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So glad you're enjoying it; it has been fun to write as well. Thanks for the compliments; much appreciated! I hope to see your first order build thread someday. And yes, cloth gaskets are the way to go.

Yep. Second build ever. Thank you very much for the compliment!!!

Awesome thread so far! We need as many TFA threads as possible to help pave the way for the First Order. Welcome aboard. (Like you, this is my second set of armour too!)

AWESOME! That would have been sooooooo handy when I first started out.

Brad; I understand the information overload. lol. I spent about 3 months on the forum, just reading and researching everything I could about materials needed before I even touched my armour. It can be overwhelming for sure. What you need will all depend on how you are going to build.... E6000 glue vs. CA glue. Snaps vs. traditional brackets, for instance. It's very hard to give you a shopping list per say... Many times during my build, I had to get creative with what I used... Have you tried this post? Even if some of the links are dead, it still gives you a great list of generic supplies you might/will need. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/tutorials/article/7-bobojuices-tk-resource-thread/ Reviewing others build threads was a tremendous help to me.... Best of luck!

Thanks, and you're welcome for the insight. (Truth be told, this is only my second time building. My first was an ANH stunt TK, back in Jan. of 2013. So really, I don't have a lot of experience either.)

Yes, I did do that as well. It does help.

So....I discovered a design flaw in my harness/suspension system. I didn't take the actual weight of the forearm/bicep into account. When all attached to the harness, the weight pulled the should gaskets down... Kinda looked like a ribbed v-neck... Not acceptable but an easy fix. I just added a new strap on the front of the harness to compensate. Also added a connection on the back of the harness, close to the neck. Problem solved; no pulling of the gaskets now.... A connecting strap to the back of the gaskets was also added, to ensure they stay together... I think I have finally found the correct attachment points/length for the elbow and bicep connection. Took a bit of fiddling... I used velcro on all the gaskets. (Will post pics later...) Despite the light fabric gaskets, arm mobility is quite reduced. This isn't due to the gaskets, the forearm and bicep like to butt up against each other when bending your arms... There is only so much adjusting you can do... if you bring the forearms down too much, it pinches your wrists.....if you bring the biceps up too far, they smash into the side of the chest piece...and your arms can't really rest normally at your sides. Sigh... #FirstOrderProblems Here's what the whole upper torso looks on my mannequin. (Manny Quinn, as we call him. lol) As suspected, I will need a connecting elastic from the shoulder bell to the bicep. Nothing too tight, just something to help keep the alignment in case I decide to start disco dancing....

Thanks! I am very happy with it. It's awesome to finally see some real progress. There is light at the end of the tunnel! Still some tweaks left on the suspension harness but it feels very secure. Might adapt it to my ANH TK... Thank you. I hope it helps others with their builds...or at least gives them a starting point. (Many times I felt quite lost & a tad overwhelmed.) This has been quite the journey; like trying to do a puzzle with no image to follow... lol LOTS of trial & error.

Looking good!

I know, so close!!! Can't wait for this <insert your favorite curse word here> to be done & painted!!! lol When I tried on the back/yoke piece with my cloth gaskets for the first time (which is quite easy, even by myself) I thought "Holy crap, this would be almost impossible with the thick rubber ones!!!??"

This weekend has been very productive... Started working on the belt & boxes.... Finally found some 1/4 Chicago screws. Snaps placed for the cod & butt plate & connecting elastic. As much as I didn't want to, I will have to connect them. The cod just doesn't look right...it doesn't sit flush. Which looks odd. Snaps for the cod piece & belt. (Belt snaps are in silver.) Thigh attachment point in place... Also started the shoulder bell strapping. (I have a feeling an elastic connector to the biceps will be needed?) FINALLY figure out the internal strapping for the yoke & chest. This was not fun.... I added the velcro to the sides to keep it closed. Attachment point for the chest to the yoke. I also added a bit of velcro near the tips. They do not want to sit flush, so this helps. May figure out something else later... Here you can see the strap the chest piece snaps into. Took me 3 attempts to get the right placement underneath the wings. You can also see the black snaps for the shoulder bell attachment. Here is my final harness with the thigh straps added. I originally was going to have strap that connect to the back of the thighs. Not sure it's actually needed. Front... Back (The dual snap is a correction. Original location kept popping off.) And this is the result of the weekend's work..... (The detonator is not attached yet. Still figuring that out...) Over all I am very pleased with the progress. It's been nice to actually wear some of the armour & see how it feels & looks... It's not really comfortable but not as horrible as I assumed it would be.... Once I have another person around, I will get pics of me actually in it!! (Partner is off camping.)

If anyone is wondering... Here is what my final template/pattern for my shoulder gaskets looked like, with the original rubber ones for reference. (The yellow line was just seam allowance.)

...finally, some progress!!! I have started the internal strapping.... By having the snaps placed along the bottom of the harness and Ab section, I am able to snap them up myself. Not so much to close the Ab section however, I will need assistance with the top and middle snap... As I mentioned, I am trying to get all the internal strapping and attach points figured out before I paint the armour. I have discovered marks, scuffs and and the like on the armour just from figuring out what I have already... I don't knwo how may times I've dropped the butt & cod piece. hahaha I can imagine the hassle it would be to do it all after the gloss paint...

I have been sewing like crazy and the end is in site. These gaskets have been an adventure to say the least..... If I ever need new cloth gaskets again, I will buy them. I would happily pay someone else to make them... If you don't have much experience sewing, do yourself a favour. Spend the money. lol Ok, here's the elbow & thigh gaskets all ready to be sewn together. I had to redo the first set of elbows as they were too small. I gave myself extra length on all of them, just in case... Here is the final design/product for the shoulder gaskets. I am very happy with how it turned out....especially not working from a pattern. (Had to make my own & guess along the way...) As you can see, they are very different from the floor mat design. This is because they will attach to my harness. Here's the gasket inside out to show the Velcro sewn on... As much as I hate Velcro, I fear snaps may be too hard on the material. Also, would have been a pain to line them up... Here is the finished harness. (This was a pain trying to line everything up by myself.) As you can see, I have sewn Velcro on to the shoulder straps for the gaskets... And here is the harness with the gaskets in place... (The mannequin is much skinnier than I am. ) My first attempt at the trying on the yoke with the gaskets!!! It was quite easy, even by myself. I also am happy to say that I was able to try on one of the biceps (just to test the placement) with almost zero effort. These gaskets are so light and flexible! YAY!

Agreed! Sew much better. lol As long as you get the first rib sewed on straight, I just followed the line. It does help that the sewing machine feeds the material through but it takes a bit of concentration.

So, I have switched gears on sewing my own gaskets. My version was too labour/time intensive....and wasn't as flexible as I originally hoped it would be. Too much fabric, too much time sewing piping, etc... I am now trying a different technique. Much better.

As I said, I have taken a break from the gaskets…they burnt me out. Time to move on to other stuff… I have started making nylon webbing & ABS snap plates to start the strapping system. I will be using E6000 for the interior strapping…..just in case I mess up or have to change things down the road. E6000 is much easier to remove than CA glue. Lol The cod section snaps are in place & gluing as I type. Once the cod is attached, I will then be able to determine the length of strapping needed for the thighs, as well as the right placement for the Ab section. It was very hard to determine that without the cod snapped into place…. The last few days have been a bit frustrating. The complexity & progress of the build was stressing me out. It can be quite challenging when you don’t have years of threads, tutorials, and instructions to lean on when you are feeling a bit overwhelmed or unsure… I am sure I will feel better once I am able to try the armour on…

If I had glued my cover plates completely, I would not have been able to fit my hand through as well. With only gluing about 3/4 the way down, I am able to sneak my hands through without any real stress on the forearm.

Looking awesome!

Looking forward to more progress.

Looking good Dino! You might just beat me to the finish line. lol

Excellent progress!

Good job on the detonator!

Real life has gotten in the way of progress that last few days... Started work on the belt boxes. Holes are drilled and side supports of the front 2 boxes glued in. (Thanks to Bender for the idea.) I haven't been able to track down the correct size Chicago screws for the boxes... Once I get those, I'll finish them off. The armour, all ready for a final sanding and then time for paint. To be honest, the painting scares me a bit. I really don't want to frak it up.... Despite the fear, I tried painting the shoulder bells, hand & knee plates. Turned out not too bad. I assume 2 coats are needed whit a fine sanding between coats? Finally finished the friggin' elbow gaskets. (I am taking a break before I start the knees. I honestly need a break from sewing piping....) I will be going with elastic and snaps for attaching the gaskets. It will give them enough stretch to move with me. As I mentioned, the shoulder gaskets are a nightmare....and the nightmare continues.... I finally finished the piping on both and sewed them together. Given how much piping is required I fear they will not be all that much more flexible than the floor mats.... If I had to do it all over again, I would use the welt cord for the piping. Even though it wouldn't hold the rib shape, it would be waaaaaay more flexible. Here is the "in progress" pic of my idea for the shoulder gaskets. My plan is to try and incorporate the shoulder gaskets into the harness system I will be using. (Still tinkering with the design.) And here is my harness "in progress". The shoulder gaskets will snap onto the suspender, back and front. I will also use the harness to attach the thighs & Ab section. Once I start trying those pieces on, I will discover the best attaching position.