New NE build Tampa Fl

[Pencap510]

After a little hiatus (getting nursery ready for padawan number 3. got my snap plates attached to my thighs for my "vader Dave" garter assembly.

 

Next up - got my sniper plate attached (thanks Ron for the pics) - cut the vertical side lines- but I'm a little concerned with the glue surface. Front and inside of my shin have a ton of good surface space for E6000- outside - not so much. Well see if it holds.

[maxsteele[TK]]

Yeah, I only had those three contact points for my gluing as well.  I used magnets to hold it in place, then I clamped the magnets down.  

 

After that dried, I looked for spots that could have contact but weren't glued, squeezed e6000 into the holes, then used the magnets / clamps a second time.  My sniper plate isn't going anywhere now.

[Pencap510]

Awesome.. I'm so close now- guess everything is done.. Except helmet. So it's time- ill suit up tomorrow for a trial fit of everything minus helmet.. Should I start a new thread for my bucket?

[maxsteele[TK]]

Awesome.. I'm so close now- guess everything is done.. Except helmet. So it's time- ill suit up tomorrow for a trial fit of everything minus helmet.. Should I start a new thread for my bucket?

 

I did, but I have an ATA bucket.  If I had an NE helmet, I probably would have kept it in the same thread.

[Pencap510]

First work on bucket - how do my drill hole marks look?

[Pencap510]

So here is my first test fitting. A few things to note. Trying to put all this on by myself- I got my arms (biceps and forearms) on backwards) the pics were taken in a mirror- so they are reversed. My ammo pack IS on the right leg- sniper plate left etc-

 

Lastly - I did notice a few things walking around - I will have to find a way to secure the left shin. It wants to turn outward as I walk around. Also my back play seems to catch under my kidney- ill have to trim it down some.

 

All in all- please provide any feedback. I'll have to get se better pics when I have a second set of hands

 

[maxsteele[TK]]

Woo hoo for first test fit!

 

First thing - I wanna see the back of your armor.     i know it's impossible to get that shot when you're the one taking the shots.

 

Can you get those drop boxes moved further to the ends of your belt plastic?  You want the outside edge to line up with the edge of the belt plastic.  Looks like your right drop box is in the correct position, and your left one needs to move out further.  I think it'd be good if you could shorten the elastic and bring the drop boxes up a bit higher to the belt as well.

 

Do you have the snaps in place for your belt attaching to the ab plate yet?  If not, you can bring the belt up so the top edge is just underneath the bottom button of your button plate.  Possibly an inch.

 

From the side shots, it looks like your kidney may be in the right place, which means you should try to bring the ab plate up.  I can't tell how the cod is fitting on you, but if you have the room, definitely bring the ab plate up to meet with your kidney.  That will also be more apparent on the fit when you get a full back shot.

 

Can you bring the thighs up any more?  Even where your ab plate is now, I feel like you could close the gap between the bottom of the cod and the tops of the thighs.  Your right thigh is certainly hanging lower than your left.

 

I like the distance you have in the front between your ab and chest plate.  Moving your ab up will close that gap more, which may make it a little crowded.  You may have a little room to bring the chest plate up if you're able to move the ab up.  Again, seeing the full back shot will help with knowing placement of that.

 

It doesn't look like you have a strap going between your right forearm and your right bicep (which is actually your left forearm and left bicep, since you said you were wearing them on the wrong arms.    ) .  It does look like you have one on the other set.  Either that or you just got lucky with the placement.  

 

Shoulders look good.  Looks like you have the right length of elastic for attaching the shoulders up next to the chest-to-back transition.

 

I put a piece of velcro on the front lip of my boots, and then the other piece of velcro inside the front of each shin.  That keeps the shins down on the boots very nicely and no "velcro sound" when walking.

Edited August 21, 2014 by maxsteele

[Pencap510]

Excellent feedback! Thank you very much- I'm going to suit up again tomorrow and have the wifeee take some better pics- all the way around. I think I'm also gonna hit up Joann's for a foam block or two for the top inside of my shins- that along with the Velcro might help with them sliding.

 

Keep an eye on tomorrow- for my updated pics after I've made a few simple mods

[PiettLives[TK]]

You beat me to it Max but I agree with everything you pointed out.

 

Ty, are you planning to come to the AP at Fritz's house Sunday? If so, we can get you buttoned up and fitted. It's difficult to do so alone and you need that second pair of eyes and hands to adjust and fit properly. Yeah, fix those thighs!

 

I wish you didn't have soooo much gap in your knees (especially your left one) and your right forearm looks really trimmed down and short (nothing you can do now).

 

How is your kidney/butt plate attached to each other? They should fit flush together.

 

Oh and good luck trimming those ears... they SUCK to do!!!

[Pencap510]

Without further ado- her are some updated pics- had a hand getting suited up and I think I made some of the mentioned adjustments. (Didn't see the info for the armor party Sunday- but ya- I'd love to come- send me the specifics??)

 

 

....and just a few more for fun with my RS PropMasters lid--

 

 

Let me know what ya think!!

[maxsteele[TK]]

Try to get the top of your ab plate to match up with the top of your kidney on the left and right sides.  Now that I've seen your back, I think you can drop your kidney down to match up with your ab plate on the sides.  I believe you have your kidney up a bit high, which is causing the mis-alignment on the side transition.  It also looks like that will put your butt plate in the right position as well.

[Pencap510]

I'll make the adjustment - is a little gap between them acceptable?

[I'm Batman[501st]]

Hey Ty. Looking great!

 

I see you asked a question earlier in your thread about your Butt/Kidney attachment. You could try moving (or adding extra) your snaps on the butt right up as close as possible to the top edge of your butt. By doing this you will only need a very short piece of webbing - I assume it's webbing and not elastic - which physically won't be able to move as much as it is now.

 

Although I love the idea of the thigh garter, I didn't order one, sceptical of whether you would see the buckles. Hopefully it's not as noticeable in real life. Can you adjust it so it's not so visible?

Edited August 22, 2014 by Sith Lord

[Pencap510]

I'm gonna add an extra snap to the kidney first making it just a little longer and see if that lowers the kidney/butt enough. If not, I'll add a snap to the butt piece which should take care of the issue of it sitting to high.. And Ron, I believe your right, that will help better align my cod to kidney.

 

After that, (and finishing my bucket) think I'll be ready for my First 501st approval!

 

As for the garter, didn't realize it was showing...but keen eye. Yes it cane be adjusted. I just had it hiked to the side weird.

[maxsteele[TK]]

I'll make the adjustment - is a little gap between them acceptable?

 

The gap you have now is fine.  In fact, the sides of your back plate are overlapping your kidney.  dropping the kidney will most likely remove that overlap.

[Pencap510]

Trying roughly 3/4" longer to start. See if hat leaves and acceptable gap- while getting rid of the overlap- leaving the but plate alone. - for now

[Pencap510]

I think 3/4" was to much of a gap- never mind the blue undershirt

 

It certainly fixed the sides but think I need to bring it up a little more - thoughts?

[maxsteele[TK]]

Yeah, that's a bit too much of a gap.

 

Oh!  I just noticed - you're raising your arms up when you're taking a shot of your back.  Don't do that.  Get a shot of your back with your arms down at your sides.  Everyone's going to have a gap between their back and kidney when they have their arms raised up.

 

If you still have a noticeable gap back there, then the rest of my post is valid:

 

Now that you have the kidney and ab lined up nicely, can you raise up the ab along with the kidney?

 

If not, how about lowering the back plate down to meet with the kidney?  It seems like it's fitting well currently, but if you're able to comfortably lower it down, that will solve your gap in the back and you have the ab / kidney transition solved as well.

[Pencap510]

I think it got it. Made another adjustment to the straps (shortened them a smidge) and took pics with arms down. My butt plate seems to flare out a bit but looking my pics yesterday it did the. As well - my sides look much better

[I'm Batman[501st]]

You still need to shorten the kidney to but ones like I mentioned previous page. If the straps are short enough (very top of but to very bottom of kidney) then they can't move so your but can't flare out like that. Physically impossible.

 

Instead of lowering your kidney, maybe you need to lower your whole back/kidney/but as one, by having longer shoulder straps??

Edited August 22, 2014 by Sith Lord

[Pencap510]

Missed the butt plate piece- shortening those now, and I actually built in extra snaps on my shoulder straps so I could drop it down if needed... Proactive measures taken for assumed mistakes lol.. That did help btw

[Pencap510]

So I shortened the butt plate straps- but I wasn't happy with them. Thanks for E6000!! I went ahead and pulled up my snap plates from my butt and kidney and moved them to adjust-- as well as moved then as far out as I could. I had them more toward the center which I believ was causing some of my problems. Waiting for it to dry and will try on tomorrow --- fingers crossed

[Pencap510]

Well- I think it will become the battle of me vs the butt plate lol- I'm gonna try and move the plates even closer to the edge- while not changing the distance between the kidney and the butt. I think the distance between he back and kidney is much better now and doesn't have amy overlap.

[Pencap510]

Move the plates and re did the straps again. I don't know if physically they can be moved any closer to the edge

[maxsteele[TK]]

Ah, the back-to-kidney transition is looking much better now, and your ab-kidney transition is lined up better.

 

I think the issue you're having with the butt plate is a case of "junk in the trunk"     Do you have the strap from the butt plate to the cod in place?  That may pull the butt plate down some and help with alignment.  Or, it might just stick out the way it does because of your body shape and that's just the way it is.

 

I can tell you I had issues with how my butt plate flared out all the way up to my final suit-up before taking approval photos.  I seemed to help it by trimming the return edge thinner (which it looks like you already have) and I heat-bent the butt plate tab to curve better for the meet-up with the cod on the other side.  Then it started behaving itself after that and the strap between the butt and cod.