LoneRanger's ESB TK Build

[Troopacoola[TK]]

Due to the helmet's oddness, I decided to instead go the route of doing the forearms first. I've trimmed one pair, and want to know if I did it right.

 

 

I fit it to my arm, marked the seam, and cut. Trimmed is on the left, untrimmed is on the right.

It looks good. Don't forget to remove the return edge at the cuff end. It might also be worth assembling it and posting a pic with it on.

 

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[Troopacoola[TK]]

Due to the helmet's oddness, I decided to instead go the route of doing the forearms first. I've trimmed one pair, and want to know if I did it right.

 

 

I fit it to my arm, marked the seam, and cut. Trimmed is on the left, untrimmed is on the right.

Looks good. Don't forget to remove the return edge at the cuff end. It may be worth assembling the first one and posting a pic with it on your arm

[Troopacoola[TK]]

It looks good. Don't forget to remove the return edge at the cuff end. It might also be worth assembling it and posting a pic with it on.

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[Troopacoola[TK]]

It looks good. Don't forget to remove the return edge at the cuff end. It might also be worth assembling it and posting a pic with it on.

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[TheLoneRanger[501st]]

I think I goofed already. I trimmed my forearms, but now see that what I thought was the return edge may not have actually been the return edge???

 

 

How does this look? And ignore the gap, that's the clamps messing with it.

[TheLoneRanger[501st]]

I'm not finishing the helmet. That helmet is atrocious in terms of molding and assembly. I assembled it where the marks were for the screws, just to have it come out lopsided, requiring re-drilling. And after an hour and a half of re-drilling and re-fitting, it is still lopsided due to the back half being slightly larger than the front half (refer to the pictures posted previously.) Plus, there are gaps in the ears so gigantic I could fly an jetliner through them.

 

 

 

 

Should I just give up the helmet as a lost cause and focus on the other armor pieces? I already have an assembled ATA helmet that'd be great for trooping in.

 

EDIT: What is up with all the multi-posts?

Edited August 19, 2016 by TheLoneRanger

[TheLoneRanger[501st]]

I finished up the forearm while the site was down. How does this look, guys?

 

[Troopacoola[TK]]

Looking great. Did you manage to take the return edge off the cuff Ok?

 

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[Troopacoola[TK]]

I'm not finishing the helmet. That helmet is atrocious in terms of molding and assembly. I assembled it where the marks were for the screws, just to have it come out lopsided, requiring re-drilling. And after an hour and a half of re-drilling and re-fitting, it is still lopsided due to the back half being slightly larger than the front half (refer to the pictures posted previously.) Plus, there are gaps in the ears so gigantic I could fly an jetliner through them.

 

 

 

 

Should I just give up the helmet as a lost cause and focus on the other armor pieces? I already have an assembled ATA helmet that'd be great for trooping in.

 

EDIT: What is up with all the multi-posts?

It's been a nightmare trying to post!

Most people begin by assembling the cap to the back first. I still think it's salvageable.

 

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[TheLoneRanger[501st]]

Looking great. Did you manage to take the return edge off the cuff Ok?

 

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I didn't remove anything yet. Because juuust to be clear, the return edge is this, right?

 

 

Except on the wrist side?

[Troopacoola[TK]]

Yeah. Completely remove the cuff edge. The elbow edge can be reduced to fit

 

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[Troopacoola[TK]]

Like this

 

 

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[TheLoneRanger[501st]]

I finished the other forearm, but still haven't removed the return edges. I want to be sure everything looks right before I do that. So how do these look?

 

The interior cover strip inside the one arm is a bit short, yes. I accidentally cut it too short, so I used it as an interior strip. Another question: What is the best way to remove the stray E6000?

Edited August 22, 2016 by TheLoneRanger

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

I know you probably didn't realize it, but you should have taken off the return edge before final fitting/gluing.  The reason being is that once you do a complete removal, (as in Marc's photo) it will make the opening a lot wider, and may cause it to be too loose.  It won't affect basic approval if you don't remove it, though.

The inside cover strips can be a little short.  The length is not an issue for approval, and they are simply there for added strength.

[TheLoneRanger[501st]]

If it's too loose, what if I added a loop of black elastic in there to put my arm through and hold it in place?

[TheLoneRanger[501st]]

Worked on a bicep today. My arm fits through the opening just fine, but once it gets past my elbow, it gets too tight and scrapes my arm up. It was like this even during fitment. Can I remove the return edge from the bottom? Also, one side is longer than the other, which is obvious from the picture. Does it matter, or no because it'll be covered by the shoulder bell?

Edited August 23, 2016 by TheLoneRanger

[TrekkinTrooper[TK]]

If it's too loose, what if I added a loop of black elastic in there to put my arm through and hold it in place?

Some ppl use a strip of foam to keep the arm centered ( and for comfort).

 

 

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"Long and Prosperous, you shall live"

[mgb1016[501st]]

My kit's also an ESB and my biceps aren't perfect either, but the good news is the shoulder bells cover the tops of the biceps so no one will see it lol.  I also have a strip of foam in each forearm to keep them from rolling around on my arms.  Works like a charm.

[TheLoneRanger[501st]]

One bicep finished, the other glued together. How do they look?

[DeceptiSean[501st]]

One bicep finished, the other glued together. How do they look?

Your biceps look good but I would sand down the edges of your cover strips to give them a straighter edge.

 

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[TheLoneRanger[501st]]

I'm finishing up the finer details on the biceps, while prepping to start the shins. Just a quick question, after reading the 'proper way to assemble AM shins' tutorial, are these correct?

 

[TheLoneRanger[501st]]

Trimmed a shin down to size and got the rough gluing done.

[TrekkinTrooper[TK]]

Trimmed a shin down to size and got the rough gluing done.

Is there a shim on the inside? I normally see the magnets over the exterior shim.

 

 

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[TheLoneRanger[501st]]

There's a cover strip on the inside. How I do it is I glue the interior strip in first, let it dry, then I add the exterior strip after. It lets me make sure the shins are in place how I want them before I cover it and make it permanent, so I can go back and fix any problems.

Edited August 27, 2016 by TheLoneRanger

[TheLoneRanger[501st]]

Well, when measuring the shin for my fitment, the shin fit perfectly to my own leg, so I cut and assembled it. However, my foot won't pass through the opening. Any suggestions on how to fix this?