silverBoyd

ok....I"ll plan on putting 3 sets of snaps on the butt to the kidney and also 3 snaps from the kidney to the lower region of the main back piece. I bought a set or suspenders that have the alligator clips attached. I really want to utilize them. I'm thinking of taking off the alligator clips and attaching some snaps to the bottom of the suspenders that will in turn, connect to the the inside of the ab piece and then to the upper portion of the kidney plate? I've been searching for pics of how others did the strapping but haven't found too many. I think I'm just overthinking ot all really. How's the best way to close in both sides of the lower torso armor? Since I'm a bigger build than the average Stormtrooper, I have roughly 5" or so where I'll need to shim the gap closed. I'm thinking FOR SALE sign riveted in place permanently to the left side but on my right side between the ab and kidney plate...what's my best way of going about that part so that I can still get in and out to put it on? Like I said, I think I'm overthinking everything too much Also, should I use ABS Glue in small doses to glue in my snap plates so that they stay secure? I was thinking of using E6000 but E6000 has a little bit of flexibility, right?

Thanks for the tip Brian. Any advice on getting a hole punched through the elastic and soft velcro? I've sketched up a few ideas for strapping. I'm planning on using a shim to close the one side of the "clamshell" and closed it off using rivets. But for the side that will close after I'm inside. How should I go about that closure? Using canvas to close it off? Using the FOR SALE sign material like I'll use on the other side that will be riveted except I'll velcro the shim in?

Yeah, the snaps are taking some time. I got about 15 male snaps & snap plates made up. Now I need to make the female snaps that will be attached to elastic. Question - Did you just use the elastic and the soft velcro that was included in the AM kit? I'm wondering if I can put the female snaps and button covers attached through the soft velcro that is already sewn onto the straps that came with the kit. I just didn't want to spend anymore $ on elastic unless I really have to.

making some snap plates for my heavy duty snaps. I picked up some 1.0mm (0.040" thick) Styrene Plastic sheets at my local Hobbytown shop. $4 for 2 sheets isn't too bad of a price I guess. I was thinking of cutting up some FOR SALE sign material but thought this stuff would be a bit more durable since I had experience using styrene sheets to hand make parts for my T21 Blaster build a few months ago. Not sure why but I decided to use my curved Lexan scissors to give the snap plate bases nice rounded corners. (Those scissors are not made for people with big fingers) Tonight I'm hoping to get the butt & kidney plates attached together **just a side note - Is it just me or does anyone else on here watch the movies or listen to the soundtracks while assembling armor?**

Isaac...you ROCK brother. Thanks for the tips. Right now I'm gluing on the final ABS cover strip to one of my forearms and watching Empire Strikes Back. I'd love to see a pic of two of the rivets as well as the inside snaps and what-not of your inner torso. Especially the shim on the side of the ab / kidney piece if you don't mind. I'm skipping the thighs at the moment. I'm wanting to get at least the ab and kidney fitted by tomorrow so that I can justify how high my thighs need to go without bumping into the lower cod region, y'know? I can already tell that my AM chest and back molded straps will have to be cut down significantly. As far as the biceps....I did heat them up with a heat gun and slightly shaped them to be less oval. You can really feel a bit more room once they're on the correct way. I can still feel a slight "bite" but I think everyone experiences that. I have been in contact with my local garrison since last July. Have even been a "wrangler" for them at a Star Wars Night Hockey Game event. No armor parties though. Unfortunately. That's why I'm always on these forums and the Carolina Garrison forums asking for tips, researching, etc... This build is straight-on TD. I finished my MTK helmet last year, already built my backpack, I've completed a Hasbro E-11 mod with a Doopydoos Resin Kit and I have built a T21 (Lewis Gun) Blaster from scratch. All I need to do now is finish this armor build, get dirty and get approved. I also already have all of my pieces like the boots, pauldron, etc. Still need to make a neck seal though.

Had to pause working on my armor this afternoon. Our washing machine decided to overflow and flood my hallway. Now i'm just sitting down to "try to" fit the torso to myself with a dry fitting (using painters tape). It's daunting. I have seemed to fit the ab/cod, kidney and butt plate roughly using suspenders and tape and it look ok. No pictures yet. Nothing worth seeing. I can already tell that I have a good 5-6" on both sides between the cod/abs and the kidney plates. So that's some shimming I can already see in my future. That's one reason I bought the AM armor. It's built for the bigger trooper in mind. Any tips? How should I approach the torso? It's looking overwhelming already.

Woke up this morning and started to work on gluing the forearm halves together. I'll add the finishing cover strips tonight to finish them. I'm really pleased with how they fit. At the wrists I have just enough room to tuck in my gloves. I originally thought I'd have to taper the cuts but a few straight cuts in the "crescent moon" shaped halves brought the wrists in nicely. One side may have a very slight taper but it's not obvious it's a tapered cut. Especially after I put on the ABS cover strips. Next up today, taking a heat gun to my finished biceps to give them a more rounded opening rather than the oval shaped openings they currently have. After the bicep are fixed i'll start the thighs are possibly dive into sizing / test fitting the upper body areas. Im curious to try out my suspenders I bought for holding up the abs / kidney / butt plates. More updates & pics to come later today after I take my daughters to play at the park

I'm on a mission to make some major progress on my build this weekend. Waiting for my inner shims for the butt joint assembly to cure on the forearms. Some say that the arm pieces don't need inner shims but I like the idea of the extra strength. Took me about 45 minutes to finally get the best fit for my forearms. They feel good. Think I have enough clamps?

I've been swamped at work with deadlines as well as everyday family life. Haven't had much time to work on my armor since Tuesday. The only pieces I have completed so far are the biceps (which I'm taking a heat gun to today to open them up more), the shins and the helmet. I'm planning on getting ALOT accompolished by the end of the weekend. I have all of my torso pieces trimmed and edges sanded smooth. Now I just need to fit them to my body and trim. Also, planning on finishing my forearms and thighs this weekend too. For some reason the thighs seem daunting to me. I know i'll have to possibly cut 1-2" from the top becuase otherwise they dig into me. But i'll just have to wait and see once i do a test fitting.

you're putting my AM build to shame. The only pieces I have completed are the biceps (which I'm taking a heat gun to today), the shins and the helmet. I'm planning on getting ALOT accompolished by the end of the weekend. I have all of my torso pieces trimmed and edges sanded smooth. Now I just need to fit them to my body and trim. Your armor is looking good. I'm building my armor to become a TD, so I won't have the ribbed shoulder connections.

Thanks for the tip man.

Thanks Isaac...I'll try the heat gun / hairdryer process. Think i can heat and squeeze out the shape while they're already butt-joined? I got to get it fixed....otherwise the plastic is going to cut into me. It already is if I turn them the way they're suppose to.

yeah....my bicep pieces are an oval shape. I can tell they'll already be the most uncomfortable pieces. These biceps are going to be the bane of my existence. I tried wearing them correctly turned to see how it felt and the biceps for the AM kit are too oval shaped. I've already assembled them using the butt joint and outer cover strip method. But if I have them turned on my arm like they're suppose to be then I will have no mobility and can hardly lift my arms up to put on or take off my helmet. Perhaps I'm not lining them up properly in the mirror.

yeah....the bicep is just on my arm right now. I know it will line up to the shoulder bell groove but when you put your arm in the flex position...isn't the thumbprint on the top of your bicep? The way the AM armor is it feels like you can only put the bicep on one direction that's comfortable. I feel like if I rotated the bicep when I have the armor on I won't be able to get my arms up to take my helmet on and off.

As it is now...I bend my thumb into my palm and I have to squeeze my hand in and out of the wrists. Plus there's just enough left to tuck my gloves into

My wife helped me size up the forearms again. I haven't trimmed them yet. Wanted to get an ok that they look ok. Also decided to throw on my bicep and MTK helmet just for fun. Feels like the forearms fit better and I don't think I'll have to taper the cuts. What you think?

I got the Velcro and cover strip on the rear of my right shin but i just tried on the left shin (which also has my TD sniper knee plate) and I'm finding that every step I take....the sniper kneeplate hits my knee. Anyone else have this problem? I'm thinking I may also have to come up with a way to add an inner shim perhaps. The fronts are already glued and cured and I think i need to come up with a way to add an iner shin to the inside of my left shin. Any ideas? I feel like the back is just closing around my calf. I'm worried that it won't look good if it doesn't close all the way.

Thanks Isaac. I too am using the butt-joint method with FOR SALE on the inside and the nice ABS strips on the outside. I took about 1" on both sides of the smooth crescent forearm half. Still feeling too large (mostly @ my wrists). Now I think I will taper the cuts to bring the wrists closer together. Also, I got the Velcro and cover strip on the rear of my right shin but i just tried on the left shin (which also has my TD sniper knee plate) and I'm finding that every step I take....the sniper kneeplate hits my knee. Anyone else have this problem?

looking really great! I've been following your AM build thread for inspiration. I'm working on my forearms now after completing the shins. Did you find you had to taper the forearm when you cut it to fit you?

Thanks...that was the answer I was looking for. I was trying to imaging being able to stuff the lower half of gloves inside the forearm. Think I may try to work on the forearms tonight. Here are some shots of the first trimming of my forearm. Seems like I need to taper the cuts of (1) of the forearm halves to be able to bring the wrists in nicely. I took an inch from both sides and they're too opened @ the wrists. Just took the clamps off from the sniper plate. Looks good. I tried on my shin and I am glad that the E6000 and the butt-joint shims hold on nicely and the shin open up quite a bit for me. Also, I hit up my local fabric store and picked up my heavy duty snaps for all of my armor strapping as well as some white canvas that I will cut to size and stitch the edges for my Sandtrooper shoulder straps. I'll have plenty more canvas leftover so I may do a run of canvas straps in the future. I'll keep you all posted if I do that.

Here are some pics of my progress so far... MTK Helmet is 100% completed (handpainted "decals", 8 teeth cut from frown, flat dark green lenses, fan system, hard hat liner installed) Biceps (assembled using butt-joint method w/ outer cover strips) Shoulder Bells (return edges trimmed...length to be determined) Forearms (return edges removed...awaiting butt-joint assembly) Ab / Cod Piece (return edges trimmed...crotch strap rivets and Sandtrooper buttons to be added) ***Chest Piece and Ammo Belt shown were just to give me an idea of how it looked. Haven't done anything to them yet.*** One question regarding the forearms. I've read lots of forearms where people have asked about the size of the wrist openings. I have a pair of the black latex gloves with the rubber handguards attached to them on order. Are the gloves worn before slipping on the forearms or can you put the gloves on afterwards?

Thanks for the archive photo

Starting to trim up my ab/cod piece. I know that I don't need the underside of the cod to extend this far. But would it be ok if I trimmed it out where I have the blue line shown?

not bad, huh?

Last night I glued on the outer cover strips for both shins. I'll post pics later once I get the clamps and what not off of them. Now just to attach the Velcro to the rear shin opening and attach the rear cover strip. I have to say, I tried patiently to try to cut the cover strips as straight as I could get them with the score n snap method....but no matter how slow I did it it still have a few flaws. I doubt anyone will be able to spot them but I know they aren't perfect. I sanded the flaws and they look better now. On to the thigh pieces. When I did a test taping to my own thigh I noticed that the AM thighs are very long. I need to test fit the thighs while wearing my front cod piece as well as the shins I think. Fromt what I can tell, I'm going to have to trim off at least a good inch or more from the tops because as they are now I gaurantee that they will interfere with the lower torso/cod piece. But one good thing that may come from having to trim the tops of the thighs...I can now give both the left and right thigh armor tops the proper look as seen on the Sandtroopers in A New Hope. When I do trim the thigh tops I know the return edge will be gone. That's 501st acceptable right? I just don't want to go through the hassle of buying an iron to recreate return edges and risk ruining the ABS armor.