Legacy FemTK Build Thread

[Eleanor]

High time i start my build thread!

I had ordered from Imperial Surplus a little while ago. Big shoutout to Kevin for offering superb customer support even though my order was placed very close to an unfortunate incident. Hope everything is back on track.

That being said, the two boxes arrived earlier than i had assumed. Impressive how all of that fit inside the box!

 

I spent plenty of evenings rough trimming all the piece after giving them a good cleaning with rubbing alcohol. Most of the supplies were bought in advance while i waited for the box to arrive. Research is key, i am using a lovely guide/blog called "My Descent Into Nerdness" and a bunch of tutorials that were linked. Like setting snaps and so forth.

     

 

 

 

 

Taped the vambraces just to see how it would look, pushing some excitement to speedrun this.

 

 

Can't have enough clamps. (Yea, the odd one out was for the girly touch ;P)

 

First butt joint

 

 

Getting some magnets ready to not scratch the armor too much..

 

... aaand put them to good use!

 

Progress went on, sanded shoulder bells and assembled the biceps armor. Just held stuff in place for a first look. Noticed that the vambraces sadly could not perfectly overlap on the raised edge, unless i fancied lubing up my hand to barely squeeze through the opening. Seems i got big hands! So we had to give a bit more space there. Bicep still needs touching up, as everything else.

 

Taped a shin and tried with my placeholder boots - which then went to someone to take some of the excess material away around the ankle. Should make the shin armor sit a bit lower afterwards, as closing the shin caused the leather around the tongue to bunch up. The curse of EU size ~43 / 44 or i believe 12 in US size.

 

 

Shin assembly afterwards

 

While most things were curing (Using E6000 that was a bit harder to find here in Germany. Hope it wasn't one of the fake versions, fingers crossed), i used the time to finally stop being scared of messing up the helmet and went at it with an exacto knife. Don't be like me, do use gloves for anything. Even if it is just 'testing the waters a little'.

 

Tackling the belt boxes currently, took the entire afternoon today but i think they turned out alright.

     

 

Always wear protection!

 

And don't forget to take a break here and there. If i can do it, anyone else that tries their hand at it will also manage. A dremel/rotary tool is a wonderful little helper and there is plenty of spare ABS to get a feel for it. If you are unsure, try to take little steps. Always easier to take a bit more away than to try putting something back after you took too much away.

 

 

Last but not least - question time!

Do i trim up to this line at the eyes? I could not find a helmet that was flipped upside down to check. I do know that i could take a bit more away around the teeth area, judging by other pictures i saw of FemTK buckets. But i am not sure regarding the eyes on mine.

   

Edited August 18, 2023 by Eleanor

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Off to a great start and very informative

 

I believe trim up to that mold line, KW helmet for reference

 

[Eleanor]

Thank you again!

I did just that, looks way better. Exacto knife is a godsend for that. Slightly messed up one corner of an eye i fear, but i hope it won't be too noticeable.

 

Yesterday was spent doing that, along the inner belt box thingies, trapezoids and plates for the back of the hands.

         

 

Today was the two big belt boxes, knee caps and trimming some parts of the helmet pieces. Making sure the trim on the faceplate will point towards my neck once applied.

       

 

 

Bit unsure in terms of the back of the helmet. How much is supposed to be trimmed off there?

   

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Hopefully these will help 

 

 

 

The "ideal" ear placement is as seen below, where the screws line up with the rear angle of the trap right above it.  Because some armorers design their helmets differently or send them pre-assembled this is not always possible to achieve, but it is suggested that you try to get as close as you can.

 

Note:  Top ear screws should ideally be located directly below the rear of the trap.

 

                                          

[Sly11[Admin]]

Excited to see another Fem trooper come together, great work so far

[Eleanor]

Thank you both!

Excited to build it and hopefully wear soon. There's an event on sunday and with a bit of luck it'll at least be wearable up until then. Not yet 501st approvable as i most likely lack the right shoes, but it's going to be a start.

 

Used the helmet tutorials a bit, but certainly need to trim a bit more again. Didn't sit as flush yet. At the same time i am a bit afraid to trim too much, so i might help myself with a bit of white foam to make it less noticeable. Going to see.

Did notice i might have to trim the eyes more, as they feel incredibly close to my eyelashes right now even withouth lenses in.

Here's a little overview of what is assembled already and only needs some more trimming and sanding to fit together nicely.

           

 

Aaand what was done in terms of helmet today. Experimented with brow height and general fitment. Got to admit, was scary at a few parts. And on one site the bottom screw doesn't grip both of the plates of the helmet's back and face. Ironically it was the same for the owner of the blog i am mostly following the steps of, so i suppose it'll be alright. Was rather careful with trimming that whole thing.

               

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Coming along nicely. Just watch any sharp corners/edges they can catch and leave you with "armor bites"  

 

[Eleanor]

Oh yeah!

That one is on the list to be trimmed and sanded again to create a smooth line instead of that big gap we got there right now. I got similar spots on the biceps and shins currently, too.

[Eleanor]

What a day...

 

We geared up almost entirely with tape just to see how things look and feel.
And oh boy was it required. We found out i am suffering from false posture thanks to an old injury from years ago. Extremely noticeable on the corset here. My right hip points forward a lot more than my left one. When fitted as we thought it should be things were quickly off after i started moving and a bit of the tape gave way. The pressure on my right hip was extremely uncomfortable and the whole thing looked off.

Experimenting around for a couple hours and almost getting frustrated, we ended up taking a break. Things just refused to sit right, or they sat what we perceived as 'right' but it felt painful to wear for me. The shoulders were taped on wrong here, we're aware they are not supposed to tilt like that. The entire chest and back pieces have yet to be somewhat adjusted to myself, all we did so far was trim and sand. Fitting those happens once the corset and kidney plate are sorted out. Helmet is, as anything else, wip as well. No padding yet, so i had a funny bobble-head effect almost.

       

 

We instead sanded the edges and other rough spots on all pieces (forgot to take pictuers, will do tomorrow), and removed even more from the codpiece for comfort. It does curve in a lot.

 

After our minds being taken off the previous corset issue, we made an unexpected but great discovery. In the end a simple washcloth does the trick. My left hip bone gets a little cushion, the corset only slightly tilts to one side if at all while moving and the pressure on my right hip is evened out. All neatly placed where the big belt boxes should end up being positioned later, so a good chunk is going to be hidden. Later down the line we might get a smaller piece to be less noticeable.

 

 

 

And to end today's post: Have some extremely awkward movements from me in the taped up and ill fitting version. Still wanted some nice shots while i feared that the tape would stop working any second haha.

 

 

Edited August 22, 2023 by Eleanor

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Using soft foam can also be used in place to keep armor in position and stop rubbing  

 

 

Also note in this image towards the end you see the chest piece pop up above the abdomen, perhaps tighter strapping may be needed (or don't salute )

 

Getting close

[Eleanor]

Getting close indeed, pardon the lack of daily update. We're focussing hard on getting it done for Sunday right now.

That my chest piece popped up above the abdomen was due to the latter fitting very poorly. Tilted sideways a lot. This was corrected in the following images.

Soft foam is going to be used a lot more than i had initially thought.
Thanks to my posture my right hip causes a lot of issues, so we'll be padding a couple areas around the hip to hopefully prevent discomfort while wearing the kit. I am quite scared of that, as i love how this all comes together and would hate to feel uncomfy in it right off the bat.

Over the last days we continued with snaps, painting of the teeth and vocoder on the helmet and making a little simulation how the eyes would look with lenses to cover it. In the third picture it is just a piece of black cloth for effect. Seeing how this shapes up more and more gives the needed boost to keep going.

   

 

I continued with preparing the little belt boxes, drilling holes into them. As well as test-fitting the biceps armor thanks to a tip to align the lower part of the biceps with the end of the shoulder bells. They sit great and don't hinder me at all when moving my arm.

     

 

Promptly marked where i had taped it for snap placement and got to glueing, so the E6000 gets enough time to cure. Waiting time was used to make the connecting straps of elastic and a couple more snap plates. Doubled over the elastics just to be save.

       

 

White velcro was added to the shins. A bit of a finnicky job, but doable with patience to get it placed just right. Soft side towards clothing, once again to save myself trouble later on when putting it all on. Don't want the other side to catch my yoga pants and leave marks.

Soft side points inwards - they are overlapping  'wrong' in the second picture on purpose. I took it seconds after placement of velcro and the packaging said to not put stress on it immediately so the adhesive can bond properly.

   

 

Ear pieces and trapezoids painted and later secured with clear coat.

   

 

Added snap bases for thighs and one for the chest armor on the corset, securely taped in and held together with neodym magnets while E6000 cures. Clamps used on the butt plate for snaps.

 

 

Workstation during night and basement storage during day.

 

It looks so chaotic in here...

   

 

Marked and glued in snap base placements

 

 

Did the belt and decided on placement for the belt boxes, finished drilling and screwing them in. Lack pictures of wip belt after initial placement.

 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2023 by Eleanor

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Looking good

[Eleanor]

Whew... what a weekend.

We basically finished the entire build with exception of the thermal detonator, the tube stripes and painting the visible screws on the helmet white. Added first padding here and there to make it more comfy. Vambraces now fit great and do not move around as much. Especially the hips on the corset remain a problematic area for me once the belt with the boxes is on and the thighs+knees are hanging from there too. With the padding it is bearable.

Have yet to make a fully kitted out picture so far. Taking pictures took a backseat role once we delved deep into "We wanna have this done for Sunday's event!".

 

   

 

We cleared some more space on the eyes in the faceplate, as what i had before with an assembled helmet was extremely little. Now with the visor i at least do not touch it with my eyelashes anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The visor has been trimmed down a good chunk from that last picture up there. Lenses are as close to the eyes of the faceplate as we could get them.

 

 

 

Did i make it to the event?
No. No i did not. Thanks to some all-nighters we pulled we fed the local mosquito and other bloodsucker population a good deal. One of them got me that good that my left leg no longer fit in the shin armor and was swollen. Moral of the story?
"Sometimes you lose, sometimes the others win."

 

After a little and well deserved break we're going to add some white foam to the space between helmet and ear pieces to tidy this area up more. Fan installation is going to be fun, figuring out the best positioning and airflow given how little space my head has in there. Good on me for having bought the smaller version from Henry's Helmet Fans, three 30mm ones. If anyone got recommendations for placement in general on FemTK buckets i'm all ears!

Last but not least - anyone got a good source for the tube stripes in black in europe by any chance? I'd like to not pay more shipping than actual item cost if possible. Drawing them by hand or trying around with selfmade stencils wasn't that good yet. But we will keep trying regardless.

Thank you to anyone that followed up till here, in a couple days a full picture of me in the kit is sure to follow! And after that the application for the German Garrison once i got the thermal detonator and possibly shoes worked out.

Edited August 28, 2023 by Eleanor

[Tilheyra[IPM]]

The speed and quality of your progress (and your armor!) are amazing!

[Sly11[Admin]]

HUGE progress Elanor and its looking fabulous.

TK armour isn't the most comfortable to wear and it's also not unusual to have restricted movement. I struggle with stairs in my armour, and yeah the visibility is limited lol.

 

The finish line is well in sight now, great work.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Nice work you many want to try and tighten your strapping from the shoulders to the shoulder bells as there is a bit of a gap there, it gets bigger with arms behind you in this image

 

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

Awesome! Great work! 

[Eleanor]

Thank you all for the kind words! They are most appreciated <3 Feels great seeing this thing in an almost complete state!

Now after a couple days of resting from speedrunning the bulk of this build i got back to it. Cleaned a few things up, removed globs of E6000 and tried how the whole thing sits now.
Thankfully i am no longer plagued by extreme discomfort around my hips. Maybe i wear the corset different now, the stress from trying out countless methods and padding things is gone or something else made 'click' ... but regardless of what the reason is, it felt great wearing it today for some shenanigans around the house. Stairs are quite alright, visibility is ... i gotta get used to it. Used to limited vision from other costumes already, so this should go fast. Very happy about the fact i can put it on completely by myself if i have a little raised area somewhere. Like a bed, couch or chair.

Ordered some universal helmet padding from amazon to get the helmet to sit properly before i put in my fans. After that there is only the need to get the detonator sorted out and add the tube stripes.

Saw we got a .pdf as a template - is it correct they are to be 16mm high?
 

 

Am 28.8.2023 um 22:52 schrieb gmrhodes13:

Nice work you many want to try and tighten your strapping from the shoulders to the shoulder bells as there is a bit of a gap there, it gets bigger with arms behind you in this image

 

I noticed it today again, we might have to redo the shoulder straps or see how well they behave when being done tighter.
Perhaps we glued them in a bit too high on the bells themselves - will experiment around with that on the weekend most likely. The strapping itself is supposed to sit flat on my undersuit, correct?

 

 

As customary at this point - some pictures and gifs for everyone's viewing pleasure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have accepted that my hip is just going to cause the armor to sit uneven at this point. Visible pretty good in the last picture, right knee is not covering the shin and the rectangles of the corset are pointing towards my eye and shoulder instead of straight up. Attempts to even it out tend to just make it worse visually or sacrifice comfort. Not keen on that. But as long as it isn't as bad as in the first test we did with tape a while ago i am happy with the results.
For direct comparison: Old vs new.

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Yes 16mm. Also note the fall of the tube stripes at the front  

[Eleanor]

Ah, perfect!

Would you mind explaining the fall a bit more to me? I am really bad with shapes and patterns like those...
I do see that the very first one's top end is tilted more outwards - the others are not like that though? So is it just the first stripe?

Going to visit a copyshop&graphics designers on monday to print me the tube stripes hopefully and would like to properly explain to them how it is supposed to look.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

 

11 hours ago, Eleanor said:

Would you mind explaining the fall a bit more to me? I am really bad with shapes and patterns like those...
I do see that the very first one's top end is tilted more outwards - the others are not like that though? So is it just the first stripe?

Yes the front stripe falls/leans outwards from the top but you can also see other stripes are positioned or angled a touch differently to others, some are also different widths, this is to give the impression that they are hand painted.

[Eleanor]

Thank you again! You've been extremely helpful, as is the rest of the detachment forum. Can't imagine how we would've done all of these things without everyone here <3

The store did print them, but they are a bit more straight instead of having that handpainted look.* I do hope it's going to be fine, but i found nothing stating otherwise on the Legacy FemTK CRL. So i guess i'll be good.

 

*Edit: Worded it kinda dumb.

They do have the curved aspect going on, they are not just straight rectangles. They just all look pretty much alike instead of slightly tilted and more varied as in the linked thread

 

Took some more full pictures (only the thermal det lacks currently) and later on will visit a local nerd store to derp around in uniform and garner some attention for the place.

  

  

 

Pardon the lack of updates!

I got my foster son over, but no worries he already is on the right track haha.
It runs in the family.

Edited September 14, 2023 by Eleanor

[revlimiter[Staff]]

Looks fantastic!!! When you're dancing in armor you know the finish line is near.

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

Awesome !! you look great !! congratulations !!

[Nairy[Staff]]

Looks amazing!  Congratulations!!