TK-JJ10 Posted June 3, 2020 Report Posted June 3, 2020 Hi guys, I have found some great information here and as I have started to build my first Stormtrooper outfit (ANH - Stunt) I came here to try to find answers about trimming which I did find some great and super helpfull information but wanted to see if anyone had further information on this subject. I wanted to see how one can make the suit fit correctly without losing any of its credibility or to lose my ability to be approved for the 501st. I'm on the smaller end of the Regular size Stormtrooper (5'7" female) and I'm finding that the forearm is quite large, thats where I'm at and moving on to the thighs and shins next. Is there a forum for how to make size adjustments for small troopers that will be up to par for the 501st? Thanks in advance, having a blast making it so far! J. Quote
justjoseph63[Staff] Posted June 3, 2020 Report Posted June 3, 2020 Hi Jay, and congrats on starting your build!! I have a few suggestions if I may... First, I would highly recommend starting a build thread here. This will serve a few purposes. You can (and should) ask all the questions you have in one area, which will help you better keep track (and show off your build progress)! Another reason to do this is so that you can post photos of any issues you may have. When it comes to asking for advice, a picture really is worth a thousand words, and seeing the issue will help us provide more detailed answers. Another thing you should check out are some of the build threads designed for smaller troopers. In my opinion, the best one is by Christine @Cricket which you can find here: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/38416-crickets-rs-stunt-build-for-the-vertically-challenged/ The forearms (and other armor parts) can be effectively cut down to size and still be 100% approvable at all levels, but again, photos will really help. I suggest opening an imgur account which will help with that. I have a tutorial here which will help: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/48799-posting-photos-using-imgur-101/ 1 Quote
TKSpartan[Staff] Posted June 3, 2020 Report Posted June 3, 2020 Hi, welcome to FISD. Looking forward for your bulid thread and feel free to ask questions and search the forum. Here you can find tons of info and tips for your build. Good luck. Quote
gmrhodes13[Staff] Posted June 4, 2020 Report Posted June 4, 2020 Hello and welcome aboard, as Joseph mentioned there are lots of builds for those on the lower edge of the scale so have a good read through, good luck Quote
TK-JJ10 Posted June 5, 2020 Author Report Posted June 5, 2020 Thank you everyone! Joseph, thank you for all that information, it was exactly what I was looking for. I will be working on my outfit tomorrow and will post some pictures of the progress. I haven't glued anything together yet and I'm super scared to do so but I think I will officially start the gluing process tomorrow. I will be working on the shins, thighs and hopfully start the torso, wish me luck! Quote
TKSpartan[Staff] Posted June 5, 2020 Report Posted June 5, 2020 (edited) 28 minutes ago, TK-JJ10 said: I haven't glued anything together yet and I'm super scared to do so but I think I will officially start the gluing process tomorrow. I will be working on the shins, thighs and hopfully start the torso, wish me luck! Hi, you are in the same place all of us have someday been. Don't be scared, measure twice or more, cut once. before gluing you can test how the pieces are going to look by using painters tape . good luck and remember we are here to help and encourage you. !!! cheers Edited June 5, 2020 by TKSpartan word correction Quote
justjoseph63[Staff] Posted June 5, 2020 Report Posted June 5, 2020 Just know that if you are ever in doubt about cutting or gluing, ask here first but don't forget to add photos! Cutting ABS is easy, but adding it back is a whole different animal! Quote
Chemi[Staff] Posted June 6, 2020 Report Posted June 6, 2020 9 hours ago, TK-JJ10 said: " I haven't glued anything together yet and I'm super scared to do so but I think I will officially start the gluing process tomorrow. " Don't be afraid Jay . When you have a question, post a photo (or a hundred, we like photos) in the thread, and someone will help you quickly... If something makes you nervous, rest for a while and you will come back to it when you are more relaxed. Better to be relaxed when you cut ABS While we answer you, there are thousands of things to do in the armor ... You will get it, I am sure. Regards. 1 Quote
MaskedVengeance[Staff] Posted June 6, 2020 Report Posted June 6, 2020 As Joseph mentioned, Christine’s build is an excellent one to model, and she’s also very responsive to questions. I know, since I’ve asked her a ton about 3D printing in the past.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote
TK-JJ10 Posted June 15, 2020 Author Report Posted June 15, 2020 Ok, I got daring and started to glue and now I'm scared again. First of all, I didn't know I got glue on my work table and I got it on my forearm and some. Does any one know how to remove glue off of abs plastic? I do have pictures for everyone to see what mess/mistakes I made. Building a TK suit is no joke. BTW, I left a little extra so I can adusted accordingly to my size later. I might hae to cut the forearms for me to have better movement. Input, suggestions and anything would be helpful and greatly appreciated. Going into my shins and thighs next, still confused on how I'm going to cut the back of the upper tights, I'm a very athletic yet curvy girl will be doing more research here for it. Quote
Blast 'Em! Posted June 15, 2020 Report Posted June 15, 2020 Mario @TKSpartan provided me with great advise for removing glue. Assuming you're using E6000, if you rub over the glue with a soft cotton cloth, the friction creates enough heat to soften the glue and it will ball up and fall off. I've found this method to be the most reliable way to get E6000 off the exterior of my armor. For interior sections I'll be more hasty, using a scrap piece of ABS to chip away like clearing ice from windshield. Others have used a hobby knife, scoring the glue and the pulling it up (its pretty stringy). Quote
TK-JJ10 Posted June 15, 2020 Author Report Posted June 15, 2020 Unfortunately, I used CA glue and Zip kicker spray. Should I change to E6000? Quote
MaskedVengeance[Staff] Posted June 15, 2020 Report Posted June 15, 2020 Unfortunately, I used CA glue and Zip kicker spray. Should I change to E6000?Moving forward, for areas which will require fitment adjustments, I would recommend E-6000. In fact, many people use that exclusively for their entire builds, which is what I’m doing. It holds very strong, yet is removable when needed. I’ll have to let other people speak to removing CA, as I have no experience in, and understand that it can be quite difficult.But don’t give up! There will be a solution to the CA-on-arm issue. You’ll be back on track in no time, I’m sure!Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote
Blast 'Em! Posted June 15, 2020 Report Posted June 15, 2020 Like Caleb, unfortunately I haven't yet used those glues with ABS, but I'm sure someone with knowledge will chime in here shortly. I'm also on my first build and I chose E6000 because it's more forgiving, although it takes a long time to cure. Although I've researched a lot and gone slow, I've still made plenty of mistakes along the way and E6000 has allowed me to correct those mistakes (I had to pull apart my thighs and retrim them). These kits are tricky haha. You're doing the right thing asking questions- the amount of knowledge on this board is nuts. These guys and gals will have a solution for you and you'll be suited up before you know it Quote
TK-JJ10 Posted June 15, 2020 Author Report Posted June 15, 2020 How exciting! I haven't met someone doing a build at the same time as me. I wish I knew more people doing it, it feels a little lonely sometimes. LOL. I'll go purchase some E6000 this week. I heard E6000 takes a day to harden, is that true? I think thats why I decided to go with the CA glue I don't have a lot of room to have my pieces out to dry and I have a feeling that I'll come home and see the dogs with one of my TK shins attached to them. they are not the brightest dogs out there. Quote
MaskedVengeance[Staff] Posted June 15, 2020 Report Posted June 15, 2020 Looks like both you and Shane are in So Cal, which is neat. Both Shane and I are mid-build, though mine actually just went on pause today. It's definitely fun to keep up with other people who are building at the same time, so I would recommend checking out the ANH build thread forum below. The most recent threads will be towards the top yet underneath the pinned topics, and most threads with recent comments indicate that the build is still in-progress. You can use the "Follow" button at the top right of the page to stay updated whenever new posts are added. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/80-anh-build-threads/ E-6000 does date at least 24 hours to fully cure, though some people will leave it to dry for 48-72 hours. To keep your furry friends away from armor you may try putting them in boxes, or hanging them in a closet. Quote
wook1138[TK] Posted June 15, 2020 Report Posted June 15, 2020 Hi. Yes, I would switch to E6000. You will need some clamps and rare earth magnets to hold pieces together while the glue cures (up to 24 hours for most stuff and up to 48 for pieces that are under stress). Removing the CA glue is possible. It helps if you can freeze it and then very carefully pry it apart with a dull knife. It takes time and patience - both things I don't have so I've never tried. lol. Anyway, I thought there was a "how to" thread for this, but I couldn't find it. Check out the link below and see if you can find something that helps. Good luck. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/4-assembly-mods-and-painting/? Quote
MaskedVengeance[Staff] Posted June 15, 2020 Report Posted June 15, 2020 I just did a quick Google Search on FISD and found the following threads: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/43890-cleaning-ca-glue/ https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/47962-removing-super-glue/ https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/25191-ca-glue-removal/ https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/32492-removing-and-reapiring-abs-that-was-glued-with-ca-glue/ As Greg said, it looks like freezing it would help, and maybe some debonder too. Once removed, maybe use the process described below to re-polish that area. Quote
TKSpartan[Staff] Posted June 15, 2020 Report Posted June 15, 2020 1 hour ago, TK-JJ10 said: Unfortunately, I used CA glue and Zip kicker spray. Should I change to E6000? Hi Jay, the first armor build is a challenging process, don't be scared, Every problem has a solution. you may want to check this post . As the fellow Troopers here have pointed, E6000 is the best option for the very first build. Hope this can help. Quote
TK-JJ10 Posted June 15, 2020 Author Report Posted June 15, 2020 yes! Thanks for the links everyone and for all the insight. i will be going and getting E6000 tonight as i want to start working on the torso soon because I will definitely need a lot of help on it. 2 Quote
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