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Evolution of my armor. How has your kit changed?
http://forum.alienslegacy.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=16433		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  bigbisont [ Wed Sep 14, 2016 4:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Evolution of my armor. How has your kit changed?
Was re-organizing some things in my shed this last weekend and stumbled across my "first armor" breastplate. I made this back in 2000 out of garbage cans, flower pots, PVC pipe shin guards, some of my dad's old army stuff, cut up dog collars to get the webbing and buckles, and a real M1 helmet as the centerpiece. It never occurred to me back then what can of worms I was opening!

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I kind of regret not documenting the build, but again, back then I had no idea what was coming! Here are a few shots of the helmet before I disassembled it to rebuild it for my 'version 2' armor in 2013.
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I wore it the first time at a college Halloween party. The "D" on the chest was my college sports logo. The back plate had a devil painted on it, our mascot.
I lent it to a pledge brother for the following year's halloween party then kind of forgot about it.

In 2007 I dusted it off for another Halloween party. I didn't so much repair or update anything as much as just tape it back together and spray all the paint chipped parts black in hopes it would look worn and damaged on purpose. I still had no weapon at all at this point (not that I would bring them to a Halloween party.
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From there it was a looooooong journey! But a journey worth making.
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-v2.0 would be my pep attempt combined with my previous garbage can and flower pot techniques but all new builds. I used whatever I had handy including my work boots and had webbing made from backpack straps (recycled from v1 actually).
-v2.1 I would strip the breast plate down and rebuild the shoulder parts (smaller mostly) and improved range of motion in the pep body. A full repaint with better colors was done. I moved on from multicam and got some new 'close enough' pants decided to go sleeveless. Some upgraded accessories.
-v3.0 was my full on metal armor build.

I'm very happy with where I am now, but its crazy to think it was a 16 year adventure. Not all the early years were spent obsessing as my modern self has resources that young-me didnt, but still, this costume has literally taken 16 years to get it where I want it! Wild.


How about ya'll? Anyone else out there care to document their journey in this crazy world of costuming?
Author:  Dropshipbob [ Wed Sep 14, 2016 5:21 pm ]
Post subject: 
I don't have any pictures, as I went from one kit to another before landing on what I have presently and finally building that one after having it for almost 5 years in a box.

My first kit was from Golden Armor. That thing was a travesty even in kit form. Much of it was misrepresented and after a few years, and with the help of Steve Radler, I got GA to buy it back.

Then I bought a set of finished armor from a guy named Jeff Young. I can't remember who made it, some outfit in California. I can't remember what my problem was with it, I think maybe it had to many inaccuracies for me. I ended up selling it to someone on the RPF.

Then, before MAA turned into a waste of life, I bought a kit from him. I was pretty happy with the details and at this point I had collected just about everything to build it to my liking.
Author:  retrogarde [ Thu Sep 15, 2016 12:12 pm ]
Post subject: 
Man oh man, I wish I had documentation like you do of my earliest foray into USCM costuming... I've got to dig through my external harddrive and see what I do have!

Great thread idea man!
Author:  SGM Baldwin [ Thu Sep 15, 2016 4:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Evolution of my armor. How has your kit changed?
I scratched out this out and added in "Gemma". Upgraded Marpat BDU's for MAA 3Pat, and then SpatPat. That's about it.
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Author:  Erik_MAA [ Thu Sep 15, 2016 5:30 pm ]
Post subject: 
My first USCM kit consisted of a set of woodland BDUs with patches hot glued on (I don't sew well). My weapon was an M1911 in a GI pistol belt. Eventually I got an Airsoft SPAS-12.

In 2006, I got my first PR and trooped with it dressed in Safariflage pants, an OD t-shirt and green Rothco Ranger vest with patches glued on it Drake-style.

Now I've got a full Spat armor kit, Smartgun, three PRs, three VP70s and an Incinerator with three sets of camo (Polish Deserts and Multicam). I don't think I'll ever be "done" with this.

One thing I love about the USCM community is that we have a canon framework, but lots of opportunities for customization. It makes the fandom accessible and you never get bored with it!
Author:  SulacoBoy [ Thu Sep 15, 2016 5:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
That's badass man!
Author:  gunny63 [ Fri Sep 16, 2016 9:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Evolution of my armor. How has your kit changed?
back in the late '80's I was in a wargames group and we used to do live roleplaying with laser weapons, we used to fit the lasers inside home made rifles, obviously we did a lot of science fiction and aliens games were popular, one guy even started to knock up pulse rifle bodies to fit the laser equipment into! my first marine armour consisted of an M1 with an aluminium strike plate and aluminium lobsters and a torch built into the 'camera' body, the laser sensor was built into the helmet and the workings of that were in the 'earpiece', the armour was thick plastic card heated and bent into shape, back then we didn't have of the pics available now so it was done from grainy film stills, that was back in '88
I love my armour now as I have it as SA as possible but I still have fond memories of that original set I made, but no pics, I eventually traded in for a genuine Vietnam period marine flak jacket!
here is a pic of our original laser pulse rifles

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Author:  retrogarde [ Thu Dec 29, 2016 7:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
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Damn near everything has been upgraded between these two shots...
Author:  cosmo_kraemer [ Fri Dec 30, 2016 8:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Evolution of my armor. How has your kit changed?
really have not done much in the last year or so. but I pick up this set from a member about 4-5 years ago now. but from then till now. it started OD Green, I then hand painted the camo and some personal art onto it plus weathering and got som Polish BDU's. next I picked up a few VP70's a set of Pouches from Retro. also Matsuo shoulder lamp and a Motion Tracker that I had laying around was finished. still waiting on getting a set of correct cammies and a flamer but this is my upgrading over the years.

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then last real update.
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V.2 when I painted it and did my Art on it.
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V. 1 wen it showed up.
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Author:  seven [ Mon May 14, 2018 11:23 pm ]
Post subject: 
im the proud owner of the armor bigbisont is wearing in the third picture. I'm a beginner myself and its given me a big head start.
its actuallly incredibly rugged and solid and it has a loft of heft. it feels like armor. id like to make armor with paper and fiberglass in this same way because it seems to have worked out so well. thanks again for the armor bigbisont!
Author:  retrogarde [ Tue May 15, 2018 11:33 pm ]
Post subject: 
Dude, that's great! Keep it in the family!
Author:  bigbisont [ Thu May 24, 2018 2:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Evolution of my armor. How has your kit changed?
Look forward to seeing it in action!

Funny enough, I now no longer own any armor in those pics! (aside from my original black chest plate in the first image). Hope they serve everyone as well as they did me.
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