What have I gotten myself into?

[Sly11[Admin]]

Can we please see an image of the shin on your leg. This will give us some perspective for adjustment and trimming, far better than the images we currently see.

Perhaps one from the rear and one from each side showing the full length should do it.

 

[Zinfer[TK]]

Giving up on the shins.  If I'm not getting it, I tend to move on.  Back of Thighs.  Does this seem correct?  Most likely I am way off.  Having problems comprehending the shin and thigh fitting and I am very afraid I'm going to cut these wrong.  I'm considering also how in line with the front it is, how straight it matches with the front center.  I'm looking at well, this in particular, splitting the difference.  Considering the snugness.  I may have to approach my Garrison for anyone that does fittings in Ohio but I very much doubt it.  Losing my mojo in self confidence.  

 

 

[Zinfer[TK]]

Test fit of one Right Thigh. 

 

Edited January 27, 2021 by Zinfer

[Zinfer[TK]]

3 hours ago, Sly11 said:

Can we please see an image of the shin on your leg. This will give us some perspective for adjustment and trimming, far better than the images we currently see.

Perhaps one from the rear and one from each side showing the full length should do it.

 

I will try taping them both up and trying them on.

[Sly11[Admin]]

You are most certainly on the right track Rod and we know the fear all too well :).

Dividing down the center overlap is correct and you do want to mark that while it is taped around your leg so you know the size is right. If you are still concerned cut shy of the lines you have marked, then resize to make sure. Far better to take off too little then to cut straight to the line and realise you needed to leave a touch more room. These parts dont need to fit snug to your legs and in fact are better for your overall movement if they have space to slip and slide if that makes sense.

You have done a really great job so far, be confident in your trimming and afterwards you will be proud of the progress.

[Zinfer[TK]]

55 minutes ago, Sly11 said:

You are most certainly on the right track Rod and we know the fear all too well :).

Dividing down the center overlap is correct and you do want to mark that while it is taped around your leg so you know the size is right. If you are still concerned cut shy of the lines you have marked, then resize to make sure. Far better to take off too little then to cut straight to the line and realise you needed to leave a touch more room. These parts dont need to fit snug to your legs and in fact are better for your overall movement if they have space to slip and slide if that makes sense.

You have done a really great job so far, be confident in your trimming and afterwards you will be proud of the progress.

Thanks.  I think you have more confidence in me than myself.    True that (about having more space than too tight)  I think I can compensate at the trim edge on both thighs, down by the knees, plenty of spare.  I was surprised with the thigh rise, that it prevents running or moving with a wide gape due to hip limitation the higher that upper thigh piece goes.  By all means give me all the critique now before I make a bad cutline that's crooked or incorrect area.  I wanna be spot on.  Like I said I may have to track down a Ohio Garrison fitter if there even is one.  Just to be sure.

Edited January 27, 2021 by Zinfer

[Zinfer[TK]]

Ok, early morning here about 1:30am.  Please by all means let me know how these look.  I know I got mirror problems.  Gotta fix that.  It's just hard taking pictures of your backside.  So keep in mind, these ARE MIRRORED.  I did actually make pencil lines after filming.  I don't know if these are centered or not, I just squeezed and put the tape on both sides.  I intend on fully using Velcro on the 25mm CS.  The only place where there is not much meat to cut is down at the bottom of the anckles (around the boot).  But anyways.  What you think? 

 

 

 

 

 

If the images are too poor of quality I completely understand.  I need to do something about submitting armor pics.  Especially from behind.

[Sly11[Admin]]

I'd say they look pretty darn good.

Make sure you are aligning the tops not the bottoms, those will get a minor trim when the time comes. Make sure the top inner edge of the ridge doesn't dig into you to much else while walking it could rub and either become annoying or slowly wear through your under suit.

Good to see you have wrapped them outside half over inside because once you get to trimming and adding the rear cover strips that how they will need to close.

You are doing fine Rod, just fine.

[Zinfer[TK]]

Done with the Biceps. Moving on to the forearms. Starting with the Right. Cover strip trimmed, clamps and magnets applied. First one on. Also trimmed the cover strip for the opposite side. Going to have to make a couple more 15mm cover strips tonight. I thought I could maybe get away with half segments for each forearm, but each side took a full segment. Added a couple days, looks like 3 more days. But the step after that is really scary. I HAVE TO get the thighs and shins cut and cover strips applied. If I cut too much, or crooked the piece is toast. Very difficult and I may need help, but with this Covid crap, nobody is available to get this fitted properly.

 

 

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

When fitting the calves, there are a few things to consider.  It looks as if the overlap you have is more than it should be on both the left and right.

 

  

 

In a perfect world, the tops of the ridges should meet up in the middle.

 

        

 

It appears that you have room to cut the inside of the left one down and the outside right one down.

[Zinfer[TK]]

7 hours ago, justjoseph63 said:

When fitting the calves, there are a few things to consider.  It looks as if the overlap you have is more than it should be on both the left and right.

 

  

 

In a perfect world, the tops of the ridges should meet up in the middle.

 

        

 

It appears that you have room to cut the inside of the left one down and the outside right one down.

Yes, I believe I am going to HAVE to cut them off/down because they are not mating up together.  However it also appears that I am going to have to cut the material on inside and outside at a crooked angle to get a straight line.  Where the boots/ankles are is fine, however there is a lot of meat up towards the top of the calves.  It's omg.  Only after the cut do you find out if you have a straight line.  I created a line on both outer and inner to split the difference at the top center.  Wondering if it'd be smarter to just take small segments at a time, but then that blows my mind as well.  Is that how it's done?   My legs are not fat, but toned.  So I'll be cutting more material towards the top which delivers an angle cut.  Pretty sure that I am correct on that.  But it has to occur on both inner and outer to get a straight line in the center.  Wow, this is really hard.  If only there were a pro fitter near me.  I have approached my local Garrison, but Covid y'know.  I've reached out to Panda and Rob for input as well as to how to correctly approach this.  Getting one right is just HALF the problem.  :p  Then to repeat it verbatim.  One of the chief problems is that with the RS kit, if you overlap one direction it's near enough fine, if you overlap the other direction, not so much. But that's before any cutting.  This is just downright HARD.

Edited January 28, 2021 by Zinfer

[Zinfer[TK]]

Removed Frustration.

Edited January 28, 2021 by Zinfer

[Zinfer[TK]]

Removed Frustration ;o

Edited January 28, 2021 by Zinfer

[scooter65[TK]]

8 hours ago, Zinfer said:

Please don't leave this all up to me.  Surely there is someone in Ohio that can help me.  Ohio Garrison is not stepping forward.

 

I know that this can be frustrating.  We have all been there.  As we explained to you on our Ohio Garrison academy Facebook page, having a member come to you to help you is not an option with the pandemic.  I've scanned over your build thread, and you have been getting fantastic help here.  When you have posted to our academy page, our garrison members have also provided you with pointers.  So, don't give up.  As has been explained above, you need to align the top edges, and then trim off the excess on the bottom, following the general curved shape needed for the bottom.  

 

Scott Bleisath

TK-44140

Ohio Garrison - CO

[StrmTRPR85[TK]]

As always I do try to help out with your build when I see your posts on our Ohio Academy Facebook page.  Due to how facebook algorithms work I sometimes don't see every post.  You are more than welcome to message me anytime and I am happy to help out virtually the best I can.  I had a lot of help virtually for my build all from the fine people here in our detachment as well as in our garrison as well as a few other facebook groups.

 

 

For your calves, your muscles will flex as you walk so even if you are standing still you are only get a small piece of the picture with fitting them.  Your cover strips will hide any imperfect cuts on the back.  Just remember the back of the shins open up and close around your leg.  Did you settle on how you want these to strap? Velcro, elastic with hooks?  That may help you decided how much room to give yourself on your cuts.

[Zinfer[TK]]

7 hours ago, scooter65 said:

 

I know that this can be frustrating.  We have all been there.  As we explained to you on our Ohio Garrison academy Facebook page, having a member come to you to help you is not an option with the pandemic.  I've scanned over your build thread, and you have been getting fantastic help here.  When you have posted to our academy page, our garrison members have also provided you with pointers.  So, don't give up.  As has been explained above, you need to align the top edges, and then trim off the excess on the bottom, following the general curved shape needed for the bottom.  

 

Scott Bleisath

TK-44140

Ohio Garrison - CO

Thanks Scott,  with the armor makers and tutorials there's not much said about fitting and troubleshooting.  At least that I've seen.  My finest trick that I've learned is splitting the difference on cuts.  Even then it's dicey.   Apologies for the harsh words earlier.  Fitting is so above and beyond my abilities.. It's such a hard learn to actually FIT the suit to your own body.  It's practically it's own skillset.  I already screwed up once with the entire Torso, so now I'm on a diet but I knew I needed to do it anyways.

[Zinfer[TK]]

7 hours ago, StrmTRPR85 said:

As always I do try to help out with your build when I see your posts on our Ohio Academy Facebook page.  Due to how facebook algorithms work I sometimes don't see every post.  You are more than welcome to message me anytime and I am happy to help out virtually the best I can.  I had a lot of help virtually for my build all from the fine people here in our detachment as well as in our garrison as well as a few other facebook groups.

 

 

For your calves, your muscles will flex as you walk so even if you are standing still you are only get a small piece of the picture with fitting them.  Your cover strips will hide any imperfect cuts on the back.  Just remember the back of the shins open up and close around your leg.  Did you settle on how you want these to strap? Velcro, elastic with hooks?  That may help you decided how much room to give yourself on your cuts.

Thanks man.  I've decided to go straight Velcro as I really don't want to piddle with those hookstraps and bending over for that is just not going to work for me.  I want to be able to suit up quickly and with as much ease as possible.  

[Zinfer[TK]]

Not to get too offtrack, but does anyone have a favorite shoehorn to get these dang boots on a little easier?

Edited January 29, 2021 by Zinfer

[Zinfer[TK]]

Ok, so removed the clamps and magnets from side one of the Right forearm, took a popsickle stick and shaved off all the glue boogers and started in on Side 2. Used my last 15mm cover strip, trimmed, test fit and adhered. Clamps and magnets applied. This finishes the right forearm. Tomorrow we'll hit the Left forearm. Made a couple more 15mm cover strips. After the Left is finished all that remains is fitting thighs and shins and finally on to the elastic straps.
 

 

 

[Zinfer[TK]]

Can't see how this remote picture taking is going to work but here goes nothing.  

 

[Sly11[Admin]]

They look good. Not too large on you but just make sure they are not too tight either, for comfort.

[Zinfer[TK]]

Several pics from the Thigh Tops. No idea if I have these taped right or what, but they are taped to fit using Gaffer Tape. Do you see my dillemma - there are so many ways this can go wrong!  My buddy from the Ohio Garrison is helping me with this via pics.  

 

 

 

 

 

[Zinfer[TK]]

12 hours ago, Sly11 said:

They look good. Not too large on you but just make sure they are not too tight either, for comfort.

Thanks Sly, Yes that is an issue with me.  I have to be careful, even though I want them to be form fitting and sexy - I have to be careful they are not tight.  Currently the only thing that hampers me is plenty of return edge and the right one kisses my calf on the right (as I alluded to earlier with a bit of a larger calf muscle on the right).

[Zinfer[TK]]

Left Forearm cover strip trimmed and applied. Clamped with Magnets.

 

 

[Zinfer[TK]]

Alright, I have never done this before in my life and I really don't want to buy another piece of armor just to get it right the second time around.  So am I on the right track or am I completely off?  All about the thighs right now.

 

Right Thigh:

 

 

 

Left Thigh:

 

 

 

Well Obviously the Right has problems.  Oh!  I think I figured out the problem.  I reversed the overlap on the Right Thigh.

 

 

Am I even remotely close?

Edited January 29, 2021 by Zinfer