justjoseph63

Same here with the snaps... I use the double snap method for added security against anything coming undone unexpectedly.

Follow the line you have drawn, Mark. BUT, make sure the raised ridge is the same width on both sides, top to bottom. The one on the right in the photos looks a bit wide at the bottom. If you have one, I would suggest using a "half-round" file to smooth down the return edges before using sandpaper. Trust me, it works GREAT!

Looking great, Shane! The only things I can see are what Scott mentioned about the left drop box, and the rivets on the cod and butt plate should not be painted, and you may need to add a photo of your bucket showing the lens color, (back lit). Not sure if it matters, but the TD screws could use a quick dab of black paint. Get ready for that Centurion ribbon, sir!

Any additions for TFA would be appreciated, and posted as such.. Thanks!

Good call, Jeff, (wingnut65). I completely forgot about the washers... One step closer, Jeff from Calgary! Looking forward to seeing your EIB application soon!

For Darman's, if you click on the first link, scroll down to the 10th post. You will see another link there to view photos. To contact him, click on his avatar to to PM him. For Veedox, click on the second link in my post. If you have any trouble, just let me know.

I personally went with Darman's neck seal, and am more than happy with the quality, price and customer service, http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/21385-darmans-neck-seals/. There is also a seller called veedox who has them for sale as well, http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/13511-for-sale-anh-hero-neckseal/

Unfortunately it looks as if you may have to invest in a new canvas belt, Bill. I would drill the rivets out and use 2 "Chicago" style screws, as the extra holes in the leather won't be seen anyway I know it's a bit of extra work, (and cost) but hopefully you will be shooting for EIB and Centurion and it will be worth it!

A couple of things, Wayne.. Unless you are going HWT full time, I wouldn't recommend painting the main body of the pack. The reason is that it WILL rub off on you armor, and removing it would be a pain. As far as attaching the boxes, etc., I used coarse thread 1 inch sheet metal screws and E-6000. Have you made the cone for the bottom of the cup yet? One last thing concerning scratching your armor... when you get everything secured to the pack, I would suggest hitting Michaels for some black craft foam to cover the hole. I CA glued it all the way around the opening, and pressed it in a bit for an indentation to better fit the OII panel on the back piece of my armor. The black plastic main body, painted or not, will scratch it up otherwise. Side note: The snap loop in the photo is what I use to hold my canvas shoulder ammo pack in place. Works great!

I would stick with the split type rivets, Jeff, (see photo). The reason being is that IMHO they will be tighter. ABS is rather thin, and the post rivets could have too much space on either side and sort of rattle around. These are pretty easy to use... simply drill out the hole to the size needed, push them through, use a screwdriver to slightly open the "legs", and carefully flatten them down. Badda bing. Photo courtesy of Tolo

If you haven't made your snap plates yet, I would suggest using short (1 1/2 inch) sections of 1 inch wide nylon as a base for the part of the snap that attaches to your armor instead of ABS. The reason being is that ABS, being flat, may not conform to the areas where the armor has a curve to it, such as the top of the butt/bottom of the kidney, shoulder bridge areas, etc. Amanda is 100% correct about the heat knife. I purchased a woodburning/soldering tool from Lowe's (about $10.00), and it saved me a HUGE amount of time making holes in nylon, and is great for sealing the ends as well.

Just be sure to let it dry on it's own after using the damp cloth, again, to keep the static down. I would try a small area with a thin coat of paint to see what kind of results you get, but you should be fine. Worse case scenario you would need to bring a small heater (electric) into the area for a bit to warm it up. Just turn the heater OFF before painting, as the fumes can be flammable as well as toxic in a small space.

Congratulations on some outstanding work, Brad. I agree with Tony about your positive attitude, and welcome you to the ranks, brother!

I'm thinking it is probably pretty cold in the area you primed this, Richard, and what you are seeing is more than likely dust that was drawn to it from excess static. When you sand it, do it lightly, and be sure to wipe it down again with a slightly damp cloth to keep the static down before painting it. I think you have plenty of primer on there, and it looks great so far!

Best.. Dad.. EVER! Awesome job, sir!

Carl is 100% spot on about doing the inside, it will help pull the seams into place before adding the outside cover strips.

Damned fine set of armor building, Brad, you should be proud of it.

Not sure about passing for 501st approval, but a few things I could suggest are: 1. Tighten up the connection between your shoulder bells and shoulder bars. 2. Raise your belt to where it either touches or slightly overlaps your ab plate button plate. 3. If you can, cut down the circumference of the bottoms of your calf pieces, which will make them ride higher and not touch the bottoms of your boots. On a side note: I would paint the ear screws, bucket screws and thigh ammo pack screws white. Really nice paint job, by the way, and PERFECT job on the forearms

Mathias is absolutely correct about the magnets. The type you will require are the "rare earth" type, which are MUCH stronger that ordinary ones, and will help bring the cover strips in contact with the seams. They are so strong that I would suggest covering them in blue painter's tape to keep them from scratching the ABS. As for the E-6000, you can actually rub most of it off with your thumb. Zip Kicker is only used for CA (super) glue, but I personally don't recommend it unless you are 100% percent certain that the seam and fit are correct. There are no "do-overs" with it. At this point, I would wait until you get the magnets before proceeding. Yes, I know it may take a while, but anything doing is worth doing right!

GREAT job on the fixes, Brad! If I could suggest something, (if you haven't done it already), it would be to add a strip of ABS on the inside of the shim seams where you used the ABS paste for added protection against the seam cracking in the future. I can see that Centurion badge under your name in no time, and looking forward to welcoming you to the ranks!

WOW, Richard, outstanding job on the masking and sanding! If I may make a small suggestion, I would recommend masking off the areas above and below the clamps that hold the bin closed, (see photo), and here is why... The act of constantly opening and closing the clamps will scratch the heck out of the paint if you cover those areas, and not only look bad, but may cause the paint to peel in the surrounding areas. Can't wait to see photos of the finished product!

Side note: I am envious as hell of that work-shop. And the socks.

Gotta say, Chris, that this is coming along great! Also, outstanding paint job on the bucket and ab plate buttons. Looks like you are shooting for Centurion right out of the box, and I say kudos to you, sir! If it's not too late, you might want to think about raising the front of your belt just a hair. I believe it should touch the bottom of the ab button plate or even overlap just a bit.

I know that Ingrid was in the process of building one, but not sure how far along things have progressed. You can check out her build thread here: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/32972-ladyinwhite-phasma-build/