TK8993 WIP New TM

While I am getting ready to glue its time to start thinking about the cover strips themselves.

Ok so there are 3 ways of trimming these - straight cut, rounded or cut to fit and at 45' corner cut.

I've built suits using all of these ways - which way do you prefer and why?

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

A quick look at the glue I'm using, Stelmax. Its serious glue for serious builders. Its white, powerful and will warp your armour - be warned..

Just to show you I checked out a small piece of scrap abs from a previous armour build.

I use the nozzle cut at a sharp angle and put quite a lot on this piece, you will not need this much. When the two halves go together it splodges out of the side just like the real thing.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

And the cover strips themselves. I got 8 pieces of plastic about 2 feet long and just over an inch wide to use for the cover strips, this will be fine if you take the top armour makers advice..

[quote "troopermaster" ]
Good stuff!

Edit

For the joining strips, cut the long parts first and use one piece each time. Use the off-cuts for the arms. One long length cut in half will do the backs of both thighs. The off-cuts split down the middle will give you 15-17mm wide strips (depending on the width of the cuts) so no need to use a wide strip and cut down each on every time. Just a few little tips there mate

Edit
[/quote]

Ok lets get gluing. When you are happy with everything, make sure your parts are clean and dust free. I gave my bits a quick wash. If you are worried about the glue splodging you can run some tape along the side of where your strip is going. This can also double up as a guide marker. It is kinda obvious where your strip needs to be as I is covering the join but its your build, do whatever it takes.

Some use magnets, some clamps, some tape to hold it in place while drying. I use whatever I have to hand. This is fast stuff so will not take too long to go off.

Here's a quick pic of the first strip going on. My iPhone battery needs a charge as I forgot to put it on overnight, so maybe not so many pictures this avo. Also I need to be on top of this Stelmax..

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Many people myself included like to add a strip to the inside of the arms and legs too. It neatens things up, looks better maybe, but is not needed and is not accurate. You must do as you think it right, of course.. I'm not going to use them on this build.

All 4 cover strips are on. Its taken me about an hour to do all of them. Take your time. Be as pernickety as you like. Use micro precision, be sloppy if you like but remember to be yourself. Do it your way.

This Stelmax only takes a few minutes to go off, just hold your parts together for a few second's and then you can put them to one side. Get everything you need to use close by and ready first. This stuff actually dries to be quite pliable, your nozzle will get clogged up and you can use a cocktail stick or nail or other similar tool to scoop it out when its dry.

Ok I am going to stop for some lunch and then look at some more gluing goodness. Make sure you keep your windows open, no not on your laptop, the windows in your house as this stuff pongs - I'm starting to feel little light headed here at fbj towers...

This thread is useless with out pictures..

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]


Sorry about the upside-down pictures, I am rotating them in photobucket, but as usual its rubbish..

Right forearm 90 per cent complete. I will deal with the wrist return edge tomorrow. I'm going to leave gluing the other for tomorrow as I need a rest. Prob getting high from all that glue sniffing.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Ok we have time for one last picture today, a sneaky peak at the completed right arm sans strapping. I shall leave you with this while I have a snooze before tennis. I'm playing against a girl from the office, then straight off after that for another ninja class.. until next time you've been watching FBJ building his new TK from TM. TTFN.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Ok I am about two thirds through this build now and all arms are glued ready for strapping. Today I have been making my cover strips for the legs. Not much of an update but I thought I would share this tip for making the cover strips if you do not have a long enough steel rule.

To follow this you need to be smart on which strips you make in what order.

1 choose which strip you are making and measure how long or wide you want it.

2 tape it to a good clean solid surface for cutting, I used the kitchen work top. Its taped to hold it in place while cutting.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

3 add another unused strip next to it so that your straight edge will be the same height for cutting.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

4 use another long cover strip as your straight edge.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

5 lightly run your sharp knife along the edge to make your cut. Let the knife do the work and run this over very gently and repeat until you have cut through. If you try to make your cut on the first run the knife may dig in and take a line you did not want it to.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

6 repeat as needed - save the shorter cover strips until last and you may be able to use that steel ruler you have that was not quite long enough for the other parts.

That's all of them now ready to be glued on. But I have run out of time for today, as I start work again at 5PM. I'm off to have some lunch. I'm having steak today, mmmmm steak.....

No real updates for today, but a few pictures of the arms and legs as they are at this moment in time. Rest days this coming week are Wed, Thurs and Fri so I am hoping to get quite a lot done then.

You can start to see the different return on the various parts. Each piece has been trimmed differently. Also the cover strips are all different.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I really should have used a real camera for this thread, but you get the idea..

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

And I think it is going to rain again in the minute, its getting dark. I think I just heard a rumble of thunder..

And the shins, with most of the cover strips glued on.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Day X

So welcome back to Day X of this incredible build, while I've been hard at work this week the armour fairies have broken into fbj towers and have now completed my right shins ready for me to add on the sniper knee plate to the more left wing righty. I will do that while the glue is drying on my thighs.

Still on my long list of things to do is; glue thighs, trim knee plate, thigh pack, shoulder straps, build thermal detonator, sort out belt including drop boxes and get this suit strapped. Then when all of that is finished I will start on the helmet.

I have a hero helmet with this kit, as my first idea was to build an Han Solo replica. But that soon went out of the window when I got going and what's happening here is I am building a suit that will be a made up jumble of parts cobbled together with a hero helmet.

I used to work with a guy that was a stormtrooper in ESB, and during numerous chats he stated that they often got to work and when required to get suited up made a dive for the 'best looking stuff' meaning that first in would get dibs on what armour was available. So my suit will look like that. More will come apparent with pictures. Yeah we all like pictures.

While I fire up my photobucket account and take pictures of where I am at, remember X never marks the spot - and I X'd you first!...

Ok so as promised, not that anyone is reading this crap, are pictures of my right shins. I decided to have them match up at the back, because at the front, the knee plate will cover the top of one, and the thigh pack can cover the other. I would like to think I will do the strapping and knee plate on these today, so I can finally say that something is finished. This build it taking forever, even I am getting bored reading all of these updates.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

These are next in line for the Stelmax treatment..

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Knee plate. Check your reference pictures, this one shows where it site and how its trimmed. No rivets please, just a good splodge of glue will do.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Mark where you want to trim, be generous, you can always tri it some more later.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

It may need trimming at the side. It needs to sit just to the front of the curve in the shin.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Check the fit and trim again if needed.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

This can be tricky to glue due to the curvature of the various sides that need to be stuck down. I'm using my fav white glue, that will prob melt my shin slightly, but that all adds to the original theme.

I'm going to stop for a late lunch while I charge up my Dewalt. So far I have still only used 6 out of the 7 tools featured in the picture.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Back soon....

Day X+1

Ok so here is what I got up to yesterday,

Bell elastic is in

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Bicep hooks made and fitted

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Wrist return edge gone - I used a junior hacksaw to remove it

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Holes drilled and strapping added to shins, knee plate glued to middle of left shin, I will complete the sides later

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Is there anyone here that has yet to name their armour parts? Steve and Wayne are screen accurate names but I went with Mark..

Until next time - please give peas a chance...

Mark, what glue did you use for bell elastic?

I am using the white stelmax for everything here. On the elastics the glue is applied to both sides just like the original. Once the glue has gone off on the inside and the elastic is holding in place I put a load on top.

Day X+II

Hello there! Come here my little friend. Don't be afraid. Ok so lets call this day 12, I don't have much to update and if I'm honest if this build takes any longer I'm starting to get worried that George Lucas is going to change what a stormtrooper looks like, oh wait a minute..

So starting at the top lets take a little look see at what is going on.

So the chest piece is finished, I have glued the shoulder bridges on using the stelmax, if you look closely you can see it has warped them a little in places. You want about 5 of the ribs on the chest here.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I also spent a couple of hours measuring, drilling and screwing in the original brackets for the strapping. On the chest measure 25mm in from each edge and then drill the first hole. Use your bracket to mark out the second hole. The middle bracket is centred.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

For the ab plate lay the chest on top and mark out where you need to put the brackets.

TM had already added the Newey England snaps for the belt.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

As for the butt, again measure 50mm in from each edge and make your first hole, use the bracket to mark the next hole, again the middle bracket is centred.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

The brackets in the kidney just need to match the butt and upper back plate.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Upper back plate just needs to match up with the kidney plate, the outer brackets will be about 20mm from the edge and the bracket in the middle is always centred and due to the way the armour is made it may not look like the armour parts match. Don't panic it will sit straight when finished.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I was asked about what glue I am using for thee elastic, well you guessed it I'm using Stelmax. Just slather the glue on the inside of the elastic and put it straight in to the armour part. It wont take long to dry. Then to copy the original look, splodge some more glue over the top of the elastic.

A recap on my arms, one bell has next to no return edge and the other quite a lot. Also one bicep has little to none and the other a bit more, there is a theme here people. Wrist return had the chop too..

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]