NE AHN Stunt, First Build

[mercury26]

I will fiddle with the ab/cod tonight and look at tightening up the back plate.  I also posted on the local garrison forum to gather some opinions.  We will get there, little by little.

[I'm Batman[501st]]

For the right hand snap, I've seen at least one other centurion build for ne that had the snap in the same spot.

http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/24319-tk-10666-requesting-anh-stunt-centurion-status-89-ne/

Just remember, not all centurions are correct, and one exception certainly doesn't mean it's right.

 

Chuck, depending on what level of accuracy you're going for, I wouldn't change until told to do so, as the clean up will probably look worse that it does now, which isn't that bad anyway.

 

Keep going!

[mercury26]

OK, I fixed the shins and have a much tighter fit.  Thanks for the help there!

 

I am getting ready to trim the arms and believe I have everything in alignment.  From my understanding (and looking at things), it looks like I need to remove an inch or so from the front of the right arm.  See pics below, I have a pencil line where I plan to the cut.  I also have some pics of the left arm taped together to show alignment.  It looks like I need to take a smidge off the left front.  I am going to remove both return edges on the front of both arms.  I appreciate some input to make sure I cut this correctly.  

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[maxsteele[TK]]

Line up on the elbow side, and cut the extra from the wrist side.  Don't cut off the molded indented squares:

 

If I'm looking at your pics correctly, you are lining up from the elbow end and marking the extra on the wrist side to cut off, correct?  If you are, then your marks are what you're cutting off.

 

Did you already fit the forearms to your arms?  I see you cut the front raised ridges to 7.5mm on each piece to take a 15mm cover strip already.  Have you wrapped the pieces around your arm, found where they fit, then marked and cut the excess off on the back side?  Again, it looks like you have, but I'm just double checking with ya.  

[mercury26]

Yes, I lined up the elbow side on each arm and cut at the wrist side.  Sounds like that is correct.

 

I cut off the top part to accommodate the cover strip.  I have not cut off the other side (back) yet.  I was going to glue the strips and then cut on the back to accommodate my arm.  

[maxsteele[TK]]

I can only speak from how I did it - I taped up the top part, wrapped the pieces around my arm, taped up the back where the fit felt good, slipped off the forearm, and marked where the cuts would go on each piece.  That let me take all the tape off and work with each piece by itself to cut.  I would think it would have been a little more challenging if I cut the back side of the pieces when the top was already glued together.

 

Once I had both pieces of a forearm cut where I needed, that's when I glued the pieces together with cover strips.

[mercury26]

One last question, did you remove the return edge on the thighs?  I am looking to remove some for a bit tighter fit.

[Rystan]

I can only speak from how I did it - I taped up the top part, wrapped the pieces around my arm, taped up the back where the fit felt good, slipped off the forearm, and marked where the cuts would go on each piece.  That let me take all the tape off and work with each piece by itself to cut.  I would think it would have been a little more challenging if I cut the back side of the pieces when the top was already glued together.

 

Once I had both pieces of a forearm cut where I needed, that's when I glued the pieces together with cover strips.

 

On my forearms, I did one each way.  It was definitely easier as you suspected to do all the cuts before gluing instead of gluing one end and then cutting.

[maxsteele[TK]]

With any of the return edges that have a definite "lip" to them, I anchored them so the return edge was sitting on a hard surface, then I ran a pencil in the 'groove' where the return edge bent from the main armor piece so I could have a better visual line.

 

Next, I took the point of an xacto knife and followed the same groove that my pencil marked, using the pencil marking to make sure I 'stayed on target' (heh) and etched a deeper groove.

 

I went over that spot about 4-5 times, making it deeper and deeper, and then I cut from the outside of the return edge down to where the groove was in staggered areas, and snapped the return edge off piece by piece.  

 

After that was done, I sanded the whole area up with some sandpaper to smooth it out, and there ya go.  I did this for removing the return edges on my forearms, biceps, shins, and the inside tops of my thighs.

 

For return edges where I thinned them instead of removing them completely, I measured how long I wanted the return edge to be when I was done, made little pencil marks, joined them together to have a cut line, and used a combo of straight and curved lexan scissors for the cutting.

[mercury26]

Quick update, I was assembled enough for my daughter's birthday party.  Thanks for everyones input and help! Here are some pics of me in the costume, also one with with my wife and other wife my oldest daughter (her party).  I actually was close to overall completion but the following for submission of entry.

 

• Ammo Pack on Right Thigh
• Minor Painting on Helmet
• Tighten left shin, too loose and moves around
• Fix drop boxes (they popped off the rivets)
• Trim forearm return edge (near elbow), left a bruise on my arm
• Bicep straps to keep them tighter to my arm
• Strap on top of the shoulders

After that, I have some additional work to do.

 

 

 

[maxsteele[TK]]

Looking good!  I'm quite sure no one at the party noticed the little details.  You were a Stormtrooper for them.  

 

I'm thinking you might be able to move the snap that your shoulders connect to more forward, in order to close the gap between the shoulder and the chest plate.  From the pics it looks like you may have that snap toward the back plate tab, and I think it'll bring the shoulders closer if you move it toward the chest plate tab.

 

Gotta love those armor bites!    Those really let you know where you can trim the pieces more.