AP Armor Size Help

[Commander Code[TK]]

[Commander Code[TK]]

[Commander Code[TK]]

[TheRascalKing[TK]]

Armor itself looks good, but you should take a look through something like our EIB Honor gallery for some dressing tips to get you looking your best! It also definitely helps to have an additional person take your photos and help adjust you and measure/mark stuff. As mentioned, the big one that sticks out is that the chest needs to cover the ab panel, which looks like it needs to be raised significantly. I also see a LOT of return edge left on, so you'll likely want to remove and smooth much of it. The more you wear it, you'll identify the pinch points to address first, but the inside of the thigh and back of the knee are most common. Hope that helps! Armor is looking good, it's just time to dial it in  

 

(Also, please combine photos in one post, not multiple - you can press return and paste in additional links - thank you!)

[BATS2150]

I got mine from Mark @ AP a few months ago and I had to do some return edge cutting on the thigh and shins, to include mobility cuts (There is a thread on this), since I am a short guy. Also, I had to do some adjustments on the sniper plate with a new one since I buggered the last one. 

Edited August 20, 2022 by BATS2150

[Commander Code[TK]]

1 hour ago, TheRascalKing said:

Armor itself looks good, but you should take a look through something like our EIB Honor gallery for some dressing tips to get you looking your best! It also definitely helps to have an additional person take your photos and help adjust you and measure/mark stuff. As mentioned, the big one that sticks out is that the chest needs to cover the ab panel, which looks like it needs to be raised significantly. I also see a LOT of return edge left on, so you'll likely want to remove and smooth much of it. The more you wear it, you'll identify the pinch points to address first, but the inside of the thigh and back of the knee are most common. Hope that helps! Armor is looking good, it's just time to dial it in  

 

(Also, please combine photos in one post, not multiple - you can press return and paste in additional links - thank you!)

The armor is great. Definitely needs some dialing  thanks for the guidance. Have been combing this forum for months. Much of this research prior to ordering is why I made a solid choice in armor and knew it needed some work.  Will be posting every update possible to ensure I don't miss my mark 

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

Hi Code!  Based on what I can see, it looks as if this armor is a bit too large for your frame and will more than likely need some adjustments.  Not all troopers are the same build of course, but as stated in the CRL for Basic approval:  Requirements for all 501st costumes are proportional to the wearer in scale, fit and size.

 

In photo 1, it appears that your posterior plate is sitting pretty far away from your... well... posterior.  I realize that you (as I do) have a slender frame, but the armor should be more "form fitting" as seen in the reference images.

 

          

 

This photo surprises me the most.  A general rule of thumb is that you should just be able to slide your hand in between the top of the thigh armor and your leg (give or take a bit), and it looks as if the circumference is way too large.

 

 

The shoulder bells are riding kinda' high and sitting out pretty far away from the chest plate, and I believe this is due to the strapping.  Without a picture I can't be sure, but I'm thinking that the bell strap is glued too far down below the top edge (yellow arrow) causing it to ride up.  Gluing it all the way to the top should eliminate both issues.  This will also help to hide the tops of the biceps, but those could (should) be raised as well.  Note in the reference image how far they sit under the bell.

 

       

 

We are here to help every step of the way with any specific adjustments you need to do, Code, so not to worry!  Will it take some work on your part?  Yep, but we are here to guide you and make sure you end up with a spectacular set of armor!    I would concentrate on one area at a time, and posting up some photos wearing the complete set before you start would help immensely.  Let's do this!

[Commander Code[TK]]

5 hours ago, justjoseph63 said:

Hi Code!  Based on what I can see, it looks as if this armor is a bit too large for your frame and will more than likely need some adjustments.  Not all troopers are the same build of course, but as stated in the CRL for Basic approval:  Requirements for all 501st costumes are proportional to the wearer in scale, fit and size.

 

In photo 1, it appears that your posterior plate is sitting pretty far away from your... well... posterior.  I realize that you (as I do) have a slender frame, but the armor should be more "form fitting" as seen in the reference images.

 

          

 

This photo surprises me the most.  A general rule of thumb is that you should just be able to slide your hand in between the top of the thigh armor and your leg (give or take a bit), and it looks as if the circumference is way too large.

 

 

The shoulder bells are riding kinda' high and sitting out pretty far away from the chest plate, and I believe this is due to the strapping.  Without a picture I can't be sure, but I'm thinking that the bell strap is glued too far down below the top edge (yellow arrow) causing it to ride up.  Gluing it all the way to the top should eliminate both issues.  This will also help to hide the tops of the biceps, but those could (should) be raised as well.  Note in the reference image how far they sit under the bell.

 

       

 

We are here to help every step of the way with any specific adjustments you need to do, Code, so not to worry!  Will it take some work on your part?  Yep, but we are here to guide you and make sure you end up with a spectacular set of armor!    I would concentrate on one area at a time, and posting up some photos wearing the complete set before you start would help immensely.  Let's do this!

This is precisely the start of advice I need. Though after reading it and others, I am feeling nervous. I spent a crap load of money to avoid all this work. If I fudge this up at this point it is all on me. I am starting to think I could have done better had I started with a trimmed kit. I was not expecting this from such a high praised and acquired suit. What I am not understanding is how someone can build a suit with for a person that is supposed to be my size and come out with this ?!?!? It is clearly way too large. 

[Commander Code[TK]]

 

 

 

 

 

[wook1138[TK]]

Trimming that ab bit will improve the look. I would concentrate on getting the strapping from the chest to ab and back to kidney sorted. And then tightening the cod to butt strapping (this might include trimming the cod a bit). That and the arm strapping (tightening up the biceps and shoulder pieces) as mentioned above. The armour will be large, but it should sit a lot better. The gap in the legs does look excessive, but depending on how that pic was taken you might get away with just padding. 

[Commander Code[TK]]

 

 

 

[Commander Code[TK]]

Lord Vader, please let this be right.  

[Commander Code[TK]]

I would love to post a pic of me wearing the full suit but I can't. I don't have the belt for the thighs yet. After putting on just the top half I became very discouraged. I think I am still getting over the shock of how much larger it was compared to me.  I am really hoping someone from the FL Garrison or maybe here would be willing to jump into my discord (voice chat) server and have a Ted talk with me. 

[Commander Code[TK]]

 

 

 

This is after a 1" cut was made from both left and right side of Kidney plate. You can already see how much closer that sits to my body. And the cut lines are perfectly in the middle of my torso (width). Now I will tape it all together to see if the front ab plate will need trimmed as well. (spoiler alert! It prob will) 

 

[Commander Code[TK]]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These pics are after I removed 1" from the left and right side of Kidney plate. I thinking this should be enough.

 

 

[BATS2150]

By the looks of that armor, I could probably squeeze in there. Patience and doing little by little as to remove some of that slack will help. I follow simple but important rule of never take too much off because once it is gone, there is no putting it back. Keep up the good work and in the end, the rewards will be well worth the effort. 

[revlimiter[Staff]]

That looks like some good trimming.  I would not suggest you spend much more effort on the ab/kidney armor. My own AP armor fits me very similarly to what you've got now. I'm 5'11" and 160 lbs, so quite similar build. The AP armor is just not extremely sleek in the midsection without a lot of reshaping. Anovos fits much differently, but AP fits about like what you've got.  And what you've got isn't bad. It can go to Centurion that way. It's just not as sleek as some other armors you'll see online.

 

For your thighs, do all of the adjustment and trimming in the back. Since Mark got the front glued together, just leave that. Remove the rear cover strips (inner and outer if both are installed) and get the thighs to the height you want (which is VERY high). Then overlap them and tape the crap out of them so that they hold the shape. Several more test fits and then see if you feel like they need more or less room. Then slice a straight line up the center back and re-glue the halves together.

 

Thighs really help to have an assistant.

 

Shins are done in a very similar manner. Get the front glued and happy, then slice the back up the center.

[revlimiter[Staff]]

This may help you a bit. This is my own strapping. All of it is nylon strapping with the exception of the center strap on my back plate. That one is elastic and allows for bending. Well, the cod strap and white shoulder straps are also elastic. All the rest have no flex and are double snapped.

 

Nylon strapping keeps things tight and in the right place.

 

And the cod strap goes just right up there in your business. No room for the breeze if you know what I mean.

[Commander Code[TK]]

52 minutes ago, revlimiter said:

That looks like some good trimming.  I would not suggest you spend much more effort on the ab/kidney armor. My own AP armor fits me very similarly to what you've got now. I'm 5'11" and 160 lbs, so quite similar build. The AP armor is just not extremely sleek in the midsection without a lot of reshaping. Anovos fits much differently, but AP fits about like what you've got.  And what you've got isn't bad. It can go to Centurion that way. It's just not as sleek as some other armors you'll see online.

 

For your thighs, do all of the adjustment and trimming in the back. Since Mark got the front glued together, just leave that. Remove the rear cover strips (inner and outer if both are installed) and get the thighs to the height you want (which is VERY high). Then overlap them and tape the crap out of them so that they hold the shape. Several more test fits and then see if you feel like they need more or less room. Then slice a straight line up the center back and re-glue the halves together.

 

Thighs really help to have an assistant.

 

Shins are done in a very similar manner. Get the front glued and happy, then slice the back up the center.

The thighs and shins are my biggest worry. I have the torso almost to the point where it hugs my body without being too tight. ( This is by taking 4" off the edges of ab and Kidney plate. When the torso is fitting correct then I will be re- strapping the whole suit. 

[Commander Code[TK]]

I am trying to not sound like "that guy" but it is hard for me to believe that a 5' 10" 170lb person wore the suit I was shipped. There is no way in this Empire it would fit! I am holding out hope that someone or myself can fix this without me spending much more. I very disappointed that it costs $1500 USD for a suit that you have to rip apart and re-do almost entirely. (Minus bucket)

[Commander Code[TK]]

 

 

 

 

https://i.imgur.com/Lh9v68e.mp4

Video^ To show how BIG this shiz is.

 

Just wish I was not forced to learn to build armor. Why ask for body specs if it is not tailored to them?!?!  Pretty sure I wasted $700

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by Commander Code

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Unfortunately it can happen with already assembled armor, it's definitely doable so don't loose faith yet, plenty of people hear on the forum to guide you through, perhaps take a look at a few of these threads, these had to be reduced in size to fit the wearers height and width.

 

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/38416-crickets-rs-stunt-build-for-the-vertically-challenged/

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/38842-fragarocks-rs-stunt-build-not-to-scale/

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/42868-sha-shas-wtf-anh-stunt-build-complete/

 

In your photos your ab/kidney would need to come up so it fits nicely under your chest.

 

You don't want to trim too much or you may have trouble if you ever want to sell your armor.

 

I trim my suits to the standard sizing an minimum raised ridges, and because of my thin frame (167lbs) I have 2 x 2" blocks of foam behind my ab to help fill the gap and stop squashing once the belt is added, I also have blocks of foam in my biceps, forearms and thighs. A lot of areas can look filled with undersuit on and foam centering your pieces  

 

 

 

 

[BATS2150]

I think that the extra on the armor is there just in case the wearer has a few extra lbs, like me, being ex-military and kinda lost the figure. Lol! 

Edited August 20, 2022 by BATS2150
edit

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

3 minutes ago, BATS2150 said:

I think that the extra on the armor is there just in case the wearer has a few extra lbs, like me, being ex-military and kinda lost the figure. Lol! 

Indeed just in case the wearer adds some extra weight or if you want to on sell your armor, this is why I don't trim mine too small, I just ran into a problem selling my TKC, although the wearer was a little larger (took out the padding) the thighs were just too tight, I ended up having to add shims to both sides of the thighs, fill with ABS paste, sand and paint to match, it's a lot of work, so not trimming too small is definitely the way to go.

[Commander Code[TK]]

Thanks for the consistent info and encouragement. I will take a look through these other threads. I will do my best to trim only what is "necessary" and will fill the void with foam. I purchased the armor with Centurion level in mind and as goal. You all will be seeing a lot of me for a while.