Jenny's First Build - TK ANH Stunt (AP kit)

[JenEcho[TK]]

(reposting here since this is where I should've put it in the first place)

 

Summary - AP kit, first time builder, hoping to get this finished for May/June, also hoping not to cut off any of my fingers. Micro sized trooper so I'll be trimming lots. Plan is to only use E6000 so I have time to fix any mistakes.

 

Trimmed forearms last night. Definitely not sure what lines are meant to be cut on, so I'm taking it slow until I can tape and size to my bod.

 - learned that you don't need to press and cut super hard/deep with that shop knife. Will make all future cuts so much easier and safer.

 

Just picked up a pair of plastic cutting scissors. About to get out the Dremel and practice gentle sanding and shaping on some scrap pieces.

 

(attempt #2 to embed my images with Imgur links below)

 

https://imgur.com/Gc5xySs

https://imgur.com/l8gqLU3

https://imgur.com/13hiis2

 

Thanks for the warm welcome

[sandtrooper[501st]]

So far so good.  Keep at it and you'll be done in no time!

[Thumpy~[501st]]

2 hours ago, JenEcho said:

Just picked up a pair of plastic cutting scissors. About to get out the Dremel and practice gentle sanding and shaping on some scrap pieces.

try not to discard any of the cut plastic, especially the ABS filings and small pieces.  You can make ABS paste with acetone as a method to fix mistakes.  And the color of the paste should match your armor.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

If you can't find the DIRECT LINK another way to post the image, once it's uploaded on Imgur right click on it then copy,  come back here and paste directly into your post.

 

I'm sure you will get it in the end, good luck with the build

 

[lucnak[TK]]

Oh, just noticed you posted this here too, hahah. Anyway, what I wrote in the other thread: Hi Jenny, will follow your thread here as well as on CCG forums! To keep cut lines straight, I used a long metal ruler and clamps! Andy likely shared quite a bit of info with you, but please don't be afraid to post about any questions you might have!

[Shanester[TK]]

You are on the right track.  Asking questions and checking your measurements before making cuts is very smart.  Good luck! I will be watching your build. 

[JenEcho[TK]]

Just checking in. Feels like I’m moving like a herd of turtles, but I’m making progress. Seems like there’s so much more to do.

 

- everything is trimmed, except separating the cod from the body. 

 

- biceps and forearms are sized and inner strips are glued front and back. Just need the outer cover strips and a final sanding to make them pretty

 

- inner strips glued on the fronts of thighs and shins

 

- ordered my boots, neck seal and most exciting, my blaster

 

- picked up all my snaps, elastic, straps, Velcro. Going to get rivets and replacement visor tomorrow 

 

- got my under armor top/pants

 

I’m stumped how to size the thighs and shins for length. How much mobility do you guys have? I’m assuming that you can bend your knees without too much trouble? Can you sit? Do the thighs go right into your bum? (As a reference of how short I am - My shins go a good three inches above my kneecap now.)

 

Is there a good reference pic or thread of someone being sized for length? I definitely don’t want to take off too much or alter the curve/shape more than I have to.

 

Is there a standard for how much space should be between all the parts? 

 

I’m loving going through the build threads. You guys give me hope that I can do this!

[lucnak[TK]]

Jenny, good to hear about your progress! Mobility-wise, I suppose putting on the legs I could have shown you the other day. You should be able to bend your knes fine, but bringing the leg up like going up stairs is usually possible but a bit of a challenge for many. Most can't sit and then thighs should not be poking your butt. Sounds like you can still cut down the length. How much have you cut off so far? Tall people have lots of room at the knee, short people less so. You can also do some cutting at the back of the knee area for mobility to maek things more comfortable.

 

I will look around for some sizing references you can follow. Will post again shortly with that!

[lucnak[TK]]

Christine made a great diagram for where she had to trim her armour. Not sure that you will need to trim every one of these, but if you do, keep in mind where you need to keep the return edge. Rebuilding a return edge is not for the faint of heart, but some work with a heat iron and some ABS paste can make it look like it was made that way!

My computer is not playing well with a photo that is another diagram from Christine (though this may be the same one as the one above, I can't tell). Check here though:

I think these may be your best resources! If you post up photos, perhaps @Cricket can chime in herself!

Edited March 6, 2018 by lucnak

[Cricket[TK]]

11 hours ago, JenEcho said:

I’m stumped how to size the thighs and shins for length. How much mobility do you guys have? I’m assuming that you can bend your knees without too much trouble? Can you sit? Do the thighs go right into your bum? (As a reference of how short I am - My shins go a good three inches above my kneecap now.)

Hey Jenny, 

Congrats on your kit and for making progress with the build!  Slow and steady is the way to go, and it sounds like you're on the right track.  

As a fellow shortie, I had some of the same questions about the legs.  I assembled the shins first, and sized them width-wise while wearing the boots.  You must wear your boots when sizing the shins, because you will be wearing the boots when out in the world- and they will fit very differently width-wise and length-wise with the boots on.  You run the risk of overtrimming the shins if you don't size with boots on (the boots shift the shins up!).   Bottom line: don't trim shins without boots. 

Okay, enough warning about that.  Here are the steps I follow to size my legs:

1. With boots on (did I mention that already?), size those shins to fit for width only.  Don't worry about length yet.
2. While wearing boots and shins, size the thighs to fit for width only.  Don't worry about length yet.
3. Size your torso to fit.  It is critical that your torso fits you length wise at this stage.  There should be about an inch or so of space between your girly bits and the underside of the cod piece.  You may also need to trim along the edges to make the cod more narrow on the sides.  No one likes inner thigh chafing.
4. Once your torso fits you well, then put on the thighs, torso, boots, and shins (yep, in that order).  Walk around (or waddle if you can't walk).  You will now see (and feel!) clearly where you need to trim.  Now is the time to trim those thighs to fit length-wise.   I took a pencil, stood in front of a mirror, and marked along the tops of the thighs where the plastic was overlapping in the front.  I trimmed those areas extremely conservatively, then tried them on again.  Mark where they are still overlapping (if necessary) and repeat.  The goal is to have as little black showing as possible between the thigh tops and the bottom of the torso, but still have enough room for comfortable movement.   
   
   I'm the 3rd trooper from the left holding the bucket in my left hand.  You can see that I tried to make as little space as possible with my thighs.  If you have more of a gap, you will have better movement- but TKs have never been known for their flexibility.    Also, note that my cod is narrower than the other troopers'.    
   
   I ended up trimming a lot from the inside thigh areas, but not as much around the sides.  I tried to keep as much material along the tops and outsides of the thighs as possible.  
   
   

Use this screen shot for your reference.  Your goal should be to end up with something like the short trooper in the middle (and still be able to move around without armor bites).

 

The back of your thighs and butt plate shouldn't overlap while you are standing.  They will probably overlap a bit while walking.  That's okay.

 

5. Once your thighs are trimmed so they don't overlap the cod/torso (they'll fit kind of like a puzzle piece) and you can move around, then trim your shins to fit for length.  Trim the shins from the bottom only!  As you trim them, they will shift down, allowing for better movement at the knee.  You don't want much too black space showing at the knee (use above image for reference).  You can also cut out a bit from the back of the top of the shin and bottom of the thigh to allow for your legs to bend without getting bitten by that armor.  

***Note*** Depending on how much you need to trim from your shins to fit, you may end up needing to resize them width wise.  Just something to be aware of!

 

I have never been bitten by my armor and don't have issues with movement for the most part.  I have to wobble a bit going up stairs, but it's not a big deal.   Hope this helps! 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2018 by Cricket

[lucnak[TK]]

***Note: @Cricket rules***

 

[JenEcho[TK]]

You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for your help. I'm off to read Cricket's build from start to finish

[JenEcho[TK]]

Just checking in. Had a great visit with Andy and he helped measure and size things for me. 

 

Not much progress (darn job, kids, etc) and I’m stuck and super frustrated with one of my forearms. I need to reshape it in order to glue the strip. Trying to force it with clamps and magnets resulted in E6000 everywhere. 

 

It’s about to get a nice sous vide treatment treatment which will hopefully give it enough flex for me to bend it. Next I guess will be the heat gun. 

 

https://imgur.com/a/5BxW4

[JenEcho[TK]]

Whelp. That turned into a train wreck in record time. I thought I would help secure that nice rounded shape using rubber bands - which sunk INTO the plastic and warped the entire thing. 

 

Pardon me while I go have a Kylo sized tantrum. 

 

Hubby thinks we can reshape and save them using the heat gun. Worst case I really hope I can order new forearms. Sigh 

 

https://imgur.com/a/wKzMC

[Commander Gree[501st]]

2 minutes ago, JenEcho said:

Whelp. That turned into a train wreck in record time. I thought I would help secure that nice rounded shape using rubber bands - which sunk INTO the plastic and warped the entire thing. 

 

Pardon me while I go have a Kylo sized tantrum. 

 

Hubby thinks we can reshape and save them using the heat gun. Worst case I really hope I can order new forearms. Sigh 

 

https://imgur.com/a/wKzMC

Wow, that looks bad. maybe the "hot water" technique would work to reshape it. That hurt me to look at. Please keep us informed if you get it fixed and how

 

[Frank75139[501st]]

I feel your pain. I think it might be salvageable with some hot water.


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[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

2 hours ago, JenEcho said:

Whelp. That turned into a train wreck in record time. I thought I would help secure that nice rounded shape using rubber bands - which sunk INTO the plastic and warped the entire thing. 

 

Pardon me while I go have a Kylo sized tantrum. 

 

Hubby thinks we can reshape and save them using the heat gun. Worst case I really hope I can order new forearms. Sigh 

 

https://imgur.com/a/wKzMC

Hey Jenny you can post your images into your thread by using the direct image link on Imgur

 

\

 

Yes a heat gun will work BUT definitely make sure you practice on some scraps first, plastic has a short space of time between pliable and molten mess.

 

I would suggest also using two small blocks of wood so you can put them either side and move along once the piece is heated, will help to keep them straight.

 

Good luck, I'm sure you will do just fine  

 

 

[Cricket[TK]]

In my experience, if you put it back into the boiling water all by itself for a short time, it should go back to its original shape!  The hot water will allow the ABS to 'relax' back to a semblance of its original shape.  I've done this many times with success when I've 'overshaped' my armor.  I would give that a try before busting out the heat gun.    Good luck!

Edited March 23, 2018 by Cricket

[JenEcho[TK]]

Small update - spent a couple of very frustrating hours on Saturday trying to repair my poor melted and deformed forearm, but with no luck. Tried another water bath, low level heat gun and blocks to shape, and even busted out the iron, but while I could get the edges moderately back to normal there are still indents across the arms where the elastics dug in. The plastic has started to feel "weak" and it has lost its uniform thickness. RIP right forearm.  I've reached out to Mark about purchasing a replacement.

 

Did a bit more trimming to size the thighs, finished up the outer cover strips on the biceps. Definitely felt a bit unmotivated though. I'm looking forward to the 4 day weekend to spend some good chunks of time on it.

 

Thanks for your support and advice. It's always appreciated

[lucnak[TK]]

Sorry to hear you were unable to salvage the forearm, Jenny! Again, feel free to give me a shout if you have questions or if you want a hand with anything! Finishing up a TK for someone and making some upgrades to another, oh, and finishing my own costume, but I can always find time!

[Cricket[TK]]

Hang in there, Jen!  We've all been there.  Some of us more than others! *cough cough*  You'll get your TK build mojo back soon, then there will be no stopping you!

[JenEcho[TK]]

1 minute ago, Cricket said:

Hang in there, Jen!  We've all been there.  Some of us more than others! *cough cough*  You'll get your TK build mojo back soon, then there will be no stopping you!

Honestly, your build is the BEST THING - I love that you documented all of your experiments and "learning experiences". It gives me so much hope

 

Edited March 27, 2018 by JenEcho

[JenEcho[TK]]

4 minutes ago, lucnak said:

Sorry to hear you were unable to salvage the forearm, Jenny! Again, feel free to give me a shout if you have questions or if you want a hand with anything! Finishing up a TK for someone and making some upgrades to another, oh, and finishing my own costume, but I can always find time!

Aw thanks Luc! I'm sure I'll pick up speed and excitement this weekend. I asked Andy how much he'd charge to build it and he gave me a pep talk LOL 

[StrmTRPR85[TK]]

You can do it!

[68Brick[TK]]

Setbacks occur. Progress with some other parts while you wait for a replacement.