Some arm progress

After some helpful discussions on WhiteArmor.Net, I had some better ideas on what needs to be done to the fore arms.  The ATA arms are known to be very wide.  There's a rectangular ridge (mold line) and now I know what needs to be trimmed away...

With that knowledge, I trimmed away the inside of the right arm...

The item on the right has been trimmed down as well as the "returns" still present on the opening of the other part on left.
 

No instructions and still stuck

The lack of any formal instructions is continuing to slow me down.

The forearms continue to make me look and double check at how this should all fit together.

As I research more, I see how other armor kits are documented and how they go together.

Sigh.

So, my problem is that I cut and trimmed the arms out of the molding lines.  Those cut lines are exactly straight.  However, I am not entirely sure how much I should be cutting away.  To fit, I would assume.  As I align the arms side to side, part of me just wants to make those cuts straight.

Then I look at the ends and look at the end the wrist will be on.  I'm not sure that looks right.

Then I look at the other end...and it seems as though once I adjust one end, the other is off.

This gets fun when?

I'm just wondering about the flat spot...how "big" should that be across?

 

First steps!

After some more learning, especially the TrooperBay video tutorials, I took my first steps in bonding the fore arm together!

I cut some 5/8 inch wide trim details the length of the forearm, front and back.  Then, following the E-6000 instructions of applying the adhesive to each part and waiting 2 minutes, I gently laid the piece into position and applied lots of clamps.  You have to remember to leave ample room on the trim piece for it to cover the other half of the fore arm later.   The E-6000 takes 24 hours to dry.  So, it will be slow work.

First, scary step taken! 

Forearms....

Well I'm posting a few pics....trying to figure out if the fore arm pieces should have the inner piece curl under the outer or not.

On this arm, it look like it....but with no directions...grr...

On the other arm, the edges are a bit cleaner...

...so we shall see

Its been a while but finally some progress!

A few weeks back, I asked my fellow R2 Builder friend Bob Gouveia if he could help me along with my Trooper Build.  Bob has made an outstanding Vader costume and Bobba Fett one as well.  When it comes to armor, he knows his stuff.

At the R2 Builder gathering last weekend, Bob brought the completed helmet with him.  Wow!

 

I brought the rest of the armor down with me.  I am like many new builders, terrified I will make a stupid error and ruin a $500 kit.  The armor is white ABS plastic vacuum former over a mold.  The hard part for a new guy like myself is figuring out what is mold and what isn't.  Once I know what that is, I can trim the pieces as needed.

And no, there are no instructions.  There are many places you can refer to and see how others have assembled their kits.  Some have better details than others.  I'm completely envious of people who can crank these kits together in a weekend!

With Bob's assistance, after 5 hours of trimming with plastic-cutting scissors, the pieces are trimmed down.  

 

Now back at home, I have everything laid out...waiting for me to feel inspired about gluing that first two pieces together...

 

 I also scored some donations from a fellow trooper who wanted to make sure I was off to a good start.  Dan gave me a plastic Kenner Stormtrooper Blaster and Holster.

I while back I read a tutorial that had Stormtroopers using an electronic intercom device that had the static/radio comm like breaks.  Called an ICOMM, its a neat little device that creates the static bursts.

Now I am preparing for those first pieces to come together.

I am trying to determine the fine art of shimming, where you attach two pieces together on a thin, vertical piece of plastic to give a uniform, straight edge to the armor.  

Once I have more information on that, my E-6000 adhesive stands ready!

 

Boots arrive!

Today the TK Boots arrived and they are really sharp looking.  Superb quality for $49!