boomshakra[TK] Posted June 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 (edited) Ok, after yesterday's set-back, I regroupled and got some more stuff done - trimmed the thighs by 1" on each - a little less room, and i'll see how it goes with padding before I remove any more. I also did a couple of little things like get the snaps to hold the holster on and glue the drop boxes together and to the belt (rivets to be added once I get some washers). I also trimmed out the inside of my helmet so that it isn't right up against my windpipe, put the "S" trim on and started painting the vocoder. To any of ya'll who did hand painting for everything on your helmet, mine is off to you! I will be looking for someone with a steady hand to finish cutting the curves on the vocoder, and using the 'hand-painted' decals when I go for centurion. To finish off the helmet for Centurion I'll need to drill out the rivets to add the 3rd screw - is there a tutoral for that? Since I'm giving my thighs another nite to cure, I thought i'd put on everything else (but the holster & TD...didn't think about that until after we took pix) and get some uploads going for your viewing amusement and feedback. I didn't cut all of my elastics the same length, so the spacing will be kind of all over the place on the upper body. I'll be using these pix (and your feedback) to see where I need to have less gap or can allow more. I was short 3 for the right side ab/kidney, so I taped for the sake of getting these taken: I'm going to have to get used to the limited field of view with the helmet on...had to ask my daughter to find and hand me my blaster for those last two pix (to quote Luke, "I can't see a thing in this helmet" . Anyways, I have a connection between the shoulder & bicep that I didn't test out this time. I will also be adding the snaps to connect the belt to the ab, maybe tonight. I am also seriously considering adding foam padding to my butt plate Edited June 25, 2012 by boomshakra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkrestonva[TK] Posted June 25, 2012 Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 As has already been said, great progress so far. What immediately stands out to me is the amount of black at the shoulders. Can you pull your shoulder bells up and in some? Basically make the strap connecting the shoulder bells and bridges shorter. Also, the shoulder straps should connect under the bridges a bit forward of center. While it's intuitive to mount them centered, it actually works better to mount them slightly forward of center. I'd also lower the biceps a bit, so as to reduce the amount of undersuit showing at the elbows. As for the thighs, IMO the first photo where you push them down looks the best. To my eye, it looks like it'll make for the optimum balance between coverage (less undersuit showing) and mobility (more undersuit showing). Also, as long as you used E6000 or some other removable adhesive you can easily pull the thighs apart and resize them via a shim and cover strip if you end up bulking up your legs later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomshakra[TK] Posted June 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 Thanks for the feedback about the shoulder bells - I'll give that a try (moving the point of contact forward). The bicep re-positioning is also no problem. I'm looking forward to getting the thighs adjusted and DONE! Yes, thank goodness for E6000 and its forgiveness when things go wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomshakra[TK] Posted June 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 (edited) Test fitting round one: Thighs not even - still a little big and I just stuffed some padding down in them - need to strategically place it next time. But, and improvement over 'bell thighs'! My TD is a bit askew - my wife didn't want to scratch my armor, even after I told her "It's going to happen a LOT". Thighs hitting my butt a bit - goes with the above note that adjustment is still needed. I am thinking about darkening the inside of my helmet - maybe just a layer of black duct tape on the face and tubes - I had no idea so much white is visible from the back. Maybe thin out the padding at the top to drop it down a bit as well. Belt is too tight, that's why there is a split at the top of the ab/kidney. I'm going to have to go with a suspender system for the upper body - was hoping to avoid that, but it will be necessary, I think. I just noticed how high my chest is as well...yup, suspenders are going to be necessary... One other thought is that the elastic between my chest/ab is kind of slack - would tightening that help pull it down? I have NOTHING on Kim Kardashian (sp?)...no gluteus maximus...more like minimus. Not going to spring for cosmetic surgery...maybe I can stuff a pillow (or two!) down the back of my compression pants. I could let out the strap between my cod/butt a little - it's not too tight now, but it could help the buttplate move back a bit. Requisite 'action' pic. My thighs are all over the place! I tried walking upstairs and found out a couple of things - my shins dig down into the top of my foot, one of my ab/groin snap straps needs to be replaced/looked at - it came loose, and I might need to cut a bit off the backs of the thighs to let my legs bend more naturally. Also, while you can't really see it in the pics above, my right shoulder bell needs to come up more - it was moving out of position a lot. I took Brian's advice and moved them up & forward - the left one is sitting just fine, the right one needs some tweaking. Oh, and I obviously wasn't wearing my neck seal - I have the 'stunt' one and will either need the 'hero' version or wear a balacava (sp?)...which won't be comfortable since we're hitting triple digits in Austin already. Let me know what kind of additional thoughts ya'll might have. I'll be doing the tweaking, but how do you think it looks as far as possibly submitting my 501st application photos? I'd like to get my TK # soon! Edited June 27, 2012 by boomshakra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigironvault Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Damn bro. That is looking really good. Some of the more experienced guys might comment but I think your gaps look great especially in the first photo above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomshakra[TK] Posted June 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 (edited) Thanks, Keith. Sent my pictures below to my GML tonight... Of course after I sent my email, I saw little things that should have been corrected: a small gap in the middle of my cod below the belt, my shoulder straps not being straight on the back view picture, and my lovely right shoulder bell not behaving...which I found out was that the velcro I had put there to adjust it had separated from the webbing. But, I am only seeing minor armor adjustments...nothing structural - if anyone else sees something I need to correct, please let me know! I'll be paddiing the inside of my thighs a bit so that they don't move around, fix the shoulder & codpiece, and trimming the backs of the thighs a bit for comfort. I'm sure more little things will come up, but I feel cautiously optimisic that a TK# is in my future. I couldn't have done any of this without all the people who have assembled their TKs before me and shared their experience & knowledge that made mine go so well - Thank you everyone! edit: I have no idea why my pictures are sideways...they are in the correct orientation in photobucket! Edited June 28, 2012 by boomshakra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomshakra[TK] Posted June 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 So...it is that one damn snap strap between my ab/cod that is keeping me away from 501st approval. I didn't catch it when I was having the photos taken - it was hard enough to see the pictures on the viewscreen of my photographer's digital camera, and I was looking at my shoulder bells & thighs anyways. So, suiting up again to night to take some 'fixed' pictures for my GML. I was thinking about going for a walk around the neighborhood afterwards, just for grins, but the 100* temperatures might not be fun to walk around in. My GML did have some other feedback: he thought my thighs are too long, my helmet sits forward/high, and my belt seemed a bit high. In the pics above I had my head tilted forward - still getting used to the limited frame of vision while wearing it. But, I could stand to take a bit of the padding out of the top to get it to sit lower. With the belt, it could come down a smidge - which would mean adjusting the snaps I have installed. Not the worst thing in the world, but it might almost be easier to just buy a new belt instead of ripping out/reinstalling new snaps. Hopefully my next post here will be good news & 4 digits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickles[TK] Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomshakra[TK] Posted June 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 APPROVED! So stoked! Just waiting for my TKID# now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DudeSidious Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 Man that must be some kind of record.Congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomshakra[TK] Posted June 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 Man that must be some kind of record.Congrats I guess I was lucky that Rob's armor pretty much fit me out of the box - I didn't have to trim much at all. That said, I'm sure I'll be doing more trimming as I troop to dial it in even better. The rest I owe to everyone on these boards - It has been almost 3 months to the day that I started reading about how to build armor & the knowledge gained from everyone else was invaluable in my build. My first official troop is next saturday @ RTX in Austin - looking forward to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyInWhite[TK] Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 Awesome, Jason! Fast build, too! If you find your cod separates from your ab a lot when you are trooping, here's an idea. First try some serious strapping in there to hold it where you want it fixed to the ab. (I have a little gap that my belt covers, but if it goes lower it pops outside the belt!... so...) Second would be a hard "tab" which will prevent it popping out at all... fixed to the cod and sitting loose or velcro'd inside the ab. But if you find you've fixed it permanently and it's all good, wooohoo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomshakra[TK] Posted July 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 (edited) TK-4796 - sweet! I chose this TKID because it spells "ISWM"...or as I refer it it "I Swim" - my wife is regional director for a swim school here in Austin, and we also do a lot of volunteering for a local non-profit whose mission is to raise water safety/accidental drowning awareness. Be on the look out for "SwimTrooper" pictures in the near future! Edited July 1, 2012 by boomshakra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigironvault Posted July 1, 2012 Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 Well done Jason - I had no doubts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomshakra[TK] Posted July 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 I took my first neighborhood stroll last night - got a few double takes, and one driver asking me where Princess Leia was...tried to answer, but I don't have an iComm yet, so I doubt she heard my reply. Now the fun part of the fitting begins - shoulder bells still rotating back and dialing in the thigh armor. I glued in some padding, and that helped with the 'bell thighs' but also facilitated the thighs sliding down. Will work on better padding placement - right now i have one vertical strip running down the front seam and two in back about 2 inches on both sides of the back seam. One problem is that I didn't have the garters quite lined up vertically with the connecting snap plate in the thigh - an oversight by me when getting armored up. I am also going to tighten up the white elastic at the shoulders to see if that helps keep the upper body sitting higher. If that doesn't work, I'll try a suspender system. I'll also bring the shoulder bells up more to see if they will behave that way. Oh, and the left shin rotated outwards - nothing a little velcro won't fix. I haven't installed my fans yet but that will also be done this week - was surprisingly comfortable with out them last night - no fogging and the temperature has cooled off a bit in the evenings after our 100* days last week. My s-trim slipped out when I took my helmet off, so that will need to be glued in. I am guessing E6000 will be acceptable for that? I kept my E-11 in my holster the whole time...I'm pretty sure all of my neighbors are all familiar with Star Wars, but no reason to get anyone concerned about "armored robot with weapon - has 2 female hostages - please send the SWAT team!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.