Maxsteele's New NE Armor Build

[maxsteele[TK]]

Well, here's the start of it.   The start of the thread that is!

 

 

Look what came today!

 

 

 

 

 

Very nice packaging!

 

 

 

Alrighty then!  I'll just close this up and stick it in my garage for a few weeks.  You know, to let it cure....

Edited August 15, 2013 by maxsteele

[bigtrev503]

No! You took the obligatory brown box picture, now it's time for the obligatory photo where you lay all the pieces out on the floor, roughly in a stormtrooper shape

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Yes then the panic will set in, "oh no what do I cut first"  Good luck with the build can't wait to see the progress

[Obey Wann[501st]]

Welcome to the fun of the build. Let the games begin!

[bigtrev503]

Essentially you're building a giant model. That you can wear. Get those pieces out of that box and onto the work table! I took the OCD approach which is; work on the helmet a little, trim a bicep, go back to the helmet, fine tune the teeth, trim a forearm, organize the pieces into limbs, main body, and little stuff. It makes it easier to work on one little part until it gets frustrating and leave it alone for a day or two. Coming back to something with "fresh eyes" has helped me immensely.

[maxsteele[TK]]

I have my support system all set up for my armor build now!  A very gracious pair of local garrison members have welcomed me into their home and will be in-person consultants on how to fit and assemble my armor.

 

I got everything un-boxed and inventoried tonight.  All the pieces are present and accounted for.  This kit is pre-trimmed, so all I need to do is cut-to-fit, cut and glue cover strips, glue in snaps / straps, and assemble.

 

I cut four 15mm wide finishing strips for the arm pieces, and in the next several days I'll cut 4 20mm strips for the front of the leg pieces and 4 25mm strips for the back of the leg pieces.  I also have a shopping list.  Here is what I'm getting (questions in the shopping list):

 

Purchasing from JoAnn Fabrics and hardware stores:

 

- 6 packs of snaps (I'm not sure on the size of these.  Anyone?)

- 2-3 yards of black nylon webbing (1.5 inches wide)

- One pair of black suspenders

- extra sheets of ABS for snap assembly (purchased at TAP plastics)

- industrial strength adhesive velcro - white (for some armor pieces)

- 1/2 yard of white canvas (for shoulders)

 

Purchasing from Troopergear:

 

- Belt (I've read that the belt from Troopergear may be too wide.  Can anyone comment on this?  If it is, what is a good place to buy the belt?)

 

- Gloves / latex hand guards

 

- Helmet decals (yes, I'm going to use decals. Are these the right ones for an ATA TK Stunt helmet? )

 

Ordering from the forum:

 

- Neck Guard (with zippered back)

 

I got a pair of chelsea boots in 9 1/2 (my shoe size).  They were too big, so I sent them back and I just received the size 9 pair today.  The right one is a little big, but the left one is a perfect fit.  My right foot is smaller than the left (yay nature!).  I can make it work.  These are the boots I ordered:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LZT9AY/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Yes, I will need to paint them white.  I'll be able to do that.

 

I'll be working on the rest of the finishing strips, and some more on my helmet (See my other thread for those details).  I'm gone next Thursday - Monday (Labor Day weekend) for PAX, and then I'll start with my consultants on trimming my armor.  I'm shooting to be done by Halloween, but hopefully it will be before then.

Edited August 22, 2013 by maxsteele

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Looks like you have things well in hand, good luck with the build

[maxsteele[TK]]

Alright, I'm going to break out some armor pieces tomorrow.  I believe I have it figured out how to "cut to fit" pieces.

 

Please correct me if I have this incorrect:

 

Each piece for the arms and legs has two parts.  These two parts are joined together and a finishing strip is glued into place on two sides to hold the two pieces together.

 

Where the two parts join together, there is one part that doesn't get cut at all.  It's already the correct width to accept one side of the finishing strip.

 

The other part is where there will be extra material.  When fitting it onto my arm, the extra material will wrap inside the other part, and where the non-cutting part touches the cutting part, that's the point where I cut off the extra.  

 

What I don't understand is - there are two sides where parts need to be joined together with a finishing strip.  How do you determine how much to take off of each side?  Do you simply not take off any from where two of the parts join, and just make that the baseline, then wrap the two pieces around your arm to determine where to cut on the other side?  Or do you trim off a bit from one side, and a bit from the other side, until getting the desired fit?

[maxsteele[TK]]

It's time for some tape assembly!  I started with the biceps.  I figured out from some other threads that the "thumbprint" piece goes on the left, and there is a curve on the piece that matches up with the curve on the other piece.  I was able to tape these two pieces together and they line up quite nicely!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, the right bicep - something seems wrong here.  I matched up the bottom on one side like this:

 

 

I see that there is something amiss already at the top with that pointed bit.  Now, the real issue is when I taped up the other side:

 

 

 

What is going on here?!  Is the right bicep supposed to be like this?  Is it lined up at the wrong end?  I'm really not sure what to do with this....

 

 

 

 

Here is a side view.  The pieces seem very asymmetrical, and have weird curves on the pointed pieces at the top that do not match up at all.  Comments please!

[maxsteele[TK]]

I taped the forearms together next.  These are harder to tell which one is left and which one is right.  I looked at both pieces and saw one side had a "bent" part and one side was straight, which seemed to point to a "this is where you glue the strip on one side, and stick it to the other".  So I matched up the bent part with the flat part and came up with this configuration:

 

Possible left forearm?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the possible right forearm:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was reading another thread which said:  "Line up at the elbow end and cut of the extra at the wrist end".  However, if I do that, I'm cutting off part of the return edge on the wrists.  There is no way I'm putting a heat gun anywhere near this armor to try and re-form a return edge, so I'm not sure what to do about that if this is the case.

 

That's all I'm rough-taping together tonight.  All comments welcome on the biceps and forearms!  Thanks!

 

EDIT!

 

I took at look at this page:

 

http://www.whitearmor.net/fisd/Tutorial-arms

 

and I noticed something about the forearms.  That "bent" part I'm referring to is called the "Formed ridge line".  When joining the two pieces together, the formed ridge lines line up with each other, creating the front view of the armor.  The two non-formed ridge line edges join up in the back.  

 

my pics above join a formed ridge line side with a non-formed ridge line side, which if I'm interpreting that arms tutorial right, is the wrong way to assemble.   The two formed ridge lines must be the ones to line up, and the two non-formed ridge lines line up in the back.

 

Am I starting to catch on?  

 

EDIT THE SECOND:

 

It seems there isn't a double formed ridge line for the bicep pieces, but I looked at the reference photos and I believe I found I had the wrong pieces matched up there as well.  I took those apart also and swapped pieces.  Now the problem I mentioned earlier in this post with the right bicep is gone.  I'll get new pics of the re-taping of the forearms and biceps tomorrow.  I considered deleting the pics in this post, but thought "Hey, someone could come across my thread and learn from the mistakes I made", so I'm leaving them in.

Edited September 6, 2013 by maxsteele

[maxsteele[TK]]

I've re-attached my biceps and forearms and taken two pictures of each one.  I need to know if I have these matched up correctly.

 

 

 

 

Two sides of the right bicep

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two sides of the left bicep

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two sides of one forearm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two sides of the other forearm

 

 

 

Edited September 6, 2013 by maxsteele

[Clamps[TK]]

its ok NOT to have return edge on the wrists. For Centurion its a requirement for it to be removed. Also, it will make things more comfy around the wrist, less material to dig into your wrist. 

[maxsteele[TK]]

its ok NOT to have return edge on the wrists. For Centurion its a requirement for it to be removed. Also, it will make things more comfy around the wrist, less material to dig into your wrist. 

 

Ah, that's good to know.

 

I do need to find out if these are matched up to the right pieces though.  The last thing I want to do is cut off all of that extra along with the return edge, and find that I matched the pieces up incorrectly.

[Clamps[TK]]

Have dig through the various NE threads, many folks probably had same question. Having never helped hands on with an NE, I have no advice other than checking other NE builders.  Good luck. 

[maxsteele[TK]]

Have dig through the various NE threads, many folks probably had same question. Having never helped hands on with an NE, I have no advice other than checking other NE builders.  Good luck. 

 

Yeah, I've been digging through them.  Most of the ones I've found skipped this part.  I'll keep looking, but it would be nice if this thread caught someone's eye who is aware of the match-ups.

[Clamps[TK]]

another option if you don;t get folks looking, is to start a thread specific to the issue, might get more eyes to your concern. 

[maxsteele[TK]]

another option if you don;t get folks looking, is to start a thread specific to the issue, might get more eyes to your concern. 

 

Hm, ok.  That kind of feels like spamming the forums, but if that's allowed - I can always make a "New NE - Matching up forearms and biceps - Input requested" thread.  

 

I'll give it another day. 

[maxsteele[TK]]

I'm buying 30 of these magnets:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0084UASJQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2AN80OGADPFB5

 

That should work for gluing my armor and holding my helmet together for adjustments.

[Clamps[TK]]

when you receive them, tape them with painters tape else you risk them cracking apart when the decide to snap into each other when you are not 100% paying attention. It will happen. I have broken at least a dozen into 1/2 or smaller pieces because I did not do the taping. If you can afford it, consider larger discs, think coverstrip width diameter. I got smaller ones like these and plan to pick up larger ones when I get into another build of my own...

[maxsteele[TK]]

when you receive them, tape them with painters tape else you risk them cracking apart when the decide to snap into each other when you are not 100% paying attention. It will happen. I have broken at least a dozen into 1/2 or smaller pieces because I did not do the taping. If you can afford it, consider larger discs, think coverstrip width diameter. I got smaller ones like these and plan to pick up larger ones when I get into another build of my own...

 

Hm - 1/2 inch aren't big enough?  That's what most threads seemed to suggest.  Should I cancel this order and order bigger ones?  What size are you suggesting?  3/4 inch?  1 inch?

 

Yes, the first thing I'm going to do is wrap them in painter's tape, and put a tab on one side so I can hold onto the magnet to minimize finger pinching.

Edited September 9, 2013 by maxsteele

[Clamps[TK]]

I plan to buy some 1" discs soon, after a year, I need to re-glue some covers trips that are puilling up in a couple places...greater surface area will provide a more consistent pressure for cover strip glue phase.

 

nothing wrong with 1/2" its a cost effective size to get in quantity. go with your order if you already placed it and if you need to, grab some larger ones to compliment later. 

[maxsteele[TK]]

I plan to buy some 1" discs soon, after a year, I need to re-glue some covers trips that are puilling up in a couple places...greater surface area will provide a more consistent pressure for cover strip glue phase.

 

nothing wrong with 1/2" its a cost effective size to get in quantity. go with your order if you already placed it and if you need to, grab some larger ones to compliment later. 

 

I had cancelled the order, but I am going to re-order them.  I was ordering 30 of them because I can get them for $20 shipped on Amazon, but I wonder if I need that many....

 

Couldn't hurt to have extra, I guess.

 

It seems difficult to find reasonably-priced magnets greater than 1/2 inch, and those that are seem to be 1/16" thickness, which I want to stay with at least 1/8" thickness.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I went with 1/8 thickness and have snapped a couple, I think any narrower would be worse. You can never have too many magnets or clamps, hey Charles

[Clamps[TK]]

If you end up needing to acquire 1/16, then double them up. I did so for some rectangle ones I bought off eBay before I knew what to acquire early on.

 

Never enough clamps and magnets Glen!

[maxsteele[TK]]

Progress!  I've made progress!

 

I've removed the return edge on the wrist end of my forearm pieces.

 

 

This took me about 1 1/2 hours to do properly.  I kept the thickness of the molded dimple parts (the top of the two leftmost pieces), because that seemed like it should stay there.  It's the first real modification I've made to my armor pieces.  Now that I've broke the ice, hopefully future cuts will come a little easier.

 

 

 

 

Now, for a question - Do I remove the return edge on the elbow side of my forearms?

 

 

EDIT:

 

Yes, I have poured through various threads talking about return edges and what you should and shouldn't remove.  The ones I have found use language that I am not familiar with.  I do not know what "remove the return at the cup part of the elbow" is referring to, so I don't know which pieces to cut off.  If someone could use some red-line magic on my two photos above there to direct on what else I should cut out, that would be awesome!

 

 

 

Also, from this photo, it looks like that 'thickness of the molded dimple parts' is cut off.  I thought it would be good to keep it there so it's one uniform piece around my forearm and would like to keep it there:

 

Edited September 15, 2013 by maxsteele