mjrose927

Here is a link to my original build thread before life happened..... if anyone is interested..

Does your red line at the bottom of the butt plate take an inch all the way around except the mating edge to the kidney plate OR just the bottom edge of the armor? The reason I ask is if you look at profile shots, the butt and kidney plate meet evenly without having the notch in the kidney plate. What are your thoughts? The other issue I just thought about is that if Ab plate looks correct, then if I cut an inch off of butt plate, the top of the ab and kidney plate will not line up. I had my wife make sure those were aligned during fitting. I don't know if this would be allow, but since I have to put in a shim to fill gap between ab and kidney, I could taper the ship at an angle so there is no step, but it would not be straight across. I know that is only a requirement for centurion, but I want it to look as good as I possibly can.... even I wait to do it until after basic approval.

Dan and everyone, Thank you for clarifying. When I went to bed last night, I was really feeling encouraged that the end was getting close. I think that suggestions you made above are worth pursuing at some point. I have been following the EIB guidelines as I have been building the whole way through. So, I plan to go for EIB after initial approval. I realize if I don't make some of these corrections suggested now that it might mean some added work and tearup when I do. However, I am really pushing to cross completing my armor and joining your ranks off my to-do / bucket list. I was already heading down the path of the reshaping the neckline, but I did not consider the butt plate. Thank you for the pictures and cut line reference. In the pic, I can see that the FX butt looks a little long compared to picture. I did compare it to ANOVOS kit before separating it from the kidney plate to make sure it was proportional. Do you think that the shoulder tabs on back plate need to be more rounded? If so, that would also pull up the back plate.

Well, the comments from facebook version of this post are implying a lot needs to be done to submit. I was pretty happy with this fitting and look last night before I went to bed. Some of the comments are making me question the fitting above. I plan to have straps to keep chest-to-ab closed and back-to-butt closed. I posted pics to see what needs to change for approval. I understand it is far from EIB and I can never get Centurion with this kit. I just want to join the Empire!

I posted this last post on FISD facebook page. While I am grateful for tips and comments, it is a little discouraging because I was feeling really good about fit before heading to bed. I am still sticking to the May 17 deadline. I would appreciate any suggestions or direction on what to do to get basic approval. If you are in the Metro-Detroit area and willing to meet up and provide some hands on guidance and help, food and possibly tasty adult beverages could be supplied. Getting this done has been on my to do list TOOOOOOO LOOOOOONG. I am determined to get it done and done right AND by MAY 17! Here are additional notes and information I have determined over the last couple months thanks to TK-76239, who btw has be extremely helpful: 1. When compairing my FX kit to an ANOVOS kit: a. the butt plate and kidney plate are the same exact size. b. the chest plate and back plate on the FX kit are larger, I would say estimated up to an inch longer. This may be contributing to the chest and back plate alignments above. 2. On the facebook page, it was suggested to heat the back plate tabs so they are less obtuse. IF they were a smaller curve, this would pull the back plate up. - This armor was made in 2005. It was stored in cool basement, but it is possible that over time packed in the box in same position that the tabs could have relaxed. - Nervous to use heat gun to shape parts. I nearly ruined one of my forearm trying to reshape it. Luckily, I was able to use boiling water technique to fix back to acceptable level. 3. I found a thread on this site on suggested cut lines for FX kit for chest and back plate, but I did not follow it and now can't find it. If anyone knows what I am talking about, the link would be appreciated. 4. I have AP helmet I bought to use for approval with armor. At this point, I am looking for direction to get approved with what I have. I don't have the budget to buy a new kit at this time.

Thanks. I am planning to use files as suggested to square off corner. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok. Thanks to my wife, Rachael, I have started initial fitting. Open to any and all constructive criticism. I have it fitted with industrial Velcro. The breast plate and the backplate are touching at the shoulders. Will I need to trim these back? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Is there a more in depth tutorial on this method to attach lenses? I was trying to figure out a way to glue lens in place. It looks like you are using posts from the ear fasteners??? Is this in your youtube construction video?

It does! Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I wasn’t sure how far to take them down on inside. I thought about grinding them level with frown but was afraid of taking too much material away. You stated you took yours down to frown. Do you still have some frown depth is there some wall inside frown windows? I don’t want to go to far down. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your teeth look like they are formed a little different than mine. My smallest ones are really tiny. I am trying to figure out how to square them off. The drill bit i used to make hole was fairly tiny already. Suggestions?

Are the connecting straps on your torso armor just velcro, or is the velcro attached to elastic or webbing? If attached, is it sewn on or how is velcro attached to straps? Also, do you know what type of velcro is used? Is it the industrial kind? Thanks, Michael

Wow! I did a rough cut of my AP helmet eyes yesterday with a dremmel and was worried how the eye holes were not as smooth as I would like them. Then I looked at the stunt eyes in this link and feel a lot better about the job I did on mine.

I was thinking of using 2 part apoxie sculpt, but was worried about the curing because it emits heat as it cures. Does this emit heat or was there any deformation of plastic when using this? Thanks!

I have a question about the CRL updates. In the newsletter above, it is stated, " The excitement isn't only for our folks going to the windy city however. We're well underway into our first wave of CRL Reviews and Updates, which will be posted up in the coming weeks. Even better, we have some cool new FISD merch that will be announced very soon as well!" I am working to get my armor completed to submit at end of May 2019. Is there timing when these new CRL requirements will be implemented? I am concerned, because I have an old FX kit purchased in 2005. I am targeting to get it completed and ready for approval end of May 2019. I know that the helmet has already been removed from acceptance criteria for approval. I am concerned about the rest of the armor being phased out as well. Can you tell me if the changes described above to the CRLs will remove FX kit going forward? I realize that I am probably a rare exception of taking so long to assemble kit. I don't want to miss out on getting accepted.

Yes, I am aware of the restriction for centurion. I have been assembling my kit using the how to make your FX EIB thread. So I hope to get EIB shortly after getting initial approval. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Still working. Got eyes roughed out. I have pencil lines to fine sand to. I tried to use exact-o knife to trace along pencil lines but that did not work well on right eye. I found I have a pretty steady hand to do fine grinding with dremel tool. Used smallest sanding stone I had. I’m happy with initial results. Any suggestions to square off the smaller smile holes?? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tomorrow I should be able to separate butt plate from kidney plate. Happy with how middle strapping turned out. Made me super confident to do the outsides. I left 30mm gap from side edges in case I have to cretae notch and trim butt plate. Gluing other side of shoulder bell elastic straps. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am building old FX. The kidney and butt already line up without notch. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, I didn’t get as much done as I was expecting, but I did start tackling next hurdle. Here is what I got done. I made the webbing to attach butt plate to kidney plate. The snap installation I thought went well until I did test snap. Then had some would not connect. I ended up having to redo half of them. Then I glued one side of elastic to shoulder bells. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I thought I saw a diagram that gave the dimensions of the notch on the kidney plate armor for Centurion. I thought it was detailed in the Billgrams, but I didn't see it. The CRL only gives how tall the notch is, not the width. Anyone help with clarifying? I am not going for centurion, but would like to leave space for them. I am working to attach butt to kidney plate. Thanks!

Ok. Today’s the day. I will be starting torso assembly and helmet assembly today. I especially want to thank Al Tong TK-76239 of the Great Lakes Garrison. He has let me examine his armor a couple times and answered questions and put me in contact with a couple experts. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It looks like it self leveled and filled in some of those gaps. I just put second coat on. Hard to get some of the angles on the face plate. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I put on one layer but it is not smooth. Is this normal or did I do something wrong? There are pin size dots of white where plasticity did not cling to on first coat. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I meant size of the specific screw. I think I may have stumbled into it looking for something else. Thanks.