ATA Magma Trooper W.I.P. (PIC HEAVY)

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

Greetings. I got my brown box in the mail today, along with my Hasbro E11. I stumbled upon this rare armor over on the Spec Ops forums, and pounced on the opportunity to NOT be on an 8-month waiting list. I originally wanted to be a Stormtrooper Commander (TKC), but I think this'll help me stand out in a sea of white even more. As this is my first build, I'm *probably* going to have some questions at some point, but for now, here's a few pictures of what I got in the mail. I don't really have time to start working on it today.

Milo's got a new box to sit in. He likes sitting in boxes.

Yes, that's an EFX helmet. I plan to paint it a matching shade of red after I finish modifying it. As of right now, I have the seams filled with caulk and I removed the flimsy green lenses and now own darker ones. What's left is to add ear screws and put together my cooling system (I have the components on hand). I don't feel like messing with the size of the ears; I don't think it's THAT necessary. I also have replacement decals on the way from Trooperbay. If there's anything else I should do to the helmet to have it pass for basic approval, let me know.

Edited July 15, 2013 by SolidScrafty

[pattrooper]

nice, post some pics of the build.

[TROOPER 138[501st]]

armor looks good , loving the red belt ..   as a fan of the dreaded fx ...  looking forward to the build

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

My Trooperbay decals arrived in the mail today! I also brought a handguard from my armor kit with me to the hardware store to match it with a good shade of red. I'm a little disappointed at the lack of glossiness, so do any of you have any suggestions on how to make it look a little shinier? 

My EFX still lacks ear screws, so I picked up a small bag of them earlier today at Walmart, along with a few other tools for my armor build.

Let me know what you think. I'll put up more pics soon. Here's the result as of right now:

 

[Thalizar[TK]]

Looking good so far.

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

Man, this is slow going. Here you see that I've pretty much finished trimming the chest plate and have temporarily connected it to the back plate with Velcro. I plan to use snaps at some point in the future, maybe when I get a drill bit that will allow me to start making snap plates. I also used Velcro and some elastic to attach the shoulder bells to the plastic shoulder straps. Again, temporary (this is just a test fitting).

I was thinking I should *maybe* use a heat gun to help me bend the chest plate to help fit me better. I won't do it until you guys give it the green light.

I apologize for the litter boxes in the background; I tried to crop them out as best I could without taking too much of the good stuff out of the pictures.

A shot with the helmet on:

Here are the "finished" forearms. I decided to stick with the screen accurate look for the most part, even though I DID trim a little more than normal to fit my smaller frame. I plan to add plenty of padding within not only the forearms, but also the rest of the armor.

 

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

So I've decided to hold off on heating and bending parts until the whole thing is assembled and test-fitted. If I don't like what I see, I now know how to fix it. Progress made since last update:

- Added padding to inside of forearm armor

- Cut out and sanded plastic hand plates

- Attached hand plates to gloves using Velcro

Not shown in pictures: (coming soon)

- Completed (final) connection of the chest + back plate

- Snap connectors holding shoulder bells to shoulder bridges

After adding the padding, the forearms slide on and stay put quite nicely. They look slightly big on my skeletal frame, but after I add the biceps, more of my arm will be hidden so that it's less of an issue.

I own a set of flexible Trooperbay handguards that I plan to paint red using the information I got here on FISD. I have Karin and Vern to thank for that!

I should also add that I'm not looking to attain a high level of costuming excellence for this build. Whatever they call "Centurion" on SpecOps is not a concern to me at this point. All I care about right now is that everything stays together and looks good on the outside.

19th birthday well-spent!!

[SCTrooper[TK]]

The first red amor build I have seen.  This armor will look really good on you because your so thin. I  first padded the forearms, but opted to connect them to the bicep  on the inner part of the arm, this way there not so tight and they stay in place and very comfortable. This was how the original armor was put together and for good reason.   As far as SpecOps, I would go for highest level, much easier to do from the start and you won't have to fuss with anything later.

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

Thanks for the feedback. I decided not to go for Specialist for two reasons. One, my EFX (MRCE) helmet is not screen accurate, and it will be some time before I upgrade. Two, my snap system has not worked out yet. I've made many snap plates using snaps that I obtained from Walmart, but I can't seem to make the pliers do their job when it comes to making snaps for the straps. I've also managed to waste a few snaps trying my luck with the anvil and hammer. I made it work for the shoulder-bell to shoulder strap connections, but I have been unable to replicate the same result on the rest of the armor. I must be some special kind of stupid. 

[SCTrooper[TK]]

i can't tell you how many snaps I went though before I got it right. I haven't tried  wallys snaps. The best tool is the anvil, hammer and snap setting tool. Most snaps are made for leather, which is much thicker than elastic. When making snap plates for armor these are fine, just make sure the shank of the snap pin gets fully flattened or the snaps won't close properly. Elastic straps are so thin that I sometimes double over the ends to make them stronger before putting snap through.  What you can do is cut about 1/8" off the shank  of the snap pin with a rotary tool or file, this will help the snap set all the way down. I am not sure of the problem your having, but it sounds like this may help. Good luck

 

Nick

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

Apologies for the lack of updates. You can find a more detailed WIP on the New England Garrison forums, but you may have to sign up.

Sprayed the helmet with gloss clear coat. All mandatory modifications to my EFX/MRCE helmet are complete. Although I don't like the look of this helmet compared to the more screen-accurate ones, I'm confident this will pass for basic approval.

I made a few snap connections, but about 40% of the suit is being held together with Velcro. I ran out of snaps again and had to improvise. It's semi-wearable, nonetheless!

Flipped the mirrored images so they look right

I ordered Bass Amsterdam boots earlier today, and plan to paint them the correct shade of red. There's been a minor setback on the assembly of my thermal detonator, but I got some helpful replies on my WTB thread. I think I'll get this whole thing done within two weeks, taking the shipping time of the boots into account.

Sometime after I get approved, I may get to painting my Trooperbay handguards using the info I got on these forums a few weeks ago. 

Edited September 13, 2013 by SolidScrafty

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

Semi-completed Magma Trooper

As some of you may know, my completion goal was this year's Granite State Comicon on September 28. Staying up until 2 that morning, I managed to bang out enough snaps to make the suit wearable for a day. Little did I know that most of these snaps would fail me by the end of day 1. Despite this, and my horrendous bathroom experience, I had a wonderful first (unofficial) troop in my red armor. Here are some pics of the build so far that I have found scattered on the Internet. I could not find any pictures of my back.

 

 

 

 

Things I need to do before 501st membership application:

- Assemble replacement right shin armor

- Assemble thermal detonator

- Remove all scratches and blemishes; polish to a shine

- Trim kidney plate sides

- Take apart thigh armor for further trimming

- Attach belt to ab plate

- Re-do snap system (AGAIN...)

- Borrow a good camera 

More than a month ago, I remember posting somewhere that I was 90% done with the entire thing. How wrong I was. 

[Tolo[TK]]

More than a month ago, I remember posting somewhere that I was 90% done with the entire thing. How wrong I was.

You think you're done and you find that you have more than when you started loll.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk

[Oztrooper[TK]]

The tweaking never ends.....

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

Update: I ordered a set of 100 Line 24 snaps from the Tandy Leather Factory. With that, I have the proper snap setter, woven elastic straps, and nylon webbing for the chest to back connection. I ripped apart my thigh armor and trimmed off more plastic. I have my thermal detonator finished, aside from the belt attachment. Thanks again for hooking me up with those end caps, Vern! I'll be getting more work done the day my snaps arrive, provided I have time outside of college and my job. Pictures will be posted, so stay tuned!

 

In the meantime, here're a couple fun pics of me and my assassin friend photobombing an interview!! 

 

The first shot I found of my back, and how much of a mess it was 

Edited October 21, 2013 by SolidScrafty

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

You think you're done and you find that you have more than when you started loll.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk

The tweaking never ends.....

I hear about the constant upgrading and maintaining of peoples' suits who have done it better than me the first time...I'll be doing quite a bit of it myself 

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

My set of 100 snaps and snap setting tool have arrived from the Tandy Leather Factory yesterday, and I've been successful in making solid connections this time. I followed the advice of troopers from FISD and Spec Ops and have attempted to trim down my thigh armor. Result: another screw-up. Here are pics of my disintegrating right thigh:

 

I cut out the entire glued section. The raised ridges and rear coverstrip are gone on both armor pieces, and there is still room for more trimming after a test fit. I've decided against doing more trimming based on the fact that I can make it work with my thigh garters.

 

The resulting damage

I should have completely disassembled before the trimming. To those of you who advised me to trim down, you were correct in that it needed to be done, it's just that I've gone about it the wrong way. When the right thigh flexed after the trim, the rest of the piece was put under stress, resulting in MANY cracks, most of which I was unable to capture using my phone's camera. I may repair these smaller ones by soaking a piece of cloth with E6000 and applying it to the inside of the affected area. As for the fractured front coverstrip, I'm at a loss. I might try the acetone + scrap plastic method for this.

 

Fractured thigh ammo pack

Thinking about the acetone + scrap plastic method here as well. Yes, I'm well aware of the placement of my split rivets and am considering ways I can remove these. I'll need to fill in these holes...

 

Any advice on how I can repair these damages will be appreciated! I'd like to try and get this repaired and ready to go before Halloween. The last thing I want to see is someone suggesting I buy replacement parts. If that's what I have to do, fine, but be prepared to convince me!    My boss at the grocery store has given me the green light to wear the suit (minus the helmet) at my register, so I'd hate to disappoint!

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

I've repaired the thighs. Upon inspection of my other armor pieces, I found a crack on the inside of my right forearm (which I also fixed). I also found a crack on the coverstrip of my left shin...

 

...(Removed that big block of text containing an anti-ATA rant... I don't really hate ATA.)

 

Edited December 27, 2013 by SolidScrafty

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

To those of you following my thread on FISD, I've cleared things up on the Spec Ops forum. I take back what I wrote about the ATA armor, and am chalking it up to a bad assembly on my part. Recommend you go over there and check it out if you don't like what you're seeing right here. I'm not doing all that copying + pasting again

[CRISTONAMO]

I've never liked ATA, always thought the chest looked different. AP is the way to go! shame this is the only magma trooper armor. Good luck with your repairs

[Sonnenschein]

Did you come around painting the hand guards?

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

I still have the Trooperbay handguards un-painted.

I placed an order for a Doopydoos resin kit for my Hasbro, which should arrive sometime in mid-January. I sent a payment to Scootch for a CAP helmet kit, which I plan to cover in red paint and ANH TK decals. 

PM sent to DizzyStormtrooper on the SpecOps forum about my thigh armor.

Awaiting TD belt clips from Bondservnt.

 

Expecting to get this build done sometime in mid-February, but I've been wrong about my predictions before 

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

Would any admin who happens to be reading this be willing to change the title of my thread to "ATA/CAP Magma Trooper W.I.P."? I'd do it myself...but I can't figure it out to save my life 

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

The CAP helmet kit has arrived!

Obligatory brown box pic:

 

[/url]

 

 

Edited December 30, 2013 by SolidScrafty

[mikedwelle94[TK]]

 

 

Practice coms (these look like Hero ears!)

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2013 by SolidScrafty