Engineerch1ck

Requesting access for newly minted TK16272 - please and thank you! :-) https://www.501st.com/members/displaymember.php?userID=32027&costumeID=76

Thanks for the replies! I am familiar with Cricket and Sha Sha Chu’s builds, but am probably due for another reread since this build has been going on so long! I will also go check out Fragarock’s post! I see what you mean about not wanting the TK to be reshaped too much to fit a female frame, so I will not taper the kidney. Perhaps I need to trim the back tabs to bring the back plate further forward? Or just use a black foam padding so it’s not so obvious that there’s a thick chunk of foam back there? Thanks again! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good afternoon all! Quick question re: torso fitting. When I wear the torso as it’s currently sized (no circumferential trimming on a WTF), I have an inch or so of daylight behind my back but it’s well fit at the butt. If you look at the pic below, you can see the line of my back compared to the back plate. I’ve tried adding foam behind my back, but you can see the foam and the gap looks a little jarring to me. I’ve seen other females take a tapered slice out of the sides of the kidneys to improve fit and bring the kidney/back plate closer, but I wanted to make sure it looks ok on my proportions before going that route. I’d probably make the taper slightly less obvious than what’s seen below, to shrink but not remove the gap between my back and the back plate. This adjustment would make the belt sit slightly less horizontal, so I was thinking of introducing a slight curve in the patterning (at the back only) to help it sit flat and horizontal. Since this is one of those points of no return (or difficult return!) I wanted to make sure I’m not crazy. Thanks in advance for any feedback! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

COVID surely does - I feel like time has both slowed down and accelerated, oddly. I definitely agree on the butt plate, and I’m wondering what happened with the alignment - earlier the same day, I think things were lined up a little better. Perhaps it is an issue with how the shoulder straps are sitting, and things migrated down? Planning on making the belt and doing the cod strap, and reassessing. Thanks for the feedback! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I feel like this build had languished over the last couple of months (thanks 2020!) but I’ve made some more progress over the last couple of weeks. This is my current status for the upper body; I’ve done preliminary strapping just to get an idea of proportion, but see some tearing off and replacing of snap plates in my future. One of the things that I think is slightly jarring is the proportion of breadth vs. height, but I’m not sure if this can be sorted because of hips and a honky-tonk bedonkadonk. The torso is very deep on me (inch of padding inside the kidney and back) but can’t really be made much more narrow unless I do some changes in alignment. I’m assuming that the torso is bound to change shape once the belt is installed, so that will be one of my next steps. I’ll also install the strap from butt to cod, to see how things look with that installed. I’ll try to post more detailed and internal pictures later today after my padawan goes to sleep. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you for all of the helpful comments y’all! I have been working on other parts at the meantime, but wanted to take another swing at the helmet. I took things apart and realigned using magnets as recommended - how do things look now? I will be ordering more brow trim (over-trimmed) and will be taking some more return edge off of the eyes. Thank you all for the help! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I realize that it’s been way too long since I posted in here! I rough trimmed a pair of ears, realized I over-trimmed, and am hoping that the aluminum foil method will work on my second set. Before I attempt that method, here is how things are currently lined up. Does anything look really far off in terms of how the ears are lined up on the helmet and how the helmet is assembled? I would be attempting to minimize the ear-helmet gap in my next attempt, but wanted to make sure my overall alignment isn’t too far off. Thank you in advance for any assistance! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You know that part in school when the professor says ‘and then, a miracle occurs’ while writing equations on the board? (Usually signifying a big jump from the ongoing math and a rather distant conclusion)? I seem to have a dearth of pictures re: the trimming stage for my helmet, but I’ll try to make up for it by posting an excessive number of current pics. I had done some trimming of the helmet with some advice from more experienced folks, and then, in a fit of confidence, temporarily attached it all together with some bolts. Then I stood back and surveyed the damage, as one is wont to do. I went with more of the Twinkie shape for teeth, and think I may still have a ways to go on the eyes. I also think that more cheek trimming is in my future, given where the ears should line up. I attempted an ear, but totally screwed up my first attempt :-D Before I make my second attempt, could I possibly ask for opinions on the current alignment and trimming? Thank you in advance!! Thank you to the kind souls who recommended putting the magnets in satchels! So much easier to maneuver! I feel like I may have cut the u-shaped trim over the eyes kind of short, since it doesn’t go all the way from trap to trap... Also, I feel like there is some odd asymmetry going on at the front right of my helmet, but not sure if that’s normal or not, or if I somehow torqued my bucket into this shape with the power of super powerful magnets? Thank you!! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thank you! It was around 7-8 passes with an airbrush, and then I went through with a tiny paintbrush and painted over the small stitching holes, since these were showing up darker. I do definitely need to seal them though, since the other day I came upon my four year old clomping around in them - and there were some areas the paint had gotten scuffed up. This may be inevitable (and probably screen accurate) but I’ll see if I can minimize future damage. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thank you! Very excited to work on a TK! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Hello all in TK world! I hope all is well and everyone is having fun with their builds! I am a newbie building my first armor, and looking forward to the process, if intimidated. I would love to go for Centurion, and am trying to keep this in mind as I build. This build thread is long overdue since I got my BBB months ago, but I’ve been distracted by work/life/a toddler. I have been rough trimming and buying/modding accessories, undergarments etc., but am getting to the fun/scary part now. Armor: WTF Stunt with shorty thighs and 90% helmet - please see BBB and curious pupper below! Boots: Black Jodhpurs, painted white using Angelus leather paint - I still need to add the gloss on top to add shine! A friend and I followed other trooper recommendations and painted the Roamers Unisex Leather Gusset Jodhpur Equestrian Riding Boots because we have small feet. I bought a lovely neck seal from Teresa Nuthall, as well as purchasing some black under armor with minimal logos from Amazon/academy - any remaining logos I will be sure to black out. I also purchased some black dishwashing gloves, but also plan to get Nomex flight gloves for trooping. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk