LePaul

I got my ATA Armor almost 2 years ago. I keep meaning to get to it but with two aluminum R2-D2s keeping me busy, the "play" time runs short. I've posted the usual un-boxing pictures a while back on my blog... http://stormtrooperpaul.blogspot.com/ Fast forward to last weekend, where a few of my 501st friends were at our regional R2 Builder get together (New England R2 Builders). They were gracious enough to help me sort thru my armor and figure out what needed to be trimmed and how tight. Some of the vacuum lines and edges were pretty hard to make out. And I know how to patch up aluminum, not ABS! Over the past few months, when I could make it here, I read about the iCOMM device and was really impressed. I purchased one and its in the stack-of-stuff. If you don't have one, Now I have lot's of questions I am hoping my new friends here can help out with! SHIMS...how wide? I understand the length of the pieces (arm, etc)... The pieces are trimmed but should these have straight edges? Here's what I have so far...me and my bucket, which my 501st friend did for me. Snipping and snipping and snipping ...and back at home, everything is laid out... (Please check my blog if the pics don't load up right.... Blog Link

One last question for the evening... It looks like shimming is required for the fore arms and legs as far as I can tell. At first I was looking at these pieces wonder which fit over the other...and after seeing armor from other builds, that's now how its done. So....how wide should the shim be? One inch wide and then the length of the piece?

I'm so glad I found this I just spent last weekend with some 501st guys at our R2 Builder meet up...I have ATA armor and i was very unsure (translated: Scared!) about where to trim on some of the pieces. With their help, I have all of my pieces trimmed and they were kind enough to even label where everything goes. Questions... 1) What size PVC pipe is that for the rear / cylinder pieces? 2) Shims....are you added a shim to the INSIDE and OUTSIDE of the armor glued together? Or just the inside....or...? 3) On the chest, there is a rectangular area that is empty, yet elsewhere in the armor kit, there is a piece of the similar size...should that go IN that rectabgular area or AROUND? (I'll get some pics) 4) I planned to make snap plates with the plastic and glue them in with the E6000. Somewhere, someone mentioned that E6000 and making contact with the snap metal is bad. Is that true? THANK YOU! Paul https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pauls-R2-D2/433737735192

Nice work, thanks for some great reference pics. I'm having an awful time filing the "teeth" out to be oval~ish

Love this thread. I almost dare start on my snap plates lol

HOW did you make those edges line up?? Impressive

I asked this in another thread but thought I would ask here too...is the E6000 glue all you need to bond the pieces together?

Using the E6000? Is E6000 all you need to glue everything together?

How did you make your snap plates? I am curious how the back, that gets glued inside, looks.

I'm curious that everyone uses MM instead of Imperial (sorry for the bad pun!)

That's the very tutorial I am using, I just couldn't see any really good pictures of the back of the helmet. Thanks for that photo....the sides by the tubes had me concerned....but that is exactly how mine looks now. Once I finishing icing my fingers, back to more trimming! Those lexan scissors hurt!!

After several weeks of looking at tutorials and pictures, off I go! One question I have...cutting the bucket back portion....should I be cutting more away? Maybe I'm being too jittery....with the front held in place, I keep second guessing how the sides pop out and the trimming. Ah...maybe the ears cover it all up and all will be well... (don't mind my droids in the background)

Umm, what stormtrooper?

Good advice....will do! One last question....has anyone used the Gel-formula superglues?

Okay, so that answered most of my anxiety...you'd think after two aluminum R2-D2 builds, nothing scares me anymore with assembly! As someone pointed out, isnt the bottom of the snap exposed? So add another layer of plastic to it and carefully glue around the exposed metal? If they are putting snaps in material like nylon, how do they glue that into the armor? I'm not sure I could find anything local like CA Glue. Again, thanks for all the replies!

Will Halloween around the corner, I am planning an all out offensive to get my ATA Armor trimmed and assembled over the coming week. I've searched the many threads on assembly and how to piece everything together but how to get snaps into the armor remains a bit fuzzy for me. I thought cutting strips of webbing material, installing the snap and gluing it to the armor would be a good idea...but I see E-6000 might get really warm and melt armor if it comes in contact with the snap. Yikes! I have bought a bulk of jean-style snaps and plenty of white and black webbing material. What's the best means to get a snap secured into the armor? Thanks!

Wow....if she had drilled too hard, you might've been SCREWED

More pictures of progress.... http://stormtrooperpaul.blogspot.com/2011/10/examining-what-to-trim-gloves-and-sound.html

One item I seem to have overlooked getting is the canvas belt....I see TrooperBay has them. Is that what most use?

Thanks for that hi-res picture....see its tidbits of information like THAT I need to get before cutting Today my nomex gloves arrived, they aren't a solid black all around but should work I did a test cut with the Dremel EZ Lock (larger, fine cutting discs) and noticed a good deal of melting, which easily sanded/filed off. Should I be using a different cutting wheel?

Probably not right off, I have a very busy droid schedule....but eventually....

BTW....New Hampshire? I'm in Maine

Looks like we are starting at the same spot! I was leery about the back piece, looked like it was fine at first glance...but viewed from under it, i see a fair amount needs trimming. Debating dremel or scissors....

Well thought I should start a blog.... http://stormtrooperpaul.blogspot.com/

I decided now was as good a time as any to start working on the armor....no more wimping out! I quickly ran out of space to upload reduced-sized pictures (may I have more?)....I would like to know if the lines I have traced look right to everybody before I even attempt any trimming! THANK YOU