Starrfox1

Disaster strikes :-/ Straight through to the bone. Take heed, fellow troopers, wear a slash proof glove

Come to Oregon and help me :-) I have 2 TK's in the works and a friend with a trimmed kit; neither of us have progressed very much unfortunately. Nobody seems to like BBQ either, I keep trying to bribe people with meat to get an armor party together but I think Oregon must be full of Vegan-troopers...

You guys are never going to believe this.... 2nd kit on the way. Got a pretty sweet deal on an ATA kit over on the RPF, looks like I'll have 2 projects in the works now.... In other news, building has been at kind of a standstill after I botched my sniper knee. I am pretty certain that I took too much off, so unfortunately I'll probably be looking for a replacement soon. I did get a new set of ears that look 100% better on my bucket, so I'm pretty happy about that.... but the monolithic box of white is looming over me more and more as the days go by. I think that my current AP kit will be turned into a Sandtrooper - I will be completing it before I start on the ATA. I really want to get a build party going here but everyone is so busy... part of me wishes I was patient enough to wait for the ANOVOS armor but I suppose this is what I wanted - armor, FAST. Anywho, just wanted to let my fellow people know what is going on. I will post some progress pics tonight, they won't be much but at least you'll be able to see what snail-pace trimming looks like

Smoked pork tenderloin....... ugh I want to get off work and go fire my smoker up lol THANKS A BUNCH JASON!!!

Well if that isn't the most well put together, clean TK I've ever seen idk what is... AMAZING job Tony. This thread will go down in history as the most comprehensive build on FISD lol

Man that's good to know - I was going to spend a bunch of money on bits... maybe I still will, but if you think score/snap/scissors is the way to go then I'm up for the challenge. I got a flexible metal ruler that should help with the straight scoring/snapping, also a few clamps to keep it in place while scoring.

I feel bad because I'm not practicing due diligence and posting as often as I should... truthfully I've been a bit overwhelmed by my box of plastic and have trimmed very little since my last post. I did finally get 2 shin halves (left leg) and the sniper knee fully trimmed - it's nice to know that this armor is going to be snug on me (I HATE the idea of looking like a stick figure dressed in armor) but the thought of accidentally trimming off another good return edge has been extremely off-putting for me... Jason and Tony, my fathers, I have failed you :-( GOOD NEWS THOUGH: I borrowed a Dremel from my friend to assist me in trimming the rest of the kit. I have to stop by Home Depot or Lowes to get a set of bits/heads but I'm happy to have a power tool at my disposal. This weekend will most likely consist of me practicing on some of the scrap ABS I have from my shins and sniper knee, and hopefully I will get around to fully trimming the whole kit.... at least, that's the plan. Any tips from the masters regarding power tools and plastic? I'm sure I'll get a feel for it after I practice on some scrap, but if any of you have some recommendations for types of bits/heads, techniques, any sort of insight really, I'd really appreciate it. - Fox

GREAT build Phil. That kit fits you perfectly, I might recommend trying to treat the butt with some hot water to get it to hug your tushie more, but other than that I'd say you did a bang-up job! Good luck with your submission!!!

The sniper knee as in the actual piece or as in the shin part that it attaches to?

Hehe I didn't know so many troopers were so cultured in the art of consuming fine alcoholic beverages I will probably do some trimming today, I'm taking a half day to throw a surprise BBQ for my girlfriend's birthday - which mean ORIGINAL TRILOGY RIBS! (let your ribs smoke at 225 for the duration of the OT) - I'll probably have plenty of time to do the other shin halves, maybe some sanding. I'm hoping to at least get to the point where I can start doing some preliminary test fittings to determine how much material I'll have to trim... chicken legs are a curse, let me tell you. I don't even want to think about the thighs right now... OH. I got my holster from Gaz yesterday. I have to say, the hand stitching and attention to detail is ridiculous - I don't ever see myself needing another holster, it's as simple as that. Quick question: I may end up going to the hobby shop on my way home... what kind of paint do you guys recommend? I know that Humbrol and Testors are favorites around here, but is there honestly a difference aside from price? I'm not one to skimp, but if there's a definite difference between the two I want to make sure I get the right one. Thanks guys, more to follow!

I'm not sure about the AM kit but on my AP the 2 bicep halves are interchangeable with each other, same with the other 2 halves (which is mildly irritating, I didnt want 2 biceps with bumps). I would check some of the other AM threads and post your question there too, you'll probably garner a lot more attention that way As for the gloves, I am not sure if I'm looking at the top or underside... If my memory serves me correctly, the original gloves had a diamond texture - I wouldn't worry too much about them until you're closer to completion :-) P.S. You can get different gloves for trooping after you're approved, so you don't have to get too attached to the "Approvable" ones - I'm getting some nitrile dipped black gloves from home depot, they're really comfortable and more breathable than the chem gloves. Also, much more form fitting, which is a big complaint people have with the rubber ones. Don't hesitate to shoot me a PM if you get stuck! I'll do my best to help, I'm basically at the same stage as you -James

Dang Jason I wish I had paid more attention during that series, I've watched them probably 4-5 times over and I'm still learning/noticing new things... It's crazy how simple everything can seem before getting the BBB and then as soon as you have a kit it becomes incredible overwhelming and complicated. My secret weapon as of late? Gin and tonic

Don't be nervous! That first score + snap really is like crack, you won't want to stop! Also, everyone here is SO helpful, if you're ever in a pickle or find yourself losing confidence just post some pictures and you'll get tons of feedback :-) Congrats on the purchase! When is BBB day? ;-)

Sick, I just ordered mine... I'm 5'10" and 130lbs.... super slender. I got a Medium, do you think I'll have to get a size larger?

EVERYONE that has posted deserves a beer, I really appreciate both of you takin' a look. Brandon my man, you're from Simi?! I grew up next to Moorpark High, went there for 2 years and then moved up here... I miss SoCal so much. You guys have sales tax though

THANK YOU SO MUCH MASTER TONY!!! Confidence reinstated! My day is officially made. Now that I know, I'm going to go home and label EVERYTHING because this is seriously the most embarrassing question I've asked so far (aside from "what armor should I get?"). In fact..... I don't think I'll have to now that both parts are trimmed differently. Lesson for the day: ALWAYS keep a slight return edge on every piece. It's a heck of a lot easier to take more off than it is to add back on - I'm happy that I dodged a bullet here, not having a return edge on the top of the right shin would drive me absolutely bonkers. P.S. Tony has an incredible build thread going right now that I should have been following because after revisiting I see that virtually EVERY piece starts out with a return, but not every part ends with one.

Man I hope you're right, That would mean the botched return edge on part 4 will be covered by the sniper knee!

Which wetsuit did you get? Was it the NeoSport? I have that one in my crosshairs right now, if it's tight then it will be perfect for me seeing as I have the physical attributes of a 14 year old... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Check, aaaaaand check! I'll probably do both once it gets closer to application day, I'm going to try and build as much to centurion as possible but the shin already has me worried... Can anyone identify those pieces so I can mark them? Lol Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA you could probably turn the rubie's bucket into a lampshade

Updates: Here are all 4 of my shin pieces. I'm having trouble identifying them and I think that 1 and 2 are identical. 3 and 4 are very different in shape, one seems to have a deeper angle at the knee... Here are the two pieces in question, from above, and then staring directly down Through the knee. You can see on one of them that I trimmed the return edge off - pretty annoying but I'm hoping that it's half of the leg that has the sniper knee so that it will be covered. If not, I'm thinking of making some ABS slurry and fusing a small piece of scrap ABS to it so that I can sand down and create a new return edge. BTW sorry for the photo quality and lighting... I'm a pretty creative guy but photography is simply beyond my capacity. Please let me know if you want better pictures. Also got my Hyperfirm E-11 in the mail, here are a few pics of it and then with big bro DLT-19 Lastly, a bonus pic because I couldn't resist - please forgive the Rebel Alliance shirt, my imperial cog shirt is in the laundry :-P

Lolllllll I will post some when I get home, it's a beaut. I would really like to pick up another kit and go for MEPD swat, having the d-19 is making my wallet nervous... I will also post pics of my hyperfirm e-11, it got to the FedEx store today. I think I'm going to be happier with it than I am with my resin one. I'll also take some pics of the botched return edge, I don't think it's a big deal but it's a minor annoyance. I'm going to go much slower on the next piece Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nbd, just providing the most comprehensive, easy to follow build thread EVER... geez Tony, you're seriously knocking this one out of the park! Definitely looking to your expertise when in doubt, you make it look like child's play ;-) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So I got my lexan scissors today... Took a small piece of ABS to practice on and tried to cover a variety of techniques. I tried the straight cut (score+snap seems to be better suited for trimming that requires long, straight cuts) and immediately noticed the thickness of the ABS. I've never CUT plastic before so it was interesting to see how the material reacted to cutting, sanding, and drilling. You guys are right, the first score and snap is like crack... Not speaking from personal experience but it was awesome seeing how this particular type of plastic reacted to cutting and sanding. I then tried cutting out a small coin to see how the curved scissors assisted in achieving a round cut - worked out pretty well. Experimented with different descending grits of sandpaper to try and achieve a polished look and succeeded for the most part. Also tried the boring tool that I got with the scissor set and hand drilled some nice holes with recessions (sorry if my terminology doesn't make sense, this is my first project) and had some pretty good results. Looking forward to getting covered in ABS shavings, this stuff gets EVERYWHERE! Gaining confidence, stay tuned... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This build seriously deserves a pin, you make it look easy... You're a beast, Tony! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk