TK-44678 requesting ANH Hero EIB status [AM2][488]

[Kredal[TK]]

Mandatory Information

• Armor = AM 2.0
• Helmet= AM 2.0 (ATA ears)
• Blaster= Doopy Doo

Optional

• Height = 6'
• Weight = 240 lbs
• Boots = Imperial Boots
• Canvas belt = TKittell
• Electronics= Aker + iComm
• Neck Seal = Veedox
• Holster = Darman

Full body front:

 

Full body back:

 

 

Full right:

 

 

Full left:

 

 

Helmet full rotation:

 

 

 

 

 

Mic tip detail:

 

 

Lens color and bubble shape:

 

 

Neckseal:

 

 

Holster attachment (4 screws)

 

 

Rubber gloves (with bonus latex handplate action!):

 

 

Sniper plate left and right:

 

 

 

Thigh ammo pack left and right:

 

 

 

 

Blaster left:

 

 

Blaster right:

 

 

Blaster D-ring

 

 

Thermal Detonator back:

 

 

When I took these pictures, the chest piece was riding very high.  I have since corrected that issue with an extra internal strap. Awesome bathroom selfie:

 

 

Action shot:

 

 

Internal strapping:

 

 

Internal strapping +1:

 

 

Thank you for your consideration!

Edited July 28, 2015 by Kredal

[Kredal[TK]]

Any comments? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

[BIGDEAL[TK]]

Im no authority to comment but I wish you luck!

I do think you should look at your chest plate, it doesnt seem to overlap your ab plate as it should , but Im looking on my phone and its hard to see!

[Tusken RTT]

Much better on the chest plate after you added the extra strapping, if it still rides up you could bring it down some more by lengthening the shoulder straps.  

For the leg pieces, your shins seem to be going into the thigh parts.  Some foam taped to the inside back of the thighs and then more foam to the inside front of the shins will really help fix that.  You could maybe also pull that left forearm up a bit;  all little no big deal tweeks.  Nice work and good luck! 

[Kredal[TK]]

Thanks guys.  I've also fixed the super-long straps between the forearms and biceps.

 

Before and after:

 

 

I think I'll take more of the full body pictures this weekend and update this post to remove all of the shots where you can see my undershirt.

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Looking good Josh, almost there brother 

[gazmosis[501st]]

Hey there, Josh!! Thank you for your application to expert infantry! Let's take a look!!

CRL and EIB Application Requirements:

All required photos have been posted. I have a couple issues facing me that you seem to have solved at least one. 

First is the gap between your chest and ab. To be truthful, this should have been asked to be addressed for basic approval. There should be no gap here and the chest should completely overlap the top of the ab plate. Like I said, you seem to have addressed the overlap issue but I would go back and replace that elastic strap between your ab and chest with nylon webbing to make sure that will never move.

The second issue I have is with the gap on your right side. This gap should not really exceed a 12mm (1/2 inch) separation. PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG, but your separation seems to start at one inch(24mm) on the bottom and only get larger towards the top. I have never been one to split hairs when it comes to a few mm + or - a suggested measurement. But double the suggested number is a bit much. Please confirm this for me before we go further.

 

Other-Armor Fit/Assembly: In this section I will go over observations from both myself and your fellow troopers. Sometimes these observations lead to suggestions for changes or adjustments to improve the overall look of your armor. If any of these changes would be required, I will mention that specifically.

From the dimensions you provided, you are one of what I like to call our "enforcer" troopers. Or the muscle. This comes with its own set of challenges that you built around nicely. Your overall construction of your suit is very nice. 

This one is about details. 

I have already mentioned that side gap, but somewhere along your adventures I would consider trimming that corner off the buttplate. This actually curves down a bit and shoud really be trimmed at an angle (I will post a picture with this and other trimming suggestions below)

I do want to compliment you on your outstanding blaster. Well done and I love your weathering technique.

In regards to the "Hero" element of your armor: The "hero" helmets were not just 3 tooth stunt helmets. They were completely different sculpts. For this reason, I would consider either filling in or with a heat iron , massaging out the 4th and 5th tooth indents on the AM face. These are a bit enthusiastic and deep. Anything to make them a bit less subtle would be an improvement. Here is a side by side showing yours VS. a screen used "hero":

I don't have a lot of experience with the AM helmets. What has bothered me about them is the droop in the brow in the center angling upward on the sides. I know the low brow is stereotyped with the hero, but many of the hero helmets did not have the low brow. I just wish that could be made to be straighter across.

Ok...rant over.

Centurion Suggestions: As much as I try to spot everything, the ultimate Centurion Accuracy is up to the trooper.

I hope to see a Centurion application!! Before you do, I will need you to check into a couple things. 

First, I will need you to re-take any full body shots showing the gap between your chest and ab.

While we are on gaps, your side gaps will need to be eliminated.

You have quite a bit of needless extra material on the side of back plate under your armor. In this picture, I show where this should be trimmed as well as what I mentioned earlier about trimming the butt corner:

I want to discuss your calves.  Truthfully they look way oversized. The return edge at the opening on the top can be reduced by half all the way around and even tapered to nothing in the rear. IF this was affecting how you sized your calves, this will be a revelation. Once that is removed, keep your dremmel or your scissors in hand and remove the return edge on the bottom of the calves against the boots.  Once that is removed, put on your boots and get a helper. Have that helper sit on the floor behind you and squeeze the calf closure together. I promise you, there will be a silly amount of overlap there. Have your helper squeeze until snug, then back it off until it is comfortable but not too loose. Then mark a line down the center of your calf making sure that mark is on both halves. when re-trimmed along those lines, and the cover strip re-installed, you will have sleeker, better fitting calves that will add a punch to your armor's appearance. After trimming, if the calves fit great but the adjustment caused them to flare open, you might want to tie them with twine and give them a hot water bath. 

 

Please double check that side gap and if it is large, see what can be done about reducing it so I can issue you the EIB badge! Great work as a whole though, Josh!!!!

[Kredal[TK]]

Hi Steve!  Thanks for the notes and the punch-list for Centurion.  I know what I did wrong, and I just need to correct that re: the right side... I actually made this same mistake on several parts of the suit, and have been correcting it everywhere: I didn't compensate for the fact that elastic is stretchy.  I made the measurements where I needed to (half an inch here, 1 inch there) and punched holes in elastic following those measurements.  On the workbench, it was all correct... when I put everything on, of course the elastic did its job and stretched.  I'll fix that right side strap before I re-take all the pictures, and will bring down the gap to 1/2 inch or less. (I have plenty of room in the armor, the elastic just gives me more than I need!  New pictures will be coming soon!

 

Suggested fixes:

 

I will get the extra teeth filled in with ABS paste, or ruin my helmet in the process.  (:  I knew going into it that the Hero and Stunt helmets were different, but finding a hero bucket to fit my fat head and the rest of my armor was going to be more or less impossible.  But that's what I try to do! 

 

I see what you mean about the butt plate, and see how it should follow the line of the thigh armor.  I'll get my wife to pencil in a parallel line on the butt while I'm wearing it, and give me a point to trim to.

 

I originally kept the back lines as they came since I didn't know what to do with them. I'll trim off at least that bottom corner that pokes out, but I'm afraid of losing too much armor back there.

 

As far as the calves go... There's really not much extra space there.  As I mentioned in my build thread, I have HUGE calves compared to the rest of my legs... The armor pieces are already clamped around them as tight as I can get while keeping the plates the right shape.  Removing the return edge at the bottom might let me angle them down so they look skinnier at the bottom, but the top doesn't have any room to shrink, even without the return edge there.

[Kredal[TK]]

There I fixed it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here's the line drawn to cut up the butt.  Does this look right?

 

 

[EJGreen]

Perhaps it's the angle of the photos but your thigh armor apears to be overlapping the shin armor. The knee plate looks like it's tucked inside the thigh.

[Kredal[TK]]

So when Steve said:

 

 

Have that helper sit on the floor behind you and squeeze the calf closure together. I promise you, there will be a silly amount of overlap there.

 

he wasn't kidding!  I trimmed down the return edge at the top, and took off all the return edge at the bottom, and check out this overlap!  The pencil line is where the halves were taped down to...

 

 

So yeah, I cut that down, and reglued the cover strip.  Still need to put the Velcro back on, but it should look a lot more svelte.  (:

[ukswrath[Staff]]

[gazmosis[501st]]

Hey Josh! Im back at it here after vacation and settling down. Thanks for addressing those side gaps especially on your right side. They are where they need to be to pass EIB.  Congratulations!

Between your shin resizing, your butt trimming and side gap reducing, your Centurion apllication should be stellar. Just make sure if you do all these, your full body shots reflect all your adjustments.

Congrats again!!!

[Kredal[TK]]

Thanks Steve!  I've also gotten rid of the extra teeth on my bucket, and repainted the frown.  I've done a bunch of other fitment changes to the whole suit of armor to make it fit me a ton better.  I'll be getting all new pictures for the Centurion post (which I'll be making soon!)

[ukswrath[Staff]]

WOO HOO!!!! Yea Josh, welcome to the EIB trooper 

[BIGDEAL[TK]]

Congratulations. Job very well done!

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Congrats and welcome to the ranks trooper

[Kredal[TK]]

Hey Steve, it looks like I'll be the first person putting in a Centurion app wearing the new AM2 chest and back.  Does it look screen-accurate enough with the new mold now?  Hopefully that doesn't impede my application!

[Chills[TK]]

Congratulations, Josh!!