Havoc6538 Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 Back in March, I got hold of a set of FX armour and a VT lid. The build went fairly well until I got to the legs (maybe you've seen my thread searching for longer leg armour, which I now have). I'm 6'2" and most of my height is in my legs. This is how it looks at the moment - ignore the TK sniper plate, this was temporarily velcroed in place for a friend's kid's party where I lent him the armour and will be replaced with the correct TD part. I'm happy with everything but the legs - you can see the vast expanse of black at the knees. This looked 10 times worse at the back. In the meantime, I've got hold of one of trooper1's excellent pauldron's, a small spanish pouch and have made a repro pouch to match (I'm going for docking bay sgt v2) and a bunch of backpack parts which are in progress. I'll post some pics when it's more than just a pile of random parts. Here's my repro spanish pouch - haven't been able to find an accurate fastening stud for it yet, but will replace as soon as I can find one: Last week I picked up my extra long TM leg armour. I've assembeled the lower leg armour and am really happy with this, just need to tidy the top and bottom edges and it's done. Here's a comparison with the standard FX armour. Shouldn't have any problems with gaps with the TM stuff: Now, the thighs won't go together quite as well, the 2 halves are different lengths. They're just taped together at the moment. The right thigh (on the left in the pic) isn't such a problem as I can level it at the top and hide the difference at the bottom with the ammo pack. The LEFT thigh though, is going to be a problem, I've got no way of hiding the difference in length - you can see the difference at the top in this pic: Anybody got any suggestions as to how to get around this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandman Tigui Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 Hi Simon, since your a tall mate I guess these problems are kinda of normal. However I see 2 possible solutions to the left thigh: 1 The obvious one would be to shave off or sand the peak you have to match the other half. Will have to consider if done how good will it look. From the angle of this pic seams like not so big, but don't know maybe it's the angle pic. 2 The other solution a bit more crafty would be to "add white plastic strap" to match up the bit excessive peak. Of course following the curve of the left thigh and done with a powerful bonder or welder, then sanding it off, the works, would probably look like a little battle scar near the family jewels. Just my 2 cents of solutions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc6538 Posted August 26, 2012 Author Share Posted August 26, 2012 It's about half an inch difference. The trouble is, there's a return edge on this armour, unlike my FX, so just lopping off that peak won't look any good. I'm sure I can sort something though. At the end of the day, at least I can disguise whatever I do with a bit of dirt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc6538 Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share Posted September 5, 2012 Well, I glued them up as they were in the photo. The left thigh top I cut down but left a little extra on. Then I used an old iron on "silk" setting to gently heat the plastic and recreate the return edge to match the other side. The was a slight but of shrinkage, but nothing I won't be able to hide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troopermaster Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Neither of the original thighs matched up and you have to work them a bit at the tops when you glue them together. You can simply trim the tops a bit and work the return edge to nothing. If I had seen this earlier I could have shown you photos of thighs I have assembled to show you how to finsih them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc6538 Posted September 6, 2012 Author Share Posted September 6, 2012 No worries Paul. I'm really pleased with how it's all looking. I've tried the individual parts on and all the lengths seem spot on. Am going to sort the poppers on the thighs to get it all attached to the rest of the suit and have a proper fitting of all the armour later today. Will try and post pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyBoy Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 cant wait to see the updates man....sounds like your making really good progress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc6538 Posted September 6, 2012 Author Share Posted September 6, 2012 Had to make my canvas belt this afternoon, after discarding the leather one, but that's another job done. So does the new stuff fit any better? **** yeah, it does. Needs a bit of tweaking/internal padding to make it sit right but I'm loving my new legs. Now I can get stuck into that back pack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc6538 Posted September 6, 2012 Author Share Posted September 6, 2012 Really? Just for the record I did not swear in the above post, but now it looks like I did. I really can't say the name of the place that is opposite to Heaven without it being censored? Utterly ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inglorious trooper Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 your armours coming along great simon! just wondering where you got your repro small spanish pouch from if you dont mind me asking please? looks really good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc6538 Posted September 6, 2012 Author Share Posted September 6, 2012 I made it. I made a paper pattern using the genuine pouch as a guide. I'd already had some practice with saddle stitchingon a TK holster I made. The leather was a bit stiff and new looking, so once it was together, I gave it a good soak, rubbed the edges with the shaft of a screwdriver to burnish them and went over the whole thing with wire wool once it was dry. Pleased with how it turned out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inglorious trooper Posted September 6, 2012 Share Posted September 6, 2012 I made it. I made a paper pattern using the genuine pouch as a guide. I'd already had some practice with saddle stitchingon a TK holster I made. The leather was a bit stiff and new looking, so once it was together, I gave it a good soak, rubbed the edges with the shaft of a screwdriver to burnish them and went over the whole thing with wire wool once it was dry. Pleased with how it turned out. you should be happy with it,its turned out great,nice one!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc6538 Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 Begun, the weathering has... I went a bit heavy on the right shoulder bell, but after this pic was taken, I took it back a bit onthe darkest parts and it looks a bit more subtle now. Also, I'm now the proud and loving owner of a Doopy's DLT-19. Not for SWAT clearance mind, DB Sgt v1 only has an E-11, but if you're going sandy, you need a BFG in your life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trooper1 Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Very nice! Can't wait to see it complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc6538 Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 Very happy with how this is looking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc6538 Posted October 27, 2012 Author Share Posted October 27, 2012 I've done all the armour parts now, just got to do the boots. then I'll get back on to the backpack. Somebody aked what paints I'm using, so I'll post my reply here. I used what I had sitting around. In my teens, I used to paint lead Warhammer figures and I still have most of the paints, and amazingly, after nearly 15 years, they're still good! They're Citadel acrylics, and I'm using Bestial Brown, Chaos black and Space Wolf grey. I've been giving everything a wash of watered down Bestial brown (goes a nice tan/sandy colour), then rubbing it down while still wet with some paper kitchen towel. I keep going until the wash is dry. This gives me a nice, sandy coloured, subtle patchy base colour to build on. Then I mix the brown with the black and stipple it on heavily where required, then rub/dab over it with more paper towel. Sometimes, it dries around the edges of where I've applied it, and stays, but in the middle it's still wet and comes straight off again. This can create a really nice effect, looking like the dirt has built up until it's flaked off. Otherwise, you're just creating more random dirt patches. I find it's more about what you take off, than what you put on, but if you let it dry completely and then do more, you can get a really good layered effect going on. In some places I'll darken it down to almost black, other times lean more towards the brown. Again, just to randomise the overall finish. Once done, I'll do patches of grey here and there (like on the front of the helmet above the left eye), it just adds a bit more general dirt. I'm using screen pics as a reference, just doing my own thing to try to get it as close to the movie as I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-BONE Posted October 28, 2012 Share Posted October 28, 2012 Looking good! If you can, you might want to shorten your shoulder straps to get the chest plate a little higher. Besides that I think it looks awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc6538 Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 Ok, quick update. Progress has been slow due to still waiting on backpack parts and budget constraints. That said, I've now finished weathering everything but the missing backpack and the handplates. I've just ordered some rubber gloves and hand plates from UKG member Kevin TK2329 Hammond which should arrive soon. It's amazing how much of the weathering disappears on camera. I'm hoping the accurate size seed trays and resin radio faceplate will be arriving from Rick Dirtyboy any day now and I can get this all wrapped up. I decided not to use the vac-formed faceplate I already have and just try to go for SWAT level from the start. It didn't make sense to me to do the work on something I knew I would discard at the first available opportunity. T-bone, I see what you mean about the chest plate in the pic where I'm wearing the armour. I'll tweak everything once I've got the back pack done and I know how everything affects everything else. I haven't got a whole lot of shoulder strap to shorten, but I'll see what I can do. I'm sue I can raise the chest and lower the ab a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smally Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Looking good Simon! Good call on the radio face plate, I agree, why use it when you know you're gonna change it later? Where did you get your pauldron from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc6538 Posted November 29, 2012 Author Share Posted November 29, 2012 It's one of Jay's (Trooper1). Today I got my helmet aerator speaker mod sorted out, works beautifully with no feedback. My aim was a self-contained helmet with no wires or leads hanging out the bottom. Just need to install the fan, then the final challenge will be finding room for my troopercom - that could be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smally Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Jay really does do the best doesn't he? Did you do Danter's helmet speaker mod then? I've bought some speakers and cups from him ready to wire upto the Rom. You got any pics of the inside of your lid to share? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc6538 Posted November 29, 2012 Author Share Posted November 29, 2012 Yeah, it was Danter's mod. Seems to work well so far. No pics yet, will try to sort some out for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opi wan Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Verry beautiful weathering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc6538 Posted November 29, 2012 Author Share Posted November 29, 2012 Thanks Alexander. I'm really happy with how it looks. I've kept a lot of it quite subtle, as Docking Bay Sgt v2 isn't very dirty on the whole. That said, a lot of what I have done disappears in photos (I understand they had the same problem when shooting the film and kept adding to the dirt), so I may add to it later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havoc6538 Posted November 29, 2012 Author Share Posted November 29, 2012 Ok, for Smally, here's the inside of my lid so far. Like I said, I got it working today - I haven't finalised where the ROM/FX is going to live (it's just roughly velcroed in place for now, and all the wires need sticking down somewhere) , but the battery pack is at the back of the lid to help balance out the weight of the speakers. I've just used aerosol caps as I could never get Danter to get around to making me a set of cones. I've used a directional boom mic (needs to be directional or you'll get feedback) that I've detached from headset - this is fitted to the inside of the right cheek tube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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