Sgt.Bilko Posted January 9 Author Posted January 9 Busy after work session tonight. Performed the Christina Earl Grey wash on my white soft parts. Recipe: 3ish gallons of hot water, 4 T Bags with a 15 minute steep. I soaked the nylon strapping for 15 min, cloth strapping 1 min and the KriptonTop cummerbund for 5 min one side and 5 min extra after flipping around. Smells great and so far looks great! Kudos to [mention=82250]TKZombie[/mention] .Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkFinal product from tea bath. Results look really good. Starting to get dirty Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1
Sgt.Bilko Posted January 11 Author Posted January 11 Belt assembly today. Following MonCal and Mickeys instructions, so the belt is slightly more of a hybrid outcome. For example, buckle close instead of Velcro. Question for the team. First pic is my drop box buckle. I’ve tried zooming in on the crl and several builds. Are the orientation of the drop box buckles correct in my first go? I’m holding off on sewing before getting confirmation. Also, any general statements on the belt are appreciated.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Chopper Posted January 11 Posted January 11 This orientation: Also, most people put a reinforcing strip of plastic between the back belt webbing and the rivet washer. Too late now, but might be something to keep an eye on, as that's a known stress point.
Sgt.Bilko Posted January 11 Author Posted January 11 Not too late. I can take my electrical cutters and remove the rivets. I’ve got a box of 1/8” on the shelf to redo with reinforced piece of ABS. Thanks for the tip, trooping can be rough on armor.Thanks for the high res picture, much easier to see the buckle orientationSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Chopper Posted January 11 Posted January 11 You can drill an aluminum rivet out with a 1/8" cobal steel bit, but even aluminum rivets can be tricky to cut with just wire cutters. Be careful not to mangle the belt while trying to get it out. Note that many of the images in the CRL have higher resolution versions if you click on the image.
Sgt.Bilko Posted January 11 Author Posted January 11 You can drill an aluminum rivet out with a 1/8" cobal steel bit, but even aluminum rivets can be tricky to cut with just wire cutters. Be careful not to mangle the belt while trying to get it out. Note that many of the images in the CRL have higher resolution versions if you click on the image. Roger that. This was my main concern. The instructions that came with my armor have this orientation (below). Strapping under and under. Whereas the CRL has under and over. The CRL pic was clear, but didn't explain the discrepancy. I'll go with the CRL pic in this case.
Chopper Posted January 11 Posted January 11 Some of the instructions that vendors send can be very old and out of date. Always use the CRL. 1
Sgt.Bilko Posted January 11 Author Posted January 11 Rivets removed. One of my favorite tools ever are these micro shear flush cutters. Very strong and precise. No drilling or damage. Just wear safety glasses, as the rivet head can fly!Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1
Sgt.Bilko Posted January 11 Author Posted January 11 Added the ABS reinforcement with new rivet. Had to use medium length 1/8” for the added depth.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1
Sgt.Bilko Posted January 12 Author Posted January 12 Dry fit. Comments welcome.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Chopper Posted January 12 Posted January 12 Maybe sag it the bund a little bit lower, but you're in the ballpark. 1
Sgt.Bilko Posted January 15 Author Posted January 15 Greeblie and sewing efforts tonight. Rinse and repeat.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1
Sgt.Bilko Posted Thursday at 05:54 PM Author Posted Thursday at 05:54 PM Continuing the strapping and sewing. Is this gap worth closing? I’m ready to trim to fit closer to the body before adding strapping.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Chopper Posted Thursday at 07:28 PM Posted Thursday at 07:28 PM No, I wouldn't worry about that. Plus once you hang the shoulder bells on there it'll sit a bit lower. 1
Sgt.Bilko Posted Thursday at 11:53 PM Author Posted Thursday at 11:53 PM Chest workout. Snaps and straps.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1
Sgt.Bilko Posted Friday at 08:31 PM Author Posted Friday at 08:31 PM Sewing the suit. Armor attachment with strapping and Velcro. Moving to the chest side straps and back tank. RS Props helmet is on its way!Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1
Sgt.Bilko Posted Saturday at 06:24 PM Author Posted Saturday at 06:24 PM Getting the tank mounted. Used neodymium magnets with strapping. Similar setup as my TK. Parachute clip is on its way, then the knot goes away.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Chopper Posted Saturday at 08:12 PM Posted Saturday at 08:12 PM A few notes: The mando scout does not use the 1/2" elastic around the tank. Also, there should not be a rivet at the bottom of the tank for the mando scout. That's a ROTJ scout feature. https://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:Scout-Trooper-The-Mandalorian Back Armor Gloss white or semi-gloss. Moderate to heavy desert-brown toned weathering. The back armor has a center tank attached. The top of the tank is flat with a detail piece painted black: Top detail piece uses the same greeblies as seen on the screen-used armor. Top detail piece has a red line detail. OPTIONAL: The tank may or may not have a black stripe detail. OPTIONAL Level two certification (if applicable): Weathering adheres to production sources. Greeblie is affixed to the top of the tank with a silver rivet. 1
Sgt.Bilko Posted Saturday at 11:56 PM Author Posted Saturday at 11:56 PM Hi Chopper, as always thanks for the catch before I get too far. I was blindly following Mickeys video and totally missed this. Looks like I’ll be making some ABS paste. It’s been a minute, but should be able to get that done. Would have needed to do it anyway, because MonCals armor had a large hole cut out at the tank bottom. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
BikerScout007 Posted Sunday at 12:02 AM Posted Sunday at 12:02 AM 6 minutes ago, Sgt.Bilko said: Hi Chopper, as always thanks for the catch before I get too far. I was blindly following Mickeys video and totally missed this. Looks like I’ll be making some ABS paste. It’s been a minute, but should be able to get that done. Would have needed to do it anyway, because MonCals armor had a large hole cut out at the tank bottom. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk It's not too late to turn those knees over and be an ROTJ Scout! 1
Sgt.Bilko Posted Sunday at 12:48 AM Author Posted Sunday at 12:48 AM It's not too late to turn those knees over and be an ROTJ Scout! Turn those knees around? Nah, my knees are already pointing towards the future—a future where The Mandalorian meets Endor’s speed demons. Why settle for ROTJ when I can rock a biker scout helmet with enough swagger to make Din Djarin jealous?I’m not just blending in with ferns and Ewoks—I’m cruising through hyperspace with a blaster in one hand and Grogu’s snack pack in the other. This isn’t just a costume—it’s the way.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1
Sgt.Bilko Posted Sunday at 02:24 AM Author Posted Sunday at 02:24 AM Paste creation, application. Scraps from the armor, so should be a match. Setting overnight.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1
Sgt.Bilko Posted Sunday at 08:11 PM Author Posted Sunday at 08:11 PM Whilst the ABS paste is drying, moving on to the boots. I ordered mine through Imperial Boots (Keep Trooping), as they were one of the approved vendors. The boot back is secured with a 20mm hook and loop fastener. The CRL states it should be 25mm. Does this need to be extended? If so, what have others done?
Chopper Posted Sunday at 08:20 PM Posted Sunday at 08:20 PM While Imperial Boots/Keep Trooping has other issues with their boots, particularly for ROTJ L2, I believe this is the first time the velcro strip has been raised as a problem. Measure the stitching strip on the outside. Is that 1"?
Sgt.Bilko Posted Sunday at 10:12 PM Author Posted Sunday at 10:12 PM 20mm outside stitching.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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