My AP build

[bearings[TK]]

My brown box filled with white plastic arrived about a week ago! It's a trimmed AP kit.

 

 

I haven't had time to do much yet, but I'm starting to work on the cover strips for the arms. The biceps and forearms seem to fit me just fine as-is.

 

Lots to do still, but I think it will come together pretty quickly. I'm planning on trying to make my own canvas belt and neck seal, we'll see how that goes later. As for boots, I went the Bass Amsterdam route + Meltonian Nu-life spray painting... seems ok so far with 3 or 4 coats. I'll post pictures of those later.

 

I'm also planning to go with the original strapping, so I got a set of Mr. No-Stripes brackets. I'm not 100% sure about this, as I know it's not recommended for the 2mm plastics... but I like the idea of doing things the same way as the original to get things to hang properly.

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

[EJGreen]

I'm looking for those brackets. Where'd ya get 'em?

[gazmosis[501st]]

http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/20859-accurate-anh-stormtrooper-strapping-brackets-v-20-now-available/

[Tolo[TK]]

I love the new shinny white ABS from AP!!

 

 

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[TK bondservnt[501st]]

that is correct AP has changed plastics!

[Tolo[TK]]

that is correct AP has changed plastics!

Saw it two weeks ago. It look very nice!

 

 

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[bearings[TK]]

I got my inner drop boxes from KW! I started trimming based on the lines KW had drawn, but after I trimmed one it looks like this when I insert them into my outer drop boxes:

 

 

Should I:

 

a ) Leave it like it is

b ) Pad the inside to make the inner drop box sit flush with the outer drop box's back (i.e., the inner drop box's lines were too short)

c ) Trim the outer drop box to make it sit flush with the inner drop box (i.e., the AP pre-trimmed drop boxes aren't trimmed short enough)

 

Thanks!

Edited November 6, 2014 by bearings

[CRISTONAMO]

that is correct AP has changed plastics!

Since when? I wish i had the newer white!

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

I would glue the inner drop box flush after you mount your strapping.

 

simply measure a loop of elastic that will allow the elastic to loop around the belt canvas, leaving extra room for it to hang below

the plastic armor belt.

 

the distance from the top of the box to the elastic is about 1/2"

 

you can put foam inside the box to keep the inner one flush, or some plastic scrap or even small blocks of wood.

 

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Edited May 3, 2022 by gmrhodes13
link removed no longer working

[bearings[TK]]

Thanks for the photo reference, Vern!

 

After a little more digging around, I think the pre-trimmed outer drop boxes might be a little too thick. I saw this AP Centurion post as a reference: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/28241-tk-51500-requesting-anh-stunt-centurion-ap132/?hl=%20dropboxes

 

In that application it was pointed out that his drop boxes were a little too thick, which leads me to think that kev's lines are probably closer to the right depth. I think I'll trim the outer ones to match the inner ones.

 

The above thread also referenced these photos from the archives, which looks much thinner that mine currently look.

 

Edited November 6, 2014 by bearings

[bearings[TK]]

And Troopermaster says 15mm thick here: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/14587-drop-boxes-how-thick/

 

The pre-trimmed AP ones are closer to 19mm, so I'll definitely knock a few mm off of them!

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

Yes but they can also be very thick, it depends on which belt you're looking at:

 

However, i think you should make match the inner and outer drop boxe thickness

[Sly11[Admin]]

Mine are 15mm, just checked.

 

 

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[gazmosis[501st]]

Keep your drop box back flush with edge of the box it is sitting in. No need for fillers.

[Polar]

Hey Ben, I saw you on the everglades forum I believe? Where are you located. I posted about getting an armor party going as Gazmosis doesn't have enough storage to receive all the PM's he's about to from me lol, I kid. I work in Boca and live in Lake Worth. I should have my MTK kit today or tomorrow. If you wanna get together let me know and we can double up on the armors! 

[bearings[TK]]

Yep, that's me over there as well!

 

I work in Boca Raton, off Spanish River in the back of the FAU campus research park. I live in Boynton though, just barely north of Delray Beach. Congrats on your MTK kit, I thought about going that route but AP was better suited to my body size.

 

An armor party sounds fun, but only if we could get some pros in to help us At this point it would be the blind leading the blind, lol. I haven't yet met any of the Everglades squad guys, but they seem pretty active when looking at their twitter feed. I honestly don't go to their forums as much as I should, have you tried checking there for some interest in a get together?

[bearings[TK]]

Thanks for the feedback on the drop boxes, everybody! Hoping the kids will let me have some time to glue forearms and biceps this weekend. Pretty nervous about the first parts being glued, but it'll be fun!

[Polar]

Yep, that's me over there as well!

 

I work in Boca Raton, off Spanish River in the back of the FAU campus research park. I live in Boynton though, just barely north of Delray Beach. Congrats on your MTK kit, I thought about going that route but AP was better suited to my body size.

 

An armor party sounds fun, but only if we could get some pros in to help us At this point it would be the blind leading the blind, lol. I haven't yet met any of the Everglades squad guys, but they seem pretty active when looking at their twitter feed. I honestly don't go to their forums as much as I should, have you tried checking there for some interest in a get together?

 

 

Yes I sure did and its sat dormant for a few days. A friend of mine is in the 501st as an ARF and a Clone. Im going to head to City Place Sunday to meet up with some of them and pick their buckets for some help, Ill let you know what I find out

Edited November 7, 2014 by Polartrooper

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

i'm a 19mm type of guy!

[bearings[TK]]

Ok, I'm double checking the bicep size before I go crazy and glue things down.. they might be bigger on me than I previously thought:

 

 

Should they be this roomy? I feel like if I have to trim them down that I'd probably get rid of the ridge, or the cover strips would overlap it too much.

 

Appologies for the bed-head look, but here's a test fit on me:

 

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

Yes, they're too wide. You should get rid of the ridges, they're here only for bigger people, and i quote Mark from AP:

 

 

The main reason the shoulder bells show that much gap is because the bicep parts are too big, if you look at the movie trooper the bicep parts are very snug almost de same diameter of the forearms therefore the shoulder bells completely cover the biceps reducing the gaps, not everybody have small arms like the actors in the movie and if you have broad shoulders it doesn't help, I purposely leave the extra ridges on the biceps to fit the vast majority of people but ideally would be to completely trim off the ridges on all bicep parts and use the joining strip.

 

Mark (AP)

 

 

[bearings[TK]]

Thanks Germain, exactly what I needed to hear!

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

it is always good to have a thumb sized gap on arm parts!

[Spycee[TK]]

On mine I removed the back ridge, it helped a lot to fit correctly. Try remove only 1 ridge first, it is possible that removing the 2 will be too small for you.