Jump to content

russellr2d2

501st Stormtrooper[TK]
  • Posts

    369
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    2

Everything posted by russellr2d2

  1. Ohh it should be the other way around? Good eyes thanks! That's an easy fix thanks to E6000. Tomorrow it gets turned around. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  2. This is it ! Basic Approval photos ! This is what is going to my GML.
  3. CARNAUBA WAX ! Waxed every inch of my armor in preparation for the photo shoot today. Hopefully I can upload my BASIC approval photos to my GML this evening. QUESTION: When do I send in my submission to the 501st? Does my GML send in my photos?
  4. Keep the return edge on the elbow end and remove the return at the wrist. I found the forearms are just long enough so I wouldn't shorten them until you have fitted them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  5. Try wet sanding with "wet -dry" sandpaper typically it is 1200 grit and works slowly with water. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  6. Here is the fix of the DT: Moved the screws up near the edge of the straps as is cannon. You can see the old holes in this photo but they are turned a bit downward so they will not be very visible on the TK belt. I'll call this one done! Friday? photos for my BASIC APPROVAL !!!! and application into the 501st!
  7. Yea I don't want to rotate the panel down it needs to be pointing up. I have seen several approvals where this was mentioned so the GML's are looking at it. I think I can fill the old hole and a product called rub n buff will color it metallic silver pretty good. Thanks for watching out! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  8. Dang! I must move the screws today! But how to preserve the straps? Maybe I'll fill the two holes and Rub n Buff will color them and be done with it. Interesting that I have been staring at that photo for weeks and missed that detail. I see they would help hold down the ends of the straps. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  9. I'll press the code and send it right up ! [emoji12] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  10. Making the TD belt clips: FIRST look and learn from the master in this video. EDIT: his screw locations are not entirely correct see below. http://www.tk1336.com/stormtrooperaccessories.html Purchase 1 x 1/16" strip of aluminum. Cut off two 9" long pieces and tape them together. Drill holes that will be just a hair smaller than the threads on the #6 round headed screws. The first hole is 1" from one end. The second hole is 1.5" from that hole (not from the end). Here are the screws I found at Orchard Hardware. Every hardware store should have them. Round top-single slot-#6 size. I copied the video and screwed the strips down to a piece of wood to hold them while I sanded a nice finish into them. Pretty! Cut a length of pipe to use as a buck for the two alum. strips. You will screw the strips onto this pipe for bending them around it. The screws have to be TIGHT! In the vice ready for the first bending step. Already getting dinged up. But they cleaned up really easy. Get the short end of the strip to bend down against the tube as much as you can. Bend back then... then again (see the video) They came out almost perfect. But later you will see this makes no difference at all....it will look great! (what happened to my OCD !!! ) Squeeze the heck out of that sucker! Don't worry about smashing the pipe, you need to over tightening to get the aluminum to take a bend as far as you need it to. That short end is really hard to get bent down enough. Cut off the long end so the end clears the screws. Its just an eyeball thing. I sanded the ends a bit rounded where the clip goes behind the belt. I don't want anything catching on the belt and I don't want the clip scratching the hell out of the armor. Everything is softly rounded with fine sandpaper. Keep the front end with sharp corners where everybody will see it. Tah-Dah! Now the screws are painted black. I read that the control panel should be facing up when this is on the belt.
  11. If you use larger than standard size I think the opinion here is to at least have the cover strips consistent on different parts (bicep to forearm). Check with other troopers more experienced than me. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  12. And here are the fixes! The belt has a heat-bend I put in it so it wraps around my armor better than if it were left flat. BUT, this makes a problem here when I want to cut off the edges. I had to flatten it out so I can work on it. Here is how I did that! Here is a pencil mark where I will cut off the return edge on the belt. Right up to the radius of the boxes. Used a new Exacto blade to score along the ruler/pencil line. Off it comes! Pretty rough cutting but sanding will cure that. Sanding along the entire edge of the belt evens out the rough cutting and snapping. Tah-Dah! No more return edge. The edge is brought right up to the radius of the boxes. No more can be cut off. ON to the button plates. I needed to get rid of the radius corners on each button plate. I did this on my sander just to make it quick. Glued back on now. Sharp corner button plate. Another little detail. On my right side I use this big wide tab that goes into a slot. It keeps the opening side of the clamshell solid and even when shut. Elastic straps pull it together closed but, they often open a bit. This black strip will hide the plastic tab against my black under-suit when the side opens up. Just a little detail that makes things extra spiffy. Hopefully tomorrow the TD straps and then about done and ready to submit to my GML !!
  13. Thanks Tony, easy fixes. Good ol' E6000! Good to have more eyes on this build. The Emperor would be pleased! [emoji51] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  14. Building the belt continued: The Holster and boxes Adding the belt boxes via industrial strength Velcro strips. Look Ma' no rivets! Edit(several days later) I may end up using a rivet. I find the E6000 pulls away from the top a bit when I open the boxes. The box positions are flush with the end of the belt and nearly touching at the top of the box. Both boxes on the belt. Installing the holster. I first refer to my research and drawings to get the correct location. All screw locations are marked. You got to get this right the first time or you will end up with holes in your beautiful white canvas belt. Using a soldering tool to burn in a hole. there should be a piece of plastic running through your belt or it may sag with the weight of your blaster. Leather can be drilled like wood! You even get the shavings. The Chicago screws in the back of the belt. the slotted side goes on the inside of the belt. The flat side of the screws goes on the outside of the belt. they look like pulled rivets to me. My Doopy Doo's blaster in the nice Darman made holster I purchased here on W.A.. It is 9oz leather, very stiff to support the weight of the blaster leaning on it. NOW I get to do what I have been waiting weeks to do.....glue on the color button plates. I have not done this yet because I was working on the armor and laying it down on the front on my workbench. I did not want to scratch up the beautiful buttons. YUM! Ready for a NOVUS polish party! Tomorrow!!!!!! GLOVES and handgards! I just E6000 them onto the fabric back of the gloves. These are only for basic approval. For more advanced approvals I already have my rubber gloves and will order the flexi vinyl covers. Edit: I know I have to put them on after the forearms. But with the big ATA forearms it will be easy to stuff the gauntlet into each forearm end (been there -done it). exciting yes!? Stay tuned to this channel for more adventures in TK armor building ! Coming up next is.....the Thermal Detonator Straps !!! A chilling, mind bending adventure with aluminum strips !
  15. Belt boxes: I thought it would be neat to have the boxes open and close so I made a fabric hinge inside. Maybe I could hide some trading cards in there. A thin strip of velcro keeps the box closed. Probably too hard to open once suited up in armor with gloves on but, maybe you open these and take out / put in stuff before suiting up. Anyway this is just for some unforeseen need later. I have the white strap glued on with E6000 rather than a rivet. Thats it! Boxes ready to hang on the belt via a long velcro tape on the strap.
  16. Looking great! I am glad you put down the Dremel for cutting out the pieces...it's much easier just to score and snap. If you have not already cut off the bottom of the buttplate, I will tell you the buttplate is a bit small on me so judge for yourself (I'm 5'11 and 170ish) I would leave on the extra area beyond the mold line at the bottom to help tuck under your tushey. Looks like your on your way...have fun building! Russell
  17. Building the belt: How I put in snaps and positioned the belt on the armor. I purchased the belt from TKettle here on WA. It came in just three days and is of perfect quality! Happy-happy here. First I measured the exact center of the entire belt This is my work area with drawings I pulled off of WA. If I want to know any dimensions I just have to look up. I drilled holes for the three snaps that will connect the plastic belt to the canvas belt. Using the dim's off the drawings. To make these holes I just use a sharp Xacto knife blade and twirl it into the plastic. No need for a drill. Here is the center snap installed. The male snap is on the back side. Use a flat snap side here because later you have the plastic covers to hide these. Male snaps on the back of the plastic belt. To get the snap hole in the canvas exactly under your snap just use the hole in the snap to mark with a pencil. NOTE!!!!! WEAR THE BELT WHILE DOING THIS. THE BELT HAS TO BE BENDING TO GET AN ACCURATE PLACEMENT OF THE SNAPS. Not doing this you will get wrinkling of the canvas belt and hard to place snaps. The snap finished and holding the canvas belt. Marking the center of the plastic belt for placement of the belt-to-ab armor snaps. These two snaps will hold your belt up and keep it from sagging in front while you troop. Again you have to wrap the belt around the armor to get accurate placement. The belt goes right up to the button plate. Tapping the belt in place ready to make marks on the ab plate for locating the snaps. There is tape on the side too to hold the ends of the belt up to correct level. I forgot to get photos here but mark the armor with a pencil similar to how you did the snaps on the canvas belt. Now you instal female snaps to go against the ab plate with male snaps on it. Here is how the snaps look installed and the belt on. the snap on the left is holding the belt up in place on the ab. Right up against the bottom of the button plate area. Nice and level. The snap on the right is holding the plastic belt onto the canvas belt. Gluing on the little cover plates with E6000.
  18. Ahhhhhh. Shucks! [emoji4] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  19. Here is where all this building is happening....My man-cave ! Note the photos taped up ready for my next step. I look all over White Armor Dot Net and see how it is done before I plough into it. Everything is researched before hand. The bench vice has been the most useful tool on the bench. Starting the belt parts: Note in the work area photo above the photos of the belt and drawings I downloaded off of White Armor Dot Net. They have all dimensions you need and details. I just look up whenever I need to know anything. PUT DOWN THE DREMEL ! SCORE & SNAP instead! It's easier, faster, cleaner, safer, more accurate by a mile. I haven't used a Dremel for anything in the building of the armor. It came in handy just a little for the ears on the helmet and was very useful/necessary on the blaster kit from Doopy's. But here ??? Pfffft ! Following those drawings I have posted on my wall (covering a nice P-51 Mustang airbrush rendering I did back in 1987) I am cutting the corners of the belt plastic. I also trimmed the ends down. First time I used my disk sander. Trimming down the covers for the belt. ready to apply cover snaps that hold the plastic part to the canvas belt. The smaller one is for the middle. It fits between two blocks on the belt and has to be smaller so it will fit...no choice. Small cover fit... Putting in a heat bend so the belt will wrap better around my waist. I saw this technique here on WA. It is supposed to make better bends at each block and not let the flat area get all warpy. NOT TOO MUCH HEAT!! KEEP THE HEAT GUN ABOUT 8"...JUST QUICK BRUSH MOVEMENTS CLOSER. You are not trying to get the plastic real soft. Only heat it up enough to take a bend at the edges of the wood. You will need to carefully apply pressure with your fingers to get it to bend along the two edges of the wood and not the middle or only one side in a sharp turn. Just small turns at each edge of the wood stick will make the entire belt curve in a nice way without sudden changes/angles. The plastic will be hot to the touch but not soft. Here is the belt after heat bending at each block line. Pretty good, only one sharp turn there on the left side. I worked it back out after the photo was taken.
  20. So I am building my "thermal detonator" errr.... "O2 canister"....errr ...ummmm.... what is it exactly ???? --------------- Is there an "official" explanation from Lucasfilm about this? Thanks! Russell
  21. TRY ARCHERY! The target variety is not too expensive. In fact as long as I am on the subject [emoji16] I might add that I teach introductory archery every Sat. am in Pasadena CA. Talk about cost to get you started!!!! $0.00 ... Zip....nuttin'' ...as in 100% free!!! Just google Archery in Pasadena for info. If you think you like shooting target archery a nice set of equipment can be as low as $250 or even less if your a crafty shopper. It's outdoors, as relaxing as fishing and quite satisfying hitting a coffee cup lid from 20 yards ( this is recurve equipment for all you compound fellows (your cheating! [emoji38]). So hunt down an archery club in your area and see what they offer. If you are in the LosAngeles area come to Pasadena and take our early Sat. am class. We provide all you need so just show up by 7am!!! And it's FREE!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  22. Thermal Detonator and Shoulder Straps: Cut and squeezed on the end caps...no glue needed they are so tight. The control panel is cut to a size that I just eyeballed looking at other troopers on the forum. Big blobs of glue under the panel. Blue tape to hold it down tight overnight. Shoulder straps go on. I was able to have another trooper put them on and draw pencil lines for the position. Sanded the glue areas on both pieces and juts blobbed a lot of glue under the straps ( E6000 ). It looks like the exact position of the straps is not a big deal. They will move around a lot as you wear them anyway. They are glued down on the chest only! Remember let them float over the shoulders and then tie the back end down with the thin white elastic as seen in the movies (check out some Centurion builds). Clamps-clamps-clamps....tape -tape-tape....
×
×
  • Create New...