Dielotski's First Build - ANH Stunt [AM]

[Dielotski]

Woot, woot!!!  BBB day!!  Finally after a year of lurking and learning on the FISD.  That's the good thing.  The downside is we are currently remodeling a kitchen in an old house we recently bought.  So...that comes first - Stormtrooper comes after.  Anywho, on with the good stuff!

 

I gave TK-5107 a ride home from work so we took a preliminary look at the contents.

 

TK-Kitty approves

 

I'm terrible at following instructions

 

It's amazing how well packed the kit is

 

Later, at the house in need of immense TLC. The kit includes mesh, stickers and green lenses.  Not sure how the stickers for the teeth work...

 

 

Helmet cushion, S-trim, brow, hovi tips, hovi tip screens, and hardware

 

You don't really appreciate the amount of parts and the enormity of the project until you un-box everything by hand... (and appreciate the cost).  Oh, and my god are those thighs huge!  I have a lot to trim off.  But, better to trim than shim if possible.

Hand guards by @justjoseph63 in there as well. (Purchased separately)

 

Anticipation...It's making me wait.

 

Would it be safe to assume that with all of the ESB extras include, if I bought another helmet I could have an ESB kit in addition to AHN?

 

 

Not quite sure what the two bottom ab plates are.  Guess I have more research to do.

 

Holster already procured by Darman:

 

Boots orderd from Imperial Boots.   Soft goods still need to be purchased.  Various other supplies still need to be gathered. 

 

Giddy and ready to join the Empire,

Ray

 

--Ninja edit: Aiming for L3.  Please critique accordingly.

Edited May 25, 2019 by Dielotski
Forgot something.

[TheSwede[TK]]

3 hours ago, Dielotski said:

I bought another helmet I could have an ESB kit in addition to AHN?

Almost, you’ll need to have the holster removable and an extra one for ESB as they had the holsters on the right side with loops. You also need a different blaster.

3 hours ago, Dielotski said:

Not quite sure what the two bottom ab plates are.

Those are Sandtrooper handguard variant  called cheesegraters.

[Dielotski]

4 hours ago, TheSwede said:

Almost, you’ll need to have the holster removable and an extra one for ESB as they had the holsters on the right side with loops. You also need a different blaster.

Those are Sandtrooper handguard variant  called cheesegraters.

Gotcha.  Or I could go Hero as well but another canvas belt would be needed.  Food for thought.

And now that you mention it I remember reading a thread on someone making the cheesegraters.   I suppose I could keep the sandy parts for the day the kit gets really banged up.

[A.J. Hamler[TK]]

Hooray, another AM build!

 

I swear, we're taking over!

 

A.J.

[Dielotski]

LBB day

Going on suggestions regarding Imperial Boot's sizing, I ordered a size larger than may dress shoe size.  Actually I think if I would have ordered my size it would have fit perfectly, but with the extra room I now have I can add inserts and thermal socks for winter trooping.

[Dielotski]

Sachets

 

In preparation of actually starting my build I made some sachets for the gluing processes.

 

Made from cotton broadcloth, zip ties and 3/4 x 1/8 inch (19.05 x 3.17 mm) neodymium rare earth disc magnets (N52).  The cloth I used is better than t-shirt material but seems a bit thin compared to examples of sachets I've seen.  If they wear out soon I'll double up the cloth next time.  I bought a yard of each color so I've plenty left over.

 

A nice feature of these magnets is they have a red dot on each to help determine polarity.

 

 

Sources:
The broadcloth was purchased from Joann's Fabric.
Magnets from Total Element
(Less expensive ones can be purchased from Amazon.)

 

References:
https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/44619-magnets-101/

 

Edited January 1, 2020 by Dielotski

[Dielotski]

Thermal Detonator - The Kit

 

Straight out of the box the tube is 7 9/16" (192 mm) long.  The end cuts were square and clean.  Unless I need to shorten it I'll leave it as is.

 

The control panel pad is 4 7/8" (124 mm) wide on one edge and slightly wider on the other.  The edges will need minor sanding to straighten them up. The curve fits the tube well.  There's a 2mm gap on one side (as I press the other side flush).  I presume E6000 and clamps will keep it flush to tube.

 

The end caps are 2 25/32" (70.6mm) by 1 1/6" (26.9mm).  The edges are clean and square.  The fit over the tube is snug but not tight.  I didn't have any difficulty putting them on.  Other folk have had to shave a bit off of the tube to get the caps started.  Also others have had to drill a relief hole in the tube to allow air out when putting the caps on.  I didn't have to do either.

 

Assembled the TD is 7 11/16" wide (195 mm).

 

 

Edit: fixed measurement snafu

Edited January 2, 2020 by Dielotski

[QuartZ]

1 hour ago, Dielotski said:

Straight out of the box the tube is 7 9/16" (19.2mm) long.  The end cuts were square and clean.  Unless I need to shorten it I'll leave it as is.

Having just recently built my Thermal Detonator and studied all of the reference and guidance given by others, I thought I could try and help you. I don't know how much it matters for approvals, but I'll at least chime in to say that from my knowledge, the TD overall length with caps installed should end up closer to 7 1/4" I think the CRL mentions it should be around 7 1/2". So somewhere in that range is what you're looking for if you plan to go for accuracy.

1 hour ago, Dielotski said:

 

The control panel pad is 5 7/8" (12.4mm) wide on one edge and slightly wider on the other.  The edges will need minor sanding to straighten them up. The curve fits the tube well.  There's a 2mm gap on one side (as I press the other side flush).  I presume E6000 and clamps will keep it flush to tube.

Not sure what you mean about 5 7/8" (which is not 12.4mm). But the control panel should be about 4 3/4" long. That would leave 1/2" gap between the control panel and each end cap cut edge.

1 hour ago, Dielotski said:

 

The end caps are 2 25/32" (70.6mm) by 1 1/6" (26.9mm).  The edges are clean and square.  The fit over the tube is snug but not tight.  I didn't have any difficulty putting them on.  Other folk have had to shave a bit off of the tube to get the caps started.  Also others have had to drill a relief hole in the tube to allow air out when putting the caps on.  I didn't have to do either.

The end caps should be about 3/4" in width.

1 hour ago, Dielotski said:

 

Assembled the TD is 7 11/16" wide (19.5mm).

 

 

Sounds a bit long and I'm guessing you meant 195mm not 19.5mm. But, experts here will let you know if that's ok. I'm just trying to give you some feedback in case you're looking for some accurate numbers. There's a certain look that you get when the proportions are right. Some of that has to do with getting each part to have the right dimensions.

 

-Dana

[Dielotski]

40 minutes ago, QuartZ said:

Having just recently built my Thermal Detonator and studied all of the reference and guidance given by others, I thought I could try and help you. I don't know how much it matters for approvals, but I'll at least chime in to say that from my knowledge, the TD overall length with caps installed should end up closer to 7 1/4" I think the CRL mentions it should be around 7 1/2". So somewhere in that range is what you're looking for if you plan to go for accuracy.

Not sure what you mean about 5 7/8" (which is not 12.4mm). But the control panel should be about 4 3/4" long. That would leave 1/2" gap between the control panel and each end cap cut edge.

The end caps should be about 3/4" in width.

Sounds a bit long and I'm guessing you meant 195mm not 19.5mm. But, experts here will let you know if that's ok. I'm just trying to give you some feedback in case you're looking for some accurate numbers. There's a certain look that you get when the proportions are right. Some of that has to do with getting each part to have the right dimensions.

 

-Dana

Dana, you're quick!

 

Whoops.  I borked my measurements.  Fixed.

 

Yeah, the CRL says 7 1/2".  The BillHag diagram says the same at 190mm.   The gallery reference shows closer to 8", though.  So I wasn't sure if anywhere in there is "good enough" but I'll probably shave about 5 mm off the tube.   The end caps will definitely need to adjusted.

 

Here's what it looks like with Tony/ukswrath clips as is.

 

Here's what I'm planning on doing (not including cutting 5mm off of the tube).  I've moved the clips over and I'll shave the end caps to the spot where the clips are.  Making the end caps 3/4" (20mm).   The angle of the photo doesn't show the ruler placement very well.

 

On that note the CRL says the clips should be approximately 1" (25mm) wide.  The clips I have are 1 1/4" (31.6mm).  Considering the source of the clips I'd assume they are good for centurion approval.  If the difference in those measurements are okay them maybe the existing length of the tube is okay as well? 

Edited January 2, 2020 by Dielotski

[LTM[TK]]

Before you build, look for AM submissions in pre approval, then EIB and L3. You can see the built versions and comments from the more knowledgeable troopers. Check out AJ’s build (he really documented the AM build) and ask questions on the FB group (the armor provider and Eric are on that site). 

[Dielotski]

2 hours ago, LTM said:

Before you build, look for AM submissions in pre approval, then EIB and L3. You can see the built versions and comments from the more knowledgeable troopers. Check out AJ’s build (he really documented the AM build) and ask questions on the FB group (the armor provider and Eric are on that site). 

Oh yeah!  A.J. has a fantastic build thread!  Actually it was his that I was referring to with the relief hole and the shaving of the tube to get the end caps on.  I think his caps are a bit smaller than mine.  Other than some minor sanding he didn't make any significant changes to his TD.   No changes to his TD were required in EIB and Centurion requests either.

 

As for FB.  That's too far down the dark path for me!

Edited January 2, 2020 by Dielotski

[Dielotski]

TD Trimming time!

 

I've found that I really like the curved lexan scissors.

 

Trimming 3mm off of the end caps.

 

Final results at 20mm

 

After trimming 5mm from the tube and 2mm from the side of the control panel.

[QuartZ]

10 minutes ago, Dielotski said:

TD Trimming time!

 

I've found that I really like the curved lexan scissors.

Me too. I used mine to cut and trim 95% of my armor. If you're skilled with them, I say stick to using them!

10 minutes ago, Dielotski said:

Looks really good to me proportion-wise. Good work! Even if it wasn't necessary, I think your TD looks much better with those minor trims. Little things add up.

 

-Dana

[Dielotski]

TD Final Finishes

 

Painting the screws and contemplating working on the ab buttons next.

 

Finished product.  Well, mostly finished.  The screws got a bit scuffed up during assembly.  I'll touch those up the next time I have the black paint out.

[Dielotski]

Helmet Questions

 

The bucket is slightly misshapen.  Possibly due to being removed from the BBB and re-packed a few times.

 

I tried to apply pressure over a few days in hopes to put it back into shape but discovered two things.

1) Doing so did not affect the shape of the bucket.

2) I caused my bucket to crack...

 

 

So I have a few questions.

Would assembling the helmet as is bring it into shape?

Should I hot water bath it to get it into shape?

Regarding the crack, from what I've read I should drill a small hole at the end of the crack to prevent it from growing, correct?

I presume I should then repair the crack with ABS paste and then put a backer ABS strip behind it to reinforce it.  Does that sound right?

 

 

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

So I have a few questions.

Would assembling the helmet as is bring it into shape? It may, it should rest on the faceplate so could be fine

Should I hot water bath it to get it into shape? It may, but you have to be careful with heating large areas

Regarding the crack, from what I've read I should drill a small hole at the end of the crack to prevent it from growing, correct? If you drill a hole it may not be covered by the brow trim, bit hard to make out so i would check once you have it all trimmed.

I presume I should then repair the crack with ABS paste and then put a backer ABS strip behind it to reinforce it.  Does that sound right? Yep

[Dielotski]

1 hour ago, gmrhodes13 said:

So I have a few questions.

Would assembling the helmet as is bring it into shape? It may, it should rest on the faceplate so could be fine

Should I hot water bath it to get it into shape? It may, but you have to be careful with heating large areas

Regarding the crack, from what I've read I should drill a small hole at the end of the crack to prevent it from growing, correct? If you drill a hole it may not be covered by the brow trim, bit hard to make out so i would check once you have it all trimmed.

I presume I should then repair the crack with ABS paste and then put a backer ABS strip behind it to reinforce it.  Does that sound right? Yep

Thanks Glen. 

 

I'll try assembly and then see if it will need the heat treatment. 

 

The hole, if I drill one, would be covered by the trap sticker.  The brow trim is tall enough to cover the hole, but, judging by other bucket photos, I don't think the trim should be placed that far back in the trap.

 

I may be trimming the brow line/ear section which would eliminate a portion of the crack and shift back the corner where the crack originated - releasing the pressure on it.

 

[sylverbard[TK]]

On 6/25/2019 at 12:42 AM, Dielotski said:

LBB day

Going on suggestions regarding Imperial Boot's sizing, I ordered a size larger than may dress shoe size.  Actually I think if I would have ordered my size it would have fit perfectly, but with the extra room I now have I can add inserts and thermal socks for winter trooping.

you want the extra size for gell soles :-)

[Dielotski]

Snap Plates.

 

Based on @A.J. Hamler 's snap plate jig and inspired by @ukswrath's thoughts on improvement I came up with this.

 

I just elongated AJ's jig and added saw kerfs for cutting with a hot knife.  I put part of the snaps in (after burning the holes) just to hold the strapping in place while cutting.  Works pretty well. 

Thanks guys!

 

P.S. How the heck does anyone get buy with just the little hand held snap setter?!?! This thing required a bit of leverage/weight to set as it is. I can't image relying on hand strength.

P.P.S. And yes I put in more time thinking about it and making it than I would have making the plates without it.  It was a fun process. 

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by Dielotski
Spelling

[A.J. Hamler[TK]]

Very nice!  

 

(So is that awesome snap setter.) 

 

[Dielotski]

Biceps Untrimmed
I have been working on my kit very slowly but haven't posted any updates.
Back in August I decided to heed the words of many members and start with my biceps.  The helmet can wait until last!
While I've seen photos of untrimmed parts I've not see any sizes.  So as I go I'll try to post the photos and sizes.
The AM biceps, as shipped, measure just over 52 cm or 21.5".
Left bicep is definitely more oval than the other.
Both outside pieces are really more square.

 

 

[Dielotski]

Biceps - Trimming
So far using the lexan scissors to cut the majority of the return edge off and then using the half round file fine tune things have worked well.  I can hog off a lot of material fairly quickly.  
To avoid making groves when using the file I used a diagonal motion, sliding my hand right or left as i pushed the file forward.  
The needle files, particularly a flat one, was used near the ridge bumps just as a precaution.
Sorry for the bad lighting.  I was working in a small spot in the dungeon/basement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dielotski]

Biceps - Fitting

Now for interesting part - the fitting.
To keep the bottom edge at the same plane I stood them up on the table and slid them together so the bottom portion was close to my massive 12.5" bicep size.

The problem is that the openening at the top is far more pronounced. With my arm by my side the top part sticks way out.

 

At the moment the bottom portion has room for me to fit two fingers in.  Should that be tighened up a bit?  I believe one finger is the common recommendation.

 

Regarding the top portion I'm guessing I should squeeze that in significantly.  Similar to how I have the left bicep taped up like this.

 

The problem with that is then the bottom edge will no longer be flat.  The bottom sections will slope downwards towards the seems. Unfortunately this picture doesn't show that very well.  On the plus side, since I've pretty much removed the return edge trimming the bottom wouldn't be to big an issue.

 

Thoughts?

[husky68[TK]]

I think you align it at the bottom and trim at the top. No one will see the tops of the biceps under the shoulder bells.

 

Never worked with this problem so not completely confident.

 

 

I think for aesthetics you want the bottom to be roughly the same diameter as the top of the forearm. That way it looks uniform in size. Obviously big enough to slip over your forearm and not be split apart by your biceps ( in case you have a gun show going up there). Some guide images show a V cut to keep bottom smaller allow space for said gun show. Keep in mind large biceps might make bells harder to keep close to chest armor.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TheSwede[TK]]

8 hours ago, Dielotski said:

massive 12.5" bicep size.

Great! That means you can get that sleek ANH-look If you look at the Troopers the biceps are quite thin. The bicep piece should move freely up and down your arm but that’s about it.  And yes check size with forearm so it matches up, biceps, in the movie, are usually smaller in size than forearm but never bigger (atleast I’ve not seen one)  If going for movie accuracy that is.