First build!

[magni[TK]]

I agree with waiting for final trimming till you do a test suit up. 

 

Getting there 

[N0SweatBobaFett[TK]]

Did a quick test fit for the whole right arm and things seem pretty good.  Also finished all the fitting for the forearms so they should be good to glue once I trim some of the excess off of the back.  Is there supposed to be a certain size gap between the bicep and forearm?  They do touch a bit once I bend my arm but it doesn’t seem to get in the way of mobility very much.  
 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

There is no absolute gap, minimal is best but it's a case of trying to make all the gaps about the same, inside elbow and at the wrists, it would also change if you put your arm straight down and also bending it, holding a weapon. You should do any final adjustment with the shoulder strapped to full armor as that can also make things sit a little differently.

 

You could also remove this angle if you wished too

 

[Sly11[Admin]]

The spacing looks good as long as you have sufficient flexibility, well, as good as you can in TK armour lol.

Definitely follow what Glen suggested above, things start to move a little once you are fully kitted up, and you will soon know what needs repositioning and adjustment.

[N0SweatBobaFett[TK]]

Did a mock cover strip for the forearms and noticed that with the raised ridge side of the forearm, even with the magnets and clamps on, there seems to be a small sliver between the forearm and cover strips.  Is this just normal for that side of the cover strip and will the inside cover strip help with this?  Or should that cover strip be tighter?  Thanks!  
 

 

 

 

[RippTiger]

12 hours ago, N0SweatBobaFett said:

Did a mock cover strip for the forearms and noticed that with the raised ridge side of the forearm, even with the magnets and clamps on, there seems to be a small sliver between the forearm and cover strips.  Is this just normal for that side of the cover strip and will the inside cover strip help with this?  Or should that cover strip be tighter?  Thanks!  
 

 

That happened to me as well (I am about at the same point in time in my build).  I just went back and put more E6K into the gap.  Looks much better now.

 

 

Edited June 8, 2023 by RippTiger

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

GREAT question, Brendan!  Due to the slight curves on the limb pieces, getting the cover strips 100% flush is just not going to happen in many cases so nothing to be concerned about.  As long as you have the inside cover strips you should have no issues.

[TheRascalKing[TK]]

Double up on your magnets and place them as close as they can get, staggering them slightly and alternating polarities as you place them so they want to push apart, not pull together. The more pressure you have on the strip, the more flush it's going to lay. Having inner cover strips glued in first will also make this WAY easier to allow for minimal gaps, as the coverstrip becomes more cosmetic than structural. I usually scuff my pieces before gluing with E6000, so watch when you scuff under the strip and ensure the part is level there also.

Edited June 8, 2023 by TheRascalKing

[N0SweatBobaFett[TK]]

18 hours ago, justjoseph63 said:

GREAT question, Brendan!  Due to the slight curves on the limb pieces, getting the cover strips 100% flush is just not going to happen in many cases so nothing to be concerned about.  As long as you have the inside cover strips you should have no issues.

Awesome!  I’ll make sure to keep gluing the cover strips!  

[N0SweatBobaFett[TK]]

10 hours ago, TheRascalKing said:

Double up on your magnets and place them as close as they can get, staggering them slightly and alternating polarities as you place them so they want to push apart, not pull together. The more pressure you have on the strip, the more flush it's going to lay. Having inner cover strips glued in first will also make this WAY easier to allow for minimal gaps, as the coverstrip becomes more cosmetic than structural. I usually scuff my pieces before gluing with E6000, so watch when you scuff under the strip and ensure the part is level there also.

Awesome!  Will do!  Also thanks for the tip on glueing the inside cover strips first.  Just tried that and it seems to be looking a lot easier to do the outer cover strips already!  

[N0SweatBobaFett[TK]]

While the glue on the forearm cover strips is drying I decided to try to tackle the stain issue I had on the biceps and begin the right thigh.  I did a high grit light sand on the stains (1500 grit) and had no luck.  I may try a lower grit and see if that works.  I also started the right thigh and did the initial trimming.  Any tips for lining up the bottom of the back of the thigh where the cover strip won’t cover?  Also I trimmed the return edges to the point that the RS Propmasters build video recommends for now, but eventually how much of the return edges should I trim off on the thighs?  Thanks for all the help!  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[N0SweatBobaFett[TK]]

Luckily the RS Propmasters screen used dimensions fit pretty perfectly for me when it comes to the right thigh, other than removing some more return edge for more comfort.  I also found that I should probably remove the part at the back of my knee as I can’t bend my leg too well but I think this is common for more mobility!  
 

 

 

 

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I would leave any trimming from behind until you are wearing most of the armor, as it looks you may want to bring your thigh upwards a little more. 

 

If they are still hitting once kitted up gallery for mobility cuts is here 

 

[N0SweatBobaFett[TK]]

41 minutes ago, gmrhodes13 said:

I would leave any trimming from behind until you are wearing most of the armor, as it looks you may want to bring your thigh upwards a little more. 

 

If they are still hitting once kitted up gallery for mobility cuts is here 

 

Awesome!  Will do!  I’ll make sure I pull the thigh up more.  I should be able to easily get it to fit after trimming some more of the return edges so I can fit it height up on my leg.  

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

9 hours ago, N0SweatBobaFett said:

I’ll make sure I pull the thigh up more.  I should be able to easily get it to fit after trimming some more of the return edges so I can fit it height up on my leg.  

 

It's a little difficult to tell how close the the thigh is fitting on the top, but you don't want it too tight (or loose for that matter) as it's important to have space for mobility and comfort.  At some troops you may be walking for hours in your armor, and if it fits too snug the return edge on the inside (see photo) can/will cut into your inside leg and cause chafing.  Not a pleasant thing.

 

 

Most of us like the "thick" look" that return edges provide, but in reality they were pretty scarce in many parts of OT armor.  It you decide to cut down those edges on any parts, I highly recommend doing it before final fitting/gluing.  I have a thread here that can help answer questions on this.

 

Keep up the great work!   

[N0SweatBobaFett[TK]]

On 6/10/2023 at 3:47 AM, justjoseph63 said:

 

It's a little difficult to tell how close the the thigh is fitting on the top, but you don't want it too tight (or loose for that matter) as it's important to have space for mobility and comfort.  At some troops you may be walking for hours in your armor, and if it fits too snug the return edge on the inside (see photo) can/will cut into your inside leg and cause chafing.  Not a pleasant thing.

 

 

Most of us like the "thick" look" that return edges provide, but in reality they were pretty scarce in many parts of OT armor.  It you decide to cut down those edges on any parts, I highly recommend doing it before final fitting/gluing.  I have a thread here that can help answer questions on this.

 

Keep up the great work!   

Awesome!  Thank you!  I’ve been test fitting after removing more of the return edges and it’s fitting awesome.  Much more comfortable!  I’ll upload pictures soon to make sure it’s fitting better and try the same with the left thigh as well.  Thanks!

[N0SweatBobaFett[TK]]

Trimmed both thighs to the screen used dimensions and removed all return edges from the top of the thigh.  Seems to fit much better and mobility is better as well.  Should they be higher or is this a good height?  Much appreciated!  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

6 minutes ago, N0SweatBobaFett said:

Should they be higher or is this a good height?  Much appreciated!  

 

They look good , wait to the final fit to see if more trimming or mobility cuts are necessary .  

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Looking good, final adjustments can be done once you have your ab/cod on.

[TheRascalKing[TK]]

On 6/8/2023 at 8:38 AM, TheRascalKing said:

Double up on your magnets and place them as close as they can get, staggering them slightly and alternating polarities as you place them so they want to push apart, not pull together. The more pressure you have on the strip, the more flush it's going to lay. Having inner cover strips glued in first will also make this WAY easier to allow for minimal gaps, as the coverstrip becomes more cosmetic than structural. I usually scuff my pieces before gluing with E6000, so watch when you scuff under the strip and ensure the part is level there also.

 

Relevant recent pic. Use hella magnets.

 

 

I also recommend sanding your edges on a belt sander, with a sanding block/emory board, and/or sheet of sandpaper clamped to a flat surface. The cleaner and straighter your edges are, the easier the gluing process will be. Utilizing underside coverstrips first makes the build so much easier, if longer with E6000 by creating a little shelf you glue the other half to. It's worth it, but use every magnet that you can afford and work slow to get the best results.

Edited June 14, 2023 by TheRascalKing

[N0SweatBobaFett[TK]]

21 hours ago, TheRascalKing said:

 

Relevant recent pic. Use hella magnets.

 

 

I also recommend sanding your edges on a belt sander, with a sanding block/emory board, and/or sheet of sandpaper clamped to a flat surface. The cleaner and straighter your edges are, the easier the gluing process will be. Utilizing underside coverstrips first makes the build so much easier, if longer with E6000 by creating a little shelf you glue the other half to. It's worth it, but use every magnet that you can afford and work slow to get the best results.

Awesome tip!  I’ll make sure to try that out!  I can definitely see how sanding the edges at a flat angle will help a lot.  I snagged a bunch more magnets too so I should be also to glue the inside cover strips pretty quick.  Thanks!  

[N0SweatBobaFett[TK]]

Outside cover strips for the thighs are about done drying.  I must have shifted one of the cover strips to the side a little because it seems a bit off center.  Does this look fine or should I try to glue it on again?  I also noticed after trimming the shins that the bottom of one of the shin sides seems to be longer than the other.  Should I just trim the longer one down to fit the other before glueing?  Thanks! 
 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Personally I would remove and reapply, it does stand out a little. E6000 is pretty easy to remove so you shouldn't have any dramas

 

Also note for any coverstrips under pressure leave to dry for a day or two longer, especially in cold weather.

[N0SweatBobaFett[TK]]

17 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Personally I would remove and reapply, it does stand out a little. E6000 is pretty easy to remove so you shouldn't have any dramas

 

Also note for any coverstrips under pressure leave to dry for a day or two longer, especially in cold weather.

Will do!  I figured it would look much better if I had a second crack at it.  Thank you! 

[N0SweatBobaFett[TK]]

Quick question about sizing the shin pieces.  How tight should I fit them, since the back of them isn’t glued shut? Thanks for all the help so far I really appreciate it!