Dart

This may seem like a silly question, but concerning the greeb that everyone's fawning over... has anyone checked that it actually fits on a TD?

I've got one of Niko's blasters. It's got some weight to it but I use a strap similar to Diana's AND I've got a loop of material on the inside of my leg to help hold it up. I also have a 6"x2" strip of velcro that helps keep things in place. The boot still droops a bit but that's just the way it is.

Looks really good!

I've done this and so have a few others. If I wasn't so busy at work I'd link ya but go through the armor archives you'll find the thread there.

Hmm... that's good to know. I guess my info was incorrect... Thanks for the update.

That's where I used to get the bolts when I did a few mass buys. Did you actually get the gray bolts or the black ones? I know they haven't changed the photo to show the black ones. Last I was told by them is that they only had the newer style; maybe that changed...

What part of the top greeb are we supposed to be looking at?

Yup. You just need a knob that's just about the size of a nickel (or a touch bigger) and some have used stick-on black rubber table leg bumpers that are square-ish in shape.

Considering the amount of cutting you'll need to do, I'd still suggest going with an exacto knife over a dremel. The knife will give you more control with your cuts. I'd suggest you get a good, short straight-edge to cut against to make sure you get straight lines when you cut. You'll still have to sand the edges so you might also consider getting a good double-sided file (flat on one side, rounded on the other). As for the heat issue, just be careful. ABS tends to need a lot of heat to bend but when it hits that point it can bend quickly. Just heat things slowly and evenly and bend things the same way (slowly and evenly) so you can minimize any warping. The chest/back don't really bend well across the chest, even with heat, so I'd just try to get the strapped ends bent to the right angle as opposed to trying to get the whole chest or back to bend around your body. Plan all your cuts and where you want to bend the armour bits before you do anything. I know you'll want to get this done sooner than later but before you do anything, give it the 24 hour test (if the plan still makes sense then, it's probably ok). And of course, you've got BSN to fall back on.

Agreed. After building a Republic Commando suit, scout armour is very simple. Just take your time, make sure everything fits before you do any cutting and you'll come out with some great stuff.

I started with a pilot hole and then worked my way with my unibit (stepped drill bit, very handy) until I got to the size I wanted. I'll post a photo of the fan tomorrow but I've got the squirrel fans duct pointing up towards the visor. It's pretty close to my mouth and mic but it comes in handy, I just have to be sure I don't exhale through my nose to hard when I have it on, ha! The only thing you'll probably have to do is sand down the bottom near the rounded end as that part of the KS snout isn't quite flat. Easily done, though.

I did the same thing. Test fit the snout and do some measurements. Drill the hole in the helmet and then, slowly, drill the hole in the snout. Resin will warp if it's heated too much so be careful. I drilled a half-inch hole in mine and I attached a squirrel fan to it. Works very well. The grill should drop in. I'd suggest painting the inside of the snout first, dropping the snout in and if it's not snug, use a *tiny* bit of crazy glue to keep it in place (like a drop, max). When I did mine, I painted the snout with some black acrylic paint. That gave it some "grab" when I stuck the screen in place. Then I painted a bit more on the edges to secure the screen.

If you really want to do some weathering, I'd recommend a grey wash. Super easy to do - get some glass cleaner (doesn't have to be Windex), some grey acrylic paint and some paper towels. And something to put the concoction in. Pour an amount of the glass cleaner into your receptacle and squeeze a bit of paint in. There's no formal recipe, just start with less and see how you like it. Mix it all up well and then soak your randomly crumpled up paper towel in the mixture and wipe it all over your armour. It'll give it a slightly grimy look but the best part is that it's not permanent. If you want it off or if you used to much, just use a bit of glass cleaner and it'll slide right off YET it's water resistant.

By "test fit" I mean cut them out to the right size, make sure you have a good idea where you want them to sit by holding them in position with your hand. Vinyl stickers don't really like being stuck and un-stuck. Just make sure everything's straight before you slap 'em on. Before you pull the last piece of tape off (after you've already stuck them to the bucket) just rub the sticker and all the edges with the back of a fingernail to make sure it's all stuck well. It's not rocket science but it can be screwed up if you don't pay attention. Good luck!

Just be careful. Test fit the decals to make sure they're where you want them and then prep the area with an alcohol wipe.

That's looking REALLY good! You're making it look super easy to put together and that makes my wallet nervous...

Also, if you want to prevent enlarged holes from having to drill out rivets, just go really slowly and use a bit that's bigger than the rivet (little trick I learnt from Scott of KS).

I know that gal! She's tiny and her kit looks pretty good. I've trooped with her a few times and aside from her being the smallest scout we've got up here, she fits right in otherwise.

I've used the same tape (double-sided outdoor mounting tape... strong stuff) when I re-assembled my KS bucket. It's a bit tricky but once you've got things lined up, it's actually not bad. Just take your time and you should be alright.

Looks pretty good so far. You might want to pull those belt boxes up a bit. Ideally, they should sit right at your hips and the bottoms of the boxes really shouldn't go lower than the bottom of the cod flap.

Those are really crisp pulls. That's good to see because after doing my Republic Commando this looks like it'd be a piece of cake! Please keep us updated as I'm really keen on seeing how your build progresses. Also, I also hate you.

If you want durability, go for a Hyperfirm (if you can find one) or one of Niko's.

Well... at least the boots look right. Make sure to post up when you get them and give us lots of photos. Just by looking at them, they look like they'll pass the CRL.

Great update. Glad that you're still working on this. Wishing you don't start selling them until I have some cash, ha!

Congratulations!