Clamps Goes All TFA and Stuff

[Clamps[TK]]

Damn, I just realized looking at my picture of the paint cans that I accidentally bought a can of FLAT white vs Primer - CURSE those people who put things in the wrong slots on the shelf! oh and curse me for not looking carefully. 

[Argos_aw]

Congrats! it is so amazing, I'm very envious!!!! I want the TFA armor!!!!    

[Clamps[TK]]

well, I suppose with all of Barcoder's wonderfulness, I best put up something on my thread to stay slightly relevant    With my bucket and soft goods nowhere in sight, I continue to pick away at the core of the kit!

All Hail International Shipping and Taxes!!! (just for box 1 & 2)

 

 

Well, not that its any surprise to me but my fat butt and shoulders are too wide to slip into the Ab, so I had to split it up the back, but as you already know, this is all hidden behind the TD plate, so no bigs...

 

 

Belt Boxes prepped and ready for when the belt comes to town!

 

 

started to plan my 50G Stanley Bin organization:

 

 

 

Purchased some strapping and Velcro and also whipped up 20 male snap plates on nylon strap backing. 

 

 

 

Time to stick that velcro to the attachment tabs of the gaskets. Once I got the tension and stitch length dialled in, it was pretty easy....only yelled a few times. 

 

 

 

Adding some snaps to prevent the "Happy Trooper" look

 

 

 

What do you get when you mix Blanton's Bourbon, Chocolately Rubber Gaskets and Weir Stick?

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NO NO NO you sick minded freaks, you get this

 

 

 

Went back and fixed up some seams I was unhappy with (aka all of them) and also some missed areas on TD (paint cap and underside)
 

 

 

Prep for holster hardware

 

 

 

Dry fit of hardware, will add after final paint applied to kit.

 

 

 

 

That's all you get this time kids, stay tuned next time for more very boring updates!

[Barcoder[TK]]

well, I suppose with all of Barcoder's wonderfulness, I best put up something on my thread to stay slightly relevant 

HAHAHAHAHAHA! "Wonderfulness". I like it.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Nice work clamps

[Vertex[TK]]

Clamps - Are you using 1/2" Chicago screws for the belt boxes?

[Clamps[TK]]

Clamps - Are you using 1/2" Chicago screws for the belt boxes?

 

1/4" Steel Chicago screws from Tandy Leather. Two completed TFA's locally used 1/4" so I am following their lead. 

 

 

Some more updated as momentum picks up.

 

Here I installed an adjustable strap for the shoulder gaskets on the front and back (top) to hold them in place. 

 

 

 

 

Snap plates for shoulder bells...

 

 

 

 

 

Snap plates for butt plate, My current plan is to attach to the garter belt. 

 

 

 

Snaps installed for elastic strap to be fitted across the yoke arms, I will add middle snaps for the chest connector. 

 

 

 

 

I also did my greeblie bends for the leg/spat latches. I used heat guy to warm them up and then bend them directly on the specific piece they will be installed. This was good advice given to me, I recommend to all those future builders. 

 

 

 

 

I also prepared an elastic strap that will be glued on one side and velcro on the other for closing the rear of the AB after I put it on. 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Nice work

[Clamps[TK]]

So, I betcha no one is wondering what I have been up to, but too bad, you are gonna get an update whether you like it or not. 

 

 

Greeblies are all attached:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One more sanding of everything and a spa day for the parts:

 

 

 

 

and then it was TFA TK Christmas

 

 

Boots from Imperial Boots arrived:

 

 

 

Gloves from Imperial Boots arrived

 

 

 

 

AND my Mrs. Wyatt V3 Cloth Gaskets arrived. Note the Shoulder and elbow gasket is single piece.

 

 

 

The knee piece needs to be sewn closed, so we marked and sewed them closed. We marked in about 1.5" from the top and 2" in from the bottom and was happy with the way it turned out. 

 

[Sly11[Admin]]

Looking awesome Clamps, can't wait to see this baby finished.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Clamps[TK]]

Did a test fit of the kit to make sure nothing significantly out of order... everything seems ok, once I get all priming complete, I will finalize strapping and closures... This is a bit sloppy but it gets the job done. 

 

 

 

Who First Ordered Bacon???

 

 

 

and now its on to Primer paint. 3 cans in and this is where we are at

 

 

 

Thighs and back/yoke still need to be primed. and there WILL be some cleanup highlighted by the primer - uhhhhh

[Zarlon[TK]]

Looking good Clamps! Hope to see you with it up in Toronto.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Nice work Clamps

[Clamps[TK]]

Why hello there, yes I am still alive and kicking .. slowwwwwwwly picking away at the kit... Here are some updates:

 

where to start... hmmmm well I wet sanded all the parts that didn;t need further cleanup and then threw on the gloss coat... the horizontal belt boxes only received the black, those will get glossed up on the next paint round. 

 

 

 

 

spent some time sanding down a few seams I was not happy with. some can go right back to primer, a couple-few will require a bit more Bondo-equivalent. No photos to share, its boring and tedious work. 

 

 

I added some snap plates for the chest to AB connection I am planning. 

 

 

 

 

 

I worked on a shoulder harness and didn;t bother to take photos (what a lame build thread eh?)

 

 

I planned to use a magnetic closure for the chest to back, I may have used magnets that were too thick (1/2"), as there is too much rub against the ab armour. I will need to remove them and go with something 1/4" in size. 

 

 

 

 

here is the metal strips that I was placing on the chest inside...

 

[Clamps[TK]]

Miracle or Miracles.... look what arrived last night. A New Brown Box!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Clamps[TK]]

oh and a small white box showed up too:

 

 

 

All the white bits removed and velcro added. 

 

 

 

 

Based on a variety of other builds and references, I have laid out what I believe the correct measurements for the belt box placement. I attached the clip to one end with Cap rivets and then measured out from there. I have not attached or created the holes for the chicago screws yet. I used chalk on the back of the belt box screw posts to mark the hole positions. 

 

 

 

Horizontal box with the dual bump top is 5" from the end. 

 

 

 

Flat horizontal box is 10.5" from the end. 

 

 

 

Small Vertical belt box is 16" from the end

 

 

 

3 piece large vertical belt box is 19.5 inches from the end. 

 

[RCMUSTANG[501st]]

How is the lens on your helmet? I have a bad distortion in the very middle.

[Clamps[TK]]

The lenses seem fine to me based on the fact that they are bubble lenses and that I do not expect to have clear vision with them. I have yet to find a bubble lens that allowed for clear vision. some are worse than others. My bubbles in my Tie were untroopable, so I swapped for flat. 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Looks great Clamps

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Hey Charles sett helmet BTW so jealous 

 

Question, your belt boxes, where does it say to pain the back half black? Is this standard?

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

Looking good, Clamps. Good thing that "Fragile" sticker was inside the box, eh? I'm certain it is why your helmet arrived safely.

[Clamps[TK]]

Hey Charles sett helmet BTW so jealous

 

Question, your belt boxes, where does it say to pain the back half black? Is this standard?

Valid question as it's not documented anywhere as of yet. But per the Alpha build

Members, they were given instructions to do so. So I followed advice if my two Alpha spirit guides.

 

This is in reference to the two small horizontal boxes. Painted semi-gloss black on back half and white gloss on front. The colour change occurs along the natural seam where the two boxes come together.

[Clamps[TK]]

Hey Charles sett helmet BTW so jealous

 

Question, your belt boxes, where does it say to pain the back half black? Is this standard?

Valid question as it's not documented anywhere as of yet. But per the Alpha build

Members, they were given instructions to do so. So I followed advice if my two Alpha spirit guides.

 

This is in reference to the two small horizontal boxes. Painted semi-gloss black on back half and white gloss on front. The colour change occurs along the natural seam where the two boxes come together.

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Valid question as it's not documented anywhere as of yet. But per the Alpha build

Members, they were given instructions to do so. So I followed advice if my two Alpha spirit guides.

 

This is in reference to the two small horizontal boxes. Painted semi-gloss black on back half and white gloss on front. The colour change occurs along the natural seam where the two boxes come together.

 

Good enough for me thanks

[Clamps[TK]]

Continuing on the posts that lack detail and clarity of what I have been up to......

 

 

finished re-bondo'ing a few areas, finished priming. Gloss paint laid down. 

 

 

What I learned with this paint is that if you don;t go heavy, the paint does not bond to itself well and creates a more textured satin finish vs. Gloss. So, that said, I got a mixed bag. on the parts I was shy with the paint, I will wet sand and hit with one final heavier coat (once the paint has a full week of cure). 

 

Here is a shot of the kill room and my best Walter White impression. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was ONE spot on the ENTIRE armour that gave me trouble. On the Right Yoke arm, near the end, the minute I hit it with Gloss paint, it looked like it pooled up, despite being vertically oriented. When I returned for coat 2, this was the result. Some kind of reaction to the primer in this spot caused this cluster of ugly. It is in a hidden spot when armour is worn, so its not a huge deal. 

 

 

 

 

Last night I did a full kit up to check some fitting and to prepare for a formal and final fitting session on Saturday. No need to critique fit right now, still lots of tuning to do, and obviously decals. 

 

 

 

 

 

and a few shots with the modified paint scheme Disney E-11

 

 

 

 

and finally a little beer to celebrate the end of the photos...