MKE-Trooper – Rogue One Death Trooper WIP

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

Awesome! And keeping right on hounding me! I live for this $h1t 😅

[TookBreaker[TX]]

I think we all can understand your excitement. I am sure I speak for all of us as we also smiled and still smile. It is a great costume, it has its journey, but once you are done, you will be super proud.

Looking good!

[MKE-Trooper[TX]]

Unfortunately the disappointment continues. Today I finally attempted to put on the shin pieces. I have been afraid of trying them on and breaking them given how much I needed to open it to get it over my foot.  Once I was finally able to get them on I quickly realized they were not even close to the right size. 

• I assume the top should go over my knee cap or at least midway up my knee cap? The blue line indicates where my knee cap is. 
• Based on other's suit up pictures and the CLR it looks like they should come down over the boots which I can't do. When I pull the armor down and attempt to cover the top part of the boot I am not able to close them.

Not sure how I can make them taller and wider, so I think my only option is to reach out to Jim and see if he will sell me just the shin pieces and try it over myself?  

Anyone have any thoughts or advise?

[TookBreaker[TX]]

@MKE-Trooper - The shins should not go over the whole knee, otherwise you cannot walk. Mid-way knee cap should be fine.

As it relates to closing the shins and having them over the boots, I had to remove excess suit (it has to fit snug) and I removed even the foam padding of the shoe tongue. Otherwise, mine would not close either.

[MKE-Trooper[TX]]

Unfortunately It looks like I will need some guidance on working with fiberglass, which I was trying to avoid.

- What is the best way to trim the fiberglass pieces. I recently purchased a rotary Dremel, will that work with the multipurpose cutting bit? 

- What is the best grit sandpaper to use? Any tips/process I should follow?

- When cutting/sanding the pieces, how big of a mess does this create? Should I wear gloves and a Respirator?  I am picturing tiny pieces of fiberglass all over the place which I can only imagine is extremely itching and a pain to clean up. 

I tried searching the forums but didn't see what I was looking for. Please let me know if this information is out there already and I just missed it. 

[TookBreaker[TX]]

You can definitely use the dremel cutting. I did that too.

For sanding, you can use any grit that you need. Depends on what excess you try to remove.

i would highly recommend to wear gloves and masks. Fiber is too dangerous.

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

This is an easy fix! Lots of people who have muscular calf muscles have had this issue. No need to panic. There are two things that must look correct when the shins are worn. The front center line must be centerline with your leg and the back raised vertical strip needs to be centerline with your leg. The length of your shins looks good you just need to move the whole thing down over the boot.

Your first decision will be are you willing to remove the padding from the tongue of the boot and/or the padding that is in the top of the ankle pads. I originally sized my shins based on the Talib boot which has no padding at all, so when I switched to the Jared they did not close. I cut openings on the inside surfaces of the tongue and ankle pads and removed the padding. They will still meet L2 requirements as the structure and form still remain "Jared." The only thing removing or not removing will effect is how much of an extension strip you will need to make so that the top and bottom of the shins close.

No need to mess with your front because its a solid piece, you are at an advantage because you chose to clamshell close your shins at the back. 

Here's how you fix it: You remove the rear vertical raised center strip, add in extensions to the left and right edges so that the sides close and the outside edge overlaps the inside edge the same width as the vertical center strip. Affix the center strip aligned with the center line of your leg and Wahla! your shins close and meet CRL requirements. You will have to build up any details that continue from the original piece to the center vertical strip, but bondo, filler putty, or an ABS strip can take care of the extension of the details.

Gerald @DoggyDoc had to make extensions for his forearms and shins and he has a really good section on it in his build thread.

Here is a simplified explanation I did for someone a while back which may help in visually seeing what I suggested.

 

Hope this helps. Like I said don't panic. Also, Jim only makes 2 sizes, regular and tall, neither one increase the diameter of the shins, only the length is different.

[MKE-Trooper[TX]]

19 minutes ago, Chaos said:

This is an easy fix! Lots of people who have muscular calf muscles have had this issue. No need to panic. There are two things that must look correct when the shins are worn. The front center line must be centerline with your leg and the back raised vertical strip needs to be centerline with your leg. The length of your shins looks good you just need to move the whole thing down over the boot.

Your first decision will be are you willing to remove the padding from the tongue of the boot and/or the padding that is in the top of the ankle pads. I originally sized my shins based on the Talib boot which has no padding at all, so when I switched to the Jared they did not close. I cut openings on the inside surfaces of the tongue and ankle pads and removed the padding. They will still meet L2 requirements as the structure and form still remain "Jared." The only thing removing or not removing will effect is how much of an extension strip you will need to make so that the top and bottom of the shins close.

No need to mess with your front because its a solid piece, you are at an advantage because you chose to clamshell close your shins at the back. 

Here's how you fix it: You remove the rear vertical raised center strip, add in extensions to the left and right edges so that the sides close and the outside edge overlaps the inside edge the same width as the vertical center strip. Affix the center strip aligned with the center line of your leg and Wahla! your shins close and meet CRL requirements. You will have to build up any details that continue from the original piece to the center vertical strip, but bondo, filler putty, or an ABS strip can take care of the extension of the details.

Gerald @DoggyDoc had to make extensions for his forearms and shins and he has a really good section on it in his build thread.

Here is a simplified explanation I did for someone a while back which may help in visually seeing what I suggested.

 

Hope this helps. Like I said don't panic. Also, Jim only makes 2 sizes, regular and tall, neither one increase the diameter of the shins, only the length is different.

Thanks Chaos! Your reply brought down my anxiety level    

What is funny is I always thought I had chicken legs so I never would have guessed circumference would be an issue, if anything I thought it would be height issue as I am 6'3", 185 lbs.  I did order the tall size from Jim, so I am going assume the person who finished the armor did not shorten it. 

What is interesting is that the width (Left to right) of the shin doesn't seem to be an issue but the front to back need to be deeper. When I pull the clam shell apart I can fit it over the left and right side of the boot but struggle with the front and back. So I need to make it deeper, not wider if that makes sense. 

Your proposed solution seems like it would only widen it.  Here are some pictures with it off.   

I am intrigued about your suggestion on modifying the boot itself. Are you suggesting removing this section of the boot circled in red? 

Any chance you could snap a picture of your modified boot?

[DoggyDoc[CMD-DCA]]

On 3/10/2024 at 10:39 AM, MKE-Trooper said:

As you might be able to tell by now, I am super excited to finally have it in hand and having a blast customizing. Yesterday was my first partial suit up for the upper body and I couldn't stop smiling. My wife just kept laughing at me. 

I think we all get that goofy kid grin as we see our costume taking form when we start to put it on.  I ran around the house arresting family members when I first put on my stormtrooper costume 

[DoggyDoc[CMD-DCA]]

5 hours ago, MKE-Trooper said:

Are you suggesting removing this section of the boot circled in red? 

It is not removing the section, but instead removing the padding from the section to “deflate” the boot some to make it smaller. 
I am not sure if it was there and / or the tongue section that Chaos “unstuffed”. 
 

if you need some help with technique for making the shins bigger, I can walk you through the process I used. It is pretty well outlined on my build page though.  

One other thing To be careful with I thought of while reading your posts is that when you put your shins on, be very careful not to open them too wide or they will crack down the front.  I did this the first time I did a test fit.  When I put them on, I do so before the boots and point my toe to get my heel and ankle as narrow as possible, then slide it through with the shin rotated 90 degrees as it is wider to accommodate my heal that way.  Once on, I pull them up above my ankle to allow me to get the boots on, then drop them down over the boot and close them.  

[DoggyDoc[CMD-DCA]]

5 hours ago, MKE-Trooper said:

Your proposed solution seems like it would only widen it.  Here are some pictures with it off.   

 

I actually had to reshape mine using a hot water bath to get them to sit right. 

[MKE-Trooper[TX]]

1 hour ago, DoggyDoc said:

I actually had to reshape mine using a hot water bath to get them to sit right. 

Interesting, I have not heard of this process. I assume it is too late for me to do this as they are already painted and the inside is sprayed with plasti-dip?

 

1 hour ago, DoggyDoc said:

It is not removing the section, but instead removing the padding from the section to “deflate” the boot some to make it smaller. 
I am not sure if it was there and / or the tongue section that Chaos “unstuffed”. 

Gotcha, that should be much easier! Thanks. 

 

1 hour ago, DoggyDoc said:

if you need some help with technique for making the shins bigger, I can walk you through the process I used. It is pretty well outlined on my build page though.  

Thanks, I will check out your build page and let you know if I have any questions. 

 

1 hour ago, DoggyDoc said:

One other thing To be careful with I thought of while reading your posts is that when you put your shins on, be very careful not to open them too wide or they will crack down the front.  I did this the first time I did a test fit.  When I put them on, I do so before the boots and point my toe to get my heel and ankle as narrow as possible, then slide it through with the shin rotated 90 degrees as it is wider to accommodate my heal that way.  Once on, I pull them up above my ankle to allow me to get the boots on, then drop them down over the boot and close them.  

I stumbled into this process yesterday as I was trying to get them on. I feel like I am getting a foot cramp every time I try and slide my foot through, lol. It seems like it would be easier to keep them as two pieces and then connect them together with velco or something.  i am guessing someone has already tried this and the seam doesn't look good or some thing. 

[DoggyDoc[CMD-DCA]]

2 minutes ago, MKE-Trooper said:

I stumbled into this process yesterday as I was trying to get them on. I feel like I am getting a foot cramp every time I try and slide my foot through, lol. It seems like it would be easier to keep them as two pieces and then connect them together with velco or something.  i am guessing someone has already tried this and the seam doesn't look good or some thing. 

For sure the leg cramp and the neck and shoulder strain for me trying to reach my foot to get the boots on with the thighs and calf pieces already on is real.  The issue with keeping them in 2 pieces will be the seam at the front as you mentioned.

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

Doc is spot on with his answers to your questions so I won't echo what he said. When you extend the back, do it so the overall ankle circumference increases as well. 

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

[MKE-Trooper[TX]]

12 minutes ago, Chaos said:

Thank you very much @ChaosI am going to try this first before attempting to make the shins bigger. 

[MKE-Trooper[TX]]

I am putting together a shopping list and I have a dumb question as I have never this type of work before.

Are these the correct items?

• Bondo | Amazon Link
• JB plastic weld | Amazon Link

Also, any recommendations for a face mask for sanding/cutting the fiberglass armor? 

[DoggyDoc[CMD-DCA]]

26 minutes ago, MKE-Trooper said:

 

I am putting together a shopping list and I have a dumb question as I have never this type of work before.

Are these the correct items?

• Bondo | Amazon Link
• JB plastic weld | Amazon Link

Also, any recommendations for a face mask for sanding/cutting the fiberglass armor? 

 

Those are the exact products that I used. 
‘This is the mask that I use for everything from sanding to painting. It is from Home Depot Canada but you can likely find a similar one on Amazon

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/workhorse-dual-cartridge-half-mask-p94-organic-vapour-filter-respirator/1001105368

[MKE-Trooper[TX]]

20 hours ago, DoggyDoc said:

Those are the exact products that I used. 
‘This is the mask that I use for everything from sanding to painting. It is from Home Depot Canada but you can likely find a similar one on Amazon

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/workhorse-dual-cartridge-half-mask-p94-organic-vapour-filter-respirator/1001105368

Thank you very much! Just picked up my order from Home Depot. 

[Mal86]

On 3/12/2024 at 8:25 AM, MKE-Trooper said:

Unfortunately It looks like I will need some guidance on working with fiberglass, which I was trying to avoid.

- What is the best way to trim the fiberglass pieces. I recently purchased a rotary Dremel, will that work with the multipurpose cutting bit? 

- What is the best grit sandpaper to use? Any tips/process I should follow?

- When cutting/sanding the pieces, how big of a mess does this create? Should I wear gloves and a Respirator?  I am picturing tiny pieces of fiberglass all over the place which I can only imagine is extremely itching and a pain to clean up. 

I tried searching the forums but didn't see what I was looking for. Please let me know if this information is out there already and I just missed it. 

This is the dremel tool I used: https://a.co/d/dCBbDrN

I was so worried about cutting the fiberglass, but it was so much easier than I expected.  I used a metallic silver sharpie to mark my lines.  I used the cutting tool to cut close to the lines, then I used the rotary sanding drum to get it down to the lines evenly.  With some pieces I then went over with sandpaper.  I then rinsed them under my spigot outside.

I also did my first test cuts by drawing lines on Jim's pouch covers since I was going to be 3D printing my own.

It's a giant mess and depending on the angle it might get in your face.  I used goggles, a respirator, and gloves.  I also wore old clothes.  I did it outside on my front porch and then went in to my garage and changed out of the clothes. 

[Mal86]

On 3/12/2024 at 8:21 PM, MKE-Trooper said:

I am putting together a shopping list and I have a dumb question as I have never this type of work before.

Are these the correct items?

• Bondo | Amazon Link
• JB plastic weld | Amazon Link

Also, any recommendations for a face mask for sanding/cutting the fiberglass armor? 

This was my shopping list for protective gear, but I bought these with the purpose of working with UV Resin, so I just kept using them for the fiberglass and other cutting:

Goggles: https://a.co/d/czBH3s8

Respirator: https://a.co/d/jc81HCH

Cartridge: https://a.co/d/aQGHGsy

That JB Weld is what I used to adhere the front of my shins and my forearms.

 

[MKE-Trooper[TX]]

1 hour ago, Mal86 said:

This is the dremel tool I used: https://a.co/d/dCBbDrN

I was so worried about cutting the fiberglass, but it was so much easier than I expected.  I used a metallic silver sharpie to mark my lines.  I used the cutting tool to cut close to the lines, then I used the rotary sanding drum to get it down to the lines evenly.  With some pieces I then went over with sandpaper.  I then rinsed them under my spigot outside.

I also did my first test cuts by drawing lines on Jim's pouch covers since I was going to be 3D printing my own.

It's a giant mess and depending on the angle it might get in your face.  I used goggles, a respirator, and gloves.  I also wore old clothes.  I did it outside on my front porch and then went in to my garage and changed out of the clothes. 

Thank you so much for this @Mal86. This is super helpful and exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I have never done anything like this before so I kind of need this information spoon fed to me, lol.  I am great with technology, but no so much with handyman stuff.  Going to order that Dremel bit tonight so I have it for the weekend. 

 

1 hour ago, Mal86 said:

This was my shopping list for protective gear, but I bought these with the purpose of working with UV Resin, so I just kept using them for the fiberglass and other cutting:

Goggles: https://a.co/d/czBH3s8

Respirator: https://a.co/d/jc81HCH

Cartridge: https://a.co/d/aQGHGsy

That JB Weld is what I used to adhere the front of my shins and my forearms.

I picked up these gloves today and N95 Mask, but now I am starting to think I need a better mask based on DoggyDoc and your recommendations. 

[MKE-Trooper[TX]]

On 3/12/2024 at 1:40 PM, DoggyDoc said:

It is not removing the section, but instead removing the padding from the section to “deflate” the boot some to make it smaller. 
I am not sure if it was there and / or the tongue section that Chaos “unstuffed”. 

I think this is going to work! I removed the padding from the boot exactly as you and Chaos described and I was able to get it closed around my boot. It was a really tight fit but it closed!  My wife is going to tailor the bottom of my undersuit to remove excess material and make it fit tighter around my leg which should make the fit even better. So thank you @DoggyDoc and @Chaos so much for this!!! 

As I was putting the shin piece on tonight to test I noticed that the seam was starting to loosen up and come undone a bit.  I am pretty sure E-6000 was used to glue the pieces together, should I add more of that in gaps or should I use JB Weld instead?

 

[TookBreaker[TX]]

I would recommend JB Weld. Definitely will hold it together. E6000 is not strong enough.

[MKE-Trooper[TX]]

For the lower connection point of the Chest and back, does it matter which way they overlap?  Currently I have the front overlap the back because otherwise the buckets get in the way due to sizing. This however creates a pointed overhang which I plan on trimming back.

Before I do that though I wanted to check and see if it matters as I have seen others have the back overlap the front. If I do it that way, I will also need to cut some of the back piece away so I can bring it in more. 

 

The over hang issue: