Red_2's NE ANH TK build ...

[Red_2[TK]]

Hey folks! Here to document this build. Been wandering the site now since early summer and have been collecting info, supplies, parts, and finally the suit arrived yesterday. I bought one of AP's B grade helmets and have been working on that the past couple weeks. Was a great primer to this build. I'll include those pics too. Just tackling the helmet was a blast! I can't believe I waited this long to finally do this. 

 

So far everyone I've dealt with with related to this site (and unrelated even) has been awesome. Shout out to Mark at AP for his awesome service, the guys at TrooperGear, and ...

 

- Darman for holster and neckseal

- keith for the mic tips

- TK-1422 for some hard lenses

- Mr. No Stripes for the bracket and strapping set

- TrooperBay for handguards, neck seal, extra lens, and rivets

 

Like a lot of people I've been referencing Pandatrooper's AM build especially since he's close to my height (5"8"). I'm a skinny guy (130lbs), so I needed a lot of guidance on trimming to size.

 

Here we goooo! I originally decided on the AM kit due to budget and time of delivery, but due to deadline issues I decided to go with the NE kit. Which may have been better anyway due to my smaller stature.

 

The box!

 

 

 

(Sorry I didn't get the parts lay out pic. We're bursting at the seams with a family of 4 in a 980 square foot house, and I think laying this bad boy out in the master bedroom might make my wife's eye twitch.)

 

I started with identifying the forearms, and I'm sizing up right now ...

Edited September 14, 2014 by Red_2

[maxsteele[TK]]

There are lots of NE builds on the forums here.  I would suggest to follow those instead of Pandatrooper's AM build.

 

With your dimensions, be prepared to cut off a lot of plastic!  I assembled an NE kit myself.  I'm 5' 10" and 170 lbs, and I trimmed quite a bit.

 

Take your time, ask questions, and get answers before you cut if you're not sure.  Above all, have fun!

[Red_2[TK]]

Will do. Thanks maxsteele!

 

I have checked out a few of the NE build threads too. The having fun part has already started.

[Red_2[TK]]

So first thing I did after a quick scan of the contents of the box was pull the forearms out and identify them. (Sorry for the large pics, photobucket is being an absolute pain right now as far as resizing.)

 

 

 

I started on the right wrist. After a quick mock up, I realized I should go ahead and trim the return edges off the wrist since it's a Centurion requirement anyway. I used the score and snap method.

The outside of the forearm had a more squared off edge so scoring it was pretty easy. I use a pair of  angled needle nose pliers to snap of the ABS in this situation since it's such a small area.

 

 

 

The inside of the forearm has a more rounded return edge so I scored a little bit outside of the corner to be safe, then just cleaned up the break with the xacto. Easy, so far.

 

 

 

 

With the return edge gone I sized them up again, and taped of where I thought it would look good.

I even tried it on with a glove on and over my under suit sleeve. I think the length would be okay.

 

 

 

I made marks for the cutlines on the front and back edges, and now I need to make a guide strip to draw the cut lines edge to edge. This is when I realized that these forearms don't have the raised ridges like the other suits. Interesting. Also there should be enough in the trimmed excess to make the cover strips. Cool.

 

I do have room to go tighter around my arm, if I super super squeeze my hand, but with the glove on I'm worried that it would be to much stress on the glued joints when it's finished. Thoughts?

 

 

Off to make a guide strip ...

 

 

[Red_2[TK]]

So I made my guide strip and proceeded to make my first trim cut to the inside portion of the forearm. Making the score lines with the xacto is tedious so I took my time. After snapping the pieces off I rechecked the sizing again. Looked like I could still squeeze out a centimeter or so. I readjusted the cut line on the outside forearm.

 

 

 

Made the cut lines with the guide strip. I noticed using a small piece of masking tape to hold the strip in place made it a lot easier to draw the line.

 

 

After the outside forearm cuts, I taped them up and checked the sizing with my undersuit sleeve and glove on. Looks pretty good. Not sure about the length from elbow to wrist, but once I get the biceps and shoulders mocked up, then I can see how they all fit together, then if I need to trim the forearm at the wrist a bit, I can do it then. (Let me know what you peeps think about that.) Measure a few dozens times, cut once.

 

 

 

 

Not too shabby for a couple hours work today. Love doing this. I could stay up all night measuring and cutting, but it's getting late ...

[maxsteele[TK]]

Make sure to line the forearm pieces at the elbow end and cut off any excess on the wrist end.  You won't have excess on the dimples side, it'll come off the other piece.

 

I believe you've already moved past this part of the cutting, but I wanted to tell you there are "formed ridge lines" on the front cover strip areas of both forearms. You can see them in my build thread on this post, which is showing the left forearm:

 

http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/24804-maxsteeles-new-ne-armor-build/page-3#entry318110

 

The formed ridge lines of the right forearm are less pronounced than the left, but they are there. 

 

I would have suggested to cut those parts back to measure about 7mm from the bend to the edge, which will take a 15mm cover strip.  Then measure the back cover strip area the way you did and mark where to cut across from the front cut.

 

From your pics, the trimming looks fine.  You most likely have larger forearms than I have, which isn't too hard.  

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

It's looking good from what i see.

I would just advise you to remove the return edge on top of the inner half of the forearm too, or it will bite you when you'll flex your arm.

[Red_2[TK]]

Make sure to line the forearm pieces at the elbow end and cut off any excess on the wrist end.  You won't have excess on the dimples side, it'll come off the other piece.

 

I believe you've already moved past this part of the cutting, but I wanted to tell you there are "formed ridge lines" on the front cover strip areas of both forearms. You can see them in my build thread on this post, which is showing the left forearm:

 

 

 

Thanks Ron. I guess these have been updated since your suit Ron, because really there is no ridge line. I'll post another pic of the untrimmed left side to show you. I saw them on your forearms in your thread, so I went and rechecked mine. As far as the wrist and elbow edges, they actually line up really well already, but I'll recheck the elbow alignment after I trim the return edge off the inside elbow per The5thHorseman's reminder below. Was going to look that up this morning so thanks, 5th!

 

It's looking good from what i see.

I would just advise you to remove the return edge on top of the inner half of the forearm too, or it will bite you when you'll flex your arm.

 

[Red_2[TK]]

No ridge lines! Working on the left forearm in a bit ...

 

 

Other side of outside left forearm:

 

 

Inside forearm:

 

Edited November 9, 2014 by Red_2

[starsaber25[Admin]]

You are off to a good start Ryan.  Yeah as I was looking through the first thing I noticed was the return edge on the elbow side of the forearm and like Germain said you can cut that off. 

 

Maybe you and Ron and answer this for me but what version is NE up to now?  It seems like every time someone builds a NE suit it is always different.  Also I thought NE wasn't available anymore because they went to a new version of AM.

 

 

Also there should be enough in the trimmed excess to make the cover strips. Cool.

 

Did your kit not come with extra ABS for coverstrips?  The only thing I can tell you about using the excess trims for coverstrips is that I felt it wasn't as thick as the extra ABS that is normally provided.  I tried to do what you mentioned on my build and I ended up not liking the way it looked and used the extra ABS.  My MTK kit came with plenty extra ABS strips so I didn't come close to running out.  Anyway, it is just a suggestion.

Edited September 14, 2014 by starsaber25

[Red_2[TK]]

You are off to a good start Ryan.  Yeah as I was looking through the first thing I noticed was the return edge on the elbow side of the forearm and like Germain said you can cut that off. 

 

Maybe you and Ron and answer this for me but what version is NE up to now?  It seems like every time someone builds a NE suit it is always different.  Also I thought NE wasn't available anymore because they went to a new version of AM.

 

 

 

Did your kit not come with extra ABS for coverstrips?  The only thing I can tell you about using the excess trims for coverstrips is that I felt it wasn't as thick as the extra ABS that is normally provided.  I tried to do what you mentioned on my build and I ended up not liking the way it looked and used the extra ABS.  My MTK kit came with plenty extra ABS strips so I didn't come close to running out.  Anyway, it is just a suggestion.

 

Thanks Steve! I'm under the impression that this is at least a 2nd version of the NE, maybe it's a 3rd version? Anyone?

 

And it does come with plenty of extra ABS, I was just considering using the trimmed portion because it would maybe match the arms better. But I made the guide strip out of the extra ABS the kit came with and it's indiscernible from the forearm colorwise and in appearance. Maybe the trimmed portion has a taper from the pull that makes it uneven as a cover strip.

 

FYI Steve, I'm originally from Medford. Exit 64 on the LIE.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Red_2

[maxsteele[TK]]

As far as I knew, there was only one version of NE, which is what I received back in August 2013.

 

I believe what you have is the AM2 armor. It will be real easy to tell if you could take a couple of pics of your back plate. NE back plates look completely different than AM or AM2 back plates.

[Red_2[TK]]

Hmmmm ... It doesn't look like the AM 2.0, here's some pics of the back plate.

 

 

 

 

Left forearm return edges trimmed at the wrist and inner elbow, sized up:

 

 

I like making the cut lines, it's strangely satisfying. But maybe that's cause the scoring part is a pain. I hate how on the 3rd scoring pass for whatever reason (probably quantum physics) the blade decides to walk away from the straight edge. WTF?!

 

 

I found using a clamp at one end of the straight edge helps with the scoring. Especially when using the hang over the bench method like I am here.

 

 

Rechecking after first cut.

 

 

Second cut made and trying on with suit and glove. The edges at the elbow line up perfect, look like I'll have to trim a bit at the wrist to even them out. Also noticed the left forearm is more rounded, while the right is more ovalish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On to the biceps next. I'll wait to glue the forearms down until I see how everything fits together.

I'm already thinking I need to trim my hand guards a bit. So I'm sure the biceps and shoulders will all need adjusting a few times.

 

 

 

[maxsteele[TK]]

You are 100% correct.  That is not the AM or AM2 back plate.  I didn't realize there were different versions of NE that went out.  Now that I think about it, I believe I recall a post where it was mentioned NE kits were getting a mix of AM and NE parts before NE production was completely stopped.  That's probably the kit you have.

 

And yep, left forearm and right forearm have different shapes.  Welcome to the asymmetry of Stormtrooper armor.

 

Boy, you dove in with both feet on this build!  You sure you haven't done this before?  

Edited September 14, 2014 by maxsteele

[Red_2[TK]]

Well, at least we sorted that out. NE 2.0 it is.

 

And thanks, appreciate it, Ron! I definitely haven't done this before, but I tinker and make things all the time, so like I said, after a couple months of prepping by hanging out here on FISD. I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting into. I'm actually a couple months into building some foam armor for my 3.5 year old. That also was a great intro into the different parts of the suit! But I was also counting on this thread for feedback and guidance to make sure I was headed in the right direction.

 

A slight detour here to show you my B grade AP helmet build highlights. Mark offered these up a month or so ago and since the armor was taking so long to arrive I figured this would be a great opportunity to get a jump on the build since I could alway build the second helmet later, and with some experience in the bag. Mark was great in communication and promptness, he also helped me out when I made a rookie mistake on the left ear. I'll explain below ...

 

Here's a couple days after arrival. (Dove right in on this too, Ron!) I cut, sanded, checked, sanded, carved, whiddled, sanded, sanded, checked, sanded, sanded, sanded, sanded ... until I got to a place where I felt I could move on to the ears. As far as it being "B grade" I'm not really sure what constitutes it being downgraded by Mark, but the only thing I noticed were some tiny dimples spread throughout the face. But since this was my first helmet build that's all I could speculate was the issue. The mic tip recesses were super thin too, but it didn't interfere with the install of the mics.

 

 

The fine tuning and adjustments to get the ears to fit right on the tubes was my biggest concern so I really concentrated on that. It was very calming. Like I imagine wood whittlers experience. Maybe I should build suits out in the woods as a form of therapy? 

 

So here was the right ear after a sanding and checking session, I felt really good about it and got it to fit nice and flush. I ended up notching the top of the ear to get it to sit even, which was conveniently hidden by the brow. Awesome! I was born to do this, right?

 

 

 

Wrong. So in my excitement to get the left ear started the first thing I did was what? Notch the top of the ear, except this time the cap's seam was a little more forward where it met the ear. No problem, I'll just notch it a little bit forward. Mistake. AFTER sanding/checking and getting the tube sections and the back of the ear sitting pretty. I bolt it down, put the brow on and realize, hey, you can see the notch AND the open seam. Oh boy.

 

 

So I contacted Mark for a second left ear, and asked him for suggestions. He sent me a bunch of AP helmet reference pics and it looked like laying the flush ear un-notched was the correct way. But that gap still bugged me. I'm finding out that I'm more comfortable with a midway between screen accurate (or wonky) and ideal. So I don't need every detail to be precision perfect but I did want the ears to sit a little cleaner.

 

Mark offered to pre-trim the ears, which at first I thankfully accepted, but after thinking about it, politely declined because I wanted to keep it as DIY as I could. Especially cause the ears are usually a challenge. But it was too late, Mark already sent the trimmed pieces. I asked for untrimmed pieces but when I received the trimmed ones I couldn't wait. Too excited to move on. 

 

So my plan of attack was to mod the cap/back so I could notch the left ear at the 12 o'clock position and have the brow hide the notch. Hopefully my reasoning was sound. Here is a rudimentary sketch taken with an iPhone in the dark of the cut I made:

 

 

It worked great, and I got the tops of the ears to fit flush with the normal sanding/checking/sanding method. I haven't touch the tube portions of the ears yet since I was ready to polish and paint the sucker, and Mark's trimming was pretty damn close. I can always go back and sand the ears down to fit more flush but I like the way it looks even now.

 

 

Just a quick summary: Hand polished with Meguiar's Ultimate Polish. I used the recommended paint codes for Testor's, everything is brush painted, I used Pandatrooper's template for the tube stripes and cut stencils with my vinyl machine, for the rear trap stripes I took AP's decals and cut them with an xacto to make stencils, toothpicks and thinner for touch ups, and inside is a satin black by Krylon. For the tear stripes I used a paint marker. The lens I just poked holes to match the ear bolts to mock up so it's not even fixed down yet, but it stays in there pretty well. Still a little adjusting here and there but I like it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I started experimenting with some foam to get a good fit. I've got such a tiny noggin (hat size 7 1/8) so it feels like I'm a walking bobble head without anything in there. What you see above barely gets the job done so I have some work a head of me to get a decent fit. I think I just want it to respond with my head movement.

 

Now tomorrow, some bicep action ...

Edited September 15, 2014 by Red_2

[maxsteele[TK]]

You may have gone a bit too small on the tears and traps:

 

 

 

I did the same thing on the tears with my ATA helmet:

 

 

 

 

Here is the same tear after I made it larger (Apologies for the blur.  If you need a clearer shot, I can take another one):

 

[Red_2[TK]]

Yeah, may have to make them bigger. The tears especially. They actually don't look to small in person but the pics bring out the difference.

[Red_2[TK]]

Sizing up the forearms ...

 

 

I made them just snug enough to where the return edges are holding it up on my arm. I'll start there as far as the cuts, then recheck. What's the consensus on return edges on the biceps? I guess I'll see when I try it on again with the suit sleeve and move around a bit more with the forearm.

 

 

 

 

[Red_2[TK]]

First cuts complete on right bicep. Feels good, again the return edges make it feel almost snug, but I have plenty of movement and they feel as if once the strap support is there they'd be just right.

 

 

How snug does everyone else run them? I'm trying not to get a fitted feel because I'm skinny and I don't want to be "toothpick limb trooper". So I'm being a tiny bit generous so I don't go too tight in fit.

 

 

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

Your biceps seems to have a good fit right now.

However, i don't remember if NE has specific left and right biceps (it should), so if it's the case then the one with the "thumbprint" on the inner half (the one on your pictures) goes on your left biceps. The right biceps has a more squared indent and no thumbprint:

(right biceps and forearm)

Edited September 16, 2014 by The5thHorseman

[Red_2[TK]]

Ah, thank you, Germain!

 

I do have the thumbprint only on one bicep in this set.

I checked another NE build and they were wearing it on their right arm. I always thought there were thumbprints on both sides.

 

No biggie cause my right arm is probably a tiny bit larger than my left so if anything I'll probably just leave it alone and switch sides.

[starsaber25[Admin]]

Hey Ryan.  I don't know if anyone answered it for you but for the most part I used a 1/8" return edge on all parts that needed it.  The only other thing with your biceps is make sure you flex it when you are doing your fitting to make sure you have enough room.

 

I'm sorry I haven't kept up on your posts I keep forgetting to check the regular ANH section and always skip right to the build section.  Are you sure you don't want to move your thread to the build section?

[Red_2[TK]]

Thanks Steve!

 

And yes, I made sure to flex, still comfy!

 

I thought I was in the build section, guess not.

 

Do mods move threads over or can I do it?

[maxsteele[TK]]

Definitely want the thumb print bicep on your left arm.

[fuumantroop[TK]]

Agreed with Ron. Thumb print goes on your left arm. Build looks great so far!