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Nicky

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Posts posted by Nicky

  1. New Trooper Project-Day Zero

    in Hard Armor (General Discussion)

    Posted · Edited by gmrhodes13
    link not working, removed gmrhodes13 2021

    Various TK's:

    I chose ANH Stunt because I wanted gray teeth, flat square-ish handguards, flat black-green lenses, a thermal detonator on the back, and nice butt joint everywhere but rear calves. ANH has blaster holster on the left side. Those details differ in the other movies and I personally think they are the most obvious details.

     

    ANH Hero has bubble lenses, shorter teeth line, comlink piece if you're into it... that's was the only thing that strikes me.

     

    If you focus your choice on the helmet you can scroll down on this and pick the prettiest one :)http://www.starwarsh...sub-submenu.htm Then you make the whole costume fit the single TK you chose according to CRL and blu-ray reference pics which is basically tons of details no one who is normal pays attention to. Don't hybrid.

     

    EDIT: that link is much better: ------------

     

    Note that most kits are more appropriate to either ANH, ESB or ROTJ, for example the kidney and butt-plate are fused in ROTJ and many kits come with split butt/kidney. I think AP kit comes with one piece butt/kidney so that would be the way to go for ROTJ at EIB level or higher.

     

    Shimming the ab and kidney gab:

    Shimming is only needed for EIB/Centurion. I have a T/MC kit, my body is 5 feet 911/16, 180 lbs and I'd have to shim but I didn't go around doing it yet.

    I don't think leaving extra plastic when trimming kidney plate and ab plate will do the trick as it isn't "quality plastic" past the marked line. So you can use finishing strips matching the same kit you order, there's usually enough for shimming (since you only have to do it on one side). Then you can work the seam lines with silicone caulk if you really want a single clean thin gap.

     

    EDIT: I don't think it's about fat bellies but your bone structure and the plate scale. When you fit the ab/kidney you heat the parts and increase the curve so it "wraps around you", the more you bend the closer both ends get to eachother. You can suck in your belly if that's where your lbs ended, but your ribcage or pelvis will not squeeze itself.

     

    Han Solo:

    We're all part of the Han Solo Anonymous support group.

  5. New Trooper Project-Day Zero

    in Hard Armor (General Discussion)

    Posted · Edited by Nicky

    EIB and Centurion are not really for pre-built but a prestige program for those who went the extra mile. Their CRL are a good checklist for making an accurate TK all the way down to basic requirement level. We all tried to keep EIB/Centurion in mind when doing the basic trim/assembly, in case we apply for EIB/Centurion then we will be asked to do only smaller modifications and not have to replace a sniper plate for example. But the EIB/Centurion application often turns into a list of modifications to do, according to the extra mile principle, sometimes things that aren't stated in the CRL like fitting, that's why you should make it yourself from the start, 10 months is way enough for that :)

     

    That are tons of stuff we can tell you:

     

    -The best looking and most technically advanced TK's have essentially nothing to do with EIB / Centurion. Some advanced mods may prevent you from getting EIB / Centurion certification. Some EIB/Centurionable details will make your kit look less "idealized" depending on movie/TK.

    -Your son won't care if you paid 15k or 25k or have an EIB badge or not on this forum.

    -The experienced builders will apply fitting and assembly that worked for their body and only experimented pre-building for others who ended up ripping parts out and modding anyway.

    -The best looking kit is untrimmed so the attention to details is on you and not on how much the pre-builder gets paid or tortured :) And if the reference chosen is one of the least worked on TK in the movie then this is how good looking it will get.

    -We won't stop you from becoming a screen accurate stormtrooper with a 501st legion ID for whichever reason or means you come to it.

    -Not all of us build their own costumes. Some get help, like, way too much help, and keep all the credit because we assume everyone built their own costume. I don't understand them but it's not really my business. Building makes me happy.

     

     

    And lastly, I will get stoned for this:

     

    -Football player or not, your width/height ratio isn't "screen accurate", inside the armor it doesn't make much difference where you put those lbs. The stormtrooper costume will make an athlete look fat unless you're much taller and lucky in your modding and fitting. Stormtroopers in the movies are all tall and slim. That's why most of us use shims on the sides, for our extra pancakes.

     

    It is not really a problem but you did say "most everything" and that's something to base your decision on: use your 10 months and DIY.

     

    PS: Some people are scared to DIY because the search engine on this forum is not so good and don't find the information easily and quickly enough..

  7. Wallet/phone when trooping?

    in Hard Armor (General Discussion)

    Posted · Edited by Nicky

    In every civilized country in the world you need an ID, and unless there's a locker fastened to the building and a padlock on it, I'm not separating myself from my only means to identify myself or catch a trip home. The odds of incidents happening aren't defined by one person's vision applied on others in hostile tones.

     

    For biobreaks you can partially de-kit. If you grab your neck wallet by pulling on the string you can take some money out in 15 seconds. You need to check if your kids at home are fine, go hide behind curtains for 1 minute. If you can eat/drink cleanly in your suit to save 30 minutes then why not. Mobility, strange objects sticking out? Please. It's a full body armor.

     

    Every hour can make a huge difference for charity. Many troopers think about trooping as a 3 hours straight job tops. Well 3 hours is when I have to scratch my nose for the first time.That's why nobody gets to tell one trooper how to run his gig beyond the obvious.

     

    But if the agenda here is making the det look bad then it doesn't matter what we say. Let's have an awkward CEII, mates!

  8. Wallet/phone when trooping?

    in Hard Armor (General Discussion)

    Posted · Edited by Nicky

    About the unnecessary "non-UK way of trooping" comment. It is NOT about carrying it to be a less focused trooper. It's about common sense. Sure nothing happens in the locker rooms in the thousands of venues we troop around the world.

     

    In any bad scenario, trooping or not, I feel I must have my passport/ID securely on me, and the means of communication in case of theft, emergency, kid injured/lost, terror attack, crime, etc. I leave the assumption that everything is dandy to the people who will depend on others when sh** happens.

     

    I removed my helmet whenever I saw kids at CVI who have been clearly lost for hours and helped them find their parents, I don't care what people think about "in character" because this is real life.

  9. Suiting Up.....

    in Hard Armor (General Discussion)

    Posted

    I can do it all by myself because I never suit down :)

     

    The hardest part is the canvas belt, I have velcro all the way to its end so I need to pull right to hide all the velcro. For the canister I feel the ledge on the kidney plate with my thumbs so I can center it before clipping it.

     

    Sometimes to hide it properly I put the neckseal under my underarmor shirt and make the shirt end right where the neckseal tubes start.

     

    Then I ask my fellow troopers to check everything out and they go "Yeah it's all good", so I go "I know, just wanted you to see. ;)"

  10. Wallet/phone when trooping?

    in Hard Armor (General Discussion)

    Posted · Edited by gmrhodes13
    link not working removed

    Something like this. I picked a neck wallet that came with a plastic envelope on the inside because the phone and the money might not like the 100% humidity under the chest plate. Accessibility is a problem, but an advantage too. Without your phone you focus on your trooping and people can't steal from you easily either :)

     

    ---------

  12. Horrendous T/MC builds...

    in Build Threads Requireing Maintenance

    Posted · Edited by Nicky

    On crucial parts you never heat the ABS until it becomes soft, you do little by little and repeat the process until the curves match. What I did was hold the part against the table while applying vertical pressure from one edge, heated on one half where the curve needed to change, stopped, waited a bit and repeated the process, after awhile I flipped over and did the same on the other half.

     

    If you heat until it needs to be held in place then it will warp, you will see finger marks where you held the plastic, ie. a disaster.

  13. E-11 Weathering

    in ANH BlasTech E11

    Posted · Edited by Nicky

    I assume we're talking about resin builds.

     

    If you check on top bar there's a reference gallery. Which basically shows how there's no weathering on the screen used props. Active weathering isn't needed when your gun is already metal, the reason you weather it is because you want plastic to look like metal, then you exaggerate the wear to have the fake steel show.

     

    The right coat of black is more important, so you will not see any screen accurate weathering as it's more of an artistic approach where anything goes, with some sense to it. Many people will not use any protective coat, and who let it wear out passively over time and use.

     

    Check out Google images, not only for E11's but other gun replicas. For example I inspired myself from the chinese assault rifle in post-apocalyptic game Fallout 3 and nobody can say anything against it :)

  14. Doopydoo contact

    in General Weapons Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Nicky

    I had a non-delivery issue with doopydoo and e-mailed a few weeks ago, they responded very quickly and said they'd send a new order out. I'm picking it up this afternoon.

     

    Scratch that, didn't get any delivery. So I'm still waiting.

     

    I think England and their royal postal service or whatever they call it should check themselves, this is too slow, unreliable and untrackable.

  19. General Help - Buying Pre-Made Armor

    in General Weapons Discussion

    Posted

    Many talents are hidden and takes a first project to test them out, here you can find lots of guidance but we can see differences in perception to detail and overall quality of a build, or that extra mile of creativity that's always welcome unless it violates the CRL. When things go wrong it's not due to a lack of talent but lack of patience or small misunderstandings, or it's our fault because we explained something too quickly :)

     

    Some artists spend countless years not knowing they actually lack talent, like most rockbands, doesn't keep them from going on. So worst case scenario we still manage to build something serviceable ;)

  20. General Help - Buying Pre-Made Armor

    in General Weapons Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Nicky

    You're underestimating the costume. 501st approved or not.

     

    Asking a <$200 price tag on a Stormtrooper costume sounds like you have not seen a stormtrooper costume up close, or thinking it's just a lot of foam or rubber-like fabric you glue on the undersuit. Even the least accurate styrene plastic stormtrooper costume is a hell of an impressive full body armor that just doesn't fit in a gym bag.

     

    The size of the thing and the amount of parts, their weight, even without counting gloves, undersuit, belt, harnesses, helmet or not, will cost over $100 to ship already.

     

    Even the cheapest unassembled kit will require you buy toy gun kit, holster, boots, soft parts, tools, powertools, snaps, straps, glue, paint, clamps, magnets, screws for another $500-1000 unless you're using leftovers from a previous costume.

     

    My suggestion is that you forget about it this year, for Halloween 2012 you can wear a nice looking but cheap white suit, black shirt underneath and get a Stormtrooper helmet from ebay for around say $200-300, regardless of quality. You'll make people laugh, say wow, etc. You can keep an eye on ebay in case someone wants to get rid of his stormtrooper costume but don't hold your breath. Even when it doesn't fit anymore people spent so much time perfecting their kit that it would break their heart to sell it or give it away.

     

    If you ask a 501st member to lend you his armor, he will say no unless you're childhood buddies and he doesn't care about damaging his kit.

     

    We (501st members or applicants) pay $2000 for our costumes because it looks simply great. Once it's fit to you and you wear it in public, everybody's looking at you and you're automatically the coolest person in the world. You can be ugly underneath you'll get laid anyway. Is that a good explanation? haha

     

    I might sound like an elitist but our elitism isn't based on budget but on hours tweaking tiny barely noticeable details, for fun.

  22. My AP ANH Armor

    in Build Threads Requireing Maintenance

    Posted · Edited by Nicky

    What Ingrid said about the thighs. Unless the tubes are all filled up with muscles all down the knee :) But from the rear view I see it isn't the case. Did you make any mods and have new pics?

     

    It looks great, I love the helmet. Can you take pics of the inner strapping system? I'm curious.

     

    That it was pre-built saves you cash, mess, and a lot of time. That extra time you should use it on modding the 1-2 details that stick out using just xacto, sandpaper and E6000. It should take half a day at most. I don't feel like the one to tell what has to be how but in my opinion you can also improve by raising the biceps a tiny bit if you can, and check in a mirror in idle position, and reducing the forearm length or rather raising them too since it's only an inch thing around the wrists, so that your hands look bigger :)

     

    People shouldn't argue about the line between recommendations and criticizing because here is a rare place where we never point out a problem without advising a solution in the very same sentence. Being happy and content are two separate things so we have to bring things to the table and some people (like me) check out every thread and learn all the time.

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