mjrose927

Here are updated pictures where I have corrected some of the above items. I have added Velcro to keep shins closed. I have trimmed left thigh to fit more similar to right I have glued thighs closed and added padding to help with rotation and alignment to shins. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I used just sugru and tried gluing lenses to sugru directly with E6000. The glue does not want to stick to sugru very well. Has anyone tried removing sugru after it cures from their helmet. I like the idea of inserting mounting posts before it dries to attach lenses. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you for the feedback. I will find a method that will work to keep shins closed in the back. I will try velcro as suggested. I will permanently glue the thighs. The glue did not hold without an reinforcing cover strip on the inside of thighs. I have already started to fix thighs. As for centering the coverstrip on the back of thighs, I am not sure that will be possible with my FX kit. Looking at your comments, I do think that I can trim them down some more to make them fit my frame better. However, the only side that I can trim to do that is the inside half. If I want to keep the cover strip centered in the front, I do not think that the seam on the back will move much towards center. However, I will do my best to improve upon current state. I used FX kit EIB approvals as a guide when I was putting mine together. I saw similar issues with rear centering on some of them as well. Yes, when I was at Motor City Comic Con, someone suggested using foam on inside of leg pieces to keep them aligned and more centered on legs. I plan to do some more trimming on legs in the areas you suggested to get more even gaps to abs and butt plates. Walking around at the convention highlighted some of those areas. I appreciate your time and feedback on my kit. Please, do not take my comment about thigh trimming as pushing back or negative. When I was assembling the thighs, I wanted them to be even and centered as well. I had trouble figuring out a way to achieve this. I finally just moved forward thinking it is in the back and will not be seen or obvious as much.

1. First/last name: Michael R. 2. Future Garrison/Squad/Outpost or local area: Great Lakes Garrison 3. Armor maker: FX w/ TD from Trooperbay, TD clips (bent) from PandaTrooper 4. Helmet maker: AP 5. Cloth belt maker: Kittel 6. Neck seal maker: Geeky Pink's Phantastic Gaskets 7. Boot maker: Caboots 8. Interior strapping (optional): Me 9. Blaster maker (if applicable: N/A 10. Gasket maker (if applicable): N/A 11. Height (optional): 5'8" 12. weight (optional): 185lbs 13. TK type (ANH Stunt/Hero. ESB, ROTJ. TFA etc.): ANH - Stunt 14. Name(s) of any Trooper(s) who significantly helped with your build. - In person, Al Tong on multiple occasions - Facebook: James Anderton, Dave Araujo, David Ashcroft, Vern Beezer, Rebecca Beiderwell, Sha Sha Chu, Rat Ferrell, Jose G. Garcia Jr, Jeff Leone, Nicholas MacNeil, Teresa Nuthall, Dave Tinsley, Mike Souza, Tim Waychoff, PLUS so many more...... sorry to those I did not list.... - Forum: Wook1138, TheSwede, fragarock, Digz Graavs, CableGuy, Dark CMF, VaderDave

FYI, I noticed there is no #8 under the INFORMATION requested info.

Ok, as it turns out I did not make a final decision until Friday about the initial harness for torso. Thanks to my wife and another trip to Joann’s, I have begun assembling the starting harness I will use to get approval. Pictures to come later in week when it’s done. I did get TD/O2 canister painted and assembled minus the clips. Those should be arriving from Pandatrooper in next day or so. Then that will be done. I wasn’t sure how to get cap mold flash trimmed. I ended up taking lexon scissors and cutting them as close to cap as I could. I used a dremel tool to remove the remaining flash to my taped off line for where I wanted cap to end. I did not have a belt sander to make nice uniform edge, so I grabbed my vibrating sander with 220 grit. The result as you can see turned out quite well. The top cap is before vibrating sander and The bottom cap is after. I am actually glad I didn’t have belt sander. I feel like I could make really fine tweaks with the vibrating I may not have been able to do with a belt sander. Here is pic with it glued with tape keeping plates secure while it dries. Final pic coming later with clips. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did the S gasket come with your helmet? Or did you buy it some place??? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok. Progress. Frown is cut out and rough filed. I will clean up eyes and frown in the daylight tomorrow with some 400 grit paper. Then I can install lenses and frown mesh. I’ve just primed ab buttons. Then can paint buttons and get them installed on ab plate. I’ve also made a decision on how I am going to harness my torso pieces. That will be installed tomorrow. Tune in for post with pics. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here are some pictures comparing my FX chest and back plate to an ANOVOS kit. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok. Here are some pics from fitting today. Thanks, Alan Tong TK-76239! We put a strap to pull cod and butt plate together between my legs. That made a big difference in helping get fit right. I learned that I can cut 1/4-1/2inch off top of kidney plate to be same size as ANOVOS kit. More to come Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I will install a elastic strap between cod and butt plate before making any changes. Right now, my straps for kidney-to-butt plate may be a scouch too short. I tried to avoid this by gluing the straps in before separating the butt plate from kidney. The thought behind this was it would give me smallest gap possible. However, any movement right now without the connecting strap to cod does cause butt edge to pop up over kidney. I was thinking that belt my cover this, but looking at pic you posted from movie, I may be off on this assessment. I am meeting up with local garrison member on Saturday to help with butt/kidney/ab fitting. So, hopefully, get some of these things ironed out. I will post updates Saturday or Sunday. Thanks to everyone for their help if I have not already done so.

Yes, the vertical edge of kidney and butt plate are already line to line. No notch is needed. I see what you mean about the ab might be able to drop same amount when choose to cut any off butt. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here is a link to my original build thread before life happened..... if anyone is interested..

Does your red line at the bottom of the butt plate take an inch all the way around except the mating edge to the kidney plate OR just the bottom edge of the armor? The reason I ask is if you look at profile shots, the butt and kidney plate meet evenly without having the notch in the kidney plate. What are your thoughts? The other issue I just thought about is that if Ab plate looks correct, then if I cut an inch off of butt plate, the top of the ab and kidney plate will not line up. I had my wife make sure those were aligned during fitting. I don't know if this would be allow, but since I have to put in a shim to fill gap between ab and kidney, I could taper the ship at an angle so there is no step, but it would not be straight across. I know that is only a requirement for centurion, but I want it to look as good as I possibly can.... even I wait to do it until after basic approval.

Dan and everyone, Thank you for clarifying. When I went to bed last night, I was really feeling encouraged that the end was getting close. I think that suggestions you made above are worth pursuing at some point. I have been following the EIB guidelines as I have been building the whole way through. So, I plan to go for EIB after initial approval. I realize if I don't make some of these corrections suggested now that it might mean some added work and tearup when I do. However, I am really pushing to cross completing my armor and joining your ranks off my to-do / bucket list. I was already heading down the path of the reshaping the neckline, but I did not consider the butt plate. Thank you for the pictures and cut line reference. In the pic, I can see that the FX butt looks a little long compared to picture. I did compare it to ANOVOS kit before separating it from the kidney plate to make sure it was proportional. Do you think that the shoulder tabs on back plate need to be more rounded? If so, that would also pull up the back plate.

Well, the comments from facebook version of this post are implying a lot needs to be done to submit. I was pretty happy with this fitting and look last night before I went to bed. Some of the comments are making me question the fitting above. I plan to have straps to keep chest-to-ab closed and back-to-butt closed. I posted pics to see what needs to change for approval. I understand it is far from EIB and I can never get Centurion with this kit. I just want to join the Empire!

I posted this last post on FISD facebook page. While I am grateful for tips and comments, it is a little discouraging because I was feeling really good about fit before heading to bed. I am still sticking to the May 17 deadline. I would appreciate any suggestions or direction on what to do to get basic approval. If you are in the Metro-Detroit area and willing to meet up and provide some hands on guidance and help, food and possibly tasty adult beverages could be supplied. Getting this done has been on my to do list TOOOOOOO LOOOOOONG. I am determined to get it done and done right AND by MAY 17! Here are additional notes and information I have determined over the last couple months thanks to TK-76239, who btw has be extremely helpful: 1. When compairing my FX kit to an ANOVOS kit: a. the butt plate and kidney plate are the same exact size. b. the chest plate and back plate on the FX kit are larger, I would say estimated up to an inch longer. This may be contributing to the chest and back plate alignments above. 2. On the facebook page, it was suggested to heat the back plate tabs so they are less obtuse. IF they were a smaller curve, this would pull the back plate up. - This armor was made in 2005. It was stored in cool basement, but it is possible that over time packed in the box in same position that the tabs could have relaxed. - Nervous to use heat gun to shape parts. I nearly ruined one of my forearm trying to reshape it. Luckily, I was able to use boiling water technique to fix back to acceptable level. 3. I found a thread on this site on suggested cut lines for FX kit for chest and back plate, but I did not follow it and now can't find it. If anyone knows what I am talking about, the link would be appreciated. 4. I have AP helmet I bought to use for approval with armor. At this point, I am looking for direction to get approved with what I have. I don't have the budget to buy a new kit at this time.

Thanks. I am planning to use files as suggested to square off corner. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok. Thanks to my wife, Rachael, I have started initial fitting. Open to any and all constructive criticism. I have it fitted with industrial Velcro. The breast plate and the backplate are touching at the shoulders. Will I need to trim these back? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Is there a more in depth tutorial on this method to attach lenses? I was trying to figure out a way to glue lens in place. It looks like you are using posts from the ear fasteners??? Is this in your youtube construction video?

It does! Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I wasn’t sure how far to take them down on inside. I thought about grinding them level with frown but was afraid of taking too much material away. You stated you took yours down to frown. Do you still have some frown depth is there some wall inside frown windows? I don’t want to go to far down. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your teeth look like they are formed a little different than mine. My smallest ones are really tiny. I am trying to figure out how to square them off. The drill bit i used to make hole was fairly tiny already. Suggestions?

Are the connecting straps on your torso armor just velcro, or is the velcro attached to elastic or webbing? If attached, is it sewn on or how is velcro attached to straps? Also, do you know what type of velcro is used? Is it the industrial kind? Thanks, Michael

Wow! I did a rough cut of my AP helmet eyes yesterday with a dremmel and was worried how the eye holes were not as smooth as I would like them. Then I looked at the stunt eyes in this link and feel a lot better about the job I did on mine.