Black Wolf Shadow Trooper... and so it begins...

[DJTrooper[501st]]

All laid out...

[toddo[TX]]

oooh shiny.

[DJTrooper[501st]]

Hey guys,

I'm gonna need a few tips as I start to put my kit together.

Can anyone tell me how big a deal it is that the top part of my arm pieces have quite a bit of an overlap between each other?

 

And also, when putting the legs, arms, biceps together, do I remove the return edges at the point where I need to overlap them? (Not going for cover strips here)

 

[DJTrooper[501st]]

I've also noticed heavy cracks in the return edges at the top of both outer calf pieces

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

Look through my armor mod thread, should help you out. Use pandatroopers method except since your doing overlap, you would cut the inner forearm where the bump is inside the outer forearm. but put the inner OVER the outer first so you get it to the width of your arm, and mark there. You'll be cutting about an inch and a half off.

 

In simple terms just cut back the inner on both sides a half inch at a time til it fits.

 

Add for the cracks wait til the shins are assembled to deal with them. You can try the tshirt technique or just cut back on the return edges so there's no longer cracks

[DJTrooper[501st]]

But my main concern is around a 1cm gap at the top of the arm pieces (see pic)

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

The cover strip method hides that better. your arms came from the same mold as everybody else

[DJTrooper[501st]]

 

Add for the cracks wait til the shins are assembled to deal with them. You can try the tshirt technique or just cut back on the return edges so there's no longer cracks

 

Thanks Derek, I did see the t-shirt technique, probably the best way for me to go, the cracks cover the the width of the return edge completely though, so without cutting all of the return edge I can't win there

[DJTrooper[501st]]

The cover strip method hides that better. your arms came from the same mold as everybody else

That's what I thought, but then the AM was built to overlap seams, and I much prefer that to the cover strips (personal choice). So if there is a gap at the top of the arms after I trim back, does it matter??

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

The shins have to flex slightly when you put them on, so you could also make abs paste and glue some scraps underneath the lip for strength so the cracks don't get worse.

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

No the arms won't matter, you might get away with cutting the edge of the outer one so it matches the length of the inner.

[DJTrooper[501st]]

The shins have to flex slightly when you put them on, so you could also make abs paste and glue some scraps underneath the lip for strength so the cracks don't get worse.

Do you think it would be better removed the return edges altogether? Although I guess that would take away the appearance of thickness?

 

Do I also remove the return edges from the undersides when I am overlapping? So that they fit in easier?

[DJTrooper[501st]]

No the arms won't matter, you might get away with cutting the edge of the outer one so it matches the length of the inner.

I looked at doing that, but that would ruin the look of the ridges on the outer piece, so I may just have to put up with a bit of a gap then

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

I cut mine off (return edge, not length) cuz it would bite into my elbow. the most important thing is that the armor fits you right and is comfortable.

 

the inside widths won't matter as long as the outside over lap is the right width. In my findings 4 out of 5 stormtroopers with overlaps say they should've gone the butt join method. Its more accurate, it looks better, and holds stronger provided there's inner strips as well

[DJTrooper[501st]]

Might have to look at things over the next few days and see what will work better for me then

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

Before I got my armor I just kept looking through build threads seeing what other people did then did it, but I had to do the torso a little different to fit my body type

[DJTrooper[501st]]

I seem to have been lucky with most of the armor so far, as I'm 6' tall most of the pieces require little or no mods.... and are meeting together nicely ... apart from the obvious arms .... But I am yet to start gluing and trimming, just holding the pieces against me with tape and working out where to go next

[DJTrooper[501st]]

Glad I just came across this before I went any further.... makes total sense now I'm holding up the pieces in front of me.

http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/16608-am-armor-shins-the-proper-way-to-assemble-and-wear/

Also should be able to resolve the cracks in the top of the returns in both back shins as I'll now cut them out at the back as per this tutorial

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

You didn't see that? No wonder you didn't understand what I was talking about lol. That thread is mandatory for any build

[DJTrooper[501st]]

Someone should have slapped me in the face with it earlier lol

 

So here are those nasty cracks and an idea of how I will deal with them using that tutorial of cutting away the back of the shins

 

[DJTrooper[501st]]

Return edges removed from bottom of shins...

[Master Tej]

Sorry, I'm a bit late with this, but welcome to Spec Ops, and good luck on your build! I've enjoyed watching what you posted so far!

 

- Master Tej -

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

That should do. Make sure to sand the cuts well, I use a sanding drum on my dremel so to not scratch up boots or undersuit

[DJTrooper[501st]]

Sorry, I'm a bit late with this, but welcome to Spec Ops, and good luck on your build! I've enjoyed watching what you posted so far!

 

- Master Tej -

Thanks!

[DJTrooper[501st]]

That should do. Make sure to sand the cuts well, I use a sanding drum on my dremel so to not scratch up boots or undersuit

 

Will do.

Already done some light sanding with 240 sandpaper, as I did the score and snap process to avoid any jagged edges