Off to a ..start??

[Craigorski[TX]]

Well good news. My gear has arrived and i have begun initial trimming.

I spend more time checking where and how than i do actual trimming..lol!

 

now i hit my first hurdle. as i have with other suits i appear to have arms just a tad too big around the bicep area

usually us fellas dont complain about having 17 inch arms and i dont think that is big. Anyhoo, if i have almost no return on the bicep parts it looks like i will have to have a larger strip at the join that the 'standard' size.

Will this be a hinderance to getting approval? i mean, its not like i can make my arms smaller (not that i would want too anyway)

Kinda bumed about it cause this happened with an ironman suit and everything ended up not fitting, i dont want that to happen again

 

No pics to put up right now cause it takes me forever to get them from camera to computer yadda yadda yadda...

 

so... what do the peeps think about the bigger arm thing (hey at least it isint the huge abs thing..lol)

[toddo[TX]]

cover strips need to be as big as they need to be. There's plenty of guys who have achieved top-notch Centurion status on FISD who have had to employ larger cover strips. In other words, those pythons should not affect basic approval.

[Craigorski[TX]]

Thank you kind sir!

[toddo[TX]]

No problem at all. Besides, who am I to argue with a Kiwi sporting oversized arm cannons?

[izzi[TX]]

He is correct! Make the strip as wide as it needs to be, and if nothing else I'll sweet talk the approval board.

[Craigorski[TX]]

Work and stuff have me on a go slow, but i had a bite at the forearms and now the biceps. forearms worked fine with 'standard' strip sizing, although the right forearm is loose and the left is a bit tight.. weird but whatever.

I had to make the buttjoin piece 40mm wide! so i looked at a couple of options for those strips 25mm on a 40mm join or 30mm on a 40mm join..

 

or

 

i think the 30mm mockup looks better as there isint suck a large gap to the bend.. if that makes sense?!?!

 

To fit these under the shoulder bells i may have to have almost no return on the bell edges. is that ok? i think it needs something but i may be hamstrung and have no other option...

sorry if the pics are large

 

the thigh strips are looking like they will have to be a tad wider also... so i guess it works out with everything being bigger

[mr0072003[501st]]

YEah the 30mm looks good, and may look proportion to them guns your walking around with. The one thing that sucks is the cover strip is not Magma color like the rest of the armor is.

[Craigorski[TX]]

sweet// 30mm it is

 

yeah.. i might have to change into a cardboardtrooper

[Griffin-X[501st]]

You're off to a great start!

[izzi[TX]]

You're off to a great start!

Yep, what he said. Anxious to see this done!

[Craigorski[TX]]

*sigh* making things fit is not my best skill. putting this on actually started hurting my arm around the top more heatgun shaping required methinks

 

hopefully you can see the huge coverstrips and how stupid they look

 

and yep that forearm seems wide at the bottom and it feels that way...

 

so i ordered some tk boots 2nds to repaint or dye and a belt from rob to make me feel better

 

Also i just remembered that when i was 17 my thighs were the same size that my arms are now (yes i was a stick insect)

hey at least the coverstrips arent that brown/grey from the last photos

[toddo[TX]]

You have to use the size coverstrip that your body requires. If that's what your arms ask for, then that's fine. As for the forearm taper, it looks ok to me in the photos. Basically, you want to barely squeeze your hand through the opening. If that's what's happening, then you are good. If you have space, then feel free to re-adjust the taper. Remember that building armor is a lot of trial and error. That's how you'll be able to give advice to new guys later on

[Craigorski[TX]]

Taking a year to build my ARC kinda shows my trial and error knowledge i could try make the right forearm a little bit tighter, but i'll leave that for now as it will be a lot of cutting and regluing for a small gain.... and i really should try it with gloves on first (it might look better in my mind at least)

Progress should improve on this suit as i have most of it on the dining room table instead of the workshop area downstairs. It pisses off my brother, but hey, it is half my house too

[Griffin-X[501st]]

You're doing a fine job Craig. Btw...I've bumped up your profile since you're a 501st member.

[JeepGrrl[501st]]

Like Toddo said, I think the forearm looks right from here. You can always shove a square of foam up in there too if it feels too loose. I use two squares in each of mine - one on the outside of my arm at the elbow end and one on the inside of my wrist. It gives me good wrist movement and makes them super comfortable.

[Craigorski[TX]]

Coolio, thanks jim and heather.

i have started playing with the thigh pieces and , surprise surprise, bigger coverstrips again.. twice the standard thanks

50mm looks freaking huge, but if i keep all the strips bigger then im good to go.

 

Now for a question. Is having the back open really necessary?

Since i have to make the thighs so wide to start with i can just pull them up over my leg no problem, just like the seamless clone (ARC) i have. is seems to me that no split in the back would make the suit better.

i'll still split the calves as that makes it easier to put the boots on etc

I also started on the midsection and it appears i might just get away without any side shims, but i need a helper fitting the bits to know proper.

elastic and snaps between butt and kidney plate have the glue setting as we speak

 

yay progress.. (oh and a local dude is making me an ANH holster from leather.. yay!)

[toddo[TX]]

You are correct. There is no need for the thighs to open. All of my thighs slide on and off.

[Craigorski[TX]]

Sorry for no progress pics, i've been slack since my cameraphone got destroyed (roll on S4 release in a couple weeks...), anyhoo i have about 90% complete the calves.

I'm having to heat and reshape them a bit to make the backs close, slowly slowly as i have overheated other suits before

 

Helpful hint for the day: When gluing a coverstrip to the front of a thigh piece, then using a zillion clamps and walking away happy.... Check you didnt put the coverstrip on shiny side down!..

yep i was not all there and didnt even notice the scuff marks from sanding the other side to help it grip better... so not only do i need to do a new strip, i have a pig of a job removing the other one without destroying the thigh

DERP

[Master Tej]

Ah, that sucks! I'll keep that in mind when I'm building my armor.

 

- Master Tej -

[toddo[TX]]

Sorry for no progress pics, i've been slack since my cameraphone got destroyed (roll on S4 release in a couple weeks...), anyhoo i have about 90% complete the calves.

I'm having to heat and reshape them a bit to make the backs close, slowly slowly as i have overheated other suits before

 

Helpful hint for the day: When gluing a coverstrip to the front of a thigh piece, then using a zillion clamps and walking away happy.... Check you didnt put the coverstrip on shiny side down!..

yep i was not all there and didnt even notice the scuff marks from sanding the other side to help it grip better... so not only do i need to do a new strip, i have a pig of a job removing the other one without destroying the thigh

DERP

 

Boy I've never done that before... twice

[Darth Emphatic[CMD-DWM]]

Hope you were using E-6000. A pain, but it will at least come off cleanly in the end. ABS glue will be a

[Craigorski[TX]]

getting e6000 is a pain in the butt! i actually have big superglue bottles and it works well.. too well.....

yeah i know its not what the doctor ordered, but it worked well on my clone so

[Darth Emphatic[CMD-DWM]]

Works well until you have to pull it apart I imagine!

[izzi[TX]]

Yeah, It took some convincing for me, but I'm an advocate of E-6000. Had to mod too many armors for people.

 

-iz

[Craigorski[TX]]

Am i having fun with this build? kinda I cant match edges, heatgun work kills my stuff, and i have this ability to get glue everywhere. I must be a 3 year old

Ah well, here are some pics of bits i have been working on. Giant coverstrips and all...

 

 

rear strips

http://i62.photobuck...zps9bb7e3df.jpg

http://i62.photobuck...zpscef90ccf.jpg

 

Calves on boots. More heatgun work needed to close them up properly. it's kinda hard as the strip has curves to match the calf shape(horizontal bends) and now needs a bend down the length (vertical) to wrap the calf properly. its getting there tho...

 

glued the knee plate on.. rusty watches on from the background..

(yes photos are out of synch.. just like my brain )

Sideshots

http://i62.photobuck...zpsbac096d6.jpg

http://i62.photobuck...zps95762f8d.jpg

 

And a couple trying to wear what was done. left calf had glue drying. ab/butt held by belt so it is a bit more family friendly photo

 

 

sorry.. not good pics. everything just hanging off me (no straps yet). But at least there is progress

 

Oh and i noticed that, with the canvas belt on, i almost got the kidney pate to touch the ab plate. If i have about 1/2 inch gap on each side will i get my ass booted? or should i just go for the strips to fill the gap.

 

Personally i feel like i'm not going to have an approvable suit, more like a ' just about but not quite' suit. Thats not my aim.. just the direction i feel im going

 

sorry if i kill your internets with big pics. thats why i did some as links.