Please help me ! AP Armor Build

[Spycee[TK]]

 

 

Still a lot of work to do, but it advances well 

[Tusken RTT]

You are seeing the end of the tunnel- looking good!  Just now coverstripping the legs for me;  arms are done. 

I finished the kidney extension/shim-  going to ABS paste it this weekend and will post a thread.  

[Spycee[TK]]

I still don't have touched the side shims ...  My next step probably !  Now that I can wear it, it is easier to see how much shimming I need.

 

Did you take pictures of your build ?  I'm always curious 

[Tusken RTT]

I should get the replacement stickers today or tomorrow for the helmet;  wanted to take pics of everything at once, my build thread is weak for sure!  I just have to make sure I dont screw up anymore cuts;  building the side shims left me with zero room for error in regards to replacement ABS covership material!  My undershims will be just some pieces glued for the last few parts! 

[Fiddlers Green[501st]]

Looking great! Just took my AP out for a second "test drive" (2 hours in armor) and found a few more spots to trim. Overall, money well spent  . Looking forward to your finished project!

[Spycee[TK]]

I too went for a little walk today. I picked up my son at school with my armor. Wow, what a feeling ! Many cars stopped right in the middle of the street to take a picture of me and almost everyone had a big smile when looking at me. I was also in my armor for Halloween, but it was sooo cold ! Impossible to see anything, too much fog in the lenses. The helmet was full of condensation after the night. The back of my knees tell me that I need to trim the back of the thigh to walk correctly, it was a bit hard to walk for 2 hours. And I got pinched a lot on my arms. I'll post some pictures tomorrow. I even got a couple of big hugs from women on the street ! And many children poked me, hard to deal with correctly when you're circled by around 20 children at the same time without seeing anything because of the fog and the dark, it was a bit overwhelming.

Edited November 1, 2014 by Spycee

[Dougal[501st]]

Nice!! I look forward to doing that!

 

 

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[Spycee[TK]]

My son and me, just after putting on our armors :

 

 

 

A lot of pictures were taken with me !

 

 

 

Steps to a door were a real problem ...  We ended up removing my son's helmet so he can get his candies safely.

 

[Spycee[TK]]

Ok, so now that Halloween is finished, I can tak my time to finish the armor ...  What I need to do :

 

- Knee plate (see below)

- Shim the kidney / ab

- Ammo on right thigh

- Belt

- Thermal detonator : I'm waiting for the metal clips

- Bin to store the armor / helmet : I think I'll take this one : http://www.homedepot.ca/product/50-gallon-mobile-job-chest/944928 .  I tried with 2 smaller bin (same size but shallower) but it was not fitting right, and they didn't have wheels.  I just need to see if it fits in my car, I'll check that tonight.

- Paint the boots

 

I still haven't received the rivets (bought on eBay) and I need chicago screws.

 

The velcro I used is not that bad, but it needs to be solidified :

- Put E6000 under the velcro on the armor

- Put E6000 and sew the velcro on the elastic strip

- Some velcro will be replaced by snaps

 

 

Next thing I want to do is the knee plate : how the ***BEEP*** can I do that !?!?  It doesn't align at all ...

Edited November 3, 2014 by Spycee

[Tusken RTT]

I added my first velcro yesterday to one shin, but I did not glue it down, just used the industrial velcro and stuck it on.  Did it not hold long? 

[Spycee[TK]]

After 2-3 hours the majority of the velcros began to unglue themselves a bit ...  So I will glue and sew them to the elastics, or glue them to the armor.  But some will be replaced by snaps.  The thighs will stay with the velcros for the moment, it will be ok with the glue.

 

But maybe it will stay longer on the shins, depending on how it will be stretched.

[Spycee[TK]]

I'll do the ABS paste this weekend. Tonight I began the belt, piercing the holes for the rivets, and bending a bit the belt to adjust to my waist. Tomorrow I'll place the snaps to hold the belt on the ab piece. Still don't know how to place the knee plate ! And for the ammo boxes on the thigh, I'm not sure if it is supposed to be at an angle, I didn't find good pictures of that part. I'll continue to search.

[Spycee[TK]]

Belt done !  Easier than I thought, even if I passed a lot of time measuring and re-measuring.  The only problem I got was that the split rivets were not splitted a lot ...  The plastic belt, the fabric belt, the metal washer, it all makes that there is not a lot of length left on the rivet end to bend.  If I put the belt directly, I will scratch my armor badly.  For the moment I put small patches of elastic taped over the rivets so it doesn't touch directly the ab.  I'll post a picture tonight.

 

Fot the storage bin I'm torn between a big 50 gallons and 2 smaller ones (same size but shallower) ...  The 50g is great, with wheels and a handle, but it's a combat everytime I try to put it in the car on the backseat.  On the other side, the 2 smaller fit a lot better in the car, but I feel I didn't find an optimal way to store the armor in it.  And I'll have to put wheels to ease the transport.  More testing to do about that.

Edited November 5, 2014 by Spycee

[Tusken RTT]

Good deal!  I have not even looked at the belt yet!  I did curl it and the ammo pack in a circle and am holding them together with clamps;  hoping they will retain some of the bend when I am ready to start on those.  I bet with the belt the costume is really coming together! 

[Sly11[Admin]]

Have you thought about a Hokey bag, soft option, easier to fit in a car with other luggage. You can make a cheap frame to fit inside to make it more ridged.

Frame is made from electrical conduit half inch glued together with CA glue, all pipe parts including corners to join together for approx$12 from a local hardware store.

 

 

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[gazmosis[501st]]

I just would like to see that it is absolutely necessary for you to shim the sides. Have you had someone really squeeze the kidney and ab together? If you do that and the sides touch but the torso seems a little snug so be it! You become more "one" with your armor if it's snug. Use webbing instead of elastic on your connection points on the sides to keep it from seperating

[Spycee[TK]]

I have about 2-3 inches of gap on each side when I'm standing straight ...  I think I can't physically join the ab and the kidney.  I'll do some tests tonight and take pictures.

[Spycee[TK]]

@Andrew : No, didn't think of that.  It will be easy to try, my wife got a "hockey-sized" Tupperware bag.

 

My belt, but without the drop boxes and holster, I forgot to attach the drop boxes for the pictures, and the holster snaps / rivets are not done yet in the belt :

 

 

 

 

And for the side shims ...  Here are the gaps I have : 

 

 

 

 

@Steve : I tried to tape the 2 sides directly without using shims and well ..  It kind of "explode" everytime I try, impossible to tape the 2 sides, and impossible to breathe.  What is on the pictures feels nice to me, so maybe I'll have the shims just a little less wide than that (I'll lose weight, it's a promise !).  It sucks that I just need a little shimming !

Edited November 6, 2014 by Spycee

[Tusken RTT]

Belt looks great!  I know what you mean about the sniper plate.  After wrestling with it and then gluing it up, I walked around in the leg armor.  It pointed too far inwards and it was poking me.  So off with the plate for re-gluing.  It actually went on better the second time, I think the clamps and glue helped bend it a bit into the shape I need, but just make sure it does not point too far in towards your knee.  

 

My shims are coming along;   I will be out of town for a few days so my project will be on hold, but you will be able to get them done and can hide the seam for sure. 

[Spycee[TK]]

This is the best I can do : 1".  I can breath ok, even if it's a little tight.  It's a shame to shim for a so little gap ...  I finally succeded to join the ab and the kidney but I can't breathe.

 

 

 

I find that my belt is a bit far from the ab ...  Is it ?  I can't get it closer, the snaps prevent it.  And I have trouble with the butt plate, it doesn't seem to fit right ... 

 

 

 

 

I installed the rivet at the bottom of the ab, and put a snap on the other side :

 

[Spycee[TK]]

I'm searching for a good snap to put on the butt piece, does it look ok ?  The only problem I see with it is that it doesn't enter completely in the plastic (as seen on the second picture) ...  I had to cut it a bit around the hole, it's the right hole in the last picture, and even like that it doesn't enter completely.  Maybe it's not a good snap for that ?

 

 

 

 

[Spycee[TK]]

For the thigh ammo, here's how I will place it :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And for the back thigh, I began to cut them a bit to ease walking, and I plan to cut them more, does it look ok ?

 

 

[Sly11[Admin]]

Placement looks good on ammo thigh belt.

 

 

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[Spycee[TK]]

The thigh ammo is riveted to the thigh, another thing done ! :

 

  

 

 

I also did the 2 snaps on the butt, looks very good to me, picture soon !

 

But the knee plate ... it's another story.  I tried to place it correctly, here is the result :

 

 

 

 

 

 

The left and right are not at the same height, it seems impossible to make it fit right ...

 

 

Oh, and I have a question : after trooping for a couple of hours, I saw that there is a (kind-of) red stain on the armor, at the bottom of the ab, on the thigh and on the shins.  What it could be ???  It seems related to my undersuit, it is where it rubbed on me.  Here is an example :

 

Edited November 10, 2014 by Spycee

[Tolo[TK]]

The thigh ammo is riveted to the thigh, another thing done ! :

 

 

 

I also did the 2 snaps on the butt, looks very good to me, picture soon !

 

But the knee plate ... it's another story. I tried to place it correctly, here is the result :

 

 

 

 

The left and right are not at the same height, it seems impossible to make it fit right ...

 

 

Oh, and I have a question : after trooping for a couple of hours, I saw that there is a (kind-of) red stain on the armor, at the bottom of the ab, on the thigh and on the shins. What it could be ??? It seems related to my undersuit, it is where it rubbed on me. Here is an example :

 

Did you wash your undersuit before wearing it? It may do that.

 

 

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