make a huge difference in the overall appearance:

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Took a while to find a rattlecan color to represent the faded ESB green scratches on the ROTJ plates, but I’m really happy with the look of Model Master “SAC Bomber Green.” I’ve seen it mentioned in a few threads here, and while I preferred Hunt Club Green as my primary armor color, I think it makes a great contrasting green for the damage areas.

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I’m curious about the application of deluck’s decals on the armor. Are you placing them on after the dullcoat application, or are you clear-coating over them? I have a set coming in, and was just wondering if the decal would affect the coat application? Such as would the dullcoat adhere to the vinyl, and would chipping be an issue around the raised lip of the label?
 
I’m curious about the application of deluck’s decals on the armor. Are you placing them on after the dullcoat application, or are you clear-coating over them? I have a set coming in, and was just wondering if the decal would affect the coat application? Such as would the dullcoat adhere to the vinyl, and would chipping be an issue around the raised lip of the label?

For the decals, I applied them before the dullcoat, directly on to the cleaned, unweathered, top coat. Once they were on and the air bubbles pressed out toward the edges, I weathered them with crushed pencil lead shavings, smeared on with my fingertips. This really toned the white down.

Then I also carefully hit the entire armor plate with a VERY light mist of black spray paint as well as some black acrylic wash (applied again with my fingertip) until I was happy. Then I used Testors dullcoat to seal everything and there were no issues at all. I will probably hit everything with another layer of weathering and dullcoat since all that work still doesn’t show very well in photos.

The decals are nice, but thicker than I expected, so the edges do rise up a tiny bit off the armor. I’m a model-kit builder and am used to working with wateslide decals which can look painted on if done correctly. The vinyl will be much more durable (especially in the rain!), but I would have loved a source for waterslide Fett decals.

Something I could have done on this project, but didn’t, was to use an old modeler’s trick and hit the armor with a GLOSS clearcoat before applying the decals, weathering, and dullcoat. The gloss finish provides a smoother surface for the decals and prevents any “silvering” (trapped air between the decal and the surface). Because I was already wary of so many different layers of paint potentially reacting with each other, I chose to skip the gloss coat.

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SarlaccSlayer14 Looking really great, keep up the good work! Agree with the previous statements, get him dirty! A Fett suit needs the weathering. It wants it. :D
Weather it.
Then go back and weather it again...
And then again...

Thanks! I’m so torn. I know all the extra weathering absolutely looks better, but I look at the painstaking care Rafal put into those templates... those tiny little individual silver specks that you need a toothpick or needle to apply, and I think what a shame it would be to weather over top of all those accurate specks with my own haphazard details. lol.

I’m sure I’ll end up adding a ton of my own scratches and texture, but I don’t want to stray too far from Rafal’s work and research, which from what I understand is very accurate to the hero suit.

All that said, the first time I wear this thing I’ll probably fall down a flight of stairs and bang it up!
 
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In the last few days I’ve painted up my backplate and got it ready for touchups and weathering.

I’ve been working on my boots following Spidey’s pinned tutorial using cheap acrylics from Walmart and the “wet on wet” technique. Need to hit the boots with sandpaper and even more “straw” color on the soles.

Tonight’s project was to tinker with the RKD knees and Machine Craft Replica/Dakota’s excellent metal parts using the foam pieces and inserts Will included. Everything fits snugly so far but I have more tinkering to do with them. I’m officially up to my knees in this project!

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