n00b starting to Piece armor together

[mr0072003[501st]]

i knew it!!! I figured the stripes would help me out, but im surly not getting in the 501 now. DAng!

[Griffin-X[501st]]

Nah, just take your time and do some clean up. That's an easy fix. Also, try some Goof Off, it's great for removing excess glue. You've come a long way and you're almost there...!

[mr0072003[501st]]

HI all Finished up my helmet Saturday night. I did it for fun as I already paid a deposite for my Helmet from Akryl. I already painted the blue stripes black, but I did that later the next day befoer I took the pic.

[THE TROOPER[501st]]

Nice lookin bucket man. Cant wait to see the finished product. I gotta few weeks to go on mine and am really excited to troop with it. Soldier on trooper.

[mr0072003[501st]]

Thanks everyone. Its been fuin working on this thing. I spent this last few weeks just cleaing it up a little bit and adding covver strips to pretty much everything that needed it. I used the overlap method, but after some research found that the strips would look better and much more accurate to a TK ( i know im a tx). I also created a v cut on the back of the shins to allow for more movement. I figuerd since the stunt version has them like that and is 501 approved.

 

Few more updates - I recieved my AKER Voice amp and iComm set up and LOVE IT. I also just received a HASBRO E-11 that I bought from Ebay. I alos got the Doopdoos conversion kit, but that has not arrived.

 

Finally I tested the armor yesterday as I also got my boots on Xmas (Bass Amsterdam's).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still lots to fix, Left Shoulder bell placement. Need to get my Canvas belt (in the mail from trooperbay), need a better bucket as the AM buckets are no longer 501 approved. (admins correct me here if im wrong, i dont want to spreead rumors based on me misreading another post). Still need my understuit, neck seal, holster, golves.... Need to glue on the final Button to the abe plate, then paint them black.... Sigh as I liked the silver look. Man I wish I ordered this earlier.

[THE TROOPER[501st]]

Lookin good man. Dont know about the non am bucket thing though. I believe its ok. Is that from a kit or from Arakyel ?

[mr0072003[501st]]

UPDATE ON THE PICS

 

OK guys I got my doopys and unsersuit order in, which also included gloves, and neck Seal. Here are some shots that my wife took. I still think I need to lift the thighs, and need to work on my AKER system and how I want to attach it to my Chest plate. I have a few ideas, just not sure what Route I want to take as my first set up was a failure. Please ANY FEED back is welcome. I will also post on my intro thread in case other are following that.

 

[mr0072003[501st]]

Here are some more pics..... please any feed back is welcome, as I know there is stuff to tweak!! I am concerned about the holster placement, and if my belt hangs to much to my left side because of the holser (more snaps?)

 

[RaiderNick[TX]]

The biceps are riding a bit too high, try to get them closer to your elbows. Also, the belt seems to be flaring a lot, you might want to try to form it better to yourself.

 

As for the helmet, I know FX buckets aren't approved anymore and I think I heard somewhere recently that AM buckets aren't anymore either, especially considering there are better alternatives for people with large heads. My GML doesn't approve AM/FX buckets at all anymore so even if the legion does allow the AM I couldn't use it.

[mr0072003[501st]]

Lookin good man. Dont know about the non am bucket thing though. I believe its ok. Is that from a kit or from Arakyel ?

 

Yeah the Helmet I will be getting will be from Arakyel. Those are approvable right?

 

EDIT - Update

 

My wife was able to use here new D5100 camerea I got here for Xmas but was only able to snap two shoots as she is knew using it. So I have some clear and better pics, only 2 and sadly I know my chest plate is stickout cuz of my amp, but otherwise it does sit flush against my body.

 

[THE TROOPER[501st]]

Looks great man. The Arakyel bucket will be an awesome touch when you get it. The only thing i see is the wire under the chest plate has to be moved. Also are the shins a little too big or maybe its just the angle of the pictures? But anyway Peter thats a really nice build.

[Darth Emphatic[CMD-DWM]]

Looks good! Hard to tell from these pics, but it looks like the forearms might need to be tightened up a bit

[mr0072003[501st]]

BIG THANKS for all your input guys. I took all your feedback and began to get to work while getting ready for work.. . Right now I am soo into this, its too much fun.

 

So things I worked on

 

Raised the thighs up and moved shifted them over a bit (much better) you can see that my thighs no longer go into my sniper plate...

 

Next was adding a snap button next to the holster section on my abe peice, so that the holseter would not drag doen my belt on that side

 

I added a strap set up for my AKER and iComm system in my chest plate. Fitment went perfect and in the pics you can see it does no bulg out and my chest peice lies flat against my abe peice.

 

NExt was to bend the belt using a hair dryer. This was scary and I made a few surface cracks while doing so, but the result was the fitment was WAY better. I also cut of the edges and tried to eye a 45 degree angle. I am sure it was too much.

 

I worked on the placement of Foam on my forarms. The foam was making the forarm bulg out, like Darth and some others noticed. So it should be sitting flush now

 

Finally I kinda of worked on the Biceps, but It looks like I will have to add some lenght to the strap that hold its up, as it should go done further like others have noted. I will do this, this weekend.

 

The last thing i will work on will be to have my back go down further on the straps. Now with my AKER and Icom in my chest it seems that the back plate likes to ride up and flare out a bit. Fixed easly by push up on my chest plate, but would like it to not happen as much, so thats another tweak.

 

and of course still waiting my Akryal Bucket.

 

[Master Tej]

Nice! I can see where the improvements helped, but the backplate is pretty noticeable. Have you considered attaching the back and chest plates together to ensure they both sit flush?

 

- Master Tej -

[mr0072003[501st]]

I would but need more of an example to see it in my head.

[Darth Emphatic[CMD-DWM]]

Couple of ways you can do this. One is to use some elastic on each side of the back and chest armor to connect the two and hold them down. Left side would run under your left arm, right side under your right arm. The other option is to put elastic or strapping that connects the chest from the front inside to the front inside of your ab armor. This is what I do. My back floats, but stays in place on it's own.

[mr0072003[501st]]

Couple of ways you can do this. One is to use some elastic on each side of the back and chest armor to connect the two and hold them down. Left side would run under your left arm, right side under your right arm. The other option is to put elastic or strapping that connects the chest from the front inside to the front inside of your ab armor. This is what I do. My back floats, but stays in place on it's own.

 

Steve I am begining to smell an armor party my friend. I think my suit is to the point that I need the experts like your selves and really scrutanize my belt system. Are you in SoCal?

[mr0072003[501st]]

OK I so I have test fitted once more since the pictures below so fitment is even better, but these pics are better than those as far as quality. I have since then been able to fix many problems. My back issue was because I was tieng down the wrong part of the shoulder srtaps.

This Pics shows my side flaring out now. I think it needs to be formed better, with a heat Gun, but not sure. What do you guys think?

 

 

An angle shot of my Belt (Formed with blowdryer to fit better) I also was able to cut the edges as well.

 

Here you can see that I have tied down the wrong area of the shoulder straps. ( Another test fit with these moved back proved to fix my problem with flaring)

 

You can see all my suspender system exposed on the side. I was trying a differnt way to put them on, and obvious FAIL!

 

Close up of my AB and Chest peice. Are the AB Buttons good to go and correct in Size and color? Also is the chest peice to low?I am short so I was not sure how much should show?

 

Biceps have been lowered down as suggested.

 

Some Front Thigh Action

 

ONe of things that I noticed is that I may need a better neck Seal THe Cloth that runs down is not long enoug in the back and leaves much to be exposed.

 

Close up of my Bells and Biceps

 

Back of the thighs... IM thinkning I need to form my Butt peice more into my crotch. Looks like I took a Dump or something. What do you think?

 

Forarms and Hand Plates witih Gloves.

Here is a side view of my TD, and Holster placment. I am almost sure that I may have placed the hOlster to far back and should have been right nect to the ABS part of the Belt.

And the worst pic, the back. YOu can see straps, my TD is not on correclty and becuase my straps started to fall to the side, by rear kidny peice is hanging incorrectly exposing me. ... sigh. but here it is

[RaiderNick[TX]]

The ab buttons are the correct size. The placement of the holster is a little far back, but there's no much you can do with it without overlapping the belt over it which you shouldn't do. As for the back, you already know whats wrong with that.

 

I still think the shins are too loose on the bottoms, try to tighten them up a bit. As for the "taking a dump" thing you got going...maybe you are just a scaredy trooper?

[THE TROOPER[501st]]

The gloves look a little big too. Are they the rubber gloves? May have just been the pics though. A couple of minor twweeks and your there bro. Good job

[mr0072003[501st]]

Thanks everyone. So I am like OBSESSED with my Build and everything 501 right now. I have been at work for like 14 days straight working like 10 -12 hr shifts, so I just surf the 501 boards and been READING and RESEARCHING when its free around here (which the last few days it has been). I still have managed to miss things in my research and its cost me time and many trips to JoAnns for Snaps .

 

I have been working like a mad man to get all the tweaks worked out. I want to be like "ITS Done!" but everyime I take pics I can see things. So the pics I just posted were from last night. The PICS I am about to post are from TODAY in the daylight outside for better vision. In this fitting I was trying to eliminate the back flaring out by cutting my ties from the middle of my straps (like noted in the pics above) to the back connecting more towards the back with the back plate, as well as to put more Velcro on the front portion of the straps connecting to the chest plate. I know about the shins, I just am not clamping them anough. I have more play to do so, so hopefully on my submissionpics that will be addressed. THIS was what made the differnce and now both my back and straps sit MUCH better and more flush to my armor. I want to say its done, but I still need your opinions on the sides of my CHEST and BACK plates. I think they may be flared out to much and I may need to form "Contour Them more to my body or CUT them shorter. Am I experienceing the first AM Chest is not totally accurate moment?

 

[izzi[TX]]

I think the chest is just a little bit too tall. It looks like the bottom is touching the belt. You may just need to trim off a half inch or so.

 

-iz

[mr0072003[501st]]

You got it Cap!...I am hacking now!!! (Scared as heck to do it) but i know it needed it, and you just confirmed it.

[Master Tej]

I am in love with how reflective it is! It looks awesome like that!

 

- Master Tej -

[mr0072003[501st]]

Thank everyone. Well I have been an obsessed man the last 2 weeks, but here is the last update. I hacked off 1/2 an inch from the bottom of the Chest plate, I trimmed off 1inh and 1/2 on both sides of my abe peice. ( I have to be the skinniest trooper EVER), and molded in the edges of both the front and back plates to contour my bdoy better and WOW what a differnce. I also afixed (glued) the ribbed straps to my fron chest peice. I re-did my holster and moved them to the correct place and used Chicago Screws instead of Jean Rivits, so that I can remove it later. I even put my AKER System in this, and no issues with bulgin out or anything. Once my bucket comes from Chris (Poland) I will be submitting for 501. which leads me to my next question. Who do I -email for my pre-submission pics. Should I have a mentor? I am lost in the applications process!