Pandatrooper's AM build thread[*AM]

[Joker]

Looking amazing!!

[Wildabeast[TK]]

Panda..as normal your build is moving along beautifully...

[Wildabeast[TK]]

dang slow comp..double post

Edited June 9, 2010 by Wildabeast

[pandatrooper[TK]]

Here's some completed pics one of my photographer friends took. Still working on a few small tweaks (fill and paint the rivets white, adjust how the chest plate hangs slightly, but that's it). Ive already trooped in it like 3 times!

 

 

 

 

[chaosticbunny]

This thread inspires me to build my AM. Thanks for the progress updates!

[ThayNerd[TK]]

Great pics Terry. You did a fantastic job on your build. I think its the best AM build I have seen to date.

[pandatrooper[TK]]

Thanks guys! I hope this inspires people on the forum to be creative with how they approach armor building. The goal was to take fan sculpted armor (with no real screen lineage) and make it look closer to the screen characters. It will never be screen accurate, but it can look like it - on a budget too!

[Daetrin[Admin]]

I've seen this armor in person, and it's impressive. Actually there is no armor that I know of that traces to screen used. TE-derived was an ROTJ tour suit, after all no?

 

It's not the kit - it's what you do with it that makes the armor rock.

[puro]

Terry: Did you trim the shoulder bells or used them as such? I am building my AM and I have no comparison to any other set, but they seem huge...

[pandatrooper[TK]]

Terry: Did you trim the shoulder bells or used them as such? I am building my AM and I have no comparison to any other set, but they seem huge...

 

Yes, I did some cutting and reshaping of the shoulder bells along with a return edge. There are also some comparison pics to screen lineage shoulder bells for size reference. They are all on page 2 of the build.

[puro]

They are all on page 2 of the build.

 

Woops! I did scan your build, but poorly, it seems...

[Quebectrooper]

Nice work.

 

So AM is the same seller who made FX for years ?

 

My kit is FX and i'm slowly replacing some pieces with AP and ATA.

 

It should looks good when i aply for EIB.

[TK-4510[501st]]

I am amazed at the amount of work needed to make this kit look right. You are doing an awesome job as usual.

[pandatrooper[TK]]

Pat, yes - the maker of FX updated everything and has discontinued the FX kit. The AM is all new sculpts / forming bucks.

 

Thanks Mike, glad you like it. Yes, I too had thought it would be "easy". I think it's easy if you;re a bigger trooper and don't need to do many mods, but to make it fit someone slimmer, or even slightly smaller (I'm 5 foot 8 inches) it was a good amount of work to get it to look the way I wanted.

[darthgarth]

somebody pin this thread please, is this pinned? this needs to be pinned. Your kit looks amazing, I will be shamelessly plaguarizing your build as im sure lots of other will. If i can get mine even slightly like yours i will be well chuffed.

 

(oh and could somebody pin this thread?)

[Daetrin[Admin]]

The plan is for people to start at the Academy. There will be a list of build threads there per make. Actually, there's no reason why I can't start one for this area like we do TIPS/HOWTO.

 

I'll work on that tonight after I'm done with CRL's.

[Bill.I.Am]

Excellent thread! Just got my AM kit today and I am thin and 5'7" so this thread is gold on how to mode it to fit me. Thanks for sharing this.

[SphereBase21]

Here’s a thigh. Having already test fitted it, it’s about a half inch too tall compared to my current armor. To make it more comfortable for trooping, I’m going to cut 1†off the top, and do a return edge using a heat sealing iron.

 

 

Here you can see where I drew some lines as guides. The inner thigh height was fine, it was mostly the front and outer edges that were too tall. The transitions and follows the original curve as close as can be, with a little eyeballing.

 

 

I’ve cut about ½†off the thighs, leaving a bit of plastic to heat and bend for the return edge. This is just a first pass with the iron. Yes, it looks rough, but once you event it out, and sand it, it looks fine.

 

 

Before, with a rough pass

 

After. Just take your time and go slowly, heating sections at a time. Fix the blemishes after with a Dremel and some sanding.

 

Comparison of finished edge (not fully sanded / polished yet) to an uncut thigh

 

Great thread. I just received my AM armor, and I am very impressed with the kit, and the service from TupperwareTK. Can't wait to get started, but looking for the proper tools. Would you have a quick list of some of the needed supplies? I'm thinking E-6000, clamps, masking tape, and magnets. You mentioned a heating iron for plastic? What kind are you using that bends the plastic, but will not warp, or damage it? Can the iron be used to reshape small, and large parts? I think AM armor is great stuff, and I appreciate your thread on the build. This will be my first build. Thanks.

[pandatrooper[TK]]

Here's a couple of good threads on tools required. An AM kit will also come with instructions that describes their method of assembly and tools used. Of course, you can use other tools to make the process easier, more detailed, etc.

 

http://whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=11760&st=0&p=145584&hl=tools&fromsearch=1entry145584

 

http://whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=9809&st=0&p=124652&hl=tools&fromsearch=1entry124652

 

I use a heat gun (from any hardware store) and a heat sealing iron (for heating RC model airplane wings).

[Bill.I.Am]

I am following along as I am building my AM. I just started in the planning part for my chest peice and found that if you are wearing a MR helmet the chin hits the top of the chest plate.I am going to fix this by doing pretty much what you did with your chest and back plate and use straps. Trimming away the plastic straps will lower it more squarly and not cause it to stick out from your chest so far as to interfere with the helmet.

[MightyTank[501st]]

Great job!

 

 

Edited March 29, 2011 by MightyTank

[pandatrooper[TK]]

Hi Clint. The harness / suspender straps are 1.5" webbing. Some people like to use elastic for a little more give and that's what they used for the screen suits, it's up to you.

 

The back end of the suspenders connect to the top of the kidney section (via industrial Velcro. I still like to use Velcro here, as it allows for adjustments in length / comfort), then move up to the back section, and attach to the back at the top of the shoulders via snaps / snap plates. The suspenders pass under the ribbed shoulder straps, and continue down to the AB section, and terminates with suspender fastex clips for easy on / off. I have short sections of elastic sewn to one of the fastex clip, and the bottom is attached to the top of the ab section via industrial Velcro. I have done this on 2 suits with great results during long troops.

 

I sewed a short sternum strap across the chest. This keeps the shoulder bells from swing out. The shoulder bells attach via 1" elastic to the top of the suspenders.

 

The garters for the thighs I custom make myself. I have done a few runs in the past but don't have any going right now. They are V shaped and center the thigh nicely. This isn't screen accurate, I think in the films they used 1 single wide elastic connecting each thigh to the cod armor, but I find that mine work well for trooping purposes.

 

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any questions.

[MightyTank[501st]]

On 16.8.2010 at 8:48 PM, pandatrooper said:

Hi Clint. The harness / suspender straps are 1.5" webbing. Some people like to use elastic for a little more give and that's what they used for the screen suits, it's up to you.

 

The back end of the suspenders connect to the top of the kidney section (via industrial Velcro. I still like to use Velcro here, as it allows for adjustments in length / comfort), then move up to the back section, and attach to the back at the top of the shoulders via snaps / snap plates. The suspenders pass under the ribbed shoulder straps, and continue down to the AB section, and terminates with suspender fastex clips for easy on / off. I have short sections of elastic sewn to one of the fastex clip, and the bottom is attached to the top of the ab section via industrial Velcro. I have done this on 2 suits with great results during long troops.

 

I sewed a short sternum strap across the chest. This keeps the shoulder bells from swing out. The shoulder bells attach via 1" elastic to the top of the suspenders.

 

The garters for the thighs I custom make myself. I have done a few runs in the past but donâ't have any going right now. They are V shaped and center the thigh nicely. This isn't screen accurate, I think in the films they used 1 single wide elastic connecting each thigh to the cod armor, but I find that mine work well for trooping purposes.

 

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any questions.

 

 

It does help a ton, thanks Terry! I'm drawing it up as i read it. i would have loved to buy some thigh straps from ya, but i think i can probably whip some up w/ your design since you don't have any on hand. what material are they? 1" elastic i assume. And they just hook around a support belt under your armor? or do you attach them to your AB plate?

[pandatrooper[TK]]

The custom garters for the thighs I made for the build and offered for sale look like this:

 

More details here, but I don't have a run going currently. Feel free to make your like this if you wish.

 

- Adjustable belt can fit waist sizes up to 42 inches (*note: those that need suspenders can use low cost "clip on elastic" suspenders for dress pants. Super easy to find at a dollar store.)

- Fastex secure buckle closure

- The garters are "V" style, the thigh armor will stay in place very nicely (no floppage!). One end of the V is permanently sewn / bar tacked, the other end is adjustable.

- The garters are fully adjustable for length (waist to thigh), and also adjustable for position on the belt (put them as close or far apart as you like, make the V as narrow or wide as you like, whatever fits your body / armor).

- The webbing end tabs that go inside the thigh armor are triple thick where the snap is, the ends are bar tacked and the entire tab is box stitched for strength. These are strong.

The end tab comes with 1 snap already mounted, using a Tandy Line 24 female snaps (as most people use these). I've simplified the design to 1 snap since most people don't use 2 positions anyways.

[Bill.I.Am]

Those look great, now you have us wanting them.