Soft Parts Best Practices

[TreeHuggerMatt]

15 hours ago, AradunFF said:

Brien, this is just my personal preference, so take it for what it is, but I'm not a fan of using parachute clips to secure the strap to the cummerbund/flak vest.  That clip will most likely sit, under the CB and press into the small of your back.  I just don't feel that it would be comfortable for long because the CB is usually a snug fit.  I know one or two guys who troop with that set up and I don't know if it's an adjustment/dressing issue, but I almost always see that clip slipping out, causing the strap to sag between their legs while trooping.  I secure mine with hook and loop to the back of my flak vest. 

 

You have any issue securing it that way Dennis?  In terms of being able to reach for the velcro? Just thought for me the clip *might* be easier

[Aradun]

Nope. I imagine it would be roughly the same ease ether way.  

[kayelbe]

The reason I went for the clip over Velcro is I wasn’t very nimble enough to fix the hook and loop squarely.  With the clip as long as it clicked it was secure and straight. 

[BikerScout007]

37 minutes ago, kayelbe said:

The reason I went for the clip over Velcro is I wasn’t very nimble enough to fix the hook and loop squarely.  With the clip as long as it clicked it was secure and straight. 

Same, I can't even get the vest on without some help.  With a clip at least I can do it myself.  That was the idea behind it in the first place.

[TreeHuggerMatt]

15 hours ago, AradunFF said:

Nope. I imagine it would be roughly the same ease ether way.  

I had a rib muscle tear about 4 years ago on my back and every now and then it comes off the rib again , was thinking the clip for me as at least id have to reach up and twist less.

Cos im old and broken lol

Whatever works eh fella.

[iceknyght]

12 hours ago, BikerScout007 said:

Same, I can't even get the vest on without some help.  With a clip at least I can do it myself.  That was the idea behind it in the first place.

I was able to get my vest on once by myself, cause I had to (and even then, it wasn't perfect, but the part that didn't line up was behind the armor).  That's the only piece I need help with.  All my kits, I usually have 1 thing I need help on, with the Scout, it's that darn vest!

[Darth Voorhees]

Sorry to resurrect this thread but figured it may help someone out..... what i just did was i used velcro on both sides of the strap of the cod, and attached it to the back of the vest in between the vest closure velcro. then i put the vest on like a shirt, (pre-closed with the strap attached). I have the cod attach to the inside front of the vest with velcro and i do that after putting the vest on, so i don't have to reach behind myself at all. You may have to adjust where the strap is sitting a few times to get the length just right for you, but you only have to do it once and then you can just attach the cod to the vest last. I leave the cod strap attached to the vest in the rear all the time, i dont undo that part.

[President Amidala]

Is there any guide to getting the right size and shape for the codpiece? I’m not sure what to make the demensions

[Chopper]

41 minutes ago, President Amidala said:

Is there any guide to getting the right size and shape for the codpiece? I’m not sure what to make the demensions

This may help in a general sense:

https://imgur.com/3k4k43m

[President Amidala]

9 minutes ago, Chopper said:

This may help in a general sense:

https://imgur.com/3k4k43m

Wonderful thank you 

[John W]

On 1/13/2019 at 9:34 PM, BikerScout007 said:

 This is a post I've been meaning to write for a long time, but with Imperial Boots releasing their Scout soft parts, it seems like now is a good time.  I hope this can work as a guide for anyone making Scout soft parts.

I've always believed that this costume really rises or falls based on the quality of the soft goods used.  The armor pieces have to look the part as well, but the Scout really is a soft costume when it comes down to it.   Don't believe me?   Let us quote the creator himself, Mr. Nilo Rodis-Jamero:

"If you look at the outfit, it's mostly cloth.  It appears to be hard, but it's not."

So you can make your armor as perfect as possible, but if the soft goods look bad, it brings the entire thing down.

The key to it is proportion.  If you can get the torso proportions correct, you've gone most of the way toward screen accuracy.   To my eye, if you divide your torso into thirds, and make sure the main pieces fit within those portions, you'll have a great looking Scout.   Check out this picture:

Top third

The chest armor.  Ideally, the chest armor should stop at the bottom of your pectorals.  In the past, some of the chest armors were too large (think KS or old SC), so that made this tough without some modifications, usually by removing some shoulder strap.  But at the end of the day, this thing should fit more like a bra than a chest plate.

I don't have much to say about the vest, because so much of it is hidden by the armor.  Make sure the sleeves don't get bunched up by the shoulder bell straps --- loose shoulder bell straps are key.  The zipties are what should support the bells, not the straps.  Those are just to stabilize the bell.

Middle third

Cummerbund, pouches and belt.   Do I need to say this?  The cummerbund is a cummerbund, not a tube top.  It should not wrap the entire Scout's torso like a tortilla.  By our estimates at looking at all available photos, the cummerbund is between 8 and 9 inches tall.  It was made from a polished white cotton in the film.  It ends at the belt, and the bottom of the pouches line up with the bottom of the bund.

Here are some more photos, since folks seem to have a hard time believing how short the bund actually is.

And from the rear.

So now that we have that clear, can I never see a cummerbund constructed like this again?

This is what your cummerbund should look like:

The pouches (6x5x2) were made of canvas and fit in the gap between the bottom of the chest armor and the top of the belt.  In the film they have a tendency to hang over the belt, but this is caused by the belt riding up on the Scout. 

We say as a rule of thumb that the pouches should start 1 inch from the outermost rib on the bund, but really, if you look at the movie, the outer edge of the pouch lines up with the outer edge of the chest armor.

The belt should be worn on the Scout's waist, which is the narrowest portion of your torso between your ribs and your hips, right around the belly button area.   Think about where you grandfather wears his pants and this should give you a good idea.   The Scout above is also a good demonstration of where the belt should be.  You can see it has slid up a bit and twisted to the side, probably from multiple takes of him running after Han Solo.  

Bottom third

The codpiece.  The codpiece starts out wide and tapers as it reaches the groin area.  Very little of it actually goes between the Scout's legs and it does not pull tightly against the Scout's body.  It was made of polished white cotton.  A fabric stabilizer such as buckram should be put inside of it (along with some batting for depth) in order to keep it from crumpling.   The strap should also be long enough that it doesn't pull tightly against the groin area.

I have seen a glut of codpieces that come straight down on the sides.  I've seen no evidence of this in the films.  They all seem to start wide and taper down in a tongue-like shape.

In the film, the codpiece was sewn to the bottom of the vest.  A lot of Scouts like to attach it to the back of the cummerbund or onto the flight suit.  All of these are fine, but I do not advise sewing it to the bottom of the cummerbund.  That's going to give you the wrong look unless you get all your proportions perfect, and even then, it will make it hard to move around.   What we are are trying to avoid is the codpiece looking like a pantie or a jock strap!

Finally the curved detail.  It's not quite a rainbow, and it's not quite a chevron -- it's a blend of both.  Basically you have two straight lines that curve at the top, and then go straight down again.  

The closest thing I can compare it to is a boomerang.  When I made my codpiece, I drew the two sets of lines going up with a ruler, and then I freehanded the curve on my sewing machine.  That gave the best result.

 

So remember the rule of the thirds!  Use this and you will be well on your way to a Lancer class Scout.   I will add to this as necessary.

Is it best to wait until armor is done to try to make the cummerbund and cod piece? 

[BikerScout007]

Just now, John W said:

Is it best to wait until armor is done to try to make the cummerbund and cod piece? 

The only thing you need armor wise is to figure out where your chest piece and belt are going to sit.  Belt is pretty easy -- it goes across your natural waist (ie over your belly button, not your hips like modern pants)

Depending on the maker, the chest should end just under your pectorals.  So the bund needs to fit in that gap.  You can probably estimate it pretty well even if your armor is not completely strapped up.

The codpiece isn't really dependent on the armor, as it sits under everything and should end right at your groin.