Ruthar's Scout Trooper Build

[Ruthar]

Return of the Jedi Scout Trooper Build

 

 

Greetings, Pathfinders!

 

Just a quick introduction - I'm Taylor "Ruthar," XO of the NER here in NJ, and I've been prowling around here for a bit checking in on this and that. Return of the Jedi has always been my favourite film in the franchise since first being introduced to the series many years ago, and within the film the Scout Troopers are easily my favourite ensemble - I had a whole bunch of speeder bike toys, LEGO sets, and figures when I was younger. However, I haven't yet gotten around to actually creating the armour for myself as there was a surplus of Scouts when I first joined my Garrison and for a little while thereafter. It's definitely long overdue, but it's officially time to start my own adventure in getting my name added to the Pathfinder ranks with one of my favourite armour sets.

 

Without further ado (or more needless personal history), let's dive on in!

 

Just to note: my build threads are constructed as "how-to" guides in our Armory section of our Garrison forums, so that's why most of these posts will look similar to that. This is a new adventure for me, so I'm very much looking forward to the collective input of all of you Pathfinder specialists! There are a few goals I have set for myself at the outset of this build. First, all the soft goods will be self-made (I bought a new sewing machine and have been practicing my stitches accordingly! ). Secondly, I'm going to try to shoot for Lancer from the get-go. I have found that starting out with the accuracy goal in mind is easier than trying to make all the adjustments later down the road.

 

Contents

 

1) References/Resources

 

2) Choosing My Armour

 

3) Parts List

 

4) Strider's Helmet

 

5) Boots

• Part I - Laces and Sole
  
• Part II - White Vinyl
  

6) Soft Goods

• Gloves
  
• Pouches
  
• Cod Piece
  
• Cummerbund
  
• Flight Suit: Part I - Collar; Part II - Suede Patches and Tailoring
  
• Vest
  

7) EC-17 Hold-out Blaster

 

8) Armour - Trimming

• Part I - Preparation
  
• Part II - Cutting and Sanding
  

9) Armour - Assembly

• Thermal detonator
  
• Biceps/Forearms/Shoulder Bells
  
• Boot Holster
  
• Knees and Chest Plate
  
• Back Plate and Tank (Part I, Part II)
  
• Belt
  
• Completed Parts
  

10) Strapping

• Initial Fitment
  
• Shoulder Connection
  
• Cummerbund/Pouch Connection
  
• Cummerbund/Vest/Cod Connection
  
• Chest/Back Side Straps
  
• Velcro Reinforcement
  

11) Complete Test Fit

 

12) Weathering

 

13) Additional Details

• Sole Painting
  
• Helmet Interior and Electronics
  

14) Submission Photos

 

15) Final Adjustments

• Holster Boning and Minor Tweaks
  
• Weathering Adjustments
  
• Lancer Submission
  

[Ruthar]

References/Resources

 

501st CRL: Scout Trooper

 

Speeder Bike Chase from RotJ: YouTube (enjoy the genius that is Ben Burtt)

 

Reference Shots from RotJ: photos from this always awesome website

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ruthar]

Choosing My Armour

 

With nearly every build I have done, the number one question I am usually asked is "where did you get your armour?" I do my best to not endorse any specific armour maker, especially when there are multiple options available as there are with the Biker Scout kits. There is always a lot to consider when making a kit purchase - availability, price, accuracy, just to name a few. For me, accuracy is first and foremost the most important.

 

To that end, the most helpful thread I've ever come across is the one I've found here - "The Ultimate Armor Comparison Thread!" This thread has all of the available armour kits pictured in their completed form next to a model of the screen used Scout Trooper ensemble. Huge thanks to Mickey for posting up all of this information - it's super awesome!

 

 

With these references available, I did a whole lot of thinking and debating. The CFO and MC kits are, to my eyes, the closest to the screen accurate suit on the right. Unfortunately, those vendors are seemingly some of the least available ones. SC and WTF, while seemingly less accurate, are more readily available for ordering based upon the experiences of other troopers I've seen.

 

After much internal debate, I decided to reach out to CFO and MC a few months ago. After hearing what they both had to say and chatting with them both a little bit, I decided on the CFO kit and shot along some money. The adventure had officially begun!

[Ruthar]

Parts List

 

Here's my list of parts for the build of note. I haven't included minor stuff like glues and adhesives, but I do mention that stuff along the way during the build process. This list just helps me keep track and make sure I've got what I need ordered. As the build progresses, more items will be added as they are purchased - hopefully I'll keep it up to date!

 

Helmet Kit - Strider's Scout Trooper Helmet (v2)

 

Armour Kit - CFO/Strider Scout Trooper Armour

 

Holdout Blaster - there are a handful of great options including Hyperfirm, DVH, and Polymer Armory. I went with the PA blaster as they do a "hero kit" that is marvelously detailed.

 

Gloves - Wampa Wear

 

Flight Suit

• Base: Red Kap Coveralls
  
• Black pigskin suede - Tandy Leather is a great source for this (and they have a convenient shop not far from my house!)
  

Cummerbund/Cod/Pouches

• pouch material - white canvas, 1 yard
  
• cummerbund/cod material - white cotton, 2 yards (so many options, but I went with an upholstery fabric that has some heft as well as a gentle sheen similar to that of waterproof fabric)
  
• cummerbund filler - lightweight batting, 2 yards
  

Boots

• Base: work boots (I used these from Amazon)
  
• white vinyl, 1 yard
  
• Shoe Goo, 2 tubes
  
• All-purpose off-white thread
  

Vest

• black knit fabric, 2 yards (so many options (again), but I went with a heavy knit with a gentle sheen and a pretty good amount of flex)
  
• lightweight batting (leftover from cummerbund)
  
• black thread
  

Thermal Detonator

• Thermal detonator belt clips
  
• Tube
  
• Wire wrap (x2)
  

[TO BE CONTINUED]

[Ruthar]

Strider's Scout Trooper Helmet

 

While searching for which armour and helmet kits I was interested in, I decided to reach out to some of the armour and helmet makers on the top of my list to ask some questions, get some more pictures, and just say hello. Strider was the first creator I got to have a conversation with. I was very impressed with how close his suit and helmet came to the original model (as seen in the armour comparison photo thread), so I just wanted to offer my appreciation for his level of detail and investigate availability of pieces. I got extremely lucky as he told me he had one last copy of his v2 on the shelf that he didn't need that I could purchase!

 

For my helmet, I narrowed it down to RS Props and the Strider bucket. The thing that won me over for Strider was the back of the helmet. On the right there is a series of imprinted grooves along the lower edge of the rear - the RS Props helmet has 7 while the helmets we see on-screen have 8 or 9. Supposedly this is because there were a lot of production helmets with variations, some being used on the screen while others didn't make it out of the shop (apparently RS Props scanned and had access to one of the latter). You can't really go wrong with either choice (or many of the vendors available), but that was my deciding factor for the Strider bucket. So, I very quickly pulled the trigger, and a little over a week later the first big brown box arrived from Germany!

 

 

 

 

 

I prefer my lenses to be attached via velcro instead of glue (I like them being easily detachable and replaceable for cleaning or if they get scratched/damaged), so I cut out a wider piece of dark lens material and slipped that behind the face shield. There will be a lot more on internal helmet components later on in the build, but here is what the helmet looks like with the visor reinstalled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ruthar]

Boots

 

Part I - Laces and Sole

 

While waiting for my armour and other pieces to arrive, the first thing I tackled were the boots. I used these Amazon work boots as a base and went up one half size for comfort and room for insoles later on. Here's the box of the boots themselves:

 

 

The first thing I did was cut down the laces. I want to be able to slip the boots on instead of having to tie them beneath the vinyl, so I cut the laces down and tied them off just before the ankle.

 

 

To hold the top part of the boot tightly together, I replaced the lace hooks with two snaps. A piece of elastic runs between the snaps, pulling the boots closed around your foot once your foot is slipped in. I also used a bit of gaffer's tape to hold the triple knot closed to ensure that it doesn't unravel.

 

 

With the laces taken care of and the boot now able to simply be slipped on, it's time to tackle the sole. I pulled up an image of the screen soles then drew a similar pattern onto my own with a pencil.

 

 

 

Then, using a sharp utility knife, I carefully started cutting out the lower details.

 

 

In order to get the upper details on the heel, I used a small engraving Dremel bit to carefully cut away the rubber. (You can also see the installed elastic at the top of the boot in this image)

 

 

Here is an image of the cut out sole next to the original sole:

 

 

And both of them cut:

 

[Ruthar]

Boots

 

Part II - White Vinyl

 

With the soles finished, it's time to get the white vinyl installed. I used the amazing boot tutorial here to learn how to do it - super helpful!

 

1) First, I placed a large square across the toe of the boot.

 

 

2) Then I pinned the vinyl down against the boot itself with a series of push pins stuck into the upper edge of the rubber sole.

 

 

3) Once the front of the vinyl is pinned, I cut the back of the vinyl to match the shape of the boot itself.

 

 

4) I pinned one side down completely, then pulled the rest of the vinyl over to the unpinned side. I used my heat gun to carefully heat the vinyl - this will allow it to stretch more easily along the top of the boot and conform to the toe's shape.

 

 

5) Stretch the heated vinyl carefully and pin it tightly. Allow the vinyl to cool completely so it keeps the shape.

 

 

6) In order to adhere the vinyl to the boot, I used Shoe Goo (pictured below). Simply remove the pins (one side at a time so it stays in place), apply the adhesive beneath, and then re-pin. I let the adhesive dry overnight, though it is pretty stable after a few hours.

 

 

7) Once the adhesive is dry, I removed the pins.

 

 

8) Using a sharp razor knife, I carefully cut the vinyl where it meets the very top of the sole.

 

 

9) The vinyl around the toes is finished off with a 1/2" covering strip, so I cut two long strips 1/2" wide.

 

 

10) Using the Shoe Goo again, I glued them down against the edge of the sole. I used painter's tape to hold the vinyl strips in place while the adhesive dried.

 

[Ruthar]

11) Once the adhesive is dry, I removed the painter's tape to reveal a nice, clean edge.

 

 

12) With the toe region complete, it's time to craft the tall rear portion. To start, I created a rough template out of a lawn and leaf bag. I used 14" sides, a 16" lower edge and an 18" upper edge as that seemed to fit me proportionally.

 

 

13) Once I cut the template out, I installed it onto the boot with some painter's tape to test.

 

 

 

14) Then I slipped the boot on and closed the back of the template with some painter's tape to test the fit. It took a couple rounds of adjusting to get it to sit right, but eventually I got it sitting pretty well.

 

 

 

15) I removed the template and cut the vinyl out.

 

 

16) Before I installed anything onto the boot, a few things need to be sewn. First, the top edge needs to be folded back and finished with a stitch of white thread.

 

 

17) Then, sew-in velcro needs to be added at the rear so that the vinyl can be closed. The outsides of the boot close over the insides, so I made sure that I placed velcro on the top of the inside edge and beneath the outside edge.

 

 

18) Here is the finished rear with velcro.

 

[Ruthar]

19) Once I finished the sewing, it's time to install the tall components to the rear of the boot. First, I tested to make sure they fit nicely.

 

 

20) Then, I punched a hole for a rivet where the bottom front corner of the rear piece meets the 1/2" covering strip. I just use an awl to push the hole in.

 

 

21) Next I installed the rivet and used the Shoe Goo to adhere the section just behind and above the rivet. Just like the boot tutorial says, don't glue too much of the rear piece on as you need it to flap open easily to slip your foot in. I used a pair of magnets to hold down the vinyl while the adhesive dried.

 

 

22) Then I did the same for the other boot.

 

 

23) Once the adhesive is dried, I had to test them out!

 

 

24) Finally, there is a bone shaped piece that hides the seam between the toe piece and the tall rear piece. I started by cutting out a template and testing the fit. Mine was just under 10" in total length. It took a bit of adjustment to find the right shape for the curved ends, but just going slowly with a pair of scissors and cutting little bits off at a time was enough to finally get what I wanted.

 

 

 

25) Trace the template onto the back of the vinyl and cut out the 'bones.'

 

 

 

26) At the very edge of the curved sections, there are two detail stitch lines. These are not functional in my build, but they are necessary for screen accuracy. I just went slowly with a sewing machine to get a nice, even curve.

 

 

27) I used a generous amount of the Shoe Goo on each curved ends of the bones to ensure solid adhesion.

 

 

28) Then I used painter's tape once again to hold the bones in place while the glue dried.

 

 

29) I made sure that the bone piece is covering the seam between the toe and rear piece completely before committing to the glue.

 

 

30) I set the boots aside for a while to let the glue do its thing (I did overnight again).

 

 

31) Lastly, I removed all the painter's tape to reveal finished boots. They are now ready for the final details later on - installing the holster, painting the soles one colour, and weathering.

 

[Ruthar]

Soft Goods

 

Gloves

 

I picked up a marvelous pair from Wampa Wear. The only thing I needed to do is to snip off the clips as the CRL states: "There are no labels/logos, clips, or external straps" on the gloves. (even though it's still there in the pictures...)

 

 

 

They're definitely a bit tight and warm, but I don't think I want to go removing the liner as a few others in my Garrison have done. I think they will look nice with the full thickness in tandem with the armour.

 

 

Pouches

 

Now begins some of the more interesting stuff! Making the pouches is a fun little adventure. I used a yard of heavy white canvas and white thread.

 

1) Create templates for the fabric. The pouches should be proportional to the wearer, but they should be in the vicinity of 5"x6"x2" according to all the awesome information available all around here. The templates are in three different parts - the attachment tab, front flap, and the box. Here is the template I used for the box, based on the templates Strider offers in the Lancer Build Tutorial. You will need one of these per box, 2 total. Sides that are sewn together I labeled with matching text (sew 1 to sew 1, for example).

 

 

2) Here's the template I used for the front flap and top of the box. (You will need two of these per box, 4 total)

 

 

3) And here is the template I used for the attachment tab. (You will need two of these per box, 4 total)

 

 

4) Once the templates are done, I cut the canvas to match.

 

 

5) I started with sewing the attachment tabs on the three sides with a basic stitch. I left a 1/2" border around pieces to be sewn together and then sewed the edges together near where the 1/2" border begins.

 

 

6) I inverted the attachment tab after the stitching to hide the stitch between the two pieces.

 

 

7) I repeated the process for the front flap. Sew the pair of flaps back to back and then invert again.

 

 

8) For the box component, I began by sewing "sew 1" and "sew 2" together (the bottom edges of the box).

 

 

9) I inverted the box to reveal the bottom two corners. Then, I laid the front flap upon the face of the box.

 

 

10) While I was still able to easily get inside, I placed a 1" square of sew-in velcro upon the face of the box and sewed it in. The placement of this piece is contingent on the previous step - the angle of the flap should determine the velcro's placement.

 

 

11) Along the top back of the box, I sewed in the front flap and the attachment tab. The attachment tab should be the rearmost piece (I messed that up the first time! ) with the front flap sandwiched between the tab and the box edge.

 

 

12) Sewing these pieces in this manner (finally!) causes the front flap to hang down over the front when the box is hanging from the attachment tab which I think is the intention...

 

 

13) then I inverted the box again and zip closed the two side pieces.

 

 

14) Invert the box (once again) now that the sides are closed to reveal a complete box. I used a couple clips to fold down the top edges of the box just to see how things sit.

 

 

15) Now it's time to install the matching velcro upon the front flap. I pulled the flap down across the top and face of the box and found where the matching 1" square of velcro needs to sit.

 

 

16) Pin the velcro piece to the front flap. There is a specific stitching that holds this velcro piece on, so I marked a diagonal line with a pencil that runs on the same angle as the flap's slanted edge.

 

 

17) I went super carefully with my sewing machine to get a stitch that doesn't pull too tightly on the fabric. That, in tandem with a thread that matches very closely with the canvas colour, gave me a hidden stitch like so. The stitch should go around the box of the velcro and then finish with the diagonal cut through the center.

 

 

18) I just used some clips and Fabric Fusion adhesive to glue down the top edges of the box itself.

 

 

19) While the glue is drying, I made a pair of frames to keep the boxes shapely as well as add functionality. I just cut up a bit of foam project board into a 4.75"x5.75"x1.75" box. The slightly smaller frame than the box size allows the fabric to relax around the edges of the box, giving the illusion that the entire piece is cloth instead of internally framed and rigidly square.

 

 

20) Once the frame is installed, I glued the top side edges of the box to the edges of the frame. This pulls the sides in and keeps them beneath the top flap as well as keeps the frame down in the pouch.

 

 

21) After some time to dry (and a lot of trial and a whole lot of error), I think I've got some usable pouches!

 

[Aliaz]

You are really going into detail with this build!

 

Look good sofar.

[Frank75139]

This is an amazing thread. Your doing great and it’s going to be a real help to future scouts.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

[Ruthar]

Thanks! It's been a pretty fun journey learning all these things, and I find that doing threads like this really help keep things organized as I move along - otherwise I tend to bounce from this and that which slows down the overall process (and drives me a little nuts )

[Ruthar]

Soft Goods

 

Cod Piece

 

Moving along with the soft goods, I tackled the cod piece next.

 

1) Just as before, I started with creating a template. I am lucky enough to have a fellow Garrison Scout's soft goods on-hand to replicate (and we're pretty close in size, too), but it's not a complicated template to create. I made sure to give myself a 1/2" edge around the piece so that I had something to sew together. One the template has been created, cut two copies of the template out from the cloth. I am using a heavy white cotton upholstery fabric that has a similar feel (yet much more subdued) to waterproof fabric.

 

 

2) To give the cummerbund and cod piece some thickness, I am using a light batting between the layers. Cut a piece that matches the shape of the template (though a little smaller as it needs to nestle between the sealed layers).

 

 

3) I sewed the two cloth pieces together at the bottom and sides. Leave the top open so we can install the batting and stiffening.

 

 

4) In order to prevent the tip of the cod piece from bunching between my legs, I cut a piece of packing foam to slip into the very bottom of the cod piece. It is a rather flexible material so it does allow for motion, but it is far more sturdy than the batting alone, so hopefully it will make sure the cod piece keeps its shape. I slipped the foam into the very bottom of the cod piece ensuring that it nestles in tightly.

 

 

5) I slipped the batting in between the layers of cloth and down into the cod piece completely.

 

 

6) Right about where the cod piece angles inward, there is an arc that runs across the fabric. I used a pencil to lightly draw the shape before stitching anything.

 

 

7) Going slowly with my sewing machine, I followed the marking made with the pencil to sew the four layers (cloth, foam, batting, cloth) together. There are two parallel stitches that make up this arc.

 

 

8) Close-up detail of the parallel stitches.

 

 

9) Finally, I added some velcro along the top of the cod piece as this will attach the cod piece to the cummerbund. Fold in the topmost pieces of fabric to get a clean edge, add the velcro, hold it down with some clips (or pin it), and then sew it all down.

 

 

10) Lastly, I removed the pins/clips to reveal the finished cod piece. It is now ready to be attached to the vest later on.

 

[Ruthar]

Soft Goods

 

Cummerbund

 

The white cloth adventure continues with the cummberbund!

 

1) As you can probably expect by now, I began with yet another template! For my body, my cummerbund turned out to be roughly 8.5" x 46" *. I like using the lawn and leaf bags to create my templates as it is sturdy enough paper to test on the body without a lot of risk of tearing. (*A note on cummerbund dimensions - the original cummerbund I made was a few inches too long as it was based on another pre-fabricated cummerbund. Knowing that they should be about as wide as the total length of the pouches, the actual cummerbund width should be 8-9 inches. I went with 8.5 to give a little wiggle room)

 

 

2) Instead of cutting two copies of the template out, I cut one copy of the template out with an additional folded layer beneath. This prevents you from sewing both lengthy sides shut which allows for an easier installation of the batting.

 

 

3) Before sewing anything closed, I installed the matching strip of velcro that will hold the cod piece. Find the center of the total cummerbund length and center the cod piece velcro strip 3/4" away from the open edge of the cummerbund. Pin it down and sew it in. Doing this now allows the velcro to be sewn into only the back side of the cummerbund, keeping the stitching completely hidden from the front.

 

 

4) Once the velcro is in, clip/pin the open side of the cummerbund together to create a lengthy fabric tube.

 

 

5) Sew the pinned/clipped size shut with a basic straight stitch.

 

 

6) Cut a long strip of batting the full length and width of the cummerbund itself (though slightly smaller so it can fit within). Then, slowly feed it into the middle of the cummerbund via the open sides.

 

 

7) Once the batting is in place, I drew 6 evenly spaced (1" apart) lines centered on the cummerbund. Once these lines are stitched, this will create 5 1" channels in the center of the front of the cummerbund. Run a straight stitch along all 6 of these marks.

 

 

8) Here is the front of the cummerbund after the stitching is complete.

 

 

9) Here is a picture of the cummerbund with the pouches roughly in position. The pouches should just about run the entire width of the cummerbund which is 8"-9".

 

 

10) To finish up, the rear of the cummerbund is closed with a strip of 2" sew-in velcro. It should close right over left, so be sure that your velcro is on top of the left side and beneath the right. And now the cummerbund is all set!

 

[Ruthar]

Soft Goods

 

Flight Suit - Part I - Collar

 

There are two major modifications to the flight suit that are needed - the collar and the suede patches. I used this Red Cap coverall as a base for the flightsuit as I know many other fellow Scouts do.

 

1) The first thing to do is to remove the butt pockets of the suit. I just went around slowly with a seam ripper until the connecting thread is broken and the fabric can be removed. Keep the pocket fabric as you'll need them for the next step.

 

 

2) I cut the top off of one of the pockets to create a strip wide enough to match the width of the collar. Mine was just under 3".

 

 

3) Fold down and pin the cut edge to clean up the look.

 

 

4) I then stitched the pinned edge closed to finish the rectangle and make it look nice and clean.

 

 

5) Now that the edge is finished, pin one half of the rectangle to the left side of the collar. I'll be closing it left to right to match the other costume flight suits I have such as the Navy Trooper or Crewman.

 

 

6) Sew down the pinned area to get a good connection. I also folded in the exposed ends to make a clean looking pointed edge that matches other flight suit collars.

 

 

7) Finally, we need to install some velcro to keep things held down. First, install a piece on the end of the flap itself.

 

 

8) ...and match it with a piece on the outside of the right side of the collar. Then it's ready for deployment!

 

[Ruthar]

Soft Goods

 

Flight Suit - Part II - Suede Patches and Tailoring

 

Now that the collar is finished, it is time to work through the other flight suit modifications. Next up is the four suede patches at the seat of the pants as well as a square that covers the posterior.

 

1) In order to get inside to sew anything on, gently use a seam ripper to open the outside seams of the pants.

 

 

2) On the inside of the trousers right at the base, the four patches meet to form a region of suede similar to that found on old motorcycle breeches. I used a pencil to draw the shape onto the pants to experiment and see how things looked. Also, this thread right here on these boards is a great help in shedding some light on proper patch placement. I found this specific post to be a big help, too!

 

 

3) Once I found shapes I was happy with, I made some templates - again!

 

 

4) Trace the templates onto the suede. I'm using a sheet of black pigskin suede from Tandy Leather. Be sure to flip the template for both rights and lefts.

 

 

5) Carefully cut the pieces out. I used very sharp heavy duty fabric scissors to make the cuts.

 

 

6) Using a healthy amount of pins (and a whole lot of patience), pin the suede to the undersuit. You could, in theory, pin all four patches on simultaneously, but I chose to go one at a time. Once they are pinned down, sew them into the suit. For me, patience was the true key to this part. Getting the sewing machine to work around all the tricky seams at the seat of the pants is no easy feat - I managed to sew a few layers together on more than one occasion! Nothing the seam ripper can't fix, but it can get rather infuriating!

 

 

7) To cover the posterior, a square piece of suede is affixed to the flight suit at the rear. I chose to align the top of my square with the elastic waist belt of the suit. Pin it into place once you've decided on a size that is good for you. The square should hang just to the very end of your butt (mine turned out to be a 12.5" square).

 

 

8) I used two stitches about 1/2" apart to hold the square down.

 

 

9) There are two 2" elastic strips that run around the thighs. To install them, I decided where I wanted them to sit (about halfway down the suede patch), marked the 2" thickness with pins, then used a seam ripper to open the suede seam between the pins. Then, I slipped the elastic through the new gap in the seam and pinned the elastic/suede/fabric together. You can also slip the 2" elastic beneath the suede before sewing the suede in the first place, but I found that managing both the suede and the elastic simultaneously was too much for my novice sewing skills.

 

 

10) Replicate the 2" strip on the other thigh making sure that they are sitting at the exact same height on each leg.

 

 

11) Sew over the length of ripped seam to reconstruct the seam and hold the 2" elastic in place as well as the suede patch.

 

[Ruthar]

12) While the outside seams of the legs are still open, I took this time to do some tailoring of the suit. The Red Kap coveralls tend to be a bit baggy while the actual Biker Scout suits are a bit more form-fitting, so I took in the suit quite a bit. I had originally purchased a "long" suit in my size to allow for more movement and ease of putting it on/off, but that suit was horrendously baggy on me so I actually returned it and when with a regular size. I'm only 5'7" so the regular was just fine for my shorter stature.

 

I used safety pins to pull the open seam closed again in a tighter position. You could easily have an assistant mark/pin this for you while wearing the suit, but I was on my own this evening.

 

 

13) Here you can see the tremendous difference in bagginess (left untouched and right pulled in).

 

 

14) I did the other leg once I had a rough idea of how much I was pulling in. As you can see, it's a pretty significant amount of fabric now beyond the safety pinned edge.

 

 

15) Before resealing the legs, attach the other side of the 2" elastic straps using the same method as earlier. Break the seam where the strap should sit, slip the elastic under the suede, and re-sew the seam. I found that the rear straps sat just below the bottom edge of the suede square.

 

 

 

16) Once the elastic is sewn in, invert the legs and sew along the edge of the safety pins to seal the legs. Now you are left with something that looks much more interesting!

 

Front:

 

 

Rear:

 

 

17) Just like the legs, the sleeves were also a big baggy for me. I inverted them and added an additional seam to pull them in tighter for a more form-fitting look.

 

 

18) Finally, I used spare 2" elastic to create stirrups at the very bottom of the trousers. These will ensure that the flight suit stays tucked down into the boots and that the flight suit retains its form-fitting appearance.

 

 

19) And here is the finished product! Not the best quality pictures (hopefully I'll get better ones when I have someone around who can snap them for me), but they do show the overall look of the more form-fitting suit.

 

 

[Ruthar]

Soft Goods

 

Vest

 

The final big component of the soft goods for this build is the vest. This was one of the more challenging pieces for me to figure out (mostly due to my limited sewing knowledge going in), but it turned out to be a fun time.

 

There's an awesome guide on these boards on how to create your own vest. Originally I intended to do it that way, but I decided to go with nicer knit fabric instead of a plain cotton tee shirt.

 

1) To start, I used the vest of my fellow Scout for a physical reference which has been a huge help - thanks to Dave! I cut a template for the chest piece of the vest.

 

 

2) I also made a rectangular template for the sleeves. They will be sewn and cut down to their angled size later on, so I made a rectangle that could entirely contain the unique shape of one of the flattened sleeves. The sleeve rectangle should be two layers with the outside edge being folded over.

 

 

3) Next, cut out the template pieces. As I mentioned, I am using a breathable knit cotton fabric. It's stretchy and comfortable, almost like a softer version of Under Armour. I found it in the labyrinthine aisles of Joann's Fabric. I added 1/2" around all edges of my templates to allow for sewing. The front piece is just a duplication of the template. The back, however, is split in half with a 2" overlap in the middle to permit the 2" velcro that holds the rear together. I cut two halves of the template with an additional 2" on each side to account for this.

 

 

4) To create the padded texture of the sleeves, I cut a piece of batting (the same batting I used for my cummerbund) to fit within the rectangular sleeve template.

 

 

5) Fold the rectangle over the batting. I then used a silver sharpie and a 1" template (made from a strip of gaffer's tape) to draw out all of the lines that need to be sewn into the fabric to get the detail lines.

 

 

6) Here is the fabric pinned, clipped, lined, and ready for sewing.

 

 

7) This next part was a true exercise in patience - sewing all the lines. It's easy but rather time consuming (at least it was for me! ) Just zip a straight stitch down each marked line until they are all accounted for.

 

 

8) Then...do it again so you have two!

 

 

9) Shift the sleeves off to the side and pull up the chest and back cuts. I laid the chest down onto the table and then lined up the corners of the two back pieces to start.

 

 

10) The center of the two back pieces is connected with a 2" strip of sew-in velcro. Pin/clip one side of the velcro down into place right int the center of the back.

 

 

11) I also folded the bottom edge as well as the edge beneath the velcro in about a 1/2" to give a clean looking side once sewn.

 

 

12) Repeat the process with the matching piece of velcro to close the back.

 

 

13) Now the back is one velcro-joined piece.

 

 

14) Now that the sleeves, front, and back are prepared, it's time to get to assembling! First, fold the sleeves in half so you have an open tube. At the top edge (where the piece is folded over), I marked a slight angle a few inches off the corner like so. This will serve as the edge that sits upon your shoulder which allows the rest of the sleeve to hang down over your arm.

 

 

15) Sew a basic stitch along that marked line.

 

 

16) When you invert the fabric, it looks like this. The angled edge will sit upon the tops of your shoulders.

 

 

17) Before moving to assembling the rest of the parts, I did a little bit of research regarding sleeve construction. I found this handy guide that I thought would work great for the construction of the vest as it's pretty basic but seemingly quite effective. Just like the guide says, pin and sew the edges of the front and back to the edges of the sleeve first.

 

 

18) I found that it helped to pin things into position just to see how things looked. Then, I would rotate/re-pin the pieces before sewing in order to get the right stitch that hides the seam. Below, you'll notice that the fabric on the left is ready for sewing while the one on the right is just for placement (if you were to sew it you would be left with that very untidy looking edge).

 

 

19) After the front and back is attached to the sleeves, I had something that looks like this.

 

 

20) Invert the piece to reveal the interior. I pinned the edge shut and marked where I wanted to run my stitch to hold the pieces together.

 

 

21) I also took a moment to fold and sew the bottom edge of the front piece as well to get the same finished looking edge as I did on the back pieces earlier.

 

 

 

22) Lastly, once the sides were sewn, I finished the collar the same way - folding back the fabric by 1/2", pinning, and sewing. Unfortunately, I neglected to snag a picture of this, but you should get the idea - I'm just trying to make things look tidy.

 

23) And here is the finished piece. There is still some fitment adjustment to do, but, as the sleeve attachment guide mentions, taking it in or out a little more is relatively easy to do with this method of assembly. I will most likely need to take the sleeves in a touch more so they pull tighter around the flight suit as well as move the velcro in the back a little tighter so the vest pulls more tightly across my shoulders. I also need to iron out that extra crease in the back.

 

 

[Ruthar]

Polymer Armory Blaster

 

EC-17 Hold-out Blaster

 

Before diving in to the armour components, I received my blaster from Polymer Armory! It's a lovely piece - I went with their hero version that they make which includes some of the more accurate details such as an installed allen nut and detailed scope. Here's the little box it arrived in:

 

 

And here are the contents of the little box:

 

 

1) The first thing I did was to hit the seams on the pieces with some sandpaper to try to get them down and as smooth as possible. I used 80 grit followed by 220 then 400 to get a clean surface.

 

 

2) Here are the pieces with the seams knocked down.

 

 

3) Then I layered on a few coats of grey Rustoleum primer.

 

 

 

4) I followed up the primer with Rustoleum 2x semi-gloss black.

 

 

5) After a few coats and a bit of drying, I brought them inside to cure in the more controlled inside air.

 

 

6) After a few days, I moved to assemble the blaster. The scope is connected with a long screw that pushes into the side.

 

 

7) That scope connecting screw is covered by the scope mount which is screwed down as well.

 

 

8) The trigger guard (if there were a trigger) is screwed into the underside of the blaster.

 

 

9) Then I painted all the screws black with some Testor's model paint.

 

 

10) The final thing to do is to install a lens disc into the scope as suggested by the Lancer requirements. I installed the disc that came with the blaster, but wasn't too pleased with how it looked after gluing.

 

 

11) In order to get a better looking disc, I cut out a piece of extra smoke lens material (the same that I used for the Scout's visor) into a small disc the perfect size to fit into the end of the scope. I sandpapered the edges for a while to get it nice and round.

 

 

12) Then I glued that in against the original disc to get a much more pleasing scope detail.

 

[Ruthar]

Armour

 

After a whole lot of deliberation, I finally decided upon the CFO/Strider armour. What was truly amazing about purchasing this armour was how quickly it arrived. I paid the builder on Friday evening once he let me know that a kit was available. First thing Monday morning, I get a notification that a shipment has been sent along via DHL. Great news! On the tracking information page, it told me that the package was arriving on Tuesday, the next day. I thought this had to be a mistake, but I kept my eye on it all the same. For the rest of the day and the next morning, it continued to say arriving by Tuesday. Less than 36 hours later, this box arrived from London. That's incredible service!

 

 

Cracking it open reveals a beautiful baby blue ensemble! (Not really - it's just coated with a protective film)

 

 

It's even signed which I think is a lovely touch.

 

 

 

Now that everything has arrived and been accounted for, it's time to get to cutting!

 

Trimming - Part I - Preparation

 

Before actually cutting into anything, I took a sharpie and drew the edges. The great thing about the blue protective film is that you can just draw all over the film without worrying about erasing marks upon the armour itself.

 

I started with the chest and slowly worked my way along. For the most part, the trimming is rather apparent, but I also used this thread by Strider to investigate where to make the trim marks as well as referring to screen images of the actual Biker Scout armour (such as the image at the outset of this thread).

 

 

Shoulder bells were next. Keep in mind that this is just rough trimming. The more detail-oriented cutting (like the rounded shoulder corners, for example) will be tackled after the initial cutting.

 

 

Forearm armour (forearmour?)

 

 

Boot holster pieces.

 

 

Bicep armour

 

 

The rear tank.

 

 

Thermal detonator end caps.

 

 

Thermal detonator center panel.

 

 

 

Back plate.

 

 

Hanging boxes.

 

 

Knee armour.

 

 

Now that everything is planned, it's time to dive in for real!

[Ruthar]

Armour

 

Trimming - Part II - Cutting and Sanding

 

Now that the prep work has been done, it's time to dive on into the removal of plastic. I do my trimming in three parts - cutting, dremel, then sanding.

 

1) I started with the shoulder bells. I used tin snips/lexan scissors/etc. to cut down close to the marked lines.

 

 

2) Then, I use a sanding drum on my Dremel to slowly work my way down to the marked lines.

 

 

3) I removed the blue protective plastic. Then, I gently worked the edges of the piece with 80 grit sandpaper followed by 220 grit sandpaper until the edge was clean.

 

 

4) The bottom edge of the shoulder's isn't square, the corners are rounded a bit (here's a fantastic reference of the shape of the shoulder bell corners). First, I drew the shape that I wanted to cut with a pencil.

 

 

5) I used a small pair of curved lexan scissors to gently cut the arc shape out. Then, I finished it off with the 80/220 grit sandpaper.

 

 

6) The finished shoulder bells.

 

 

 

I continued this technique of cutting/Dremeling/sandpaper(ing) for all of the kit's pieces. Next up was the bicep armour (why not go down the arms in order!).

 

Cut down to the lines:

 

 

Dremel down to smooth out the cuts.

 

 

 

Sandpaper until finished.

 

[Ruthar]

Forearm armour (cut on the left, Dremeled on the right).

 

 

 

Knee armour.

 

 

 

Belt boxes.

 

 

 

 

Boot holster parts:

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the thermal detonator box. I cut open the sides and cut down the back enough so that the tube can fit within.

 

 

Then I used the sanding drum on the Dremel to open up the sides to receive the tube. I won't be using this particular tube, but its the one that came with the kit and it is a good, convenient size reference.

 

 

 

For the TD end caps, I cut them down to 1/2" with a pair of snips.

 

 

To finish them off, I rubbed the bottom edge flat against a piece of rough sandpaper upon the workbench. This evens out the cuts pretty easily to get a nice, flat edge.

 

 

The chest was another exercise in patience. Getting the edges just so is difficult to do, so I just went around very slowly, first with the snips and then with the sanding drum on the Dremel. I took off little bits of plastic at a time until I got right to the edges I want. Here's the finished bottom edge of the chest. There will most likely be more to take off later on for fitment, but I wanted to start by leaving a bit extra for now instead of cutting off to much and regretting it later.

 

 

And here you can see the sides of the chest. I left a little over 1/4" of return edge around the sides and center to give the illusion of thickness.

 

 

The back armour as its the same process as the chest - I went around super slowly to get very similar return edges to the chest so the pieces look closely related.

 

 

The back tank was definitely the most challenging to trim. First, I cut the tank out from the obvious edges (look at the beautiful, plastic-covered floor ).

 

 

Then its a matter of constantly tweaking and adjusting to get the tank to sit comfortably against the back plate. I first made this cut at the top to get the tank to sit atop the raised portion of the backplate.

 

 

 

Then it's just a matter of shaping and adjusting until the tank sits nicely. It took me at least an hour or two to get it sitting where I wanted, so patience is definitely key once again!

 

 

The final thing to trim is the belt. My belt was shipped pretty much trimmed already, but I just touched up the edges with some sandpaper to get things nice and clean.

 

 

 

And that's it! Everything is trimmed and now ready for assembly.

 

[Ruthar]

Armour

 

Assembly - Thermal Detonator

 

In order to create a more screen accurate thermal detonator, I followed the awesome guidance on Strider's Lancer Build thread.

 

1) To start, you'll need a length of this hose material.

 

 

2) I cut it down to the same size as the tube that was sent with the armour (11.5").

 

 

3) You'll also need two lengths of 12' extension cord, easily found at Home Depot (and cheap!).

 

 

4) Cut the ends off the extension cord and pull them apart at the middle. Once you have both halves, discard the textured side and keep the smooth side as the smooth side is the one we want to use.

 

 

5) I centered the tube within the plastic rear piece and then marked where the wire will need to be wound to. You don't need to wind the wire around the entire tube as the center is hidden. I also figured it's easier for the zip tie later to grab and pull the bare tube.

 

 

6) To begin wrapping the wire, I drilled a hole large enough to slip the end of the wire into the tube to provide an anchor to start with.

 

 

7) Then, simply wind the cable tightly around the tube to the end. (Note: this is my practice wind using the textured side that is thrown away - don't use this side, use the smooth side.) Once I reached the end of the tube, I cut off the little bit of extra and super glued the end down, clamped it, and let it dry for a little bit

 

 

8) Do the same on the other side. Here is what it looks like all wound up.

 

 

9) Time to paint! I used a grey that is just a few shades lighter than the traps/teeth of the ANH TK to paint the white wire. You can see the difference between the white beneath the clamp and the grey around it.

 

 

10) There are two black clips that hold the detonator to the belt at the rear. I got them from right here. To install them, I first drilled a hole into the tube after carefully separating the wire.

 

 

I used a small screw closed off on the inside with a washer and a nut on the inside.

 

 

11) I placed both clips 1 3/4" from the ends of the tube.

 

 

12) Time to install the plastic shell. The only thing holding the tube and the shell together is a single black zip tie. I first drilled two very small holes (5/32" was the drill bit size I think) right above the little cutouts in the center of the panel.

 

 

13) Using the same small drill bit, I carefully elongated the holes until they were just wide enough to receive the zip tie. I wanted no extra space between the zip tie's edges and the hole/slot in the panel.

 

 

 

14) Slip the zip tie into place and pull it through. Before putting the tube into the box, I used a heat gun to gently soften the tube at the center in order to allow the zip tie to pull the tube into its slightly curved shape. I was worried that the tension on the zip tie could crack the plastic cover if the tube wasn't bent a little beforehand. Place the tube into the panel making sure it's centered and then tighten down the zip tie to hold it in place.

 

 

15) Now that the panel is installed, glue on the rear greeblies. The larger one should be on the left with the u-cut out on the top. The small circle greeblie sits on the right, roughly centered between the edge and the zip tie. I'm really impressed by the quality and detail of these greeblies - they look beautifully sharp!

 

 

16) The final thing to do is to install the end caps. First, I used a Dremel to flatten down the ends so there is a flat surface to glue the caps onto.

 

 

17) I ran some super glue around the edge of the flattened end and then pushed the cap against the end making sure it was as centered as possible.

 

 

That's it! The first piece of armour is now finished.

 

 

 

[Ruthar]

Armour

 

Assembly - Biceps

 

1) The CFO pulls are on the thinner side than some of the other kits I've worked with (which I assume is what permits the armour to be pulled so accurately and with so much detail), so I decided to reinforce a few areas to be safe. The edges of the bicep into which the straps are installed were the first part I wanted to reinforce. So, I cut four strips that fit into those side areas (about 1" x 2.5" ).

 

 

2) Using ABS cement, I glued them into place on the upper edges of the bicep. I usually let them set for 30 minutes or so before working with them again.

 

 

 

3) After the reinforcement was dried and in place, I marked where the holes needed to be opened for the 2" strapping. I went 1/4" from the edge and centered between the top and bottom to create the 2" hole. I started with the pencil mark first.

 

 

4) Using a cutting wheel on the Dremel, I slowly cut along the pencil mark making absolutely certain not to cut wider than 2" as I don't want to see any spare hole beyond the width of the strap itself. I used a very small metal file as well as some fine (220) sandpaper to clean up the holes after cutting.

 

 

5) Once the holes were cut, I got a rough length for how long the bicep strap would need to be. I just put the piece on my arm and used this tape to get a estimated measurement.

 

 

6) I then cut the elastic strap to the measurement. I glued each end of the strap in against the armour with some super glue, then clamped/magneted it down and set it to dry.

 

 

7) Once the straps dried, I installed the bicep greeblies. The CFO kit greeblies are in two parts, so I installed the upper pieces first. I gently sanded the surface of the armour as well as the back of the greeblie to give the super glue a little more surface to adhere to.

 

 

8) Then I installed the lower greeblies the same way. The Lancer requirements state that the circles should face forward on each piece, so I glued them down against the top greeblie as well as with the circles facing forward so that each bicep is mirrored (one for each arm).

 

 

9) Here are the final biceps once the glue for the greeblies has dried.

 

 

 

Assembly - Forearms

 

The process for the forearms is pretty much identical with the biceps just with a smaller, 1" strap.

 

1) There wasn't a convenient place to reinforce on the angled inside edges for this strap, so I opted not to add additional plastic as I did with the biceps. The first step was to cut a 1" slot to feed the strapping into. I used the cutting wheel on the Dremel again, but I cut from the inside of the armour this time - I found it far easier to get the hole lined up that way as well as there being less risk of accidental cutting of the raised surface edges. Then I sanded the slot with the small flat file and the 220 grit sandpaper again.

 

 

2) Installing and gluing the straps was the same as the biceps, so I won't belabor the subject. Super glue/clamp the strap into place and then it's ready to go.

 

 

Assembly - Shoulder Bells

 

1) I took a moment now to install the 1/2" shoulder bell elastic at the bottom to pull it against the arm. It's similar to the TK shoulder bell strap, so I installed these basically the same way. I started by affixed the front of the strap with super glue (the rear of the strap is just held on via clamps for placement).

 

 

2) The rear of the strap is held on via velcro. I decided on that so I can slip into the chest/back/shoulder bells all attached and then just velcro the small shoulder bell strap closed after the armour is on. I used a bit of adhesive white hook velcro and stuck it against the shoulder bell. Then, I sewed in a small 1/2" wide strip of black loop velcro onto the strap. Push them together and voila!

 

 

It's also worth noting that I left an inch between the strap's contact point and the edge of the shoulder bell. This is because I don't want the shoulder bell to appear to be pulled in too tightly against the body so it can retain the natural shape of the armour piece. The strap is just loose enough to keep things in place, not pull anything tight.