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Chuck's ATA ESB TK Build


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OK guys,

 

I have been started on the path to the dark side armour building by the lads at my Garrison's armour party on Sunday ... I don't think I'd ever have built up the courage to make that first cut without someone there telling me to do it :P Thankfully it worked out. :icon_beg: Well, here goes ...

 

Here's the whole kit, minus the legs 1) because it takes effort to put them out on the floor, and 2) because I almost killed myself trying to get these photos as they are.

 

ATAABSkit1.jpg

 

And here's the ab plate, which is what I was instructed to cut first. You probably can't see anything that I did at this angle though.

 

AbPlateslashCrotch.jpg

 

I should be doing some more work on it tomorrow, so I may post some more pictures up shortly.

 

Chuck.

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  • 2 weeks later...

yup. john danter sells esb handplates, contact him for those

 

 

Thanks for the tip, Juan! I've got them! Very nice, and very quick organisation and shipping too.

 

Hey Tom how is your build coming. Its always good to see another ESB trooper in the works.

 

Hey Noah. It's only getting done slowly, I'm afraid. Despite my whole "I'm going to build my armour, forget about the blaster for a month or two, and not do any uni work on top of lectures" outlook, I still haven't even finished filing the crotch plate -_- Oh well. I think I'll go try to get something finished now.

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I did actually work on my build over the weekend! However, I didn't do much filing/sanding of the armour, so I have nothing to report there. What I did do was start on the holster. I took a trip to Tandy last Thursday and bought a shoulder of 3mm leather and some dye. I drew up a template based on the Troopermaster dimensions, and went nuts with my scalpel. And ...

 

HolsterLeather2.jpg

 

HolsterMaterials2.jpg

 

Holstersx33.jpg

 

All that's left to do on that is to cut out the straps, dye the leather, put in the snaps and rivets, and sew the sides together.

Edited by chuckisme
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I got my handplates from John as well.

I'm excited to follow your build. I started mine, but have been taking my time with it.

I'm buying a blaster & holster from Vern, otherwise I think I would make one too.

 

Have fun with it. The kit is pretty screen accurate, so don't let the "wonkiness" of it frustrate you like it has for me.

Everyone on the boards have great tips & advice along the way!

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  • 1 month later...

Whew! Exam periods, hey? Never go to uni! Anyway, I have three more exams before I can recommence work on this. One question though ... do I just use standard pop rivets for the holster to hold the loops on at the top corners?

Chuck out (to pretend to study :P ).

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? But, since my exams have finished for now, I have not been idle! Here we go ...

I've trimmed pretty much everything out now. All the arm, leg, and torso pieces, as well as virtually all the detail parts. Just a few more cover strips to do, and fix up the ammo belts and sniper diamond. I have dozens of pictures of the armour trimmed out, but I won't put them up just yet. I've even done work on the bucket. Here is where I was at on it yesterday morning. I've since fixed the teeth up:

SayHelloToGappy1.jpg

 

TeethFiled1.jpg

 

TeethFiled2.jpg

 

I'm going to finish up on the eyes today, try to so some work on my blaster (which I have neglected :(), and start putting the bucket together.

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Hop to it Tom, this thing aint gunna build itself ;)

 

Mate, good to see it getting together.

There should be another armour party coming up soon. Keep your eyes peeled...

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  • 4 months later...

Still not done, I'm afraid :( But getting there? I've got the bucket about finished, and my rare earth magnets have arrived, so I have started gluing the longer seams (forearms are glued, I'll do the thighs tomorrow, and get to the greaves soon after that), and will be able to put some snap plates in too. All the elastic and webbing is bought (and sitting in a bag, waiting for all the hard parts to get finished), and it won't be too much more work to get the belt done, either. So it's getting there! Very, very slowly, but it is getting built.

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Still not done, I'm afraid :( But getting there? I've got the bucket about finished, and my rare earth magnets have arrived, so I have started gluing the longer seams (forearms are glued, I'll do the thighs tomorrow, and get to the greaves soon after that), and will be able to put some snap plates in too. All the elastic and webbing is bought (and sitting in a bag, waiting for all the hard parts to get finished), and it won't be too much more work to get the belt done, either. So it's getting there! Very, very slowly, but it is getting built.

Slow and steady wins the race, just remember every little bit counts, good luck with the build hope you get to the end soon :salute:

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  • 4 weeks later...

Slowly getting there :P I have finished my helmet, except painting the ear bolts and the rank stripes ...

Helmetgreycoat3front2_zpsa71e4b36.jpg

Helmetgreycoat3left2_zpsde2a4fa4.jpg

Helmetgreycoat3right2_zps78d921b3.jpg

 

I have been working on strapping as well. Biceps and shoulder bells have been strapped, and am working on the torso currently. One more question regarding trimming ... I am 6 foot tall and 65kg (I think that that's around 145lb?), so the kit fits me well height-wise, but when it comes to the ab/kidney ... well, I measured the inside diameter of the waist of those when plugged together, and they were about 100cm, and my waist is 77cm. At this point, rather than trimming, it has been recommended on the garrison boards that I pad it, but I thought I'd better check to make sure that I can't take any more off ...

 

The overlap:

DSCF5268-Copy_zpsd2b88c2d.jpg

 

And how the kidney lines up with the butt plate (as I understand it, they should fit flush with each other along this edge? Thus ...):

Kidney-Buttjoin-assumedpositioning_zps73842bef.jpg

 

Thanks all :)

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Wow that's strange I'm 6 foot 67kg and wear 77 jeans and my ab and back plate just meet nicely, weird. I don't know how much you could pad them without the chest wanting to pop out. I had a bit of over hang, the back was slightly longer than the butt section.

Edited by gmrhodes13
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Yeah, I even trimmed a bit further than it on both ab and kidney. Perhaps ... is my thought on the butt and kidney lining up actually true? So, does the edge that butts up against the ab actually need to be in line with the ascending part of the butt plate (so, the last picture on my last update)?

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My kidney plate is about 20mm longer than my butt plate, which should mean I would have an even greater amount of padding needed, which I didn't. The ATA kidney plate will go on either way too and mine was not marked, I just put it the way the taper lined up with the abb piece, fitted the contours of the butt plate too.

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OK, these are from the inside ...

  • Ab across the guts is about 45cm, just under the button box.
  • The edge on the kidney that butts against the butt plate is about 55cm (so the butt also measures 55cm across the top)

So which would require more trimming? Thanks for this, by the way, Glen :)

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No probs I have:

Ab 47cm

The edge on the kidney that butts against the butt plate is about 58 but my kidney goes past the butt plate by 2 cm on each side

 

I did find that the top of my kidney plate is 55cm, I found it fitted better this way.

 

I think you must be heavier boned than me lol, by the weight and height I should have the same need of padding as you.

 

I could do with a little padding, I didn't want to trim too much off my armor at first, but I did notice my sides popping out a lot so I made some angle shims behind the sides top and bottom that helped to keep the sides in and not wanting to flair out.

 

I think like most armor makers you just have to make it fit your frame. Think I would try a bit of padding first before removing too much of the sides :duim:

Edited by gmrhodes13
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