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[rjm544]

After years of faithful service, my first kit is showing some age. One day I'll get around to revamping and upgrading a few things as I still really love it. In the meantime though, I've started a brand new kit.

The MK II is (hopefully) going to be more rugged and willing to take a bit more abuse.

Planning:
While I was deployed I spent a fair amount of time designing and working through armor styles, paint patterns and color schemes which resulted in this more or less final draft.



I started collecting pieces and components a few months ago and placed an order with Metal Mando Shop for plates. MMS had a really great quality and price, and is physically located very close to me which meant that the plates could be fitted to my body directly, which worked really well.







Once the plates were done, I got to work painting.















Belt was a little high here.

I ended up doing a preliminary app style photo shoot, just to see where everything fell. Gaunts were open, helmet was overpadded, but ultimately it turned out better than I though. At this point, I had had the plates and helmet for 9 days, so it was a real rush build.





In concurrence with some feedback from the pictures, I decided the helmet was really thin without earcaps, so I did a quick paintup of a pair i had laying around.


I've also got a jetpack that is basically completely finished other than the beacon and attachment method, I might throw up a WIP on that in the JP forum later today if I get a chance. Here's what it looks like in it's current state though.



Let me know what you think, I haven't had a chance to hit it with a white wash to tone down the blue and the red yet, or a black wash to dirty it up. The plan is to tone the intensity of the colors down to less of a 'MERCA red white and blue, to something closer to the original design mockup and the jetpack.

[Jennari]

Looks awesome, vod! Great job! 

[Kol Varek]

Looking good so far! Just a few things:

The backplate is either going to need to be trimmed or shaped to fit to your shoulders better, as it currently appears to be hovering.
The belts will need to come down just a bit.
The knees look like they might be sitting a bit high. If they are not sitting on your kneecaps, I'd recommend bringing them down a bit.
You'll need to weather your soft parts to match the damage and weathering of your armor plates. I would also recommend a bit of weathering on the upper parts of the gauntlets too.
As far as the gauntlets go, you'll need to put something in the cradle where the gauntlet rocket normally sits. It can't be empty.
Your neck is showing in a few photos, I recommend getting a balaclava.
The back butt pockets will have to be hidden or removed as well. Some options are either covering the pockets with a kama or removing them with a seam ripper, however depending on the coveralls they may leave an open hole instead of just coming off with fabric underneath.
The legs will also need a bit of tailoring to eliminate bagginess.
The helmet gives off a bit of a bobblehead look in terms of proportions. This can be fixed by raising the helmet with padding, as well as raising the shoulder plates so they stick out slightly but don't necessarily become wing-like.

I know this seems like a long list, but these shouldn't require too much physical alteration. You're almost there vod!

[rjm544]

Backplate and I are going to be spending some quality time together with a big vise and a hammer. 
Im still working on the belt, once the diaper fits a bit better it should slide down.
I have always hated knees. That's why I had shknees. I'll reposition and try again.
Soft parts will get dirtied, I just haven't figured out exactly what my plan is.
Ahh, yes, I also hadn't reattached the rocket yet. It's back in there now.
Helmet needed work overall, I have since reduced the padding that made it set so high, which should help the bobble head and neck showing, but this  helmet does just seem a little short, so I probably will have to pull out a balaclava to be sure.
Back pockets are removed.

I'm stuck at work tonight, but I'll try to get pictures taken with the updates and fixes tomorrow afternoon. I really appreciate the feedback, thanks!

One question I do have: when this is all set, how do I submit a second kit app? Is it just sent through the normal application form?

[Sep Ho'ban]

Helmet needed work overall, I have since reduced the padding that made it set so high, which should help the bobble head and neck showing, but this  helmet does just seem a little short, so I probably will have to pull out a balaclava to be sure.
Back pockets are removed.

I'm stuck at work tonight, but I'll try to get pictures taken with the updates and fixes tomorrow afternoon. I really appreciate the feedback, thanks!

One question I do have: when this is all set, how do I submit a second kit app? Is it just sent through the normal application form?

Part of the issue with the helmet is its width in relation to the width of your shoulders -- flipping your shoulders up a bit as suggested will make your shoulders "Appear" wider   and create the illusion that the helmet is smaller in relation to you.

You submit it the same way,  There is a box near the end of the application that asks if you have another approved MMCC costume, and asks for your Cat# if so.

[rjm544]

Part of the issue with the helmet is its width in relation to the width of your shoulders -- flipping your shoulders up a bit as suggested will make your shoulders "Appear" wider   and create the illusion that the helmet is smaller in relation to you.

Hmm, I do really like the idea of padding the shoulders a little. I've never really been satisfied with the lay of any of my shoulder bells, but I've never been able to place what's wrong, maybe this is it. I'll mess around with that today and see what it looks like. They are just velcroed on for adjustment in the fly anyway. I'll start with a spacer of male velcro stickied to the back of female Velcro and see how it looks. Thanks for the specific tips, I'll report back when I have results 

[rjm544]

A touch of putzing around thismorning.  I've just been playing with belt arrangements. I actually have a fair number of soft parts to choose from. I have two leather belts (the ones pictured) and a few other types and a whole host of pouch options. The plain belt is too short to go around me but works as a bandolier type thing if I figure something else out for the back. I have more than enough of the square box pouches to cover a belt, as seen in the above pictures. I may go for a more varied pouch loadout because I need to accommodate a voice amp somewhere, but it really just depends on what looks best.

This is what I have right now. Disregard how the plates lay on the mannequin, it's a little bulkier than I am. Pardon the awful lighting.




I kinda like this loadout, I am worried about covering the chest too much, so I will have to play with the angle it comes down at. I'd like to hear what y'all think of this aspect while I work on some of the plate issues.