TK42311 requesting ANH Stunt EIB status [ATA][311]

[piklz36[TK]]

Name = David Steinweg

ID = TK 42311

Garrison = Florida

Squad = Tampa Bay Squad

FISD = piklz36

Armor = ATA

Helmet = ATA, hand painted by my lovely wife, no templates or decals

Blaster = Hyperfirm E-11 ANH, with minor mods (yep that's R2 in the sights, I've found the droid)

Height = 5'11"

Weight = 180lbs

Boots = TKboots

Canvas Belt = Trooperbay

Hand Plates = Trooperbay white rubber

Electronics = none . . . yet?

Neck Seal = Trooperbay

Holster = self-made (thanks to TM and Bilhag for the templates/diagrams)

 

I've tried to build for Centurion, so any comments/critiques to help get me up to that level are very welcome. I figure I'll get some feedback on this EIB application. There are a few tweaks I intend to make once I see how the suit handles trooping.

 

Things I know need work:

 

I've got Trooperbay's rubber handguards on nomex gloves for this EIB application. I already have rubber chemical gloves and white rubber plates from Karin, so those will be used for Centurion. I've received a lot of advice to stick with nomex for the Florida heat, so I'm going to use those for outdoor trooping. For canon and indoor troops, I'll use the more accurate chemicals and Karin guards.

 

The butt plate flares out. I'm a bit cautious of heat bending. I know there are some good tips and tricks (thanks PandaTrooper) out there. But I'm still apprehensive about the process.

 

I'm currently using brads for the knee ammo box. I've already got 8mm cap rivets for this. I just need to switch them out.

 

Alright, here's the pics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to all in advance for your comments/critiques. I really enjoy the Troopers helping Troopers aspect of this forum.

 

TK 42311, piklz36, dave

Edited March 25, 2013 by piklz36

[FunkyTrigger[TK]]

Hi Dave, your wife did a good job of painting your helmet there.

 

I have 3 comments to make about your AB ammo belt.

 

1. It's a touch low, it should be only just below your AB buttons.

2. The belt is too wide, compared to your main AB front ammo packs, the corner tapers should come in to meet your belt width.

3. The belt has too much excess length at the rear behind your TD.

 

Your shoulder bells are nice and close to your shoulder ribs at the top, but I'm not sure why they sit so far from your biceps in these pictures.

I was wondering if either your biceps are a bit wide, or if the shoulder bell elastics are a bit loose.

For an ANH look, they don't slip inside each other as expected.

 

Besides the overall belt width in AB belt no2, the other comments should not affect your EIB application.

 

Good luck trooper.

[SW1]

Nice touch with the black screw head's on the metal TD clips David

[Ravenwood[TK]]

good luck trooper

[FunkyTrigger[TK]]

To address your flared out butt plate, you could opt for the heat bending method or ...

You could attach snaps and poppers to join the butt plate to your rear kidney plate.

 

This may hold your butt plate flares in.

[Ravenwood[TK]]

Mine looked just like your before I used the heat gun on the plate, it made a huge difference, well worth it.

[piklz36[TK]]

@ Funky: Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I had no idea to even look at the canvas belt width. Hahaha. Learn something new everyday. And now I see that it's part of the new CRL ammendments. This is something I'll definitely fix. I paid no attention to it because I was under the impression that the Trooperbay canvas belts were approvable (with all of the tour-derived kits) up to Centurion. I've read threads about this, but can't find them at the moment. I trimmed nothing from the width of ATA's plastic ammo portion, and just attached it to the canvas. Perhaps someone with more pull in the hobby should alert the folks at Trooperbay?

 

As for the heat bending, does anyone know the temperature at which ABS is re-formable? I've done some trial and error with an infared thermometer, and the plastic seems to go soft around 145 - 155 degrees (in fahrenheit). Should I heat it more? Or less?

 

Again, thanks for your help with this.

 

@ Ravenwood: You're certainly giving me some confidence about the heat bending. I'm going to mess around with some scrap ABS, and see what I come up with. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

@ SW1: I caught TM's discussion about the black screw heads just as I was assembling the TD. It was a lucky find. Thanks for noticing the detail.

 

best,

dave

[DarkTrooper[TK]]

Anyone else think the helmet tube stripes are too straight? They look straight with a slight bend to them. All the ones I've seen are more curved like the reference picture below.

Edited March 26, 2013 by DarkTrooper

[piklz36[TK]]

@ DarkTrooper: I hear you loud and clear. I was wondering what you all would think about the stripes. From the front, they look fine to me. But from the side, they look a little too straight. This is something that I would like more comments on for sure. Thanks so much for your attention to detail.

[FunkyTrigger[TK]]

Well spotted about the tube stripes.

They do appear to be lacking in the curve shape.

Hmmm

[Echo[TK]]

The tube stripes are pretty long. Almost look double the length they should be. Did you measure from the templates floating around here? Or just guess at it?

[piklz36[TK]]

@ Echo: I printed out the templates from Pandatrooper. If I remember right, I measured them at around 3/4", but curved more. Maybe that's part of the problem? Either way, I now know that the tube stripes are an issue. I measured the stripes on my lid at around 1", so they are certainly long.

 

On to researching how to remove Testors enamel from ABS. Hahaha. Thanks for looking it over.

[Locitus[Admin]]

I agree about the belt and tube stripes. Both are too wide to make me comfortable.

 

It would also benefit you greatly to cut off some length from the canvas belt and trim off the excess on the top and bottom of the plastic portion on the belt, so the boxes are flush with the edges. Or at least closer to.

 

About the ABS re-forming. You'll feel once it starts to go soft. Be very careful at this point because the last bit goes very quickly. Better to stop heating when it's a little soft than to push that extra few degrees and see your plastic fold over itself.

 

Other than that, I have no further comments. You're almost there!

[piklz36[TK]]

Alright. My wife has redone the tube stripes. While the paint is still uncured, I thought I'd get some feedback. Here are some pics. The stripes are now 3/4" long.

 

 

 

What do you all think? Maybe the stripes are too thick now? Or, do you think they're good?

 

I've got the belt disassembled. I'm trimming down the plastic part. I need to find a tailor to bring the belt width into 2 3/4" - 3". I don't have a sewing machine running, and I feel odd hand-stitching the belt together.

 

Still contemplating the heat bending technique or snaps and straps for the butt plate.

 

Thanks so much for all of the feedback so far.

[Locitus[Admin]]

I would say those tubestripes are too thick and too few. Props for hand painting them though!

[piklz36[TK]]

Okay.  My wife has painted these four times now (still no templates or decals).  Hahaha.  Obviously, we are committed to getting this right.  I think we've finally got it.  What you you think?  There are 16 stripes on each side of the helmet.

 

 

 

 

I've also got the canvas belt back from our tailor. We took in the width of the belt from 3 1/4" (which was stock from Trooperbay), to 2 7/8". I also had the tailor remove 2 1/2" from the length of the belt in order to take care of the extra "tail" behind my TD.

 

I also trimmed more from the top and bottom of the plastic portion of the belt.  If I go any further with the trimming, I will start to cut away at the boxes.  The boxes on ATA's plastic belt flare out at the base.

 

Here's a pic of the new belt setup:

 

 

 

I'm going to take new pictures of the full suit within the next few days in order to show the improvements for the overall look.  Obviously, I don't expect to seek approval without posting what the belt looks like while I'm wearing it.  I just wanted to show the progress. 

 

On to heat bending the butt plate.  Wish me luck!

Edited April 3, 2013 by piklz36

[Locitus[Admin]]

That looks better, and I like the "new" belt. Get those suited up pictures and I imagine you'll breeze right through approval.

[piklz36[TK]]

Okay, I've suited up and shot some more photos.  I heat bended the butt plate.  Lo and behold, no more flare out from the sides! 

 

I've also got the rubber chemical gloves and Karin handplates on in these photos. 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm thinking I should shorten the straps connecting the kidney and butt plate, as there is now a strange "step" in between the parts.  I also need to figure out a way to keep the belt up closer to the bottom of the ab button box. 

 

As far as the shoulder bells and biceps go, should the bicep be under the shoulder bell at all for an ANH stunt look?  I lowered the biceps until they were barely tucked under the bells.  It seems the bells do stick out at the base a bit.  Maybe trimming the return edge on the bottom of the bells?  Here's some pics of the return edge:

 

 

 

 

 

I've tried to build for Centurion, so if you have any comments/critiques about the fit, I'd really appreciate it.  I'll post pics of the Centurion requirements in the proper application.  

 

Thanks for everything so far. 

Edited April 5, 2013 by piklz36

[captsafe66[Admin]]

Looking much better!!  Good Luck!!

[FunkyTrigger[TK]]

Yes, trimming the shoulder bell return edge will help them sit better with the biceps.

[FunkyTrigger[TK]]

To keep your ammo belt in the correct position, ie Just below your AB buttons, have you used snap fasteners to attach it to your AB panel?

It's what we do on UKG builds and it helps to support the holster, even with a holstered blaster.

[FunkyTrigger[TK]]

Here is one of BillHag's super diagrams as a visual for you.

[FunkyTrigger[TK]]

This picture shows the female snap on the back of the canvas belt that snaps onto your front AB panel.

[piklz36[TK]]

@Funky:  Yes, I use the exact same method as shown in the above photos.  Those Billhag diagrams saved me so many times throughout the build.  Hahaha. 

 

I'm thinking that I could move the male snaps on the ab plate up just a little.  ATA's plastic belt portion is only 85mm in height (as opposed to Billhag's 100mm designation).  I don't remember accounting for that during the initial build.  Should be a simple fix.  

 

Thanks for the advice!  I truly appreciate it.  

[Locitus[Admin]]

Eagerly awaiting update pictures.