kaptinkaos Posted August 26, 2011 Report Share Posted August 26, 2011 (edited) Hey all! I'm still pretty new to the community as of yet, but I doubt there's any turning back now, As of yesterday morning my suit of AM cleared Canadian customs on it's way north. I thought I would start my build thread a bit early so that I can get some insights and also get to know some of you folks on here. I've been poring over this site for years now and would probably have 3 or 4 suits already if not for that lovely recession we just had. Back to work for me now though so I finally took the plunge and ordered my AM! My white boots have been staring at me for over 2 years now... I'm so happy to have finally begun this epic task! I really wanted this set to be a dirty set, TD, but I thought I should just keep it simple for my first build and become familiar with what needs to be done to achieve a great looking suit. It's definitely going to be a work in progress for a while as I delve deeper into true screen accuracy (or as close as I can get to an ANH suit), but from all of the threads I've read on here it seems I'll have no problem finding the advice, tools, parts and gear I need. So far I have a pair of remarkably correct boots that actually fit me very well and are also comfortable to wear! I also have found a suitable Underarmor long sleeve shirt for a top, but am still hunting for a bottom. I need to hit some sports stores and get that. Things still on my list: ANH neckseal Mic Tips Proper ANH white rubber handguards E-11 Resin Replica (Maybe Doopydoo?) ANH Holster White Belt Black Rubber Gloves Drop Boxes if the kit doesn't have them I have an Aker MR1506 talkbox for some trooper chatter and for my voice. I couldn't find a good trooper chatter mp3 that I liked so I created my own that I can loop. I'm still figuring out what will work best for me with an MP3 of looped chatter and a PTT for my own voice. It'll be mounted inside my chest plate and my mic will be hard mounted inside the lid with a wired connection. I'll be finishing the inside of the helmet as per ANH with foam. Probably the biggest problem I'm having right now is finding E6000... lol! I've searched high and low and no one locally stocks it. I may have to resort to an online source to get some... I'm also still on the fence about painting or not... I really should. I like the "worn for a while" look that newspaper rubbing gives the armor. I don't think I want to get as screen accurate as "dirty legs", but I do not want it to look like an "off-the-rack" costume shop costume. If I do paint then I'd better get on top of what paints and how to prime/paint/finish it off. I'll want to troop in it a fair bit so I want to get it as realistic but durable as I can. I may even go above and beyond screen correct to make it look and feel like you'd imagine a REAL stormie set up close. I want wow factor when I randomly pop into the local comic shop to read a Star Trek mag while shaking my head... LOL! Anyway... Cross your fingers that my package arrives in the am. Otherwise it'll be next week sometime, I will update as much as I can as I go along and thank you in advance for any/all advice, help, pointers and patience! Kaptin Kaos aka Joe (I can hardly wait to apply for my TK ID...) Cheers! Edited August 26, 2011 by kaptinkaos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandatrooper[TK] Posted August 26, 2011 Report Share Posted August 26, 2011 Good luck with your build. Michaels crafts sells E6000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2011 Shut the front door... That's the last place on my list to check!!! I went everywhere man... Thanks a TON!!! P.S. - After watching a few of your YouTube vids and reading a lot of your builds/posts I bet I'll be contacting you to tweak and fine tune the suit once I have it built and fitted to my frame. I know a lot, but I also know there's a lot more I may not be aware of, lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marv Posted August 26, 2011 Report Share Posted August 26, 2011 I also have found a suitable Underarmor long sleeve shirt for a top, but am still hunting for a bottom. I need to hit some sports stores and get that. I've done similar in anticipation of getting some armor. Brought myself a nice Underarmor top (the label is hidden by the neckseal), and some jogging bottoms. Perfect, almost like this stuff was tailor made Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 WOOT! Got a NICE delivery this morning! I feel like a kid in a candy store, hahaha! AND I found Now... I am at a stumbling block. It's the silly question of "Where do I start?" Shins? Forearms? Chest and Back? Certainly not the helm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morphine Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 Now... I am at a stumbling block. It's the silly question of "Where do I start?" Shins? Forearms? Chest and Back? Certainly not the helm... I started with my helm and I keep looking at the big box of armor just staring at me saying :"I'm easier - pick me!" hahaha. On the other hand, I'm kind of glad that I'm getting out of the way the hardest part of the build first so I don't get frustrated later. Best of luck to you on the build! I'll keep peeking in as you update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkrestonva[TK] Posted August 27, 2011 Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 Conventional wisdom is to start with the smaller parts (forearms and biceps) first, that way you build confidence to tackle the larger pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2011 That's what I was thinking... I'll start with the forearms and work my way up and down the suit from there. I'll be building the lid as practice and will hopefully order a couple of T/MC or ATA lids soon. The scale (especially on my slim frame) of the AM lid is just too dang large. Something screen derived and more accurate would be a lot better. I'm starting to think that this suit may just end up being a TD suit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Finally had a chance to unpack it all tonight and... Wow, is it NOT what I expected... It's made for Jabba the Hut! I'll do the biceps and forearms in the am, but just want to know from the guys/gals who already know so if I should be taking all the return edges off or not? I may have to anyway just to be able to get the two halves of the biceps and forearms to come close to fitting my arms. If I don't I think I'll run into serious binding issues. My bleary eyes and lack of brain functionality at this hour of the morning (3am for me)aren't helping my research... neither is my disappointment in the scope and scale of how much I'm going to have to modify this whole suit to come even close to fitting me, LOL! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2011 Lol... ignore that post. Struck gold before I tottered off to bed. http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=10434 I'll get cracking on this suit tomorrow. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 (edited) Ok, long day... But finally truly starting in on this AM. I plan on getting both biceps and both shoulder bells started and maybe even get the forearms trimmed up. I'm loaded for bear with everything I need in front of me and RotJ playing in my ear, lol! Picked up these today on a suggestion from a few people on Badlands for gloves. Seeing as it's AM and not screen derived these gloves will be just fine. Made a trip down to Lee Valley today and picked up a couple extra clamps and a WHACK of rare earth magnets to help with the shims and gluing. Those aren't the clamps in that photo though, LMAO! I'm so glad Panda put his AM build on here... I'll be following it very closely as I'm pretty dang slim and will need to trim a LOT of plastic. I'm not so scared of it now though, lol! I'll have his build page open right beside me while I work. *Edit: I know, my tower looks like a Stormie... Edited August 30, 2011 by kaptinkaos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Sticking with the same approach as Panda I'm going to butt join the pieces so I trimmed the biceps like so And shimmed and glued the one side up I'll hit them with a heat gun to make the other side meet a little better so there isn't a bunch of trapped stress in plastic after gluing them closed. Last thing I'd want is for it to "sproing" during a troop, lol! (Those rare earth magnets are almost dangerous... ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandatrooper[TK] Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Make sure to tape the parts before clamping. This will prevent them from moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Lol... I found that out already... They are all taped up now. Moved onto the forearms. Did you glue both side of the forarms together or leave one side open with velcro? I notice your forearm pieces fit very snugly on your wrists... my hands a re WAY too big to have a tight fit like that unless I leave a side open with a velcro closure... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkrestonva[TK] Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 If you trim off the return edges at the wrists, you create more room to get your hands through the openings and as a result can get the forearms skinnier. Plus, no wrist returns = screen accurate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandatrooper[TK] Posted August 30, 2011 Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 Glue them shut, no velcro. As TKrestonva stated, trim the write return off then size them so your hand just fits through with no gloves on, assemble and glue shut. Once you wear the forearm, there will be room for the gloves afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 (edited) AM = Not caring about screen accuracy, lol! After a morning of taking everything apart and sanding all my glue edges and re-gluing everything it's back together to cure till tonight. Thanks for pointing that out Panda! I would have probably been fighting with it and cursing the glue for not being a good hold when really, it's my fault for forgetting the glaringly obvious. Shiny ABS is not an optimal surface for glue to bind to. It's not epoxy and doesn't melt the plastic to bond it which is what I was forgetting. I should have realized that, but I've only worked with epoxy for the most part. Tonight I think I'll take some off of the return edges inside the wrists so as to facilitate a tighter fit on my wrist. I won't take it all off as I'm not worried about screen accuracy, but some off would sure make it fit easier. I'm off to go find a hobby iron, some UnderArmor pants, and a quick stop at Fabricland for some black nylon webbing for my idea on how to mount my handguards and some foam for lining helmets. Once the glue is cured on the biceps I'll finish the forearms too. If I don't get more clamps I'll do some heat work to my shoulder bells and some trimming on them. Then it's snap building time, Here's a pic of how I'm thinking of trimming the bells before heating and shaping them a little less wide. From what I see in ANH, it looks like the front of the bell is a bit higher cut than the back, so I'll try to imitate that with my cuts. Then the bells will be left/right and not so uniform. I'll have to get the biceps finished before I actually cut and shape so that I have a reference to look at to see how long they will be. Right now they are HUGE and this is just my best guess without an actual fit. Like so Edited August 31, 2011 by kaptinkaos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2011 (edited) Update on overall progress on gear: Doopydoo E-11 is in the mail Belts are in the mail 2 ATA helmet kits are in the mail also Still just debating which neckseal to go with... or have someone I know make one. I'm handy with tools and building things, but not so much with sewing. Also need to settle on a holster. So many options out there... Edited August 30, 2011 by kaptinkaos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 Are those wideband white velcro straps? would be a PITA compared to just having some elastic there unless you had someone to dress you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandatrooper[TK] Posted August 31, 2011 Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 Its black elastic holding the bell against the bicep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 Oh snap... I see the optical illusion now... LOL! It's black over white, not white over black, ha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 After a quick dinner I decided I should just keep going, lol! Got the bells trimmed and heat molded approximately the way I want them. It might be too much, but without fitting over the bicep I won't know. The biceps should be fully cured tomorrow and I'll do a test before putting the ANH strips over the seams and locking them down for another day. Did a bit or trimming (a lot really) to the chest plate and some test fits. I heat molded the sides a bit and took most of the return edges off of the top. I also removed ~3/4" off of the bottom and after doing the bell return edge I'll try my hand at doing one on the bottom of the chest. Seems to fit my skinny a very impolite person pretty good now. I wish I had a thousand clamps... I could get a lot more done in one night, LOL! I think I'll just carry on with trimming and heat shaping anything that needs it (everything). Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 (edited) Not bad for a first go I think... Needs a good wet sanding on the edge and some polish and should be good to go. Edited August 31, 2011 by kaptinkaos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 Second forearm together and some ANH strips added here and there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptinkaos Posted August 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2011 After a couple of quick test fits with where I think the chest should be sitting in relation to the cod and ab, I've decided to cut the ab and remove 3/4" as shown fot proper fitment of the two pieces together. I'll heat shape the ab after I have it cut to fit a little bit slimmer. Needs to come in about and inch on each side. Once I get that done I'll put some snaps on the crotch and get the butt plate and back out to see how much have to come off of those pieces too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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