justjoseph63

I agree, Joe, the armor is very nice. I'm also on the thin side, and had to do some heat bending of the thighs to decrease the angle a bit. Besides the trimming, it was a pretty straightforward build. I will give you and Steven a little hint if I may... Go to Lowe's and pick up some 3M Sandblaster Pro Ultra flexible sanding sheets, (220 grit). This stuff is AMAZING. You can bend it, shape it, roll it, and it is VERY hard to tear. It is made from silicone instead of paper, comes in a 4 pack, and seems to last forever! Put it this way, I used one sheet to complete my E-11 and armor build, and it is still in going strong.

You are correct, Christian, the old AM 2.0 back plate is only acceptable to EIB, but in Feb. of this year they re-tooled, and the ones that have come out since that are approved to Centurion, (I got lucky)!

Thanks for the pics, Clint! Makes me feel a lot better knowing that I may be able to just trim down the back plate straps a bit.

I received my AM 2.0 armor a few months ago, and they thought the chest plate that they sent would be "acceptable at all levels", but unfortunately it isn't. I emailed them several times, asking about getting one that is acceptable, and they let me know that they were doing a run of ones that were, and would keep me updated. That was 2 months ago. That is why I went with ATA, and am wondering if I should just order an ATA back plate.

You can also try Imperial boots. My dealings with them were 100% positive, and there is a lot of positive feedback from other members as well.

Hola! I need some advice on trimming, please! I received the ATA chest plate to replace my current AM 2.0 one for my next level, (Centurion), but I noticed that they do not line up at all. Since I can't expand the ATA, it looks as if I am going to have to seriously do some trimming on the back plate straps in order to get them to line up. I have a heat sealing iron, and can put back the small return edge on the outside, if needed. Or, will I need to order a new ATA back plate to match? Many thanks in advance for any and all help!!!---------

I am far from an expert, Christian, but I would like to offer a few suggestions if I may... First, your canvas belt seems to be way too high, and covers your lower ab buttons. The top of it should ride just below them. Your back plate/kidney plate has a large gap. Perhaps if you closed them up a bit it might make your butt plate ride higher and fit better. Your shoulder bells are riding really far back, (I had the same problem), but some black 1 inch nylon with snaps attached to my bicep cured that. Lastly, it looks as if your calves (especially the right one) might need some extra ABS and a strip of white 1 inch velcro to get them to close correctly. Also, it looks as if you removed your sniper plate and thigh ammo pack in the last photos. These are pretty easy to re-attach. Lastly, (and this may just be me with my failing vision), but it looks as if your left hand side thigh is using the overlap method, and your right is using a cover-strip. Just know that all these details are just that... details. There are no problems, Christian, only solutions. Great job so far, and I am confident that others, more learned than I, will jump in and help you out, and before you know it, you will be joining the TK ranks! All the best, and be sure to check out the EIB and Centurion specs., which will help you a lot!

If you are going with AM 2.0, Steven, then measurements are not necessary. Being of a slim/med. build, I ended up trimming quite a bit off of my AM, but easier to remove than to add! If you decide to go with them, just PM me when you get it, and I can help you out with a few of the details.

I got mine from Dick's sporting goods, but I am sure you can try another large store of the same type. The nice thing is that you can try them on before purchasing to ensure they fit correctly, and are not loose.

Which armor are you ordering? The reason is that some armors are designed for taller/wider troopers, (AM, etc.)

A couple of things... You can always (carefully) drill out the rivets with a cobalt or titanium bit, re-align it, strap it down with blue tape, and re set them in the position you like. For the 4th frown holes, you can use an exacto knife to cut it out, or use a small (5/16ths) bit to drill out a hole, and purchase a "needle file" set from Lowe's for about 5 bucks to shape the sides. Like Rob said, when you attach the ears (with screws), and put the S trim on, that will give you a much better idea of what you are looking at. Hope this helps!

Love my Imperial boots! Francois kept in touch frequently, and I got them in less than 10 days!

Just got my Darman neck seal last week, and couldn't be happier!

Looks pretty darn good at this point, Gary, nice work! I like the look of the "rubber" neck seal as well, but it would probably get a bit uncomfortable here in FL. with 90 degree heat! I had trouble posting on here as well, until I learned that you have to have Google Chrome. (Thank you, Tony)! If you have that, click on the small icon above that looks like a Polaroid, (Image), then, in your Photobucket, click on the Direct option, cut, then paste it to the URL in the Image box. You might want to play around with the image size as well. Hope this helps, and best of luck on your neck-seal/TK build!

Some great advice from folks here, Ricky... Another good thing about purchasing from an FISD "vetted" vendor is that there will be build threads from these armorers you can research. Also, I cannot say personally what ANOVOS' customer service is like, but I have purchased armor pieces from both Trooperbay and ATA, and been extremely happy with my dealings with them. All the best in your decision, and I look forward to your build thread!

Not sure about the E-11s, but my DLT-19 Hyperfirm from Slavefive was good to go right out of the box. Painted, "weathered", and B E A utiful!

Oops, my apologies!

I have my mic, speaker, 2 fans, and 2 battery packs in mine, all attached with Velcro, and have had no problems. I installed them after the Plasti-dip. If you wanted, you could always mask the sections for the electronics off before applying paint, so that they stick better.

You are correct, Tony.. I had a lot of trouble with feedback, and I ended up having to mount the speaker towards the top part of my bucket to eliminate it. It works for now, is good for the price, and easy to set up, but I will be upgrading to another system at some point... as soon as I go back to school for my advanced electronic engineering degree. (You know my computer skills are limited, Tony, well, my small electrics knowledge is worse),LOL I can wire a house or fuse panel, but not a bucket mic!

Hi Laval! Instead of paint, I used a product called Plasti-Dip for mine, and have been very pleased with it. It is a black rubberized coating that comes in a spray can, and pretty easy to use. (Available at Lowe's in the spray paint section). I personally like it, as it sort of masks the white of the inside, and seems to make it a bit more difficult for people to see inside your bucket. If you have already installed your lenses and frown screen, just be sure to mask them off well. If not, it is a bit easier. Also, whether you decide to use paint or Plasti-Dip, make certain you give the inside a good sanding, clean it well after, and use a primer. (Krylon makes one just for plastic). Hope this helps!

They show a pic of a Sandy as well, obviously not wearing this bucket.

I started out with a Hasbro with a Doopydoos mod, (usually available on ebay). Then, I upgraded to the Doopydoos full resin kit, and honestly could not be happier. The only thing I didn't like too much was the wait, (almost 6 weeks from the UK for the full kit). Hyperfirms are awesome, (I have a DLT-19) because you can almost run over it with a truck, and it still looks great. Those are the only two I am familiar with, but I know there are others, and perhaps someone else can give you a few more options. Hope that helps!

Digging the new Snow trooper armor.

Great job so far, Brad! Perfect bends on the TD clips, but I would suggest moving them closer to the caps. The CRLs state for Centurion that there should be "Little or no gap" between the clips and the end caps. (Glad to hear you are shooting for the top level)! I am envious as hell of your E-11... fantastic attention to detail!!!

Hi Kai! I actually removed a large portion of the back, as I didn't want it scratching my back plate armor. Then, I bought some black "craft foam" from the local hobby store, and super-glued it over the opening, (see photo). It works GREAT... allows room for the back plate, covers the hole, is flexible, and doesn't scratch my armor! (Yes, I realize that I lost a knob on my last troop).