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

[JenEcho[TK]]

41 minutes ago, Cricket said:

I don't like balaclavas during warm troops because they just make me too warm.  I like wearing a stretchy cap instead.  I have to be more careful with tucking my hair away when I wear the cap, but it's doable.
 

Oh great idea for the cap - I have a couple of running buffs that will be much more comfortable than a full balaclava. Is your mic actually taped to your face? That doesn't drive you crazy? 

Fan battery - I assume the best bet is to velcro it to the inside of the chest plate? 

I saw a couple of troopers with their speaker hooked onto their belt but I like your idea of hiding it inside the armour. 

 

PS - You look adorable in that pic?? <3

 

[lucnak[TK]]

I switched to a wireless mic setup so I just keep the mic in the bucket now. Easier for me! I have enough cables running up into my bucket for fans and headphones as is (electronics won't fit in there because my head is enormous). A balaclava is definitely helpful! I had longer hair for the first while of trooping, but it wasn't that long...I would just tie in a low pony tail and it would just go down my neck and the neck seal kept it tucked in there. You'll have to try different things to see what works for you!

[Cricket[TK]]

7 minutes ago, JenEcho said:

Is your mic actually taped to your face? That doesn't drive you crazy? 

 

It hooks behind my ear, actually.  The tape part is just to keep the arm of the microphone in place.  The mic can shift around when you've got the bucket on, and I have yet to be able to readjust it easily without removing the lid.  So a little bit of tape, and it's good for the whole troop.

 

9 minutes ago, JenEcho said:

Fan battery - I assume the best bet is to velcro it to the inside of the chest plate? 

 

My battery is velcroed inside my helmet.  It took a little bit of trial and error to find where it would work best for my head.  It's secured vertically at the back of my helmet, kind of at the center back of my head.  I think I chose that location because it balanced the helmet well in that spot and because it fit nicely there among the padding bits.  Other troopers probably do other setups... experiment to find what works best for you!

 

13 minutes ago, JenEcho said:

I saw a couple of troopers with their speaker hooked onto their belt but I like your idea of hiding it inside the armour. 

 

I'm still considering sewing together a white pouch to hide my amp in that I can wear on my belt.  I like keeping it hidden on the armor, too.    Not everyone may be able to hide an amp in their ab... the chest plate seems to be a popular (if feedback-prone) choice.

 

16 minutes ago, JenEcho said:

PS - You look adorable in that pic?? <3

 

haha!  Thank you!  I was running around during a break grabbing selfies with other troopers.  Very surprised to find that my rubber gloves work well with my smartphone.  Bonus!

[Cricket[TK]]

17 minutes ago, lucnak said:

I switched to a wireless mic setup so I just keep the mic in the bucket now. Easier for me! I have enough cables running up into my bucket for fans and headphones as is (electronics won't fit in there because my head is enormous). A balaclava is definitely helpful! I had longer hair for the first while of trooping, but it wasn't that long...I would just tie in a low pony tail and it would just go down my neck and the neck seal kept it tucked in there. You'll have to try different things to see what works for you!

 

Mr. Cricket bought a wireless mic setup for me a few months ago that I keep forgetting about!  Thanks for the reminder...  I will be sure to rig it up in my Hero lid as I get closer to the end of that build.   

[JenEcho[TK]]

TK-21615 ready to troop!!! Thank you all so so much for your expertise and moral support along the way. I can't wait for my first troop this weekend! 

 

 

[Cricket[TK]]

Congrats TK-21615!!!! You look amazing! 

Are you planning on submitting for your EIB?  If not, you definitely should.    

[lucnak[TK]]

Congrats again, Jenny! You can request 501st Stormtrooper access here:

 

[JenEcho[TK]]

Just now, Cricket said:

Congrats TK-21615!!!! You look amazing! 

Are you planning on submitting for your EIB?  If not, you definitely should.    

That is 100% the plan! Only thing I need to do is get another pair of rubber gloves and attempt once more to get the silicone guards to stick (yeah, I know that's Centurion, but I'm thinking ahead  )

[hollowbodies[501st]]

Congratulations on your approval and good luck on EIB and Centurion!  

[shashachu[TK]]

I have the Aker/iComm and put everything in my chest plate. I actually haven't had any issues with feedback so far. Like Luc/Christine said, I put on the mic, then balaclava, then neck seal. I actually run the mic wire under the neck seal but over my shirt and just sort of loop it up to the iComm. It takes a bit of getting used to and sometimes I end up doing things in the wrong order. But I like the balaclava because it keeps my hair in place as well as the mic. I use the mic that came with the Aker and it works best if it's pressed right against my lips, so I actually pull the balaclava completely over my mouth and the mic. I have plans to move to a wireless setup, but I was having trouble getting the mic to not pick up too much ambient noise. I put my hair in a ponytail (but only pulled halfway through so it doesn't hang so long.)

 

 

I've pulled the mic out of the way here, but you can see my general setup:

 

[JenEcho[TK]]

Did my first troop on Sunday and it was so unbelievably awesome!! I can't wait for my next one!

Overall my armour was super comfortable and I had no real issues with it - EXCEPT for my stupid left thigh and shin. The thigh keeps rotating inward (see pic, I'm the one making Vadar look nice and tall). You can see how the thigh "V" has rotated almost 45 degrees. 

 

I have that darn shin secured with a big piece of velcro on the boot front and a stirrup, but it still shifted a bit. Not a huge amount and I suppose I can live with it.

 

That thigh is another matter though.The thighs are snapped to a belt/garter so I'm really surprised at how much it twisted. This thigh is the one that I over trimmed and it fits super super snug. Righty stayed exactly where it was supposed to.

 

[Cricket[TK]]

You look great!  Awesome!

About that thigh, can you share a few pics of how it looks when you're not wearing it?  I'm guessing that your issue might have something to do with how it's trimmed at the top... and it's rotating to where the natural dip in the armor is occuring in between the thighs.  

Edited June 4, 2018 by Cricket

[JenEcho[TK]]

2 minutes ago, Cricket said:

You look great!  Awesome!

About that thigh, can you share a few pics of how it looks when you're not wearing it?  I'm guessing that your issue might have something to do with how it's trimmed at the top... and it's rotating to where the natural dip in the armor is occuring in between the thighs.  

Oh that's a good thought! I'll take a better pic of it by itself tonight since you can't really see much here. Because I had to take sooooo much off it was pretty near impossible to maintain the original swoop and curve, but I think you're definitely on to something. I would really love to not have to dismantle, shim, ABS paste bla bla bla this one. 

 

[JenEcho[TK]]

So I think you're on to something @Cricket! I wish I could remember what an "original" length thigh curve looked like. I feel like if I made the swoop so it sits more under my booty, my cheek could kind of hold it in place?

 

 

 

Eep! Now that I'm taking my armour out for the first time since my troop, apparently I need to invest in some polish. Where did all these scuff marks come from?? And I'm thinking a bit of white fleece/felt  at the end of my shins might stop them from cutting into my boots? There's already some scores in the leather. 

[JenEcho[TK]]

Cricket you’re a genius! I took off the tiniest amount and changed the shape of curve. It wasn’t so much where the dip was between the thighs, but the convex curve that was very unnatural against my cheek. I made it concave and it seems to be staying perfectly in place now. (Can’t share a direct Imgur link on my phone). 

 

https://imgur.com/a/jnOnagw

 

[Cricket[TK]]

Yay!  I'm so glad you figured it all out.     I had similar issues with my RS thigh parts, too.  I kept the outsides long, but had to cut a lot from the insides/back to fit the shape of my body.  I had to recreate curves all along the top back and inside areas.  It took a lot of trying on/marking/trimming where the armor was hitting my legs and causing it to shift around.  

 

 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

On 5/29/2018 at 9:21 AM, shashachu said:

 

Hey who let these shady characters in? lol

 

Ricky with his selfies and Walter, well being Walter lol awesome. 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Sorry for the hijack Jenny, congrats 

[JenEcho[TK]]

Tonight's tiny project - painting pan head screws (yay! found them). These will replace the dome headed ones currently on my TD. Plan is to get everything done and pics submitted for EIB (and Centurion?) before the end of July. Can I use my original submission pics and then add on the additional pics? Or, is it preferable to take all new pics?

Looking forward to my first armour party tomorrow! Hoping to get some hands on advice on how to pad my shins/thighs because man, you wouldn't believe the bruises I've got from armour bites. 

Another question - has anyone strapped their thighs directly to their ab, rather than using a belt/garter system? My belt keeps slipping down while I troop - I guess suspenders would hold it up, but I was thinking that using elastic and snaps right on the inside of the ab might be more convenient?

Edited June 24, 2018 by JenEcho

[Frank75139[501st]]

I have my thighs strapped to the ab, and it pulls the ab plate down after a bit of trooping. Made the ab come down too far and there was a gap at the chest so I’m currently reworking it. I did it because I too have the issue with the belt slipping. I used suspenders with the belt but the belt tends to get crumpled up and once it slipped out of the suspender. I’m thinking maybe a thicker belt with the suspenders.


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[JenEcho[TK]]

7 hours ago, Frank75139 said:

I have my thighs strapped to the ab, and it pulls the ab plate down after a bit of trooping. Made the ab come down too far and there was a gap at the chest so I’m currently reworking it. I did it because I too have the issue with the belt slipping. I used suspenders with the belt but the belt tends to get crumpled up and once it slipped out of the suspender. I’m thinking maybe a thicker belt with the suspenders.


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Ah that’s exactly what I was wondering! Thanks

[Cricket[TK]]

11 hours ago, JenEcho said:

Another question - has anyone strapped their thighs directly to their ab, rather than using a belt/garter system? My belt keeps slipping down while I troop - I guess suspenders would hold it up, but I was thinking that using elastic and snaps right on the inside of the ab might be more convenient?

 

I use a 2" wide nylon web belt for my garter system.  I modified it for easy on/off/adjustments by adding some Flat Dual Adjustable Side Release Buckles to the ends. The belt is wide enough and stiff that it doesn't slide down much and stays put. It is very comfortable as well! 

[JenEcho[TK]]

23 hours ago, Cricket said:

 

I use a 2" wide nylon web belt for my garter system.  I modified it for easy on/off/adjustments by adding some Flat Dual Adjustable Side Release Buckles to the ends. The belt is wide enough and stiff that it doesn't slide down much and stays put. It is very comfortable as well! 

A wider belt might be the way to go - I went with materials that I had on hand which was 1" nylon webbing and plastic clips. It's functional, but when I cinch it, it's definitely not a comfy fit.

[ukswrath[Staff]]

10 minutes ago, JenEcho said:

A wider belt might be the way to go - I went with materials that I had on hand which was 1" nylon webbing and plastic clips. It's functional, but when I cinch it, it's definitely not a comfy fit.

Canon thigh connections were roughly 3" wide elastic. Looped over or connected to a separate waist belt they make for a comfy fit and easy to adjust if you use velcro at the ends. The wider material definitely helps to stabilize the armor and is relatively comfortable. 

 

The torso and arm armor are supported by the shoulders and armor waist belt, essentially floating.  

[Commander Gree[501st]]

On ‎6‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 12:38 AM, Frank75139 said:

I have my thighs strapped to the ab, and it pulls the ab plate down after a bit of trooping. Made the ab come down too far and there was a gap at the chest so I’m currently reworking it. I did it because I too have the issue with the belt slipping. I used suspenders with the belt but the belt tends to get crumpled up and once it slipped out of the suspender. I’m thinking maybe a thicker belt with the suspenders.


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You may also look for an "All in one" type suspender system. this is where the shoulder straps are adjustable, but the belt is connected to the suspenders, your not clipping something on to the belt and hoping it says in place. then just make straps with loops in them, and slide them on the belt, the belt should "click" together in the front to keep the whole thing secure. I am thinking I will use the suspenders and clip them to the back of the belt, and the top of the abs, that way it will keep my belt up, and the abs in place, all in one. I will anticipate some issue though and try and plan for that. we shall see. I will hope to do tons of trail and error prior to my first troop (once approved). I am super excited though as I have just submitted my photos for Tie Reserve and will be able to relax about being approved while I work on my TK. but the submission was just made so I expect to be a while. But funny enough once I submitted my photos, it boosted me to want to get the TK done.