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[BobaFiend]

Definitely cut down the return edge along the long side of the gauntlets. That's the only way they'll really fit together properly.

[Bintar Haig]

Its that time again Boys and girls. thats right time for old Benny to make an update. The armor progress is slow but filthy. I probably should have taken a picture to go with that but I don't camera well. What I really came here for is to show off my new belt.



now this little beauty was a rare Goodwill find. looks to be a repro WWII ammo belt or something. I've seen these go for anywhere from 20 to 60 bucks. I bought it for three. Oya!



Now 'm gonna hafta check the CRL's again but I wanted to ask, would this be usable? the only real thing I see what maybe problematic is the buckle.

on another note, I have been working off and on, on and off and whichever way on my armor filling in those boba dents like a good little mando. all of em filled but most still need sanding.



coming along pretty well on that. I also sent a PM to RKD about getting some GM knees. somehow I neglected to get some good knees. Now I have a real good question for anyone and everyone who might read this.

Can anyone give me some example of a good set of spats/gaiters I could use?

I have no good way to cover my boot laces and hide that bit of space where my flightsuit doesn’t quite reach my boots.

Thanks all

[Ralin Voth]

You're fine. those pouches are used by a lot of people for their kits, and no worries about the side release buckle either.

[Bintar Haig]

You're fine. those pouches are used by a lot of people for their kits, and no worries about the side release buckle either.

Sweet! Thanks for letting me know mate!

[Bintar Haig]

first WIP update in 3 years, gotta be some kinda record, Right?

I've posted a few things on the FB group but finally I'm taking some time to put some more here on my WIP page.
 Got Bucket

https://imgur.com/8Etcjyk

Got earcaps

https://imgur.com/b1ujYqb

Filleds Boba Dents

https://imgur.com/5MQrig1

Got my plates shaped right

https://imgur.com/gvoSgxY

More to come soon.

[Bintar Haig]

Time for an updoot. with pics,

First we have the beard conundrum.



As you can see beard is longer than bucket.



possible solution but....



while it doesn't really show in this picture the balaclava makes me look like i "have more chins than chinatown", to quote Weird Al.
Gotta figure out a good solution that doesn't involve shaving preferably.



those magnets what hold in me visor.



that visor whats held in by magnets



probably wont be using this foam for the finished product but it does make the bucket fit nice and snug on my head. Not sure what else I might use.



tada, bucket with visor. I still need to get a heat gun on it to make it fit a bit more flush in there but I can finally wear it around and get a feel for how little I'll be able to see. Good stuff. Now I'm gonna go re-plan my color palette for the hundredth time.

[Slade Kel]

That beard looks like a conundrum indeed. Is it braidable? That might condense it enough not to make it look like a hutt under the bucket . Or perhaps you could use a couple of hair clips to fold it up into the helmet? Definitely don't want to shave it!

[Sep Ho'ban]

That beard looks like a conundrum indeed. Is it braidable? That might condense it enough not to make it look like a hutt under the bucket . Or perhaps you could use a couple of hair clips to fold it up into the helmet? Definitely don't want to shave it!

Beards are allowed to hang out of the bottom of the helmet, the same as hair is.  Beard with pride.  Just don't show any neck skin!

[Bintar Haig]

Beards are allowed to hang out of the bottom of the helmet, the same as hair is.  Beard with pride.  Just don't show any neck skin!

Well this makes me all kinds of warm n fuzzy inside. Now how bout the possibility of my moustache coming out of the cheek vente? cause it does.

In other news, I have decided on a color scheme. Not gonna lie it was somewhat inspired by my favorite TV show ever made; M*A*S*H*



I'm interested in hearing any input on this. I'm planning on having the red lined continue down the back plate and join in the middle to make a chest diamond shape streched over my torso. yay. I'm not 100% on the helmet design tho.

A little more update on my bucket.

At the last armor party I was out I tried to use a heat gun to fit the visor a little better. to no avail. so I went to home depot to buy one. They were out. So I used their WI-FI to order one from somewhere else.



I got my visor in the mail and went ahead and cut it out while helping my friend work on his vest.



Everything looks green and blurry. Question for my fellow vision impaired mandos, how do you cope with trooping if you cant wear your glasses?

[Kol Varek]

Honestly I'm working on a larger helmet for that reason. Been trooping blind for 2 years now. Some people have glued older pairs inside lined up with where you'd be looking. Not sure of any other alternatives, but I'd love to hear them!....What's it like to see?

[Sep Ho'ban]

Everything looks green and blurry. Question for my fellow vision impaired mandos, how do you cope with trooping if you cant wear your glasses?

I wear my glasses.   My head is already abnormally large, so even sans glasses, I haven't met a "commercially available" bucket that would fit me, and I've tried on the Juggernaut, NME Assassin Large, and some of the other "Big noggin" buckets.   

That, and the desire to wear my glasses is why all 3 buckets I've worn have been custom made for me, by me.  The first out of home depot buckets, the most recent 2 via 3d modelling and printing.  You don't have to model to get a bigger bucket though.  If you have access to a 3d printer, or know someone who does, someone could scale up one of the models that's available.  April storm has files for her "Drop Bear" helmet that prints really well, and there are some others on thingiverse, and for sale from other vendors. 

Measure your head and scale accordingly.   That said, you've also chosen a helmet that restricts your vision.  The vertical part of the T visor is REALLY useful for not stumbling.

There's more details on my build linked in my sig.

Sep

[Neomandalore]

Everything looks green and blurry. Question for my fellow vision impaired mandos, how do you cope with trooping if you cant wear your glasses?

I can see halfway decently without my glasses, but when I do need them, I swap my normal wayfarer style frames for a much smaller pair that I got specifically for trooping in.

Beards are allowed to hang out of the bottom of the helmet, the same as hair is.  Beard with pride.  Just don't show any neck skin!

This makes me happy as a fellow face warmer wearer. I was always told no visible beard, but it’s been a while

[Jin'thal Ca'vallas]

sadly ive yet to see a viable solution to the glasses issue. ive worn my glasses with my bucket before but it poses an issue when I need to take the bucket off for whatever reason. its a tight squeeze and ive almost broken the glasses trying to get the helmet off before. ive resigned myself to just being 1/2 blind when trooping.....it makes night troops a barrel of fun o.O

[Slade Kel]

Yeah, there's no really good solution to glasses and buckets. One of the old LA mercs, our old Personnel officer in fact, actually took a pair of old glasses, tore the arms off and mounted them in a bucket with padding so that they sat properly on his face. Kinda wish I could get my hands on a pair of the old gas-mask glasses we used to have in the Air Force. They were sorta like prescription swim goggles and flexible frames and would have been perfect. Now I just make sure my bucket is a hair on the large side and pad appropriately, or I go without as I can see pretty clearly without them, my issue is one is stronger than the other, so auto-correction eventually causes headaches if I go to long without them.

That said, yeah, the Executioner is kinda garbage for vision. A beautifully made bucket, sure, Lonewolf does excellent work, but I've never liked the Ex design because of the modified T-visor. Not even so much the lower half of the bottom arm of the T, as I cover that with felt to mitigate fogging anyway, but that ridge over the bridge of your nose ruins what little lower peripheral vision mando helmets allow.

[Novoc Mereel]

I used to wear contacts quite a bit, but my job demands that I stare into a computer screen for 8 hours a day and I just can't do that with contacts in. I'm planning to make sure I keep some contacts in reserve so I can troop comfortably. For the budget conscious, your optometrist may give you a "tester pair" for free every once in a while, so you might ask if that's possible.

[Bintar Haig]

Time to resurrect this WIP with a small update.  I been doing some more filler work on my bucket and select armor bits. Inside. Little ventilation. No mask. cause I forgot this bondo has some pretty strong fumes. But I digress, here's a pic

Not pictured is the jumpsuit I recently acquired, but that will come when I get someone else to take the picture. Can't properly tell if it needs tailoring on my own. I'm also in the process of getting some gauntlets printed. Yay for progress. Also, is there a way to change my name on here or am I stuck with what I've got forever?

[Bintar Haig]

Some Progress and a question. First the Progress.



I did some work. Some of it actually worked.



and some didn't



so I fixed it.







But I also need some help figuring out what I need to do for the Jumpsuit.







I know I'm going to have to modify it in some way, but not sure how.

[Gatorlorian]

Progress! Yay!
Flight suit doesn't look too bad. You'll want some long sleeves, and a neck seal. Weathering to match your kit of course.
Great start. Keep at it.

[Bintar Haig]

Allright, Thanks! I was planning to add some tan sleeves cause I'm not buff enuff to go without em.