Aradun

Sweet!!! Yep...my envy still abounds if you were wondering. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great news boss! I’m really looking forward to the Mountain Trooper CRL. It has a really great look to it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Boots: Using Cheesewhoopy’s Boot Tutorial. The only thing I didn’t differently was apply an initial layer of E6000 on the toe cap of the boot and let it set for about an hour before applying a second liberal coat of E6000 before fitting the toe cap with the vinyl. Greenyone suggested that tip in Cheesewhoppy’s tutorial and it worked well. I gotta say that the boots are my favorite part of the build so far. The tutorial was spot on, cutting and stitching was easy peasy, and the final fit is excellent. I’m quite pleased with the outcome. Here’s some pics. Front is glued. Back is not glued yet, just fitted and tacked. Still need to trim the toe, add the 1/2” toe strap and then the dog bones. I’m toying with the idea of trying to stitch the dog bone to the back tube of the boot and then glueing the portion that covers the front as usual. I’ll try to tackle that on Monday. If anyone see issues of concern, please let me know.

This advice was spot on. I was experiencing the same thing. Thanks Kurt! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Chopper’s thread is an excellent resource for what your looking for. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looking good boss! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ed, Sven's WIP mentioned that he picked up white furniture leather off of ebay. He describes the process for smoothing the grain out of the leather. He did a great job if you didn't catch his post last week. It's worth a look. I for one would never have thought to look at furniture leather. Tandy doesn't carry white leather aside from the real thin deer skin, which won't hold up well to trooping. Apparently the process to get the leather white is difficult and costly according to a buddy of mine who is a leather worker that works for Tandy. I'm sure Sven would provide you with the seller's info on ebay if you were interested.

I too own a DVH blaster and echo Stroker’s sentiments. They’re top notch quality and when I received mine back in Dec. ran abt $110 with shipping. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looks solid. My only advice would be to leave a little of the soul above the top “boxes” around the heel, and not cut it all the way through to the top. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looks good. What a difference too! With all that effort to take in the undersuit you might as well shoot for lancer. The only real added expense is the leather for the riding patches which should run about $22-$25 bucks. Everything else for lancer is really just attention to detail: carving boot soles, watching measurements, material choices, etc. I think [mention]Stroker [/mention] created a pdf chart/excel file that outlined the differences between basic and lancer as a reference guide. If lancer is something you want to shoot for in the future, it’s easier to do it now than pull things apart or having to redo them in the future. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice and clean too. Well done. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

“My 4th pair” he says[emoji6]. Envy abounds. Someday I hope to find just “a pair.” Size 10 is tough to come by. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Update: - I trimmed the mud flap up 1”. - I rounded the edges of my front riding patches so no sharp corners would be visible while wearing the codpiece. I repost modified templates for the patches later this week. - I attached the strap to the front of the codpiece. I don’t know if anyone else has done this, but rather than creating a small 1/4 or 1/2 seam on the strap, I folded it in on itself creating 3 layers of elastic strap and stitched it together abt 1.25” in all. That is the stitched area seen above. What this did in effect was virtually eliminate the stitched area of the elastic strap’s ability to pull on the cod. In other words when you pull in the strap, the stitched area of the strap does not flex or stretch with the rest of the strap. I think it may help to reduce the dreaded crease that can occur on some codpieces because there is very little tension on the codpiece itself when pulling on the strap. - I created a small insert for my pouches out of abs plastic sheeting that I had left over from my home build of a DLT-19. My Plastruct Welding Cement was dried up, so not wanting to make a trip to Home Depot or wait for delivery from Amazon I used regular pvc primer and cement to put it together. Worked like a charm. I Need to pick up some white spray paint to finish them off. This insert will keep the pouch from sagging and help maintain the pouch’s overall shape while also allowing the pouch to remain accessible and useful. I didn’t want to come up too high b/c it’d make getting my hand in the pouch to retrieve contents difficult and would limit what I could put in my pouches. Pouch on the left has the insert. Pouch on the right does not. Overall the insert measures 4 7/8” x 2” x 1.5”. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dude, your weathering techniques are phenomenal! Helmet, boots, leather, belt boxes all look fantastic. Your attention to detail is excellent. I’m saving this thread for reference down the line, as the ST would be my next build once I finish the scout. When that time comes, I’m definitely reaching out to pick your brain. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great progress! It’s amazing what a week of quarantine can do [emoji6]. Can’t wait to see it with the soft parts complete. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Has anyone used Ukswrath’s Biker Scout audio system in their RS bucket and if so was it difficult to install. Just weighing my options for down the line. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looking good Brien! Tank looks super! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Okay. Today was finally a nice sunny day to suit up and see how everything is coming together. I have the strap fastened to the front of the Codpiece with pins until I get confirmation from the community as to how it looks. The strap is fastened to the back of the flak with Velcro. The feel of the strap seems to me to be Goldilocks - not pulling to tight and not loose or slack. As for the back, the mud flap definitely needs to be trimmed up. Any recommendations by how much? Here’s a close up of the codpiece and the top of the suede riding patches. I’m miffed that the top corner of the patch is exposed. I’ll need to curve both corners. Any other thoughts on how it looks? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m lovin this. Can’t wait to see more. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The leather work is phenomenal! Thanks for posting the details. I know several scouts who are interested in making their boots out of leather instead of vinyl and this will be helpful to them. I for one would not have considered upholstery leather so that is a great tip. Tandy doesn’t have much in terms of options. I am definitely looking forward to seeing your finished product! Kudos on your sole work too! Definitely following this! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice job reshaping the tank Brien. The whole thing looks great! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The boots you purchased are different from the ones used in the tutorial. These are the ones used. It’s the 1366 model. https://smile.amazon.com/Mens-Water-Resistant-Boots-Wheat/dp/B017THAWAO/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=kingshow+1366&qid=1585677483&sr=8-1 The carving is not going to be able to match the originals but should approximate as best as you can. If you’re uncertain, sketch it out in pencil and then post pics for some feedback. I painstakingly measured my initial drawing to match the Sierra’s but then bagged the idea once I saw how my carved notches wouldn’t line up right with the sole’s existing notches. I then modified my drawing to fit the notches in the existing boot and it made for a much cleaner look. As for painting the soles, I’ll leave that to members of the approval team and armorers to chime in. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sorry Frank. If we were’t dealing with all this covid-19 stuff and social distancing craziness, we could make arrangements for an armor party and I could bring some of my tools. That welder’s mask looks like it might be the better way to go.

I think a jigsaw may have a little bit too much force to it when you get to thinner areas like the bridge. A scroll saw might be better if you have access to one. If all you have is a jigsaw then making a rough cut by cutting about 0.25 inches away from your cut line and avoiding turning into the bridge completely. Then use a dremel with sanding bit to sand away the remainder up to your cut line. It will take longer but will give you a cleaner finish and should prevent the lens from cracking under pressure when you get to the bridge. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk