SapaWanmdi

It's been a long road, but I am now TK-4563!

Requesting 501st status for TK-4563 http://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=13094

I found my hair (in a pony tail) didn't stay under the neckseal, and fell out the back of the helmet some. So I put mine in a bun now. First troop I didn't use a balaclava or anything, and was driven crazy by stray hairs in my mouth I couldn't get out - so currently I just tie a bandanna over it, as I haven't invested in a balaclava yet. I haven't had any issues with it, so I don't think I'm gonna worry about changing.

Great to hear! Thanks for the replies

I have 1/4th inch of velcro on the back of the shins, which does the trick - but I didn't know they didn't get shut. I probably should trim the wrists, but my wrists are so skinny I already swim inside the forarms

After several months, I can finally say "I'm done!" but not really. What do I need to fix for EIB There are a few things I notice, but I'll have to get one of the guys in the garrison to help me take photos and let me know things like my shin isn't closed. Turned in my 501st application today! Other photos posted at http://s323.photobucket.com/albums/nn476/sapawanmdi/armor/

Armor is getting really close to finished. I still need to work on the belt, and putting the ammo plate on the right thigh, and attaching handplates. How do you attach ABS handplates to gloves, just elastic? This is how it looks currently.

I ordered my custom belt from TKittel on Saturday - it arrived in the mail today! (2 days later) I'm amazed at the speed, and spent the day working on strapping stuff together instead of writing papers for college Any tips for how to get the buttplate to work better? I had the elastic a tad shorter and it seemed too tight, just a smidge longer, and it's doing this now. Sorry about the flash.

I have to be one of the worst people ever at posting pictures here. I'm sorry More images can be found at http://s323.photobucket.com/albums/nn476/sapawanmdi/armor/ TM 2010 Helmet finished I couldn't get the lighting to work at all for the next pictures, tried many times, these are the best I could get. Is it ok to have the sides overlap like they do, or do I need to trim it down? It looks like I have the elastic on the buttplate too short, so I'll fix that. As you can tell from the shadows of the above pic of my thighs, I need to put some meat on these bones! But aside from that, does everything look like it's in the right place

Sorry I haven't been posting any pictures - I'll try to do that today when I get home. I've gotten lots of work done, slowly of course. I started glueing in snap plates and getting everything to fit - and have one question. Because I'm smaller than a lot of troopers the back piece on my armor will overlap the kidney by about an inch and a half unless I trim it or something. What should I do? I'd like to keep it as screen accurate as possible, when I finish I do want to get EIB.

Thanks! That worked perfectly! The hole got a little big, so I put a washer on the outside as well. Will still be under the ear though.

Until just now, helmet progress has been great. This is what it currently looks like. The first three rivets went just fine, but I had my dad's help holding everything where I wanted it. Tired from the first three rivets, being a skinny little 120lb 19 year old guy with little to no upper-body strength, I let him help with the rivet gun part of the last rivet. He twisted it, and ripped the rivet right out of the hole - leaving the inside piece cracked from the hole to the edge of the piece. I'm really not sure how to repair this - please help!

Today's progress: Crude trimming for holes in the faceplate done, I think the back piece is finished, except for around the neck - haven't trimmed there at all. I think it's lining up right, but I haven't started the ears yet. The back piece is a lot larger near the tubes than the faceplate, but when I rivet it together, it should work perfectly. This is my first helmet - none of the guys in the local area have assembled a 2 piece helmet before

Thanks guys

Still have the same questions as in the post above - how the shoulders work in Stukatrooper's method, and any function on the rivets under the belt. For the strapping it looks like they're connect together - and the strap somehow rests on the back of your neck without falling - no idea on the rivets under the belt. But I also have some progress to post. Armor party was moved to next week - my friend's dog got lost I'm fairly happy with how these have turned out. I know the brush strokes were evident on the originals in the movie, but these seem quite evident. And I finally got some straight lines on the thermal detonator! Trimming from the inside was exactly what I needed to do. Its hard to see where to trim the top/bottom, but from what I've gathered I should trim about here on the top side. Can anyone please post a picture of where you trimmed the bottom side - it's hidden much more in photos.

The only thing I have left to trim is the helmet! (and the thermal detonator plate - which I'll get help with tomorrow - the lines still don't seem straight) Gluing will happen tomorrow, when I have another set of hands to help - and clamps. So, I'm looking at how all the pieces work together. I've been planning on using a strapping system like Stukatrooper does. I just have a few questions. How do the shoulders connect in this style of strapping? Another question can anyone tell me about the rivets that are under the belt, or post where I can find more about them. Do these serve a functional purpose? Like on this image. http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy171/ste1972/DSCF3019.jpg I plan on having the single male snap on the right side, and the six rivets on the left, and making them function like the snaps like Stukatrooper. All the armor I've encountered in my local garrison uses extensive Velcro to hold everything together. I think this method looks like more work to start, but at least I'll be able to dress myself, and I won't encounter loose Velcro pieces, or have the Velcro stick to my UnderArmor. One troop in a friend's armor helped me decide I definitely dont't want to do it that way.

This is my first time trying to paint latex, is this how these hand plates should look? Shoulder straps are looking good. There is so little left to trim! On the ammo plate (thingy) for the belt - TM drew a line 38mm from the edge of the boxes, on his TM build Stukatrooper said to trim at 45mm. My armor will already be too perfect to be screen-accurate, but which is it supposed to be I'm still having issues trying to get the lines straight on the thermal detonator's control panel - any suggestions for that?

Today's progress, we're having another armor party on Thursday, so I'm waiting till then - for an extra pair of hands to start the gluing. Getting everything else done before then. I'm going out of town for 3 weeks soon, so I'll miss working on this a ton! Gotta get my fix before then I originally thought I might need to trim the inner drop boxes more, to make them fit more flush with the backs of the outer ones, but I think it looks fine now. The button plate on the left looks so wonky, isn't it wonderful! It fits on perfectly too, the smaller set of buttons are taped on in the picture, because they kept falling off. Looks like they're ready for paint! I've also been working on painting the latex hand plates, and trimming the shoulder strap pieces, but neither is finished yet.

Had my first troop today, I wasn't wearing my armor, because it's still not finished. Rather, I was wearing a friend's FX kit. It was tons of fun, and hopefully will keep me from getting as distracted from armor. I didn't expect it to be has hard as it was though, this stuff gets heavy after a few hours! So from that, and not sleeping out of excitement - this is all I got done today. Its coming slowly but I love it! With Anakin's Podracer at the museum, and Jen's droid. Most of the group. I'm the short one on the far left, next to Sev. I can't wait to troop for the first time in my own armor, but it was great to be able to join the guys in armor for once!

Thanks! I love how exact you have everything, its absolutely incredible. What should the dimension be for the other direction, you drew a line on one size, 10mm from the edge of the ribbed strip, how far from the circle should I cut the other side?

With free time currently hard to come by, I'm just piecing away at it. Currently the Thermal Detonator, I'm happy with the end caps, but I'm not sure where to trim the control panel at. Where do I need to trim this piece at?