AM 2.0 first time build trying not to screw up

[Darth_Tim[TK]]

After doing research here and meeting some people from the local garrison I pulled the trigger over a month ago and ordered my AM 2.0 kit. Got it a month ago, but life getting in the way and also being totally overwhelmed with it and all the information I did not know really where to start. Getting all the tools and materials has been straight forward and easy. But nervous about doing the first cuts. This week I started the forearms and just seeing if I can follow other builds and see what happens.

 

The mandatory box when it arrived pic

 

 

 

So the forearms I got the return edges trimmed, and put them together and sized them onto me. So were do I decide on where to cut the straight line down the length of the outer ones (the ones with the bumps), as they dont line up at the top or bottom with the other piece.

 

When  I got my elbow at 90 degrees it comes right up against my hand (especially my right arm) and any more than 90 degrees it will be going up my arm. Will I need to trim the curved part more at the inside of my elbow so it does not push it up?  

 

 

 

 

[cjdesign[TK]]

This was taken from my build thread... hope this helps.

 

How do I go about fitting the forearms and biceps?

 

Alignment:

You are keeping the return edge on the tops of the bi-cep and forearm, so align the tops first before taping. The bottoms will most likely NOT line up. That's OK. The bottom return edges will get trimmed off and you can file them even later on.... I preferred trimming down the return edges slightly before actually making any fittings or cuts. Once assembled you can taper the remaining return edge to match both sides.  I think you get a better sizing when the return edges are actual size and have less overlap.

 

Fitting:

Wrap the Left & Right pieces together, secure with blue tape. Adjust as needed. The armor should fit snug but not tight and have a nice taper.  Don't forget to leave enough room to squeeze your hand through the wrist opening. Keep in mind the pieces should be large enough to accommodate flexed muscles. During this process, you may get abrasions on your hands from putting the armor on and off. 

 

Marking & Cutting:

Once you are satisfied with the fit. it's time to mark the cut line with a pencil. The final cuts will be positioned inline with the center line of your forearm and or bicep. You may need to angle the cut (center to center) to match the taper of your piece. Error on the side of making the cut too big. You can always file down for a perfect fit. I made a single pencil mark on the outer edge of both pieces, simultaneously, to indicate the cutting mark locations. I lined up the pencil marks with my metal ruler and taped the ruler in place. Using the ruler as a guide, gently make the first pass with the blade - I used an Ex-acto blade for all my cuts. I repeated this process 2-3 times to assure a deep enough cut and clean edge.

 

TIP: For a cleaner crisp edge... gently bend the abs along the entire cut/seam, and then snap apart as one piece. Separating the plastic in sections may create a jagged edge.

 

Other notes:

• The cover strips for the forearm and bicep should be around 15mm wide.

• The bicep with the spoon is the left.

• The forearm with the curve and 12 dimples is on the right.

• The biceps are shaped like a race track and may need heat (via a heat gun) to shape better.

Edited December 27, 2015 by cjdesign

[gazmosis[501st]]

It really helps to have a helper when you are fitting ANY of the clamshell parts (forearms, biceps and legs)  Keep in mind with the forearms, there is a right and left. When looking at the square indent ridge, you will see that one forearm is angled at the elbow side when you compare it to the ridge line. The other forearm is close to 90 degrees compared to the ridge line. The angled one is the right forearm. IT is so much easier to guide your helper. Bear in mind, you will have overlap of the plastic if you are a thinner build. It is very hard to mark a common cut line on both overlapping parts if you are doing this by yourself.

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

Congrats on starting your build, Tim!  Have you kept in touch with your Garrison?  I am sure there is at least one member there who would be willing to help you out with the fitting, and many hold "armor parties" which are designed just for this reason.  Big Brown Box day can be terrifying, but don't let it get the best of you.  Just take your time, (this isn't a race), and remember the wise adage to "measure 3 times, cut once".  When in doubt, cut less, you can always remove more as needed.  

[Darth_Tim[TK]]

Thanks. I have been in touch with the local garrison and they have been some great help. Hopefully will be getting together soon for a armor party (busy time of the year for everyone). For my second set of hands I get my son to help and we are luckily close to the same size so I can bribe him saying he can use the armor as well until he decides to build his own. For now the cost and time is keeping away from doing his own.

 

I have seen different things about keeping the return edge of the  top of the forearms and biceps. Some say only the outer piece, some say keep the top of both, and others say you can trim the top. For the biceps do you overlap and trim like the forearms?

[cjdesign[TK]]

I have seen different things about keeping the return edge of the  top of the forearms and biceps. Some say only the outer piece, some say keep the top of both, and others say you can trim the top. For the biceps do you overlap and trim like the forearms?

Yes, the biceps are build in the same manner as the forearms. Some people cut away the inner return edges to prevent chafing. I left them in place. To each his own.

If you are unsure just leave them, you can always trim down later.

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

I personally trimmed down the inside of the biceps to a degree, but not all the way.  The return edges on the wrist part of the forearm should be removed entirely, not only for comfort reasons, but it is a requirement for Centurion, (which hopefully you are aiming for).  The top part inside can be trimmed as well, as this can (and will) chafe the heck out of you.

[Darth_Tim[TK]]

Thanks for the help with the biceps. That makes sense to trim the return edge in those spots for comfort. I finished (I hope) cutting the forearms and glued the inside on the left one. I hope I did not do too much with the right as the difference is huge and I hope it will form together fine once I get the inside shims on.

 

 

 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Hey Tim looking good sir  . Suggestion, if your going to use inner cover strips they can be the same width as the outer 15mm, no sense having them too wide, waste of perfectly good material lol. Be sure to let the glue cure for 24+ hours.

[Darth_Tim[TK]]

Ok got the inner cover strips on one side of both forearms and got the biceps ready for cutting. Need to get some glue off

 

Before I start to glue the other side onto the forearms there is still a big difference better before gluing I am afraid magnets and clamps wont be able to hold it and reform it. Would a hair dryer work or need something hotter to reshape

 

Edited December 11, 2015 by Darth_Tim

[Darth Havoc[TK]]

Some people use a heat gun to heat up and bend their armor. JUST BE CAREFUL DOING IT THIS WAY. Some will submerge it in hot water and mold it that way. You will find you will trim a lot but the kit is awesome and well made. Welcome aboard

Edited December 11, 2015 by Darth Havoc

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Tim, start with the side that faces forward, the front of your body. Install the inner cover strip on both halves, let dry. Now remove any excess glue and install the outer cover strip on the same side, let dry.  The front side is done.

 

Using painters tape close the gap at the back half.

 

Install the inner cover strip. Using a wood clamp or similar gently squeeze the two side parallel. Using addition clamps and magnets support the remaining areas of the cover strip. Let dry extensively.

 

Finally, remove tape, clean off any excess glue and install outer cover strip.

 

I have a AM build tutorial that talks about this procedure extensively.

 

Cheers

[cjdesign[TK]]

The inner strips should only be 15-20mm. The left strip in the picture looks good and right side is a bit big. Once you shorten the inner strips, you should have no problems clamping the parts together. The abs is flexible to some extent and should conform to a curve with enough pressure and time. 24 hours minimum on dry time. The rare earth magnets used should be very strong, greater than .5 inch. Try stacking more magnets together to create greater clamping pressure.

Edited December 11, 2015 by cjdesign

[Darth_Tim[TK]]

I am totally sick with myself using a heat gun on the left forearm I ruined it. It is beyond saving at this point. A variety of things came into play, but the fact is I messed up. I emailed TG to see if replacement could be had, and waiting to hear, but I know he usually does not have extra pieces. So not sure what to do.

 

Just when I was feeling good as my working with the material was getting much better, and the biceps are going well. Out of despair I have slowed down from my already slow pace of one thing a day. Maybe after seeing the movie Thursday my motivation will be back. This was always intended as a winter project.

[cjdesign[TK]]

I am totally sick with myself using a heat gun on the left forearm I ruined it. It is beyond saving at this point. A variety of things came into play, but the fact is I messed up. I emailed TG to see if replacement could be had, and waiting to hear, but I know he usually does not have extra pieces. So not sure what to do.

 

Just when I was feeling good as my working with the material was getting much better, and the biceps are going well. Out of despair I have slowed down from my already slow pace of one thing a day. Maybe after seeing the movie Thursday my motivation will be back. This was always intended as a winter project.

Bummer.    sorry to hear you are having troubles with the heat gun. I know it's 20/20 at this point but you need to move the heat gun around constantly, back and forth strokes, at 6-12 inches away, and slowing heat it up... once hot you can apply pressure with your hands to reform. hold until cool. My need to repeat. Can we see the old girl?

 

Send it to me and I'll try to fix it for ya. You are correct, TG, they DON'T carry extra parts.

Edited December 16, 2015 by cjdesign

[ukswrath[Staff]]

I am totally sick with myself using a heat gun on the left forearm I ruined it. It is beyond saving at this point. A variety of things came into play, but the fact is I messed up. I emailed TG to see if replacement could be had, and waiting to hear, but I know he usually does not have extra pieces. So not sure what to do.

 

Just when I was feeling good as my working with the material was getting much better, and the biceps are going well. Out of despair I have slowed down from my already slow pace of one thing a day. Maybe after seeing the movie Thursday my motivation will be back. This was always intended as a winter project.

 

Sorry to hear brother

[Red_2[TK]]

Throw up a pic of the damage. You'd be surprised what is fixable and also lots can be hidden. Don't be too discouraged,

you've got the rest of the suit to build up and it's sort of a rite of passage to mess up.

 

We may be able to guide you through a repair just by showing us.

 

At the least, an extra forearm from somewhere will turn up.

[Darth_Tim[TK]]

Still sick over ruining the one forearm, but got the other one put together as well as the biceps. I just need to do the outer strips for them. Also started on the helmet with a question on that .Feel like I am getting the hang of working with the material. Hope this does not turn into one big learning experience that I only get to start over when I am done.  

 

The helmet I got the the teeth cut out still working on getting them cleaned out. My question for this is on the teeth. I know my painting skills are mediocre at best so want to use the decals. For the teeth you just use the decals and wrap around?

 

 

The arms that I have done so far. Need to do lots of cleaning up and do the outside strips.

http://i9

 

 

 

The ruined forearm still dont know what to do. I have this picture as a demo, I know the seams are supposed to be at the top, and the inner strip came off when I was working on them. Just wanted to show how badly it curled up because of getting called away while heating to try to make it fit better. My attempts to fix only made it worse.

 

 

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

As far as painting the frown, Tim, it's not as hard as you would think.  I would try to steer clear of the decals if you can.. I found the best way to do it is to first use blue painter's tape to mask off the area you want to paint.  Take your time on this... it's not a race.  After you get it where you want, firmly press down all the edges, and then lightly paint them with white paint, (yes, white), and let it dry for about 20 minutes or so. This will seal the edges and prevent the gray from bleeding underneath and give you a clean,crisp line.  (This also works great for tube stripe templates).  Then you can hit it with a coat or two of the gray.  I would also use some fine grit sandpaper wrapped around something this like a chopstick to sand down the inside of the teeth holes first to smooth them out a bit.  Otherwise, your build is looking great!  BTW, Fantastic job on the eye openings!

[Red_2[TK]]

 

"The ruined forearm still dont know what to do. I have this picture as a demo, I know the seams are supposed to be at the top, and the inner strip came off when I was working on them. Just wanted to show how badly it curled up because of getting called away while heating to try to make it fit better. My attempts to fix only made it worse.

 

"

This doesn't look as bad as you think. What you may have not realized is that one forearm is rounder than the other. Was this the one that was more oval? Either way, I think you can trim the overcurled portions carefully, use a wider inside shim to join the halves, and then strategically position the outer strip to finish it off.

 

You may need to add material at the widest point.

 

That's a brief synopsis. Does it make sense? I can doodle up a small example if you need! But I think this is totally fixable. Hopefully others would agree.

Edited December 27, 2015 by Red_2

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Suggestion, try the hot water bath technique. If it doesn't work you may have to replace it. At this point I would stay away from the heat gun.

[Darth_Tim[TK]]

Thanks for the help. I was thinking about doing paint for the teeth rather than the decals and doing decals for all the other parts. Thinking I can mask off the area and paint the teeth ok without having to do a straight line. Will the colors work ok with doing the mix like that?

 

Trying to decide what to start next probably get the shoulders done and then maybe the belt before I start on the strapping. 

 

I will never get a heat gun near the armor again!!

[Red_2[TK]]

You can always paint some scrap and let it dry then compare it with the decal color. Though it'd have to be way off for anyone to notice.