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 Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP

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Tramp Graphics


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Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« on: Apr 20, 2021, 06:47 PM »
Ok, I’m slowly getting the pieces together to upgrade my kit to MMC standards.

Here is the basic concept, so far, for my kit:


 So far, I have my helmet from STEINCustomDesigns, which I just stripped down for a total repaint (with primer this time), flight suit (black BDUs with the jacket collar modified with a flap and Velcro added to form a neck seal), Valken full finger Airsoft gloves (needs mods to hide logo molded into plate on back of hand) , tactical ammo/utility belt, and Boba Fett style bracers from DHPFX. My next piece of soft goods just came in: a pair of black Ridetech motorcycle boots:



The current plan is for these to be the only leather in my kit, as I’m going for a very “tactical” look for my kit, particularly in the soft goods. As such, my utility and gun belts will both be nylon web belts.

As it stands, this is my current kit:


I’m going to replace the torso plates with ABS plates I’m going to order from DFPFX, along with his back plate, then mod them to fit and taste. The only part of his torso plate set I don’t plan on using are the shoulder plates, as I want simple, shoulder bells like Sabine Wren’s, and my current kit’s, not Fett style plates. If I can reshape the DHPFX ones, I will, otherwise, I’ll need help finding some.

These will then be assembled into a full cuirass bound together with nylon straps, rather than attaching directly to the vest. The collar plate will also be fused to the back plate to form a single piece that slips in over my head like my current kit: 





One thing not in the concept art that I’m likely going to add is a Kama in order to cover my back pockets and hip pockets.

These are images of the other parts I currently have:













And these are my next planned purchases:







And this is the vest I want:



Anyone know who could make that at a good price? I’ve checked the vendors here and the few that make vests all make standard “Fett” style vests with back (or some side) closures, whereas this is a front closure design.

« Last Edit: Apr 20, 2021, 08:25 PM by Tramp Graphics » Logged

Odran Krayt


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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #1 on: Apr 21, 2021, 03:24 AM »
The big thing I noted was that your current plates seem a bit long and wide on you. But the new ones should help with that, just remember that the ab should end right about your navel.

On your vest, I'm not sure it's approvable to do a front closure, as it could be seen between the plates. Probably a good idea to ask the app team in the q&a section before going on with getting it made.

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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #2 on: Apr 21, 2021, 10:19 AM »
The big thing I noted was that your current plates seem a bit long and wide on you. But the new ones should help with that, just remember that the ab should end right about your navel.

On your vest, I'm not sure it's approvable to do a front closure, as it could be seen between the plates. Probably a good idea to ask the app team in the q&a section before going on with getting it made.

My current plates are deceiving. I have a long torso. My current plates do, in fact, end above my navel. In fact, my utility belt was at my navel.

It should also be noted that those plates were originally fitted to be worn over a heavy leather duster, and, in that picture, I’m wearing them over just a a set of BDUs with a sweatshirt and sweat pants under them for warmth.

As for vests with a front closure, I’ve seen a few that have been approved, so that’s not an issue, and, with how my plates will be attached together, the strapping between the collar, pectoral, and abdominal plates should hide it just fine.

My only other option for vests would be this, but it’s about $130, and I’m not sure I really want to pay that much. It doesn’t have the stand-up collar either.





All the other Tactical style vests I’ve looked at have way too many pouches built in or are too long.

« Last Edit: Apr 27, 2021, 12:14 PM by Tramp Graphics » Logged

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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #3 on: Apr 22, 2021, 11:33 AM »
Well, I just ordered my new chest and back plates from DPHFX. They should ship in a few weeks.

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Odran Krayt


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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #4 on: Apr 22, 2021, 12:42 PM »
The big issue with the front closure is, going by your pic, it looks like you would have the zipper/ whatever you use to secure it visible, and the app team will immediately kick it back if there are exposed zippers. But if there is a velcroed flap over the zipper line, it would be more likely to pass. The team goes over the app pics with a fine toothed comb, so if there is a zipper at all visible (or exposed elastic, unpainted rivets, etc) they will see it.

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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #5 on: Apr 22, 2021, 02:12 PM »
The big issue with the front closure is, going by your pic, it looks like you would have the zipper/ whatever you use to secure it visible, and the app team will immediately kick it back if there are exposed zippers. But if there is a velcroed flap over the zipper line, it would be more likely to pass. The team goes over the app pics with a fine toothed comb, so if there is a zipper at all visible (or exposed elastic, unpainted rivets, etc) they will see it.

The zipper won’t be a problem, given how my plates will be assembled. The only part that might still show would be at the very bottom, and that could be covered by a buckle secured between some nylon strapping.

The main question is whether to go with the “Future Cop” design from the 3D model and hope someone will make it for me at an affordable price, or go with the $130 tactical motorcycle vest, and which would be more affordable.

One of the biggest reasons for a front closing vest, aside from the ease of getting into and out of it is that I can wear it without the armor attached and still look “sci fi”/ Star Wars.

« Last Edit: Apr 22, 2021, 02:29 PM by Tramp Graphics » Logged

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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #6 on: Apr 26, 2021, 02:03 PM »
After much consideration, I think I’m going to go with the “True Grit” vest for a couple of reasons, not the least of which, it comes with a removable holster that can be set up for either hand, and can fit almost any type of hand gun, so it should fit a Westar 34 or 35. Secondly, the price dropped to $117. :8):

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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #7 on: Apr 27, 2021, 08:32 PM »
No new pics yet, trying to get them from my phone to my computer to take them into Photoshop to combine them. That being said, the weather was finally warm enough to prime my helmet for its repaint. I went with Krylon black primer and will let it cure a day or so befor applying the paint. I’m using Mission Models gloss black acrylic paint as a base and will follow that with Mission Models chrome. Once that’s dry, I’ll start on the blue clear coat in order to get that dyed metal look I want.

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Tramp Graphics


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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #8 on: Apr 29, 2021, 01:39 AM »
Ordered the True Grit vest this afternoon and it’s already in transit from the store. I ordered it from Eagle Leather out of Tacoma, WA, and it’s scheduled to arrive on Star Wars Day.  This does not mean I’ve given up on having the Future Cop vest made, but this way I can get my armor properly sized and shaped when it comes in. It also means that I don’t have to make a holster.

Speaking of which, I am ordering a Westar 35 Deathwatch Live Action from Deckplate Designs, and have requested an invoice so I can pay him. Out of the three versions of the Westar 35, that ounce looked the best to me. It should fit the holster, if the latter is as versatile as advertised. It’s supposed to hold virtually any size or shape pistol up to a 44 magnum.

I can’t wait.  :8):

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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #9 on: Apr 30, 2021, 01:33 AM »
My vest is on its way and is supposed to arrive Tuesday, 4 MAY, Star Wars Day. :D I have also ordered my Westar 35 Deathwatch Live Action, and it’s getting printed as we speak. I can’t wait until it arrives.

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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #10 on: May 05, 2021, 03:01 AM »
My vest arrived on time and fits great. I tried it on over my BDU shirt and with my utility belt as well, and even under my existing armor, and it works better than I expected. Obviously, it will require some alterations to hide the zipper and remove the tags (for if/when I choose to wear it without the cuirass), but overall, I think it will work.

The only issue I found is that the holster is not as “reversible” as the staff at Eagle Leather said it was. Yes, technically, you can wear it for left-handed use, but it leaves the strap loops on the side facing away from the thigh or waist, instead of right up against it where any straps would be able to slide right through and around.

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Tramp Graphics


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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #11 on: May 06, 2021, 11:56 AM »
Here’s some pics of the new vest:









I know there are mods that will need to be done to meet approval standards. Already planning that.

Here are those promised helmet pics:











Now, for some more good news. My torso armor just came in yesterday. I haven’t really done any major test fitting, yet, with the plates taped together, but I did try the collar and back plates just holding them, and the collar may, or may not, be a little wide. I’m not sure. I need to get some proper pics taken with them put together later today, expect some new pics within the next few days.

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Fenn Beviin


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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #12 on: May 06, 2021, 03:25 PM »
Good a lot of progress going!

Are you going to be able to attach plates to that vest with the built in padding without them floating off of your body?

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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #13 on: May 06, 2021, 03:59 PM »
Good a lot of progress going!

Are you going to be able to attach plates to that vest with the built in padding without them floating off of your body?

The armor isn’t going to be mounted directly to the vest at all. It will all be worn over the vest.

As I did with my previous prototypes, the collar will be fused to the back plate (I’ll need to extend the shoulders of the back plate forward to do that) and all of the other plates will be attached to each other via nylon webbing to form a full cuirass that will slip on over my head and fit over the vest, secured at the sides with straps and buckles. It’s going to be completely separate from my vest. That way it will be easier to remove and I can wear the vest without the armor as well.

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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #14 on: May 06, 2021, 06:29 PM »
I think the point of the question was that the padding may lift the plates off your chest, resulting in "floating" plates, which, if it were to happen, would mean either ripping out the pads or tightening the chestplates so tightly it would get hard to breathe.

But as long as the plates are shaped with the padding in mind, it shouldn't be an issue, as the pads look fairly thin

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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #15 on: May 06, 2021, 07:20 PM »
I think the point of the question was that the padding may lift the plates off your chest, resulting in "floating" plates, which, if it were to happen, would mean either ripping out the pads or tightening the chestplates so tightly it would get hard to breathe.

But as long as the plates are shaped with the padding in mind, it shouldn't be an issue, as the pads look fairly thin

No, that won’t be an issue. The pads aren’t that thick, only about 3/8” and my plates are vacuum formed ABS,  not Syntra.

Here’s a test fit of my armor. None of the plates have been reshaped yet, and some will need some, particularly the sides of the ab plate and fangs of the pectoral plates. The blue tape holding the plates together is layer out pretty much how I plan to lay out the final nylon straps that will secure them permanently together (minus the side straps).








« Last Edit: May 06, 2021, 08:32 PM by Tramp Graphics » Logged

Fenn Beviin


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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #16 on: May 06, 2021, 10:38 PM »
Ooooh wow! Yeah, those plates really hide the padding. That's great.

Like you mentioned just need to heat up the tabs on the chest plates and the sides of the abs and should be good  :like:

Helps you went with Vac formed plates to the padding fits in the gap essentially

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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #17 on: May 06, 2021, 10:50 PM »
Ooooh wow! Yeah, those plates really hide the padding. That's great.

Like you mentioned just need to heat up the tabs on the chest plates and the sides of the abs and should be good  :like:

Helps you went with Vac formed plates to the padding fits in the gap essentially

Question:  Does the collar look too wide from shoulder to shoulder?

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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #18 on: May 07, 2021, 02:49 AM »
Hey there, thanks for reaching out for critique! You’ve made some great progress with your build and it’s all coming together nicely.
Notes:
1) Something to watch for are baggy sleeves.  They can sometimes appear baggier than they actually are when kitting up, if they aren’t fully tucked in/under your gauntlets.
2) Backplate looks solid and not seeing any gaps/floating.

3) Front plates looking good and just need a little heat gun TLC to get them to hug closer to your body.

4) The zipper shouldn’t be an issue as you mentioned, as long as it’s completely covered in the end. I went the same flak vest route with my kit. I added a thin strip of matching/similar fabric to my flak vest to fully cover the front zipper.

5) Collar plate May need to be trimmed down to align flush with the chest plates.

6) When making the final pass at attaching all the plates to one another remember to keep the spaces uniform with about half inch between the plates.

7) if you wanna add that extra bit of detail, throw on an additional short sleeve over the long sleeve and under the vest. I used a hemmed Dickie’s button down for this.

8) Lastly that buckets looking great and keep up the good work!

Tramp Graphics


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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #19 on: May 08, 2021, 01:42 AM »
Hey there, thanks for reaching out for critique! You’ve made some great progress with your build and it’s all coming together nicely.
Notes:
1) Something to watch for are baggy sleeves.  They can sometimes appear baggier than they actually are when kitting up, if they aren’t fully tucked in/under your gauntlets.
2) Backplate looks solid and not seeing any gaps/floating.

3) Front plates looking good and just need a little heat gun TLC to get them to hug closer to your body.

4) The zipper shouldn’t be an issue as you mentioned, as long as it’s completely covered in the end. I went the same flak vest route with my kit. I added a thin strip of matching/similar fabric to my flak vest to fully cover the front zipper.

5) Collar plate May need to be trimmed down to align flush with the chest plates.

6) When making the final pass at attaching all the plates to one another remember to keep the spaces uniform with about half inch between the plates.

7) if you wanna add that extra bit of detail, throw on an additional short sleeve over the long sleeve and under the vest. I used a hemmed Dickie’s button down for this.

8) Lastly that buckets looking great and keep up the good work!

Let’s hope that trimming the collar is not necessary, As I mentioned, this is vacuum formed ABS, and the edges for the plates all have a bead around them to give them more depth, as seen in this pic here:



The only way to “trim” the collar without complete cutting off the bead would be to cut it in half and trim off fractions of an inch from each half and glue them back together.  An easier solution would probably be to simply realign the pectoral plates. Looking at the photo, the spacing between them is a little close compared to this photo:



As far as adding short sleeves over the long sleeves, not happening. I personally don’t like that aesthetic, and it doesn’t fit with my concept.

Now, on to better news. My blaster just arrived. I ordered a Westar 35 Death Watch Live Action from Deckplate Designs and it just arrived today. I love it. It needs some sanding and filing to clean it up, but it’s sooooo pretty.





« Last Edit: May 12, 2021, 02:55 PM by Tramp Graphics » Logged

Tramp Graphics


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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #20 on: May 10, 2021, 11:25 PM »
Found the perfect left-handed drop holster for my Westar-35. It fits the blaster like a glove, very snuggly, and secures perfectly to my left thigh. It’s almost as if it were made for this blaster. I got it at a local Army Navy store and was found purely by chance. The salesman didn’t even think he had anymore left-handed drop holsters. He just happened to pick it up off the wall at random.

Here’s some pics:



















I still have to make the rest of my gun belt, but now I actually can. I definitely don’t want to make any significant mods to the holster if I don’t have to. About my only minor concern is if repeated drawing of the blaster will cause any paint I apply to wear off.

Let me know what you guys think.

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Tramp Graphics


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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #21 on: May 15, 2021, 05:20 PM »
I’ve got some more work done on my kit. I finished sanding my blaster, and reshaped my pectoral and ab plates. My original plan for the straps, namely running a single main strap down the center won’t work because of the bead around each plate. As such, I’m going back to the strap layout I used for my EVA prototype.













The lighting in some of the photos make my pants look a different color than the shirt, this is a trick of the light. They are both black cotton Ripstop. Any remaining “float” in the pectoral tabs and the ab plates will be fixed by the straps once secured to the plates . And, before anyone asks, yes, that is an errant piece of crumpled tape stuck to my back plate.

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Cattriss Wren


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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #22 on: Jun 18, 2021, 03:46 PM »
Su'cuy Tramp, not sure if you remember me but we were talking about your vest over at my armor wip.So I started looking and found yours. Love the westars they are similar to the ones I am going to using. The helmets great :like: keep up the good work!! ;D

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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #23 on: Jun 18, 2021, 04:22 PM »
Thanks. I only have one Westar though. I need to take some more recent WIP pics with the new pieces I have now. I just got my Kama and knees in, and made some epaulettes to attach my collar and back plates, though I haven’t decided on how I’m going to attach them yet.

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Cattriss Wren


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Re: Tramp’s Mando Kit WIP
« Reply #24 on: Jun 18, 2021, 05:08 PM »
Sweet :D definitely are excited to see them :sabine:

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 "Mandalorians don't make threats. We make promises"
 
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