ROTJ Stormtrooper Build (PIC HEAVY-ish)

[JohnnyChaos]

Like a lot of star wars fans I always thought it would be cool to have some stormtrooper armour.
This Christmas after doing months and months of overtime I decided to go for it!

Browsing the 501st Legion related forums I settled on an approved UK armour producer who was the only guy doing ROTJ trooper armour.
It is made from moulds formed using original screen used ROTJ armour. So is 100% accurate to what we saw on the film, made using the same stuff.

This is how it arrives. Everything needs cutting out and trimming and heat bending to fit!

Here's a few pics of the helmet build. it came with some stickers and the rest had to be hand painted.

Here's the main body trimmed with edging added.
two biceps done, one forearm and both hand-guards. The arm parts needed a lot of heat bending to make them more round for a better fit.

The glue takes 24hours to set so lots of clamping and waiting!
there's quicker stuff, but this E6000 is strong and can be pulled apart if needed with no damage.

Test fit of everything apart from the legs

a little photoshopped pic

I've still got to do the thighs and a final trim on the calves.
I've got an O2 canister to build for the belt and a couple of other bits to rivet on to the legs.

But it's getting there!

 

[phillv85]

Awesome

 

[Milky]

Have you had the awkward "why you can't wear it in bed" conversation yet?

 

[JohnnyChaos]

I think if I laid down in it I'd never get up again! lol

 

[guddler]

Wear it in bed??!! Try just sitting down in it first

Ive got a working set in the loft that I used to use for charity fundraising events.

 

[JohnnyChaos]

yeah. it's not the most comfy and flexible outfit.

with the arms on I cant reach my head to put my helmet on, but when I first put the helmet on the lenses steam up so then I can't see my arm bits. lol

so it still needs a bit of work.

Wear it in bed??!! Try just sitting down in it first

Ive got a working set in the loft that I used to use for charity fundraising events.

nice. was it just set of ebay or did you go the whole 501st route?

JohnnyChaos2015-02-05 21:40:47

 

[guddler]

I don't honestly know the origins of it. This was back in 2003 / 2004 I think. Myself and another collected had an Outrun upright we'd got from clearing out a local arcade. We both thought it was crap and didn't want it (yeah, yeah, I know! - but I stand by that), so we traded it for two sets of armour.

I know the armour was a cheaper set but that didn't matter as we wanted it for work where it would get abused a bit, not treated as an exhibition piece. Obviously some people buy them to do up and put on show, and there's nothing wrong with that, but that wasn't what we wanted. It was still proper moulded from Nth generation moulds etc.

I didn't do the build and modding myself. I was a member of a group called "The Exewing Fundraisers" and one of the guys that lived nearby was a prop builder and was VERY particular about his armour sets and stuff so I let him deal with all of that. We trimmed the joints back a little so it was easier to move about in. Like you say, putting it all on was still not easy though.

I remember being asked to do a signing once for Dave Prowse. Me and another guy said we'd do it but we needed some extra people so we got a few of the UK Garrison along. It was the middle of summer and I was close to passing out in the helmet so I popped outside the shop and lifted the lid up to have someone feed me some water. They weren't happy about me doing that in view of the public

All a bit anal really. Still happy days.

Some really rather fond memories from those events!

Anyway, enough about us - good luck with the build

.

Here's a pic of us at an event at the NEC. I'm the one on the right. I remember the upper arm piece being a pig to keep in the right place, you needed to add a strap to attach it to the top of the chest piece to try and stop it from sliding down, but mine kept doing the opposite and pulling it up too far

.

 

[JohnnyChaos]

nice pic. If you ever want rid let me know.

 

[guddler]

You never know! It wouldn't surprise me if it's gone brittle and or yellowed by now. It's been in the loft since 2008, even if it has been in a plastic crate. One day I must dig it out and check it over. The lid is in the living room on display though.
guddler2015-02-05 23:15:18

 

[guddler]

Incidentally, I'm not sure about that edging on the armour. Did it come with it?

 

[JohnnyChaos]

its only on ROTJ armour. New hope and empire troopers didn't have it and your suit is one of those.

 

[guddler]

Ahh, gotcha. I didn't know that

 

[JohnnyChaos]

that's partly why id like another. Would probs make it in to a sand trooper or something like that.

 

[strykr]

Wear it in bed??!! Try just sitting down in it first

Ive got a working set in the loft that I used to use for charity fundraising events.

Can you ask them to close the blast doors please,