justjoseph63

Done deal!

I just made a tutorial on this. Hope it helps! http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/41865-snap-setting-101/

HOLY MOSES! I just used imgur for the first time. One word... WOW!! Lightning fast, reliable and best of all EASY, (even for me, LOL)! I owe you a case of beer, Preston. You are the MAN!

I was wondering if anyone that uses Photobucket has paid the $14.99 yearly fee to get rid of the pop-up ads. I have spent up to 45 minutes trying to edit and post one single photo, and was curious to find out if paying the fee increases speed. I know that you can use Facebook to post pics, but I don't have it. Thanks for any and all info.!

I will get some photos up today for you, Steven.

EXCELLENT point from Randy! That's the first thing I thought of as well. You can (and should) remove all the return edges from the inside of that area and use a very fine grade of sandpaper (300 grit or higher) to smooth them down. That should remedy that immediately. You don't have to pay a lot for a decent pair of new compression pants: https://www.amazon.com/Compression-Baselayeror-Workout-Running-Leggings/dp/B01MTLA3WQ/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1495619650&sr=8-20&keywords=men+black+compression+pants

Have you tried contacting Tony directly? He is a genius when it comes to all things electronic and would be glad to help you. Try this: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/user/21566-ukswrath/

GREAT looking pack! Nice to see that you weathered it up. Speaking of which, you should weather up that armor and go for EIB!

I had a Hyperfirm DLT-19, and holding it up with one hand can be done. It gets a bit heavy, though. It would also allow for a longer range (pardon the pun) shot.

Myself or any Staff member can do that for you, Brian.

Phenomenal job on those side shims, Will! I wish you had taken photos of the process you did to achieve that. They would certainly help those who need to do that for EIB (and Centurion for that matter). Looking SHARP, and I look forward to welcoming you to level 2!

WOW! Outstanding job, Teresa! GREAT work on the back/kidney and side connections. The only thing I could recommend (not a requirement) is to take a piece of sandpaper and rub the paint off the front of the hovi-mic tips, as seen in the photo below of a screen-used bucket. See you at Centurion soon!

Outstanding article and information, Chris! This will definitely be a shot in the arm toward our March to 1000 campaign. IMHO this should be in the next NL to add some awareness toward our goal.

Trooping in any kind of armor will take it's toll. Things come undone, crack, get scratched and worn, so it pays to be proactive rather than reactive. I inspect my armor after each troop to check for anything that may be a potential problem and nip it in the bud before it becomes an issue. One of the main things I have seen is yellowing due to excessive sun exposure. This can be remedied by using something like Armorwhite from Trooperbay https://trooperbay.com/trooperbay-armorwhite-plastic-whitening-gel. Any cracks/splits can be repaired by adding a piece of ABS to the rear side of the problem piece for support. If treated right and taken care of, your armor should last a very, very long time.

Way to go, Pete! Always great to have another HWT in the ranks, but where is your pack?

It looks as if the ones on the right may need a bit more trimming, but it may be the photo. Here is a pic of an approved Centurion level Anovos ab button plate which should give you an idea of how much to trim.

Semi gloss.

Is this something I will be fairly easy to do when mine arrives? I am getting the unfinished kit, but as long as I have instructions/photos of the finished product as you have modified it I can do it.

Who made your armor, Garrett? The reason I ask is that many of them (except for Anovos) can supply you with the extra ABS you will need. You will need to cut it to the correct size, match it up with your present kidney, and attach a plate behind the join for support. After that, mix up up some ABS paste (PM me if you need help on that), fill the joint and holes from the rivets if you used those, sand down the area and using a product like Novus system and polish it smooth. It's a bit of work, obviously, but well worth the effort. Here is an example of how to get it looking great: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/37728-kidney-shim-taper-question/?hl=%2Bplate+%2Bshims

Brian is completely correct about the Velcro system Anovos supplies. If you only troop a few times a year (in moderate weather) the Velcro should work when attached correctly. For frequent trooping I also suggest going to the snap method favored by the vast majority of TKs. Below is a diagram Jeff (wingnut 65) made that will help. He used (as I did) the "double" snap system, which pretty much guarantees that nothing will fall off during a troop. Ever. If you decide to do this, you will need a few supplies. These include: Line 24 snaps- For strapping. You will need at least 30, and do NOT "cheap-out" on these, but purchase quality ones. (Steer clear of Wal Mart "Dritz" snaps). Tandy is recommended. Snap setting tools- Used for, well, setting snaps. Hammer- For setting snaps. (NP) Elastic- 1 inch wide black for shoulder bells, etc. (4 ft.) 2 inch wide white for ab/back plate shoulder connection (1 ft.), 1 inch wide white for drop boxes, (1 ft.) 1/4 inch wide white** (1 ft.) for rear shoulder straps. Nylon strapping- 1 inch wide black, at least 6 to 8 ft. long. 2 inch wide black (48 inches) for high tension areas if you are using the double snap method. E-6000 Glue- For attaching the nylon to your armor. (Stay away from CA (super) glue. Trust me. ** If you are (hopefully) aiming for Centurion Also highly recommended is a Soldering Iron- For making holes in nylon strapping and sealing the ends. Pretty inexpensive, and worth the cost! Most of these items can be purchased at any larger craft store like Michaels. Does it take time? Of course! Is it worth it? Definitely!

Great to hear that you are going for screen accuracy! Unfortunately, the requirements for TD differ from those for TK in a lot of ways. They do not use the terms EIB or Centurion, but instead have MEPD Police and S.W.A.T. programs. More information can be found on their site http://forum.mepd.net/ and the requirements for those levels can be viewed here: http://forum.mepd.net/index.php?/forum/12-mepd-police-officer-program/ Of course there is always the Heavy Weapons Trooper alternative, (not that I am biased, LOL). We get to carry large weapons, have "weathered" armor and a pack. Plus, you can change back and forth to regular TK if needed. http://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:TK_hwt

I will send you a couple of the correct cap rivets or split rivets (no charge) for your thigh ammo pack, Logan. Just PM me and I can get those in the mail right away.

Building a Shadow Trooper is basically the same as building a TK. Your best bet is to look over some of the various builds here, and I would also suggest checking out (and signing up at) the Special Ops site: http://501stspecopsdet.net/ Hope this helps!

Excellent point. I didn't even think of that!

Note that AM armor comes with the kidney/posterior armor as two pieces, which would be relatively easy to remedy, but have you contacted Mark (Sskunky) to see if his ROTJ armor would fit you? If so, it would make your build a lot easier.