Sentry71

Seems like just yesterday I had this: And now, and month and a half later, I have this: And a new toy as of today: Hyperfirm DLT-19!!! Going on vacation this weekend, so no further work until Monday. I think I will be able to hit that April 1st target, though!

Yep, I've been following the ATA thread as well as the Anovos one, and taking bits and techniques from each.

Unless I saw it wrong, the reference pics in the photo reference gallery (of the beat up sniper) look to have the same issue. I guess I will leave it until the GML or EI review says otherwise. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/gallery/sizes/2049-a-new-hope-sniper-knee-placement-lfl-caleb-01 Thanks for the suggestion, Aaron!

So, I was working on trying to get the sniper plate in place, and realized that both of the shin outer strips on the front look OFF. I'm not sure if I'm overreacting, or if these are off enough to require pulling and regluing. I was concerned that the sniper plate seems to have shifted right, and that the strip on the other shin is going to need to be "bent" to make it look even all the way down the front. Is it your opinion that either/both need to be pulled and reglued?

I did butt plate snaps at 15 and 35mm in from the edge, and cod rivet at 30mm in. Gleaned this info from other threads.

http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/31920-ukswraths-am-10-ata-bucket-build/page-3#entry415347 I used this post from Tony's ATA build to do mine. Worked beautifully.

Thank you! I did have a good day. The weather was awesome for this time of year, and I was able to get some work on the shoulder bells done, as well as thigh inner strips and the ammo pack. Still no photos - camera on my phone is being difficult.

On the sides, go with elastic for movement, but when creating the elastic, make the length slightly short to allow for a little stretch. For example, if the distance between fasteners is 3", make the elastic strap only 2 1/2" between the fastener locations. That should make things snug, but still allow comfortable movement as needed

I did elastic everywhere as well, though there are some areas where I am considering changing out a few to nylon (back to kidney specifically).

Thank you sir!

Happy birthday to me! Just got the tracking number for my DLT-19. Thanks Lewis!!

Damn, you Canadiens (Canadians?) can be picky.

24 hours is the accepted time to let E6000 set before moving on. The package actually says it sets quicker, but its best not to try to mess with it before 24. You've got a great start - slow and steady will get you there sooner than you know.

Thanks! True, no photos in the last update, but I'm intending to get some taken and uploaded soon.

Busy weekend. Saturday, I went with the 70th Explorers Garrison as a handler, to help out with the St Patrick's Parade in St Louis, MO. The weather was not the best (50F and misting all morning), but getting to see the outfits that members have, and the reactions of the kids (and adults) to the characters was awesome to behold. ​Group shot: (I'm on the far left, in the TK Jacket.) There's nothing like a troop to get the desire rekindled! Today was hot tub day. Forearms, shins and the chest plate/shoulder tabs were bathed and slightly modified to make things easier to wear. I noticed that the forearms had a habit of going back to the shape they were in (assuming the inner and outer strips had something to do with it going back to its old position so easily), but after two dips, they were at least more comfortable to wear. We will see if I have to re-dip tomorrow. Shins have been trimmed, removing about 10mm from the bottom, and it makes all the difference in the world when trying to walk. I don't feel like my knees are being constricted like before. I still need to get the thighs shortened as well, for mobility. I'll worry about cutting out the backs of the knees later. I reworked the lenses in the helmet, using a heat gun to mold the green lens material to the shape of the helmet openings, and then adding T nuts and screws to make the lenses removable. Belt is done (including holster), and the hardware to attach it to the ab is complete as well. Even with all of this work complete, there is still quite a bit to do before April 1 (local comicon): - inner and outer strips on the thighs - back outer strip for shins, plus Velcro - shoulder straps and bridges - ab to kidney closure (rivets, etc) on both sides I was hoping to be done by this week (birthday on Tues), but oh well. Just happy to be making a lot more progress!

Will you still be adding two straps on the sides, to prevent butt flare?

I ordered with standard shipping. It was several weeks before it showed up, and for the first two weeks, the shipping site didn't update. But they will be on their way, and well worth the wait. Since you are looking at over 30 days, you might want to contact them and see if they can initiate tracking on their end.

Awesome idea, might have to do the Trello kanban list as well.

OK, ab/kidney concern: Considering that the new AP comes with the extended ab and kidney, negating the need for shims for a lot of us. (Thanks Mark!) I'm trying to determine if I can cut the kidney to use the notches that Mark molded in, rather than having to move them forward (as Aaron has famously done on his build). I've looked at the CRL, and there isn't anything specifying that the shim (if required) should be on the kidney or ab side. From the Centurion applications I have seen, it looks as if most people end up adding shims on the kidney, basically pushing the seam forward. In my case, I can use the kidney notch as molded, if I take a minimum from the ab, rather than from the kidney. Attached is a photo of what I intend to remove (blue tape). If I do that, then the sides should look like this (imagine the blue as removed): Is this too far back? EDIT: confirmed this should be ok for higher approval levels.

Uh huh. Just like the rest of us. I may or may not have put a deposit down on an FOTK... so I hear you loud and clear.

For some reason, my back plate seems to "drop" at the edges, making the entire piece feel like it is resting on the two edge points, instead of evenly across the kidney plate. I'll see if I can get some closer pics, as well as side shots, to show what I mean. I knew alignment was a bit off with the shins, as they were still not sized at that point. However, thighs were up as far as I could get them, so I suspect I will need to trim the upper return and maybe take a little off of the inside to get them higher. Shins are also a bit long, and need a small amount taken off the bottom. I'm definitely going to remove the edges for knee movement. I already feel like I have to walk peg legged. Thanks for the suggestions, guys!

The goal is Centurion, though I am sure there will need to be modifications along the way to get there. I have added a third elastic strap to try and minimize the back to kidney space. If that doesn't work, I may have to swap it for a nylon strap.

But what would Trooper Dad say??

LOL, loving this thread.

Long term planner, right there.