Odds ‘n Ends WIP pics from Omaha

[Aradun[TK]]

Making excellent progress as expected Joe. Your attention to detail is always impressive...most impressive. I’d tell you to keep up the great work, but you doing that is a given .

[Omaha Joe[TK]]

I was able to trim back the excess on the existing right ear leaving a bit more of a gap around the tube, but comparing it to an original made me feel a little bit better about it...

 

 

[Omaha Joe[TK]]

before (left) and after (right)...

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Nice work, clean. A little paint to that middle screw and you're set. Keep up the great work.

[Omaha Joe[TK]]

fitting, taping, assembling, and cover stripping the biceps and forearms...

...still have some finishing touches left, but just about ready to strap these together with the shoulder bells

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

Looking fantastic, Joe, and that is one awesome paint job on your bucket!  With the amount of details you are nailing on this build, I honestly hope to see you apply for Expert Infantry level (and then Centurion) after you get your Basic approval. 

 

If that is indeed your eventual goal (hint hint) you might want to trim out the "hump" area at the wrist opening on the forearms a bit more with a file (should take you all of 5 minutes).  This is not only screen accurate, it is a requirement for Level 3.

 

          

 

Keep up the great work, keep posting those photos and always ask for advice if you have any doubts before cutting or gluing.  Trust me on that one..

[Omaha Joe[TK]]

Thank you very much, @justjoseph63!!  Expert Infantry, hopefully followed by Centurion level later on, is definitely the goal..!  I very much appreciate the feedback and I’ll be sure to hit those wrists as well as the other pieces with some finishing cleanup!!

[Omaha Joe[TK]]

straps, straps, and more straps...  starting on the torso assembly...

I have an RS Sandtrooper with the brackets and screws used to connect the elastic torso pieces, but I thought I’d go a little more practical route for this RWA TK...  

 

I did have a question tough, as I haven’t yet come across this in the FISD...  Do the TKs have the white painted screws on the return edges of the torso armor pieces as well..?  They wouldn’t be difficult to add later as they wouldn’t be functional anyway, but the CRL doesn’t make any mention of them (at least that I’ve found), and does that have any bearing on EIB or Centurion Level requirements..?

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

2 minutes ago, Omaha Joe said:

I did have a question tough, as I haven’t yet come across this in the FISD...  Do the TKs have the white painted screws on the return edges of the torso armor pieces as well..?  They wouldn’t be difficult to add later as they wouldn’t be functional anyway, but the CRL doesn’t make any mention of them (at least that I’ve found), and does that have any bearing on EIB or Centurion Level requirements..?

No they are not a requirement for higher levels, some do add them as they are more accurate. RS have them on their kits as they do use the bracket strapping system.

 

 

 

 

 

[Omaha Joe[TK]]

I have a question about the ‘sniper knee plate’…  How much of a gap between the knee plate and the front of the shin is allowable/acceptable..?

 

When I get the sides of the knee plate to match up with the upper ridge of the shin, it causes quite a noticeable gap between the two, in the area where the raised bump details run along the bottom of the knee plate and the surface of the shin itself…

 

If I close that gap, I’m left with an angle that doesn’t match the ridge at the top of the shin…

 

There is a ‘happy-medium’ sweet spot I can find wherein the gap is minimized, but that leaves the angle of the knee plate/ridge slightly off kilter… 

 

Looking for suggestions…

 

I realize the right of the knee plate is not yet trimmed vertically to match the corner of the top of the shin, but even holding it in place as is doesn’t affect how it lays against the ridge on the shin

What’s fighting it the most, and keeping it from eliminating the gap while matching the top ridge of the shin, is the crest of the top front of the shin where the back of the plate rests…

Here’s one tiny detail where the Sandtrooper wins over the Stormtrooper..!  Their’s is just a flat hexagonal plate, without the ‘curved surround’, glued to the top of the shin!!

Edited June 4, 2021 by Omaha Joe

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

Hi Joe, this is a real  challenging section , mine is a RWA armor too and what I did was to align the best possible the sniper knee to the ridges of the shin and make strong pressure with clamps, lot of clamps. This pressure for about 48 hours drying let the piece stay in place and mold to the shin.

 

 

 

 

Here is my Sniper knee, as you can see there's a little gap in the bottom, It doesn't have to align perfectly but ideally we look for the best possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Omaha Joe[TK]]

Thank you @TKSpartan!!!  …for both the advice and the photos!!!  It’s also a huge relief that you’ve done this with an RWA kit so I know it can be done..!  Much appreciated!!

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

45 minutes ago, Omaha Joe said:

Thank you @TKSpartan!!!  …for both the advice and the photos!!!  It’s also a huge relief that you’ve done this with an RWA kit so I know it can be done..!  Much appreciated!!

Hope it works for you. 

[Omaha Joe[TK]]

Got my shins just about finished, with the exception of the fasteners in the back… got the cover strips on - gotta trim and even up the bottoms yet, took care of the knee ammo belt on the right thigh; just need to hit the rivets with white paint…

I was also able to get the sniper knee plate attached to the left shin…. You’re not kidding @TKSpartan, clamps, clamps, and MORE clamps..!!  That knee plate has some serious torque on it!!  Gonna give it a solid 48 hours, if not more, to let the E-6000 cure

 

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

Looks great, we'll done!! 

[Omaha Joe[TK]]

knee plate came out pretty decent, finishing up the accessories to the legs…  now just to add closure fasteners to the back…. spent the morning fitting the shoulders and biceps with snaps and elastic strapping…

 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Great  job Joe 

[Omaha Joe[TK]]

1 hour ago, ukswrath said:

Great  job Joe 

Thank you!!

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Looking good

[Omaha Joe[TK]]

…forearms’ snaps and elastics attached, ab buttons painted…  who knew it’d be more difficult to paint circles on an ab plate than trapezoids, tears and tubes on a helmet…. this is my third try with all of them, fourth try with a few… 

 

 

[CableGuy[TK]]

Nice work. :-)

Out of interest, I notice you’ve got for a very large gap between the bicep and forearm. Any particular reason?

Here’s a typical example, with perhaps 1 or 2cm gap in places;




A few with almost no gap when the arms are straight.




Here’s some more references and info on the arm alignment, if it’s helpful. :-)

[Omaha Joe[TK]]

@CableGuy, the main reason for the current size of the gap between my forearm and biceps is the length of my arms…

 

I learned from building (and trooping while wearing) my Sandtrooper, that its biceps have a tendency to slip out from under my shoulder bells from time to time; something I’m experimenting with correcting as much as I can with this new TK build…

 

The majority of my strapping with this current build is elastic fastened with snaps glued into the individual armor pieces, making them less permanent - more adjustable…  I knew going into this build that there would be adjustments I’d need to make even up through fitting everything together including the torso, which I’ll be completing/fitting next….

 

I definitely agree, especially viewing the photos you’ve provided, that my gaps are a little excessive at the moment..!  That’s something I’ll be correcting with both the bicep and the forearm strap lengths when I can get into the arms complete with the torso in front of a mirror…  

 

Thank you again for the photos and the video link, I very much appreciate the advice and input!!  (especially that second behind the scenes pic) - doesn’t make me feel so bad about my biceps occasionally slipping out from under my shoulder bells..!! 

Edited June 10, 2021 by Omaha Joe

[Omaha Joe[TK]]

…been a busy week, but hoping to take advantage of a mid-week weekend and finally get suited up for the most preliminary of full-on fittings to see how it looks and what alterations I’ll need to make…

 

For now though, just touching up the armor rivets with a little paint…

 

[Omaha Joe[TK]]

…long time, no post; been busy with work  but I’m nearing the end of the build itself, just about ready to suit-up…

 

had a question regarding the plastic shoulder bridges….

 

are the larger detail ribs on the front of the bridges trimmed lengthwise right up to the raised portion..?  or is there a little bit of flash at the end..?

 

this is what I have right now, and I want to make sure of any trimming that needs to be done (either length or width-wise) prior to glueing them to the shoulder area of the chest plate.

 

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

2 hours ago, Omaha Joe said:

had a question regarding the plastic shoulder bridges….

 

are the larger detail ribs on the front of the bridges trimmed lengthwise right up to the raised portion..?  or is there a little bit of flash at the end..?

 

this is what I have right now, and I want to make sure of any trimming that needs to be done (either length or width-wise) prior to glueing them to the shoulder area of the chest plate.

 

Hi Joe, you're doing a great work with your armor! .  about the shoulder bridges, you can trim the the larger rib just to the edge, screen used armors had the larger tab in the front and none  in the back.

 

 

 

 

Reference Images