A little short for a StormTrooper! FemTrooper Build in TX

[Jenlarouge]

Do the biceps fit?  If so, leave them. My advice, only reshape them if they don't fit well. Save you some work.

Greg they go on but I can't bend my arm without them pinching pretty badly. Like they will fit when the muscle is relaxed, but when they are engaged it feels like the seams will burst. =(

[Mutter]

My biceps suffer from the same issue but it's not the shape of the biceps that's the problem.  I just made mine too tight. Without actually seeing them on you, that might be the problem here as well.  Is the pinching caused by armor bites (skin caught between the bicep and forearm)? If so, remove s little from the bottom of the bicep and inside of the forearm where they pinch.

 

If they are too small, you can remove the inside cover strips and make them bigger.  Use some ABS paste and fill in the seam and then sand, bondo and paint.

 

But, you could also try a hot water bath and try to reshape them first. too. I know, so many decisions 

[kwdesigns[TK]]

This is a really great build thread for someone that needs to alter the armor. Great job in the Ab Plate mod!!!!

 

Kevin W.

[Jenlarouge]

My biceps suffer from the same issue but it's not the shape of the biceps that's the problem.  I just made mine too tight. Without actually seeing them on you, that might be the problem here as well.  Is the pinching caused by armor bites (skin caught between the bicep and forearm)? If so, remove s little from the bottom of the bicep and inside of the forearm where they pinch.

 

If they are too small, you can remove the inside cover strips and make them bigger.  Use some ABS paste and fill in the seam and then sand, bondo and paint.

 

But, you could also try a hot water bath and try to reshape them first. too. I know, so many decisions 

So, in the event that I need to remove the E6000 glue to let out my seams a bit in the biceps.... How do I go about removeing E6000? 

[Jenlarouge]

This is a really great build thread for someone that needs to alter the armor. Great job in the Ab Plate mod!!!!

 

Kevin W.

Thank you Kevin! Its slow and steady, but I am just so excited to have it. I am hoping it will end with it looking just as beautiful as regular build but at a 95% scale. 

[Mutter]

So, in the event that I need to remove the E6000 glue to let out my seams a bit in the biceps.... How do I go about removeing E6000? 

Carefully and slowly insert a flat head screwdriver between the cover strip and bicep and gently pry the cover strip off.  Only pry apart a little at a time, being careful not to damage the bicep. You could also work a knife or X-Acto blade in there too to "cut" the E6000.  I've had to do it a few times myself. Just take your time and be careful. Once the cover strip is off, simply rub the E6000 off until it's removed.  You could also use either sandpaper or a magic (pencil) eraser. Good luck!

[Naiyaru]

wow, cutting that ab plate is really courageous! I'd freak out if I'd try! but you've done it SO well!

 

can't wait to see the finished armor! 

[Jenlarouge]

Carefully and slowly insert a flat head screwdriver between the cover strip and bicep and gently pry the cover strip off.  Only pry apart a little at a time, being careful not to damage the bicep. You could also work a knife or X-Acto blade in there too to "cut" the E6000.  I've had to do it a few times myself. Just take your time and be careful. Once the cover strip is off, simply rub the E6000 off until it's removed.  You could also use either sandpaper or a magic (pencil) eraser. Good luck!

Thanks Greg. Haven't decided yet if I need to but I feel better know how to do it if it gets to that point. E6000 takes so LOOOOONNNNNGGGGG to dry! blarg

[Jenlarouge]

wow, cutting that ab plate is really courageous! I'd freak out if I'd try! but you've done it SO well!

 

can't wait to see the finished armor! 

Thanks Nienke, I wont lie. I freaked out for a month before I was brave enough to alter it. If I could have found a way to alter my torso instead I think it would have been less nerve wracking. =)

[Naiyaru]

Thanks Nienke, I wont lie. I freaked out for a month before I was brave enough to alter it. If I could have found a way to alter my torso instead I think it would have been less nerve wracking. =)

 

Oh I can SO imagine! But you did a great job!!!

[Jenlarouge]

ZOMG almost Austin Comic Con! I better get a move on! Worked on Shins and Thighs today, not mine, but mine... errr anyway. As I have laminted before, I have chunky thighs and big calves. SO we are going to add a cover strip on the back of the shins to eek out a bit more room. Here is the problem

 At the largest the gap was about 1.75 inches so I cut two strips that size

but that seemed to big and most of it was more like 1.25" to 1.5". SO I measured out strips 1.5". sigh

 

I sanded up the lips where I would be adhering the cover strip and the Velcro. 

I ran the Velcro along the lip of both sides on the back of the shin to get the measurement. I have found that because they are sculpted by hand these pieces are not always symmetrical. This way I get an accurate measurement for the piece where I will put it.

Always mark/label sides and things. Its surprising how easy it is to accidentally glue the wrong piece to the wrong place. =\

Roughed up the underside of the cover strips and then laid the loop (softer) half of the Velcro down and drew a line along the edge so I would know where to put the adhesive. 

Then just used my wooded craft sticks to lay down thin lines of adhesive to the cover strip and the Velcro, wait the two minutes for it to set up, then stick them together. 

After the Velcro is glued on the cover strip add more adhesive to the non-Velcro side and adhere it to the shin on the outside edge (you marked which one was the outside right?) and clap it down to set up. 

Rince and Repeat on the other side

 

Every thing needs to set up for a while, a day is best but after a few hours you can take the clamps off. Once the clamps are off you can use the same process of glue to glue down the hook side of the Velcro to the inside lip of the shins. 

The hard part is resisting the urge to try them on until after they have 24 hours for the glue to set up. =(

[Jenlarouge]

Thighs are pretty straight forward. The sides are butted. I pretty much needed every smidge I could eek out of them so I just used a straight edge to the last available indentation and cut. 

Cut it off super straight. the straighter the better to line them up, the better they line up the less crack I have to fill with ABS paste. 

 

Cut out strips for the inside to brace the butt joints, cut it off to match the angle of the top edge

Sand both sides that will be stuck together, glue and brace with magnets or clamps or something. 

Do the same to the other thigh.

 

When it all sets up you just do the same thing on the other side. Tada

[68Brick[TK]]

Looking Good! Bravo on the fitting  !

[Jenlarouge]

So anyone watching the news knows that we have a little hurricane thing off the coast of Mexico, which is both terrifying AND causing serious rains here in TX. So its a day inside for me and mine. Which means lots of work done. Couldn't have come in at a better time, since Austin Comic-Con is next weekend! YIKES!

So we have pictures but not a lot of step by steps. Most of the rest of this build has been exactly like everyone else's. So here is where we are today...

 

First is the belt. This little piece was a pain in the tookus. So many little boxes all had to be cut to the same dimensions or they are all wonky

 

I found that using the little wooded tongue depressors I could get all the sides even like this

 

then just trim the line

 

that way they are at least the same size as the little box holders that go inside

 

Marked their position on the belts

 

numbered them so I know which one goes where. This would not be an issue if I had made sure I measure the distance between the holes I drilled in the box holders...=\

 

Adhesive in the edges will make sure that the outside box actually adheres to the inside box

 

Strapped them on with some blue tape and set aside to cure.

 

Next, putting it all together and strapping in all in

[Jenlarouge]

And now to put it all together. 

 

Here is a leg sorta fit with tape just to see where everything goes. 

 

attached the elastic to the knees

 

attached the knees to the thighs

 

could NOT get the knees to not gap in the front. Finally just decided to take the high road and stop throwing a temper tantrum. This was my thinking outside the box solution

later I will prepostion the elastic on the sides and make it so I don't need the elastic "x" under the knees but this will work for now

 

Added snap plates on the front of the chest and elastic straps on the back

 

Added the webbing to the kidney/butt plates to join them

 

Straps on the shoulder bells

 

Snaps and straps on the kidney and inside the thighs

 

Snap plates on the chest/abs

 

Also built up the boxes for the sides of the belt but didn't remember to take pics of that... except this one...

Sorry

 

Here is the carnage of my work area... and just about everything strapped just needs to cure

 

Tomorrow I try on, wish me luck!

[jnnfr72[TK]]

Hi Jen - my namesake!

You are doing an AMAZING JOB! Your build will help lots of us ladies who do not quite fit in Kevin's original design. I like how precise and neat you build. You are so organized!!! I have felt your pain with the try-ons, then the temper trantrums, then the pouting.. then deciding to try again. You'll be trooping in no time. Get lots of pics and share them here for us. Cheers! Jenny in Georgia

[Jenlarouge]

Hi Jen - my namesake!

You are doing an AMAZING JOB! Your build will help lots of us ladies who do not quite fit in Kevin's original design. I like how precise and neat you build. You are so organized!!! I have felt your pain with the try-ons, then the temper trantrums, then the pouting.. then deciding to try again. You'll be trooping in no time. Get lots of pics and share them here for us. Cheers! Jenny in Georgia

Thanks Jen, I feel like its getting close. I think I may take it out to Austin Comic Con this weekend for a spin. Its not 501st ready by any means but it is wearable. This will give me an idea what adjustments I need to make before the finishing all the little pretty things. 

[Jenlarouge]

Ok, No laughing... first try-on. Keep in mind that I learned during the try on that one of my thigh straps was to long so its sagging just a smidge and my shoulder bells didn't have the snap on yet. The belt was not on cause I wanted to fit the rest. And I just have yet to finish the TD cause I am still trying to figure out if I want to do Statue version or Comic Book. that decision is harder than I thought I would be. I think one day at ATXCC will help me decide if I can troop in the heels. 

 

without further ado I give you, a VERY short Legacy Stormtrooper!

[/uR

 

Please begin the critique/tutelage/advice portion of our discussion.........NOW!

Edited October 27, 2015 by Jenlarouge

[jnnfr72[TK]]

You look amazing. I don't know about being able to see the ab/kidney peeking out on your side area when you lift your arm up.... I wouldn't think it matters too much. It's white plastic - so I wouldn't think it matters if it's the chest plate or the ab/kidney plate? I went with the comic version, but I like both versions! It's nice to have options. Have fun at your outing and post us some pics of all your shiny white awesomeness.

[Jenlarouge]

Test run complete! 

 

Learned a lot of important things and have some mods to make. Glad I wore it before I made it pretty cause I have work to do!

The thighs go past my knees just a bit so that meas they rub badly. Not sure it this is cause the thighs are to long or just to far down, will have to look into that. 

Also, I lost just enough inches during the making process to need to make the ab smaller cause it is just big enough to not really stay where I put it, it wants to slip down just a smidge. Also, the ab and kidney want to shift making the kidney slide up and poke me in the arms when I put my arms down. =(

Need to trim just a bit more from the length of the forearms

Made the thighs just a smidge to big, or lost just a bit enough to make them want to slide around. 

Didn't loose any of my calves though, they are still pushing the limits of my shins. sigh

Biggest issue is that when I have the helmet on it sits on my breastplate and the eyes are up to high so I can't see. I need to find a way to lower the breast plate a bit so I can wear the helmet. 

 

So...project continues. 

[68Brick[TK]]

That's one mean Jawa!

 

Nice job!

[Mutter]

Jen, you look GREAT!!!

 

I agree with Jenny, I wouldn't worry about the ab/kidney peaking out from under your arm. You may want to raise your shoulder bells closer to the shoulder bridge and bring them forward a little. They seem to look like they droop down. The rear of the shoulder bridge should rest on top of the back plate, they look like they are going underneath it. Regarding your thighs, if they seem to low and too big, trying shortening the straps so they are raised higher before you start cutting or doing anything permanent. Not sure what to say about your helmet resting on your chest plate other than to keep your head up

 

Awesome job!

[jnnfr72[TK]]

Hey Girlie!

That's a cute pic! Your armor build was similar to mine. I agree - looks like you could make the thighs smaller, but raising them 1st might do the trick.

I had my thighs (Thunder and Lightning ... haa haa ) all glued, and realized they needed to be tighter after several try ons. I took it as a VICTORY!

I am still adjusting the AB... it's been a P.I.T.A. since the very beginning. And, I also cut off an inch or 2 from my forearms, too. I cut off from the elbow

area, not the wrist. My right calf is bigger than my left and I added extra shims to the right side. I made abs paste - and from up close it looks horrible, 

but from 5 feet away... no one has said anything. Maybe everybody is just being nice... either way - it works. I love seeing your progress. Keep up the

good work! Troop on little Trooper!

Edited November 9, 2015 by jnnfr72

[bzb]

I've seen your kit three times now... it looks good on you. The little flaws are going to happen regardless, as now I've seen the other girls in Georgia with the exact same issue spots (the corner in the chest, and the shoulder straps) so a little ABS paste or CA glue is not anything anyone is concerned with.

 

The only thing I've noticed on yours is the knees sometimes get inside the shin.  This occasionally happens to Shannon, too, but it's mostly when she's walked up or down stairs.

 

Jen - I can't see your photos for some reason.  I saw them last week and it looked like you were making good progress, though!  Keep going!

Edited November 10, 2015 by bzb

[Jenlarouge]

I've seen your kit three times now... it looks good on you. The little flaws are going to happen regardless, as now I've seen the other girls in Georgia with the exact same issue spots (the corner in the chest, and the shoulder straps) so a little ABS paste or CA glue is not anything anyone is concerned with.

 

The only thing I've noticed on yours is the knees sometimes get inside the shin.  This occasionally happens to Shannon, too, but it's mostly when she's walked up or down stairs.

 

Jen - I can't see your photos for some reason.  I saw them last week and it looked like you were making good progress, though!  Keep going!

Thanks Bobby, can I ask where you have seen it or just the post I've made on this forum? I am having a hard time finding pics we took that show the different angles to see my problem spots.