KJ Build thread? Walt's Trooper Factory Kit

[MSF Productions]

Theses calves don't lie

[MSF Productions]

OH, my new gloves and flexible hand guards from @justjoseph63 arrived yesterday.

 

The gloves are a good fit, and no weird bodily reactions!

 

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

Just now, MSF Productions said:

OH, my new gloves and flexible hand guards from @justjoseph63 arrived yesterday.

 

The gloves are a good fit, and no weird bodily reactions!

 

 

A good a useful  tip is to wear cotton gloves inside the rubber ones, this allow to absorb the hands sweat

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

58 minutes ago, MSF Productions said:

Theses calves don't lie

 

 

The image bellow show where to trim leaving aprox 10mm each side to glue the (aprox 20mm ) cover strips to the front of the shins.

 

 

 

[MSF Productions]

13 minutes ago, TKSpartan said:

 

 

The image bellow show where to trim leaving aprox 10mm each side to glue the (aprox 20mm ) cover strips to the front of the shins.

 

 

 

Just re reading the Lvl 3 stuff on the CRL, what exactly is the butt joint method?  I couldn't find anything concrete that matched that terminology when browsing through threads.  Just want to clarify what that is before I commit to final assembly!

[TheSwede[TK]]

2 hours ago, MSF Productions said:

Just re reading the Lvl 3 stuff on the CRL, what exactly is the butt joint method?  I couldn't find anything concrete that matched that terminology when browsing through threads.  Just want to clarify what that is before I commit to final assembly!

That means no overlapping of the armor pieces that you join together. Edge to edge with a plastic strip over it.
 

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

3 hours ago, MSF Productions said:

Just re reading the Lvl 3 stuff on the CRL, what exactly is the butt joint method?  I couldn't find anything concrete that matched that terminology when browsing through threads.  Just want to clarify what that is before I commit to final assembly!

 

 

As Daniel explained, for example you have the bicep two halves, the cover strip allow them to join.

 

 

bellow an example photo.

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

[MSF Productions]

I can now see the end of the tunnel!  Yesterday afternoon, I spent a few hours with a member who lives nearby sanding, chit chatting, and ultimately fitting the forearms and biceps.  

All of this is going to keep me busy until the other member and I meet up again.

Time to paint the thermal detonator tube, assemble it and work on the forearm and bicep cover strips

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Having someone knowledgeable around can definitely help your build progress 

[MSF Productions]

Thermal detonator hours

I think it's funny that the first part I actually finished was the thermal detonator 

Painted the pvc tube a primer gray

 

I haven't glued the center piece in place just yet

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

Nice work, Kody!

 

A couple of things if I may..

 

It looks like you have trimmed the top and sides of your sniper plate, but I would suggest removing 100% of the return edge on the bottom which will allow it to sit flush with the top of the calf.

 

 

It could very well be the camera angle, but your TD (including the panel itself) looks a little long and the end caps seem a bit wide.  If this is the case, as long as you have not glued them it's an easy fix!

 

 

As stated in the CRL for Basic approval:

 

 

                                                Screen used reference

               

 

As one our vetted armorers Walt makes an awesome kit no doubt, but one thing that I noticed with his is that the raised button panel is more ROTJ than ANH for some reason. 

 

                                       ROTJ style

 

While in the past this style has been approved at all levels for ANH, there are those who have opted to replace them with more screen accurate ones.

 

Keep up the great work and keep those photos rolling in!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MSF Productions]

Had to measure the TD just to confirm for my own sanity's sake

And yeah these pieces a a wee bit long, totally nervous to chop up the tube, but now we know the tub and end caps are longer than what the crl says they need to be

 

Also, who can set a trooper up with an ANH thermal det center piece?  

[MSF Productions]

In the meantime

Got the forearms trimmed to where they needed to be with my undersuit and did a little try on

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Also check your measurements on the TD control panel and gaps to endcaps  

 

[MSF Productions]

4 minutes ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Also check your measurements on the TD control panel and gaps to endcaps  

 

Very very helpful- I may have to restart/get a new TD because the endcaps are too snug in place for me to remove

[MSF Productions]

Got a bicep clamped in place w/the obligatory E6000

 

I'm currently somewhat sweating nervously.  A member in my garrison forums is telling me that I might have to replace a handful of parts/a good chunk of parts that look off for an ANH build-suggesting that I build an ROTJ TK instead.  I really like the quirky imperfections of ANH TKs, so I'd like to know if I have to ditch the ANH approach.

[MSF Productions]

One bicep down

[FN1313[TK]]

You could probably sand down the bottom end of the cover strip so it’s not poking out so far, but it’s looking good.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[DTKC]

On 3/7/2023 at 2:10 PM, TheSwede said:

That means no overlapping of the armor pieces that you join together. Edge to edge with a plastic strip over it.

 

Ah!  Thanks!  I was just searching for this meaning to be clear before I do anything!  Thanks! 

[MSF Productions]

Time for a relatively bigger build photo dump/update

 

Arm'in time

 

Leg days

 

Torso shenanigans

 

Obligatory layout

 

Belt stuff and knee bits are the last real thingI need to trim/assemble

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Normally you trim the front of the thighs to the base @ 20mm width raised ridge to raised ridge, if that can't be obtained larger cover strips are normally used to fill this area or lager coverstrips on the rear. I would definitely reach out to your GML and discuss the cover strips before going to much further, as a GML I would not approve as they are and your GML may feel the same way.

 

From our DL

As a rule of thumb, front leg cover strips are 20mm wide approximately, you usually go a bit wider on the calves for the enclosure, say 25mm.

Now in saying this, if you can keep the front cover strips close to this , you can go wider on the back to try and cater for a wider girth. I know plenty of troopers who went with 30mm on the rear of the thighs because they needed a bit more. at basic i would be surprised if a GML pulled you up on something like that.

 

 

Note the raised ridge in these references

  

 

 

Here's a couple of extreme examples which added extra material on the backs of the thighs

 

As I say speak to your GML to check what is acceptable for your garrison

 

 

 

[MSF Productions]

On 5/30/2023 at 1:57 AM, justjoseph63 said:

Nice work, Kody!

 

A couple of things if I may..

 

It looks like you have trimmed the top and sides of your sniper plate, but I would suggest removing 100% of the return edge on the bottom which will allow it to sit flush with the top of the calf.

 

 

It could very well be the camera angle, but your TD (including the panel itself) looks a little long and the end caps seem a bit wide.  If this is the case, as long as you have not glued them it's an easy fix!

 

 

As stated in the CRL for Basic approval:

 

 

                                                Screen used reference

               

 

As one our vetted armorers Walt makes an awesome kit no doubt, but one thing that I noticed with his is that the raised button panel is more ROTJ than ANH for some reason. 

 

                                       ROTJ style

 

While in the past this style has been approved at all levels for ANH, there are those who have opted to replace them with more screen accurate ones.

 

Keep up the great work and keep those photos rolling in!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I might've done goofed here, the end caps on my TD are stuck on.  No glue or anything, pressure fit.  They won't budge.  One of my garrison members suggested that I head up the ends and that should loosen the grip the endcaps have on the piping.  Wanted to run it by here before I did anything 

[MSF Productions]

On 12/28/2023 at 2:29 PM, gmrhodes13 said:

Normally you trim the front of the thighs to the base @ 20mm width raised ridge to raised ridge, if that can't be obtained larger cover strips are normally used to fill this area or lager coverstrips on the rear. I would definitely reach out to your GML and discuss the cover strips before going to much further, as a GML I would not approve as they are and your GML may feel the same way.

 

From our DL

As a rule of thumb, front leg cover strips are 20mm wide approximately, you usually go a bit wider on the calves for the enclosure, say 25mm.

Now in saying this, if you can keep the front cover strips close to this , you can go wider on the back to try and cater for a wider girth. I know plenty of troopers who went with 30mm on the rear of the thighs because they needed a bit more. at basic i would be surprised if a GML pulled you up on something like that.

 

 

Note the raised ridge in these references

  

 

 

Here's a couple of extreme examples which added extra material on the backs of the thighs

 

As I say speak to your GML to check what is acceptable for your garrison

 

 

 

I might've done goofed here as well.  I jumped the gun and used the ABS/acetone combo to make that "weldy-like" glue mixture with the shims and cover strips.  It took me a few reads and asking a garrison mate to understand what you were saying- because it initially was not clicking with me.  The references help a lot.  If the bond is "permanent"- then I probably messed up this build all because I got too excited when I finished my arms.  

[Sly11[Admin]]

On 1/1/2024 at 2:51 PM, MSF Productions said:

So I might've done goofed here, the end caps on my TD are stuck on.  No glue or anything, pressure fit.  They won't budge.  One of my garrison members suggested that I head up the ends and that should loosen the grip the endcaps have on the piping.  Wanted to run it by here before I did anything 

You can use the boiling water method to try and loosen up the end caps.

Boil the kettle, pour water into a pot, immerse one end cap into the water approx 3/4 of it width into the water holding it vertically. Keep it there for a minute, so the plastic can heat and soften a little, then try and wiggle or screw that end off.

The aim is to get the ABS to soften as it will slightly expand.

I think once you get one end off, the other will be much easier as you can access it from the inside and gently tap it off.

Use a broom handle slide the TD over the top and tap it against the top of the broom stick, it should come off no problem, just take it nice and easy.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

An old trick was to drill a hole where it will not be seen (under a clip or control panel) then use compressed air in the hole and one cap should pop off, then you have access to knock the other cap off.