ANH Stunt "fitting/adjustment" thread (AP)

[BAZINGA[TK]]

1 hour ago, Coach_MattLewis said:

This is very good post thank you.  I was interested to see what strapping or adjusting you did to your thighs.  I am new to this, learning as I go.

 

what are some ways to strap my thighs so they are snug?

 

so far, 

I created a 2 inch belt for my waster

i glued in two snaps into my leg armour

i created a “garder” style clip from straps on my belt to internal straps inside the thighs, I was hoping to have a pull to snug.

 

it gets close, but still 1-3 inches from being snug.

 

anyone who has suggestions.

 

Once I get serious about fitting mine I'll let you know what I did!  I think it is going to be some padding just to provide some resistance to spinning movement but other than that I don't think there is a lot I need to do.

 

Bart

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

1 hour ago, Bartman said:

But, I don't think it can get higher than basic.  I can't remove the belt unless I want to begin drilling out the rivet and redoing the belt and I know I don't have the skills or tools for that one and I see all the EIB photos have pictures of the backside of the belt which I cannot supply.

FYI you don't need an image of the rear of the belt, all that you need is a front on image.

Details the DO's are looking for are:

Holster placement

Button cover placement

Corners of plastic belt to meet fabric belt.

Drop boxes aligned with end of plastic belt.

Drop box strapping.

 

You can check other photo requirements here

 

[BAZINGA[TK]]

15 minutes ago, gmrhodes13 said:

FYI you don't need an image of the rear of the belt, all that you need is a front on image.

Details the DO's are looking for are:

Holster placement

Button cover placement

Corners of plastic belt to meet fabric belt.

Drop boxes aligned with end of plastic belt.

Drop box strapping.

 

You can check other photo requirements here

 

 

Oh.  Well I had read on there that is says "rear" so assumed it has to come off.

 

I won't rule out a higher level then.  I read over the CRL and thought I might be at 50% for level 2.

 

Thanks.

 

Bart

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

41 minutes ago, Bartman said:

 

Oh.  Well I had read on there that is says "rear" so assumed it has to come off.

 

I won't rule out a higher level then.  I read over the CRL and thought I might be at 50% for level 2.

 

Thanks.

 

Bart

Not sure why rear is written in the text but it's not in the EIB guidelines  

 

FYI if you check my last L2 and L3 approvals there are no rear belt images there (links in signature)  

[dblcross[TK]]

You are so close!

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Once you have some approval photos you can post up in our pre approval area, although not official it can be a good way of getting any feedback or updates you may need before submitting to your GML (garrison membership liaison) as they look over your costume for legion approval  

[BAZINGA[TK]]

18 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Not sure why rear is written in the text but it's not in the EIB guidelines  

 

FYI if you check my last L2 and L3 approvals there are no rear belt images there (links in signature)  

 

OK, so I looked at your links and all good for the belt.  I am curious about that knee strap you have that you  made mention of getting rid of.  I'm actually surprised that the originals didn't use any form of strapping between thighs and shins.  I think it would have made aligning things way easier.

 

I have been messing about today with velcro on the boot and bottom of shin plus some padding in the shin to space things out, make them feel firmer and reduce the feeling of clanking around.  I can't help but feel I'm "crooked" half the time.  Trying to line up cover strips with front of legs and then standing different so everything moves around in relation to each other.  I have to assume that if there is one area that tends to be harder to maintain alignment it has to be the legs because no one ever stands statue still, there is always going to be movement there that will shift stuff around.  The sniper knee is the perfect example.  Depending on how I'm standing it is either straight forward or off to the side a bit or what seems too low or too high.  Someone tell me to stop over-thinking the damn legs PLEASE!

 

In any event I'm not swimming in the shins or thighs.  Mark did a nice job of sizing them up for my skinny legs.  It will help with another set of eyes to straighten me out for photos and to determine where some padding might be good in the thighs as well as height and all those little details.

 

I do intend to post in the pre-approval section first.  I also will aim for all the level 2 stuff before then.  I'd like to make the GML's job easy and reduce my stress at the same time.  By my figuring I have to paint the tips with a bit of white yet and finish the second drop box repositioning to tick everything on the level 2 list.  I just have to make one more bi-cep hook and glue it in then I'm pretty much done all the strapping adjustments.

 

I'm also going to speak with my eye Doctor and see if wearing disposable contacts for a few hours every month will further harm my eyes.  If it is okay and I can't tolerate them I would much prefer using those over my glasses, but I will plan for glasses either way.

 

Bart

[BAZINGA[TK]]

I've arranged with a local TK for a photo shoot this coming Saturday.  Hoping for the best for the fit.  Should be easier to get aligned with an extra set of knowing eyes on me.  Bart

[BAZINGA[TK]]

Back to arm tweaking.  My most favorite thing to do the last month!

 

Sometimes the tops of the shoulders are nice and tight to the shoulder straps and sometimes they are dropped.  My idea of a fix is to move the snap in the shoulder down about a half inch to shorten things a bit.  Good idea or not?

 

Second idea is to do the same as idea number one but then put a bit of glue on the elastic itself right at the top of the bell which then sort of acts as a double retention system (both a snap and some glue).

 

Rotating then forward is still on the list of things to do.

 

Also on the to do list (which seems to be getting shorter finally) is:

 

- install the Trooperbay lenses

- do a bit of sanding on a couple points that may be too poky in the fleshy parts

- install the fans

- rig up the icomm and amp system securely

- switch up to harness for the thighs over a belt

 

Moving along.

 

 

Painted the hovi tips white.  Criminal.  I like me a fresh from the factory trooper but need to conform to the ranks so bit the bullet.

 

Bart

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

You may notice the shoulder elastic is being pulled out under your shoulder strap so I doubt you could reduce the gap in between the shoulder bells and shoulder strap without using a thicker elastic or doubling over the elastic.

 

 

It's not until level 3 that you may get picked up for it:

OPTIONAL Level three certification (if applicable):

• There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates.

A few other AP L3 apps for reference, appears they can come in a little more BUT that depends on the size of your shoulders of course  

 

 

 

Also don't forget you can make adjustments while taking your approval photos to get things just looking right  

 

[BAZINGA[TK]]

1 minute ago, gmrhodes13 said:

You may notice the shoulder elastic is being pulled out under your shoulder strap so I doubt you could reduce the gap in between the shoulder bells and shoulder strap without using a thicker elastic or doubling over the elastic.

 

It's not until level 3 that you may get picked up for it:

OPTIONAL Level three certification (if applicable):

• There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates.

A few other AP L3 apps for reference, appears they can come in a little more BUT that depends on the size of your shoulders of course  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Except for my gut I'm basically a stick.  The shoulders do not feel big on me though.  I did find that I was trying to wear my shoulders up by my ears in that photo which is common for me when I feel stressed and I was pretty stressed trying to get some photos with another TK in the room checking me over and just in general being a high strung guy.  While level 3 would require quite a bit more work on this, level 2 may be not out of the question to try for.  Mainly though just want to have the best fit for me possible and look the best.  The arms seem to be a sore point with me getting them just right so any ideas that are non-evasive and doable with no special equipment I'm listening to and looking at.  Bart

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

5 minutes ago, Bartman said:

 

Except for my gut I'm basically a stick.  The shoulders do not feel big on me though.  I did find that I was trying to wear my shoulders up by my ears in that photo which is common for me when I feel stressed and I was pretty stressed trying to get some photos with another TK in the room checking me over and just in general being a high strung guy.  While level 3 would require quite a bit more work on this, level 2 may be not out of the question to try for.  Mainly though just want to have the best fit for me possible and look the best.  The arms seem to be a sore point with me getting them just right so any ideas that are non-evasive and doable with no special equipment I'm listening to and looking at.  Bart

You should be fine for basic approval (depending on your GML of course) but also it would just be mentioned for Level 2 as an adjustment for L3. With a touch more reduction of gap you may even be ok for Level 3, depends what mood the DO's are in and as I mentioned earlier you can make adjustments while taking the photos  

 

 

 

[BAZINGA[TK]]

I love the Star Trek reference because I was a ST child during the original airing in the 60's!

 

I'll try for higher levels for sure.  Initially I was happy with basic, but hanging out here so much changes that.  Next I'll start making memes every. other. minute...

 

Bart

[revlimiter[Staff]]

 

This is what I did to my shoulder straps to keep them from bulging out. I sewed in black nylon over the top inner edge of both. That provides a bit of bracing that keeps the elastic where it should be.  A simple change, but it took someone brilliant to come up with it. And that wasn't me. Someone randomly posted it in one of the facebook groups one day and I instantly copied.

 

Also, as I said in DM, you're looking GREAT!!! I anticipate an easy approval.

 

 

[BAZINGA[TK]]

7 minutes ago, revlimiter said:

 

This is what I did to my shoulder straps to keep them from bulging out. I sewed in black nylon over the top inner edge of both. That provides a bit of bracing that keeps the elastic where it should be.  A simple change, but it took someone brilliant to come up with it. And that wasn't me. Someone randomly posted it in one of the facebook groups one day and I instantly copied.

 

Also, as I said in DM, you're looking GREAT!!! I anticipate an easy approval.

 

 

 

I can maybe find someone to sew this for me.  I will wait until I get the new elastics with the offset snap to see how that affects the fit first.  If I can devise a way to test this idea without sewing or gluing first that would be helpful to know if it is tracking correctly before doing anything.  I still swear every night something changes like my arm shrinks or grows and nothing seems right.  I'd blame it on puberty but a few years too late for that.  Bart

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

Looking good Bart. Glad to see you are in the home stretch now.

‘I also had an issue with my elastics popping out from under my shoulder bridges. My GML asked for it to be fixed before approval.  To do so, I simply sewed Velcro to the elastic under the shoulder bridge that was getting pulled out and then glued some Velcro to the shoulder bridge underside to attach it to.  Very simple to do and very good result. 

[BAZINGA[TK]]

1 minute ago, Doggydoc said:

Looking good Bart. Glad to see you are in the home stretch now.

‘I also had an issue with my elastics popping out from under my shoulder bridges. My GML asked for it to be fixed before approval.  To do so, I simply sewed Velcro to the elastic under the shoulder bridge that was getting pulled out and then glued some Velcro to the shoulder bridge underside to attach it to.  Very simple to do and very good result. 

 

I wonder if I could just use the industrial velcro and glue it to the elastic instead of trying to sew it?  Any sewing I do would need to be by hand and, well, not sure how well that would look!  Bart

[revlimiter[Staff]]

Mine is hand sewn. It's never seen so it doesn't have to be pretty. 

 

Any rigid material like Velcro will help shore up that elastic. Just don't cover the whole thing. It needs some stretch. But it also needs some strength. 

[BAZINGA[TK]]

7 minutes ago, revlimiter said:

Mine is hand sewn. It's never seen so it doesn't have to be pretty. 

 

Any rigid material like Velcro will help shore up that elastic. Just don't cover the whole thing. It needs some stretch. But it also needs some strength. 

 

Ok, it looks like it is from snap to snap but how does the elastic behave like elastic if it has a piece of strapping on it?  Doesn't that prevent any stretch?  I assume there is some stretch there when the whole torso is hanging from it.  Bart

[Doggydoc[Staff]]

8 hours ago, Bartman said:

Any sewing I do would need to be by hand and, well, not sure how well that would look!  Bart

Yes. I used industrial Velcro and sewed it to the elastic by hand.  @revlimiter is correct in that you just need a band of it to still allow the elastic to work.  The only issue I found with sewing is that if you use the self adhesive Velcro, the needle picks up the glue as it goes through and it gets very hard to push through because it gets sticky.  You just need to have some isopropyl alcohol to wipe it as the glue builds up.  At hi Val also helped a lot to save your finger pushing it through.  
 

It is not visible, so it does not need to look pretty.  
 

I will grab a photo and post it for you. 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Many miss in the CRL that it only states white fabric to be used, does not specify elastic although that is screen accurate, so if you really need too there is the option to swap out the elastic with a stiffer fabric. 

 

Optional L3

white fabric that connects/bridges the chest and back piece.

[BAZINGA[TK]]

2 minutes ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Many miss in the CRL that it only states white fabric to be used, does not specify elastic although that is screen accurate, so if you really need too there is the option to swap out the elastic with a stiffer fabric. 

 

Optional L3

white fabric that connects/bridges the chest and back piece.

 

I was thinking 1/8" flat aluminum bent over the shoulder would solve a lot of problems....

 

I'm going to stitch something onto the elastic.  Just debating what.  It's high on the priority list of tweaks.

 

Bart

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

1 minute ago, Bartman said:

I was thinking 1/8" flat aluminum bent over the shoulder would solve a lot of problems....

I'd stay away from using any metal, the fabric straps rotate a little when you move and bend and any metal would be quite constricting 

[BAZINGA[TK]]

3 minutes ago, gmrhodes13 said:

I'd stay away from using any metal, the fabric straps rotate a little when you move and bend and any metal would be quite constricting 

 

Oh no worries.  I was only joking.  It would stop the stretch but introduce lots of other problems as you indicated.  Bart

[revlimiter[Staff]]

8 hours ago, Doggydoc said:

Yes. I used industrial Velcro and sewed it to the elastic by hand.  @revlimiter is correct in that you just need a band of it to still allow the elastic to work.  The only issue I found with sewing is that if you use the self adhesive Velcro, the needle picks up the glue as it goes through and it gets very hard to push through because it gets sticky.

 

 OMG sewing sticky velcro is the absolute worst. It's well worth the money to buy a small roll of non-adhesive velcro just for the few times like this when you need it.

 

Flashbacks of constant needle cleaning sewing sticky velcro into my daughter's jawa hood... uck.