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Shins! Wanted to do a twist on the magnetic closure by @Cricket. I did this on my OTTK, but was always concerned that the magnets didn't have enough hold on the plastic. This time I am enclosing the magnets in plastic with a larger flange for more surface area. Drilled the holes Magnets on the outer shin Inside view, plenty of room Tight closure

The Icomm has an internal battery and after a few years it will die, you can either get a replacement from Icomm or elsewhere or modify to using a 3.7v AA battery, I used this method as I use these batteries for other projects plus it's rechargeable

I got a 30 pack on Amazon so hopefully once those come in I can start gluing a few things at once.

With how some have been filling their yokes/back plates try to leave a small gap when you apply glue and fill with ABS paste, sand and polish then you won't have to paint that area

Personally I'd stick with E6000, easy to pry apart if you need to make changes (sizing up or sizing down) which is very useful if you do sell in the future. Make sure you rough up both areas you are gluing with some coarse sandpaper before applying glue, gives the glue something to bond too. Most parts not under strain leave dry for 24 hours, any parts under any strain leave 48 - 72 hours.

You can never have enough magnets, clamps or tape

You will normally see a little raised. You may notice the angle of the outer side isn't as flat as the inside, I normally heat the side a little and gently bend and hold until it cools, this will help it lay flatter BUT don't attempt unless you are confident with using heat on ABS plastic, always pays to practice first.

My recommendation, if you aren’t familiar with the armor building and are concerned in the slightest that you may need to undo something and try again later, stick with E6000. E6000 takes a lot longer to set and cure for sure, but it’s more forgiving. CA glues, “cement” type glues stuff like that are usually one time and set they also set a lot faster which means you have to pretty accurate from the start. What’s even worse is if you do make a mistake, taking them apart can be very damaging to the armor. So probably could use it yes, but it has its drawbacks. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Got it! Thanks! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Don't use too much glue on joins so you won't have to remove any for filling with ABS paste (slurry)

Cracking and repair unfortunately is more of a when rather than an if in this costume business, that being said I’ve learned from my old FOTK (which was fiberglass not abs) and my scout trooper that the best thing to do is scout out areas of flexing that are more likely to develop cracks. Or corners that are sharper than others. For flex areas I recommend installing strengthening plastic behind to help add durability. Like I did with my shoulder bridges and my ab edges on my current OTTK build. Especially areas with raised detail like the shoulder bridges you see here. For areas with sharp edges give them a little rounded off corner rather than a sharp one as that will dissuade cracks from forming where sharp edges are more likely. For example the posterior armor I’ve curved the corners near the bottom a bit so they aren’t sharp. A reason you’ll want to consider most on the fotk, the yoke shoulders for certain. Look into using the shoulder bracket method. Not only does it reinforce, but it also sets up the little tab that protrudes for the shoulders to rest on for better accuracy. Ab armor will bend no matter what. I can’t say exactly the best areas to reinforce there as it’s all one huge piece, but considering abs builds have you using a rear cover strip and then abs paste to fill and smooth that’s going to help where I would see cracks on mine. Forearms have lots of corners and edges to just keep your eye on. The area between the back and yoke pieces may be a place of stress to consider. And the spats…those things are royal buttheads for flexing and stuff so definitely worth finding where to reinforce those in my opinion if that helps. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I missed (funny) that it was for an FOTK build, I used JB weld on any areas that needed strong bonding, it is sandable too which was good. For any flexing areas I still used E6000

Congrats and welcome to the ranks!

Trimmed the other bicep and added foam to that one as well! They poke into the arm pit just a little bit but not much at all. Is this normal? Could I trim the part that’s near the armpit? Or should the bicep sit a little lower? Thanks for all the help! I really appreciate it!

That was my concern as well, I want to make sure the yoke and ABs don’t flex or crack. Thanks for the advice and feedback, lots to think about. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Mannn, there are a million different brands of ABS-specific glues and bonding agents, so there's no 100% "right" answer for this, and the one you linked might work great! Many of the products you're going to hear suggested in here are suggested because they are easy to find for most people and have worked consistently well for builders when used correctly in specific situations. Doesn't mean something else won't work even better - it just might not be tried and true. Everyone has their favorite brand from personal experience as well. Same as to what glue to use overall - you just have to look at the different variables and figure out what you need from that bond and what glue is right for the situation. Most of the time, this info is on the product label or can be found online, but you gotta be thinking about things like: - How long does it take to bond? - What type of materials is it made to bond? - How strong is the bond (psi?)? - Will the bond remain flexible? - What viscosity is it and will it run, spread, or craze? - How much product is required and are runs or seepage removable/easy to clean? - Is the bond reversible or removable, or permanent? - What color is it once dry and does it cause discoloration or damage paint? - Is it sandable or gap-filling? - Does it expand or produce heat that may cause warping? - Does it require clamping or a catalyst? - Is it a single or two-part you mix and how is it dispensed? - How does it age? Does it become brittle or weaken over time? I'm decently into this as a hobby but am not an expert by any means, and I still probably have 10-15 different types of glue in my drawer (but use 3-4 regularly). You may not be able to check every single requirement box with the products you have available, but it may be worth buying a new product, or seeing if you are able to compromise to make it work. But that being said, since we're talking DN FOTKs and we're both based in California (glue, like paint, can be regional) - I've mostly been using E6000 (I like the medium size tubes with the pointed tip) on the overlapped areas of the arms and legs where they will need to remain flexible. In areas where I am adding ABS slurry to fill seams (shoulders and ab sides), I wanted the pieces to be a little more rigid and not flex much or ever come apart, to avoid potentially cracking the slurried areas. I used a 2-part Loctite plastic bonder, but I'm not sure I would recommend it due to the color and seepage, but in general it wasn't bad and produced a strong, pretty stiff bond. I put down a couple strips of tape on my bench, then dispensed and mixed/applied it with a small popsicle stick. To apply the greeblie clips and such, I used Satellite City CA Hot Stuff Special T and kicked it with NCF Quick with positive results. Hope that helps!

Hey what's up! My name is Cormac and I joined the FISD to look at and maybe become a Storm trooper (in the future.) I am 18 years old and I am working on joining the 501st as a AT-ST driver (It's cheaper and will be easier to carry around since I'll be going to college soon.) I know I want to eventually make a armored costume for the 501st but for now it's time for me to become a chicken leg driver! Hoorah! Anyways might as well post my progress here (and yes before anyone ask I did already join the ACD.) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the feedback, gang! Glad to know that things are looking mostly right given that this is my first "complete" piece (I still have a minor bit of trimming at the bottom and mobility cuts). For now, I am going to hold of on heating unless it is an absolute necessity. Maybe once I am at full confidence of what I am doing I will revisit heating. Now to wait for the sniper knee to finish curing.

Will do! Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Take all piercings off beforehand [emoji23] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Echoing the heat comment. ABS has the tendency to be super rigid and then have like 2 seconds of the perfect point before it warps and burns bad if using a heat gun. So do be careful and practice if you go that route Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The rear strip will be a little raised due to the connecting methods, your shin looks decent to me. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok thanks! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I’d say E6000 for the whole armor. It’s what I’ve used and it’s very strong when it cures for what you need. The risk you run with “permanent” bonds is if you ever need to or want to make adjustments it’s a nightmare. With how strong e6000 is in general you should be fine using it for the entirety of the gluing portion of your armor. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Yeah I think by the end of my process building out things I had probably 20-30 magnets (mostly to help me glue multiple things overnight at once) some spots you want to double up the magnets for added strength. I usually used a strong clamp on the ends of each strip though and then magnets between. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I took today to attempt to close the right shin with velcro. I placed one piece the inside of the cover strip and another where the cover strip lands/lines on the shin. I THINK I did it right but had some minor concern regarding it possibly showing a bit raised due to the velcro. Also, forgive the Rebel hat on my partially complete helmet. My wife put it there today thinking she was funny.

Congratulations on centurion

I feel like I can share some of these here now:

Chest indent mod & Question: Here is the sanded indent piece. I used a belt sander to speed up the process. After it was sanded I drew in the lines of where to cut on the chest. I used a dremel to cut the rectangle out of the armor. My palms were sweaty, knees weak, arms were heavy lol. I was scared, but I took my time and did it as carefully as possible and I am happy with how it turned out. There was very little space to fill on either side when it was done. I then glued from behind using two part epoxy. After allowing the glue to dry I added filler to the crack and sanded. After I was done I added a coat of primer to see how it is looking. **QUESTION** If you look closely in the last photo you can see the outline of the filler/piece itself through the primer slightly. Will this go away with more coats of primer and once the actual paint is put on, or does it require more sanding? Thank you everyone!

Trying something new. I bought the 3D files that @Cricket used for her son's build. Its an almost perfect match on forearms with IS, so instead of 3D printing the forearms (was not able to get the front to pull up without cracking it), I will combine the two for better definition. The pull is soft and not much detail, other have rebuilt with plastic but I really don't trust my scratch building and having it hold up under trooping conditions. Here's the original: Created the lip in ABS, looks like a bracelet. Decided to do a shelf at the rear part so that the plastic is glued from two angles. This shot is the piece overlaid on the plastic (not cut yet) Success! Joint behind the 3D is filled with epoxy putty. Now to do more sanding. Nice and crisp from the side

Hello and welcome aboard, a great thread full of helpful info here Research is the key to this hobby, I'm sure the guys and gals at Redback's also guide you one your way Good luck, hope to see a build thread from you soon

The 1500, stand and be counted!

Here is the forearm fix and build up. I added a thicker backplate and bonded it to the forearm with abs paste. I added a thinner exterior piec of armor scrap of abs to the top. this thinner piece still had the protective plastic. I them seam welded with more abs paste. The added benefit of leaving the exterior plastic was quick cleanup and less paste left over to sand. The paste doesn't bond to the protective sheet. While this wasn't initially planned, I really liked how this accident turned out! It is definitely beefier and should hold up much better for extended durability.

Yeah I have already joined the ACD you can see my build thread there to if you want. It's under the AT-ST but I wanted to join some of the other detachments as well incase I want to make a costume from that detachment in the future. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk