Keyla

I sanded my kidney plate today. Slowest build in the world? we continue..!!

I am extremely proud of the finished chestplate, the sanding is sooo smooth. Next up, some buttplate action!

hi strangers the helmet scared me off a bit, so I've gone back to basics and started trimming down my chest plate today. Hopefully I'll stick with it better this time around...!

look who's back! after an inspiring weekend at Celebration Europe, seeing UK garrison's shadow trooper build tutorial (with so many lovely helpful folks with plentiful advice), and getting some help from my local darth vader, I've started working on the helmet. Is the trimming enough on the eyes and teeth? (the sun is off to the left, so it is illuminating the edges quite nicely for the photo)

I must be the world's slowest at this point, but yesterday I glued my second shin I've made a deal with myself to do a little bit each day that I am home, even if that just means 10 minutes sanding.

20x25 sized magnets now on their way, thanks for the advice!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So, this happened: It looks like the gaps might be due to the magnets being too weak, so the cover strip was never properly pressed to the shin pieces. I am considering buying heavier magnets; what do we think about these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/12pcs-Super-Strong-Cylinder-Magnet-Set-10mm-x-10mm-Rare-Earth-Neodymium-N52-/321790344814?hash=item4aec32fe6e The magnets I have been using are also N52 but only 10mm x 2mm (where 2mm is the height). Also - how do I solve this? Tear apart and re-glue? (hurray for e6000)

Aw it is going so slowly. It feels like every time I get going with it some life gets in the way... But I've not given up, and the calf pieces are now in progress and hopefully up for gluing tomorrow! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have been on vacation! I now can thoroughly recommend Krakow, fantastic city. And that is not all - I now have three tubes of e6000 (exciting! I've never been excited about glue before!). After last time's traumatic experience, it was hard to work up the courage, but eventually... I glued!

Thanks, the support is really appreciated Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You can't buy it in Sweden, gotta import it! My last tube came from China (it was really cheap). I have no idea why it isn't readily available here. I've been doing a bit of research though and have found a french website that could deliver by next Friday, if I get 2 tubes it can be about 18 euros delivered which seems OK to me And I still have some trimming and quite a lot of sanding to do, so I'm sure I'll keep myself entertained...!

It's mostly frustrating, because my summer vacation just started and I was looking forward to cracking on with the gluing. It'll take a while for replacement glue to come.

Well, disaster has finally struck. I was making a lot of good progress and decided that today should be the day when I start to glue. I prepped everything, put on my gloves, and started to squeeze the glue out onto my thigh ridge... ...and the glue "backfired", it shot out of the back right at me, and it went all over the uncovered bit of the table, the floor, and me. Easily a quarter of the tube. I've managed to clean it up as best I can with acetone, but I will need to try and peel the rest off the table and floor once it has dried. And I need to find another tube to buy - not easy here in Sweden!

Thanks once again for all the input! I've loosened the thighs and I'm pretty happy about it. They still look the right size for me (no massive visible gaps between my leg and the armour) but they will be much more comfortable. I've also started work on the shins, the shoulder bells and the ab plate. I'm very pleased about the size of the ridges on the thighs and shins; they should look really great with the 20mm cover strips. Still too scared to try and size the forearms; will wait with those until I've glued a few things. Still a little afraid to start gluing actually, but I have the mighty e6000 so I am sure I will overcome this fear soon enough. Question: I see some people doing internal cover strips in addition to the external (visible) cover strips, while others choose only external. Does anyone have advice for me on this? On the one hand, I like the idea of it being neater inside even if it won't be seen. It also seems more secure/sturdy. On the downside, I am worried that I may not have enough extra abs strips to do inside as well, or that there will be a weird effect if the tops of the inner strips are seen.

Hi all, I've got some news to report! The forearms length is probably OK, but the width is crazy big. It looks like I will need to remove the entire flat edge on both sides and create new ones with a heating iron, because these things are not built for my thin and girly girl-arms. Naturally I am too scared to do this right now, so I have moved onto the thighs: The length is looking pretty good. I've taped them together tight enough that they can stay up by themselves if I don't move; it becomes very tight if I try and sit though, so maybe that is too tight? It is quite a lot of overlap though, as you can see in the following two pictures: If anyone has any fitting advice, feel free to share. In the meanwhile, I will prepare other pieces and probably aim to do a full test fitting before gluing anything.

Just so you know, I'm watching this very eagerly. Your efforts to document this are well and truly appreciated!

Well everyone says to ask before screwing up so; whats with the extra ridge on this bicep (I don't mean the thumbprint, rather the extra ridge at the bottom opening of the bicep)? The pencil line looks right to cut along, but is it really? And I presume i should retain a return edge on the top end and bottom of the biceps (albeit a relatively thin one...). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ah! Of course, the indentation should solve things. Now i am very excited to try fitting it tomorrow Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You folks are just fantastic I started cutting tonight. I am a bit concerned about both the length and width of my forearm pieces compared to my girly girl-arms. It is long enough to extend onto my elbow and hand, and wide enough to smuggle a small ewok. I plan to sand away extra at the wrist end and on the long edge after i have done some fittings! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the input!! I will trim according to the red, and then shave up until the blue. And I will remove the edges along the length. I am not sure where I got the idea that I don't want a return edge on the bicep-end of the forearm, it is in my notes with no source attributed. I will now plan to have a return edge there.

So supportive! Thank you, you're giving me the courage I need! I'll try and make this build thread as clear as possible to help others in turn Starting with pencil marks on the forearms then... No return edge shall be left on the wrist end of the forearm. No return edge on bicep end of the forearm as it will be covered by the bicep piece. EDIT 20150620: It is perfectly fine to have a return edge at this location, and I probably will do that. I suspect my pencil marks are too conservative. I think I need to draw them again at the red digital line - thoughts? Bicep end of forearm : Wrist end of forearm:

Well I've been too afraid to cut anything so far! Progress is 0%. May start with forearms or TD. I suppose the first cut is the hardest...! I have a hard time getting my head around the strapping systems. I thought that TM's strapping kit would be used for the snapplate method but now that you ask this, I am filled with uncertainty! Snapplate method does seem what I would want to do, as I get the impression it is a robust method that will hold through lots of trooping... If you have any advice on this point, do let me know!

So, my brown box came from TM (hurray!!). Before I got home, my husband already unpacked everything from the box, so no obligatory brown box photo! Everything was very lovingly packed in bubble wrap to survive the journey over to Sweden. The first thing that strikes me is that the pieces are very beautiful. A gorgeous shade of white, nice and glossy and lovely detail. Here are the pieces laid out (note: includes TK boots, plus holster/neckseal from Darman & wife): Note that some pieces are stacked due to lack of space. My first step will be to start trimming and sanding the arms as soon as I get some free time to do so!

I'm 5'8", 66kg and i have chosen TM. We'll see how it goes... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Its good to hear you say that sskunky. People in this hobby pay attention to quality and are willing to pay the extra to get the right things from the right place. Take the recasting as a compliment that you really did this right, and be safe in the knowledge that plenty of people will choose you! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk