ANH Stunt - NE - First Build - WIP - Pic Heavy

[BobbyFromBUF]

Okay, I said I would work on the thighs today, but I decided I would try to finish the forearms first.  I had done some measuring a while back, but after some time away from these parts I'm not confident about my cut lines.

 

Here is a look at my right forearm:

 

IMAG5213 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

IMAG5216 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

I have already removed the return edge on the wrist end, but I am planning to make the following additional cuts.  Please share your thoughts...

 

right forearm trim line 2 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

As you can see, with my arm bent, the wrist end is digging into the back of my hand, as well as the base of my thumb...

 

right forearm trim line by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

Feedback appreciated :-)

[maxsteele[TK]]

If you have any overlap on the sides, you will want to trim it up so it fits you and the sides touch.  I took off all the flashing from the kidney side completely, and then trimmed the ab plate until I had a good fit on each side.  With our armor, the maker built shims into the sides of the armor on the ab side, which can be trimmed away to make it fit.  I also made straight cuts at the top and got rid of the bottom point on the ab side so it goes straight across to the kidney.  The bottom of the kidney doesn't line up with the bottom of the ab.  That's ok.  You want the tops lining up more than the bottom.  I ended up having to take away the return edge on the sides where the ab and kidney meet.  

 

 

 

For the wrist pieces, line them up at the elbow end and cut the extra off at the wrist end.  The way you have your red lines drawn is where you should cut the extra off.  You'll notice that the extra is on the piece that doesn't have the divets in it.  That way you're not cutting detail off the armor.

 

Also, for the return edge at the elbow side, you can remove the inner return edge, and trim down the outer return edge pretty small to assist in movement.  Some people completely take the return edge away on the elbow side.  It's nice to leave some outer return edge as that's more visible to people, but it won't be a bad thing if you need to remove it.

 

For your butt plate, it may need some heat bending on the crotch tab, as it doesn't really wrap underneath between the legs well for me either.  And with the current shape, if I put any type of pressure on it to simulate a strap, the sides of the butt plate really flare out.  Me saying your butt plate looks good is referring to the sides.  They don't flare out at all and really seem to follow your body shape.  For me it's probably because my butt is too flat.  

 

Yes, take off that extra flashing on the sides of the chest plate.  It's not supposed to be there at all.

 

And, I'd like to say thank you for the kind words on my build and my suggestions.  I'm in a not-so-good place at the moment with getting my thighs and butt plate in place.  It's frustrating when I think I have something right, then when I put it on it all looks sloppy and I don't see a solution to correct it.  I am happy that I've been able to move you forward in your build, and your encouragement certainly helps me.

Edited May 6, 2014 by maxsteele

[SCTrooper[TK]]

I used a heat gun on the butt plate tab, so it would not rub on the thighs between the legs and also to line up to the cod better.

[BobbyFromBUF]

I used a heat gun on the butt plate tab, so it would not rub on the thighs between the legs and also to line up to the cod better.

I just did the same.  I figure, if there is one place to use a heat gun without too many consequences - it's a low visibility area like the butt plate tab.

[BobbyFromBUF]

After removing the return edge on the inside forearm piece my forearms seem huge!  I think I need to make them smaller. Is it acceptable to trim the inside of the forearm piece?  I think that would give me much better freedom of movement.

 

My regular photographer (my wife) is off at the gym. So, these photos aren't quite as good as my usual photos...

 

IMAG5226 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

IMAG5225 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

IMAG5224 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

IMAG5222 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

Advice welcome :-)

[SCTrooper[TK]]

Trimming the inside of the forearm is encouraged, and much more comfortable. Your forearms look sized well from what I can tell.

[BobbyFromBUF]

Thanks Nick for responding!  Just to clarify, I was thinking of trimming off a curved piece on the inside of the wrist, and also increasing the size of the opening on the inside of the elbow.

 

 

Proposed wrist  and elbow trim by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

[maxsteele[TK]]

I would vote against cutting down on the wrist end.  I haven't seen anyone do that.

 

I believe the curved piece on the elbow end would be fine, but again, I haven't seen that mod before.  I think you're more safe with the elbow side cut than with the wrist side cut.

[BobbyFromBUF]

I would vote against cutting down on the wrist end.  I haven't seen anyone do that.

 

I believe the curved piece on the elbow end would be fine, but again, I haven't seen that mod before.  I think you're more safe with the elbow side cut than with the wrist side cut.

Thanks Ron, I'll just trim a bit on the inside of the elbow and see if I can live with that.  Check your PM, I just sent you some pics.

[BobbyFromBUF]

The NE and RS shoulders are really narrow, right out of the box.  My NE shoulders just wouldn't "sit" low enough on my shoulders to look right.  I was looking like a linebacker instead of a Stormtrooper.  So, with that said, I tried my hand at heat shaping them.  I do think I made an improvement, but now I am challenged with getting the shoulders to stay in position while wearing them. Mine seem to want to meander.  Any advice on this problem would be great.

 

Here is a before and after photo of the shoulders...

 

shoulders before and after by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

You can trim at the wrist end like you drew it, if you really need it.

 

Forearm on the right of the first pic and stormtrooper on the left of the second picture:

 

[BobbyFromBUF]

Thanks FifthHorseman! I am going to and leave them alone for now and see how it goes...

 

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[maxsteele[TK]]

The NE and RS shoulders are really narrow, right out of the box.  My NE shoulders just wouldn't "sit" low enough on my shoulders to look right.  I was looking like a linebacker instead of a Stormtrooper.  So, with that said, I tried my hand at heat shaping them.  I do think I made an improvement, but now I am challenged with getting the shoulders to stay in position while wearing them. Mine seem to want to meander.  Any advice on this problem would be great.

 

I haven't done any fitting with my shoulders yet until I get the chest-to-back spacing and elastic made.

 

However, here is a very rough test fit with the shoulders / biceps / forearms.  I have very skinny arms, so I think the shoulders will fit un-altered on me:

 

[BobbyFromBUF]

I'm posting this link simply for my own future reference... It's about the NE Helmet...

 

http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/25558-possible-fix-for-ne-helmet/

 

 

 

 

 

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[Clonecollector[TK]]

I'm posting this link simply for my own future reference... It's about the NE Helmet...

 

http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/25558-possible-fix-for-ne-helmet/

 

 

 

 

 

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I notched my NE ears too. (Its in my build thread) It really helps the kit look better.

[BobbyFromBUF]

Obviously, I was bound to make some mistakes throughout this build.  Well, here is big mistake number one...

 

I went to my local Jo Ann Fabrics to buys Drtiz #24 Heavy Duty Snaps, but they were out.  So, instead I went across the street to Hobby Lobby and bought "Sew-ology" #24 Heavy Duty Snaps.  I figured, same size, what's the big difference?

 

IMAG5252 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

The Sew-ology snaps are TERRIBLE.  The slightest amount of pressure causes them to "pop".  They are useless. In addition, the female snaps from Dritz and the male snaps from Sew-ology are incompatible (and visa versa)...

 

The worst part is that even at the recommendation of everyone on these forums to use E6000, I instead used Zap-A-Gap and Zip Kicker to install the snap plates inside my armor.  No way are those ever going to be removed :-/

 

It's not a huge deal, but basically the inside of my armor has become cluttered with useless snap plates...  I know I did this to myself, but anyways it got me to thinking about how I could do things differently.

 

IMAG5251 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

This is my first TK build, but not my first armor.  I built an Iron Man Mark VI suit a couple of years ago.

 

IMAG5243 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

IMAG5250 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

The entire IM armor is held together with hot glue.  The internal strapping is nylon webbing (no elastic), and it is linked together with 1" buckles instead of snaps.  I realize that the lineage of the TK armor is based on screen accuracy.  Back when the original ANH armor was being built for the movie it seemed that snaps were readily accessible.  I wonder if plastic buckles were more readily available at the time, if we would all use buckles instead of snaps today? They do seem more practical to me...

 

IMAG5248 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

IMAG5247 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

I guess I don't have a grand point to this rambling, but just wanted to share some thoughts...

[maxsteele[TK]]

Sorry you had to learn about other snaps the hard way.

 

Yep, I know what you mean by you're bound to make some mistakes.  We all have.  You're having a great attitude about it though, and you're working at moving past it.  I have seen a build thread or two that made a similar error and they have extra snap plates on the inside of their armor that they can't remove.  While it's a mistake, you are certainly not the first to make it.  

 

Definitely put your trust in e6000.  It may seem to go against the thought of using a glue that can be removed for gluing stuff together, but it is true - e6000 does not come unglued unless you want it to.  And the rubber consistency when it dries makes it great for pieces that need to have some flex after they're joined.  You just need to have patience and let it set for 24 hours before doing anything with the pieces.  I know it adds a bunch of extra time, but it's worth it when you find out you placed a snap plate in the wrong spot, and you're able to just pull it away from the armor and re-glue it somewhere else.  I already had to do that with the snap plates inside my thighs.

 

The thing about the snap plates - the original armor didn't use them either.  They used metal brackets drilled into the return edges and held together with elastic.  The sides were elastic held together with the split rivets.  There were one or two connections where a snap was used, but everything else was brackets or rivets that held the strapping together.  I can guess that people started using snap plates as an alternative to the brackets instead of the buckles because buckles can be pretty bulky and for pieces that need to fit up against your body, they may become pretty uncomfortable.

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

There's no rules going against buckles if you prefer them. As long as the strapping holds well, and they aren't noticeable from the outside, it should be fine.

Edited May 8, 2014 by The5thHorseman

[BobbyFromBUF]

Thank you Germain and Ron!  No sense crying over spilled milk, right? I will worry about the extra snap plates later.

 

Next on to the thighs...

 

I was thinking it would be annoying to try and wear my cod/ab, kidney, and butt while working on the thighs.  So, in an attempt to do some creative problem solving I donned my armor, and then used some ordinary children's chalk to trace the shape on my clothes.  Afterwards, I used a Sharpie to trace the chalk line.

 

IMAG5261 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

IMAG5260 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

Presto, clothes for working in while I am trying to rough size my thighs...

[BobbyFromBUF]

Hello all,

 

I am back from vacation.  We had a great time at Star Wars Weekend in Orlando.  I'm finding it hard to get back into my build...  Feeling a little rusty. Well,  I am not quite ready to start on my helmet, but I wanted to post a couple of pics, and hopefully get some feedback before I start cutting...

 

Here is a quick look at my NE helmet.  It is very wonky:

 

IMAG5435 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

I actually ordered this helmet over a year ago.  So, at that time the helmet was shipping with a set of ears that were not working out very well.  Shortly after receiving my armor I received a second set of ears from TupperwareTK.  This second set of ears promised to be easier to work with, and more accurate.  Here is a look at both sets side by side.  The top set of ears are the replacement ears:

 

IMAG5434 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

In Darth Voorhees NE Helmet Build Thread ( http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/26301-ne-helmet-build/ ) he mentions cutting out an "S" shape on the side.  Do most troopers arrive at this shape by laying out the ears and tracing their general shape?  I'm having trouble visualizing this step.  Any directions would be much appreciated.

 

IMAG5436 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

IMAG5437 by bobby_whalen, on Flickr

 

Thanks in advance for any help...

[BobbyFromBUF]

Bump for help...

 

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[I'm Batman[501st]]

My MTK helmet came with the 'curve' in the mold lines. You can check my build thread to see. I'm pretty sure you could just estimate. Place the ear approximately where it needs to go. Mark the front and back, and cut somewhere in the middle. I think the idea of the curve is so the join stays hidden behind the ear. I'm guessing with a straight join that it will protrude front or rear somewhere along. If it doesn't protrude, I wouldn't worry about the curve cut at all.

[BobbyFromBUF]

Thanks Sith Lord!

 

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[BobbyFromBUF]

After way too long, I will be working hard on my tk during the next week.

 

Punch list includes: assemble 3 piece helmet, trim and assemble thighs and calves, finish ab details, add shoulder straps, and connect cod/butt gap.

[Airborne Trooper[501st]]

Have you joined the Garrison Excelsior forums yet? The majority of the members are towards your neck of the woods and you might be able to get some assistance.