Doomsdale's TK Stunt Build [WTF]

[Doomsdale[TK]]

Continuing with the belt, I drilled out the holes to attach ammo belt to the canvas.

 

 

The middle hole I mismeasured so it's off by a little. Luckily, it will be covered by the button, so I'm not worried about correcting it. Measure twice people!

 

Using these holes, I measured out the middle of my canvas and marked where to punch holes.

 

 

When it comes to the hole punching, I tried out several of my options. I ordered a rotary punch, and while this one hasn't been useful with nylon or elastic, it worked well enough on the canvas!

 

[Doomsdale[TK]]

Expanding off my last post, I wanted to get to this point with the belt so I could fit it with the ab plate. I drilled out holes using Ukswrath's estimates.

 

 

I began to install the snaps here. Due to the awkwardness of the ab's shape, I had to invent the shady tower of Pisa.

 

 

But it worked!

 

 

Now with those installed, I could us a pencil to shave some lead on the snaps and press it into the canvas to get my distance. Importantly, I also made sure there was a slight overlap on the button plate. I quadrupled checked this and then set those snaps on the canvas. With those snaps set, now I could install the ammo pack with pop rivets.

 

 

And test fit:

 

[tat2trooper[TK]]

Looking good

[Doomsdale[TK]]

Ab and buttons update.

 

Here's a quick shot of the Han snap I installed.

 

 

Below is the process I went through to fix the ab button plate.

 

There was just enough scrap left around the ammo belt button that I could use to create a plate. I careful removed the ammo button and rectangled? squared it off.

 

 

For stability, I took some more scrap abs and built up a stack to create more surface area to glue on. I didn't want to rely solely on abs paste! Then I attached the two sides together.

 

 

ABS paste time! I used a toothpick to spread it around the seams and after it dried, I went through the riding grits of sandpaper to smooth out the edge.

 

 

In hindsight, I definitely should have just left the edges around the original pull and filled in the dents with abs paste. Would have been much easier. But at least I got that sweet sweet abs paste experience.

 

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Ab plate fix looking good. You could trim your smaller ab plate a little more, yours looks curved on the sides and overhangs the raised area, references below

 

    

[Doomsdale[TK]]

Very right gmrhodes, I trimmed it up again. WTF buttons appear to be a pinch larger.

 

Tonight I tried out some strapping. I found that using a soldering iron was really easy to make holes in elastic. Here's where I applied this experience at the cod/posterior strap.

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Soldering iron definitely helps to stop fraying around the hole too.

[Doomsdale[TK]]

Before moving on with any of the torso, I wanted to make sure everything's still fitting correctly. Time to suit up (kinda).

 

 

The posterior flanges do stick out a bit. but I presume they'll contour better once the strapping snaps are set.

 

 

I'm 6'0'' on the tall side, so the chest/back ride a bit high on me. I gave ample space on the shoulder bridge to compensate my noodle proportions.

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

You may be able to come up a bit on the back plate as it is overlapping in this image, you also have a big gap between the neck and backplate, a lot of the time it comes down to tweaking the strapping

      

 

[Doomsdale[TK]]

19 minutes ago, gmrhodes13 said:

You may be able to come up a bit on the back plate as it is overlapping in this image, you also have a big gap between the neck and backplate, a lot of the time it comes down to tweaking the strapping

 

 

Good stuff. While the front seems just good, you're right. I think it can go up higher under the shoulder bridges when I attach it. I was most worried that there would be a gap between the kidney's and back when I did that. But again, the strapping will probably help a lot there too.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Also when it comes to adding your shoulder straps, screen suits on the front are spaced 1 large tab and 4 to 5 smaller tabs on the chest plate, (some makers of armor won't allow for this though).

    

 

On the rear they didn't actually have a large tab, (although you can leave the large tab for all levels of approval), it's just more screen accurate. Some cut the rear large tab in half or cut the whole tab off, many just leave it there as is.

   

[Doomsdale[TK]]

I acquired some sewing skills (courtesy of my mom lol) and started to make some straps this weekend. Starting with the right side kidney to ab.

 

 

I'm not sure which direction to head with other strapping connections. I've seen where a lot of troopers use glued in snaps on the armor, and then separate nylon snaps to bridge them. Assumedly this makes it easier to  break apart and transport.

 

This guide by chiefbonan looks like it will be very helpful.

 

For the snaps on the armor, it seems like most people use ABS base plate for the male snap. The above guide mentions using nylon for some. I don't know what the advantage for each is, so I'm testing each first on the kidney to butt connection. 

 

 

Immediately I noticed that the snaps set in plastic (from left-over cover strip) is not very bendable to the contours of the armor. So I might go with nylon if a stress test goes well.

[Doomsdale[TK]]

Second update of the night!

 

In addition, I started working out the thigh supports.

 

I cut some elastic and glued it to the front of the thighs.

 

 

With a black thrift store belt, I measured out the length for them to hang from it by. Looped it, and then sewed them together.

 

 

All together now. 

 

 

 

[Doomsdale[TK]]

The nylon strapping works well. However, I want to move them to the outer part of the butt/kidney piece to help pull in some of the posterior's...uh...cheeks.

 

Going about the second time, it was much easier to have the full straps made and together when I glued on the two attach points. No mucking about with measurements between snaps.

 

 

Here's the posterior now attached. I'm gonna redo the right side straps with elastic, because I can't get my fingers anywhere near the nylon when I'm in it.

 

 

 

Yeah those cheeks still be wide. I've seen some people use an ABS tab, and I'm going to try that to make sure that but don't jiggle.

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I came up with a V tab bracket system which helps pull in the butt plate.

 

With a heat gun (or oven) you bend strips of ABS plastic into the shape of a V, only glue the butt plate side and the other remains free to allow movement when you bend. Just helps stop the butt plate from pushing back from the back plate.

 

 

[Doomsdale[TK]]

On 6/8/2021 at 9:24 PM, gmrhodes13 said:

I came up with a V tab bracket system which helps pull in the butt plate.

 

With a heat gun (or oven) you bend strips of ABS plastic into the shape of a V, only glue the butt plate side and the other remains free to allow movement when you bend. Just helps stop the butt plate from pushing back from the back plate.

 

 

 

Do the V shapes prod or irritate much? I did some hot water bathing to try and mold them and I made softer U's.

 

 

However, since I was boiling the water, I thought why not just try to alter the butt plate? 

 

 

This seemed to do a good job, along with changing the right side straps with elastic. The tips still seem to protrude just a bit, so I'll probably use the V-tabs anyway. Thanks for the tip!

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

2 hours ago, Doomsdale said:

 

Do the V shapes prod or irritate much? I did some hot water bathing to try and mold them and I made softer U's.

 

 

However, since I was boiling the water, I thought why not just try to alter the butt plate? 

 

 

This seemed to do a good job, along with changing the right side straps with elastic. The tips still seem to protrude just a bit, so I'll probably use the V-tabs anyway. Thanks for the tip!

 

Some have tried heating in an oven which helps heat them, but you don't want to go too far with heat,

 

Really depends on how far they stick out over the edge of the armor, I really don't notice mine, can't feel them while wearing.

 

Seems to have done the trick, nice work

[Doomsdale[TK]]

My recent task has been to finish up my belt.

 

After modifying my canvas belt to size, I got to start on the drop boxes.

 

 

I followed several methods I've seen here, of making my elastic bands and using the hole to mark the drill spot on the drop boxes. And then to make them line up more easily with the edge of the ABS, I cut out a portion of the elastic, and soldered off its edges to keep from fraying.

 

 

The final step will be to dabble some glue on the inside of the elastic so the boxes don't move away too much from their spot.

 

Add in the holster now...

 

 

And it's done! I've ordered some clips to use with the thermal detonator, so once that's finished it'll round out the belt.

 

 

 

 

[Doomsdale[TK]]

Next Up: Thermal Detonator / O2 Cannister

 

 

I utilized the spacing measurements found in threads by ukswrath and panda's builds. They were pretty helpful in the assembly process throughout.

 

 

Panda's masking tape trick worked like a charm! At this point, I glued on the central plate and just placed the end caps. This is where I overestimated my abilities, having done a dry run of placing them on before I painted. You'll see why in a bit.

 

 

I did this so that I could measure where to mark my drill points for the metal clips (sourced from Panda's Props). I was having trouble finding the perfect screws to use. Most seem to use #6 x 3/8in slotted round/dome/truss screws. None of the hardware stores around me had that exact pairing. What I did find were these at Lowe's.

 

 

My plan was to remove the caps after I found the drill marks. Then use the nuts to hold them in place. So I got started and painted the heads black. 

 

 

However, removing the caps after I had painted the PVC proved to be...unwise.

 

 

It required a deal more muscle and fingernail strength to finesse them off without ruining the paint coat. I laid the coat on a little thick and increased the thickness of the tube to the point where it was more snug than when I tested it. 

 

I chose not to remove the other cap, but now had to screw the nuts in all the way at the bottom of the PVC. 

 

Enter the specialty tool I call the "Sticky Stick"

 

 

You can look for this on my etsy page soon. 

 

Worked like a dream, and felt like I was building ships in a bottle.

 

 

I replaced the end cap. Didn't even bother with glue.

 

 

 

 

 

[Doomsdale[TK]]

The back and chest plate are being one of the more tricky things to fit and strap. Trickier than I thought. I did the back to kidney straps first as a way to judge where the chest will eventually rest, since that just overlaps the ab piece.

 

 

I did these straps much the same way I did the kidney/butt plate. It was much easier this time to just have the whole apparatus assembled when I glued rather than measuring, and then guessing where to make holes in the straps.

 

Below is the assembly of the shoulder straps to the chest pieces.

 

 

 

For the elastic straps that connect the chest to back, I used my white elastic and burned holes in the middle of them for the shoulder connections. I added a bit of glue between the snaps to give it a bit more sturdiness. Then I folded over the end for the right side and made a hole for the snap there.

 

 

 

On 5/17/2021 at 12:11 AM, gmrhodes13 said:

Also when it comes to adding your shoulder straps, screen suits on the front are spaced 1 large tab and 4 to 5 smaller tabs on the chest plate, (some makers of armor won't allow for this though).

    

 

On the rear they didn't actually have a large tab, (although you can leave the large tab for all levels of approval), it's just more screen accurate. Some cut the rear large tab in half or cut the whole tab off, many just leave it there as is.

   

 

It's not mentioned in the CRL, and I know you had mentioned it previously, but I'm trying for a 3-4 smaller tab attachment on the chest plate. I tried fitting again, and my long torso seemed to really test the spacing between chest and ab. I think I'm having issues measuring the fitting of the upper torso armor generally, and I need to see how it looks together and adjust from there. As I'm gluing straps and snaps, I'm also concerned about the chest/back shoulder plastic not being very close together under the shoulder bridge.

 

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Correct amount of ridges is not mentioned in the CRL, just a guide from the screen used suits.

 

There can be a large gap between the chest and backplate under the shoulder straps, that shouldn't be an issue. 

 

I do find though that elastic on the backplate to kidney gives you a little more movement, nylon is quite restricting but see how you go.

 

Using elastic and adjusters between the chest an ab can help when trying to adjust gaps/heights

 

 

 

 

[Doomsdale[TK]]

On 11/6/2020 at 1:23 AM, PhilBobTheFish said:

As you can see in the references of the original suit, the sides of the shoulder weren't cut perfectly straight. They were curved cuts, and this helps them fit closer to and back in later assembly. Since you cut so close to the edge, you can always add the slight curve to the sides. Good work 

 

Absolutely. And to the references gmrhodes13 kindly provided, I went and trimmed some more. 

 

 

Time to finish up the rough strapping entirely I think!

 

I added elastic at the bottom for holding on to the biceps.

 

 

And then I measured about 1 inch out from the tops. (My white elastic shoulder straps were about 1.25 inches from the shoulders) And glued down the straps on the inside.

 

 

 

The next day is here, and I'm finally trying on the whole torso set. I'm so hyped! I feel like I'm in the home stretch. 

 

 

Couldn't do a side or profile at the time due to difficulty. I already know of the things I want to start adjusting first anyway:

 

1) There's no straps inside the chest to ab. Right now, the piece rides up and chokes me, also revealing too much of the underside. In turn, this is probably affecting how the shoulders lie. My left side has too much gap at the moment, which leads to...

 

2) Adjust the shoulders. The right side snap elastic needs shortened. Initially I glued the attachment too far down on the chest side instead of at the top. This was lazy and I knew it, as predictably, the white elastic hangs out the side. I'll be cutting off the end, sewing a new loop, and placing a new snap where it needs to attach on the new chest snap placement.

 

3) Add the white elastic bands on the back for the shoulder bridges.

 

4) Add snaps inside the shoulder to biceps. 

 

5) Possibly switch out the left side white shoulder strap with one that can snap. This thing is wild to get into and that might make it easier for suiting up.

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Nice work

[Doomsdale[TK]]

3 minutes ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Nice work

Thanks! You've been incredibly helpful throughout my journey.   

[Doomsdale[TK]]

Last of the strapping!

 

I fixed up the chest snap to be higher, and then shortened the elastic by cutting and folding a new loop.

 

 

 

The nylon to hold the chest in place was tricky but eventually I figured it out. I hung the whole torso on a coat hanger, and with the bottom part of the straps attached, taped and measured where I'd place the snaps.

 

 

I ripped off the straps and marked the places where they were.

 

 

Did the rest that I've been doing and BOOM, worked like a charm.

 

 

Pictured below are the shoulders with bicep snaps on elastic. I might have to water bath my right bicep since it's wider than the shoulder bottom and can easily slip out of place.