ANOVOS issues (ANOVOS ONLY discussion)

Little late to the game, but I finally got my Snowtrooper helmet and here are some of my thoughts on it.......

-I like the overall look of it. The head is a little bulbous, but so was the one on the tour suit, so that really doesn't bother me.
-Its very light, but I kind of expected it since it is a relatively simple design in the first place.
-The plastic is thin, but I don't think too terribly bad. It doesn't seem any worse than what was on my RS ST helmet.
-The cowl is made of an interesting material. If I was going to wear it, I would be unhappy because the plastic is too stiff. But for a display, it looks really nice.
-I don't like how they made the square indentations on the back. They're deeper on the original.
-My biggest complaint is that I really wished they would've kept the weathering. It kinda screams out for it.
-Kinda wish the interior would've been a little more elaborate also, but since its a display its not a big deal to me.

I'm not an expert on all the nuances of the snowtrooper helmet, but overall, I'm happy with it. Its definitely not perfect, but I don't think its all that bad either. I'd give it a B+
 
For anyone who is putting the Snowtrooper helmet kit together, what type of glue are you using? I know the instructions recommend CA glue but I have a feeling that is going to be a nightmare.
 
For anyone who is putting the Snowtrooper helmet kit together, what type of glue are you using? I know the instructions recommend CA glue but I have a feeling that is going to be a nightmare.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I always use e6000. It is strong yet flexible, and is forgiving in the respect if you make a mistake you can remove the pieces without damaging anything


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For anyone who is putting the Snowtrooper helmet kit together, what type of glue are you using? I know the instructions recommend CA glue but I have a feeling that is going to be a nightmare.

Definitely E6000! Best glue for the application. Stay away from ca glue, there’s just no reason to cement this, gives ypu barely no time to work with and no margin for error or correction.
 
My opinion, as someone who has been building models and sewing costumes since I was in single digits, is that it's always better to get a kit, if possible, so the end-user has the most control over trimming, fitting, and assembly. I know not everyone has the same skill set, but I feel this should be done with OT offerings regardless, even if one then has to seek out assistance for the construction. I'd want the Snowtrooper or TIE Pilot as kits specifically for the reasons complained about here. You can always trim more off, but it's really hard to pull apart and add back or fill cuts or screw holes. I would never trust someone else to know exactly what was in my head and assemble it to match that.

@tubachris85x, if there were more material to work with, could the Snowie be constructed more accurately? I'd be fine filling the goggle grooves, but I'm also more of an idealized/symmetrical guy for costuming, and would want to smooth bumpy surfaces and wonky browlines. If the dome is too high, it is within my ability to cut out the relevant amount and re-anchor the brow band higher. If the brow band at the top of the shroud is what keeps it from being straight, I can cut and reposition (and alter the top line to adjust the flare, if needed). And so on and so on. I'm fine putting in the work -- I'm set up for just about anything but initial fabrication.

...Or would one be better advised to go with the MC kit? Also, does anyone make the officer's hard cowl? Last time I looked around, I didn't see anyone offering that option.

As far as ANOVOS' accuracy and variation in the original props... *sigh* I tend to think I'm pretty pedantic, but MJF, you're testing the range of the scale. :p Yes, because of the hand-assembled nature of the props, there's going to be variation, however minor. And no, no one makes every subtle variant. Mainly because there's no thorough catalogue of each one made. Most no longer even exist. This is about as good as we're likely to get:

original-stormtrooper-helmets-in-street-1976.jpg

sdsorigTIEs.jpg


Another reason I advocate building from a kit, if one wants to recreate the entire physicality of a specific exemplar. Fan makers and licensed vendors alike tend to pick one, or a happy medium, or an idealized representation, and go with it.

For that Inferno Squad helmet, to avoid the "ANOVOS wonkiness", you may have to go with a kit from another vendor and paint to suit. Or, if taking out (reused or not) the hard-hat liner is enough to fix that wonkiness, there's that. If it's symmetrical in the game and you want to recreate that, you may need to take an approach similar to the one I'm taking for a 181st build I'm doing for a friend: scavenge the faceplate from a Black series Stormtrooper (fill in the tube vents and cut out the aerator openings to the right diameter for how the hoses will be mounted), get a "no faceplate" helmet kit from one of the other vendors, get the Michell greeblies from Ken and the forehead greeblies from Shapeways, and go to town.

IMO, ANOVOS' greatest strengths are matching/reproducing fabrics and offering good hard-item kits. Their custom tailoring has always been iffy, so I expect nothing different in asking them to build a hard costume, either. *heh*

--Jonah
 
My opinion, as someone who has been building models and sewing costumes since I was in single digits, is that it's always better to get a kit, if possible, so the end-user has the most control over trimming, fitting, and assembly. I know not everyone has the same skill set, but I feel this should be done with OT offerings regardless, even if one then has to seek out assistance for the construction. I'd want the Snowtrooper or TIE Pilot as kits specifically for the reasons complained about here. You can always trim more off, but it's really hard to pull apart and add back or fill cuts or screw holes. I would never trust someone else to know exactly what was in my head and assemble it to match that.

@tubachris85x, if there were more material to work with, could the Snowie be constructed more accurately? I'd be fine filling the goggle grooves, but I'm also more of an idealized/symmetrical guy for costuming, and would want to smooth bumpy surfaces and wonky browlines. If the dome is too high, it is within my ability to cut out the relevant amount and re-anchor the brow band higher. If the brow band at the top of the shroud is what keeps it from being straight, I can cut and reposition (and alter the top line to adjust the flare, if needed). And so on and so on. I'm fine putting in the work -- I'm set up for just about anything but initial fabrication.

...Or would one be better advised to go with the MC kit? Also, does anyone make the officer's hard cowl? Last time I looked around, I didn't see anyone offering that option.

As f

No, don't go to moncal. He's not delivering on products and I've removed FAC from our vendors. Until they can prove they've got their stuff together, then we'll revisit it, but not at this moment.

You've got other vendors available, even Dan Laws has done a complete 180 from how he used to be. He's also the only one currently selling the snowtrooper commander helmets (the "hard cowl" version you asked). Troopermaster is currently sculpting the face to make his own commander but I'm not sure when he'll begin putting them out.

I've shot a video, a long winded one, and I'm currently trying to edit the stupid thing so I can get it on youtube. It'll be long, and rambly, but whatever. I explain a lot of the issues and my thoughts.

So standby
 
Well finally received my Snowtrooper helmet, and it is as other have posted. Looks good on display where it will stay. I don't troop but it doesn't seem sturdy enough to trooper in.

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I'll hopefully be able to get my video uploaded tonight. I am not a video maker and I'm finding this to be a pain in the *****. Perhaps since it's HD, causing problems.
 
FO snowtrooper up for pre-order.

Looks nice but I have the FO flametrooper on order and I wonder if I need both. What do you all think?
 
FO snowtrooper up for pre-order.

Looks nice but I have the FO flametrooper on order and I wonder if I need both. What do you all think?

Shape is good. My only real gripe about it is that they need to use flat-black decals (might be paint?) for the dome stripe..and put them on straight.
 
Is the premiere line executioner new? Odd there isn't a non-executioner premium TLJ helmet. Would've nabbed one.
The Premier Executioner was announced at least a few weeks ago.

I would be very surprised if they do not offer a Premier white TLJ helmet. They just need to paint it a little differently.

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FO snowtrooper up for pre-order.

Looks nice but I have the FO flametrooper on order and I wonder if I need both. What do you all think?
I think the snowtrooper looks more interesting than the flame, but that’s just me. I like how the lineage to the OT lid can be seen (in-universe lineage that is), whereas as far as I know the flame trooper is just a new creation. The white flame trooper would look interesting contrasted next to the black FO TIE helmet though, given the design similarities.

The listings for both say they’re from The Last Jedi. Does anyone know if they’re changed at all from TFA, like the regular TK was?
 
I think the snowtrooper looks more interesting than the flame, but that’s just me. I like how the lineage to the OT lid can be seen (in-universe lineage that is), whereas as far as I know the flame trooper is just a new creation. The white flame trooper would look interesting contrasted next to the black FO TIE helmet though, given the design similarities.

The listings for both say they’re from The Last Jedi. Does anyone know if they’re changed at all from TFA, like the regular TK was?

As for the snowtrooper, nothing has changed. They made at least 20 suits for TFA, at least 16 were used for TLJ (observeable). Given there weren't any changes, I'd have to assume they reused the TFA suits.
 

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