FodiChan

So my tab system is mega fugly since I had to work around some existing straps and where I was going to place the rivets but it works and nobody knows except me and whoever looks at this post Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I went with yours, so thanks for that!! Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

The tab idea worked really well. My pieces line up great! I placed the split rivets in the ab and kidney earlier this evening. The belt is completely done and the last of the strapping snaps are curing. It is getting close to the end and I am really excited to have a finished TK in the next couple of weeks. Started the bucket last night as well and got my husband to help drill holes for temporary screws. Those pieces were difficult to line up. Ears will be trimmed tomorrow then onto the painting and lens fitting and padding and fans and........... Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

That would be my daughter begging for a Star Wars bandaid and scattering them everywhere, although I sustained some pretty bad injuries this weekend, including biting my tongue insanely hard and burning myself with the soldering iron :/ Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Finished the thigh ammo pack. It's not as perfectly aligned as I wanted it to be but I didn't want to spend all day wrestling it. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Wow, got some great ideas to work with here. I'm goin to try the tab system out and will report back with results tomorrow. I need to change a poopy diaper but after that I think I will work on the thigh ammo belt and attach the plastic waist belt to the canvas. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

That is brilliant. I will have to give that a shot. Thank you! Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I'll grab a side shot when I decide to get my lazy rear out of bed! I would love a photo of the tab system. I've come across it in a couple threads but the photos were all broken. I have trimmed about as much as I dare from both ab and kidney. I don't want to ruin my proportions too much. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Working on strapping/padding/fitting and TBH this part kind of sucks My kidney wants to overlap the ab in the front and I think I can resolve that with foam padding. Thighs still need to be strapped. I'm going to remove all of the return edge on the neck because it was digging in pretty hard--hence the very red neck! Also did some work on the thermal detonator over the weekend, and ordered a holster and blaster, both of which should be here this weekend. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Belt is finally finished. I was following the canvas belt tutorial by firebladejedi but i didn't like the look of the raw canvas edge. It took a couple attempts but here is what I did: I took two pieces of elastic and sewed a larger piece of canvas to the top (straight stitch) Then, I sandwiched the elastic side together and tucked in the canvas edge into the middle and used a zigzag stitch to hold everything together. My first attempt came out at 3.5 inches, but the CRL says it should be up to 3.25 inches, so I had to start over. This attempt barely hits 3.25 and is less in a couple places. The belt is unfinished until I can properly fit it to my armor. Next step: hot water bath for kidney, butt and chest pieces. I need the sides to be closer to my body so I can get a more accurate trim. I feel there is too much space between my body and the armor to leave it. I would like a more tailored fit. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Yuck, that seal looks pretty gross up close! I used some fleece I had laying around since I didn't want to run back to the fabric store. Most of it will be trimmed off anyway. The snaps need to be worked on too, I ended up leaving fingerprints in the paint. Just fixed the sewing machine as well. The spool I was using was too tall and it was causing the thread to pop out of the tension spring....so now I'm using a bobbin for both top and bottom lol

Here is what it looks like when it is closed. It sits flush against my neck when I'm wearing it. It is very easy to put on, I can close it from the rear. I started working on my belt but my sewing machine just broke down. Uggghhhhhh!! Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Thanks, James! I followed the same tutorial; the seal part went great but the fabric was kicking my butt. Here is what I came up with. I tried Velcro but it was really stiff on the back of my neck and it was freaking me out, so I used some plastic snaps I had and a piece of 3 inch black elastic. The elastic allows my head to bend more comfortably and the snaps are really simple to work with. I am hoping adding snaps will not affect approval, but if it doesn't work I have enough material to try again. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Thanks for the encouragement! It is very much appreciated. I am already thinking about an Imperial Officer, maybe next year. I had a dream that I was going to my first troop but someone stole my armor and I couldn't do it and I was really bummed out. Like, some old lady just walked out with my huge Husky bin and nobody could tell me where she went with my stuff. My daughter woke me up early this morning before it ended so I don't know if I ever got it back! Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Thanks! The shirt I have would not allow a bib to be tucked underneath since the neck is pretty high. I was digging through multiple threads trying to find pictures of people who didn't have a bib on the seal but didn't find anything. Glad to know the bib isn't required but I will make a duplicate with a bib attached in case I get a different shirt with a lower neck. My 3 inch white elastic should be arriving today so I can tackle the canvas belt. I hate sewing [emoji14] Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Does the neck seal *have* to have a bib? My undershirt has a really high neck. I've been trying for hours and I just can't get the bib to work right. I'm not a very skilled seamstress. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I've definitely been going a bit faster than I should be. One of the ways I deal with anxiety is to work on a project as long as I can stand but when I have to take a break I get really worked up because I feel like I should be busy. I think I just have cabin fever...I'm really ready for spring and to put some energy into the garden. Idaho winters suck [emoji14] I have some magnets I've been using but I don't have enough and I want to save $$$ for stuff like blasters so I have been using heavy household items to press my cover strips flat--it's doing the job well enough! Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Today was a bit rough. It was hot water bath day and the thighs gave me quite a bit of trouble. When I tied them shut and put them in the bath the cover strips popped off both from the tension and from the fact that I didn't let the e6000 cure long enough. However, the thighs came together a lot easier after the bath. My fingers ache after rubbing off all that e6000 and I dropped a freshly coated cover strip on my jeans > Tomorrow I'll don the whole under suit and test fit the torso with the arms and legs in place. I want to keep working but I'm at a standstill right now and my 2 year old has been into all sorts of trouble today, including standing on her potty stool so she could play in my fish tank and dumping the salt from my Stormtrooper salt shaker all over the floor. I'm out of e6000 anyway and I'm too tired to make a home depot run tonight. *sigh* Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Thanks for your input! Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

All right...another question... How do the shoulder straps look? Do I need to remove more material on the sides? Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

It feels like things are coming along just swimmingly. My compression shirt gets here tomorrow so I can start doing some real fitting on the torso pieces. Being a stay at home mom is nice because I get a few hours to work on this in the mornings and the glue can cure during the day. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I got some acetone from home depot last night and am working on some ABS paste. I need to cover up some small idiot marks on the return edge of the kidney Trimmed the ab button plates to size. I've been gluing the thighs today. I think the shin I've finished needs a hot water bath-- I don't want a lot of resistance against the Velcro. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Ahhh thank you!!! Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Ok....so I've been searching for the correct way to cut the button plates and did a rough mark of where I thought the cuts should be made. Are these correct? Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Just finished gluing right forearm and bicep. Also found some Testors paints at Hobby Lobby. Glad I didn't have to order them. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk