TD build

[shwarzwald]

Ok so I got my Te kit in and already got cracking on some of the major trimming. (Leaving the precise trimming for later.)
That being said I went ahead and got started on the helmet. I made pretty good progress, but really would like some feedback before I went to the paint booth.(Also yes I have read up on many build threads for armor and helmet across fisd,here, and mepd.)

[shwarzwald]

Ok so everything is trimmed up. Now it's time to fine tune everything, measure out my cover strips, and paint my helmet.

[shwarzwald]

Progress! Helmet has finally gotten a few coats of primer and sanding done. (With maaaany more to come. Weather needs to warm up!)
Also left bicep inside cover strips have been glued in!







(On a side note does anyone know how to crop the images to better fit this board? When I direct link it to mepd and fisd it auto crops it. Here you have to scroll across just to see everything.)

[shwarzwald]

Sorry for lack of updates. Been posting most of the stuff on mepd. However so far the left bicep is done, right is still drying, both forearms need the coverstrips glued in, right thigh started, shins may need to be replaced with am2.0,and currently just glued in the coverstrips so my fatboy kidney extensions will sit on them. (Shims for kidney)

[shwarzwald]

Ok so the thigh is about done, but I would like some feedback. Is the thigh facing the best direction, is the gap between thigh and cod look good, and  is the shape correct?  (Once I know the answer to those three I will shorten the armor so it sits a bit higher above my knee)

[CadBane3]

Mine is a little tighter, but it doesn't look bad. Here is one of mine, for reference:



Sometimes my cod and thighs will hit, but not that often and it's not uncomfortable. It's not a problem to walk in.

[shwarzwald]

Ok thats good to see. I'll go ahead and keep the shape and bring them in a bit more.

[shwarzwald]

Alrighty so I went ahead and attempted a mock up. Any feedback would be appreciated. If everything looks good I will continue on to the left thigh as well. (Shoulder bells need adjusted and kidney plate was off because the shims were drying.)

[Pixelito]

Looks like it's coming along nicely!
You'll never get accepted with all that tape though!... 
Really, I personally find it tough to pick at the mock up stage. Everything is going to look a little rough right now, so I suggest taking this time to make sure everything fits comfortably and doesn't restrict your movement more than it needs to (though you'll hardly be able to move anyway ;P).

It's a bit hard to tell in these pictures (and on my tiny phone screen) but your butt plate might be riding a little low? The second picture is what makes me believe this, however the third picture looks like it's fine. You want that 'tab' to be a little closer to you. If you believe the plate is positioned correctly, then a little heat bending can slove that problem! This could also just be due to the kidney plate not being present to force the alignment. Either way this isn't really a major problem, just a comfort suggestion!

At first glance though, I don't see anything huge that needs to be addressed right now, so I think you're probably safe to move forward.

[CadBane3]

Looks pretty good to me. I don't see anything to critique at this point. Many of the finer fit details can be tweaked a bit at the next stage, but you are well on your way!

[shwarzwald]

I appreciate the feedback guys. I do think at least a few parts will need mild reshaping to fit perfectly. (Butt and bells.)
But this does give me the confidence to move forward and finish up the thighs. Also not looking forward to strapping I figure thats gonna take a bit of time to perfect.

[bigguynextdoor]

MOST IMPRESSIVE!

[RainTrooper]

You'll definitely want to take out more plastic between the teeth on your helmet. Remove all the recessed plastic right up to each tooth. Looking good so far!

[shwarzwald]

Thank you for the feedback. I'll see about removing the excess material from the teeth area. Though this may end up a display helmet. The hdpe is much to thin and I'm concerned it would not last in any heat. Looking through my options now.

[RainTrooper]

My Sandtrooper helmet is HDPE too. I haven't trooped in extreme heat with it, but I'm sure it would be ok, as long as you have a good set of fans in there.