MakeNoiseMan[TK] Posted January 2, 2019 Author Report Posted January 2, 2019 Thanks, guys! Good thoughts, Matt! Spray paint is a good idea, it looks nice and even. I'll see how mine looks once it's dry, and if needed I'll change course. The hand-painted look appeals to me, but not at the expense of accuracy. Also, I'd have to go buy some spray paint. :-) Dan and Daniel, thanks for the ongoing info! Based on that, I'll go ahead and move on from the helmet but I'll be prepared to redo the tube stripes if the 2019 CRL requires it! No big update for the moment. I did get my screws painted, though! Once the paint is dry I should be all set to assemble the TD. After that I think I'm gonna do the forearms next. Question for you experienced troopers, do your gloves go on last? If so, are you able to just stuff the wrists of your gloves inside the forearms? I can't imagine that the forearms would fit sliding over the handplates if it were the other way around. Quote
TheSwede[TK] Posted January 2, 2019 Report Posted January 2, 2019 15 minutes ago, MakeNoiseMan said: do your gloves go on last? If so, are you able to just stuff the wrists of your gloves inside the forearms? Correct 1 Quote
MakeNoiseMan[TK] Posted January 2, 2019 Author Report Posted January 2, 2019 Correct:salute:Cool. Thanks!Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote
wook1138[TK] Posted January 2, 2019 Report Posted January 2, 2019 19 minutes ago, MakeNoiseMan said: do your gloves go on last? There are a few videos out there that show people getting dressed. Worth a watch - gives some good insight into a few things. 1 Quote
MakeNoiseMan[TK] Posted January 2, 2019 Author Report Posted January 2, 2019 There are a few videos out there that show people getting dressed. Worth a watch - gives some good insight into a few things.I would never have thought to search for that, that’s a great idea. Thanks :-DSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote
MakeNoiseMan[TK] Posted January 3, 2019 Author Report Posted January 3, 2019 (edited) Hi all! The paint has finished drying, so I screwed the mounting clips on and did a test fit. With everything fitting alright, I had my first date with E6000. I've read about all it's wonderfulness. Happy to finally be acquainted! Matt, do you think the paint turned out well enough? I thought so, so I went ahead and glued, but if not, I'll peel the faceplate off and go with the spray paint. In the meantime, on to the forearms. Onwards! Edited January 3, 2019 by MakeNoiseMan accidental double photo post 1 Quote
justjoseph63[Staff] Posted January 3, 2019 Report Posted January 3, 2019 Incredible job so far, Brendan! Glad to see you asking questions... many don't and end up having to re-do certain areas. I know you are pretty much finished with the TD, but if I could make a couple of suggestions they would be to cut down the length of the clips and tighten up the bend a bit more. The bottom of the clips look as if they will show too much when attached to your cloth belt, and tightening up the bend will keep it more secure. You can also add some white Velcro (the fuzzy side) to the inside and out of the rear of the clip. This will also help keep it secure and prevent it from scratching your armor. Reference image I think you would have a better look if you reversed your S-trim... (the rounded part on the inside/flat on the outside). Appears to be a bit bulbous. Keep up the great work, future Centurion! 1 Quote
MakeNoiseMan[TK] Posted January 3, 2019 Author Report Posted January 3, 2019 7 hours ago, justjoseph63 said: Incredible job so far, Brendan! Glad to see you asking questions... many don't and end up having to re-do certain areas. I know you are pretty much finished with the TD, but if I could make a couple of suggestions they would be to cut down the length of the clips and tighten up the bend a bit more. The bottom of the clips look as if they will show too much when attached to your cloth belt, and tightening up the bend will keep it more secure. You can also add some white Velcro (the fuzzy side) to the inside and out of the rear of the clip. This will also help keep it secure and prevent it from scratching your armor. Reference image I think you would have a better look if you reversed your S-trim... (the rounded part on the inside/flat on the outside). Appears to be a bit bulbous. Keep up the great work, future Centurion! Thanks so much, Joseph! Yes I totally see what you mean about the TD clips. Once the glue dries I'll make sure to squeeze them together a little tighter and, if I can, trim them down a little. Also, as per your suggestion, I flipped the S-trim around. I like it WAAAY better! Are both ways acceptable, or did I simply have mine on backwards? Either way, thanks for pointing it out! 2 Quote
justjoseph63[Staff] Posted January 3, 2019 Report Posted January 3, 2019 58 minutes ago, MakeNoiseMan said: Are both ways acceptable, or did I simply have mine on backwards? I've seen it both ways, but I always refer back to the originals. It's easy to do, and I think it looks way better (like you have it now)! Keep the questions and photos coming!! Quote
MakeNoiseMan[TK] Posted January 3, 2019 Author Report Posted January 3, 2019 13 minutes ago, justjoseph63 said: I've seen it both ways, but I always refer back to the originals. It's easy to do, and I think it looks way better (like you have it now)! Keep the questions and photos coming!! Will do! :-) I've got a few more questions coming up already. I've been starting on the forearms today! I understand it that AP forearms are identical and there is no designated "left arm" or "right arm". Is this true of all the limb pieces (biceps, shoulders, thighs and shins)? Based on how they fit together in the box, it seems like yes, but I want to make sure! This forearm will be for my left arm. I did a test fit and then marked the overlap with a pencil. It was approximately a 2cm overlap. I split the difference and trimmed approximately 1cm from each piece on both sides (with a test fit in between, just to be sure!) And a final test fit. Feels pretty good! And now on to the questions. Firstly, does the amount of space at left at my wrist look normal to you guys? I feel like It would look better closed up a little tighter, and the forearm feels just a little loose on my arm as it gets further from my elbow. Maybe that's normal too. If I close it any smaller, my hand doesn't fit through. However, I haven't dremeled or sanded the opening yet, which would give my hand just a teeny bit more room. Bigger hands and smaller wrists, I suppose. Next, I am a heftier fellow than those 160lb, 5'10 British gentlemen in the movies. I've read that screen-accurate measurement for cover strips is 15mm on the forearms/biceps. The way my forearm is cut, the surface area of the flat part is 25mm. I have read you should try to get as close to that as possible, but that the priority is uniformity. Should I cut 25mm cover strips? Or meet in the middle somewhere (20mm cover strips, with 2.5mm of flat area on each side). Or, maybe I haven't yet fitted the forearm correctly and it'll tighten up a little more. Thirdly, I'd like to run inner strips for structural support. For my fellow AP users, is there enough ABS in the kit to make each cover strip twice? Or should I do my best to first use up my ABS scraps for this purpose? And finally, does it matter which cover strip is glued on first (outer or inner)? My instinct is to glue the inner strip first, assemble the forearm, and then glue on the outer strip once everything is all tidy and nice. Whew! That was a lot of questions. Thanks for your help, everyone! Quote
wook1138[TK] Posted January 3, 2019 Report Posted January 3, 2019 If you are running a little tight on space for forearms I would recommend trimming all return edge first. That will buy you some room. 25mm is too much for a coverstrip - and ideally, the coverstrip should cover all of the underlying ridge (ideally). You could go as much as 20mm (?) if you really needed to - but keep in mind your bicep will have to be as wide and your legs will have to be wider than 20mm so everything looks proportional. You can make the back coverstrips (arms) a little wider than the front if you need to - a few mm will not be noticed from front to back. Yes, be sure to leave enough room to get your hand through. You should have enough coverstrip material to do inside coverstrips - but leave it to the end, just in case. I used inner coverstrips on the thighs right off the bat (they are a bit tricky compared to the arms). So, for my arms the inner coverstrip went on later - for my legs the inner coverstrip went on first. did I miss anything? Keep up the stellar work! Quote
justjoseph63[Staff] Posted January 3, 2019 Report Posted January 3, 2019 The wrist looks as if it could be a bit more snug, but as you mentioned you need to get your hand through!. Since we expect at this point to see you eventually apply for levels 2 and 3 (), before gluing the cover strips I would remove all of the return edges on the wrist. This may give you a bit more wiggle room. Are these you cut lines? If so, (and they fit comfortably) you are in good shape. Since you are "heftier fellow than those 160lb, 5'10 British gentlemen in the movies" you can have more of the ridge showing if needed. It will take a bit of trial and error, but I would cut them down a bit at a time until you get a comfy fit. You can also remove all of the return edges at the top as well if you like. As many of you know, I am not a fan of return edges on forearms, (or biceps, or thigh tops, or shoulder bells). Some troopers like the "thicker armor" look, which is fine and dandy, but some (especially those who need the space) can remove them and still be 100% screen accurate. Plus, return edges can really cut into you while trooping, especially in the cod (groin) and top of the forearm, which is bent most of the time due to carrying an E-11. I personally like to glue the inside cover strips first and check the fit. This way, if there are any alterations that need to be done you don't have to worry about scratching your armor removing them. Inner cover strips can actually be made from ABS scraps, (or even cut from a heavy duty white plastic "For Sale" sign). They are not seen, and don't have to be pretty, just functional. Many don't bother with them,, but I always suggest using them on the inside of the calves if nowhere else because that connection gets a lot of use opening and closing them. Quote
MakeNoiseMan[TK] Posted January 3, 2019 Author Report Posted January 3, 2019 Thanks for your answers, guys! :-D Trimming the return edge made a huge impact. My hands fits through much more easily, and I was able to trim the forearm down to 15mm cover strips on both the front and the back! Woohoo! I plan to remove the return edges on the elbow end as well. Mobility and comfort while wearing the suit are great points to keep in mind! I think I have enough ABS scraps from the small amount I've already cut out to make the inner cover strips here, so I think I'll go ahead and do those first. I will, however, keep in mind to ration my ABS responsibly so as not to run out for the visible cover strips. :-) Another question, is there a consensus on whether do trim the elbow end of the cover strip to follow the slant? In my opinion, I think it would look better to do so, and would dig into the elbow less. But I have seen it done both ways. Thanks for your input, as always! Quote
wook1138[TK] Posted January 3, 2019 Report Posted January 3, 2019 I've done both in the past - I recommend trimming it. I noticed that the upper part of your forearm looks tight in the one picture. Can you fit a finger in between your arm and armour? Quote
MakeNoiseMan[TK] Posted January 3, 2019 Author Report Posted January 3, 2019 3 minutes ago, wook1138 said: I've done both in the past - I recommend trimming it. I noticed that the upper part of your forearm looks tight in the one picture. Can you fit a finger in between your arm and armour? I'll test that once I get home again! I haven't taken all of the return edge off of the elbow end, so that should open it up some more too. If needed, it sounds like 16mm or 17mm cover strips would be acceptable, so I'll keep that mind as a backup plan. :-) Quote
wook1138[TK] Posted January 3, 2019 Report Posted January 3, 2019 Just now, MakeNoiseMan said: If needed, it sounds like 16mm or 17mm cover strips would be acceptable, so I'll keep that mind as a backup plan. :-) You bet. That is exactly what I did - 16 to 17mm. 1 Quote
TheSwede[TK] Posted January 3, 2019 Report Posted January 3, 2019 16 minutes ago, wook1138 said: You bet. That is exactly what I did - 16 to 17mm. 16-17?! Unacceptable! I will tell Dan to revise your application Greg! ps just joking Brendan 1 Quote
justjoseph63[Staff] Posted January 3, 2019 Report Posted January 3, 2019 To quote a famous pet detective , "B.E .A. utiful! Quote
wook1138[TK] Posted January 3, 2019 Report Posted January 3, 2019 28 minutes ago, TheSwede said: 16-17?! Unacceptable! I will tell Dan to revise your application Greg! ps just joking Brendan Those are Canadian millimeters. Slightly different. Quote
TheSwede[TK] Posted January 3, 2019 Report Posted January 3, 2019 1 minute ago, wook1138 said: Those are Canadian millimeters. Slightly different. Oh...Copy that - crisis averted () Sorry for the hijack - returning to Imperial business (to pester someone else) Quote
MakeNoiseMan[TK] Posted January 4, 2019 Author Report Posted January 4, 2019 2 hours ago, TheSwede said: 16-17?! Unacceptable! I will tell Dan to revise your application Greg! ps just joking Brendan 2 hours ago, wook1138 said: Those are Canadian millimeters. Slightly different. 1 hour ago, Bud Spaklur said: It’s not the millimeters which are different....it’s just Canadians in general . Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I love it here. 2 hours ago, justjoseph63 said: To quote a famous pet detective , "B.E .A. utiful! Thanks! I heard a weatherman-turned-deity say that too!! :-) Update! I got my other forearm finished up. I had some strips of scrap ABS conveniently left over from trimming, so I used them as inner cover strips. I made sure to first sand the edges and points of contact to promote adhesion. And now I wait! I may need to buy some more clamps. Twenty doesn't seem like nearly as many as it used to! Quote
gmrhodes13[Staff] Posted January 4, 2019 Report Posted January 4, 2019 1 minute ago, MakeNoiseMan said: And now I wait! I may need to buy some more clamps. Twenty doesn't seem like nearly as many as it used to! Can never have enough clamps, painters tape and magnets can also be useful. In case it hasn't been suggested rough up the areas which glue is being applied with some coarse sandpaper, will help them to adhere. Keep up the great work Quote
MakeNoiseMan[TK] Posted January 4, 2019 Author Report Posted January 4, 2019 4 minutes ago, Bud Spaklur said: You’re moving quite quickly, young padawan. Do you have rare earth magnets yet? If not, you should consider buying some. It’ll free up some of your clamps and you can keep chugging along. Plus, they can be used in hard-to-reach places that clamps cannot reach. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 minute ago, gmrhodes13 said: Can never have enough clamps, painters tape and magnets can also be useful. In case it hasn't been suggested rough up the areas which glue is being applied with some coarse sandpaper, will help them to adhere. Keep up the great work Thanks guys! Yes I did buy some magnets, twelve of them. :-) Another thing I may need some more of! Quote
justjoseph63[Staff] Posted January 4, 2019 Report Posted January 4, 2019 7 hours ago, MakeNoiseMan said: Thanks guys! Yes I did buy some magnets, twelve of them. :-) Another thing I may need some more of! In case you didn't see it, this may help: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/44619-magnets-101/ Quote
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