Cob[501st] Posted October 30, 2014 Report Share Posted October 30, 2014 (edited) Hello everyone! Long time lurker, but you might remember me from the top selling thread earlier this year "did I just ruin my doopydoos kit?" (No. Apoxie Sculpt putty will fix anything. Even relationships.) Since then, I had been slacking off, not finishing my E-11 and doing a little spotting for Cloud City Garrison here in Oregon. I finally wrapped up my AT-ST, and joined, but still very much a total newb. The Armored Calvary Division is happy that my spray-paint test threads have finally died down and they can get back to discussing more lofty topics like the top one shield generators ever dropped by imperial ground attack and what the proper ratio of crumpets to snowtroopers to pack your walker with is. AT-ST is a great kit, but it definitely needs some Stormtroopers to hide behind. Not a lot of people are familiar with it (you're a... space pilot?), and I'm also having a hard time keeping my goggles clear. Looking forward to rocking out with the same great green tint, but with some fans blasting all my sweat and mouth breathing off of the lenses for a change of pace. The missus, "why didn't you just make a stormtrooper instead?" So pragmatic. At the seaside beach troop, "see honey.. that's a sandtrooper, aren't they awesome?" (hint hint) "No. It needs to be clean and white." So here I am. Maybe she will let me get away with a heavy weapons trooper down the road... So, this Monday my ATA kit finally landed. I think most people felt stoked about their shipments, but it's been a bit of a worry given my paralysis on the E-11, and all of these different parts that need work. I've been a little lazy about my research leading up to this but I know based on my AT-ST helmet build, that it's all just a matter of time and effort. And thankfully, I can savor it a bit while I build new skills, because I'm not in a huge rush. However, I knew that i had to start cuttin' on that plastic in order to show it who was boss. I was planning on starting with the shins, but watched a couple of the trooperbay build videos and went with the forearms. Started with pencil, tracing the inside lip of the curve. Scored with an x-acto blade and then snapped it off in little chunks. Eventually I was removing the entire inside plastic in one part. I left no return edge on either the top or bottom of the forearms. Not sure if this was a mistake, but I could probably melt the top of the forearm if it was. Day two of working on it. I made a paper template of the 5/8" coverstrips for the forearms. I made a "half-coverstrip" template of 5/16", and used that to trace a pencil line on to the outside of the plastic. Then, I used a metal straightedge to redraw along that line, then score it with the x-acto blade and snap. None of these ragged edges are cleaned up yet. I think I already may have experienced at least one armor nibble. Despite the no return edge on this, there is a slight lip on the inside that will need to be filed down. No compression suit top yet, so I figured I would try on with my woefully-underused running gear. I can barely squeeze my hand into it (the forearm, not the running gear), but I have small arms (circumference wise.) The length seems pretty good as-is. I can bend elbows and wrists okay. Bass Amsterdam boots arrived yesterday, but I'm now on the TKboots waiting list. I was planning on breaking the Amsterdams in with some double socks this morning, but I realized that I was running the risk of showing up on a "Jeans and Sheuxs" blog. Put them back in the closet for now. Next plan -- not sure? More research maybe. Maybe file down some edges and work on getting some cover strips made. Thanks for reading, and sorry in advance for the slow updates that will be trickling in! Edited October 30, 2014 by Cob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raintrooper Posted October 30, 2014 Report Share Posted October 30, 2014 Off to a good start, Josh! Ron (maxsteele) and I are thinking about getting an armor party going at my house (close-in SE Portland) for all the newbies. We're think mid December... Any interest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxsteele[TK] Posted October 30, 2014 Report Share Posted October 30, 2014 You don't have to have the return edge at the elbow end of the forearms, so you're ok. Fit should be just barely able to put your hands through at the wrist-end, so you're good there. I suggest that from now you you do all armor fitting with your undersuit on. Having a bulkier shirt or pants when fitting will throw your fit off. Don't make any more big changes on your forearms or any other armor pieces until you have your undersuit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barcode Posted October 31, 2014 Report Share Posted October 31, 2014 Awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cob[501st] Posted November 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2014 Off to a good start, Josh! Ron (maxsteele) and I are thinking about getting an armor party going at my house (close-in SE Portland) for all the newbies. We're think mid December... Any interest? Absolutely. I'll bring my hobo bindle of plastic. :-) You don't have to have the return edge at the elbow end of the forearms, so you're ok. Fit should be just barely able to put your hands through at the wrist-end, so you're good there. I suggest that from now you you do all armor fitting with your undersuit on. Having a bulkier shirt or pants when fitting will throw your fit off. Don't make any more big changes on your forearms or any other armor pieces until you have your undersuit. Noted of course. The shirt I was wearing there previously was a running top, so thin fabric, pretty close to compression gear. Did a little bit of cleanup; mostly just tidying up the rough parts on the edges of the forearms. The right arm is trimmed down to where the 5/8" coverstrip should go, but there's a lot of extra room compared to the left arm. Was planning on doing the helmet after the armor, but I don't need to wait on undersuit, strapping, gloves etc to work on it. Think that is what I will work on next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cob[501st] Posted November 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 (edited) Roughed out the eyes by penciling along the mold lines, then scoring and xactoing out materials. I think the tear-duct side of things may need to be trimmed a little more, left room to grow on this side just in case. Need to study some pics. Insides: Outsides: After looking through the reference galleries on the site here, it looks like I should trim the inside and upper corners of the eyes slightly so that they're a little more angular. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/gallery/album/13-helmet-a-new-hope-stunt-star-wars-identities/It also looks like a lot of the ANH Stunt helmets have a lot of sloppy trim around the eyes, so other than altering the shape on the corners I am going to leave the sides of the eyes alone. For the frown -- The cuts above are just getting my toes wet; looking at the reference gallery on stunt frowns http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/gallery/image/2247-anhstuntfrown2/, there is plenty of room to go wild. Edited November 4, 2014 by Cob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmrhodes13[Staff] Posted November 3, 2014 Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 If you take a little more out of the corner it will give you a little better vision. Coming along nicely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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