Star Wars Oregon
Public Information => Imperial Armor => Imperial Work In Progress => Topic started by: Pixelito on February 27, 2016, 10:30:16 PM
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My armor kit is set to arrive in the next few days, so I figured I'd get my build log started to some extent.
This first post is just going to be some general background on my skills and experience with relevant things, just so people know where I'm coming from and how I'm approaching this whole process.
I'll also make a general rundown of my major concerns and how I initially plan on solving them.
I will be doing a Heavy Weapons Trooper build, but it will start off as just an ANH Stunt build.... HWT really just seems to be an addon to that, so I'll focus on the base first.
Right then!
I have absolutely no experience with costume making or anything similar. I'm not even a very artistic person.
I have a bit of a history with starting projects like this and giving up before I even make any progress because I get very overwhelmed, realize I'm in over my head and that things will never meet my own expectations.
I have a ton of electronics experience, so I'm looking forward to modifying my helmet in various ways. I think this is the only thing that I'm very comfortable with.
I have some painting experience, but it is limited to models. I do plan on replacing any decals with hand-painted ones.
Here are the major challenges that I see myself facing, aside from the general lack of skill or experience.
-I'm a fairly large person. 6'4" 250lbs.
Obviously, most armor is not designed for a person of such a height. I'm using an Anovos kit, as many are. (couldn't pass up that price!) I think that I'll be okay with the limb construction, might just have slightly larger gaps in the armor, but I have a feeling that my chest plate will not overlap the abdominal plate. I'm thinking that I might be able to fix this by separating the abdominal plate and shimming it to add a bit of length, then hiding all that with the belt. Any insight on this would be greatly appreciated.
-I'm not too afraid to admit this...but my size issues aren't limited to my height. This slight gut of mine might get in the way a bit!
If the abdominal plate does not sit how I want it to then, well, something needs to be done about the offending fatness. I've been working on this issue for a while, but it's certainly a very slow process. In the mean time, if necessary, I'll probably end up using an abdominal compression thing for post-surgery. Yeah, it's silly... but if it achieves the effect I want, then so be it.
-As stated before, I tend to get very overwhelmed, which usually causes me to just give up on things.
This is probably going to be the hardest issue to overcome. I'm thinking about just setting small goals for myself and only focusing on certain parts of the armor at a time, rather than looking at the whole thing. We'll see how this goes! I also have a friend that is very experienced with costuming making and will likely get his help with the strapping system, as that is something that I feel like I'll screw up.
I think that's about it. I'll keep updating this as things move forward but for now, I'm just waiting around until I can finally get to work!
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Good luck on your build. Let me know if you have any questions.
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Good luck on your build. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you, Daryl! I'll need all the luck I can get! :D
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Good luck! Just to let you know I am off similar height and weight and was able to get mine approved. Just take your time and make adjustmentsas you go and should be good to go. Also if you have any questions I'd be more than happy to help!
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
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Well, after many delays, I finally got my big brown box yesterday!
...
I sorta' got a little excited and started trimming parts without taking pictures first. Oops!
I'll take some after I have everything trimmed out....but you guys already know what armor pieces look like. :tongue:
If things continue at the rate I was going, I'll have everything trimmed tonight after work.
Noob notes #1:
-My trimmed edges look horrible. Absolutely horrible. I have lots of sanding in my future, but I think I can make everything look nice...hopefully.
-Even though I'm taking my time, I have slipped a few times and put a slight gouge in the return edge of a number of parts. I need to find a good way to hide those mistakes.
-I did some rough fitting and I will definitely need to shim some parts. Thighs will need a little extra space for sure.
-There is (very) roughly a 3.5" gap between my ab and chest plates. I'm hoping that I can split the codpiece from the ab plate, add a few inches of plastic and cover that up with the belt. Does anybody have better ideas for fixing this issue?
-Belt definitely needs to be replaced. I'll need to come up with an acceptable way to have detachable, yet accurate looking holster and drop boxes, as I'm doing a Heavy Weapons Trooper but would like the option to "convert" it to an ANH Stunt on occasion.
-Shoulder bells seem wonky? They aren't symmetrical and have a slightly weird curve to them. Is this normal?
-Helmet needs lots of modifications for my own comfort, but looks pretty good. Need to replace decals with paint, fix paint on the teeth, replace the frown mesh and replace the eye visor thing.
I'll post more updates as things progress!
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Absolutely nothing about stormtrooper armor is (or should be) symmetrical. Rest easy. Embrace the wonkiness! :mrgreen:
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Absolutely nothing about stormtrooper armor is (or should be) symmetrical. Rest easy. Embrace the wonkiness! :mrgreen:
I'm certainly starting to gather that. I was aware of some asymmetry, but I wasn't prepared for just how much deviation there really is! I guess the wording on the CRL is probably what caused my concern.
I will learn to love the wonkiness in time!
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Today, I finished trimming out all my parts. Up next is LOTS of sanding!
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160316_191121_zpswylwln3q.jpg)
I also received my boots from TKBoots and I love them. Super impressed with the quality, really.
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160315_171427_zpshtswsyph.jpg)
Things are finally starting to move along. I'm actually starting to get a little overwhelmed already, just looking at all the work I have left and how many parts I'll have to modify.
I definitely need to extend the ab plate up. I'll need to shim the thighs a little bit as well, and I'll need to shim the kidney plate to eliminate the gap it leaves. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the back pieces just yet... Everything needs to be extended a little. Being tall is certainly starting to show it's drawbacks.
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I got all my parts sanded over the weekend and started gluing things together today.
I have a sheet of ABS plastic arriving tomorrow, so I can start the terrifying process of extending my ab plate. Does anybody here have any experience doing this? I'm also curious how bad it will hurt my eligibility for anything beyond basic approval.
I intend to separate near the 'A' detail, or whatever it's called, and hide it all behind the belt. Hoping I can make it work... This actually makes me wonder how high up the chest plate is supposed to be. I currently have it sitting right up against my neck, but if I can drop it a little, that would really help with this gap!
I'm also going to have a major gap between my back plate and kidney plate.... I have no idea how I'm going to fix it.
Here's that chest/ab gap I have to fix.
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160322_202935_zpsb5tti7ei.jpg)
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I have shimmed the sides. It's fine as long as you sand it well to hide the seam. If you need to extend the ab cut the cod and extend there. Several taller guys have done it this way. Cut along the natural crease on the top of the cod. You can get a good 2" and hid it under the belt. I've seen another trooper extend his kidney by buying a second kidney from another maker and cutting both kidneys to create the length need. He covered the seam with ABS paste. It looked really good.
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... Cut along the natural crease on the top of the cod. You can get a good 2" and hid it under the belt....
I have heard that I should cut there, but I've also heard that I need to cut a little higher up, directly underneath where the belt is supposed to sit. Haven't found a definitive answer yet. Might try mocking it up with something.
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The belt sits over the crease. You can't reproduce the indentations of the ab piece with a shim. That doesn't matter with cutting at the crease. I've only seen one person cut it higher and several people told him he had to fix it. I cut mine at the crease and you can't see the cut. You can see my build in the Stormtrooper build section.
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I finally bit the bullet and separated the cod and ab pieces last night. As I suspected, the belt won't cover the entire shim that I have to add... Luckily, I've been planning on that and have a plan in place! I'm waiting for a few things to show up before I continue, Apoxie Sculpt being one of them. I'll document the modification over the next few days, as I work on it. Hopefully this works out okay! I have too much time, money and blood invested in this for it to fail!
Major things that still need work:
1. Ab to cod piece shim
2. Kidney to ab shim
3. Thigh shim
4. Shin shim/hooks
5. Filling gaps between back, kidney and butt plates
6. Helmet accuracy fixes
7. Strapping system
8. Backpack
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Well, here it is. I finally lengthened my ab plate. It's not perfect. Hell, by most standards it's rather bad.... But the fact that I was able to do it at all is a miracle.
Lots of pictures ahead
I started by separating along the seam
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160401_130449_zpsobozsmhn.jpg)
I then cut a piece of ABS and reattached the pieces with an excessive amount of glue. Pardon the weird rotation, my phone decided that it looked better that way, I guess.
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160401_142502_zpsuc4rqcgf.jpg)
Added a little strip to help continue that detail
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160401_143650_zpsexi7em2z.jpg)
Filled the gap with WAY too much Apoxie Sculpt. I got a little carried away and didn't want to waste what I had already mixed
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160401_152152_zpsmpli2m42.jpg)
Sanded it all down
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160402_133021_zpsiinh5dlg.jpg)
And finally painted it
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160402_152247_zpsojkk9ndf.jpg)
You can see a number of flaws with it for sure. I got a little lazy with the upper part of the shim since my hand was basically going numb from all the sanding and it gets covered by the belt anyway. There are a few areas that didn't get sanded evenly as well, but I think that the slight weathering I have to do will cover up those little mistakes.
All in all I'm...well... I'm conflicted about the result. I'm proud that I did anything at all, but I'm mentally too much of a perfectionist. My hands just can't achieve the perfection that my brain wants. I basically have the artistic skill of a 4 year old with only one arm.
I hope I can make this work in the end.
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Looks good Brian, nice work.
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Great job on the fix. :) are you going to extend your kidney the same way?
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Looks good Brian, nice work.
Thanks Daryl!
Great job on the fix. :) are you going to extend your kidney the same way?
Thank you! As far as the kidney to ab shim, I think that I'm going to try a method that I found on Whitearmor
http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/30448-adding-kidney-shims-for-larger-troopers/
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I meant the length. The gap between kidney and ab is a concern for higher levels, but by lengenthing the ab your ab and kidney will be different lengths. When I cut my ab down by an inch I had to do the same for the kidney plate so they matched.
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OH! I misunderstood, sorry!
Yeah, I'll probably do the same thing to lengthen the kidney. I really want to make as few modifications as I can, but I'm left with very little choice in the matter.
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Noob log:
Over the past few days I've been painting my helmet details since I haven't had enough time to finish the kidney plate after work. I'm starting to get very discouraged due to my lack of any skill. The painting looks terrible. Sure, the original ANH details weren't perfect, but they weren't as bad as mine. I'm doing my best but I don't think it'll be good enough. Will post some pictures later on, I guess.
I'm also left with another concern. Since I had to extend my ab and kidney pieces, where do I actually put the split rivets? Do I keep them in the same spots or do I space them out a bit?
Centurion is currently looking impossible.
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Well, here it is. My first major failure, I'd say. I'm pretty unhappy about it, but I figured I'd share it anyway.
The tube stripes are too far back on one side
The paint is uneven
The black pinstripes aren't straight or uniform
The frown extensions look terrible
I could continue this list for a long time... Basically everything looks like $#!+
Really. This is the best I could do. I wasn't joking when I said that I have NO artistic skill at all.
I'm waiting for a few spots to dry before attempting to do some more cleanup. Specifically the ear bumps and the traps on the back.
This isn't totally done yet either. I still have some weathering to do.....hopefully that will hide some issues....
I want to finish it before I attempt to strip everything off and redo it all.... I really don't want to spend days doing that if I don't have to...
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160407_190532_zpsjqoy605e.jpg)
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160407_190515_zpsagelgki6.jpg)
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160407_190551_zpsjihcnlir.jpg)
Uhg. I don't know what to do. I know this paint job won't get me 501 acceptance, let alone anything above and beyond.
Normally I'd say that I'm just being too hard on myself, but I don't feel like this is the case.
I'm honestly so discouraged that I would give up entirely if I didn't have so much time and money already invested in this.
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Brian,
I'm not an expert, but from your pictures I don't see anything wrong with your paint job. If you really hate your hand painting you can buy decals from Trooperbay.
Don't get discouraged, your doing a great job. Let me know if I can be of any help.
You should connect with ST06 (Christopher) who apparently lives in Sun River.
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Thanks for the encouragement, Daryl. I really do appreciate it.
Unless somebody suggests otherwise, I think that I'll probably do some final touching up to the best of my ability, weather it slightly and leave it alone. We'll see how far along it gets me, I suppose! I had looked at the Trooperbay decals and they're certainly an option if my painting isn't good enough.
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I guess I'll post something positive to end on before my next major update. Don't wanna leave a depressing post as the most recent for a few days!
I finally got my hands on a DLT-19 from Hyperfirm!
Man is it pretty!
I'm going to do a little touch up here and there to remove some of the junk leftover from casting....but otherwise I think it's perfect!
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160329_172511_zpsh8cvmyqi.jpg)
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That DLT-19 is awesome.
I'd love to have one but I started an AT-AT Driver build instead.
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That DLT-19 is awesome.
I'd love to have one but I started an AT-AT Driver build instead.
That AT-AT driver is going to turn out SWEET though!
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Daryl is right. It doesn't look that bad at all! Just a bit of touch up paint here and there and you should be good. Remember these aren't supposed to be "perfect".
Me personally.. I went with the Dave M decals from trooperbay.com. I only painted the part that needed to be.
Keep up the good work!! :mrgreen:
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Thank you, Jason!
You guys are certainly making me feel better about this. I might actually get some stress-free sleep tonight! :azn:
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When I felt overwhelmed during my TK build I would take a break, come back the next day and I always felt better about it.
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I finished my helmet over the past few days. It's hard to do the more time consuming parts of this project after work, so I've been doing small pieces every day. I have to say, after touching up the paint a little bit and getting the lens and frown mesh installed, it actually doesn't look too bad! I'll post some pictures after I do some weathering on it.
Also got my Icomm in the mail yesterday. I'm finding that I have to talk kinda' loud for it to actually pick anything up. I don't have to yell, but I have to project my voice a little more than usual. Can anybody confirm if this is normal? I already tried sticking the mic right up against my mouth as was suggested by a number of people. Without the Icomm, the mic is really sensitive, so I don't think that's the issue... I think I'm just going to have to train myself to speak in a way that will work well with it.
I made all the snap plates for my strapping system last night. It was super tedious and I'm glad it's out of the way! I may have to make a few more for a thigh garter of some description.
I also got most of the parts needed for my backpack. It's hard to see all this random stuff coming together and looking cool, but it should, in theory!
And lastly, regarding the thighs... I have to shim the back of them about 1.5", maybe a little more. I'm looking for input on how to cover this up. Should I use a larger cover strip or should I fill the gap with more Apoxie Sculpt and use the normal size cover strip? I don't really know what is acceptable or recommended if I'm going for Centurion.
I think that's about it for now! Sorry for the lengthy update!
TL;DR
-Things are moving along
-Snap plates are tedious work
-Do you have to speak fairly loud for your Icomm to work?
-What is the proper method for covering a thigh shim that is larger than the standard cover strip?
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I had the same issue when testing the mic/aker/icomm. The setup seems to work better when your helmet is on.
That being said, with fans going in my helmet I can't really hear much of anything. I feel like no one can hear me, but people tell me it sounds fine.
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I'm getting everything slowly pieced together this weekend. I've had loads of issues, most of which I have fixed.... So here's the current state of everything. Pardon the bathroom mirror picture. It's the best I can do on my own. :tongue:
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160417_164651_zpsdinsc1so.jpg)
I'm rather pissed about the massive gaps between my shoulders/back/chest and between the forearms and biceps. Alas, there really isn't much I can do about it, really. Being as large as I am, everything is a balancing act.
I threw the pauldron on real quick... Well, as much I can get it by myself. The other side will have an ammo pouch covering most of the gap, but there won't be much covered on the back.
The elbow gaps...well...I can't do much about them. I have long arms so shortening the gap there just creates larger gaps elsewhere. I need to do something about those straps holding the bicep to the forearm. I have no idea how to keep them from popping out like that.
Up next is thighs and shins.
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I've run in to yet another issue. I can't seem to do anything to get the thighs sized correctly. My armor overlaps them when they're in a good spot... any lower and they partially cover my knees. The gaps in the back aren't anywhere near the same size as well... I'm also finding that nothing on the torso is really sized properly either. I don't know what is going on, but the butt plate keeps bending weird and not lining up with the kidney plate as it should.
All that on top of the massive armor gaps that I encountered yesterday.... I don't know... It's making me wonder why I ever thought this would work. If I can't get everything to fit properly, then this whole thing has been a giant waste of money and time. As of right now, I don't know if there is anything I can even do.
I have to figure something out...
Anyway, feel free to ignore all that. I needed to vent my frustrations somewhere where people might understand the issue and why I'm stressed. This is, after all, just where I'm logging my 'adventures'
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I picked up the DLT-19 from Hyperfirm recently and it's so nice, congrats! It's actually lighter than my resin EE-3 for Fett, which is half as big..
I'm not a GML, but I think you can get away with some black showing between your chest and shoulders, and the elbows as well. Sure, it's not perfect, but for your height there's only so much you can do! You've done some great modifications to your chest and it turned out really nice!
I'll be in your area mid-June so if you're still plugging away I'd be glad to swing by and scratch my chin on what to do with you too. I didn't mod my RS too much, but I've helped with a few, so hopefully I can be of a little bit of help.
Plus, it's no fun if it was easy, right? 8)
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Thanks for the offer Luke! Hopefully I won't have to take you up on it! :tongue:
I hope to be done fairly soon, just these last few frustrating hurdles to leap over.
I had an epiphany while sitting here staring angrily at the ceiling. We'll see if it works!
And I suppose you're right. The challenge, while infuriating, is half the fun. It'll hopefully be more satisfying once it's done, given the large amount of modification I made myself.
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The gaps at your shoulders and chest aren't that bad. The gaps are pretty common actually. You could shorten the strap that connects the shoulder bells to the elastic under the shoulder bridges by and inch or so. Make the top of the shoulder bell come right up to the shoulder bridge. That's what I did and it did reduce the gap quite a bit.
As far as the gaps at the elbows.. No need to stress there at all. They look just like they're supposed to. Trust me, you want some room there to bend your arms, or else that is the spot where the dreaded "armor bite" gets you the worst! Check out the elbow gaps on the sandtrooper CRL!
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b67/jasonrall/TD_sandtrooper_full_zpsy3bc1dhh.jpeg)
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The gaps at your shoulders and chest aren't that bad. The gaps are pretty common actually. You could shorten the strap that connects the shoulder bells to the elastic under the shoulder bridges by and inch or so. Make the top of the shoulder bell come right up to the shoulder bridge. That's what I did and it did reduce the gap quite a bit.
I'll see if I can snug the shoulders up like that without them being at too weird of an angle. Thanks!
In irrelevant news:
I think I have the thighs figured out. I removed the top return edge which gave me much more room. I also brought the ab plate up a little bit more which removed the overlap issue I was having.
While making that change, I learned about the possible mistake of using Apoxie Sculpt for all my fixes... It has very little tolerance for bending. I bent the ab plate a little bit while fitting it and the Apoxie Sculpt cracked slightly at the edge. Nothing a little glue can't fix, but I don't know what this will be like long-term. Ideally, these areas won't be flexing at all when I'm done... So maybe it won't be an issue? Guess we'll see!
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Sorry for the rapid-fire updates. I'm nearing the end of this build...kinda'... and I'm excited to be making progress on it.
Here is my current dilemma!
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160420_185217_zps1yczailw.jpg)
Aside from the super messy gluing, we'll just ignore that....
The shims are WAY different! I have no idea why. I measured my thighs and they're effectively the same circumference, so I have no clue why I could only get the armor pieces to fit with wildly different shims in the back.
So.... What do I do to cover this? If I make a larger cover strip, it's going to be massive... it also won't cover the gap at the bottom detail if I make it the right length. The other option, I guess, is to use even more Apoxie Sculpt, fill in the gaps and use a normal sized cover strip over that... But holy crap am I tired of using that stuff and sanding it down!
Any ideas?
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Take another pieces of abs, preferably from your scrap and glue it onto the space between and then apply ABS paste to the seams to clean it up. After you have sanded and polished. You can apply the cover strip in the center of the newly made shim.
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Alrighty!
I closed up the thighs with some Apoxie Sculpt last night and sanded it all down today.
I found out that my father has an electric sander.... man, that would have been useful weeks ago! I borrowed it from him and re-sanded ALL my shims. They look so much better now! I'm waiting for paint to dry before taking some pictures.
I also went out and bought the last parts that I need for my backpack.
Here's what I have left to do:
-bra hook system for my shins
-thigh support belt
-add button plates, sniper knee plate and thigh ammo belt
-backpack
-light wear and tear for EIB approval
That's it, I think! If all goes well, I should be submitting my application next weekend! :grin:
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I started adding slight weathering to everything last night. I guess it isn't quite 'weathering' but I don't know what else to call it. Wear and tear? Battle scarring? De-shine-ification? TK blasphemy?
Here it is on the helmet
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160425_192847_zpsukyqi3nx.jpg)
And here's the chest
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160425_200300_zpsq16mzdvs.jpg)
Pictures complete with backpack parts in the background.
I think it's sufficiently less shiny! It looks scuffed up, like it's actually seen combat. I had been planning on adding some actual battle scars and blaster dents but after consulting a higher power (*cough* Jason), I didn't since the CRL specifically states "lightly scuffed,(battle worn), but not weathered like a Sandtrooper". I think my level of scuff'n'smudge is about on-par with other HWT that I've seen.
After nearly 2 months, I'm ALMOST done! I just need to get this backpack finished.
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Alright! Here it is, for the most part! :grin:
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/ChWpdYaU8AAOLyW_zpse3h4koo1.jpg)
My actual submission photos were taken with a much better camera, with a solid background and better lighting... I'm just waiting on my friend to resize those so they don't take up 3 gigs each.
This was the first time I put everything on...boy is it a process! I actually need a second person to help me. I'm assuming this is pretty normal?
Also, I can't move. Like... at all, really. I need to adjust the sniper plate, as it pinched my knee every time I took a step. I also need to figure out how to improve mobility in my arms. I couldn't even put my helmet on or take it off myself. That's a serious problem. Does anybody have some tips to improve mobility? Especially in the arms...
At any rate, I think it's pretty photo-ready! I just need to make hidden changes so that I can actually troop in it! :azn:
Application photos...and actual application will be coming very soon!!!
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After getting in and out of the suit it does get a little easier! Things like backpacks are usually a two person job, I know for Boba there's no easy way I'm getting mine on without a helper.
Good choice on the bin in the background, those things are great to roll around gear.
Lots of hard work put into your build and I think it's looking great!
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Thank you Luke! :azn:
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Here we go! After 2 months, MANY hours of work, literal sweat, tears and much more blood than I care to admit.... I think I'm ready!
Here are a few of my submission pictures. I'm not going to comment on them, as I know that I'm going to be overly critical of myself. :tongue:
Do keep in mind that I'm 6'4" 250lbs. I'm borderline "boulder trooper" as my friend likes to call them.
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20-%20maybe%20done/HWT4_zpseir0fpyq.jpg)
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20-%20maybe%20done/HWT11_zpsnktlsxne.jpg)
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20-%20maybe%20done/HWT3_zps1qq5rtvd.jpg)
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20-%20maybe%20done/HWT6_zpsfhzgezun.jpg)
In hindsight, I probably should have taken the helmet-off picture first so I wasn't all gross and tired. OH WELL! :tongue:
I didn't ever really post backpack progress here, as I busted it out in a few days total. I hope you guys like it! I forgot to extend my antenna for the pictures, but it's there. You can see a bit of it in the top left.
I also apparently need to make some bicep hooks. I just now noticed that my biceps slid down while taking the pictures. Dang!
PM has been sent to Jason. Now I have to try to not die from anxiety. :grin:
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Looks great. Nice job.
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Thanks a bunch, Daryl! :grin:
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Awesome job!!!
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Thanks again for the support and kind words everybody! It really helped me get through the building process.
I've been approved!
I'm honored to be Cloud City Garrison's newest Heavy Weapons Trooper! :grin:
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Congrats! :mrgreen:
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grats! looks good, see ya in some future troops!
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Thanks guys!
Despite how terrified I am of it, I went ahead and submitted my EIB request today.
http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/37190-tk-16924-requesting-hwt-eib-status-anovos/
I also started working on some minor fitment changes that have been suggested. Mobility issues should be fixed by these changes as well. :smiley:
The inexperienced newbie adventures aren't quite over yet!
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Good news! I got EIB! :grin:
I also brought my armor to an unrelated convention and spent a good 8 hours or so in it. Man it gets hot! I'll see if I have any good pictures to share.
Next stop on the adventure is my Centurion application!
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Congrats! Looks fantastic!
In order to hold my biceps up without hooks I permanently attached my biceps to my shoulder bells using 1" elastic. Works great.
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Congratulations! And thank you for sharing so many details of your progress. That can be so helpful to others. I don't have a TK, but my Revan is a contraption that I couldn't get into without help but juat recently solved all of the steps. Trooping is worth all of your hard work.
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Congrats! Looks fantastic!
In order to hold my biceps up without hooks I permanently attached my biceps to my shoulder bells using 1" elastic. Works great.
Thanks Daryl! :grin:
That's basically what I ended up doing. I used a snaps and nylon webbing like the rest of my strapping setup. Works out very well!
Congratulations! And thank you for sharing so many details of your progress. That can be so helpful to others. I don't have a TK, but my Revan is a contraption that I couldn't get into without help but juat recently solved all of the steps. Trooping is worth all of your hard work.
Thank you! :grin:
I'm slowly but surely getting everything figured out!
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Woohoo, another EIB in Cloud City! Might as well go for Centurion now!
How heavy is your backpack, is it a similar setup to the Sandtrooper one?
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Woohoo, another EIB in Cloud City! Might as well go for Centurion now!
How heavy is your backpack, is it a similar setup to the Sandtrooper one?
Yep! My Centurion application should be in this weekend! :grin:
My backpack is actually pretty light. I imagine a Sandtrooper pack has a bit more weight to it, but I've never had the opportunity to see one in person.
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Interested in collabing on a Fan Film? Were looking for members with kits who want to act as extras...
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Interested in collabing on a Fan Film? Were looking for members with kits who want to act as extras...
I'm a few hours away from where most of our members are. My armor also isn't film-canon, it's expanded universe which I kinda' figured most people wouldn't want in their project. Distance is mainly why I haven't volunteered for it already, though.
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You thought this thread was over? HA! It'll never be over.
Now that I've been to 2 troops (and actually completed 1, since I wasn't dying :wink: ), I think it's time to finish up the last of the major bits.
-I bought a new set of gloves as the rubber chemical gloves are VERY uncomfortable! I'll take my Centurion pictures with the accurate gloves, but for actually trooping, I decided to get something breathable. They're still acceptable at basic and EIB, so they're good enough for me!
-I'm preparing to apply for Centurion very soon. It was suggested on my EIB review that I trim down my cover strips a little bit on the thighs and shins. They were originally flush with the return edge, but I trimmed that off to make some more room for my fat large legs. I'm going to do that and take some new pictures now that I've increased my mobility. Gotta get a good action pose now!
-The right channel of my hearing assist is dead. Looks like I accidentally pulled out the wires that were connected to the microphone. I'm going to have to tear into it and see if I can re-solder those bits. Being half deaf isn't nearly as bad as totally deaf...but I'd really like to hear a little better!
-On that note, I'm trying to find something to save spotters some hassle. I keep having to ask people to tuck in the wire from my headphones every time I take my bucket off/on. I'm looking at getting some earbuds with a retractable cord. In theory, they should just wind up back inside my bucket when I put it on, saving everybody some trouble!
-I need some new shoulder straps. One of mine has almost completely snapped in half. I'm going to repair it the best I can until I find somewhere to buy replacements. This isn't a huge problem, as my shoulders are mostly covered by my pauldron and ammo pouch... but still.
-I need to raise my kidney/butt plates even more. I found myself having to re-position them every once in a while. This will be super quick and easy!
-After Centurion, I plan on adding more battle damage. While I'm happy with the scuffed/scorched look I have right now, I'd really like to add some more physical scarring. I plan on adding a few dents, blaster 'wounds' and deeper scratches to achieve that battle-hardened veteran look. I wanna look like I've been shot at and attacked with vibroknives. :grin:
-I eventually plan to upgrade a few bits on my backpack as well. I want a better looking radio above all else. I also plan to add some electronics so that it plays ambient radio chatter. I think that should have a really cool effect!
-After seeing Greg's TK binders, I really want a pair. If I can't manage to find them anywhere, I'll attempt to make my own.
ANYWAY!
I think that's it on my list right now. I'm not even 100% sure why I'm posting all this... I guess I just want it documented... and maybe it'll be of use to somebody, someday, somehow. :tongue:
On a side note, I've tossed around the idea of converting to a Sandtrooper. Almost everybody mistakes me for one already, which is totally fine. I went in to the HWT knowing that people would think I'm a TD, so I don't correct anybody really. I was originally going to be a TD, but the backpack scared me off. You Sandtroopers are super hardcore about your packs! I've been thinking about slowly building a really good one over time, then modifying my armor to TD standards. I don't know though... Maybe I'll just remain confusing to everybody around me. :wink:
TL;DR
I have a ton of extra stuff to do still. They say your armor is a never-ending project. I am confirming this.
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Love it! All of it! If you need to latch any fur to your armor then please allow me to help. Otherwise, I'll just stick to choking TK's.
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keep up the great work Pix!
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Updates!
-I fixed my hearing assist! It was so nice being able to hear everybody talking! :grin:
-I bought a Bluetooth transmitter and headphones so that I don't need spotters constantly tucking cables away......aaaaaaaaand it's back to the drawing board! It works... But there is about a 1/2 second delay in the audio. This is a MAJOR problem when I'm talking because I hear myself twice. I could get about 2 or 3 words out before getting confused and just failing to speak. I have another idea, so we'll see if it that works!
-I got some TK binders too! I need to learn how to use them properly with my limited mobility and vision...and also while holding my blaster... It'll take some work, but they'll be fun eventually!
-Still have some work to do for Centurion... This will just kinda' happen whenever I get to it. I'm not in any real hurry.
-New top priority! Something keeps cutting off blood flow to my right arm. After about 30 minutes of trooping, my hand is totally numb and I can't properly grip things. I suspect my bicep return edge is too tight. I'll trim it down this week... Hopefully that's it!
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Right! Plan B for my hearing assist appears to work! I picked up a pair of retractable earbuds and just retract them as I put my bucket on. No more tucking wires in AND no more 1/2 second delay causing me to fail at speaking!
Earbuds- https://www.amazon.com/ReTrak-Retractable-Ear-Wrap-Earphones-ETAUDIOWRP/dp/B005AWY7WU/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1469677638&sr=8-5
I also trimmed down the return edge on my right bicep and did a little boiling/reforming. I'll find out over the next 3 troops if that fixed the blood flow issue or not.
Time for a BUSY weekend of travel and trooping! :grin:
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You are the man! Busssssyyyyy weekend and hot to boot! Power through it. I'll see you Saturday! Can't wait to see how your feeling Sunday night, haha!
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Bicep fix seems to have mostly worked. I wasn't nearly as uncomfortable last weekend....probably as good as it's gonna get!
My shoulder bit finally gave way during the Make a Wish troop. Thankfully, Allan had given me some shoulder straps the night before. I can't tell what kinda' kit they're from, but I need to patch the holes that were drilled in them. I still have plenty of Apoxy Sculpt and all my armor is painted anyway, so that isn't a problem. These should be much more sturdy than the flimsy ANOVOS ones. I'll reinforce these even further somehow.
Centurion in maybe 2-3 weeks? That's the goal. My friend might be taking pictures to submit his Kylo, so I'll just do my centurion app at the same time.
PRO TIP: If you're fat and out of shape like me, don't do 3 troops in a row with each requiring a road trip. I'm basically dead after last weekend.
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Note on the Imperial binders, they are available at the Disney Store at Downtown Disney pretty much all the time next time you are down there. Ebay peeps have them too but you will pay a premium. I believe they are $13ish including tax or $40 on the Bay.
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Note on the Imperial binders, they are available at the Disney Store at Downtown Disney pretty much all the time next time you are down there. Ebay peeps have them too but you will pay a premium. I believe they are $13ish including tax or $40 on the Bay.
I actually managed to find 1 pair on Amazon for $20-something with prime shipping a few weeks ago. I went with those! Figured the price was close enough for me.
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Wow. Life has been pretty...life-y... over the past month. I haven't had time to make adjustments or anything!
Time to change that! With RCCC next weekend, I'm going to get my armor looking new again...well, as new as a HWT can! :wink:
I'm starting by fixing this sorry mess.
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/20160902_165742_zpsfcancyrb.jpg)
I have no idea how I'm going to remove the shoulder straps without destroying everything, but I'll figure something out. I'm thinking that I'll just carefully take a knife to it and sand off whatever remains.
Thanks again to Allan for giving me some replacements! I'll post the results of this when I'm done.
I also have some paint to touch up on my pack, as well as a new addition...
I'ts FINALLY time for me to add some radio chatter!
I'll be using a cheap mp3 player to run the chatter loop on repeat and I'll use the Aker amp that I originally bought for my Icomm.
I took all the chatter files off the 501st forum, but I had a bit of an issue. I liked and disliked parts of all of them.
-TD chatter has a constant radio static loop, which I love! but contains some voices that felt a little off
-TK chatter has a number of good segments but had way too much humor and Death Star specific chatter thrown in
-TB chatter has a few good segments as well, but a bunch of it felt just like conversation and not like radio comms
SO, I'm working on combining all of them into a comm chatter that fits my needs. I'll have the background static with TK, TD and TB chatter that all feels authentic. It'll be a bit of a general Imperial radio communication instead of anything specific.
(http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b449/PixBat/Stormtrooper%20Progress/chatter_zpsg0lmh2t5.png)
I have currently isolated all the audio clips that I plan on using and I created a static/interference loop with parts of the TD chatter. I still need to refine it all. There will be a bunch of tweaks to the static loop and audio levels of the samples I'm using.
Current play time is about 32 minutes.
That's all for now! :grin:
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My amp will take an SD card and I'd love a copy of your "radio chatter" as well.
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My amp will take an SD card and I'd love a copy of your "radio chatter" as well.
I'm gonna give it a trial run this weekend at RCCC so that I can make adjustments if necessary. I'll let you know once it's all done! Until then, the original chatter files are on the 501st forum if you haven't heard them already.
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Okay, it's time to finally put a real end to this thread. I've put it off for a little less than a year but I'm finally going for Centurion. I'll be taking pictures and applying this weekend. In theory, I shouldn't have much to fix or change. There's a little paint on my ab rivet that needs to be removed and I have a spot to repaint on my pack. I'm quite nervous, hence the whole putting it off thing... The slight twist in my left shin may be called into question and if that's the case, Centurion probably won't be happening for a long time, if at all. I'd have to buy and rebuild shins, which was the most frustrating part of this build in the first place.
I also plan on rebuilding my entire pack out of foam in the future. I want something that'll break less! This will be a different, shorter topic all together though.
Anyway, I'll be posting here over the next week or so whith any Centurion updates that come along!
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Good luck Brian! I'll be keeping an eye on your progress and sending positive thoughts your way! Maybe it's time I finally get my pictures submitted for Centurion too!
Jim - TK50899
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Sweet! I'm sure you'll get it, and even if there's some changes needed you're more than capable!
Good luck and I'm looking forward to more centurions in CCG! :D
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Alright, here it is.
For those of you that want to take a look, here is my Centurion application:
http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/40304-tk-16924-requesting-hwt-centurion-status-anovos/
I'm super nervous about it! We'll see, I guess!
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Good luck Brian. I'm sure you won't need it as your kit is spot on!
Jim - TK50899
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Great job Brian, looks fantastic!
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Very nice Brian. You're meticulous! Which is the best way to be.
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All done!
Centurion achieved! :grin:
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Nice! Congrats on being the 1st Centurion HWT in CCG :cool:
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Excellent work. Looks fantastic!
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I knew you were a shoe in Brian! Congratulations and now so just have to submit mine.....
Jim - TK50899
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How's that chatter loop coming along?
And, congratulations!
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll150/Dax_Corrin/darth-approves_zpsuoga9ybg.jpg) (http://s287.photobucket.com/user/Dax_Corrin/media/darth-approves_zpsuoga9ybg.jpg.html)
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Thanks guys! :azn:
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Sweet!
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Dude, I want access to that chatter loop you were working on.... :)
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Dude, I want access to that chatter loop you were working on.... :)
Let me throw it on dropbox and I'll PM you the link. Not sure I'm totally done with it yet, but I'll give you "beta" access. XD
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Woo, still waiting for that Dropbox link... :)
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In the meantime, I have found a stormtrooper chatter file 43 minutes long, it's more for Clone army types but it will work for now. Still working on your chatter loop?