radude210

That looks fantastic!!!! It might take me another month or so of reading up on this and testing with the extra material in my spare time but i never thought to do that! My only concern is that it might look a little funny because the ab and back parts don't have much curve to it so it'll make me look flat as can be! (not that its really a change from how it is now ) But i LOVE the look

So my best attempt at pictures didn't go so well but i did my best! The pictures really don't show my problem but feel free to tell me how bad parts look!! And then somehow i lost an arm!!!!!

when i get home I'll armor up and post some pictures of my progress so far, still some little things to work out with straps and holding it together but to me its night and day difference with it glued and trimmed.... so beautiful =)

SO! I have been busy with my new job helping out the 2 IT guys at my dads office and having a blast doing it, but working 2 jobs really does NOT leave a lot of time for hobbies (why is school so expensive....). Anyway, since i posted last on here i have glued everything i wish to be glued and even trimmed all those nasty looking bits too! I wanted to thank you guys for all your help and it really is starting to look stunning, there is only 1 last problem i am having where i really just don't know what to do. I glued the strap pieces that go over your shoulders to the chest and back so they were nice and flush and look really really good.... but now since they are glued in place they hold my chest plate pretty far away from my back and so when you look in the side you can see me and all my skinnyness! So to fix this big gap my first thought would be to use a heat gun (or since i don't have one maybe a hair dryer at a distance?) and try to heat up and bend these shoulder pieces to make a larger arc so it hugs my body a little closer. If you have any other suggestions or warnings like don't melt your armor with a hair dryer!!! I'd really appreciate it =) If you need i can get some pictures up when i get home later too

Haha yeah, well ventilated is right! I started out in my basement but quickly had to move to the garage because of the fumes. But yeah, i tend to spread it around evenly and then clamp the pieces together... Maybe i am just using too much then? I'll try with less glue once i get home! (muahahaha, school computers )

SO, this past week i have been taking whatever time i have to one by one permanently glue my thigh, and arm pieces.... as well as the fronts of my shins. But! Using e6000 i am finding that it oozes out the sides after its been set, which is fine and all and you can just pull out the extra but it seems to be leaving kind of a messy sticky little chunks of glue right where the 2 pieces meet and its tough to get them out. Is there an easy way to get rid of these that i am just not seeing? Also, i am finding that even though for the most part its going well but there are a few cases (mostly the thighs) where there is just a tiny bit of a gap. I was thinking of using some silicone sealant to just run a bead along the where they meet so it looks like one solid piece. I think it'll work because its very close to the same shade of white and won't crack under stress or anything... good idea? or not so much? This stuff is much more difficult.... and more fun than i ever thought it'd be! Thanks for the help

Picked up a big tube of E6000 today for a mere $7!! Looks big enough to do my whole armor unless i am just really bad at eyeballing things So if all goes to plan i hope to do some trimming and maybe even get a few pieces glued up! Few questions though.... my gut says to trim then glue, or is it better to glue then cut (may be easier to make it look more flush?). Also I really don't know how much and where to trim those flaws you guys so quicky pointed out, so any help there would be nice. I can post more detailed pictures of each piece if you like too! Thanks!!! You guys are a big help. ~Brad

Yeah i found out the Micheal's in Sherwood Park should have it too but was closed by the time i got there yesterday So for the trimming i should basically just get rid of that corner sticking out and that's it?

Alrighty! So I cleaned and ripped off the velcro of most of the pieces that will no longer need it and am sizing things up for a trim. My plan so far is to use E6000 and bond the arm pieces accordingly then take the dremel and shave off little by little so they fit much more like as if they were 1 single piece. I don't have the E6000 yet so i am still in the planning stages till it gets here (thanks again for the info on that ) but is this what I am looking to do?: Take this And basically do this (but a better job than crappy paint shows ) Then sand the edges to make everything flush.... good idea? or bad? Is it better to have kind of a sharp incline in the cut line like that or make it more gradual and go farther down?

Well, I think i will be fine once i get the trimming and glue all sorted out. Right now i am just trying to go about finding where and how much to trim off every piece..... A lot harder than i first thought Tips definitly are welcomed! Thanks

yeah, my thighs are a lot higher now and things seeem to fit a lot better.... Scared about trimming though :S

Soo, since i can't find e6000 anywhere i decided to get it online for a good price! <a href="http://cgi.ebay.ca/E6000-Glue-Adhesive-18-...A1%7C240%3A1318" target="_blank">http://cgi.ebay.ca/E6000-Glue-Adhesive-18-...A1%7C240%3A1318</a> Just curious if anyone knows how much (number of tubes) i'd need to glue arm pieces, thighs, and front of shins? (went to my first event [didn't troop] and LOVED IT! also i have my gloves and pants and boots on the way soon )

--------- As far as i know you can only connect 1 headset to 1 other, BUT they do have this other conference call station thing ------------ you can connect 5 dragons to it and a phone for 300,000 square foot range! Each dragon runs for about $100USD and the station doesn't post a price The headsets may not be cheap but they are FANTASTIC for talking to another person (just don't try using it for music )

Actually i have just that! But the one i have is a special one that can work as a walkie talkie with 1 other headset of its kind. So me and my friend who is also becoming a trooper can keep in touch without yelling at each other and it fits perfectly! Best part is the walkie talkie mode has a range of 250,000 square feet! Only problem is to switch functions between phone and walkie talkie requires taking off your helmet. I think it'll also be handy for keeping in contact with a non-costumed friend to guide you from walking straight into kiddies

So nothing major but i adjusted things around a bit.... have a look! Tell me what i need to do better! So just from how i feel with it on, i want my upper arm pieces to be higher, forearms to be more snug because they slide and my thighs to stay up higher.

So, i am having a horrible time trying to find any kind of glue to keep my thigh pieces together Next to velcro whats the best alternative? My dad was thinking maybe riviting them but i thought that might be a bit too visable from the outside... Anyone have any experiance with this?

yeah my thigh pieces seem to be a bit on the uneven side of things

you know what, i think i might try putting a few snaps on to keep them where i want them

How many pounds of pull would you say you need?

Hmmm, well i don't have a heat gun and it makes me really nervous to think i could disfigure this beautiful piece of plastic with one mistake. I could look into it though, because i bet that's pretty well my only option for a perfect fit.

So i raised my ab/back and its much better and tighter BUT i am too skinny!!!! here is my issue and if i tuck the back under the ab it stresses the plastic and i doubt it'd stay but this is what it looks like... So should i trim my back or adjust it to be a little more loose so they just kinda meet nicely (but would be a bit clunky?) I don't know, help!

haha, cheaper "looking" maybe.

Yeah, i've heard e6000 is very good... but i don't really want to pay more shipping and stuff than i have to. So if anyone knows if the stuff i have will do the trick i'll dive in head first! Tonight when i get home (at work now) i'll maybe try it out on a couple small chunks of extra ABS i got with my kit. But, input is always welcomed I'm greener than my helmet lenses at this The more info and tips i can get the better off i'll be! (PS you guys are great, without this site i would have never gotten to the point i'm at now.... THANKS!)

Yeah, i have a fantastic set of heavy duty suspenders made just for the job! Maybe after i (hopefully) get the thigh's glued shut this weekend I'll suit up again and raise the ab and back. I'm a little short on the clamp side of things though, so i was thinking of using some kind of brace (like a thick chunk of wood) for bonding the thigh pieces together to extend the reach of the little clamps i have. They're pretty small so they only fit on the ends. Would this work okay? I tried a test chunk of wood and there is still a little gap where it has a bit of a lip up near the top but the middle is good and the gap is pretty minimal. Any way to get around that? By the way plastic weld and e6000 are pretty impossible to find here, I even checked if a hardware store could order some in but nope! I did however find this at walmart, so i picked it up because i know i can use it for something else if not this. http://www.weldbondusa.com/ Do you think its good for the job or should i hold out for something better? (it sounded kinda watery when i shook it)

Don't forget broke But totally worth it. (Any advice on making ab and back fit me a little more snug?)