activation email

[compdrag]

Alright since my first kit is done and approved it is time to start the second one. I have learned a lot along the way, and will be taking some more time with this one. Mostly because I will be deploying soon. So I started on a new flak vest I like my first one but am not crazy about it. I also picked up a 4x8ft sheet of 6mm Sitra today. So I will be starting on the armor soon probably cutting this weekend. I will be using some stuff from the first kit like boots and some of the softs. So it will be nice to be able to bounce between the two. I will be doing magnets and limiting the Velcro this time so switching a lot up and will be making a new bucket too. So here is what I did tonight.

[compdrag]

So I will say the 6mm Sitra isn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. I finished up the front part of my vest, but JoAnn's didn't have my duck canvas in stock so I'm waiting on that to show up now to finish the vest. So I moved onto my plates, which was a lot easier the second time knowing where they need to go. I'm still trying to come up with something different on them. The magnets though wayyyyyyy!!!!! better. I'm so impressed how this is going to make it. The long skinny ones are going to help suck the vest to the side of the plate. I may order more to make my first kit that easy too. Well onto photos, I will also get on the builder for my paint color set-up.

[compdrag]

Alright so I worked all weekend but made some good progress got my shins done, but not to happy with my knees so I need to make them again. Tonight I got plates primed and the red paint on them. I’m progressing for a brigade entry after I get this kit approved. I’m shooting for gun slinger first and also hitting desert specialist. That is why I’m going with sun weathered plates. I got my inspiration to the sun fading from my 1961 Vw beetle. I started with the red air brushed on I need to do the greys and whites next to offset the fade and I may throw some dry rust patches too. I’m also going to make some scorch marks from blaster hits. The kit is beskar since going the gun slinger route and I may take a hit or too in all the fighting. Anyways on with the photos.

[compdrag]

Alright with my airbrush up and running I'm hitting the armor and full stride. I made knees today and the primer is on them. Hope to hit them with the red and and fade as well, but we will see how that goes. I did get all the other armor painted up. I'm forgetting that I still need shoulders, so I need to take a trip to Lowes to get two 90 degree elbows. That will end the progress for armor. I don't have enough time to make new gaunts or helmet so we will see what happens before I am deployed. I don't have a status on my cod and kidney plates yet so I'm hoping those show up soon. I will be updating the later tonight once I make more progress.



ok so got some more painting done, unfortunately I work all day tomorrow and won't be home until Thursday, so won't get much done. But upside my fabric will be waiting for me when I get home. ok here are the photos.

[compdrag]

Alright so yesterday was a wash because of work all day, today was more of a relaxing day too. I did make a Home Depot run and got my 90 degree elbows for my shoulder armor. And I didn’t like the blaster marks so I redid them. I also got my second pistol blaster in so I’m at 2 pistols now of three required. I get my pouches in the mail tomorrow. So that’s another aspect added to my kit. I need to get my belt together, and start on my helmet. So here is what I did today.

[Kryamla Redalur]

That paint looks really neat! I dig it

[Talon Ven'ad]

That has to be one of the most unique paint jobs I've ever seen.

[compdrag]

Thanks that’s what I was going for and with sun weathered I knew this would probably be the best I could come up with since my beetle is a natural sun bakes paint patina. Sitting in the Montana sun for 30+ years.

That has to be one of the most unique paint jobs I've ever seen.

That paint looks really neat! I dig it

[Leira]

Can you elaborate more on the magnets? I'm getting close to that stage and have been trying to figure out the best way to mount them. Did you sew in magnet pockets on the inside if the vest?

Ditto on the great paint

[compdrag]

So here is what I’m doing on the magnets. I channeled out the Sitra so that they are flush with the edge because I used 6mm Sitra and 3mm magnets. I put the plates where I wanted them and tried to move them. So I will probably not see in the magnets because I used so many they don’t move at all even the slightest bit. This is my placement example for where my magnets will be.

Can you elaborate more on the magnets? I'm getting close to that stage and have been trying to figure out the best way to mount them. Did you sew in magnet pockets on the inside if the vest?

Ditto on the great paint

Thanks on the paint also I finished up my vest and added a elastic strap to help putting it on like our actual vests in the military.




Got some paint on the helmet as well but started cooking dinner so will finish it up tomorrow.

[Leira]

Thanks on the paint also I finished up my vest and added a elastic strap to help putting it on like our actual vests in the military.

I used my bullet proof vest as my pattern for my flak vest. I already knew it was tailored to me so it was a smooth transition. Plus, the belly strap really hides the extras convention pounds! This is my first Mando kit so I'm happy to see someone who has made a kit use the military style vest.

I'm keeping an eye on this thread for this great paint job

[compdrag]

alright I got a lot done towards getting this kit approved. I need to hit up JoAnn next week to get the Monk cloth for my cape. I'm going to be making a Jawa robe and then with Mando engineering making it for me lol. Like The Jawas got a little trigger happy with me one time so I got trigger happy back and took a robe as a prize. The cod in the picture is just temporary, my other will be in the mail tomorrow. So looking forward to getting that and integrated into the kit. I like how the paint came out looks good all together. I will be using my last cape and and back armor to get me through approval, but will change it after because I'm on a time crunch with my deployment coming up. So enough talk onto what I finished up in two days.





I know I have a lace sticking out on my boot I will be taking care of it. I need to pull down the right side of my vest a little more the magnets were pulling themselves to each other it looks like. The collar and right plate look to almost be touching, but I did stick my thumb in there. I also need to get a khaki neck cover, because my green one won't work anymore.

[compdrag]

Been a super busy week for me at work, so I haven’t had much time to update my WIP. I have been chugging away at stuff little by little everyday. I got my new holster done with the blaster I bought. I also weathered up the new plates and flax vest. I’m waiting on my dye to set on my new cape. So that should be washed up tonight and hung dry. Using monks cloth dyed cocoa brown to look like I stripped it off a Jawa. The kit is failing together nicely.





Update to this post! Hot off the press actually out of the washer. While I’m stuck at work my wife washed my cape for me and snapped a photo. So I would say it’s pretty darn close to the color. So here is a snap of Jawas from Star Wars and the cape.

[compdrag]

Alright so tonight I finally got to painting the Cod plate, and I also airbrushed the holster I got from a local member. I told him I wouldn’t touch it, and I would use it as like a passed down item. I did weather it a little and will have to wash it, but that’s it. I also sewed the magnet into my cape so it will stay in place. I didn’t get a picture of it on so I will do that soon. I need to weather the cape also so that is a step. Well thanks for stopping by here are the pictures.

[compdrag]

Alright a lot of stuff came together tonight. I sent pictures to the clan Ruus'alor to get the kit to the next step. I need to work on the cape a little, my knees looked to be floating which I agree, and my shoulder bells are on the small size so I will need to redo them. I won't be able to get much work done, because of being deployed, but I'm going to try to fit as much as I can before I go so when I get back its onto approval of kit 2. Then onto pursuit to the brigade, I also worked on getting rid of the shins. In the Desert PRL it says leg wraps/arm wraps, so I went with leg wraps instead. I'm also liking out much smoother this kit feels with the magnets instead of all the velcro. Alright enough words here are your pictures.

Leg wraps before weathering


Knee elastic fix-(I will need to match the color of suit)

[Slade Kel]

Really digging the look of this build. That paint job is one of the more unique ones I've seen, to be certain. I do have a couple of suggestions. Definitely agree on the knees and shoulders. With the former, they clearly fit but the shaping with the fold on the front does make them look to be floating, so by flattening out the front you'll probably fix that easily. From there, I think you'd be better served by straightening that belt out and then adding holster straps or even a second, slanted holster belt. As it stands, it looks like your belt simply sagged down, even though it looks to me like you did it deliberately. Otherwise, awesome work!

[compdrag]

Really digging the look of this build. That paint job is one of the more unique ones I've seen, to be certain. I do have a couple of suggestions. Definitely agree on the knees and shoulders. With the former, they clearly fit but the shaping with the fold on the front does make them look to be floating, so by flattening out the front you'll probably fix that easily. From there, I think you'd be better served by straightening that belt out and then adding holster straps or even a second, slanted holster belt. As it stands, it looks like your belt simply sagged down, even though it looks to me like you did it deliberately. Otherwise, awesome work!

The belt is off right now because I haven’t added the second holster. I still need to make it which will be awhile because of the Military. So yes it was intentional lol. The knees are a lot better now with the elastic I didn’t get a chance to re-kit back up to show that with the flight suit, but I did a bunch of stuff around the house with them and they didn’t move and my wife said they look great. I also made bigger shoulders again didn’t have time to re-kit to show those.

Also I cut the edges of the Jawa cape up to make it look more worn and also weathered it a little bit more. I also ordered a voice changer, mic, and external speaker. I will be taking it on my deployment to fine tune it for when I get back. I may get the holster built while I’m out just may need to take some Sitra with me. Other than that I’m at a stand still. This is my last update for a little bit but I will check in if anyone has questions. Thanks for the constructive criticism so far I always love to hear it. It makes the kits that much better.

[Erio J'uni]

Great job, so far!  Keep 'em coming'!

[Slade Kel]

Yeah, good work on those parts, and good luck with your deployment! I look forward to seeing your build continue when you get back.

[compdrag]

Update!! I have decided to take a 2x2 foot section of Sitra with me and my westar to build my other holster. Also if I can acquire a piece of acrylic while I’m out and about. I will be making a vibro knife too. I did get my voice changer in and will be fashioning that into a filter element that will be on my belt and run a hose to the helmet which will allow me to run the mic to my helmet. I will be putting the speaker in a front ammo pouch. So more to come it will be slow coming, but the updates will roll out.

[compdrag]

Alright so far it’s been slow I have been focused on reading and working out, but I got the itch so I started plugging away again a few days ago. So I have a non-animated style westar and I also have a animated style one I thought it would be weird to mix the two so I decided well time to make a holster and another animated style westar. Going along the lines of one needing to be a little bigger than the other for gun slinger brigade I did just that. So I got all the pieces together just now working on the finer details and then adding things to watch it close to my other one. So enough talk and here are the photos.

[compdrag]

Alright so it has been fun being locked on a 175 foot ship with out being able to leave when we stop to get fuel. None the less I have tried to keep busy with the supplies that I have with me. I finished up the blaster and painted it again with what I could scrounge up, and also finished up the construction of the holster. Paint will have to wait until return home. Also I did a thing and ordered a NME Stalker bucket so that should be home by the time I’m done with my deployment. So here is what I leave you with. Tomorrow I start working on my Vibro blade.

[Erio J'uni]

Well done!  Looking forward to your next update when you can.

[compdrag]

Ok with the blaster/holster at a point where I can’t work on it due to being stuck where I am. I started on my vibro blade today. It was a good 2 hours of keeping my brain occupied on something other than the world burning lol. Still waiting on the second coat of spot putty to dry before I sand it up. Also need to find some accent pieces to put on the blade to universe it. I think it turned out pretty well.

[Obey Wann]

Awesome work! You'll love the Stalker. Great bucket.

I'm impressed you can work on that stuff while at sea. I never had time, between drills, quals, maintenance, etc.

EM2(SS)