How exactly do you "fit" the armor?

[Deadghosty]

Im going to be getting my armor kit soon and im wondering to how exactly do you fit the armor pieces for your size? From what i have seen its just you cut and trim the parts then join them with the plastic piece. Then i have seen people put foam in them to keep them stationary. Is that what you do it to fit it? just put foam pieces in to keep it still when your wearing it?

 

Thanks for the help.

[TK bondservnt[501st]]

everything depends upon 2 factors

 

one:  your arm leg and torso size

two:  your film type

 

when you measure your forearm at it's widest point, as well biceps and thighs and shins.  if your arms are smaller than normal size it's best to simply make them screen accurate or just a tad smaller.  making them too small might make them look funny?  if you're too large for the part then you're going to need extra plastic added to the "back side" or "bottom" of the armor.

 

the waist and hips section of the armor is where the belt size is important.  most EIB submissions add extra plastic at the waist to make it larger if needed.

 

if you're small like the original actors were then you probably will only add foam for comfort.

 

ANH and ESB have slightly different fittings, while ROTJ has a completely different format for assembling the parts

ROTJ requires that the arm and leg parts use the "overlap" format of putting together the arms and legs.

Edited May 26, 2013 by TK Bondservnt 2392

[Deadghosty]

Alright. Is there any reference i could use with the measurements?

[FunkyTrigger[TK]]

It's hard to answer your question in just words but start like this.

 

Measure the circumference of your thighs at the widest point.

I get around 28.5" on me from memory.

 

Then measure the circumference around your knee,

I think I was 20" for example.

 

This means that my thigh Armour had to taper in to fit my leg.

 

If you put your two thigh pieces together and tape them, you can measure your Armour circumference at the top and bottom of the Armour.

 

You take equal amounts off each Armour piece to keep the correct shape of the Armour.

 

For my last Armour each thigh top needed 14.25" in outside circumference and the knee sections needed to be 10" in circumference so that when you bring the two pieces together I achieved a 28" and 20" taper.

I drew a straight line from the top to bottom markers and effectively cut a straight line which took off a long thin triangle.

 

An appropriate sized cover strip is used. Front and rear of the Armour pieces.

 

Approx 25mm for legs and shins.

 

Approx 15mm for biceps and forearms.

 

Larger people may add a shim, if their Armour needs to be bigger and a coverstrip to cover the shim.

 

Hope this answer helps you.

[Deadghosty]

Alright that makes more sense to me. So basically just measure everything circumference wise then adjust the armor to fit that size? makes sense.

 

thanks again

[skirge66]

Ok...so here is my dilemma, my biceps are just too big for the armor to fit with a 15mm cover strip completely covering the ridgeline on the joins. What would be the best (501st acceptable) solution?

 

     1) extend the gap, (making the ridgeline wider), and putting a 15mm cover strip over the join.

 

     2) extend the gap, and putting a wider cover strip over the join to better match the width of the ridgeline (it would take about 30mm for me to get a decent fit...possibly wider) 

 

option "2" in my humble opinion would look better, but I want an approvable result that would allow me to troop official 501st events; or perhaps some of you fine gentleman with chronic gym habits could offer up a solution I have not thought of?

Edited June 3, 2013 by skirge66

[tkrestonva[TK]]

 Option 2 is better, just like Phil said. Having a cover strip that doesn't completely (or nearly so) cover the ridge just looks odd, IMO.

 

An appropriate sized cover strip is used. Front and rear of the Armour pieces.

Approx 25mm for legs and shins.

Approx 15mm for biceps and forearms.

Larger people may add a shim, if their Armour needs to be bigger and a coverstrip to cover the shim.
 

 

The key words are "appropriate sized" and "approximate". In the end, you do what works best for your body while still being as faithful as possible to the costume's intended shapes and sizes.

 

There a few of us who have larger-than-screen-accurate limbs. So it's a problem that has been addressed and resolved repeatedly. As far as cover strips and 501st standards go, the basic CRL neither requires nor addresses them (and IMO we are a LONG way from that happening) so no worries there.

 

I'm one of those guys with a chronic gym habit. My biceps currently measure about 17 inches flexed - and you definitely want them fitted to your flexed measurements. I've been lifting weights for the past 25 years, and even at 43 years old I have the physique to prove it. And despite being considerably larger than screen-accurate, I wouldn't change a thing. Being a large trooper adds to the intimidation factor.

[skirge66]

 Option 2 is better, just like Phil said. Having a cover strip that doesn't completely (or nearly so) cover the ridge just looks odd, IMO.

 

 

The key words are "appropriate sized" and "approximate". In the end, you do what works best for your body while still being as faithful as possible to the costume's intended shapes and sizes.

 

There a few of us who have larger-than-screen-accurate limbs. So it's a problem that has been addressed and resolved repeatedly. As far as cover strips and 501st standards go, the basic CRL neither requires nor addresses them (and IMO we are a LONG way from that happening) so no worries there.

 

I'm one of those guys with a chronic gym habit. My biceps currently measure about 17 inches flexed - and you definitely want them fitted to your flexed measurements. I've been lifting weights for the past 25 years, and even at 43 years old I have the physique to prove it. And despite being considerably larger than screen-accurate, I wouldn't change a thing. Being a large trooper adds to the intimidation factor.

Could I inquire as to how wide your bicep cover strips are, and would happen to have pictures of them by chance?