Dennis' JFO Scout Build

[Aradun]

Alright gang.  Here we go.  Pathfinder build #2.  I love the Biker Scout, and always have since I was a lil’ tike.  So now that I’ve been enjoying my ROTJ Scout for the better part of a year, I want to venture into another Scout setup, and given that the current choices are JFO and the Mando, I gotta go JFO.  I just can’t bring myself to wear my knee armor upside down and have a sagging CB.  Sorry my brother and sister Mando Scouts!  You guys look awesome, but I’m a bit more of a traditionalist 😉.

I should to be able to use most of my RS Scout armor for this build.  Some parts will require some adaptation/modification and some parts will need to be completely new.  There's nothing being done to my ROTJ armor that would force me to retire it, which is good because I'm not looking to retire anything!  So, here’s the battle plans for the armor build.

Here’s what doesn’t need to be modified from the ROTJ Kit:

•           Helmet
•      Balaclava
•      Forearm Armor
•      Chest Armor
•      Back Armor
•      Cod Piece
•      Boots
•      Holster
•      EC-17 Holdout Blaster

Here’s what does need to be modified from the ROTJ Kit:

•         Shoulder Armor – there is no visible strap for the shoulder armor, so my plan is to merely conceal the strap under the shoulder armor and secure the shoulder armor to the flight suit with hook and loop.  This will allow me to use the same Bells for both kits.

•         TD – the housing needs to be flipped so that the circular greeblie is on the left.  The more challenging part (due to the CA glue RS uses) is the removal of the rectangular greeblie, which needs to be rotated 180 degrees.  Thankfully the recent update to the ROTJ CRL allows for this setup too.

•         Knees – the rivets use for the ROTJ kit may be an issue for some GMLs, so if you decide to go this route using the same set of armor from a ROTJ build, be sure to check with your GML first.  There’s nothing specific in the CRL that prohibits the rivets, but there are no rivets in the CRL photos, so some GMLs might flag it.  The CRL photos also appear to show just the large bottom strap and not the smaller top one.
    My GML is fine with this, but an easy fix would be to use a small circular white sticker of some sort that could be applied over the rivet during the troop, then tuck the upper strap behind the knee armor, and secure the knee armor to the flight suit with hook and loop. 

Here’s what needs to be new:

•         Neck Seal – If you’re interested in trying your hand at making your own there’s an excellent tutorial over at FISD.   It was posted literally 5 days after I ordered mine.  Uggh!  (You may need to register with FISD to be able to access the post.)

•         Flight Suit – no riding patches (YEAH!!!), no mud flap, no mandarin collar due to wearing a neck seal.  Just remove any visible pockets!  Tapering the legs isn't required either!

•         Bicep Armor (3D Printed) – the is no visible strapping for the bicep armor.  The problem with the ROTJ armor is that there are slots for the strapping, so I can't do the same thing I'm doing to the bells and knees.  You’ll need a new set without slots or you'll have to fill the slots on a new set.  They will attach to the flight suit with hook and loop.

•         Gloves – I'm split here.  For the gloves to be interchangeable between both kits, the greeblies that attach to the right glove in the JFO build would need to be secured with rare earth magnets so that they could be removed.  Is it doable?  Probably.  Do I want the hassle of messing with the lining and securing magnets inside the glove?  Not really.  Hook and loop is not an option because it would be visible when the greeblies are removed.  Do I want to drop another $60 bucks on another set of Wampa's?  Not really.  I'm saving this one for last, to give me time to mull this over. 

•         Tank – I was tempted to use the existing RS tank from my ROTJ kit, and just replace the existing 6 rank bars with 4 bars, which is still acceptable for the ROTJ kit, and required for the JFO build.  However, the paint schemes for the tank toppers is very different between both builds.  While I was considering making the toppers interchangeable by using magnets with the same tank, I'm very leery about trying to remove the original tank topper because RS uses some CA glue that bonds FOREVER.  I had to remove my TD caps to make them concave for my Lancer ROTJ app.  One cracked and broke, the other came off okay because that cap was glued to the foam in the TD tube.  Removing the rectangular greeblie from my TD so that I could flip it for this build took a small chunk of the TD housing with it.  So given how thin the tank top is, I think it will be easier (and safer) just to print a new tank and swap them out depending on what build I’m trooping in. 

•         Harness (handmade)

•         Battery Pack (3D Printed)

•         Riot Baton (3D Printed)

•         Control Box (3D Printed)

•          Belt and Hip Boxes (3D Printed) – the back belt attachment for the JFO uses completely different material and color (black leather as opposed to white webbing) so there’s nothing interchangeable here.  Move along. 

•         Cummerbund (handmade).  The JFO bund has ribs that go all the way back to the oblique muscle on either side (abt 20 ribs in all) compared to the five required for the ROTJ bund, and there are no pouches.   Minus the pouches, it should be an easy build.       

Not Needed for the JFO build:

•         Flak Jacket (I feel cooler already!)

Links to what I purchased for the build are included in the bullets above, but here’s a misc. list of additional items I need for the build (links included).  For the 3D printed parts, I’m using MrPoopie's files.  Thank you Justin - I can't sing your praises enough brother!!!

Misc. Parts:

• Orange-red tubing for battery pack

• 2” black nylon strapping for harness

• ½ Yard Black Marine Vinyl for harness shoulder pads and battery cradle

• 1.5” white nylon strapping for hip boxes

• Black belt for Belt (still sourcing – I might use a 2” black leather belt left over from my wife’s Tie Reserve)

• 1.5” buckles for hip boxes

• ½” Foam padding for should pads and battery cradle

• Cricut vinyl for rank bars and tank stripe detail. (I may ditch this and just pick up a decal set for the tank - waaaay easier)

• Rust-o-leum Satin Blossom White Spray Paint for matching the RS armor color. 

 This list is sure to grow as I progress, and I'll update it accordingly.

I have everything on hand and all of the 3D parts are printed and waiting to be post processed and painted.  Weather will delay painting for a while now that colder weather is upon us here is the NE of the States, but I can knock out the soft parts while I wait for warmer weather.

Let the building (and fun) begin!

[MrPoopie]

Excited to see what you can do with this. 

[Aradun]

So this came in today. I completely forgot about it. Some special effect lighting for the riot baton.



It looks a bit purple in the pic but it’s a true blue led.





If anyone can recommend some cheap sound boards for light saber effects, I’m all ears.

Neck seal came in today too. Fits well but I don’t care for how the bib portion was done so I’m planning to redo the bib.

[MrPoopie]

You might be able to get some light blue LEDs and use both to give a lighter color added with some variation. 

[Aradun]

So thanks to the latest round of quarantining coupled with a little vacation time, I've been able to crank out some of the new soft parts for this build. 
Neck Seal
The fabrication of the neck seal was posted in a separate thread for easier reference for those looking for info and can be found here.
Flight Suit
I'm using a Kolossus overall for the flight suit in this build.  My ROTJ Scout uses a RedKap.  Owning both, I prefer the Kolossus for comfort and fit.  I did a full review of both suits which can be found here.  I removed the two back pockets, and the large utility pocket found on the right side of the suit.  That pocket is seamed into the outer leg seam so you only have to seam rip the bottom of the pocket and the one side.  The other side must be carefully cut along the edge of the leg seam.  (Sorry, forgot to take a pic of this.)
As there are no riding patches with this version of the scout, there is no need to seam rip the outer legs seams, which is good, because the seam used on the Kolossus suit I'm using uses a seam similar to what you'd find running up the inside seam on a part of jeans - the thick folded type of seam. 


This Kolossus suit is good to go for basic approval once you remove these pockets and there is no L2 for this build, BUT...it's really easy to create a tapered fit for this suit and should take less than 10 minutes.  It's worth the time because even though it's not required, it will give you a much cleaner and tailored look, and you won't have baggy pants blossoming forth from your boot tops.  This little additional step will make a HUGE difference in overall appearance. 

How much should you take in?  Grab a pair of comfortable jeans or pants that have a tapered fit, lay the leg out flat on the table and measure the width at the bottom of the leg.  For me, it was 8" for a total circumference of 16".  The leg width on the Kolossus was about 10.5" for a total circumference of 21".  That's a lot of extra real estate in fabric!  Now that you have your desired measurement, simply turn the suit inside out.  Make sure the legs are flat with the seams running along the edges of the leg and mark out your new desired width measuring from the inside of the leg to the outside. 


Then using a yard stick or other straight edge, place one end on your mark at the bottom of the pant leg and the other end on the outer seam near the bottom of the pocket opening (or about level with the crotch if you have a suit without side pockets).  If you run it to the top of the pocket you'll seam your side pockets closed and if you run it up to your waist you may create a tight fit around the buttock.  The bottom of the pocket opening is the sweet spot.


Then mark with chalk, pin, and run it through the sewing machine.  Once you have your new tapered seam finished consider adding elastic straps to the opening that will run under the arch of your feet.  This will make getting your boots on much easier and keep your pant legs from riding up in your boots. 

There’s no need to cut the excess fabric either as you won’t likely feel the material. You can see it in the above photo. Of course this is a pic with the leg still turned inside out.

Neck up...the Cummerbund.

[Aradun]

The Cummerbund
The CB for the JFO Scout is constructed the same way as the ROTJ Scout.  It should ideally be between 8" - 9" wide, but does not require pouches and instead of 5 ribs has approximately 20.  I made mine 8" wide and used the same construction method as in my ROTJ Scout.
 Here's the post from that build.

Cummerbund

Material:
36” x 44” 100% cotton sateen fabric
2” white Velcro

Sizing your CB Length:
Measure your chest just below your pecks while wearing your undersuit and flak vest.

Add 3” to this measurement (1” for bunting volume, 1” for Velcro closure, and 1” for seams)

Sizing your CB Width:
CBs are now standardized to be between 8” - 9” wide. So you’ll need double that and then add 1” for your seams. Use your pouches to determine the width. Pouches have a set height of 6”, but the tabs can vary between 2” - 3”.

My pouches had a 3” tab so I made my CB width 9” (doubled + 1” = 19”)

Overall fabric needed for this build was 44” x 19”.

Once you measure and cut your material I recommend ironing it with steam to remove any wrinkles and creases prior to stitching. It’ll be more difficult to press once the bunting has been added.

Seaming the Bund:

I added 1” to both the length and width of the CB so that I could create 1/4” seams. I measured 1/2” around the border of the material and drew a line along the 1/2” mark.

Fold the edge of the material to the 1/2” line. This creates a 1/4” fold. Then fold it again (another 1/4”) so the the cut edge is now tucked and locked in under the seam to prevent fraying once sewn. I did this for all for edges.




Once it’s all seamed, fold the material in half, lining up the top and bottom length to create your 8” - 9” bund and mark the center. Then measure out your 6 vertical stitch lines to create your 5 ribs.

Measure out 1” from the far right and left vertical stitch lines and make a mark along the top edge of the bund. This is where your pouches would begin. They should be no more than an 1” or so from the outermost vertical stitch line on either side. I also measured out 5” to mark the opposite end of the pouch, and repeating the marks for the pouches on the back side of the bund.



Then lay out your markings for where you want to place any Velcro to attach your pouches and CB to your flak vest.

I used two 2” x 1” strips of Velcro to attach the bottom of my pouches to keep them from flopping around.

I also attached a 4” x 2” strip of Velcro on the reverse side of the bund directly behind where each pouch would sit in order to attach the bund to my flak vest.

I avoided running any Velcro behind the ribs because I was fearful that it would effect the end result of my vertical stitch lines for the ribs. The Velcro I was using was rather stiff.

I added a 3” x 2” strip of Velcro on the reverse side along the top next to both Velcro closures to secure the back of the bund to the flak vest.

FRONT:



BACK:



Then measure and cut your bunting. I used three layers of 3/16” bunting giving an overall thickness of 9/16”.




Pin the top edge even and sew the seam.

Prior to sewing the 6 vertical stitches remeasure from the edge of the bund to the top and then the bottom of your first vertical line. Why? Because while sewing the top seam I found the the seam pulled the top about 1/8” so the top of my vertical stitch lines curved ever so slightly to the right. I noticed this because the marks I made back for positioning the pouches had shifted after I seamed it. The bottom of the vertical lines were fine. Remeasuring allowed me to straighten my lines.

Once you ensure that your lines are straight, begin sewing the vertical lines. Start at the seam (top of the bund) and stitch down to the bottom of the bund where there is no seam. Be sure to keep the fabric taunt by pulling to the right and left as you guide the bund through the machine. This will keep the stitch from puckering the bund. Slow and steady wins the race here.

Note: if you start from the bottom of the bund and stitch up to the seam, the fabric will be more likely to pucker. I made that mistake when creating my first bund and had to redo the entire bund.



All that’s left is to add your 2” Velcro closure to either end of the bund. Make sure that the bund closes right over left.

I still have to add my Velcro closure which will also serve to the seam the edges of the bund, and then add my pouches. I plan to stitch the tabs to the bund. I’ll post those photos once I finish.


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Here's the finished bund.  Although I just now realized that my bund has 23 ribs .  I must have had too much eggnog when counting them off.  Worst case would be having to unpick the last two ribs if my GML has issues.  Depending on how far it wraps around my sides when I suit up for a test fit, I may just unpick them anyway.
 


As for that little tab on the far right in the photo.  That's a 1.5" piece of elastic that has hook on one side and loop on the other.  It will get sandwiched between the Velcro of the new belt and keep the belt from sagging in the back.  I used one for my ROTJ and it keeps everything locked together nice and tight during a troop. 
 

[MrPoopie]

Let me know when you get to your harness. I have a few extra tips and tricks to keep everything in place that I figured out after suiting up a few times. 

[BikerScout98]

@AradunFF you got this all day brother...excited to start following another on of your threads again...

[Aradun]

Let me know when you get to your harness. I have a few extra tips and tricks to keep everything in place that I figured out after suiting up a few times. 

Roger! Roger! And VERY much appreciated. I hoping to tackle the harness in the next week or two. That, for me, is the most complex part of this build.

BTW, I saw what you did with your belt, and how you used a dress belt with ratchet buckle. Ingenious. If memory serves me right, the belt itself ran through plastic loops built into the plastic portion of the TB belt. Again, ingenious! I might go TK and use snaps glued to the inside of my belt and then Velcro the back like a traditional TB belt. I may tap you for some suggestions on that too when the time comes.

[Ammonites]

For the tank, it requires the trapezoid detail on top of the pinstripe with 4 thicker tank stripes.  These are also acceptable for the ROTJ Scout minus the red detail on top.  So if you want it to be interchangeable you can just have the top switch out.

[Aradun]

For the tank, it requires the trapezoid detail on top of the pinstripe with 4 thicker tank stripes.  These are also acceptable for the ROTJ Scout minus the red detail on top.  So if you want it to be interchangeable you can just have the top switch out.

I thought about that, but it won’t work in my case because RS makes their tanks with 6 bars which doesn’t have a trap. So I’d needed to remove the 6 bars and replace with 4. Adding the trap detail would be easy though. RS also uses a CA cement on their greeblies that’s next to impossible to remove without ripping chunks of the armor’s ABS along with it. Nice to know, I’ll never have to worry about anything falling off, but modifications are a bear.

I’ve printed a new tank. So, rather than just swap out the tank topper, which was my original plan, I’ll just swap out the entire tank between kits. Easier than messing with the rivets, glue, and rank bars on the RS tank.

[Aradun]

The weather is holding up painting and finishing work for the armor parts and riot baton so I knocked out some work on the belt.  The belt still needs another coat or two of paint but in working out how to attach the black belt I decided to use the remnant from the 2” black leather belt used for my wife’s Tie Reserve.  I had just enough for what I needed.

I glued some spare snaps I had from my TK onto the back of the belt boxes. The snaps were already riveted to ABS strips from that build so all I needed to do was glue the snaps to the belt using e6000.  There was just enough of a ledge between the boxes on the belt to secure the snaps.  Some may have to secure their snaps to the recessed portion of the boxes themselves depending on the 3D print model or ABS belt they are using because it may not provide a flat or wide enough surface.



I drilled holes in the leather for the snaps. They’re pictured above with just one snap on each.

Once the glue set and clamps were removed I was able to attach the belt. Then lining up the belt over the snap on the edge of the belt I was able to press the leather onto the snap to mark where to drill the second hole on the belt.



As you can see in the photo above I could add an additional snap on the last ridge next to the center of the belt and I have enough real estate in the leather to make it work, but I think it’s not likely necessary. The two snaps seem pretty secure.

I’m not going to trim the leather yet because I want to wait until the painting is finished so that I can attach the straps for the belt boxes and get a clean fit. I’ll use Velcro to allow for more flexibility for any weight gain/loss.



I’ll whip up a little ABS paste to fill in the rivet hole that was designed into the print to attach the nylon webbed built for the traditional ROTJ Scout.


[mention=80362]MrPoopie[/mention] - Justin I noticed in your build, and in your CRL photos that the nylon strapping for the belt boxes wasn’t run through and behind the buckles the way a traditional ROTJ does. Your strapping was sewn on each end of the buckle allowing it to be functional. My question is, was this by design? The CRL makes no mention of how the strapping should be run, and granted, it’s only noted in the L2 description for ROTJ, but a GML with discriminating eye may expect it to be done your way given that is how it is depicted in the CRL photos.

[MrPoopie]

51 minutes ago, AradunFF said:

Justin I noticed in your build, and in your CRL photos that the nylon strapping for the belt boxes wasn’t run through and behind the buckles the way a traditional ROTJ does. Your strapping was sewn on each end of the buckle allowing it to be functional. My question is, was this by design? The CRL makes no mention of how the strapping should be run, and granted, it’s only noted in the L2 description for ROTJ, but a GML with discriminating eye may expect it to be done your way given that is how it is depicted in the CRL photos.

It wasn't added to the CRL because we haven't made a L2 for this costume (yet?) but you can see from the pics below that the buckles don't have strapping behind them and seem to be functional. I just tried to stay as close t o the reference images as possible.

 

[Aradun]

Perfect.  Then that’s the way I’ll go.  Thanks.

[TreeHuggerMatt]

Really excited to see what youre gonna with this @AradunFF

Your WIP threads are exceptional mate

[Aradun]

Thanks Matt. I had some time during a break in the weather last week to get things painted. Now I just need some time from work to get caught up on the build and posting. I’ve got too many irons in the fire at the moment .


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[Aradun]

Riot Baton is complete with electronics. The build for the electronics is posted in its own thread to make it easier to find for anyone interested in adding electronics:

http://forum.501stpathfinders.com/index.php?/topic/23006-jfo-riot-baton-electronics/




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[Aradun]

Glove:

My goal here was to NOT have to buy a separate pair for this build but to be able to swap out the JFO parts between the ROTJ costume.

To that end I embedded magnets in the two glove greeblies. I used a 1 1/8” magnet for the large greeblie and a 1/2” magnet for the smaller greeblie.



TIP: if you decide to go this route be careful of the magnet size and placement of the magnet on the large greeblie. If it’s too large or placed directly in the center, embedding it will have it set into the inner channel for the red tube. I have my 1 1/8” magnet off set to avoid interfering with the tube.

Turning my Wampawear glove inside out to expose the inner lining, I marked where the magnets for the glove would mount to the glove, and glued them in place using e6000.



TIP: Make sure your magnets are oriented properly otherwise they will repel the greeblie. I marked the tops with a Sharpie. I also used magnets on the reverse side of the glove to hold the magnets securely while the e6000 dried.

After the glue set, I used some scrap fabric from the coverall pockets to create a patch which was sewn over the magnet. This will keep the magnet from being ripped off by your hand as you don the glove if left exposed. It will also allow this method to remain viable if the glue gives at some point because the magnet is now secured to the glove via the pouch.



TIP: When sewing the patches, you’ll have to do so by hand, and you’ll need to make sure not to push the needle through the leather. It was pretty easy to sew this to the lining without snagging the leather, but it is still a good idea to be cautious.

In case you’re wondering, you really do not feel or notice the magnets or patches while wearing the glove.



Then using[mention=81867]RickyBoyBlue[/mention]’s method of inserting magnets into the greeblie’s holes for the tubes, and then inserting flat head screws into the tubes, the tubes are securely locked in place once inserted into the greeblie. I used 3mm magnets. You might be able to go larger, but 5mm might be the max. I did grind the screw heads to fit inside the greeblies.



Here’s the final outcome. The magnets work like a charm. Those greeblies are going anywhere!






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[TreeHuggerMatt]

outstanding mate

[Aradun]

@Chopper @Retrofire do either of you have any thoughts on how I might be able to remove the tank topper from my RS tank? They use a faux rivet and merely glue it with some type of CA glue. Oh, how I wish it was e6000!

I won’t be able to used Justin’s tank for this build. I printed it, but it just doesn’t work with the RS back armor, so mixing and matching isn’t an option.

This leaves me with my original plan, which was to simply have two interchangeable toppers. I’m even thinking of just removing the large “dial” from the RS kit and creating two separate dials with appropriate paint schemes that would attach via magnets to the topper. Either way I need to remove the original topper, but past experience with the TD end caps and rotating the large greeblie on the TD has demonstrated that whatever CA glue RS uses is very unforgiving when trying to separate it from the ABS. I thought, as both of you are modelers, you might have experience with having to undo CA glue.

The other thing I want to run by you is paint to match the RS. Blossom White Rustoleum paint is definitely better than regular white for the RS kit, but IMO it’s still too white. Looking at the comparison below, I’m think of testing Antique White. I can always spot RS armor in photos because of the armor’s color difference from other manufacturers. It has a much more creamy color than white. Thoughts?




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[Chopper]

Unfortunately, not a lot of options there -- CA glue doesn't come off easy. Its primary solvent is acetone, but I wouldn't put that stuff anywhere near your RS tank. You can prob pry the tank topper up with a chisel blade, but it'll likely crack and leave a mess.

Yes the RS armor is more "cream" colored. I haven't been able to find a good color match outside of custom mixing. If you want to try the antique white on a plastic spoon, please let us know how it compares.

You might want to email Andrea at RS and see if you can just buy a second tank and topper. Otherwise you could ask SC for a rough cut tank and, once you get the paint matched better, trim and paint it to fit the RS back piece.

 

[Aradun]

Good suggestions Corey.  Thanks!

[Aradun]

@Chopper Corey, do you have any measurements for the trap decal used on for the four bar rank version of the tank?  I need to convert my 6 stripe rank bars to the four stripe version in order to make my tank compatible for both the ROTJ and JFO versions and need to add this element.  It looks to be about 1/4" wide, with the trap being 1 1/4" in length along the bottom and about 3/4" in length at the top.  Does that sound about right?  Also, just confirming that the rank bars themselves are 1/4" wide for the four bar version with 1/4" space between them.   

[Chopper]

This is not an absolute value, but the general consensus was that the 4x rank bars are approximately 1/4" x 1.5" or 6mm X 38mm with a 1/4" space in between.

The trapezoid is one of the 4 rank stripes with the edges cut into a trapezoid.

Perfect, exact measurements aren't called for in the CRL, so all you need to do is get close to what it looks like in the photo above.

[Aradun]

Thanks Corey! That’s way easier than I was making it.

One more question. I’m trying to get the new painted parts to better match the color of the RS ABS/Paint.

I picked up ACE Ivory spray paint, which is actually Valspar. The stuff is garbage, but the good news is that it’s garbage. It takes multiple, and I mean multiple coats to get anything decent, but given that I’m trying to blend the color, the light misting of this paint is giving me the desired effect by allowing the undercoating of Rustoleum Blossom White to still show so it’s actually knocking back the brightness of the Blossom White.

Here are side by sides in shade and sun for comparison. Blossom White is the left. Blossom White with ACE Ivory (three light passes) in the middle, and the original RS on the right? Thoughts, feedback?

In Shade:


In partial Sun:


You can see the original weathering showing through the ACE. I think if I use an airbrush for weathering and a couple of coats of clear gloss to give it a smoother and shinier finish, we might have a winner, but I definitely what some expert eyes weighing in on this before I proceed any further.

Edit: one more with indoor lighting