Aradun

Glad to hear everything arrived safe and sound Mike. BBB day is very exciting! Sounds like everything is coming together and that your WIP is going to kick into high gear soon. Looking forward to seeing your build complete. As for the forearm and bicep armor...You can get the straps pretty snug. The abs will flex so you should be able to get it more snug than it is out of the box. Velcro on your undersuit and forearm/bicep armor pieces will be your best friend. It’ll keep it from sliding and shifting as you troop, and should help with the sliding issue. Be sure to post up those questions. We’re all here to help.

Sounds like you have a solid well thought plan. When I first saw this kit on his Etsy site, my initial thought was to drill out the mesh and hollow out the aerator from my greeblie and insert the mesh and guts from uk’s system. Then I thought maybe I could just cut and remove both aerators and swap them out rather than replace the entire greeblie and backing plate. But of course those musings were without actually having the product in hand to see if either was a viable option. My RS greeblie is merely screwed to the faceplate with a single Phillips screw so it should be an easy removal once the time comes. Your install will make a great tutorial once finished and I for one am looking forward to it! Keep them pics and posts coming. Good luck!

Looks great Joe. I’m interested in seeing your install process, as this audio system is on my list of add-ons down the pike. It looks from the side by side you provided that you need to trim your original snout piece to attach the new mic equipped snout. BTW...nice weathering on your bucket.

Is this what you’re referring to? https://smile.amazon.com/Scotch-Outdoor-Mounting-450-inches-411-LONG/dp/B001KC08ZE/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=3m+indoor+outdoor+mounting+tape&qid=1594945857&sr=8-11

Of the three brands Chopper mentioned, many of who have the Kolossus claim it is lighter weight than the others.

Great attention to detail Christina. Your cod fix is genius!

Nice job Sebastian. Congrats!

If by making yourself crazy you referring to trying to make it perfect then it’s paying off. I agree with Retrofire. Really excellent job there Eric, well done!

Hey Hawk, just shooting you some ideas for fixes to the issues you noted above. For the TD: if the holes are too large from the original screws breaking lose, consider either reusing or replacing the screws with a slightly wider and/or longer set. In either case place a little CA glue in the hole and on the screw. Also place a dab of CA glue on the back of the clip around the screw hole so that the clip is glued to the TD where it touches the tube. I did that to my TD and it’s solid now. For the knee armor: you can drill out the rivets and remove the 1/2” strapping. Measure it and then replace it with a length that will be more comfortable for you. It sounds like it’s too tight for your leg. Rivet the new strapping in place with 1/8” rivets. I would add Velcro (loop side) to your undersuit and (hook side) to your knee armor so that it stays in place, especially if you add additional length to the 1/2” strapping so that it’s loose.

This is great. Well done and an awesome resource. Thanks!

Have you tried Tandy Leather? I purchased the pigskin suede split chrome free which has suede front and back. Checking online, black is currently out of stock: https://tandyleather.com/products/pigskin-suede-split-chrome-free?_pos=4&_sid=1ce02d9ea&_ss=r An alternative would be their glazed pig lining. I know some who have used this in their build. It’s the same weight as the suede split, though slightly smaller in size You’ll lose about 1 sq foot of material, but it will still be plenty for what you need. One side has suede finish and the other side has a glazed shiny finish. Just be sure to use the suede side for the facing of your patches and mud flap. It’s also 1/2 the price of the suede split. https://tandyleather.com/products/glazed-pig-lining?_pos=1&_sid=1ce02d9ea&_ss=r Then there’s the top of the line suede cuts, which you don’t really need for your build, but just in case you’ve got cash to burn or limited options... https://tandyleather.com/products/pigskin-suede?_pos=3&_sid=1ce02d9ea&_ss=r

I see what you mean in the video Jason, but not a deal breaker. You could always sand and repaint it down the line. It’d be a lot of work, but it’d give you the look you’re shooting for in the end.

Thanks Corey! That’s great to hear. Once approved I’ll be following up with my Lancer submission to the L2 Review Team.

Here’s round two. - CB raised 1” - Velcro added in various places to keep thing tight and in place - shortened sleeves 1” - shortened mud flap abt 1” and narrowed its width 2” I can see that my right forearm armor rotated towards the back a bit. Haven’t added Velcro for that or the biceps yet. Wanting to make sure their placement is correct. Still wondering if the mud flap needs to be cut. I’m 5’10” and 175lbs. The flap currently measures 11.25 wide x 11.5 long. Any thoughts on adjustments that need to be made so that I can finalize things for submission to my GML would be appreciated.

[mention]Patrol85 [/mention] adding it to the vendor list is up to the Command Staff for the PFD which is why I noted BikerScout007 in the previous post. Not sure if Mickey saw it though. I know they were compiling a list sometime ago and there’s a post on the forum somewhere but not sure if it’s updated.

You know I gotta ask Pete, where did you have the custom packaging done? That is just super cool [emoji41]! Love it!

That’s awesome Joe. What’s even more amazing is that you managed as a 6/7 year old to somehow not open them. Now that’s discipline brother!

I agree Jason. It doesn't look that different. I was concerned about the sheen difference between the RS helmet and RS kit, but it's hardly noticeable in my opinion. You've seen my WIP and the recent test fitting photos I posted. It's barely perceptible. Those photos were taken indoors, and I imagine it will be even less perceptible in bright sunlight. Now with the color difference of SC's abs, perhaps might be slightly more noticeable, but keep in mind that the bucket, due to its relative size, has a smaller surface area visually when viewing someone wearing a complete kit, so I don't think it'd be an issue for you. You'll know the difference and will be able to see it, but others who see you trooping will be far less likely to notice. You're more likely to hear, "Hey, look at that "Stormtrooper" mom!" than, "What's up with that guy's helmet?" However, If you still have concerns about the color difference, you could reach out to Andrea or Rob over at RS and inquire as to what brand of paint they use on their buckets and perhaps you can either get a matching semi-gloss clear coat to "brighten" it up, or get a white in the same brand that better matches your SC armor, which should allow you to repaint it without sanding. In either case, make sure to tape over your decals. I'm no paint expert, so perhaps an armorer can weigh in on this suggestion if they don't think it will work or if there are additional concerns I'm over looking.

If you look carefully at this photo, the strap actually looks like it’s twisted.

[mention]Chopper [/mention] [mention]Retrofire [/mention] [mention]Dart [/mention] [mention]Darth Voorhees [/mention] Thank you, thank you, thank you! I really appreciate the guidance and help on this one. Lou’s advice to use a paper towel soaked in acetone worked like a charm. All the paint was removed and the blaster it is as good as new. Lesson learned and that blunder will never be repeated. Thanks again everyone!

Thanks Jason. That’s great to hear and a huge relief. 😁. Good point on inserting something between the fabric too. I had thought of that a little later, but thankfully had no issues. Will definitely use something for when I attached the Velcro for the bicep and forearm pieces.

Working with Velcro while using a sewing machine is tough enough, but having to hand sew it onto the undersuit...unbearably frustrating. Gave up trying to sew on the hook part for the knee armor after 20 minutes of frustration. Then I thought to myself, you just used Gorilla CA glue to secure new elastic webbing in your knee armor why not use it to attach the Velcro to the undersuit. It is rated 100% waterproof which might help when the suit is washed (time will tell on that one), and it states explicitly that it permanent bonds fabric. So I’m experimenting. Applied CA glue liberally to the Velcro. Given its porous design I’m thinking it will really create a decent bond as it soaks into the pores and envelops the webbing for the hook. To be sure, I placed 12.5 lb weights on the Velcro to ensure a solid bond to the undersuit and will let it cure for 24 hours. It may be excessive, but this is the Empire after all. My only concern is how the hook will hold up to the constant ripping of the loop when removing the knee armor. We’ll see.

Thanks for the follow up Pete! Here’s a pic of the back of the suit detailing the mud flap. Yep. Front and rear patches seamed together along the inseam of the undersuit.

Thanks Corey. I don’t have any on hand but will pick some up tomorrow and give it a try. I’ll be sure to post up my results. I’ll PM Lou too to let him know and thank him for going through the trouble of testing things out for me. I’m still kickin myself in the pants for such a knucklehead move. Thanks again for the assist!

Genius! And way easier! I may give that a try in the interim. Thanks Brien! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk