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batninja

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Posts posted by batninja

  1. The CRL currently reads:

    "The soft belt proper is made of canvas, or material with a canvas covering. Size must be 2.75†(70 mm) to 3.25â€(83 mm) wide and not wider than the plastic portion of the belt. The color is be white to off-white."

     

    No mention is made of what the edge of the belt should be, but all the ones I've seen used a whip stitch or zig-zag stitch along the edge that, over time, allows the belt to fray, and in my opinion, looks...unprofessional.

     

    ----------

     

    I'm okay with the 'accuracy-for-the-win' idea, but if I sew my belt with a cleaner look, would this ruffle any feathers as far as the 501st is concerned?

     

    I'll post a pic later today of what I'm thinking of doing for my own belt.

  2. Okay, I've got the arms taped up to the desired circumference, and will be working on the joining pieces this week.   Is the preferred method to use shims on the inside of the pieces as well?  If so, is it advisable to glue both inside and outside at the same time, or one and then the other?

     

    I hope that makes sense...

     

    Also, I have both ABS glue and E6000.   Is there a preferred adhesive?   I was thinking of using the ABS stuff for the internal shims (for strength), and the E6000 for the for the outer joins (in case I need to reposition anything in the future).  

     

    Thoughts?

  3. I just received my boots as well! I originally ordered a size 12, but exchanged for size 13 due to my wide feet and bunions. :) They're still a little tight, width-wise, but the leather will stretch over time. I'm very happy with my purchase! And the communication with Francois, including tracking info, was amazing!

     

    Buy these boots!

  4. As I started inspecting the major pieces, I noticed that the bottom edge of the abdomen piece does not appear to have been cut in the right place prior to shipment.   Did anyone else have this issue?

     

    wonky1_zps210d8202.jpg

     

    wonky2_zpsb25935e9.jpg

     

    What really clued me in is that there is a faint cut line in the plastic, but unfortunately, it was cut much wider here.   You can barely make out the cut line in this pic:

    wonky4_zps946ba4dc.jpg

     

    I could cut this line, but then the bottom edge would be too narrow to match the bottom edge of the butt-plate.  I'm not exactly sure how to correct this issue. 

     

    I understand the armor was not designed to be symmetrical in all areas, but this seems like a rather crucial area (my twig and berries!) to get right.

     

    Are other AM-owners seeing the same thing?  Should I see about getting a replacement piece?

  5. I finally got a few hours to work on the kit some more.  I removed the return edges on the shoulders, forearm, and shins last weekend.

     

    This weekend, I tackled the ears.   Emphasis on the work 'tackle'.

     

    Using my trusty Dremel and sanding wheel, I was able to carve them to fit (mostly) on the helmet.  Not too bad, in my opinion, but still didn't get them as close as I wanted.  So onto the pics:

     

    ears5_zps2d12fe49.jpg

     

    The best one of the bunch, the left rear:

    ears1_zps009f1f4e.jpg

     

    And then it just goes downhill:

    ears2_zpsbcf53f3b.jpg

     

    ears4_zpsc06b33b0.jpg

     

    And the 'disaster' gap:

    ears3_zps26ad67b4.jpg

     

    ears6_zps42b9d789.jpg

     

    I even added a small rivet to 'pull' the front edge a little closer to the helmet, but that's as good as it got.

     

    Maybe it looks okay to others, but I'm not complete happy with it.  Or maybe I'm being too hard on myself.  I know there are several screen-used helmets that weren't perfect either.

     

    On the bright side, I was able to use a large drill bit to bevel the hole edges so that the screws would fit more flush.   Very happy with that!

     

    ears8_zpsf0b6c4e7.jpg

     

    Thoughts and constructive criticism welcome!

  6. For what it is worth,being in the same garrison, I own several pairs of boots from IB, including the TK ones and they are all awesome.

    I did a 2k run in full TK outfit can't see crap in the bucket, ended up with bruises all over my legs - but the boots were comfy as slippers. 

     

    Okay, that's it.  I'm sold.   Gotta check my Paypal funds!

  7. At a garrison mate's suggestion, instead of the standard drill-a-hole, use-an-Xacto-knife method, I used my Dremel and a sanding wheel to work the teeth.  From the interior of the helmet, sand down the 'nubs':

    am_9_zpsd256f321.jpg

     

    Here's what it looks like from the outside:

    am_10_zps451ea687.jpg

     

    After maybe five minutes, the wheel has knocked out the teeth!

    am_11_zps3f4fb57b.jpg

     

    Some final sanding with varying grits (from the inside only), and a few swipes of a flat file to straighten some areas, and here is the result!

    am_12_zps86f6fffe.jpg

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