Jeremy's New Scout ... Hopefully

[Lucasfan7]

1 hour ago, AradunFF said:

I glad to hear your plan is to eventually shoot for Lancer! Awesome!!!

I’ll leave it to the armory team to comment on your thigh and strap placement, but as to the TD issue...

Consider putting the soft part of 2” hook and loop on the inside of the belt that rests against your back. That will thicken the belt and give you a tighter fit for the clips.

If your eventual goal is Lancer then another related suggestion would be to consider adding a small tab to the bottom of the back of your bund with hook on one side and loop on the other. This tab gets sandwiched between the Velcro attachment of your belt and keeps the belt from sagging under the weight of the TD while trooping. Here’s mine. You can see the tab on the bottom left side.


I think I got that suggestion from Chopper awhile back in this thread:

http://forum.501stpathfinders.com/index.php?/topic/18894-some-tips-for-keeping-your-scout-costume-together-while-trooping/

This prevents your flight suit from showing between the bund and belt/TD because the belt sags with the weight of the TD.

This is an awesome tip

[Chopper]

Jeremy, I think the markings for your riding patches and thigh straps look good.

With your cod, the positioning is definitely better. I'm wondering -- do you have any sort of padding or stiffener inserted?

Another small pointer, try and center your drop box strap parachute clips in front. They look fine in the back.

[jdouce45]

I do, there is two layers of felt for padding backed by 1/8 inch closed cell foam.  I expected it to hold up better than it is but I'm realizing that the shape change is actually the surface fabric separating from the padding when it concaves up slightly.  I think the only sure fire way of controlling this is to either have the fabric glued to the underlying material, like a car headliner, or stuffing it to the point that there is no slack between the padding and the top fabric.  After looking really close at the CRL photos, I believe the stuffing approach is what they used.....mulling this over.

I happen to have some 5 millimeter closed cell foam sheets from another project that I could use to fully build the codpiece padding, I may see what that is like.

 

 

 

 

[Chopper]

I believe they used buckram for the cods in the film. Personally I used Volare closed cell foam for mine, but that's what I had around. 

I def wouldn't use glue. Adhesives on white fabric tend to turn yellow.

 

[jdouce45]

I spoke to my wife about it, she being the real seamstress here, and she gave me a few yards of fusable fleece.  Basically it is batting that you iron on the back of your pieces before sewing them together and they end up just like what I was describing...fabric bonded to padding underneath.  I built a new cod using the fleece and added a 1/8th layer of closed cell foam throughout the whole thing and doubled it starting at the arcs going down.  I've checked this out in the mirror and it looks like it will stop all traces of cod bunching. Its on the right and the previous one on the left in the pic below.

Its quite a bit thicker, much stiffer and keeps its shape.  I'll get suited up later in the week to see how it looks.

 

[Chopper]

Nice. Yeah that does look at lot better. 

[jdouce45]

Looking better, I think I got rid of the cod issues but created a ridge under the cummerbund.  I may have to add some padding up there to level it out.

[Aradun]

Jeremy, every time you suit up the overall look gets tighter and tighter. Well done brother! Looking good and great job on the new cod piece. It looks sharp!

[jdouce45]

Thanks Dennis!

 

I circled the patch process for a while before I jumped into it.  The crotch area had me concerned as I had a pretty bad case of MC Hammer pants and I felt that it was going to throw everything off.  It also felt pretty weird walking around, so I tinkered with fixing it a little bit at a time and in the end ripped out the inner seam and took about 1-1/2 inches of excess material on the whole inseam.  It fits a whole lot better now and removed most of the bunching I had in the legs.  So after this I felt alot better about ripping and redoing the inseam to incorporate the riding patches.

 

These are the patterns I came up with using the chalk method while wearing the suit with the new and improved legs.

 

 

The true shape of the patches was a little nebulous to me so here I am lining up only edge I can use for reference and going on faith for the rest of the edges.

I

 

The fronts came out looking pretty good.  The little triangle bugged me a little, but it will be covered up and is still symmetrical so I'm going with it. 

I'll suit up later today to see how the whole thing is looking in context.  I've checked the fronts against the cod piece and vest and the alignment point look good.  I have one picture of the fronts but you can't see the patches very well so I didn't include it.

 

Below is the butt flap proposed shape and attachment point.  It's double layered at the moment until the length is decided, at which point I'll chop it.

 

So the real question: Is the width/length good or does it need to change?  Or do I need to fully suit up to judge?

If I can get this step done I should be finished with the suit and only lack the holster and helmet.

[jdouce45]

I've got the suit set aside until I get a nod on the patch length, so I switched over to my other two remaining pieces, the holster and helmet.

First thing was the holster, I needed the horizontal slots cut and to assemble the thing.  I started with the dremel cutoff wheel to get the slot started, then finished the lines with a disembodied hack saw blade.  The blade gives me a little more control and avoid any slips that might happen with the dremel.  Finally they were smoothed up with sandpaper and the corners rounded a bit.  I used super glue to bond the two pieces together and a 1/8 inch rivet low in the holster part that I had seen others do.   should be able to disguise it later and it is low enough that it shouldn't be seen.

 

I intend to trim the holster plate on the outside edge of the green masking tape.  I believe this is close to what I'm seeing in reference pictures.  Then I'll add the radius corners and drill some holes.  If this trim line looks correct, please let me know.

 

Next I got to cutting the visor hole in the helmet face.  Of ourse it looked horrendous until the rasps and files got after shaping the edges.  I would have used a rotary file in the dremel, but I needed to capture as much of the cut plastic as I could to make some ABS paste.

You can see the guide lines I drew around the recess.  I drew the outer line, then got a little scared and drew the inner line to be more conservative.  Growing the hole isn't too hard, putting plastic back...not so much.  If the hole looks good in the second image I'll leave it alone.

 

Anyway, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now!

 

[Chopper]

Hey Jeremy, your holster and visor cuts look good. Great work there. Don't forget also to round the corners on the holster after you cut it as well.

One note on your lens -- is that a green lens or a black lens? I know that SC still sends a green lens with the kit, but even Level 1 of the CRL states "Lens is black in color".

Onto your undersuit -- please keep in mind that my comments about your suit are from a Level 2 perspective, since you had expressed interest in doing a Lancer-level build.

Your butt flap does look wide to me, but exactly how wide and how much you should trim would be easier to judge with your belt on. You don't need a full suit up, but looking at your back with the belt on correctly would help us make a judgement there.

For your riding patches, it looks like there's a lot of material showing from the back. Are they twisted a bit? If you look at the CRL photos, *most* of the riding patch material shows from the front, with somewhat less showing from the back. That said, it would help to see a front side photo before you start adjusting anything?

 

 

[jdouce45]

Thanks Chopper:

I will proceed on cutting the holster plate down to the outer edge of the green tape.  I don't quite know the radius of the outer corners yet but will get that figured out once its cut down.

On the green lens, yes it is green as that is what came with the kit and was in reach for a temporary showing of the eye cut outs.  I had seen where others discovered the color and were advised to not use it.  I will be using the Hobart face shield in black for the final one.

The leather piece I'm working with is wide and is really long, I'm just folding it in different areas to avoid cutting it until I get a good idea of what its true shape needs to be.  I'll do another partial suit up and include a yard stick to assist in sizing it later today.  I'll get a better shot of the patches as well.  I had my wife wiggle the legs a bit to remove some bunching in the seat so that may be what is making the rear patches look off...or they may be too big, we'll see when I get some better photos.

Thanks for the lancer advise, you are correct that I'm trying to build to that spec, so if it won't pass that mark then I'll need to address it.

[Chopper]

I wouldn't stress about the corners too much -- just try to get close. Here's a photo to work from.

[jdouce45]

Since all of Texas had the week off during this winter storm, I was able to get alot done when the lights were on.

I started on the helmet using the instructions supplied by SC, which were good, but my eyes were still pretty wide the whole time I was building it.  I've used my fair share of bondo and fiberglass, but never ABS paste so I proceeded nervously with the hopes it would come out in the end.  I just trusted that if it all went to pot I could prime and paint.

But after a whole lot of sanding and shaping using a contour gauge, pool noodles, and adhesive backed sandpaper I had a good smooth shape and most of the scratches buffed out.

 

Test fitting the face and visor were a different story.  Alot of trial and error, probably a full day of putting it on, marking and comparing before it was time to drill.  Even then I had to drill two holes before I was happy with the symmetry and was convinced it wasn't crooked.  Below is the lens mounts...yes its still green for the moment.  I knew this one was to be scrapped so I used it during the build and replaced it with a clean shiny black Hobart lens in the end.

I masked off the area to be painted using vinyl tape from the parts store that I had around, then bagged it all using a walmart sack and blue masking tape to spray it.

Applied the rear and side decals...

 

I sewed some padding using open cell foam of various thickneses and wrapped them in some scuba foam I had ordered this summer but decided not to use.  It came in handy for this and is nice and cool.  Helps the helmet slide on too.

To blacken the ears I painted the area directly behind the ear holes, then used a single ply of scuba material to form a drape that will prevent anything white from showing.

 

An the finished product...

The bolts have been ground in the center to concave them a bit.  Its slight, but can still be seen when tilted.  I have noticed that these are 25mm and the lancer spec calls for 22mm, so I will likely need to use a drill and file to slim them up to the right size.

 

So this is a huge relief to have behind me.  I'm quite proud of it though.  It fits really good and feels like a real helmet!

 

 

So now to the holster, which will be placed on the boot shortly.  Here it is glued and trimmed and ready to be drilled.  I added two rather large hard drive magnets from some drives I needed to destroy.  They hold the blaster in pretty good.

 

I plan on mounting the holster tonight which will be the end of my list, except for riding patches and butt flap adjustments.  Tomorrow will be sunny outside and I can suit up properly to get the patches in good light.

 

As always, if you see something wrong please let me know!!  Thanks for checking it out.

[jdouce45]

This is where I'm intending to mount the holster.  I'll be doing some reinforcing where I can as it seem way too heavy for the vinyl.

 

[Lucasfan7]

Does anyone have an idea why I can’t view the pics on this thread? :(

[jdouce45]

Not sure, can you get to http://dropbox.com ?  The images are hosted there and each image has been shared.  I've tested it from another machine and its working there but I don't have another location that uses different outside DNS servers to test from at the moment.  Has it always been this way or just recently?  And are all images not appearing or just recent ones?

[jdouce45]

Alright....done!  except for painting the blaster again.  It needed some improvements so I wet sanded it a bit and squared up what needed it.  I'll eventually replace it with something more accurate, likely from Mr Poopie's print files since it is more accurate and I can print that right here.  Anyway, I reinforced the wall of the boot internally with something that is both stiff and flexible ...😉 I used 1/8 inch closed cell foam folded over on itself and vertically ribbed like a corset every inch.  It still flexes at the ankle but gives the wall some more meat and vertical strength.  I also sewed a 2 inch velcro piece almost the length of the holster on the outer side of the boot to bond it the whole way down rather than just at the rivet points.  The velcro was sewn through the foam sheet and the elastic straps to extend the bond all the way through, that way the rivets and the vinyl aren't actually being used to hold the blaster up.  The foam, velcro, and elastic bands take over that job.     

 

 

 

Here it is almost holding up half of the blaster weight on its own.  I'm having to hold it at the bottom just to keep it from tipping over.

 

As for the checklist, I believe its all done except the riding patch and butt flap checkup.  I plan to post a full suit up tomorrow evening to start critiquing.

 

[Aradun]

Jeremy, all I can say is “Wow!” Everything looks fantastic and what a job you did on the bucket. Very clean and pro looking build. You should be proud brother! I’m lovin’ that interior strap system you built to prevent boot droop from the weight of the holdout blaster and holster. I’ve got to admit a little boot envy there. That looks sweet.

The armorers will chime in if anything catches their eyes. My only suggestion is to give the draped cloth behind the ear holes as test run on a troop once approved. You may find that they inhibit you ability to hear clearly. You may also find that they block your main source of airflow into your bucket. But like I said, wait until you test drive that bucket on a troop to see if it poses any issue. It’s an easy tweak if needed.

[Retrofire]

Great work on the holster and mount Jeremy. You really went that extra mile and made it totally custom. All the blasters will droop the boot so you're certainly not alone there. Once you got your tootsies in it will sit nice and straight.

You're going to suit up?!? That's Awesome! Make sure to get some pics as we love to see the first suit up!

Here's a little primer on the method. Hopefully it's of use to you:

1. Flightsuit
2. Knee Armor
3. Boots
4. Vest/Cummerbund
5. Chest Armor
6. Belt

From there you can work the remaining pieces as you see fit. #5 and #6 can be interchangeable and that's just how I do it.

Looking forward to see you suited!

[Nathanzx10r]

I agree, that boot droop fixer upper is awesome. Reminds me of an ankle holster my dad had while he was a police officer when I was growing up. I might have to go through his old police stuff and see what he has still lol. 

[jdouce45]

First, I appreciate the compliments on my work.  Its one thing to believe you've done a good job and quite another to have it confirmed by those that you respect!

 

Below is a few pics of my first full suit up.  Man it was more fun than I expected it to be!  We took like 82 pictures of it. These are all that have made it from iphone -> dropbox-> my pc so far, so I'm picking some out and getting them up here for look over.  Now that I can really see the rear patches and flap I realize how misplaced and over sized they really are.  In the CRL image, the top edge of the flap is pretty much right at the belt edge, so I need to move it north about 2 to 2.5 inches.  It also needs to narrow about 1.5 inches on each side and a gap of about 1.5 inches needs to be between the top of the rear patch and the bottom of the flap.  Luckily it is just tacked on and is double layered so there is plenty of it there to complete the needed mods. The rear patches are also way too wide, those need to be narrowed about an inch and a half on each side. 

The pants seem blouse out a little much in the photos around the knees and thighs, but after moving around I'm not sure if I can take those in any more without ripping something when I move too much, its a little tough to bend over and pick something up off the ground right now.  A little hidden stretchy pants strip would be handy if you could find a place to hide it.

I got my first glance at how I look from my reflection off of a car while doing this, not having a mirror handy, and I was really impressed.  It looks so real when you have it on...I bet these make an impression when folks see you while on a troop.  I'm looking forward to doing one at some point in the not so distant future.  I'm a little out here by myself as Texas is kinda big and I'm in a fairly sparsely populated area so I think driving will be a part of it.  It'll be worth it though I think if it was this much fun just doing it at the shop with no one around!

 

[Lucasfan7]

Sorry for the late response man. Yeah it has always been like that but I have been clicking on the drop box links for the pics and can finally see your build pics. It looks really great brotha. That holster is very creative, I’m about to get working on my boots and holster again and You have inspired me to over think my set up:) lol

[Chopper]

Hi Jeremy, you seem to have a handle on the items to focus on. I think you could apply for basic clearance now and would be good to go, but if you want to talk Level 2 refinements, we can go for it.

I did some markup on your back side photo to try and give you an approximate idea on the riding patches and butt flap. Those aren't exact markings, they're just to give you a sense of about where they should be.

The hashes below the belt are just to note that there shouldn't be a gap there.

Also, just a dressing pointer, but check your flak vest sleeves to make sure that they aren't caught under the shoulder bell.

You're doing a great job, Jeremy. Keep it up and let us know if you have any other questions.

 

 

 

[jdouce45]

Thanks Chopper, the markup is what I expected.  I should be able to get those worked in this week in the evenings and do another suit up on Saturday.  The sleeve part is believed to be just a dressing issue, but I've been keeping an eye on it since I first put on the armor.  The sleeve is just long enough to stick out about 1/2 inch below the bell.  There is an inch hemmed under in case it needs to grow but hopefully it won't come to that.

If you see anything else that would be flagged on a Lancer application then go ahead and mention it, I'd like to get it out of the way sooner rather than later.