TK-31198 Requesting ANH Stunt EIB Status [ATA] [344]

[Techne[TK]]

Name = Chris Wildrick

ID = TK 31198

FISD Name = Techne

Garrison = Garrison Excelsior

Armor = ATA

Helmet= ATA

Blaster= Doopy’s full resin, built by me

Height = 6’1â€

Weight = 190 lbs

Boots = TK Boots

Canvas belt = Trooperbay

Hand Plates = Trooperbay rubber

Electronics = I have an Aker amp and ROM/FX Raw, and two hand-built squirrel fans, but don't currently use them

Neck Seal = Trooperbay

Holster = made by me

 

Here are my blaster and armor build threads, if anyone wants to see them.

 

I plan to apply for Centurion after this, so any comments and suggestions in that direction are appreciated.

 

I've had a great time making this build.  It was a real challenge and it was very satisfying to finally complete(?) it!  Thanks to the very many troopers and their threads that I've followed in order to build this, obviously I would have never been able to do it without them.

 

Here are the pics.  I have others, and can always take more, if you want to see anything else.

 

Front

 

Back

 

 

Right, Arm Down

 

 

Right, Arm Up.  I have 1" shims of ABS on both sides to close the side gap.

 

Right, Arm Up, Detail.  The upper-ab snap is partially visible here, I will show details for Centurion.

 

 

Left, Arm Down.  I'm embarrassed to say I forgot to take this pic during my most recent photo shoot, so I am substituting this pic from the previous shoot.  I didn't make any major changes to the armor between shoots, I just didn't like how the green-screen cloth reflected green onto the armor.

 

Left, Arm Up.

 

Left, Arm Up, Detail.  3 split rivets on both sides of the ab and kidney plates.  There's a bit of a space between the kidney/shim and the ab plate here.  When I normally wear it that's not usually there.  I must have left my belt a little looser than normal (although I see it in the green-screen pic too, strangely).  Again, I can take pictures again to show how those parts are normally flush, or show other older pictures, if necessary.

 

 

Ab Detail.  The paint colors are Testor's 1138 grey and Humbrol French Blue.

 

Action Shot

 

Bucket Off.  Lower your chin, TK-31198!  Argh.

 

Cod and Butt Plate Attachment, Outside and Inside.  2 snaps and a split rivet.

 

 

Interior Strapping

 

 

Kidney Is Separated from Butt Plate

 

Arm strapping detail, so you can see the black strap that goes around my arm from the shoulder bells, which isn't visible in the main picture.

 

Shins close in back using the hook method.

 

 

Helmet Front, including Hovi mic.  All helmet details are hand-painted.

 

 

Helmet Back

 

Helmet Left.  Both ears have 3 screws and 4 bumps.  Sorry my neck seal got all bunched up here.  And I see my shoulder strap elastic came off.  Very slick of me.

 

Helmet Right

 

Green Lens Color

 

Scuffed boots

 

Black Gloves with White Rubber Hand Guards (will show flexing for Centurion)

 

Blaster, Left.  6 total T-tracks and 2 power cylinders.

 

Blaster, Right.  The center painted bolt section looks kind of gold in the light here but is actually silver.

 

Blaster, D-ring

 

Blaster Mods: working trigger, moving selector switch, moving bolt

 

 

Neck Seal

 

Thermal Detonator.  It has black pan-head slotted screws and aluminum 1" clips.

 

Belt and Holster, with 3 squares and 45-degree cuts on belt.

 

Holster

 

Close-up of the holster attachment from front and back.  I used split rivets that go through the outside, but connect to a snap on the inside, so the holster can snap on and off, but it looks like a rivet on the outside.  Also shows the drop boxes are closed in the back and attached by one rivet.

 

 

Holster reversed to show the snaps.

 

And I believe that's it.  Again, if you have any questions, or would like me to explain something in greater detail, or want more pictures, please let me know.  Thanks!

Edited October 30, 2013 by Techne

[captsafe66[Admin]]

Nice job Trooper!  Good Luck!! 

[gazmosis[501st]]

Nice Job. I don' think EIB will be a problem.

It looks like with your efforts that you are going to shoot for Centurion. If so, there are a couple things that stick out to me. Your ab buttons are HUGE. You might want to tone those down a bit. Also, the angled corners on your belt seem to have been cut a bit extreme. Usually a belt corner is trimmed about 1/2 inch in from the corner on the top and the side then connect that to make your angle. It looks to me like you doubled that.  The next thing are the cover strips on the backs of your  thighs and shins Why so wide?? Those should be 25mm at most. I am surprised that you need the side shims. At 6' 1"  and 190 lbs., you should fit into the ATA clamshell with no problem. ATA can accept a 38 inch waist with no side shims. I highly doubt you are larger than a 38 inch waist.

Edited October 30, 2013 by gazmosis

[FunkyTrigger[TK]]

EIB approved.

 

I have the same two concerns regarding the size of your AB buttons and corner cuts of the AB main ammo belt for your centurion application.

I was going to mention it and I am glad it was mentioned by someone else as I am earning the reputation of being too picky at present.

 

It's easy for you to tone down the AB button sizes. You have painted way past the button top face and down the sides making them look huge.

 

The ammo belt corner cuts should be like this.

 

You may be able to trim close to the button covers as per this pic to tone down your large corner cuts.

 

 

[Techne[TK]]

Nice Job. I don' think EIB will be a problem.

It looks like with your efforts that you are going to shoot for Centurion. If so, there are a couple things that stick out to me. Your ab buttons are HUGE. You might want to tone those down a bit. Also, the angled corners on your belt seem to have been cut a bit extreme. Usually a belt corner is trimmed about 1/2 inch in from the corner on the top and the side then connect that to make your angle. It looks to me like you doubled that.  The next thing are the cover strips on the backs of your  thighs and shins Why so wide?? Those should be 25mm at most. I am surprised that you need the side shims. At 6' 1"  and 190 lbs., you should fit into the ATA clamshell with no problem. ATA can accept a 38 inch waist with no side shims. I highly doubt you are larger than a 38 inch waist.

 

 

EIB approved.

 

I have the same two concerns regarding the size of your AB buttons and corner cuts of the AB main ammo belt for your centurion application.

I was going to mention it and I am glad it was mentioned by someone else as I am earning the reputation of being too picky at present.

 

It's easy for you to tone down the AB button sizes. You have painted way past the button top face and down the sides making them look huge.

 

The ammo belt corner cuts should be like this.

 

 

You may be able to trim close to the button covers as per this pic to tone down your large corner cuts.

 

 

 

Wow, that was fast!  Thanks!  That's very gratifying. 

 

I appreciate the comments.

 

I can't argue with anything you said, since you picked up on exactly the same things that have been nagging me myself!  Good to know my instincts were right, I guess.

 

I can definitely make the ab buttons smaller.  I thought I had probably gone a little overboard.

 

The belt corners are one of the only things in the build where I knew I had made a straight-up mistake.  I was looking at the 3/4" measurement from the center of the button to the edge, and accidentally used that for the corners instead of the correct 1/2".  But after I did it, I didn't think I could do much to fix it.  So do you think it's better to cut the end down flush to the edge of the square button, even though that makes the overall end-of-the-belt-tab shorter than normal?  I guess I'm asking which will look worse--corners that are cut too large, or a tab that's too short and cut flush to the button?

 

This is where you're talking about making the cut, right?  It would make the corners the correct 1/2":

 

 

 

In terms of Steve's questions about the side shims and the thigh and calf cover strips, I can only say that they wouldn't fit without them.  I tried to fit the torso pieces together with no shims, and they just wouldn't come together.  (I have a 36 waist but a bit of a gut.)  Now, I've lost 5-10 pounds since then, to get into "Stormtrooper Shape."  So it's possible that after I lose another 5 pounds or so, I may be able to lose the side shims.  But when I first made it, I tested it by sucking in my gut in so my stomach was concave, and it still didn't fit.  So I don't know if even losing weight will help.  From what I can tell, my ribs are just too wide, which is weird, but I it's just one of those "every body is unique" things.

 

The legs are kind of the same thing.  I couldn't fit the thighs or calves without cover strips of that size. I know they're ridiculously big, especially the thighs.  And my thighs aren't overweight or anything.  They just seem to be thick.  I do a style of kung fu that specializes in low, strong stances, so maybe that's built up the thickness of my legs.

 

So when I realized they wouldn't fit, I made them based on advice I've seen others get on the forums--I made the front strips the canon size, and altered the back strips so they'd fit.  Even with those size strips, they were really tight when I first made them.  Losing weight has seemed to make a difference there, and they feel a tiny bit looser now, despite my whole kung fu theory.    So again it's possible that I could eventually switch out to a thinner thigh cover strip after I lose some more weight.  But that's a maybe, I'll just have to see how it goes over time.

 

Anyway, I'll take care of the ab buttons, and if you still think cutting down the edge of the belt is the best approach, I'll do that too.  Thanks again for the comments.

[FunkyTrigger[TK]]

I've reviewed this application as EIB only.

If you go for centurion then that would be reviewed separately.

AB button sizes and the AB belt corner cuts spring up as obvious areas that need rectification.

To save you buying a new AB belt, I've suggested trimming a few mm from the end of the belt to Narrow the corner cut angle.

This will not significantly shorten your AB belt and may help you.

It will have an advantage also of bringing your button covers right to the edges.

If the corner cuts still look large you also have the option to trim a few mm from the top and bottom of the belt to bring the belt Height a bit closer to the width of the blocks.

These are only suggestions to help saving you from buying a new belt.

It's what I would attempt to save that belt.

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Congrats and welcome to the ranks trooper

[Techne[TK]]

I've reviewed this application as EIB only.

If you go for centurion then that would be reviewed separately.

AB button sizes and the AB belt corner cuts spring up as obvious areas that need rectification.

To save you buying a new AB belt, I've suggested trimming a few mm from the end of the belt to Narrow the corner cut angle.

This will not significantly shorten your AB belt and may help you.

It will have an advantage also of bringing your button covers right to the edges.

If the corner cuts still look large you also have the option to trim a few mm from the top and bottom of the belt to bring the belt Height a bit closer to the width of the blocks.

These are only suggestions to help saving you from buying a new belt.

It's what I would attempt to save that belt.

Understood, thanks.  I'll go for trimming the ends of the belt and fixing the buttons before I put up the Centurion app then.

 

 

Congrats and welcome to the ranks trooper

Thnaks Glen!

[meanders[TK]]

Congratulations on the approval

[Techne[TK]]

Congratulations on the approval

Thanks!  Glad to join you in the ranks.  Are you going to be going up for Centurion?  Your suit seemed top notch to me.

[FunkyTrigger[TK]]

Congrats on your EIB approval.

 

I also have seen the good save that you did on your front ammo belt corners in your current centurion application. Well done there.

[Techne[TK]]

Congrats on your EIB approval.

 

I also have seen the good save that you did on your front ammo belt corners in your current centurion application. Well done there.

Thanks, I appreciate it.  And thanks for your work critiquing my thread and everyone else's in the time you were DO.  Reading your comments (and those of past DOs) are the best way to learn how to do this stuff.

[SuperTrooper]

Congrats on EIB, the build truned out great.

[Techne[TK]]

Congrats on EIB, the build truned out great.

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[TK Keith[TK]]

Your build fits you really well. Nice job, and congrats on your approval!

[CElston]

This is getting me excited and just talked with one of my friends on New Year's Eve about it and he said building Stormtrooper armor has always been a dream of his.  

Just emailed him this website so we may be making armor at the same time.

 

Chris

[Techne[TK]]

This is getting me excited and just talked with one of my friends on New Year's Eve about it and he said building Stormtrooper armor has always been a dream of his.  

Just emailed him this website so we may be making armor at the same time.

 

Chris

Cool...anyone I know?  Let me know when you start your build so I can check it out.

[CElston]

Cool...anyone I know?  Let me know when you start your build so I can check it out.

It's a guy from my neighborhood in Emmaus that's about 5 years younger than us.  It's funny how his face lit up when I told him I was going to make Stormtrooper  armor.

 

Right now I'm still working on building a blaster from scratch and collecting tools.  This is a good excuse to finally buy a Dremel!

 

Chris

Edited January 16, 2015 by CElston

[Techne[TK]]

It's a guy from my neighborhood in Emmaus that's about 5 years younger than us.  It's funny how his face lit up when I told him I was going to make Stormtrooper  armor.

 

Right now I'm still working on building a blaster from scratch and collecting tools.  This is a good excuse to finally buy a Dremel!

 

Chris

I was pretty excited about getting my Dremel too!  Are you going to make a thread for your blaster?

[CElston]

I was pretty excited about getting my Dremel too!  Are you going to make a thread for your blaster?

Yes... I'm planning on it.  Maybe I should make a little video, too.