Jump to content

Ensi's FOTK Build (Jimmiroquai) [PICTURE HEAVY]


Ensi

Recommended Posts

Hey all!
Daniel from Norway here. After participating in 2 troops with my garrison as a handler, I was so close to pulling the plug. Then this guy let me try his stupid TB and now i'm broke :( Been reading FISD and Facebook-groups like an absolute madman the past few months doing my research.
 
This will be my first costume of any kind, I have zero experience in any type of prop-making so this'll definitely be a journey. I want to make a build-thread because:
 
1. It helps push me to continue and document everything
2. I can get GREAT help from all you people
3. It will help future builders
 
People said the FOTK would be a tall order for a first costume, so I guess it'll be my First Order :laugh1:  No? I'll show myself out..
 
I'm 177cm (5'10"), 79kg (175lbs), mesomorph.
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
  1. Shipment of various parts, testfit of undersuit
  2. Big Brown Box day
  3. Gasket trimming, chest vent cutting, ab/thigh/bicep downsizing, first snaps
  4. Filling downsizing seam thighs/biceps, cod/shoulder/yoke/chest snaps, downsizing forearms, joining forearms together again, yoke to chest velcro connection, boots/gloves, knee gasket trimming, thigh buckles
  5. Ab harness, greeblie gluing, weapon/holster screws, forearm/TD tidy up, shin box gluing, paint match picture
  6. Pinhole filling/surface imperfections, strengthening thigh (fibreglass mats/polyester resin), bicep step details, test fit
  7. Pinhole filling/sanding yoke, priming, painting, paint match, belt assembly 1, belt box painting, belt box attachments
  8. HOLSTER: Broke it, fixed it, screw installation/types, painting, assembly, belt assembly 2, wobbly belt box elastic string mod, TD complete, TD right-side circle accuracy update, tape backing on all holes, AB done, polishing pad padding mod, forearm seam accuracy update.
  9. ARMOR DONE, laid out, test-fit
  10. APPROVAL PHOTOS
  11. Post approval mods 1: Kneeplates, clearcoating, removal of orange peel, high gloss!
  12. Night-time painting, abdomen crack and fibreglass mat/resin fix, painting spreadsheet
  13. Paint failure on abs, whining
  14. Fibreglass and paint failure on abs, ABS plastic shoulder support system
  15. Blacking out inside of helmet, armorcase pimping
 
PARTS
  • Helmet: ANOVOS Standard Line (Arrived, from eBay-seller, because ANOVOS doesn't ship to Norway and if they did i'd probably have it in 2028)
  • Helmet Padding: eBay (Arrived)[Combat/Airsoft/Tactical Style]
  • Neckseal: Stormtrooperundersuit (Arrived) [Medium]
  • Armor: Jimmiroquai FOTK v4 (Arrived) [Flexible Fibreglass]
  • Undersuit: Stormtrooperundersuit (Arrived) [Large, order this a size or so above your regular size!]
  • Belt: JAFO's Belts Of The First Order (Arrived)
  • Belt to suspend thighs: eBay (Arrived) [Airsoft style combat belt]
  • Pouches: Jimmiroquai (Arrived)
  • Boots: ImperialBoots (Arrived) [42EU/9US]
  • Gloves: ImperialBoots (Arrived) [Medium]
  • Gaskets: Jimmiroquai (Arrived)
  • Decals: Trooperbay (Arrived) [You can also just buy some matte black car vinyl wrap and make your own, way cheaper. I had to remove my decals so now it's only vinyl wrap.]
  • F-11D Blaster: ("Shipped" 3 months and counting.. NOT happy) (3D-Printed Kit)
  • SE-44C Pistol: ("Shipped" 3 months and counting.. NOT happy) (3D-Printed Kit)
  • HESTON BLASTER AND PISTOL IS ON ITS WAY THOUGH I MEAN SERIOUSLY IT'LL GET HERE BEFORE ONE FROM A COUNTRY A STONE'S THROW AWAY GETS HERE
  • Hardware screws for F-11D and SE-44C: MaxSW [LINK] (Arrived)
  • F-11D Decals: MaxSW [LINK] (Arrived)
  • Torx Anti-Tamper/Security screws for the holster + bearings and some washers: eBay (Arrived)
  • Fan system: Making my own USB-powered system.
  • Voice system: (OrderedTRamp
  • Hearing assist: Looking at ukswrath's kit, but it'll have to come at a later stage.

 

Webbing, elastic, hook/loop tape, clamps, magnets, snaps, leds (blaster), wiring, fans etc: All from eBay, super cheap. Because buying it locally would literally cost 5 times the amount. EDIT: DONT BUY EBAY SNAPS THEY ARE SUPER BAD.
 
E6000 from Trooperbay eventually with the decals, planning to use this for most of the armor as it's forgiving. Still need to get some tools/misc (Dremel, sanding equipment, PPE etc.) from work.
 
Now for the painting i'll have to do some experimenting. What I have in mind right now is to get a plastic primer, white paint, and clearcoat. Then do a test on scrap and hope it matches the helmet. If not i'll have to get custom spraycans, and according to my research RAL 9016 should match the ANOVOS bucket pretty well, also heard FIAT 249. What do you all think about adding clear on top of already glossy paint? Is it neccessary? FOTK's are pretty shiny.
 
Picture so first post isn't pictureless:
 
gIIQZZy.jpg
 
Peace! 
Edited by Ensi
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome Daniel!  You are doing all the right things.  Research is important and putting in some time as a handler is a great way to see what it takes.  Good luck with your build and ask questions if you have them.  :salute:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Daniel! Greetings from Sydney Great to see another Jimmi build looming. It's such a great kit to work with. Looking forward to watching your progress!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, taking on a TFA for your first kit is ambitious, but can and has been done. Can't wait to see your progress :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome Daniel!  You are doing all the right things.  Research is important and putting in some time as a handler is a great way to see what it takes.  Good luck with your build and ask questions if you have them.  :salute:

 

Thanks! I've read so much i've started to grow return edges and sweat E6000. Will be sure to ask questions if I need to :) This community is pretty great.

 

welcome

 

Thanks!

 

Hi Daniel! Greetings from Sydney Great to see another Jimmi build looming. It's such a great kit to work with. Looking forward to watching your progress!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

Hey Darren! Looking forward to working on it, your build thread will be of great help. Expect an order for a belt kit in the near future..

 

Wow, taking on a TFA for your first kit is ambitious, but can and has been done. Can't wait to see your progress :)

 

Hux's speech scene in TFA just won me over. First Order TK's are so darn cool! Will be plenty motivation I think. Building a TD was also on my wishlist but I think i'll tackle this one first..

 

So not really any "progress" just yet, but I have been getting 2-4 packages a day in the mail and it feels like christmas.

 

Various electronics I plan to use in my helmet and also in my blaster kits I have yet to order.

2oLMcEx.jpg

 

 

TotallyVelcroBrandVelcro©®™, webbing, elastic, magnets, clamps, wires, buckles

j3W5KTJ.jpg

 

Stormtrooperundersuit's FO-Neckseal. It has these nice magnetic fasteners that are really easy to get on and off. 2 balaclavas because they were so cheap, why not have a backup?

fEA2UtV.jpg

 

Will definitely be Plastidip™ing the inside of the bucket. But i'm gonna wait until I get it padded and the fan system up and running.

0Ke7oUH.jpg

 

 

Stormtrooperundersuit's FO-Undersuit. This one is pretty kinky. So glad I ordered a large, it fits snug.

P7aXyBQ.jpg

 

NiC480Q.jpg

 

Is the image sizes ok? Let me know :)

 

Now i'm gonna wait until BBB-day, then get some PPE and sanding equipment.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

BBB day is here!!

 

zPuQqNO.jpg

 

Jim is an absolute packing wizard

 

V87Qpvp.jpg

 

Found some cracks/damage, added superglue to the cracks, what to do about the TD I don't know yet. Bought an automotive 2-part filler (can't get bondo here), should work?

 

Ab

 

JwdHckD.jpg

 

Thigh

 

PLXILgi.jpg

 

TD, was like this on the other side as well.

 

XRuKe4d.jpg

 

People are saying the TD feels very fragile and they are correct, it does.

 

Gaskets... will need to be trimmed haha. Doesn't help that I have super thin arms.

 

C2iQDao.jpg

 

Got around to sanding the inside of some of the parts with 120-grit sandpaper, until it of course started raining. Hoping for better weather tomorrow! :) I wore heavy duty nitrile gloves, long sleeved shirt, pants, glasses, and a face-mask. Showered right after as well and i'm only itching in 2 places so I must be doing something right.

 

Plan is to sand the insides of all the pieces, drill all the holes, and give it a light sand on the outside with finer grit, then wash.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BBB day is here!!

 

zPuQqNO.jpg

 

Jim is an absolute packing wizard

 

V87Qpvp.jpg

 

Found some cracks/damage, added superglue to the cracks, what to do about the TD I don't know yet. Bought an automotive 2-part filler (can't get bondo here), should work?

 

Ab

 

JwdHckD.jpg

 

Thigh

 

PLXILgi.jpg

 

TD, was like this on the other side as well.

 

XRuKe4d.jpg

 

People are saying the TD feels very fragile and they are correct, it does.

 

Gaskets... will need to be trimmed haha. Doesn't help that I have super thin arms.

 

C2iQDao.jpg

 

Got around to sanding the inside of some of the parts with 120-grit sandpaper, until it of course started raining. Hoping for better weather tomorrow! :) I wore heavy duty nitrile gloves, long sleeved shirt, pants, glasses, and a face-mask. Showered right after as well and i'm only itching in 2 places so I must be doing something right.

 

Plan is to sand the insides of all the pieces, drill all the holes, and give it a light sand on the outside with finer grit, then wash.

Don't be afraid to track out to Jim regarding the damage - he is very helpful. I had the same crack appear on ab and thigh over time.

 

You can use expanding foam filler on the TD but do it VERY slowly and make sure you cut a vent for it to come out of if need be.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have noticed a few guys with slimmer builds adjusting the size of the forearms and thighs, they are very large on Jim's kits.

 

Shame about the cracks but I'm sure with some more resin and bondo you will be fine, good luck with the build

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What's the consensus here on picture heavy? I like my posts to be picture heavy, please tell if I should tone it down haha. If replying please don't quote the large posts or you can snip the picture URL's from the quote :) 

Had a friend over for 2 weeks, so build slowed down but things are starting up again now.

First up was connecting the shoulder and elbow gaskets as well as trimming them down. Doing knee gaskets soon.

aUTasql.jpg

Didn't cut off the excess material in case I want to change it in the future.

Before:

JSxkx0M.jpg

After:

2coEL4t.jpg

 

31QBshU.jpg

 

Cut out the chest vent with a blade:

q6564kY.jpg

wr6sUtl.jpg

Also cut out the chest and bicep pill holes, as well as the forearm doodly-doo and 2 squares, contemplating cutting out the shin ovals as well as the forearm square up where the hand sticks out (com pad?). [EDIT SEPTEMBER: I did not cut out the shin ovals as cutting them would eat into the overlapping and probably weaken it structurally, decided to just use decals here.]

Decided I wanted this kit to fit right from the start and made some dreaded cuts:

52PfywE.jpg

OjnHxDG.jpg

As you can see here I already trimmed down the thigh-shape. I may have gone overboard here, so if you're thinking about downsizing your thighs, downsize them first THEN do the shaping. Hopefully it won't turn out too bad.

7CnKXr2.jpg

Excess material from biceps and thighs. Wasn't that scientifically measured so I decided to cut too little rather than too much.

Z6WCtU1.jpg

Got some ABS material from TK-50501 (thanks!) to make inner cover strips for the joints on the thighs and biceps.

B7rfw3Y.jpg

Gluing the strips with Loctite 5min Epoxy. Areas that were to be glued I roughed up with 60 grit sandpaper beforehand, washed, and (if I remembered to) went over with a little Isopropanol (rubbing alcohol).

VMsVN1k.jpg

Also got my Trooperbay package with the decals and a buttload of E6000, decided to glue on some snaps to the ab. LESSON LEARNED: Do NOT get cheap ebay snaps, they absolutely suck. Go for some heavy duty quality ones.

tJ8dqkV.jpg

Plan now is to fill the cracks on the thighs, biceps, and TD with some Gelcoat Filler (2-part filler for boats) and sand down. Then on to some strapping/rigging.

Also decided to try velcroing both sides of the shins together, has anyone done this before? I tried it with some small dots and it sat really well. Preventing some flex while kitting up/down is my main concern here. It seems doable as long as you are careful with the greeblies and only glue them on one side.

Edited by Ensi
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ended up just using E6000 on the outside and velcro on the inside of the shins.

 

Filled the seams from the cutting and sanded it down, working with this Gelcoat Filler (from Plastic Padding) was super nice, but once it starts gumming up/changing consistency it's done and you need to mix another batch.

 

BFJ2QLj.jpg

 

Filled the holes on the TD but they need another round. Also some of it fell into the TD itself so now there's a piece in there making noise.. Nooo :laugh1:

 

Y9XUUzP.jpg

 

Added snaps to everything

 

ZfDjDdI.jpg

 

The 2 snaps on the yoke here that connects to my chest made the chest sit too low, so they were moved up right besides the shoulder connections.

 

TqmWEqP.jpg

 

Mr. Chest is excited about this build:

 

aMSpNiK.jpg

 

Decided to cut up the forearms as they were just too huge for me:

 

oDuohJ8.jpg

 

mOmGrmu.jpg

 

L4NWH9Y.jpg

 

Wear PPE! Fibreglass is nasty stuff and you DO NOT want it inside your lungs. It does not go away. Get a proper respirator. I also used safety glasses, cut resistant gloves, and have a separate change of clothes for when i'm outside working with it.

 

wDZSpa7.jpg

 

Glued them together the same method as thighs and biceps, by using some ABS plastic to join them. This time I instead tried the Loctite Power Epoxy with the 4 hour setting time. Sooo much nicer, with the 5-min you really have to work fast and it's just so stressful.

 

7FopHCT.jpg

 

aLBbhXI.jpg

 

This is how the upper part is right now. I tried velcroing on the biceps to shoulder bells, but it just wouldn't hold under movement, so I removed it (woo, E6000!) and added snaps.

 

zVkTMs1.jpg

 

My velcro concoction of elastic, nylon, and velcro. Loop side on armor, hook on this thing:

 

TjC2S6L.jpg

 

My order from ImperialBoots also arrived. Ordered my regular shoe-size, 42, and they fit perfectly.

 

qLBBGdg.jpg

 

Trimmed knee gaskets too, and added some velcro on the bottom:

 

UjMxCP7.jpg

 

kDDqZDg.jpg

 

Started adding buckles to the thighs. These will be held up with a belt I ordered on eBay, tacticool airsoft belt.

 

7FuhOkh.jpg

 

Next up is connecting the ab-harness. Plan on just doing some nylon webbing over my shoulders, but with adjustable buckles.

 

BgBJwqI.jpg

 

Also considering strengthening up one of the thighs as it is kinda thin and not as strong as the other one. For this i'm planning to use some fibreglass mats and polyester.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The build continues! This build is a lot of work, but I have no reference to other costumes so awesome!

 

This is how the ab section turned out, I just glued the nylon webbing in the back with E6000

 

8CZqPIH.jpg

 

Attached all the greeblies. Now this one was a bit of a nut to crack for me. My initial plan was to try to heat-bend the greeblies to shape, then epoxy or E6K them into place. Being super cautious I tried heat-bending a piece of scrap with a heat gun and the flexible fibreglass did not like it. It started cracking almost immediately, maybe I heated it too much, but I just think the material doesn't like being heated and bent.

 

Ok Ensi, how about superglue? Well superglue would be easy to do, as I could just apply and bend the greeblie until it cured, but I don't like the fact that it's hard and brittle. After talking to JAFO and him recommending the Loctite 60sec Universal Glue for his belt kit (it's a great kit), I researched a bit into it and we also carry it where I work. 

 

BDkqg4s.jpg

 

This stuff is a CA (Cyanoacrylate = Superglue) based glue, but with some kind of added flex agent. It also sets in 60 seconds and not 2. Prep consisted of roughing up both surfaces with 60 grit sandpaper, etched some cross patterns with a file, and cleaned the mating surfaces with some Isopropanol (Rubbing Alcohol). I then put on gloves, applied the glue to the greeblie, and held/bent it into place for 60ish seconds. How durable this is only time will tell but they are really on there, in theory it should be perfect. I didn't use E6000 here because my clamps couldn't reach most of them and i'm not pressing them in place for 24 hours with my hands, 60 seconds was enough :laugh1: I also had to sand off quite a bit of material to make them sit flush with the designated holes.

 

In other news, my hardware screw kit + decals for the F-11D and SE-44C from user MaxSW arrived, woo!

 

ePAJDJd.jpg

 

Screws for my holster also arrived, eBay:

 

UcfBGSp.jpg

 

For the 2 big screws I used M5 Anti-Tamper/Security Torx screws. These 2 are threaded in but sloppily. To countersink the holster, use a drill-bit as large or just a bit larger as the screw head, and turn gently by hand.

 

0CfX4G3.jpg

 

For the smaller screws I used M3 ones. I didn't have a small enough drill bit to thread these, so they just sit kinda loosely in there. I plan to just epoxy these into place.

 

3cPxLHL.jpg

 

With the plate on, this I also cleaned up with the sanding drum attachment on my Dremel. Note that the middle screw (the lonely one without a buddy on the side), will actually be a pan-head anti-tamper torx screw (yet to arrive), with a bearing or some washers in between it and the holster.

 

tWLZt9e.jpg

 

Went outside again and cut off the ABS strips used to join the 2 parts of the forearms, cleaned them up with a sanding drum and some sandpaper. Also sanded off the filler on the TD, the walls on the TD where I filled were pretty thin, so some of it just popped out, I epoxied this shut and plan to sand it down again when it cures.

 

RoVDEkY.jpg

 

Attached the shin boxes, using the Loctite 4 hour Power Epoxy. Prep was same as greeblies: 60 grit, etch cross patterns with a file, clean with IPA, apply. I tried to use enough epoxy so that it squished out on all sides. I spent a lot of time on this and cleaning up in the hopes that I don't have to do a lot of filling on them later (they are to be seamless).

 

ifbQqvk.jpg

 

Also tried out the paint we carry at work on the handplates. Super worried about the color not matching up to the helmet but I think it looks pretty darn close, what do you think? This is without clear.

 

O3iD6xF.jpg

 

gZ9b10G.jpg

 

SrQJDs2.jpg

 

aaDqLuE.jpg

 

Man this S8 takes some great pictures!

 

Next up is attaching the holster to the thigh, sewing some more velcro onto gaskets, applying velcro to thigh, shins, and forearms. Then.. ? Man, paint and decals. This build has flown by!! Oh yeah and I also have to make the bicep step details.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/25/2017 at 0:40 AM, JAFO said:

You're killin' it! Great work Daniel :jc_doublethumbup:

 

Thanks for the kind words! I need it lol, seem to run into small problems all the time, but nothing is impossible!

 

Totally uncooperative weather and working shifts make it really difficult to paint outside, I wish I had a garage!!

 

Primed some parts to show all the beautiful pinholes and surface imperfections. This is the part where I go crazy isn't it? I am starting to hate sandpaper. Before priming I wetsanded the parts with 320 grit along with an IPA wipedown. Reason for wetsanding is mainly residue control, makes the sandpaper last way longer and dust doesn't fly everywhere.

 

Bot2jGb.jpg

 

Filled some parts with Gelcoat Filler

 

WY1Biz3.jpg

 

The right thigh I got was very thin, and I didn't feel confident it would hold up (this is where the cracks on the thighs were) so I went out and got a repair kit for boats. This kit includes polyester resin, hardener, fibreglass mats, some applicators, and a cup.

 

sF4ayCo.jpg

 

Cut up the mats to fit the thigh

 

SZiKlBv.jpg

 

Here it is applied

 

xG1uiPN.jpg

 

I really gooped it on there, you need to completely soak the mats and the surface below. What I SHOULD have done is lay down a layer of resin on the thigh itself, put mat on, then soak the top, to ensure full coverage. As I put so much on there i'm pretty confident I got it pretty soaked. Cut off the excess with a cutting wheel on my dremel and then sanded all the insides with 60grit then 120grit. And wow did it harden up, feels way more sturdy now! PS: It gets hot when curing, be careful!

 

Sanded the insides of the holster a bit to fit the screws i'm planning to use to secure the weapons to the holster.

 

Made the bicep details and glued them on

 

cyx567s.jpg

 

I've been researching the bicep detail a bit, inspecting the movie and pictures of screen used armor, and reading posts from the wonderful people here at FISD. Using that information (super thank you guys!!) this is what I believe to be the screen used method, not to scale:

 

lMo52AI.png

 

bJ720mh.jpg

 

Do not cut up your biceps and velcro them together as the CRL states them to be seamless (yet to be changed I guess?)

 

Oh and here is an older testfit of the armor when I had done all the strapping. Without gaskets, belt, or knees.

 

H8eprIl.jpg?1

 

Shoulders are sitting a bit low, wonder how i'll fix that. Not too pumped on drilling those support holes that other people do.

 

Next up is a whole lot of priming, filling, sanding, sanding, cursing, priming, sanding, filling, and more cursing.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's amazing how many pinholes present themselves after priming. You think you've sanded the kit within an inch of it's life but there are always more holes!

 

You'll find the shoulder bells will sit a little higher with gaskets. If you're nervous about slicing the yoke to add supports you could consider adding some foam (or similar) to the underside of the shoulder bell to help it sit higher. You would just need to make sure it wasn't visible.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, JAFO said:

It's amazing how many pinholes present themselves after priming. You think you've sanded the kit within an inch of it's life but there are always more holes!

 

I guess it'll all be worth it in the end. Have you heard about people using spray filler for these? Seems like an easy way but I doubt it'll fill the smallest ones.

 

5 minutes ago, JAFO said:

You'll find the shoulder bells will sit a little higher with gaskets. If you're nervous about slicing the yoke to add supports you could consider adding some foam (or similar) to the underside of the shoulder bell to help it sit higher. You would just need to make sure it wasn't visible.

 

Doh! Why didn't I think of the gaskets haha. Padding under the bells is a great idea, thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got this week off work so i'm trying to get it finished by the end of the weekend! FULL THROTTLE

 

Filled some more parts, ugh. Decided I didn't want to lose my mind and I now only go after the biggest culprits.

 

ILU9K48.jpg

 

Primed some more parts.

 

PypMrPq.jpg?1

 

Started painting some too because why not? From raw to paint this is what I do:

 

  1. Lightly sand outside, 320 grit or similar, wash.
  2. Prime, just enough to get like 80-90% coverage
  3. Fill
  4. Sand back filler with 320-400 grit
  5. Re-prime
  6. Get annoyed by rain
  7. Sand everything lightly with 600 grit
  8. Paint
  9. Get annoyed by wind and bugs
  10. Go buy a tent (yes, I actually did this)
  11. Paint some more inside tent but wear a proper respirator..

All sanding done wet.

 

V6lM264.jpg

 

What do you think of the color? Looks pretty good to me. Also I tried clear-coating some parts but the gloss white is already kind of glossy enough. If I wanted to I could lay down several coats of clear, wetsand with 1500, then 2000 and then polish it up, but honestly that's too much for me right now.

 

hfRNK6u.jpg

 

Then on to the belt! This beast of a kit is from JAFO, Belts of the First Order on Facebook.

 

7SbfNto.jpg

 

First step for me was measuring the inner layer of polyester webbing. For this I put on the belt that suspends my thighs along with the ab, cod, and butt-piece to get an accurate measurement. With a white textile marker I marked the spot on the male end of the buckle where it should be, and I also marked where the belt touches the cod and buttpiece.

 

Sewed on some velcro to the belt where it contacts the cod and buttpiece to prevent sagging. Don't think I really needed to add it to the butt but hey why not. Also the polyester is REALLY thick/sturdy, it totally owned my sewing machine. JAFO 1, Singer 0.

 

Cut the 2 top layers then glued with 60 sec Loctite. Spread it around after applying.

 

f3CCE9E.jpg

 

When cutting the middle (foam) and top (rubber) layer, I messed up. I laid the 2 top layers flat down on the table, and then my polyester inner layer on top, marked, and cut.  When I went to try it on the 2 top layers were a bit too short, sure they were kinda hidden by the pouches, but try to measure it around your actual body with everything on before you cut.

 

Measure once, cut twice? :laugh1: This parts looks a bit wonky but it is hidden by the pouches, it's the area between the two.

 

Xf2K5wA.jpg?1

 

Finished painting the belt boxes as well, inside my tent. Ghetto paint shack. Lookin' sharp!

 

0RKNFz2.jpg

 

HxabK4t.jpg

 

Also added chicago screws to all of the belt boxes except for one where I added elastic string:

 

gNqDZBp.jpg

 

The reason for the string is that if you watch the movie at any scene where the FOTK's move, this belt box waddles about. Do it, go look. It's loosely hanging on there and I can see why, it comes into contact with the thigh when moving. Since the belt-kit is 3 thick layers and not 2 it would protrude over the thigh and not be a hassle, but I decided to do it this way, we'll see how it works out!

 

I wanted to assemble the holster but I found out the ebay seller forgot to include my pan-headed anti-tamper torx in the shipment so i'm waiting for a new one now. I'm letting such a small detail hold me up, is this normal?? :P

Edited by Ensi
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doing great there D. Steady steady.. if you feel locked in the build reach out to the guys in Nordic Garrison, i'd believe they have a few guys who've been through the same.
If not the case, look ud up at Danishgarrison.dk. We have 4 guys who had just gotten their approved.. and a few og them are great armour builders, so am sure they'll sort you out.
Keep doing what you are doing.. cracking job mate.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, JAFO said:

Great effort! Loving your build thread - it's important to keep a sense of humour whilst getting lost in the build.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

You're too right! Thanks :lol:

 

19 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Coming along nicely, great work so far

 

Thanks!

 

7 hours ago, Risvang said:

Doing great there D. Steady steady.. if you feel locked in the build reach out to the guys in Nordic Garrison, i'd believe they have a few guys who've been through the same.
If not the case, look ud up at Danishgarrison.dk. We have 4 guys who had just gotten their approved.. and a few og them are great armour builders, so am sure they'll sort you out.
Keep doing what you are doing.. cracking job mate.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Thanks man. Yeah I know there are some in Denmark and some in Sweden, but not sure. I'll be the second one in Norway if I keep up this pace :D Will definitely contact one of them if I run into any trouble!

 

So I knolled all my my kit to get a sense of where I am in the build and also to take an awesome picture. Got a lot of painting done today in my camping tent (lol..).

 

W2LZsgG.jpg

 

Not much left now, I can feel it!!

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you know Jim uses wooden sticks when he casts the holsters?

 

MRv9KtP.jpg

 

I sure do now, dangit :laugh1: My plan was to fill all the screwholes with 4hour epoxy, coat the screws in silicone, jam them in, let cure, then screw them out. Worked pretty OK but some of them were in there pretty good so I had to use some pliers, and well... Pliers gives you great leverage, need I say more? Slobbed on some 5min Epoxy and put the 2 halves back together, filled the crack with filler, no problem!

 

I've been hauling impolite persons this week because I had this week free from work. Done a LOT of sanding, priming, filling, painting, gluing, cutting, everything. So not many progress pictures here sorry, been so focused.

 

Here is the holster completed:

 

YHs6DK4.jpg

 

Used 4hour epoxy to glue the holster to the thigh.

 

xTK2Ghm.jpg

 

2 of the holes were shot, so I redrilled them so the screws just sit loosely in there, and put some 60sec on the threads, pushed them in and called it a day. You could also probably use M6 screws for the big ones.

 

Also in the CRL pictures the screws are painted over, they are not in the movie:

 

3KJ5rtP.jpg

 

My slight belt mishap meant that the 2 chicago screws that were to seal all layers at the male buckle were on the glued-on part. I didn't trust it to hold so I decided to glue the inner polyester layer to the rest of the belt. Would have used E6000 here but that takes forever so I just used the 60sec Loctite (really come to like this glue). Note that I glued the belt in a circular pattern this time. This gets rid of the crinkles (is that even a word? oh ok, just Googled it, it is!). Downside is that it stays that way, you can't lay it flat for storage.

 

zJheyeT.jpg

 

Also here is how I attached the wobbly belt box, and how it moves:

 

 

My TD, completed. I absolutely hate decals, it wrinkles up and it's just terrible but they look so good. Attachment for TD was just 2 long strips of industrial velcro (that I had to order from the states).

 

XxLcQnd.jpg

 

Note that on the right side of the TD, the entire circle is filled in, and not just the inner circle (The decal set from Trooperbay only comes with a decal for the inner circle). The entire circle should be filled as that is how it is in the movie (see picture below). I know one guy on the Jim Facebook Build Group who was told to do this by his GML. For any Swedes or Norwegians doing this, the snus lid of a G3 Portion is 105% the size of the Jim right TD circle, lol. I just traced it out on a piece of vinyl car wrap from eBay. Man I love eBay.

 

PpN6I0K.jpg

 

For the backing material on all of the holes I used this tape from TESA because I really like the texture it has over regular gaffers tape. More matte.

 

6AgqpV8.jpg

 

UtiPlBL.jpg

 

Also covered the insides of the forearms with this as you can see the fibreglass real easy from behind when bending your arms.

 

rCWEfJf.jpg

 

Ab section done:

 

UCqX9Qo.jpg

 

When supporting a bit for TK-20240 (only other FOTK in Norway.. for now!) he mentioned his shoulders hurt after the troop. I've also read this on various groups and FISD that it can be a problem with this heavy fibreglass kit. So I decided to add some padding to the yoke. But Ensi, what are you going to use?? Foam??

 

Yes! I do auto detailing as a hobby and I have several polishing pads laying around, so I grabbed a black one meant for applying waxes/sealants and glaze (no abrasion). Cut it up and applied some hook-side velcro to the yoke, this is neat as the polishing pad already comes with the loop side on it for attaching to polishers.

 

8BFGhi4.jpg

 

wIdQN5E.jpg

 

Also an accuracy update I don't think I mentioned. On the outside of the forearms (opposite side of greeblies) there is a seam on the Jim kit. When I resized them I decided to do it in a way so that it became seamless on that side. See pictures:

 

qje80MW.jpg

 

gHAVeZs.jpg

 

6Sns2tK.jpg

 

Going to post test-fitting pictures in the next post as this one is getting big enough..

Edited by Ensi
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

WHEW! WHAT A RIDE!

 

Well I am happy to say that I am now finished with my kit:

 

X1QSBGe.jpg

 

Here are some test fit pictures, what do you think? Would be lovely to get feedback from fresh eyes. Planning to take approval photos tomorrow so any improvements/faults you notice are very much appreciated! There are 6 things that come to mind before I take the photos:

 

1. Belt is off-centre, need to rotate it

2. Thighs and knees need to come up

3. Forearms to be rotated (thanks, Darren!)

4. Right spat down to show shin pill/decal

5. Shoulders sitting a bit low, maybe add padding

6. Knee plates are not secure enough, add elastic string around knee

 

2eGmeFK.jpg

 

v5g5V0o.jpg

Edited by Ensi
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You've nailed this build - great work Daniel!!! What's more you've innovated along the way and other troopers to will benefit from your work. Terrific solution for 'wobbly box'!

Here's hoping we'll see notification of Norway's second FOTK very soon


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, JAFO said:

You've nailed this build - great work Daniel!!! What's more you've innovated along the way and other troopers to will benefit from your work. Terrific solution for 'wobbly box'!

Here's hoping we'll see notification of Norway's second FOTK very soon emoji106.png


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

Thanks man! Feels so awesome! I will make Kylo super proud. Driving over to TK-50501's place to take pictures later today, he takes great pictures.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...