Strider

Hi Ricky, thanks for the update pics - looks really good!! Please stand by for the final review.

Here's a link to a WIP of mine: http://forum.bikerscout.net/index.php?showtopic=17305&view=findpost&p=163988 Hope it helps!

I've PM'd you, buddy.

Pics are up again

Hi Ricky, thx for your update pictures! We'll review and get back to you shortly!

yeah, good point - I still need to update the pics for this thread. I've done it already for most of my other threads but it's s lot of work each time so bare with me

I'm using 2mm acrylic capped ABS which is a bit flexible but very durable. So with that material it shouldn't be a problem...

Just a small update on the upper arm armor. Since we've discovered a few months back that the strap used for the upper arm armor was actually 2 inches wide most armors (mine included) were to small because they were scaled to the 1.5 inch strap. I'Ve adjusted the mold now and made a set for a buddy. This is what it now looks with a 2 inch strap:

The RS is a bit larger. The faceplate of the LW might 'somewhat' fit to the RS Dome but certainly not perfectly. Though I don't think anyone would plan a mash-up. lol.

Well, not quite but John's helmet is pretty close for sure. 300,- is indeed ridiculously expensive but the market makes the price. The other downside is that these helmets are very difficult to build. I would say most people are bound to mess it up on their first try (I know I did with my first helmets!). This is a almost a full 2-day build.

Building a bikerscout helmet Building a biker scout helmet is really as much an art as it is a trade. It's a puzzle where the position of each part influences all other parts; so as many helmets as you may build each one is slightly different. Below you can see a (rather picture heavy) build process: The first part is usually trimming and lining up the dome and use ABS straps to connect the two halves. The ABS straps need to be heat bend first using a heat gun to bring them in the exact shape. The better the straps line up (less gaps) the cleaner the helmet will look from the inside because you have less bondo pushing through. I usually do around 3 rounds of bondo before I'm sanding it down. The next step is assembling the 3 visor pieces. I'm using a distance of 3,5cm between the front visor (measured in the middle) and the facemask. Assembling the visor to the dome is really an iterative process where you cut of small chunks of material until the visor fits perfectly to the dome. And when you think you're done try opening up the helmet. Usually you have to remove more material so that the visor does not scratch the dome while opening up. The marked section has to be dremmeled out for hinge mechanism to work properly: Fast Forward: After sanding, painting (sequence: Special ABS primer, filler, primer, white RAL 9016 laquer and potentially clear coat), putting on decals and the snout, installing a liner and some weathering, this is what a finished helmet can look like:

Hi Chris, thanks for your update pics! You've made good progress - please see our comments below on the remaining things to address: - Straps on shoulder bells seem loose and hanging. Please reduce the gap between them and the shoulder bridges - Vest sleeves still look a tad bit too baggy and bicep armor should come up right below the vest sleeves - The TD brackets should not stick up over belt - The Flight suit is still too baggy on the legs, especially on rear photo. Elastic on knee armor could be seperate at back, perhaps the top elastic is loose? - Cod looks long, perhaps tighten his elastic a little more? Elastic in back not centered Cheers

Hi Robert, a few of us just came back from holidays so thanks for bearing with us. Looks good so far just a few things: - Could you please post a picture of the back and side? It might be that Photobucket messed this up so I would recommend using another filesharer (flickr, imgur, etc...) - The arm armor should (left/right) should sit on the same level and should not be overlapping - There's a pretty large gap between the shoulder armor and the chest armor. Please try to shorten the strap between them Reference for adjustments: Thanks!

Hi Ricky, sorry for the somewhat delayed feedback - holiday season has taken its toll on the review team ;-) Okay, here's your shopping list: - The mud flap too long and should be shortended by a bit over an inch - The back armor should sit higher. I would suggest shortening the back bridge shoulder straps by about an inch. - The vest sleeves are too long by about an inch. When you shorten them the upper arm armor should come up as well. - The bund sits too high. It should end about in the middle of the chest/back armor strap - One drop box strap is bunched in belt slots. I would recommend widening the slot. - The upper arm armors should face to the sides Additional observations not relevant for Lancer approval at this time: - The elastic leg strap sits much too low. It should sit about the height of the arch of the cod piece (please see ref picture) - The color of the TD tube looks almost white or a very very light grey. I would recommend using a darker (middle grey) color for it. - The stitiching on the back on the one boot looks awfully black but I’d let that pass as weathering ;-) - The cod piece itself looks pretty good but the arch stitiching should be (much) lower (please see reference picture)

Hey Paul, thanks for the updates! You're almost there but there, just a couple of points: - You misunderstood my comment on the T-Bit greeblie but Rob told me he already sent you new ones so that should hopefully be covered - The arc on the cod piece should sit lower - There's a gap between your back armor and your back so you'll probably need to trim back the shoulder bridges (of the back armor) Here is a reference pic for the arc on the cod piece: Cheers

Bad ;-) Seriously, it's pretty heavy.

yup, the blasters are top notch, best I've seen so far.

Hey Nicole, congratulations on achieving Lancer status! Jim will make sure you'll get your badge and make the official announcement. Please send your action picture to Cheyenne and we'll get you added to the wall. Cheers

Hi Ricky, thx for your introduction and the Lancer request. Also thanks for the nice pics which make our job a lot easier. I will guide further applicants towards your post to show how it's done properly ;-) Please stand by while we review your application.

Hi Paul, thanks for bearing with us, we just had quite a few Lancer apps incoming in the last weeks. Here's your list: - Lower T-Bit greeblie should be flush with thte exception of the nut details at the right top and bottom - Shoulder armor should not have a return edge - The pouches should have a space of 1 inch to the last CB rib respectively - The mud flap looks too long and not wide enough - could you post a better picture (more light) where we can check out this detail better? - The drop boxes should come up a bit - The cod piece looks a bit bunched up with a possible camel toe. You might need to add more padding there. - Also we need to see better pictures of the following: Shoulder straps, thigh straps/flight suit, knee armor straps, close up of boot treads, helmet bolts and cut outs and tank topper greeblie. - While not a requirement (yet) I would also suggest to reduce the shoulder bridge strap width to 1 inch Any questions please let us know! Cheers

Hi Chris, thanks again for your application. I have to say a good (ie accurate) helmet can really enhance the look of the costume as a whole. Please find your shopping list below: - Shoulders need to be straithend out and have the same distance to the bridge straps - Vest sleeves are flaring, you might have to tighten them a bit - Upper arm armor should face to the sides - The flight suit is a bit too baggy particularly around the knees - The cummerbund should sit on the belt, i.e. no gap should be visible between the belt and the CB. - The pouches should have about 1 inch space to the last rib on the CB respectively - The mud flap is too long. I would reckon that it would need to be shortended by about 2 inches - The chest armor ist pretty large. You pulled it up as much as possible to make it look about right (dimensionwise) but this leads to the should bridges not meeting in the middle on your shoulders but more on the back. I would advise cutting back the should bridge straps of the chest armor a bit so they meet about in the middle. - The drop boxes should sit a bit closer to the belt and be straithend out - The knee armor should sit about 1-2 inches above the boots an face to the front - If you choose to go off-white with the strapping (which is also my favorite option) the shoulder bridge straps also need to be off-white - Could you please add a picture of the scope and barrel of the blaster? - The thigh straps should sit about 2 inches higher (app. at the height of the lower part of the cod piece). Also could you please validate if the left and right straps both have a width of 2 inches? - You might want to pull the strap of the cod piece a bit tighter so it's not hanging down flush but tilting a bit inwards Any questions please let us know! Cheers

Hi Robert, please find our points below: - Side gaps/seams on the helmet need to be filled so they're not visible - Gap between shoulder and chest armor is too large and the shoulder are trimmed incorrectly (shape need to be rounded/curved) - Vest sleeves are much too baggy and need to be fit closer to the arm - Drop boxes are hanging too low and should sit app. 1 inch below the belt - The width of the mud flap looks too small - could you add a back picture where we could check out this details (in the pictures is more or less black on black and not really visible) ? - Upper arm armor need to face to the sides - The boot shaft is too high. There should be a 1-2 inch gap between the boots and the knee armor - Upper arm armor trimmed incorrectly at the front (the part below the T-Bit greeblie extends too long) - please check screen references. Cheers

Thanks for your post! Please stand by while we review your application.

Guys, thanks for all the super nice comments I always ship my armor pre-trimmed since it's easy for me and it saves the guys some time because they don't have to check endless references as I had to do with my first armors. Only thing which I usually leave untrimmed is one piece of the knee armor for those guys who want both knees trimmed excactly the same down to the millimeter. Mickey, I'll try to get the remaining pieces done to send them together with Shaun's stuff. By way of announcement, I'm currently in talks with a maker from UK to do my biker scout armor. He's a great guy, very reliable and has a track record of 10+ years in the prop industry. What's more he has a professional vac forming machine and can hopefully bring out the edge in my molds (particularly thinking of the belt here). Just can't find the time to keep up with demand and it will be great to have a reliable source with short lead times. Hopefully looking to get the ball rolling in the next 2 months.... Cheers

Thanks for your application. Please stand by while the staff is reviewing the details.