TKFortin's AP ANH Stunt TK (First Build, Short, Chunky Boi AND I suck so I'm pretty much doomed hahaha)

[TKFortin]

Hey guys! So I won't bore you with ALL the details but as you can read from the title I'm making my first ever build (An Authentic Props A New Hope Stunt TK) and I'm a chunky boi (about 220 lbs and 5 foot 7, I know, short, too, yay! FML). Also, making something with my own hands was always a big challenge for me but at least gave my family a great laugh without fail. I decided: the odds are stacked against me but I'll do it and learn some skills in the process. Was probably 5-10 times harder for me but I kept at it haha!

 

I'm at about 85% completion right now but may need guidance for some small details. What remains to be done is basically a tiny bit of painting on the helmet, the padding and the electronics inside the helmet, closing the back of my thighs, putting the belt and AP holster together, hand guards to get to STAY ON THE GLOVES (2 failed attempts with E-6000!) And the knee ammo belt to install. Right now my biggest question has to do with the belt. I have these metal pieces

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GYxGQDCqHHM3JLSS6

 

 remaining (split rivets and I believe another kind of rivet but I never used those)  and I saw someone use a screw with a nut and pierce a hole in the middle of the armor and screw the screw through the plastic belt, the canvas belt and through the armor and putting the nut at the end so everything fits nicely and will probably do that but I don't know how to put the rivets on the left and right. Looks super easy when people do it on tutorials etc. but remember I SUCK hahaha! Maybe I have other pieces scattered somewhere else, not sure. I believe the two split rivets are for my knee ammo belt. I'll try to add some pictures but I did not take pictures of the rest of the armor recently and I only put my armor on when a LOT of parts were missing BEFORE covid. I also gained a little weight and am trying to lose it.

Said picture:

 https://photos.app.goo.gl/UhE3Bjus5MJ2CXZH8

Phew, that was the short version, can you believe it haha?! Anyways, thanks a bunch for reading and contributing. Have a great day!

Edited October 2, 2021 by TKFortin
Adding details of what's remaining to do on the build.

[Sn4k3]

Im not sure if i understand correctly, do you mean the 3 rivets in the belt that are covered by a small square piece of abs?

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[TKFortin]

13 minutes ago, Sn4k3 said:

Im not sure if i understand correctly, do you mean the 3 rivets in the belt that are covered by a small square piece of abs?

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Hi, thanks for your interest! Right now I trimmed the plastic belt and marked the spots where I need to make holes. I also trimmed said ABS squares. That's it for now haha. Hope that helps

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Hello and welcome, it would be better to add your photos directly to your posts so we don't have to go to another site, many use Imgur which is a free photo host, here is a how to 

 

Here is some info for belt attachment (@ measurements)

 

 

You can also bend the belt slightly so it conforms to the armor and it will take strain of the snaps

 

Belt corners:

• The corners of the plastic ammo belt shall be trimmed at a 45 degree angle that that meets the outer edge of the cloth belt.

 

 

 

 

 

[Sn4k3]

Hello and welcome, it would be better to add your photos directly to your posts so we don't have to go to another site, many use Imgur which is a free photo host, here is a how to 
[/url]  
Here is some info for belt attachment (@ measurements)

 
 
You can also bend the belt slightly so it conforms to the armor and it will take strain of the snaps

 
Belt corners:

• The corners of the plastic ammo belt shall be trimmed at a 45 degree angle that that meets the outer edge of the cloth belt.

 

 

 
 
 

Very good info, by the way, how that corner cut has to be?, 1.5cm? 2cm?

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[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

1 minute ago, Sn4k3 said:

Very good info, by the way, how that corner cut has to be?, 1.5cm? 2cm?

Has to meet the fabric belt so measurements can change

For Level 3, the corners of the plastic ammo belt shall be trimmed at a 45 degree angle that meets the outer edge of the cloth belt.

 

                                   

 

@ sizing 

[Sn4k3]

Has to meet the fabric belt so measurements can change

For Level 3, the corners of the plastic ammo belt shall be trimmed at a 45 degree angle that meets the outer edge of the cloth belt.

 

                                   

 
@ sizing 

Ohhh ok ok, are those belts in the photos, screen used belts?

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[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Just now, Sn4k3 said:

Ohhh ok ok, are those belts in the photos, screen used belts?
 

Correct.

 

When ever you need references head to the Gallery Sections

 

[wook1138[TK]]

For the belt, I changed up the measurements a bit - and it seemed to work well with the AP kit.  Take a look at the below post.  Good luck.

 

 

 

[TKFortin]

Wow! Thanks for the info everyone! Very happy to have so many responses so quickly. I will try to work with imgur in the future then haha. Sorry, never posted here before :p

 

Any ideas how the god damn rivets work though? Am I missing anything? Also, what's the best way to make the rubber-like hand guards I bought from Mark from AP to FINALLY STICK to my black rubber gloves I also bought from Mark please? Tried twice with E-6000 and heavy objects on top and the hand guards peeled right off both times... (imagine here the wish version of Seth Rogan pulling his hair out in his pajamas, while his 1 year old daughter sleeps, trying to NOT shout on top of his lungs haha)

 

Ad Astra!

Edited October 3, 2021 by TKFortin
Specified which gloves I have

[TKFortin]

4 hours ago, Sn4k3 said:

Im not sure if i understand correctly, do you mean the 3 rivets in the belt that are covered by a small square piece of abs?

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Just to be 100% clear, yes I mean those 3 rivets

 

Thanks!

[Sn4k3]

Wow! Thanks for the info everyone! Very happy to have so many responses so quickly. I will try to work with imgur in the future then haha. Sorry, never posted here before
 
Any ideas how the god damn rivets work though? Am I missing anything? Also, what's the best way to make the rubber-like hand guards I bought from Mark from AP to FINALLY STICK to my black rubber gloves I also bought from Mark please? Tried twice with E-6000 and heavy objects on top and the hand guards peeled right off both times... (imagine here the wish version of Seth Rogan pulling his hair out in his pajamas, while his 1 year old daughter sleeps, trying to NOT shout on top of his lungs haha)
 
Ad Astra!

The e6000 takes some time to fully dry, a couple days without moving the object you are trying to glue.

Make sure you are using the right glue, there are thousands of fake e6000, im using one that troopermaster recommended, and it has worked well, he bought it from ebay, he said any 5 star seller will do.

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[Sn4k3]

Just to be 100% clear, yes I mean those 3 rivets
 
Thanks!

Alright, those 3 rivets fix the abs belt to the canvas belt.

Are you working with cap rivets?

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[TKFortin]

14 minutes ago, Sn4k3 said:

Alright, those 3 rivets fix the abs belt to the canvas belt.

Are you working with cap rivets?

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With whatever these are:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GYxGQDCqHHM3JLSS6

 

 I believe they are but not sure if I'm missing any (I have to install the holster and the knee ammo belt with those, too!)

Edited October 3, 2021 by TKFortin
Rivets!

[Sn4k3]

Ehh.. i think the big ones are line 24 press buttons, or something like that. You need a special tool to install them.

And the other (the one tha looks like a snake tongue) is a split rivet. Those are the ones to use on the side of the ab and the kidney pieces only on the left side.

I think i did not use any of those for the belt, if i remember correctly i used single cap rivets, but double cap should work equally well if not better. I will put a photo of a single cap rivet. There is a way to install them, look more info in YouTube "how to cap rivets". A video will be a thousand times better than a written explanation

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[Sn4k3]

With whatever these are:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/GYxGQDCqHHM3JLSS6
 
 I believe they are but not sure if I'm missing any (I have to install the holster and the knee ammo belt with those, too!)

The knee ammo belt, yes, with single cap rivets.

The holster, yes they do have cap rivets in the holster itself, now to attach the holster to the belt, FOR episode IV a New hope, i think pop rivets were used, please someone correct me if im wrong.

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[TKFortin]

Alright, thanks! I bought the real deal (E6000) from Walmart and I love it but for the hand guard it just did NOT work for me... let it dry for a whole day with like 3 pounds of stuff on top of each guard and the guard peeled right off... The surface feels so slippery to the touch that I'm not even that surprised the glue won't stick but now I just don't know what to do, really...

[Sn4k3]

Alright, thanks! I bought the real deal (E6000) from Walmart and I love it but for the hand guard it just did NOT work for me... let it dry for a whole day with like 3 pounds of stuff on top of each guard and the guard peeled right off... The surface feels so slippery to the touch that I'm not even that surprised the glue won't stick but now I just don't know what to do, really...

Use a little of sand paper, be mindful of how much sand down the surface, and when you're done with that wash it very well, then try to glue it again.

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[TheSwede[TK]]

1 hour ago, TKFortin said:

Alright, thanks! I bought the real deal (E6000) from Walmart and I love it but for the hand guard it just did NOT work for me... let it dry for a whole day with like 3 pounds of stuff on top of each guard and the guard peeled right off... The surface feels so slippery to the touch that I'm not even that surprised the glue won't stick but now I just don't know what to do, really...

Hey, use loctite super glue. Use way less than you would think and those handguards are solid 

 

Here’s how I do it:

Put the glove on

Check the fit of the handguard 

Put very small amounts of glue on the glove, roughly at the center were the handguard will sit

Press the handguard down for a few seconds 

Lift the edges on the handguard and put tiny drops of glue on the glove and press the handguard down again

Repeat untill done.

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

It can also depend on the hand plates and gloves, I've had to use different glues in the past, E6000 worked on some, Super glue on another and ended up using black silicon on another pair that just wouldn't stick. As already pointed out make sure you give both surfaces a rough up with sandpaper so it gives something for the adhesive to grip too.

[TKFortin]

3 hours ago, TheSwede said:

Hey, use loctite super glue. Use way less than you would think and those handguards are solid 

 

Here’s how I do it:

Put the glove on

Check the fit of the handguard 

Put very small amounts of glue on the glove, roughly at the center were the handguard will sit

Press the handguard down for a few seconds 

Lift the edges on the handguard and put tiny drops of glue on the glove and press the handguard down again

Repeat untill done.

 

Thanks for the super useful tip! I'm in Quebec and I have gorilla or Lepage super glue readily available but locktite is more expensive and will take like 3 weeks to arrive though haha. I might try gorilla if you believe it's good too.

[TKFortin]

2 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

It can also depend on the hand plates and gloves, I've had to use different glues in the past, E6000 worked on some, Super glue on another and ended up using black silicon on another pair that just wouldn't stick. As already pointed out make sure you give both surfaces a rough up with sandpaper so it gives something for the adhesive to grip too.

I'll make sure to sand, then. I knew I had to do it but forgot before glueing. You guys rock! Thanks again!

[TKFortin]

Also, I'm pondering to maybe use screws and nuts in the 3 spots on the belt instead of rivets, not even being sure how to not f*** up and not being sure if I even have the right parts for the job.

[Sn4k3]

Also, I'm pondering to maybe use screws and nuts in the 3 spots on the belt instead of rivets, not even being sure how to not f*** up and not being sure if I even have the right parts for the job.

Maybe, chicago scews, be patient and ask before drill or cut anything

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[TKFortin]

27 minutes ago, Sn4k3 said:

Maybe, chicago scews, be patient and ask before drill or cut anything

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Funny you said that, I just asked a guy I know from the 501st and he mentionned chicago screws too haha! Just bought some off Amazon. Thanks!