Moostang Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 I would love some additional opinions on trimming. I am nearly there, sizing down AM2 armor for someone of my size (5'3"/125lb) has been a challenge, but I think I am close. Just wondering, should I take more off the bottom of the chest piece? Also should I size down the bells even more, if so length and/or width? Build: ANH Stunt Armor: Am2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkTrooper[TK] Posted December 9, 2015 Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 I'd suggest trimming off the shoulder bells. They look huge on your frame. At least an inch and a half to start. The biceps are hardly visible. Interesting that you're working with a AM kit. Was that what was currently available to you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moostang Posted December 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 Yeah the AM2 was from a seller a friend knew and was available and shipped the next day which got to me just in time for my vacation days so I could have a friend help me get started. I knew with my size I was going to be chopping anyways so I figured why not. If I do it again I will probably try another type just for a smaller chest and back. For the trimming I wanted to take more off the bottom of the bell, my only concern is if it will start to look out of proportion to the chest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattrooper Posted December 9, 2015 Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 Yes the shoulder bells need to be trimmed down, and also the strapping i see underneath them is to wide from what I can see. The chest piece is a little low, See if you can adjust it with out trimming and if not you will have to do some careful trimming at the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moostang Posted December 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 That shoulder strap is a temp thing, I put in a wide piece to squeeze it together before I heat formed it to see how would look. With the chest piece I already took an inch (maybe it was 2") off the bottom so I am okay with taking more. At this point I can't raise is the chest anymore without cutting away at the neck (so I can fit my head in) and trying to unglue the shoulder straps and pull them forward (can't go back anymore). Maybe just cut off an inch to reveal the top button? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locitus[Admin] Posted December 9, 2015 Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 It's okey to trim the neck opening, But if you build it properly so that you can open the check and back from the side instead of forcing your head in from under, you won't need to. You'll also want to cut the arms down in length. Do it at the wrist end and you can simply use a hack saw to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moostang Posted December 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 The problem is going to be those darn shoulder straps on top. I was working with a friend and it was one of the first things we did and they are glued on good with ABS cement. The thing is the back of the straps are already at the top of the box on the back so if I trim anything off the top of the chest they do have to come off and go forward that same amount I trim. So if I trim an inch off the top, then they have to drop down an inch, would that look funny with the straps being so forward and almost into that crease in the chest? Or would it look a little better to take another inch off the bottom? For the forearms, I did already trim the wrist about an inch and the inside of the elbow, so currently I do have really good mobility, I might wait before I trim more on that. Thanks everyone, I do appreciate the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moostang Posted December 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Okay, I haven't trimming anything yet, but after about 1.5 hours I finally got those shoulder straps off. So this is what they would look like if I move them forward 1 inch allowing me to pull the chest up 1 inch. Does it look funny with them down that low? I guess my choices are to move them this way or take another inch off the bottom of the chest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airborne Trooper[501st] Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 The shoulder bridges need to be trimmed as there is a ton of extra material left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moostang Posted December 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 That will help big time, I didn't realize that was a part I could also trim down. I guess they leave all the extra on for those that need it to look bigger. Can you also trim off length if trimming down to the bumps doesn't work? So then the next plan of attack is to trim 1 inch off the bottom of the bells. Trim the shoulder bridges down to the bumps. Take 1/2 inch off the top of the chest and back piece (where the shoulders meet to combine for 1 inch). Then possibly take some off the neck depending on the look, if it looks okay then I will just make my chest/back have snaps instead of sliding it on over my head. I'll probably be back in a day or two to ask opinions on shoulder bridge placement once I get it back together. Thanks everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airborne Trooper[501st] Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Seems like I'm always pimping out ukswrath's posts these days... here's a great example on the shoulder bridges http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/31920-ukswraths-am-10-ata-bucket-build/?p=412045 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moostang Posted December 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Aweeeesome, I was trying to search for that info, that helps a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moostang Posted December 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 (edited) Okay, I have not trimmed the bells yet, but I dropped the biceps down, do you think I still need to trim? I just don't want it to looks to out of proportion. I did however trim the bridges down and I took 1/2 inch off the top of the check and back where the shoulders meet so it brings everything up. It is all taped together right now, once I reattach the bells properly I am hoping they will sit better. Also the ab will sit a bit higher than what it is in the pic, it's hanging loose right now. Edited December 11, 2015 by Moostang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sly11[Admin] Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 Your shoulder bells do need some work. Length can be reduce a little but also the width of them looking from front on. This is an easy trim which I recommend you do before you shorted the length. Measure two lines, one where you think they need to be trimmed back to and one half way between that line and the edge. This is your safety net so to speak. How do you mark the line evenly and trim evenly, I hear you ask, easy. Place the Bell flat on a table now grab a pencil and some coins and work out how much to trim off starch the coins, even tape them together with the pencil on top. Slide the bel up to the pencil/coin stack and slide the bell all way around leaving the pencil stationary. This gives you a very even trim line all way around. Then you get your work knife and space it to the same height, when I did mine I had to go out and buy a smaller knife as I only took 5mm off mine. You use the same method with the knife stationary and carefully with light pressure pushing the bell against the tip, scribe your cut line around, then repeat a few times so as to make the cut slightly deeper with each pass. Then snap just like you would when making cover strips. If this isn't making sense I will try and find some photos to show exactly how this works. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moostang Posted December 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 Thanks, I have taken an inch or 2 off the width of them already (the before pics would make you laugh and cringe), I just wasn't sure if I should take more since they are now resting on the bicep. In the latest pictures my right one is sitting forward since I had to tape it on myself. The first pictures I took show where it should rest properly attached. I think I am going to have to mark them up with the different lengths to see where to cut when I get a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locitus[Admin] Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 You'll also want to trim off the top and bottom of the belt so that it's closer in line with the boxes on it. It also looks like you're using too wide cover strips on your forearms and biceps. You're a skinny person so there's no need to use extra wide ones. Try to go about 15 mm in width. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moostang Posted December 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 Yeah, I didn't know the cover strips on the arms should have been about half the width until I started searching on here. The person that helped me get started said they were 1 inch, but since they are glued down good that might be a project a lot further down the line to try to pull those off. I didn't even think about shortening the height of the belt, that should help balance it out a bit, of course the means I will need to adjust the strap on my drop boxes too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airborne Trooper[501st] Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 Throw the arms in the freezer for a few hours and it may make it easier to take the cover strip off. I have had to remove CA glue on my built a few times and this definitely helps. Whatever else fails to break off will require a dremel sanding drum tool and manually sanding it flat by hand. Stick to E6000 unless you are 100% sure you won't change something to avoid these kind of headaches. I think your chest plate to ab plate placement looks great in the last pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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