What have I gotten myself into?

[Zinfer[TK]]

Took me a couple nights but I managed to get all the brackets installed.  Now just need to find how long the elastics are supposed to be.  

 

 

Also got the cod elastic rivetted in place to connect to the butt plate.

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Nice work, you will find the butt, kidney and back plates should touch together when elastic is added, but the front chest to ab may need some trial fitting to get the height right. I found adding some elastic a little longer than is required, loop through and use safety pins just to hold it in place and test for fit

[Zinfer[TK]]

So I did alot of digging and combing for the appropriate length of elastics.  I came up with 3 x 3" for chest, 6 x 2" elastics.  I just need them sewn now for test fitting.  Yea Glen I am concerned as the kidney plate connection to the butt.  The corner fit looks challenging and it would appear and I'm hoping, that the elastic pulls the middle back towards the butt a bit more.  Maybe I'll need some hot water to convince the kidney (or more trimming of the return edge) to convince it to form more with the butt.  I've not tried any kind of method such as safety pins but I have plenty of elastic banding.  I'm going to have my sis sew them with her machine and then reverse the loop inside out.  

 

This is s shot I took before I took a lighter to either side to remove any fraying.

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

The good thing is that you can adjust the length of the elastic loops.  If they are too loose you can make them longer or the reverse.  The ones at the top of the chest/ab connection should have enough play in them to move around and not affect mobility (bending over).

[Daetrin[Admin]]

With elastic it's always easier to make any straps longer than you need, then after you wear it a bit use safety pins (or even put knots in it) to shorten them.  Then when you are highly confident they are the right length, make new ones of the perfect length.  That's what I always did anyway. It's very easy to take length out of elastic, can't really put it back in during a troop LOL

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Fantastic work on the strapping system 

[Zinfer[TK]]

Creating the hinge.  This is pretty much gonna end me from trying this on until I hit a weight goal.  Apparently no gap allowed, so I have to cut these elastic straps down to about an inch.  I'd have preferred to install snaps here rather than split rivets, but the RS guys call for split rivets.  At least with snap rivets I could go with a bit of a gap I think temporarily?  I know that 0 gap is Centurion, 1/2" is Expert and I don't know what the max gap is for I think it's called Basic? Or is there a basic?  It would take about 12 snaps I think altogether anyways to do that. Aw well might as well stick hard to RS' tutorials.  This is gonna be hard because it has to be a tight fit and pulling that elastic over x3 to run those split rivets on the other side is gonna be tight and nothing other than a bench vice (no anvil) to prop the plastics up on.  Gonna need 4 hands.  ;s 

 

[Zinfer[TK]]

I was going to install some reinforcement strips under each bracket, but some of the return edges are not enough thickness.  I'll have to probably go back and create a reinforcement width; bracket by bracket.  The last thing I need is to create a split at a bracket hole/holes.  Not sure what the repair would amount to if that/when that happens.  The closer those brackets are to the absolute edge of plastic, the more likely damage is going to occur.  And some of those brackets are mighty close.

Edited December 10, 2020 by Zinfer

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I would advise doubling over the elastic on the sides especially if you will be filling the area with a little more padding  

 

You could use something like Devcon or fiberglass resin and matting or even ABS paste to reinforce those areas, would mean removing the brackets and bolts. 

[Zinfer[TK]]

11 minutes ago, gmrhodes13 said:

I would advise doubling over the elastic on the sides especially if you will be filling the area with a little more padding  

 

You could use something like Devcon or fiberglass resin and matting or even ABS paste to reinforce those areas, would mean removing the brackets and bolts. 

It would be better if the hinge joint were like a 3" HD piece of Elastic (essentially a wide piece)  I'd think that would add a more firm less flimsy setup.  I'll have to look into this ABS paste I'm sure.  I don't want a a Baymax exploding armor moment.

[Zinfer[TK]]

I completed putting the two halves together.  

Trimmed down the extra strapping.

 

 

[Zinfer[TK]]

I just need to walk down the street naked, have food thrown at me and called shame.  So disappointed.  

 

Back to a lifetime of chicken diet.  Or just stop eating altogether.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

These may be of help:

 

 

 

 

[Zinfer[TK]]

Well the mail in the US has begun the seasonal crawl.  Nothing's coming in.  The PVC sheets, the paints, neck seals, holsters, shoes, undersuits, shears.  Just nothing.  So I'm struggling to find items I can work on.  I was going to attempt to do the elastics on the shoulder bells last night, but after watching a few vids I found that there simply isn't a uniform method being that body types are not uniform.  So I chickened out on the shoulder bell elastics to the shoulder straps being I've yet to get the torso section  completed.  However I did get the bottom straps installed.  I still need to make the bicep hooks.  Maybe I can do that tonight.  Is there a particular reason I see some troopers make an elastic that goes from the shoulder bells to the bicep on the outside, and on other builds an underarm hook is used on the bicept to affix it to the bells?  Is either method superior to the other?  

Edited December 11, 2020 by Zinfer

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Nice work, not all of us need to use bicep hooks, depends on how they sit on your arms, sometimes the strapping between the forearms, biceps and shoulders is enough to keep them in the right positions. FYI not all screen Stormtroopers had them too  

 

[Zinfer[TK]]

I was just looking at this, and it's basically the same concept as the bicep hooks. 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Correct and although seen on some screen armor we don't allow it for approval  

 

 

Tape can be seen in a lot of places 

 

[Sly11[Admin]]

Just to elaborate on Glens response, we aim for an idealized Stormtrooper look. This means we omit many of the screen faux pars like tape, miss aligned armour pieces, rotated biceps etc etc. A standardised look is in essence what the Deployment officers look to achieve through the suggestions and corrections they offer when reviewing.

Groups like the RPF go for all out prop replication, which means you would choose a particular trooper from the movie and replicate every single detail to the finest point possible. Taps , cracks warts and all.

MEPD offer something similar to this with their top level for Sand troopers S.W.A.T.

[Zinfer[TK]]

Oh I didn't realize that.  So hooks and 'Gaffers' tape are out.  The strap that runs from the bell to the inside of the bicep is OK.  I hope I got that right.  Wow, glad you said something before I went to all that effort.  Thanks for the diligence.  And to whomever mentioned to me about the return edges digging into me.  Yea I found that out with the test fit of the kidney and torso.  Wow that kidney really did.  I'm thinking because it was a little cocked to one side as I couldn't get the hinge completely closed though.  I am going to trim the armor a little more and attempt to reinforce the brackets as I apply the elastics on the brackets of each armor segment.  I brought the elastics to my sis tonight for sewing, describing the loop sizes and providing the materials.  I saw a sewing machine on sale for $89 at Menards, but it's not about the device, it's about knowing how to use it.  I'm just going all out with 3" on the chest plate and 2" material length for the rest.  She said that I should go with larger as the armor currently doesn't fit me, but I fully intend on losing a few pounds.  I'm not sure that's going to be enough.  Still mulling this skinny as a bean quest.  You know the older you are, the harder that becomes and I've got a few decades on me and it ain't gonna get any easier. 

Edited December 12, 2020 by Zinfer

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

2 minutes ago, Zinfer said:

Oh I didn't realize that.  So hooks and 'Gaffers' tape are out.  The strap that runs from the bell to the inside of the bicep is OK.  I hope I got that right.  

Bicep hooks are fine to use they just weren't used on all stormtroopers, you can get all the way to L3 using them or not. 

 

Tape is definitely out though.

[Zinfer[TK]]

Oh haha.  I thought your definition of 'IT' was the hooks & tape.  Wondering for anyone that has used those hooks, how uncomfortable they are on your underarms/chest.

[Sly11[Admin]]

8 minutes ago, Zinfer said:

Oh haha.  I thought your definition of 'IT' was the hooks & tape.  Wondering for anyone that has used those hooks, how uncomfortable they are on your underarms/chest.

I have the hooks and you don't even realise they are there if you put a small bend in them. They can catch on the sides of your chest plate  also depending on how they sit.

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

17 minutes ago, Zinfer said:

Wondering for anyone that has used those hooks, how uncomfortable they are on your underarms/chest.

Had them on my first set of armor, found I didn't need them as the inside elastic held them up fine, did catch on the chest from time to time

[CableGuy[TK]]

Hi Rodney,

 

Neet work on the kidney strapping.

 

However, if you are going to have a gap either side, you really need to even up the gap both sides. Otherwise, the “middle” or centre line of the ab and kidney (well, and the chest, back and butt), will be twisted off centre compared with your body.

 

So, ideally, you’d need to measure the larger gap on your right (shown below in mirror image), divide this by two and then apply an equal gap to each side.

 

[Zinfer[TK]]

11 hours ago, CableGuy said:

Hi Rodney,

 

Neet work on the kidney strapping.

 

However, if you are going to have a gap either side, you really need to even up the gap both sides. Otherwise, the “middle” or centre line of the ab and kidney (well, and the chest, back and butt), will be twisted off centre compared with your body.

 

So, ideally, you’d need to measure the larger gap on your right (shown below in mirror image), divide this by two and then apply an equal gap to each side.

 

Hey Cableguy.  Yea that was just an initial test fit.  I am going to try Option A; Slim down.