AnjelRedemption[TK] Posted May 3, 2015 Author Report Posted May 3, 2015 Thanks guys. @comfy turtle: it's the ACH/MICH helmet pads (amazon), bucket fits nice and snug without any additional pressure on the head...word of warning, get the fit kit to help, I have a smaller head so there was some space that I had to fill. Almost got the torso completely strapped up, more pics soon! Quote
AnjelRedemption[TK] Posted May 7, 2015 Author Report Posted May 7, 2015 (edited) Hey everyone. Sorry it's been awhile.... I had to give the ab plate a bath to get the sides to line up with the kidney, and found a way to cool it quickly to set... So once i got the ab and kidney to line up i installed the snaps and straps using the same method as before. Then it came time to connect the ab to chest and chest to back. I wanted the shoulder straps to be stronger so i decided on two snaps per shoulder And all straped up (except one shoulder) I need to trim up the cod and butt plate. So now it was time for a test fitting..... Back shot and some close ups of the sides.. (sorry for the grainy pics) Please let me know what y'all think (yes i said it, i'm Texan!) hope to have the last shoulder and trimmed up cod/butt plate strapped up this weekend. Stay tuned! Edited May 7, 2015 by AnjelRedemption Quote
AnjelRedemption[TK] Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Posted May 11, 2015 Hey eveyone, sorry it's been awhile (finals week ) hope to have some more pics up tomorrow. I would love some feed back on the stuff I got completed already to see if i need to make any changes. Thanks! Quote
Tusken RTT Posted May 11, 2015 Report Posted May 11, 2015 (edited) Are the back and kidney pieces overlapping? They should be cut to meet. Looks like you could shorten the shoulder portion of the chest piece (making the bridge shorter to the back), to bring the entire chest up some as well. Looks like the chest nearly covers half of the ab button plate? Edited May 11, 2015 by Tusken RTT Quote
AnjelRedemption[TK] Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Posted May 11, 2015 @ Tusken RTT. the back and kidney are not overlapping, i just strapped them really tight together to make them seamless. but i have changed the straps to elastic and now there is a little mobility to the back. I did that because the kidney was to high and bringing up the ab plate (making it tuck up under the chest plate a lot). for basic approval i think it's ok to have a little bit of a gap between the back and kidney, but not a huge one. I also made the chest straps a little longer to bring down the ab plate.(the cod was..um...really cupping...if you know what i mean! ) The reall problem is that i have a short frame! lol. i like the idea of shortining the shoulder part of the chest pate to raise it up, but I think if I do that then the armor would be choking me ( just like vader! ) I don't know how much more i can make the chest go up, but i got it to a point where it doesn't cover the ab buttons. I'll try to post some more pics of the adjustment tomorrow. Thanks! Quote
AnjelRedemption[TK] Posted May 12, 2015 Author Report Posted May 12, 2015 as promised.... here is a comparison of the ab plate adjustment. Before.. after.. What do y'all think? is this ok? I hope to have more pics of the biceps and forearms later in the week. Thanks! Quote
AnjelRedemption[TK] Posted May 18, 2015 Author Report Posted May 18, 2015 Hello everyone! I'm done w/ finals and school for the semester! Now all my attention will be on the armor! So i did a lot of work over the weekend.... after I fixed the issue of the chest covering the ab buttons, i trimed and connected the cod and but plate. I used the extra peice to make a snap plate, that way it would fit the curve/shape of the cod perfectly... Then it was back to the forearms! one side done... A slight gap in this one...but i have a though on how to fix it... and here is w/ both cover strips glued... Then on to the biceps... and w/ the finished cover strip.. the last bicep and forearm are finishing up drying...in the mean time I glued the ab buttons on. and then painted them... I also got my blaster in the mail....it was a cheap one from target, only 12 bucks! i'll post a seperate build but wanted to put it here as well.... First i cut out the vents... Than I drilled some holes in the Counter for the wires I will add to it... and the wires i just wrapped around a screw driver! and then painted the whole thing w/ satin black... and put back together! Not to bad if i do say so myself! Well thats all for now, please point out anything wrong or funky! Stay tuned! Quote
Airborne Trooper[501st] Posted May 19, 2015 Report Posted May 19, 2015 How did you fix the gaps in the cover strips? I've got some too on one of my forearms. Quote
AnjelRedemption[TK] Posted May 20, 2015 Author Report Posted May 20, 2015 How did you fix the gaps in the cover strips? I've got some too on one of my forearms. I'm testing the theory now.....but i'm going to try and use white caulk to fill the gap. It's silicone and would handle the stress/heat and is water proof! I have some drying on a test peice of ABS....i will let you know how it turns out! I'm doing this because of how small my forearms are....i had to trim them down and so the edges of where the two half meet is really rounded and creates a gap (unavoidable). I will post some picks of my findings Quote
jhpeyto Posted May 28, 2015 Report Posted May 28, 2015 Looks great so far. I've got the same kit as you saw earlier. Working on my chest/back now then the kidney plate/codpiece. And I didn't realize it till just now but I also saw your Rubie's blaster build. And since I'm not looking to spend $150+ for a replica or want to wait for the $100 kits to restock I ordered that one and plan to do the same thing you did. Except I'll see if I can find some small cylinders and try sanding down the front ridges so they're straighter and less curved. Quote
Airborne Trooper[501st] Posted May 28, 2015 Report Posted May 28, 2015 Sounds cool about the silicon. Definitely show us how it turns out. I think I may go back and re-glue mine with CA. Quote
AnjelRedemption[TK] Posted May 29, 2015 Author Report Posted May 29, 2015 Hey everyone, sorry for the delay in updates.....my apt was broken into last week Luckly they only took a few items....and left the armor alone. but dealing w/ the insurance and police has been difficult.... so i don't have a lot to update.. Here is what I did to fix the gap on the forearms.... I used white caulk, more specifically silicone. You can get it at home dept/lowes for around 4 bucks. Before And after... and some shots of the other side... So thats all i have for now. this weekend i will be attaching the biceps to the forearms w/ elastic straps and then fitting the shoulders. Stay tuned.... Quote
Airborne Trooper[501st] Posted May 29, 2015 Report Posted May 29, 2015 That looks awesome. Does it discolor after time? That wouldn't be an issue since I have to weather that area anyways in my case. Quote
AnjelRedemption[TK] Posted May 29, 2015 Author Report Posted May 29, 2015 The brand of Caulk that i used states that it is water proof and will handle high heat as well. Also it is pretty flexible and will handle the stress of trooping. It is something to consider if it does discolor over time, but if anything, it is cheap and easy to apply and easily removed so you can always replace it. Quote
AnjelRedemption[TK] Posted June 1, 2015 Author Report Posted June 1, 2015 Hey everyone, so i had some more time this weekend to work on the armor. I got the biceps attached to the forearms and the shoulder snaps to attach the biceps.... i might have to lengthen this a little, after the test fit it was a little tight and hard to move at the elbow.... Then i test fitted where the shoulder needed to be straped up... Then i glued the snap plates in place... Finally I got the elastic glued on to the hand plates.. and thats it for now. next i'll post some pics of the completed arms attached to the shoulder straps and see how everything fits together Stay tuned! Quote
AnjelRedemption[TK] Posted June 2, 2015 Author Report Posted June 2, 2015 Hey everyone, Got some more work done last night... I finished the hand plates! and then i got the arms all strapped up and attached to the torso. and attached.. I tried to get a pic of me wearing it......but I couldn't snap the right shoulder bell w/ the left arm on! I might try and have a friend come by and help take some more pics. I can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel! as always, please let me know if you see anything wrong or funky! Stay tuned! Quote
AnjelRedemption[TK] Posted June 5, 2015 Author Report Posted June 5, 2015 Update on the armor.. I got the shoulder straps trimmed up and then attached them to the armor I'll try to get some pics of the torso fully completed w/ me wearing it, but i need help to do that! Next I will be working on the shins and thighs, (thats were the help comes in) Stay tuned! Quote
AnjelRedemption[TK] Posted June 10, 2015 Author Report Posted June 10, 2015 More progress on the armor. first is the finished shoulder straps. now i just need the elastic strap to hold them down. I then started on the shins. First step is to cut the return edge off the bottom Then some of the return edge off the top... Then i measured out 10 mm from the edge of each half for the 20 mm cover strips. and i used the score and snap method. Then a quick check to make sure there is not too much ridge showing on either side Then is was time to glue the inner strips for strength I think i have them correct....The one on the right is for the Left leg and the one on the left is for the Right leg. They are pretty close already, but there is a slight more curve on the insides in the pic above for the calf muscle. Please let me know if i have the shins backwards. While the shins are drying, i wanted to work on the belt. I had some left over screws and bolts from my helmet kit, so i put them to use. Here are some pics of it on the torso...due to the wonkyness of the NE ab plate, it doesn't sit well, i guess thats why they put snaps to hold it in place. Let me know if i have the placement right on the belt.... I still need to cut the corners of the belt, but there doesn't seem to be a standard, i think i will angle them to about 45degrees and stop at the fabric belt. Then i made the covers...again, i looked through a bunch of EIB applications and everyonther one had the covers either on the edge of the belt (on the sides) or in the middle. Since my pre-dimmpled holes where in the middle, i just left them there. I can always cut the sides of the belt to make the covers flush w/ the sides if need be. and that's all for now. As always any and all comments are welcome. stay tuned! Quote
AnjelRedemption[TK] Posted June 10, 2015 Author Report Posted June 10, 2015 (edited) HELLO? ANYBODY? Hey FISD!!! Nobody has commented on my post in almost two weeks!!! Either i'm rocking this build.......or it's so bad no one wants to look at it! I'm at that stage where i would like to have some comments or feedback on the work i've done...this will let me sleep at night, and not pull what very little remaining hair i have left, out of my head. Also, if i did do something wrong i can go back and fix it really quick. Thanks everyone, hope to hear something soon! *Edit I really don't want to sound needy....i just want to make sure i'm doing everyting right...not just saying "LOOK AT ME!!" Edited June 10, 2015 by AnjelRedemption Quote
Mutter Posted June 11, 2015 Report Posted June 11, 2015 (edited) lol, that drove me crazy when I built mine too. I found it rather frustrating but these things happen. First off, let me say your build is coming along great! I'll try to provide more timely feedback. Here are my collective thoughts on your progress. Most are merely suggestions (probably a bit too nit picky) with at least one item that's a 501st requirement. 1 - the nut/bolts used on the belt are going to tear the hell out of your ab plate. I'd suggest replacing them with Chicago screws or at minimum, cover them so they won't gouge your ab plate. 2 - with the belt off, trim the corners to 45 degrees and remove more of the edging along the length of the belt. 3 - since you need to remove the covers to replace the screws holding your belt to the canvas, when you replace the covers, they should be at the edge. 4 - before reattaching your belt to the canvas (because you should replace the screws) heat bend the belt so it curves around your waist. It will sit better. Similar to how the ammo pack on our right knee gets curved. There are tutorials available for this. 5 - the placement of your belt on your ab is correct; just below or slightly overlapping the ab buttons plate. 6 - generally, snaps are used to hold the front of the belt to your ab so it doesn't sag. 7 - your shins look good and on the correct side. 8 - the shoulder bridges came out really nice! 9 - do you have a strap attached to the shoulder bells that wrap around the inside of the bicep? I couldn't see one from the pics. (501st requirement) 10 - I'm not sure if the pic above is correct, but it appears the bicep/forearms are either on the wrong side or the strapping is behind the elbow? 11 - you may want to think about adding a smaller band of elastic on your hand plates to go around your wrist. If you make a fist, does the hand plate stick out? if not, you're good. 12 - I didn't see any pics of how the codpiece is attached to the butt plate. Those are my thoughts. You mentioned you are comparing to EIB submissions. Do you want to obtain EIB (or even Centurion)? It helps gauge the nit pickiness of the feedback (if you wish to have it). Almost everything I mentioned is simply a suggestion (and because I'm tired and my OCD is kicking in ) You've done a great job so far! Edited June 11, 2015 by Mutter 1 Quote
Bone[501st] Posted June 11, 2015 Report Posted June 11, 2015 Yes, it can be frustrating if nobody answers. But if you take a look at the numbers in the thread overview, you recognise, that your thread has been read 566 times .. With so many readers and so few comments, it can only mean one thing: You are doing it right! (And you do! Go on.) Quote
Tusken RTT Posted June 11, 2015 Report Posted June 11, 2015 Yes, looking good! Greg nailed it with replacing your nut/bolts on the belt. Chicago screws for sure. Quote
AnjelRedemption[TK] Posted June 11, 2015 Author Report Posted June 11, 2015 (edited) Yes, it can be frustrating if nobody answers. But if you take a look at the numbers in the thread overview, you recognise, that your thread has been read 566 times .. With so many readers and so few comments, it can only mean one thing: You are doing it right! (And you do! Go on.) Thanks Bone! Yes, looking good! Greg nailed it with replacing your nut/bolts on the belt. Chicago screws for sure. Thanks Tusken! lol, that drove me crazy when I built mine too. I found it rather frustrating but these things happen. First off, let me say your build is coming along great! I'll try to provide more timely feedback. Here are my collective thoughts on your progress. Most are merely suggestions (probably a bit too nit picky) with at least one item that's a 501st requirement. 1 - the nut/bolts used on the belt are going to tear the hell out of your ab plate. I'd suggest replacing them with Chicago screws or at minimum, cover them so they won't gouge your ab plate. 2 - with the belt off, trim the corners to 45 degrees and remove more of the edging along the length of the belt. 3 - since you need to remove the covers to replace the screws holding your belt to the canvas, when you replace the covers, they should be at the edge. 4 - before reattaching your belt to the canvas (because you should replace the screws) heat bend the belt so it curves around your waist. It will sit better. Similar to how the ammo pack on our right knee gets curved. There are tutorials available for this. 5 - the placement of your belt on your ab is correct; just below or slightly overlapping the ab buttons plate. 6 - generally, snaps are used to hold the front of the belt to your ab so it doesn't sag. 7 - your shins look good and on the correct side. 8 - the shoulder bridges came out really nice! 9 - do you have a strap attached to the shoulder bells that wrap around the inside of the bicep? I couldn't see one from the pics. (501st requirement) 10 - I'm not sure if the pic above is correct, but it appears the bicep/forearms are either on the wrong side or the strapping is behind the elbow? 11 - you may want to think about adding a smaller band of elastic on your hand plates to go around your wrist. If you make a fist, does the hand plate stick out? if not, you're good. 12 - I didn't see any pics of how the codpiece is attached to the butt plate. Those are my thoughts. You mentioned you are comparing to EIB submissions. Do you want to obtain EIB (or even Centurion)? It helps gauge the nit pickiness of the feedback (if you wish to have it). Almost everything I mentioned is simply a suggestion (and because I'm tired and my OCD is kicking in ) You've done a great job so far! 1. I will be cutting the bolt down and covering them up w/ E6000 or some rubber so it doesn't mess up the ab plate 2. That's what i thought but wanted to be sure! 3. the pre drill spots on the belt stopped me from placing the covers on the edge....could i just remove some of the belt on the edges to make these flush?) 4.Thats a good idea. it does flare out a little on the sides and this would help. 5.Perfect! 6. I will add some snaps to the ab and belt. 7.Thanks for the conformation! 8. Thank you! just need some elastic straps to hold them down 9.I didn't know this was 501st required, i will add them soon. 10. The elastic is behind the elbow on the forearm and bicep, it is ridding right on the cover strips (i can change this if need be) 11. the hand plate sticks out a little, i'll add some more elastic to wrap around the wrist. Thanks! 12. I'll post some pics of the cod/ab connection. WOW....I still got a lot of work to do! I will be going for EIB only, i can always make the changes for Centurion later. Thanks for all the comments guys! I'll get to work on fixing this stuff right away Before I go.... Look what I got yesterday! And i had to put them on immediatley! lol Thanks again for all the feedback. I should be getting some help this weekend so i can get the correct size on the shins and thighs and get some pics of me wearing the armor! Stay tuned! Edited June 11, 2015 by AnjelRedemption Quote
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