sekullbe

All the larger pieces, less the fiddly bits that wouldn't show up well anyway:

So I've been waffling and researching and all that for six months now, and I've finally gotten off my keister and gotten started. I'm going to take my time & try to get something built over the summer. I'm going to build for Centurion, since it seems easier to start with that in mind than try and retrofit later. I'm sure down the road I'll find the point when a three-word phrase in the CRL that looked so simple turns into hours of work Last week my kit arrived, and I've now got most of the parts I need: NE ANH Stunt kit (OW's build thread has a great rundown of this kit: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/23895-ows-ne-build-anh-stunt/ ) TK Boots (first thing I ordered really, when I heard they were running short on supply) DVH E-11 kit (very intimidating) TKittell white belt Echo's Centurion rivet kit Hard Hat Liner came with the kit (I may pick up MICH pads if I can get them cheaply) and a collection of tools & supplies: Stanley job box Needle files Utility knife & exacto knife 48 Dritz heavy-duty snaps (50% off at joanns, web site only, right now) with anvil & tool Curved Lexan scissors 10 1/2" N42 magnets (may not be enough) Several small clamps- they're $1 each at the Habitat for Humanity hardware thrift store so once I know what I need I'll get more B&D rotary tool & sampling of bits E-6000, CA glue, and plastic epoxy 1.25yd white 1" elastic 2.5yd black 1" non-roll elastic 5' roll of black 1" nylon strapping 1yd 3/16" white elastic several sheets of #400 sandpaper power drill assorted small and medium pliers & dikes Still need some parts & tools: Neck seal Hand plates & gloves Undersuit (going to buy Eastbay) TD clips (unless I can make my own at work, or talk the machine shop guys into doing it for me) Paint- have the Testor 1138 because that's the one I could remember at the art store, need the rest Frown screen Workbench. If I can't get something cheap I'll have to buy a Keter 'folding work-table' that I can store in my garage. I'm hoping to keep nasty glue stench outside, to avoid both migraines and angry family. Helmet electronics -TBD just what I want. I'm hoping to weasel a soldering iron, rivet gun, and heat gun from work, to avoid buying tools that won't see much repeated use. Local garrison is having an armor party soon, so I'm going to show up with as much done as I can without risking an unrecoverable mistake. Likely that's going to mean a mess of nylon strap 'plates' assembled, maybe the TD, and some cleanup on the E-11. I'm going to need to do some cutting to get it to fit me at 5'10" 180# and that terrifies me; I at least want to see some working armor before I start hacking. Pics as soon as I wrestle google photo into submission and have something to show. I'm tracking my build using a pretty spiffy workflow tool called 'Trello' (http://trello.com)- each component of the armor, object I have to buy or build, or other step in the process has a 'card' that I move between various lists (like 'Purchase', 'Construct', 'In Progress', 'Complete') as I work on it. In each card I have notes like the CRL requirements for the part, tips I read here, links to reference photos, etc.) If I can scrub personal info and the details these forums like to keep vague, I'll make my board public.

Thanks for this tip! While ordering the fabric belt for my own NE kit I was thinking that at 9.9cm untrimmed, the plastic belt was way larger than the fabric one. It looks like it will trim down to 8.6cm or so, which will look better with the 7.6cm belt.

Perfectly understandable. (I'm also a software guy). My own OCD method of organization for my DVH Wave 2 blaster build is a tool called 'Trello' (trello.com). It's based around 'cards' organized into 'lists' so I'm making one card for every part and noting down status, todos, and details like "don't drill that hole from the template". Looks to me like cleaning up the parts and drilling the pipe are going to be the tricky bits, but it's entirely possible that I haven't the foggiest idea what I'm talking about. I'll have my own build thread when I get around to it

I wear a US 11, and my size 11 TK boots are slightly too big. Not too much though; insoles and thick socks cleared it up.

Yeah, my 11s are a little big for me too. I got a pair of the thickest gel insoles CVS would sell me (not counting those crazy $50 Dr Scholls ones) and my thick running socks*, and that helps a lot. I may still want some padding around the sides of the heel, but it's good for now. * somewhat like these---------- Maybe not exactly those since I bought mine years and years ago, but they look the same.

Are there maybe some parts where 3d printing can produce a cleaner small part than the usual casting process? I don't have my E-11 kit yet so I can't speak from experience, but maybe the trigger or sights? Or some of the parts that are commonly cracked by fumblefingered noobs?

That's about the boat I'm in. I've got a E-11 kit on order from DVH as a first project and I picked up a Hasbro DL-44 toy to build into a Power-5. Once T/MC is taking orders again I'll probably order one of those kits. I like ATA too but the waitlist is long, and I'd rather work in the summer where I can use E6000 outside instead of the sealed-up house. I've got my boots and some tools already on hand.

Thanks for posting this! I just picked up a "Rebel Blaster" DL-44 toy while visiting Disneyworld last week so I'm going to have my own go at a Power-5.

The same for me; my shoes are 10.5 or 11 depending on how the maker runs, and my size 11 TK boots are a little big. They also measure ~11 3/4 inside, (given the error bars of shoving a tape measure into a boot). I was about to pick up some of the better Dr Scholls today (the kind where they have a machine measure your feet) until I noticed they cost fifty bucks. There's a $10 rebate on the Dr Scholls site, and CVS sends me 20% off coupons every couple of weeks, so sometime I may pick them up for $30. Or just buy the regular kind for $13 or so; no use going crazy I may also have to try heel inserts too; my heels are narrow but the boots are pretty wide. I have a pair of these running socks and they're great for the purpose (also durable as hell; I've had them *forever*.) http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3999816&cp=4406646.4413986.4420748.11800395.13158425

Back in the day when I was learning drafting, I used a tool called a 'flexible French curve'. It's basically a heavy length of flexible plastic or rubber with a solid core. You can bend it to any shape and it will hold that shape. I'm wondering if one of those might be useful in transferring the exact curve of the helmet to the ear. The catch would seem to be the point at the junction of the tube and helmet side- that's more of a bend than I think most of the curves are designed to handle.

Is that going to be required for Centurion? I seem to recall reading an older thread listing that among the new changes not yet in the CRL document. I figure I'll end up using strips when I get round to it, because I need the extra space want to be accurate.