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JAFO'S FIRST ORDER STORMTROOPER BUILD (Jimmiroquai)


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Looking really nice! :duim: Do you know what caused those paint issues?

Some have suggested it might have been applying paint before the previous layer had dried.

 

It could also have been a bad can as I also used it on my SE-44C build and had a similar problem in some areas.

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R2Dan's holster is a great piece of kit. I opted to add it without the resin wedge so that I can choose to suspend either the F-11D Blaster or SE-44C pistol.

 

 

 

Hey Darren I'm curious to know how the pistol won't fit on the holster with the resin block? 

 

Also I see you haven't split/cut your spats yet....What's your plan to wear them around the shins?

 

 

Some have suggested it might have been applying paint before the previous layer had dried.

 

It could also have been a bad can as I also used it on my SE-44C build and had a similar problem in some areas.

 

Not sure if the time factor for drying is the cause as in my case the paint cracked rather that seeing the orange peel effect.

 

Keep going Darren your nearly there.

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Hey Darren I'm curious to know how the pistol won't fit on the holster with the resin block? 

 

Also I see you haven't split/cut your spats yet....What's your plan to wear them around the shins?

 

 

 

Not sure if the time factor for drying is the cause as in my case the paint cracked rather that seeing the orange peel effect.

 

Keep going Darren your nearly there.

 

 

Hey Bryan!

 

The resin wedge is designed to be used for the pistol only so I left it out so I can suspend either the F-11D or SE-44C. If I added the wedge I'd be limited to pistol ONLY.

 

I'm decided against cutting the spats as they slip over my foot and in to place very easily.

 

Thanks for the pump up!

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It has been a BIG week for sure and today I was ecstatic to nail my final painted piece - the yoke.

 

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After a week of frenzied painting/sanding/painting my pop-up paint shack has now come down - just in time as are due for a 'big wet' over the next few days. Lucky we're getting our backyard done - the landscaper said I would need to kill the grass. Mission accomplished!

 

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Whilst the yoke was drying I did a quick mod on the shins that had been suggested by a few Troopers. To save scuffing and discolouring the boot tops I added a layer of felt inside each shin bottom.

 

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I also started the process of working through the chest plate to yoke connection and started glueing rare earth magnets in place. There's more work to come here.

 

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Finally, the last chore for today was to add the black decal disc to the yoke/backplate. A simple thing but a moment of real satisfaction - the last decal to go on!!!

 

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So, now what? Well, there's still a list to check off before submitting approval photos. In no particular order the list includes...

 

- finalising chest plate to yoke connection

 

- add foam to yoke shoulders (many Troopers have suggested this for comfort)

 

- add Velcro connection from shoulder bell to bicep

 

- measure/attach leg straps for thigh connection

 

- measure/construct belt and affix boxes

 

And then, of course, there's the test fit and adjustments.

 

Doesn't seem like much but there's a bit of time here in magnet placement, glueing and drying. I'm hoping another 1-2 weeks before it's time to submit!

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Hey Bryan!

 

The resin wedge is designed to be used for the pistol only so I left it out so I can suspend either the F-11D or SE-44C. If I added the wedge I'd be limited to pistol ONLY.

 

I'm decided against cutting the spats as they slip over my foot and in to place very easily.

 

Thanks for the pump up!

 

Doh!! 

 

That'll teach me to READ carefully the sales thread's more!!

Just re-read Dan's thread and seen it in black and white. And another step backwards for me now!

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Well, as expected, the rain hit Sydney in a big way today so I'm glad I got the painting finished in the nick of time.

 

Today offered up the chance to get a few simple tasks done.

 

First up I added Chicago screws to the various belt boxes. I used industrial strength Velcro to affix the female end of the screws to the boxes.

 

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These will be secured to the belt once sized and completed.

 

Next up, the simple task of measuring and cutting some 2mm elastic cord which will be used to give extra support to the knee plates.

 

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I've also spent some time today revisiting the harness I constructed and figuring out whether it's the right design. I need to attach the thighs and I'm just struggling to decide the best way forward. If you're reading this and have any ideas, feel free to share!

 

I'm hoping to do a test fitting over the weekend so this will highlight other areas that need attention - including finalising how the chest plate and yoke will work best.

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Found time today to do some test fitting. This fitting aimed to assess general fit/placement and help with sizing for the belt, finalising placement of magnets for the chest plate fixture and for adding Velcro for connection between the shoulder bell and biceps.

 

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Overall I'm pretty happy with the first fit. Minor refinements required.

 

Experienced some issues with the magnets on the ab socket closure. These need to be redone with a stronger adhesive.

 

Thighs were not included purposefully at this stage but I hope to have the harness sorted for these in the coming week.

 

On a side note, I've always wondered why I've never seen Troopers smile in test fits pics. I always thought I would do it differently but my pictures show that I failed. I now realise there are equal measures of anxiety and focus at play when it comes to a test fit. No wonder we look so serious!

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It has been a little over a week since my last post but, rest assured, I have kept a laser sharp focus on getting this build over the finish line. There has been a lot of activity and that means a few photos too so I'll split the next couple of posts to come bang up to date.

 

Having completed the test fitting my main tasks were to create the belt and the garter system for the thighs. Let's start with the belt! This is a kit I know given I have been creating and selling these since March 2016. It is constructed of three layers - the inside webbing layer which connects to the buckles, the middle 'spacer' layer which is made from high density closed cell sponge rubber and the outer heavy duty ribbed rubber layer.

 

 

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The first job is to size/trim the webbing making sure for allowance over the cod and butt. Once sized I stitched on the male buckle before setting to work on glueing the three layers together. To glue the pieces I used Loctite 60sec which seems to work very well...

 

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It's important to get a good coverage of sticky stuff on each layer for a good bond...

 

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Once the three layers had been glued it was time to reinforce and leave well alone for a good 24hrs...

 

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Allow the ribbed layer to cover the buckles in half/half fashion so it creates a seamless look once the belt is put on. This section is ultimately covered by one of there soft pouches.

 

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Once dried it was time to measure the belt boxes and create the necessary holes to secure them using the Chicago screws I had affixed to the back. A hole punch was the perfect tool for the job.

 

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Once all the holes had been created it was then time to screw the belt packs in place.

 

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Notice how the two vertical boxes step down a little. This is a detail I picked up on having reviewed tons and tons of photos. 

 

I have to admit, having completed the belt and trying it on I did return to adjust positioning of the two centre boxes as once on they do splay out a little and I wanted to bring them closer together. 

 

And the completion of the belt concludes this first entry for today! Standby for the next one...

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Having tackled the belt I occupied myself with a few upgrades, mods and other random tasks. Here we go.

 

To aid the forearms from slipping I added some 12mm foam strip around the wrists...

 

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And to assist keep the shoulder bells in place over the biceps I cut some webbing and affixed some Velcro to create simple straps...

 

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And whilst waiting to tackle another couple of major steps I decided to kill some quick time adding some adhesive rubber seal to the back of my Officer's pauldron to give it some support on the shoulder and padding to stop it scuffing the armour. I also added some magnets which will be used to keep the pauldron in place.

 

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We'll come back to the pauldron and it's fitting after the break!

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When I started my build last July I knew I would take my time as I was looking to try and innovate along the way to see if I could challenge myself to make things work better when it comes to suiting up.

 

Having used magnets extensively in this build I always knew I wanted to create a magnet solution for the chest plate.  I'd seen some great stuff on other builds and received some great advice along the way from people who had already done it.

 

I'd already added 'magnetic wings' to my ab sides and now just needed to work with the chest plate to find best positioning/alignment between it and the yoke shoulders. It was a simple case of patience and trial and error - always remembering to check polarity before affixing the magnets with two part Epoxy. I used 18mm x 3mm rare earth magnets and built them up in a stack of two to get a better connection.

 

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This is a process you can't afford to rush as you want the Epoxy to be absolutely cured before trying to put the pieces together. The finished effect is terrific and here's a shot with the pauldron - also secured by magnets - in place.

 

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Whilst dealing with everything torso related I had come to realise that I wasn't happy with my original harness set-up. It was ok and it worked but it wasn't very manageable given it required trying to get your fingers inside the ab piece to secure the snaps between the webbing and the ab. 

 

I decided to recreate the ab harness using buckles that would allow me to suit up much more easily. Here are some pics of the build which essentially consisted of sizing, stitching and adding new snaps to attach to the existing snaps that have long been attached to the ab piece...

 

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A much better solution and one that I'm glad I took the time to revisit.

 

So...with the chest place connection sorted and the new harness created it was time to turn attention to my thighs...

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I'll be honest. The thighs have long troubled me. First getting the shaping right, then getting the suspension system right. It really is a two person job and, thankfully, I managed to get the help when I needed it to get this piece nailed.

 

I considered using a back support harness as a solution for the ab and thighs but found they were too bulky for my liking. After considering a few designs I decided I would create a garter system with an elasticated waist that would allow for a certain amount of flexibility and adjustment. I found this great belting elastic which is both wide and strong...

 

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I stitched some wide Velcro onto the elastic...

 

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I then created some webbing and buckles for the drop down connection system...

 

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And then took time to get the placement of the drop downs correct before stitching stitching to the elastic waistband...

 

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Once stitched in place I removed the excess webbing for a tidier finish...

 

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You'll see I added some tri-glides to allow for a certain amount of adjustment. I can also pull the waistband up/down as required though I may yet consider adding a simple harness to the waistband at a later date, or connecting it to the one that is already in use for the ab piece. We'll see.

 

Of course, the drop down starts need something to connect to so the female buckle and strap were heavily glued in place on the thighs...

 

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Over the course of the last week my to-do list was getting ever shorter and I found myself ready for the very first full suit-up...

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And here it is...

 

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The suit-up was a pretty straightforward experience and whilst I could put a lot on myself I have come to realise this will never be a 100% self kit-up armour. Does one even exist anywhere?!?

 

I was pretty happy with the way everything was working. It was very comfortable and the mobility was really good. 

 

It was great to take the shots, sit back and then look at what needed refining. As far as I was concerned it was just the usual culprits - the belt, the shoulder bells and biceps and the thighs and knee plates...

 

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And so, with the test suit-up completed and some clear thoughts on what I needed to do I took a couple of days to weak. Which brings us to today!!!!

 

I'm delighted to report that I have submitted my approval pics! Here's a little preview...

 

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So, there we have it! A long time coming but a BIG race to the finish over the last couple of weeks. It's now time to sit back and wait to see what happens.

 

Standby for an update but wish me luck for now ;) 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Delighted to report that TK11412 is approved! The same day that the Legion reported 11412 active global members - must be a sign!

 

A huge thank you to all those who inspired this build and shared their learnings. Of course, the biggest props go to Jim Tripon for his incredible artistry and workmanship on an awesome kit.

 

My first troop is next week at one of the largest Cons on the Australian calendar. I'm sure there will be many learnings from that experience and I will no doubt continue to mod my kit forever and a day.

 

For now...this build is complete! Thanks for stopping by  :jc_doublethumbup: 

Edited by JAFO
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Delighted to report that TK11412 is approved! The same day that the Legion reported 11412 active global members - must be a sign!

 

A huge thank you to all those who inspired this build and shared their learnings. Of course, the biggest props go to Jim Tripon for his incredible artistry and workmanship on an awesome kit.

 

My first troop is next week at one of the largest Cons on the Australian calendar. I'm sure there will be many learnings from that experience and I will no doubt continue to mod my kit forever and a day.

 

For now...this build is complete! Thanks for stopping by  :jc_doublethumbup: 

 

Congratulations!  :D How does it feel? What things do you wish you knew before you started now that you're "finished"?  :)

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Congratulations! :D How does it feel? What things do you wish you knew before you started now that you're "finished"? :)

Thanks!

 

It feels great. Haven't trooped in it yet but I'm sure I'll uncover what everyone says about weight and heat. Don't really see that as an issue though.

 

There was probably more sanding than I had anticipated. To be honest, I could probably have gone even more but I'm still happy with the finish.

 

As a creative director I'm something of a perfectionist but I quickly came to realise there is no such thing as a perfect kit - there will always be small annoyances or imperfections, and when trooping starts there will be no shortage of scuffs, nicks and, probably, cracks. The main is to create the perfect armour for YOU and be happy with the work it has taken to create. There is pride and joy in passing the CRL and getting approved but I suspect greater pride and joy is yet to be discovered whilst trooping.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

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  • 3 weeks later...

It has become apparent that Photobucket has recently updated their terms of service and no longer allow third party hosting UNLESS you're willing to pay up $400/year!

As a result you'll find many pictures missing in this thread. I won't be spending time reinstating photos or moving to another provider but if you would like a picture based on a description in my thread p[lease just let me know :)

 

 

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