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TheDon's TD Build


TheDon
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I started this over on FISD but figured it would make sense to post it here. I bought an AM armor set and it came with a Tray Nichols helmet. I'm not really liking the helmet, the pull is soft and makes working with it difficult. So here is what I have so far, I fear I have to redo everything.

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I trimmed the plastic thats sticking up a bit more so its sort of flush. I need to remove the rivets on the bottom so I can push the brow up a bit more. The ears are a mess, the screws they came with were electrical outlet screws and not long enough to reach the helmet so I think I trimmed too much off. I did get the correct screws from the hardware store. I think I need a spare set of ears to redo them properly because they have some serious gaps, the detail is very soft and I'm not very happy with them.

I'll post more pictures up when I get home.

I started painting the helmet details yesterday and its very difficult, especially the vocoder not being well defined. My frown looks like crap, the frown only had 6 visible teeth and they were not very deep pulls, again... I think I got a helmet that should have been rejected.

When I get home Im going to adjust the brow to be more TD like and finish painting the vocoder and traps.

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Repositioned the brow. It's TD now

So I think I'm goin to strip the paint off the details and just use decals. I have TD traps but the tear drops have lines so I need TD tears. I did clean up the vocoder and I'll clean it up some more. Same thing with the frown. That's cleaned up.

I used my heat gun to heat up the lenses and have them a little bit of a bend so hot glue can easily hold them now. Before the sugru had to fight the lenses.

At least I tried painting. Next helmet will be hand painted for sure. Trooper bay has the exact decals for TD, awesome!

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@ Joe - Not bad so far! The helmet definitely has potential so don't give up on it just yet.

Just remember for standard MEPD Deployment your bucket will need to have 4 teeth on each side per CRL.

Looking forward to having you join us soon! Good luck on achieving your TD Designation! :td::thumbsup:

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How do I cut teeth out that do not exist?

===================

Carefully!

Seriously, just gotta reference it. Even sharp pulls of buckets have barely that 4th tooth.

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I'll study the photos and do my best. I feel like my frown looks kind of bad as it is.

Currently removing my terrible paint job from the helmet and bought trooperbays TD decals. Some have said it's not the same as paint and will not weather well but I'm going to give them a try for this bucket.

This weekend I. Going to start making snap plates with nylon straps and work on my arms. Should I wait to do the arms until I have the undersuit? I have the pants but haven't had luck on the top.

Also, if I want an orange pauldron, do I need to build my trooper to match one of the characters in the movie or just the CRL for an orange TD?

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If you go SWAT, you will have to match a specific character in the movie - such as pauldron color, matching pouches and weapon. For deployed/police officer you can do what ever pauldron color/pouch combination you want.

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I got my stuff to make snap plates. I'm curious about the shoulder bells, they seem long on me, I'll post a picture tomorrow. I also would like to do the butt strip method of building, unless you all suggest otherwise.

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Well I drilled the 4th holes on each side. I looked at the ANH stunt reference photos and did notice a slight dip on either side of my frown and measured and marked. I can't go any bigger so hopefully this will do.

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I'll let the paint dry for a day before cleaning up the edges. I didn't use the smallest detail brush I had in the left side point.

I also touched up my vocoder. That's honestly as good as I can get it. I'll let the paint cure, chip away any extra and hopefully call it good.

Panda troopers tutorial should help me with the shoulder bells and everything else. Tomorrow I make snap plates! I need to get more clamps.....

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Don't forget rare earth magnets. You will find they are extremly helpful when clamping longer pieces and a clamp just won't reach.

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Got a bunch from amazon last week.

Working on my arms this weekend.. Already modified the shoulder bells, made them a little shorter and have them a return edge.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Bucket is done. I'll weather everything at once.

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Not done with the strapping yet. I need to make the strap for the forearm longer and make the clips for the biceps to hold them in place. I also need to get foam for the insides of the forearms.

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I'm not sure which part I should work on next because it seems one relies on the other. I'd like to hang the shoulder bells to get the strapping set just right. I'm doing snaps on one end and industrial Velcro on the other so I can dial it all in, I just didn't make the strap long enough for the forearms.

What so you all think?

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I have flexible hand guards I want to put in my gloves, how should I glue them on? I think that will help setting the arms up. I'm going to head to lowes for some of the adhesive backed pipe insulation to line the forearms with. Haven't made cover strips yet.

What part should I work on next? I think my arms are good to go in my opinion. The ends of the straps have velcro so I can dial in the length.

Added 3/4" pile insulation foam to the forearms and they fit nicely now, now movement and they are snug.

I think I'll move onto shins next? I don't really know which part to do next.

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Hey Joe,

I don't know whose handguards you have, but I have Karen's and she recommended this Loctite for the flexible hand plates.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Y3LHXW/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1431485319&sr=1&keywords=loctite

I did a test run by placing one on the glove and marking where it looked best, then gluing. You paint the bonder where the edges of the hand plate will be. Run a line of glue around the edge of the plate, place it and apply pressure. The glue hardens in just a few minutes so be sure of the hand plate placement before gluing.

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I did leave the molded cover strip on the back because it seems to work for me on the back.

How do they look? Cover strips are being made now.

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They so rotate when I walk so I think some Velcro on the front of my boots might help stop that.

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I made some thighs! They fit perfectly and with the garter I have stay in place.

But the left side catches on the sniper plate a little when I walk. Can I remove the return edge on the bottom end of the thigh or maybe use my iron and fold it in more?[

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Maybe a little bit of foam in the front upper section of your left shin to help push out the sniper plate. If that doesn't work, you can also add foam to the lower back of your left thigh armor to help push the front more flush to your thigh.

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Ab plate buttons...

What is everyone using? I see some people buying the. From other members and online but what can I buy locally from the craft store? The CRL says 3-4 white painted buttons and I noticed the snaps I have do have a button back. Can I just use 4 of them instead of 3 since 4 fills the space out better.

Never mind,I found the buttons that came with my AM armor

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What do you think? The kidney plate has a ton of plastic on the sides since it's AM armor and the ab plate has a bunch too. I taped it up so it's snug but not super tight. I haven't cut anything yet, might tomorrow when I have a friend available to help me check out alignment and everything.

Also painted the buttons and put them on with some E6000. The nylock nuts can't be tightened properly so I'll swap them out for some normal nuts and use some nail polish to lock the threads.

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So I just realized that the snaps have to be visible on the outside on the armor and I just glued my snap plates in. To fix this do I just drill holes in the plastic and install the smooth covered snaps? No one really covers that.

And for police officer I need 3 buttons on my ab plate. I need to get a different set if ab buttons the AM buttons are too small.

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I "cheated" on mine. Took the need not be functional part seriously. I got those paper fasteners. The little brass one. Cut the head off so it's just dome. And glued the domes on where they needed to be. I can post pictures tomorrow if you need a clear picture.

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I think I know what you mean and I think I'm going to so the same.

I do think there is the one snap on the right side that is exposed that is the face of it and not the back. That I can't cheat with a little paper holder

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