Ears--ARRGGHH!

[ididshave]

I thought I knew what I was getting into when I had heard of the strife caused by the dreaded ears and yet still, I vastly underestimated their difficulty. I have looked at numerous reference pictures and I still can't see to get my head around the proper proportions for the ears. So, I have come seeking guidance!

• How far down are the ears supposed to extend?
• Similarly, how far out are they supposed to extend?
• How far back are they supposed to be behind the brow/trap?

Pictures of my ANH Stunt so far for reference:

 

 

Bonus question: Have I screwed this ear up?

[dejango[TK]]

Don't worry! You haven't messed anything up. I would say at the least, you just haven't sanded them quite enough. Here is what my ears look like

 

 

 

As you can see, i think the key difference between ours is that the bottom of yours is not flush with the bottom of the bucket. Try a bit more sanding and soon you should have a good shape 

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

Caleb is absolutely correct, David, you just need to sand them a bit more in certain places.  In your second photo, you will notice that the  front bottom of the ear is not meeting up with the bottom of the bucket.  This is not that unusual, and will be covered to some extent by the S-trim.  To get it a bit closer, you can (slooowwly and carefully) trim off a bit more at the bottom as seen in the photo below.  Your placement looks good, but to get it perfect, check out some of the buckets in this section: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/72-request-centurion-status/

Once you get the placement where you want it, go ahead and install the screws.  These will tighten up the gaps as well... sometimes more than you think.  Remember, the ears don't have to fit perfectly, but should be close.  You should also keep this thread updated with new pics of your progress, which will help others as well.  Keep up the great work!

 

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

Almost forgot... the teeth openings look good, but need a little extra work.  To make this MUCH easier, I would pick up one of these: http://www.lowes.com/pd/Project-Source-6-Piece-Needle-File-Set/4777067 

You can refer to the Centurion link in my last post for detailed pics of how they should look.

[Strength]

That Joseph said, the ears aren't bad at all.

It's nothing that would prevent approval.

 

My shadowtrooper bucket is the same. It adds to the imperfections, like in the movie.

 

TK 31201 : Star Garrison : North Texas Squad

[ididshave]

Thanks for the words of advice and encouragement! I will keep this thread updated!

Also, Joe, what do you recommend with the teeth? They drive me crazy but I finally decided to look away and focus on something else--the ears... which also drive me crazy. I was going for pandatrooper's rounded "Twinkie" look, as opposed to the flat.

Edited September 26, 2016 by ididshave

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

The link in my last thread was to a "needle" file set you can pick up really cheap at Lowe's, (or Home Depot, I guess).  They come in all different shapes... round, flat, square, etc. and are perfect for cleaning up the openings for the teeth.

[ididshave]

Well, I attached the one ear I have been working on to see how much more work I really have ahead of myself, which is obviously a lot more.

 

 

I question my placement choice of the ear from looking at this reference photo below. I fear I may not have angled the ear as much as I should have and have place it too close to the trap/brow. Any thoughts?

 

Edited October 20, 2016 by ididshave

[ukswrath[Staff]]

They don't have to be perfect, just close