What have I gotten myself into?

[Zinfer[TK]]

14 hours ago, CableGuy said:

Hi Rodney,

 

Firstly, HANG IN THERE, TROOPER!! I know it can be tough, and rather daunting. Especially when you are trying to measure the fitment around the back of your own legs.

 

But, you are doing the right thing by taking your time and asking great questions.

 

Can I ask, have you trimmed out the lower part of the thighs? In this photo, is this un-trimmed?

 

 

If that is un-trimmed, I’d suggest starting here. Unless you have trimmed that area, you won’t be able to get a good fit around your knee.

 

 

As below, a few millimetres is usually enough.

 

 

Once you have that trimmed, you can wrap is around your leg again and start measuring up.

 

 

As below, a big part of fitting the thighs is working out the sizes of the “lower ridge”. (Shown in green).

 

 

As you’ll see, the ridge on the inner and outer is not ‘exactly’ the same, however, it’s pretty close. Many builders aim for approximately the same width of ridge on the inner and outer, and the same on both thighs. (If you’ve watched the RS video for this part, they share the exact sizes of their specific screen used suit. However, I looked at using those sizes but they were too small for my thighs).

 

 

So, if it were me, I’d test fit the parts, as you did below, and measure the total width of the lower ridge (across both inner and outer parts, shown with horizontal green line).

 

 

Once you have that total width, you can halve that measurement and apply evenly to inner and outer pieces.

 

Now, to be safe, if (for example) you measure up and you think you need a 60mm ridge on the inner and 60mm ridge on the outer, maybe do your initial trim to 70mm and 70mm. Then tape the pieces to yourself and see how it fits.

 

If it’s too baggy, you then have up to a further 10mm on both pieces to trim.

 

 

I hope that all makes sense. Just take your time, keep sharing your updates here and we’ll do our best to help you though it.

 

#troopershelpingtroopers

Alright, so man, all these trips out there to the arcade I'm going to get hypothermia.  Anyways I went out there with a measuring stick.  The Left thigh is up on the workbench as I attempt to reapply the CS tomorrow.  So I closely examined the knee joint of the Right thigh and my center mark.  I moved the top out a bit to match my measurements evenly.  I got a measurement of 60mm and 55mm from center on either side to the edge.  Working with metric is not my strong point.  

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

37 minutes ago, Zinfer said:

I mean I could and just today when I posted that image, it did look like I could recut that line on the inside but then on the other hand I considered the above photo you showed me before and apparently someone else had this very specific and exact issue as well.  Leads me to believe the original mould was this way. So maybe it's right and the way it's supposed to be??  I mean by looking at the photo YOU KNOW that's going to slim the fit down at the upper Leg.  I could ask Rob about it, and I think it's even covered in one of his tuts.  I'd probably have to watch it again.  Building the Left Thigh.

This is why I say you would have to check the fit if you were looking at trimming down. The reference image does show the top of the thigh tapering outwards but on closer inspection of your thigh it does appear a little wider than the reference. I would tape the thigh again reducing the size of taper and check how much room you have, if it's too tight you could just leave it the way it is. 

 

Yes the original molds were a little off in places but these were made by hand on a very short timeframe and if you think back to what was being made back in the day this would have been ahead of it's time.

 

Here's another members RS thighs for comparison

[Zinfer[TK]]

1 hour ago, gmrhodes13 said:

To me it looks like you could have trimmed a little more of the left side (comparing with archive images), but that now depends on how tight they are on your legs. 

 

 

I would check with your boots and shins on as well as your thighs, you may be able to bring the thighs down a little, you do get some restrictions while walking, thighs and around the knees.

I'll see what I can do to reduce the edge bow.  Just hope I don't introduce a gap or oh here we go into the box folding thing again...

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

2 minutes ago, Zinfer said:

I'll see what I can do to reduce the edge bow.  Just hope I don't introduce a gap or oh here we go into the box folding thing again...

Just try to tape and fit, if it's too tight or looks like you will have a gap leave it  

[Zinfer[TK]]

58 minutes ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Just try to tape and fit, if it's too tight or looks like you will have a gap leave it  

I got this.  Atomic Dremel to high speed. 

 

 

Legs HYPE!

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by Zinfer

[Short4ATrooper]

I got a measurement of 60mm and 55mm from center on either side to the edge.

You want an even amount on either side to the edge so I would do 57mm on each side. (60 + 55, /2 = 57.5)


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[Zinfer[TK]]

5 minutes ago, Short4ATrooper said:

 

You want an even amount on either side to the edge so I would do 57mm on each side. (60 + 55, /2 = 57.5)


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You're pretty much spot on.  On my Right Thigh it was around 57mm each side at the bottom.  Some fiddling with the bottom, but the split difference was incredibly close.  But man the fear factor a 10 on making ONE cut.  I may just trim the outer a little extra and photo and then a final cut.  The trick then is just getting the top correct.  Repeat this then again - that's another hard part.

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by Zinfer

[Short4ATrooper]

There you go! Just remember that for the shins. Once it clicked with me, it was super easy.

I started by measuring the length of that ridge. I can’t remember but let’s say it’s 120mm.

After test fitting and marking the overlap, I find I have to trim say 30mm.

120 - 30 = 90mm. 90 / 2 = 45. So now I know to measure in 45mm from the edge on each side.


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[Zinfer[TK]]

10 minutes ago, Short4ATrooper said:

There you go! Just remember that for the shins. Once it clicked with me, it was super easy.

I started by measuring the length of that ridge. I can’t remember but let’s say it’s 120mm.

After test fitting and marking the overlap, I find I have to trim say 30mm.

120 - 30 = 90mm. 90 / 2 = 45. So now I know to measure in 45mm from the edge on each side.


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Well, my soul attention I think right now should be thighs.  Then work my way down.  So I don't want to get deluged on calves just yet.  I HAVE to get the thighs correct.  Small steps.  Add to that my right calf is larger than my left.  I don't know if you can tell from prior pictures of my test fitting of the thighs or not.  Weirdest thing.  Not morbid or anything, just more muscular looking.  Strange.  Talked with Glen about it earlier.

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by Zinfer

[Short4ATrooper]

This is from my build, if it helps at all.

So this was fresh off the mould, nothing trimmed yet just taped up at the front where I’d cut and left 10mm either side for the CS:



Then fitted it and taped it:



Measured the overlap marks at the top and bottom:



The top measurement is fine, nothing to line up or anything so that’s good to go at 60mm. The bottom, I can’t just cut where it’s marked or the ridge won’t be even, so first I measure the length of each side on that back ridge which was 90mm & 70mm = 160mm

So, the length of the ridge (160) minus what I need to remove (55) = 105. That will be the new length of the ridge so divide it by 2 = 52.5.

Once I’d measured in 52.5 from the edge on each side and drawn a straight line up to my mark at the top, this is the line I was left with:



You can see how it more or less matches the plane of the front seam. Don’t forget, no one is going to see the front and back at the same time so it doesn’t have to be mathematically perfect but as long as it looks straight.




From this angle you can see how the seams match and the amount of ridge either side of the back seam is even:



I hope this helps and I’m not just flooding your brain!


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[Short4ATrooper]

Well, my soul attention I think right now should be thighs.  Then work my way down.  So I don't want to get deluged on calves just yet.  I HAVE to get the thighs correct.  Small steps.  Add to that my right calf is larger than my left.  I don't know if you can tell from prior pictures of my test fitting of the thighs or not.  Weirdest thing.  Not morbid or anything, just more muscular looking.  Strange.  Talked with Glen about it earlier.
 

Oh for sure, I just meant that once you get this part down, the same principle applies to the shins. It’s fine if you have one calf bigger than the other, the measurements will just be slightly different for the bigger leg. My right thigh ended up being slightly bigger than the left. Hey, no ones perfect


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[Zinfer[TK]]

10 minutes ago, Short4ATrooper said:

This is from my build, if it helps at all.

So this was fresh off the mould, nothing trimmed yet just taped up at the front where I’d cut and left 10mm either side for the CS:



Then fitted it and taped it:



Measured the overlap marks at the top and bottom:



The top measurement is fine, nothing to line up or anything so that’s good to go at 60mm. The bottom, I can’t just cut where it’s marked or the ridge won’t be even, so first I measure the length of each side on that back ridge which was 90mm & 70mm = 160mm

So, the length of the ridge (160) minus what I need to remove (55) = 105. That will be the new length of the ridge so divide it by 2 = 52.5.

Once I’d measured in 52.5 from the edge on each side and drawn a straight line up to my mark at the top, this is the line I was left with:



You can see how it more or less matches the plane of the front seam. Don’t forget, no one is going to see the front and back at the same time so it doesn’t have to be mathematically perfect but as long as it looks straight.




From this angle you can see how the seams match and the amount of ridge either side of the back seam is even:



I hope this helps and I’m not just flooding your brain!


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You are flooding my brain.  Come here and do this.  I will pay you in monies and beers and foods and stuffs 

Edited January 31, 2021 by Zinfer

[Short4ATrooper]

I’d love to! Mine’s pretty much done and I’m getting withdrawals already. I have a shadowtrooper on the way though so it won’t be for long.


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[Zinfer[TK]]

8 minutes ago, Short4ATrooper said:

I’d love to! Mine’s pretty much done and I’m getting withdrawals already. I have a shadowtrooper on the way though so it won’t be for long.


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ANH my bro.  ANH.  I think my next costume (probably a hell of a lot easier) will be a Tie Pilot.  maybe an Imperial Gunner.  But I stick with old school.

[Zinfer[TK]]

Ok, so there was some question if my cover strip will actually perform well to make that look good. My response:

 

 

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by Zinfer

[Zinfer[TK]]

Anybody uses flash with my armor, I will blind them. 

[Zinfer[TK]]

I honestly feel that the whole trick to a successful costume build is having a long pair of sexy legs. No matter the gender. I feel the thinner they are, the more chicken leg you have, the better the entire costume appears. It's all about the legs mainly. The more slim your legs, the better. Of course those legs meet the torso, so that is the hardest portion in maintaining that slim look. That is a successful costume regardless of what genre. This is why more special attention is being paid towards the expert fitting of the thighs and shins. That is the basis of a good fit. The basis of a good costume is special attention towards the Legs. Not an afterthought. So just keep that thought in your new costume builds. The thinner you can get them the better the look. The more desirable the figure, the more accurate.

 

Edited January 31, 2021 by Zinfer

[Short4ATrooper]

ANH my bro.  ANH.  I think my next costume (probably a hell of a lot easier) will be a Tie Pilot.  maybe an Imperial Gunner.  But I stick with old school.

Based on ANH armour and technically is OT since its galactic empire. Each to their own anyway! I almost went tie pilot but it’s mostly soft parts. Aside from the helmet and chest box, there’s not much of a build.


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[Zinfer[TK]]

Pulled the clamps and magnets off the Left Forearm, gaffers tape removed from the inside. Only thing left for the arms is elastics. Now to the Legs. Reworking the Left Thigh. Glue applied, clamps and magnets. Another 24 hours. How does it look? Still time to change it before it cures.

 

 

Comparison Shots:

 

[Zinfer[TK]]

Well more research.  I stumbled across Richie Stormtroopers tutorial again except this time more attention to a particular area at 10:38.  Following that I trudged out to the arcade to retrieve my Right Thigh and searched for those two ridges which I've no doubt seen before.

 

Marking that bottom ridge:

 

Then marking that same Top ridge.

 

 

Running a fat line of painters tape between the two.  So at the center of this tape would be my cut line on the outer right thigh.

Then my fitting would be made entirely up from the inner thigh material.

However, looking from the top down I see that this is not entirely in line with the front cs.  Matter of fact it looks way off to the right.

 

I need to try this on.

Edited February 1, 2021 by Zinfer

[Zinfer[TK]]

Did I just stumble into figuring this out?

 

 

 

[Zinfer[TK]]

Ok so I'm liking the right thigh fit. Now for the left. It would appear that I might be able to just follow that left edge. Battery ran out on cam, so gotta wait for recharge. The left not fitting as well now. But there is a hell of a lot of material in the overlap that is disturbing that since I'm overlapping it the opposite direction. I'm not really sure if this is off though. Remember the cutting line is dead center of the blue tape.

 

 

 

 

Going to have to trim more from the bottom edge trim of the left thigh.

Edited February 1, 2021 by Zinfer

[Zinfer[TK]]

This is so brutal I'm just ready to put it up until I meet someone that knows how to fit properly. Cause I don't and I'm just winging it.  Bottom of the front seam of the left is now seperating.

Edited February 1, 2021 by Zinfer

[Short4ATrooper]

This one looks ok to me. As long as those two sections in red measure the same and the green line is straight and centred.




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[Zinfer[TK]]

16 minutes ago, Short4ATrooper said:

This one looks ok to me. As long as those two sections in red measure the same and the green line is straight and centred.




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Yes I got that impression too.  It just seems like it wants to ride the edge moreso.  I need more pics but camera is recharging still.  Show you the bottom and top in what I'm dealing with.  The inner wrap/overlap is disturbing the whole fit.  It has like a 'roll' in it.

Edited February 1, 2021 by Zinfer