Gep

Another shim option is sign plastic in a pinch.

I had it backwards, in my head, I was thinking of this..... (the gap between the edge of canvas and plastic looking at the belt from the back.) Kyle is in good shape with his boxes. Brain fart on my part.

I stand corrected. My figure was based on the measurement from the edge of the canvas to the edge of the ammo belt so the drop box would just hang below the plastic. The number was in my head from one of the 3 or 4 tutorials I used on my build.

For those wanting to stick with the stock ATA trim, like myself, I have found a decent solution. Clear silicone (GE Silicone II) adhesive sealant mixed with E6000. The silicone sticks just enough to the trim, and the E6000 adheres to the ABS. Holding better than any of the other glues I've tried in the last 2 years.

Kyle, based on the pics here things look pretty darned good. A couple of items I'm wanting to bounce off the FISD community - Are drop boxes too tight to the belt? There should be a 1/2" or so gap there, correct? The CRL show them flush, but I've seen others called out for riding them high. - The ab buttons still look on the smallish side. Can you paint them a bit larger? 11mm diameter is your target. - What is the black bit showing on the front of your left boot? Is it boot or something hanging from the shin?

You are actually asking 2 questions here. Do you want to know where to put rivets and snaps for EIB/Centurion, or are you wanting to know how to do a snap harness system? A lot of people use snaps (get the good ones at Lowes or Home Depot, not the Wal Mart junk, they hold better) I used a method very similar to the one here: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/19265-another-am-armor-buildam/page-4 All you need are a bunch of good snaps, some nylon straps (Wal Mart has this in the craft section), and snap plates made from sign plastic, and some E6000 to glue them down.

Kyle, on your boots, I would steer you away from the method you used on your first attempt at painting. The gloss and excessive peeling at the wrinkle points are a little much. There was a fair bit of overspray on the sole as I recall. If you use a regular rattlecan, the stuff may never dry. I believe tkboots is still selling, but there's a wait. If you do go with painting, look into a fabric or flexible type paint (acrylics may work or Krylon H2O series if they still make it) or actual leather dye/paint from Tandy.

If you are still looking for rivets, try Rural King if there's one near you. They usually have a really decent selection

Personal preference, but you may want to tighen up the gap between the back and kidney plate a bit. If you have not mounted the shoulder straps, you should be able to lower it just a tad.

So, we should ignore CRL's? As a GML, my tool is the CRL. You can say it's pathetic, but at the end of the day, I have to use that document as my guide. The tooth count is currently spelled out in black and white. Some costumes, I'm very familiar with, some I have to do some research when the applications come in. Every CRL has minor or major issues that are not 100% clear. I would hope the other GML's work with the DL in those cases as was done here.

Don't be afraid to leave it a little on the large side and add padding. You don't want the armor to be skin tight. If you put on weight, you'll regret that, particulary on the ab/kidney joint. I received a PM from the DL regarding the teeth count, so you're good with 5, but I'd like to see a CRL change for this. It's spelled out pretty black and white in there that it's 4 teeth per side. If there's room for variation, then have a range like with the tube stripes. If you want to fill in the tooth, take some of your HIPS and shave off some thin bits. soak them in acetone overnight, and you'll have a nice filling sludge that will take care of it. It works the same for HIPS and ABS, just make sure you use the same material.

For approval, you'll need to have 4 (8 total)

Kyle, on your bucket pix, did you go 5 teeth per side? If so, you'll need to fix that to 4 per side (8 total). This is straight from the CRL.

Steve, I'm the GML at Bloodfin, so I'm asking from the approval standpoint, as Kyle would be sending his application in through me. I was under the impression that 4 teeth were the requirement per CRL for Stunt (EIB or Centurion not withstanding).

So, is a 5 tooth (10 total as Kyle has done) approvable for basic? The CRL is pretty specific about this for ANH Stunt with 8 total.

While we are involved with charities, we are, first and foremost, a costuming club.

Kyle, I've been reading through your posts and I'm puzzled. You've been burned by purchasing a set of eBay armor, or similar. Why are you insisting on deviating from the list of vetted sellers on this forum? In the 'Getting Started' section, there is a wealth of info on what to look for and what to avoid. I do not understand your insistance on deviating from that info since you experienced what can happen first hand. What is the rush? Great armor can be had for reasonable prices from the list of vendors many use.

Kyle, as the GML who rejected your armor, I have to clear this up. I did not reject you because you had a recast. You need to quit making that statement. You armor was rejected because of the quality of the entire costume as a whole. I have approved at least one 'Ebay' armor recently, but the guy had to do a BUNCH of work to it. In the end, his was just good enough to go. You need to steer clear of Ebay for this stuff. There are plenty of reputable vendors available. You might have to wait, but it's worth it.

No worries. Thank you for your help on this!

Kyle, Unless you live in the upper 22 counties of Indiana, you cannot apply to Northern Darkness. You are in Bloodfin territory (Carmel, IN). Northern Darkness does not have any jurisdiction on this.

Mathias, I apologize that our conversation is being drug into the public forum out of context. The comment posted about what Mathias said is out of context and is my interpretation of what we discussed, not a direct quote of him. I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I've seen this build in person and was not sure about it. Like a good GML, I consulted the DL and requested a consult. He and I agreed this armor had a lot of issues. Ultimately, it's up the the GML, and that's the way Mathias and I left it. I am also a bit of a hardliner, which is why I double check with a DL when in doubt. I made the call, and I stand behind it. Kyle, I've provided you with some positive advice on how to move forward. I agree with Mathias that you've taken this armor as far as you can, but it's just not up to snuff.

Hey Kyle, I found you over here Yeah, I'm taking a literal translation of the CRL on that ammo pack in thinking it should not be attached. In any case, as I mentioned, I will probably get with the DL once you submit pix to me. Thanks for jumping on the forums over here. Looks like you are getting some good advice on a few things.

On the ab/kidney, the shim piece appears to be soft/fabric in nature. You should use a harder material for this, like sign plastic, ABS, or styrene. This pic does not show it, but I believe your ab buttons need some blue added to the proper buttons.

Hi Anthony! I'll offer some suggestions and constructive criticism to get the conversation started. I highly recommend you go to your PB pix and embed each into your post. You'll get more feedback that way. Just right click the photo and copy the URL, then click the photo icon on these board, then paste the URL in the dialog box. So here we go: The Pack Overall, it's a decent scratchbuild of the pack. I'm concerned that the battery boxes and air filters look too 'earthly'. The CRL is a little open ended on the pack design. Are there others using parts like these for their packs? MP40's On this one, is the center pouch purchased and the outer 2 scratchbuilt? The lack of stitching and use of staples concern me on this part. Bucket I understand this is an eFX. It looks like you have the 4th tooth added and some seam fill along the frown. The big things on eFX are the frown, brow, and ears. It's hard to tell from your pix if all 3 have been fully addressed. Here is a link to a howto on this, but sadly some of the pictures are missing http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/18801-info-on-mods-and-how-tos-for-mrceefx-pcr-helmets/

As many mentioned, both my ATA's (black and white) are bumpy & curvy on the trim attach area. Not gluing this is not an option. It simply does not stay put. Of the stuff I tried yesterday, it seems that the double sided 3M Extreme mounting tape was the best. I posed this question to ATAWorks and received some interesting feedback. The rubber seal they provide with the bucket kit is silicone rubber. That would explain why so many adhesives do not stick to it. They recommend 100% silicone caulk or White Glue (not school glue)