comm tech

Looking forward to some of your update pics mike.

Thanks Allan. Glad you made it back safe and sound. now back to work on your trooper. Looks like there will be quite a few of us boosting the 41st elite ranks in a couple of months or so. Lots of builds going on. Great that everyone is trading input and ides...and measurements (thanks again Mike)

I used your measurements as a good starting point (thanks so much by the way) I ended up with 6 1/8" from top center of tank to the back plate and 15 1/4" from top of tan around to the bottom where it meets the underside of the tank. After looking at the Screen Grabs and where my tank greeb placement sits, I thought the smaller top end got the tank greeb closer to the backplate, on mine. When the back piece is on my body the tank top has the slightly downward slope away from the body, that I see in the screen grabs. This is the fist thing I have every built as far as costuming so I am trying to be careful, but input is greatly appreciated.

Crisis averted

I know I have some final finish sanding to do on the tank to get it to fit just a little better, before Bondo comes into play. But if any one has any critiques I would like to hear them. Is the tank a good height on the back piece? is the angle the tank is sitting at, acceptable?

The armor party I attended yesterday got me inspired to get back to work on my KT (that and the fact that it was my first weekend off in over three months) So I think I did pretty good. I trimmed the calf and biceps pieces so they are ready for splicing. Then I took a lot of the return material to smooth out the pieces. Cut the greeb hole in the tank, and cut the tank to mount on the back piece. Still a little bit of fitting work to do on that. Got the Hole cut for the Tank Greeb Tank and Greeb Before install Tank with greeb laid in. At least it is snug enough that it is not falling out. Bottom of Tank test fitted onto back plate Side view Top View of tank and back plate, again just test fitting

Sounds like what I am doing as well. My "L brackets didn't come bent, they are just 5- 1" x 4" pieces of HIPS. I have to bend them to make them L brackets. Also my tank greeb came with a flare out on the bottom of it, do they not come that way any more? It mad emy install nice and easy. Have not sealed it into place yet. but you did inspire me to get woking on the tank...so thanks for that. Florida needs more KT's.

To mount the tank on the back plate..did you cut a hole in the back plate and install the "l Brackets" that came with the kit, with e6000 (or some variant) or did you go a whole different direction. Been working on all the other parts this AM, might attack the tank this afternoon.

Brent, Great job of fitting the tank to the back plate. I am just starting to trim mine. I hope mine comes out half as good as yours.

Susie, So sorry to hear about your painful issues. Hope this recovery goes well and you get all healed up soon. Take care.

Your glove greebs came out awesome dude.

Congrats Bigmac, on your acceptance. Kit looks good.

So after 3 months of having the armor I finally got some time this weekend to work on it. All of these pieces, along with the helmet, are ready for painting The bicep pieces will need to be heated a little and pushed into shape and then I will be ready to adhere the two clam shells together. Here they are just to make sure they fit with the shirt (and a set of Grumpy gloves).

The CRL's state center of the lid, so assume it is left to right and front to back? i hope so because that is where mine is. Too late now LOL Helmet For 501st approval: Fan-made helmet. Full set of greeblies - 2 breathers, triangle piece, five bar snout piece and visor bolts. Rectangular slot on the visor measuring 2.5 to 2.75 inches long and 0.75 inches wide - centered in the middle of the visor. Visor with reflective green lens. Chrome undercoat, matt base colors and camo pattern to simulate on-screen troopers – weathering recommended.

Thanks, would love to see some pics. I have had my armor for a few months now and I have not had any time to work on it. My work load at the office looks like it might start to die down in a couple weeks, then I will be getting to the armor.

Mike, Looks really good. Can you elaborate as to how you attached your tank to the back plate?

According to Bikerchick the armor is HIPS not ABS, will that make a difference?

Hey Matt, Since my boots are pretty tall, I was thinking of cutting 2" off the top of them so I would not have to pull the calf armor up to high, this should work since the top of the boot does no get seen...Am I Correct?

Thanks Tony, My Calves are pretty large to start with, so I will probably add a 1/2 inch of so to give me some swelling room.

I am at the same spot, from what I can judge, we have to cut at least half of the bulbous part off to get the slope correct, so it can fit underneath the toe armor. Good job on your gloves, BTW.

I have roughly set the lower leg armor together to try to get the lines for sanding done. Question from some of you guys who have already done this...Are my lines close to correct or am I way off on them. The rounded return on the front (from what I have seen on other kits) looks to end up all but straight with no visable return on the bottom. I just do not want to cut off too much. Thanks for your input.

In one of the messages i got from BikerChick, she stated that she included 5 L Brackets with the kit, for which to mount the tank onto the back piece. She did say if we had any quetions to ask her. You could try PMing her directly. I was planning on cutting a hole in the back plate about 2" smaller than the tank, and then gluing (welding) the L Brackets into place and then mounting the tank to them. After all was done i Was going to close the hole in the back plate to seal it up. That was my plan, If anyone has a better plan, I am all ears. I thought about Cutting the back plate to slide the tank through, but was not sure how well the tank would hold in place,, as it has no return edge to hold it on the inside. Just my thoughts.

Headband sure, fan kits...well maybe not. They would have to be ultra thin kits.

Good luck Holle, Hope it actually come true for you.

Zack, My head measures in at 23.5" Circum. and my head fits fine in the bikerchick helmet. Just open the hole slowly, just a little at a time and I think you will be pleasantly surprised.