Zinfer

I've gotta be careful with the trimming/fitting of the back of the shins as I ride a bike for exercise/weight loss and my legs get most of that gain from the daily workout. One thing I found is my right calf appears larger than my left. I've never heard of that before. My sister noticed it.

Left Shin front cover strip completed, put a couple drops super glue towards the bottom where it didn't get enough coverage from the E6000. Right Shin cover strip now applied. Looks like Tomorrow we'll start on the first Thigh frontal cover strip. All the leg armor remains to be fitted yet. The Arm parts are fitted.

That looks to be a 3d printed kit. Maybe not though. It almost looks metal. But I don't think the doopy doo comes with a rail? Oh it also has a chamber uhm..chamber clear pull and those two cylinders are not on a base. Looks diff from a doopy. $60 over a doopy $30. I dunno. It looks superior to the doopy conversion but it's double the price too. Nice that it includes the bar and an entirely separate scope. I been eyeing the Quest out of Canada I believe.

Wow, I got one of the warmest letters I've ever received and it was from Rob of RS. A very kind letter and Props to this Man, his crew and family. RS Propmasters are outstanding. A quick snippet: 'When all the props are built it’s the friendships made that will remain.'

Yea I was reading that. Good Lord you really went all out, I downloaded a few templates off that link, but honestly at this stage I don't have the time and patience. I wasn't aware of the different versions of the E-11. I have been looking at the hyperdyne labs conversion if that's even still there, but I mean - that kit was something like $250.

I plan on cutting a couple more cover strips for the insides of the shin fronts. I just did all the 20's x 6 initially.

Nothing like getting back on course again! Yipee! Yea I was kinda mystified when I bought a few AA batteries and gave it a whirl. Only the front LED blinked with sound (muffled). I thought there were more LED's down through the barrel but apparently not. I couldn't get it apart with the scope endcaps and the front bulb cover (I don't have a doopy conversion so I'm hesitant to begin cutting anything). I did peek through the barrel holes and didn't see any LED board or lights. Hmm. Color me surprised. On the 3d printer, I'd have to ask someone else to print things as I don't have one of those yet. Everytime I have in the past though, there was always a problem with scaling being inaccurate. And those darn resolution lines. Ick! I wish 3d printing could give a smooth surface like injection molding or vacu-forming. Technologies not there yet. I know you can give chemical baths to things to melt the plastic uhm...smooth.

Now, to begin applying the cover strips. I've seen alot of peeps telling me to be liberal with the E6000 glue but then I've seen tutorials where, that's not so much the case. I think I came somewhere in the middle. I'll find out after my first test with the Left SHIN front. I am applying the front cover strips before fitting the thighs and legs at the rear of them. This first part is the extent of my magnet collection, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow for this to fully cure before moving on to the Right Shin.

The PVC cover strip material finally arrives! Checked the date on the package handled by the USPS. Dec 22nd ship date. The only guess I have is that items that are being shipped from across the pond, even from England are being stashed in a Quarantine bin for around about a month before the USPS then tells me they are experiencing a shortage of manpower to deliver things in a timely fashion. So this took about a month, just for a sheet of PVC plastic. Immediately diving into it and began slicing the cover strips 20mm x 6 for the legs. The deal is to get all the LARGE portions cut first so that if there is a shortage, it's for the smaller parts. So I found that scoring the plastic to bend it and snap really wasn't giving me clean lines as they tell you to just lightly score it, but you have to score it to near halfway through it. I apparently was scoring it TOO lightly, but never had the courage to go heavy on it as that tends to steer my razor knife away and on it's own course. So I just drew the lines, cut them with sheers and then sanded them clean. First shot is the rough cuts, second is after sanding with paper and dremel. All within tolerance of +-1mm of 20mm.

Ok, so back to building. Received the E-11 Blaster. However I still need the doopydoo conversion kit and presently they aren't producing anything and are out of stock of everything. Makes me question the logic of buying a conversion kit rather than a full on E-11 kit should they begin production again.

On the RS Kit it's not very likely for this to happen as there is not a left outer and left inner, right outer, right inner, as the right and left are just copies. Pretty sure I've got it right. The only difference is when you trim the lower part at the ankles to make one side deeper than the other. Pretty sure I got that right.

Ok, welp I'm DEF in a holding pattern now. Might get my Hasbro E-11 toy in tomorrow. But without a doopy conversion I guess I can monkey with it a little. Maybe time to check out the Icomm.

I was thinking that once I got the ocver strips on, I could go a little higher on the top and Trim them to match the inclination and angle cut, sanding any and all sharp edges inside or out? I mean it probably doesn't matter since it's covered entirely by the bell. But yea I'm prolly going to get poked my something so I am keeping an eye out for that. I think the most likely area I'm going to have a problem is a pinchpoint behind the knee, but I guess cross that when I get to it and find out if that will be an issue. Not to change subjects, but ATM after changing my straps for something a little tighter between the chest and cod, I found I'm getting choked a bit and can't really look down much, it appears to have raised the chest plate. Maybe just need to lose some poundage and that'll fix it. Those bracket straps are a pain to get right.

Got the forearms completely fitted. I also tried them on with my undersuit and gloves on just to make sure. However, I did notice the right was not maintaining it's shape. I may need a little heat on it to get it's shape more circular than oval. The Left RS scult seemed like it was a thicker material, more robust, so it held it's shape fine during trim to fit. Below is the Right.

I thought I performed these fits so well, I may just do fittings on the forearms as well tomorrow. A little more research on thinning them down to fit my scrawny little arms.

So today I took the long taped up right bicep and completely fitted it to my arm, drew the cut lines, trimmed it front and back and temp gaffer taped it together awaiting cover strips. I was so confident in the procedure that I went ahead and performed the same on the left side. Both biceps fited.

Congrats Matt! I picked up RS' PVC version. Don't make my mistake in just following RS tuts alone, watch Ritchie, watch Cableguy, there is a wealth of information and helpful troopers here. Yes the strap pack comes with all your rivets, all metal parts, buttons, snaps. Yep - all there. Rob's belt cutting nearly screwed my build as it didn't follow the CRL with the precise 45 degree cuts.

I actually kind of meant on the biceps, forearms as far as they being so much bigger than my actual biceps and forearms. The other way. As all fittings occur in the back I believe. Didn't know if it makes a difference if you look at how I was wrapping that forearm from one side to the other on the overlap.

And tomorrow for the final Large part. The Left Forearm assembly. Fitting all the parts, gluing all the coverstrips, all the strapping remains as well as work ahead in adjustments, work on the blaster, electronics such as the Icomm and helmet fan coolers. So much ahead. And then finally applying and filing for approval in the Ohio Garrison and 501st Legion. About 20-30 pounds to lose somewhere along the way.

Ok, so the build for the day; Right Forearm. Cut and trimmed and sanded. The measurements were 8mm either side for a 15mm cover strip. Taped in place for the meantime. When it comes time to fit these I'm gonna be a nervous wreck. I've no idea how to do that as far as right over left, left over right? Just don't know right now. And that's gonna be the REAL TRICK in receiving the cover strip material. I really feel I'm going to need help with that come time to fit the thighs and shins especially. I would think you'd want to fit in a standing position. Not sitting.

Thank you buddy. For some odd reason I was thinking 25mm for the back of the thighs.

IF only I could find that page that tells me the cover strip sizes to refresh my memory. I'm watching Rob tell me 12mm and Ritchie Stormtrooper tell me 15mm. And finally Cableguy says 15mm on his vid. Thoughts? So if it's 15mm, then I need to make my cuts at around 8mm either side. At 12, it'd be 6mm. Before I mark or cut I just want to be sure. I believe it'll end up matching the coverstrip size for the biceps then as well.

I don't know what I'd do without a dremel setup with the extension cable and finger control. Been so invaluable for trimming.

Now starting in on the Right Forearm. I counted the number of divets (12) and also noted that both sides have a raised edge, inner and outer.

Right Shin Trimmed, sanded and ready for coverstrip, then fitting.