wreakHavoc309

The torso armor straps are comprised of some elastic webbing with two, 1.5" square hook-side (I think Industrial) velcro. The tabs are sewn on. The loop side is adhesive backed and mounts directly to the armor. Hope that helps!

Hey yeah the Velcro has held up just fine over the past few years. No issues whatsoever. No need to upgrade at all. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. And I was approved with it like that. I’d go with the Velcro if you have it. If you want to upgrade later, you can, but the Velcro is great because of its adjustability. I don’t plan on making any alterations to my suit. And now looking back it seams I never finished this thread... well, let’s see. I got approved, I fixed all the plates, I used a slot and tab system on the shin armor which has held up great... and in the past few years I got a TIE Pilot, Imperial Crewman and a Clone approved... Here are just a few highlights from some past troops: (Look Sir, they put my school in the painting!) Guess I gotta finish up this thread. More later. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Okay, so, TEE Leave (term end exams) is a thing and I managed to get about 36 hours leave to go back home. Now home, I have access to my family's workshop. Got back at 2345, so there wasn't too much I could do last night, other than change out the screws on the thermal detonator canister. Found the right sized pan headed screws, painted black, let the paint dry overnight, and then screwed them to the detonator in the morning. I know it's a small thing, but it looks much better now: Alright, so that takes care of that. Belt is now up to EIB standard. Next up, the shins. Is the stuff I'm doing necessary for EIB, no. Honestly, this is just a personal thing, as I did my research and I assembled the shins wrong and so not being able to get a new pair, I've decided I'm redoing these. My perfectionist side is getting the best of me, so this was the next obstacle. First off, I wouldn't recommend doing this. Just do it right the first time. Do research, then when you think you've done enough, you haven't, so do some more. That's what I'm kicking myself about. Anyway, I have to crack these apart. Slight issue is that I didn't use just a cover strip to fasten the parts together- I used strips on both sides and then on the inside I filled in the seam completely with ABS sludge... Pretty much an unbreakable seam... To break this seam, I used a dremel and sanded down the inside seam, digging through the inner strip and the sludge. This was a pain and damaged the inner edges of the shin halves. Then I worked at breaking the outer cover strip off. I worked at this with a flat head screw driver. Since I used MEK to put the strip on, taking it off ruined the finish of the outside of the shin... Oops. I can see why E6000 is preferred as the one seam I did do with E6000 came clean off... It isn't as strong of a bond, but if you mess up, it's an easier and more forgiving fix... So after an hour of work, I got both halves apart. Putting them together hasn't been easy, so I'm doing it in phases. I'm filling the inner seam with ABS sludge in the canal that the dremel dug. Once I get all of the inside, I'll glue the edges of the outside cover strip. Then I'll hit the sniper knee guard and the rear cover strip. Here's how it looks right now: Now it's just waiting for the seam to firm up and then I'll get to the rest of assembling them. There's also the issue of the rear seam... I had to remove the Velcro strips, and the adhesive came off with them... So no more Velcro. I'm considering the elastic and hook method, but I'm also looking at a slot and tab system like what I have on my ab and kidney plates. If anyone has any recommended methods, comment and let me know. And in the meantime I played around with some of the handguards and the elastic and Velcro that were included in the ANOVOS kit... I think I now have an idea for my next suit of armor... Here's a teaser: Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Awesome stuff kman! Thanks for sharing this info. This is going to make things a whole lot easier. Much appreciated! And Jason, I haven't seen any of the nomex gloves at the PX actually... They just have these cheap Chinese shooting gloves from what I've seen. Way too short and too expensive. Though I do know the nomex gloves are popular among the Sandhurst teams in the brigade. Either way, I got them now. Next question for the gloves is how to attach the armor. I'm not sure how many people keep the elastic strap around the hand to hold the plate on, but I was wondering if it might be just as effective to sew Velcro directly to the glove and cut out the elastic for the hand plates altogether. Anyone done this before? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks for all the comments and support guys!! I really appreciate all the helpful advice and tips that you all have given me on my journey to approval! Now that I'm approved, the next step for me is EIB. Right now, I'm trying to set things up for when I finally go on summer leave so I can get to work on fixing some parts of the armor. I've been trying to get a new pair of shins but I haven't heard from any of the guys I contacted, so I'm probably going to have to cut mine apart and rebuild them. They look good on the outside as they are, but I assembled them incorrectly, right inner with left inner and right outer with left outer... So that's on the list of things to do. Otherwise, from what I've been told, I just need to change out the screws on the detonator for EIB. So I'll need to get the right screws for that. I also plan on fixing the hovi mic tips, probably going to make new mesh pieces for that myself, as well as paint the interior white as I don't think ANOVOS did that... In other news though, so I have something to actually show as an update, I picked up a pair of nomex flight gloves. To anyone out there who has an ANOVOS kit, I'd strongly recommend getting some nomex gloves to troop with instead of the gloves the kit comes with. The included gloves are accurate, but once they fill with sweat (which they do very easily) they're really no fun. Get a nomex pair. I got mine off eBay for $9 shipped and everything. They're very comfortable, here's how they look: So, if you need good gloves, get some of those. I'm actually going to get some to go with my Mandalorian merc too as it is. And also, if you have an extra pair of TK shins that you'd be willing to see, or know where to get some in general, I'd really appreciate it if you could let me know. I'm too afraid I'm going to mess up these if I have to redo them. Thanks. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

TK-15775 from the Empire City Garrison requesting access. Thanks! http://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=21314

Yeah, the MPs kinda told me a little about the story, apparently the guy refused to show his ID and didn't take his helmet off... MPs may get a bad rap around the army sometimes, but they're really not that bad. Just do what they say because they're looking out for the safety of the post. And besides, one of them leaned out of a different guard shack and shouted "May the Fourth be with You" before I even had a chance to greet him. Anyway, on another subject, does anyone know where I can get another set of shins? I think I assembled mine incorrectly and I'd like to get a fresh set and start over. Anyone know a good maker who would be able to make some for me, or does anyone have a spare set of shins they'd be willing to sell? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Agreed, hospital corners are no fun- I've never slept below the sheets because of them... Anyway, in other notes, May the Fourth be with You!! My armor was approved as TK-15775, and I've since joined the Hudson Valley Squad of the Empire City Garrison. Got to go on my first troop with them last weekend: And today, in celebration of May the Fourth, I made the West Point Yik Yak again: Funny story actually, the MPs in the pictures were from the same company that arrested the Fort Drum Stormtrooper. As long as I had the proper ID and I took off the helmet in front of them to prove it, I was alright. Not necessarily saying you should do this though, I'm just glad they knew how to have some fun too. This place can be dismal, so when there's a chance to do something fun and harmless, by all means, do it. Even if that means you rack up a dozen or so walking hours... (Or sometimes you get away with it because it's national Star Wars day). May the Fourth be with you all! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Finally got some pictures taken of the fixed armor. Check it out. Everything previously mentioned has been tweaked, so let me know if there's anything more that needs to be done: Check those out and tell me what you think. Also, I picked up some imperial cog patches that I plan to sew to the under suit where the shoulder bells would be. That way, when I'm not wearing the armor, it still looks like an official imperial uniform, kinda like what I imagine an off duty Stormtrooper would look like. I dunno, seem like an interesting concept? How's it look (I know it's not an official costume, just an idea I'm toying with)? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Okay!! Final stretch!! So, now that the shoulder situation should be fixed, I tackled the belt. Unfortunately, impatient me didn't take many in progress pictures of the belt work... Hopefully my narrative can clear anything up that the pictures can't. I started by removing the old rivets from the old ANOVOS belt. Not having a drill readily available, this was extremely difficult. I pretty much had to remove the plastic caps and then dig away at the rivets with my multitool. Using everything from the knife blade, to pliers, to screwdrivers on my multitool, I chipped away at the metal rivets until after a few hours, I was able to pull them loose. This was a real pain, and if you have a drill or a dremel to do this kind of job, use that. Anyway, rivets removed, the next step was to move this pink adhesive that was used to fasten the plastic rivet caps to the plastic belt. I got rid of most of the stuff by using my multitool and hammer as a hammer and chisel kind of deal. The pink stuff was pretty brittle, so it chipped away decently. Still would've went better if I had a dremel, so I recommend that. After a fair amount of damage was inflicted on the plastic belt and rivet caps, I had to sort out a way to fix the holes the rivets had torn in the plastic. Fortunately, I had made some snap plates (without the snaps installed) over spring break, so I just cut those to size and glued them over the holes, thus filling the gap and providing a point where I could insert new rivets, or in my case, Chicago screws. The plastic belt pretty much repaired, I then focused on the canvas belt. I measured and marked my holes for the three rivets that would hold on the main plastic belt, and then the two holes for the snaps that connect the belt to the ab armor. Creating the holes then became an issue. My method for this was to use fire. I took a paper clip, bent it into roughly a circle the width of a Chicago screw and then heated the metal circle with one of my shoe shining lighters until it was red hot. Taking the red hot paper clip, I then burned holes right through the belt. While kinda caveman, this technique worked decently: Holes bored through the canvas, I attached the belt on the sides with the two extra Chicago screws taken from my holster. Not entirely a fan of this method, but they were all I had on hand, so hopefully they don't undo themselves while trooping... The center was secured with one of the two extra split rivets I had, just because I didn't have another Chicago screw... THEN I SCREWED UP... I had put the plastic part of the belt on the wrong side of the canvas belt... So, remove the Chicago screws, the split rivet and the snaps and redo it all. Fast forward a frustrating hour of self hatred and now it's fixed... Put on the drop boxes before fastening the Chicago screws (important, as I forgot the first time). Then measure the holes for the holster, burn through the belt, attach holster. Done, done and done. Here's the result: So, now, only two Chicago screws hold the holster on. Should be good to go for approval now I think. Didn't bother to remove the excess leather though, figured it might work as some padding to keep the belt rubbing too hard against the armor. Also figured I'd leave it in case I make a ANH Hero someday... It's harder to add more material later once it's removed, y'know? So, that should be about it, right? Anything more I need to fix? Otherwise, I think I'll try and get some pictures of me wearing the improved armor and post them here. I think I'm just about ready for approval. I'm getting really excited! Feel free to comment your thoughts, opinions, etc. I'd love to hear your input! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Did a little bit of work last night, namely I found some plastic scraps and was able to make some bicep hooks. Didn't have a lot of plastic to work with, nothing longer than 5cm, but I made it work. Both are glued in underneath the interior padding with hot glue. They're holding pretty well. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Update: Got my belt from TKittell. Very pleased with it, as far as belts go. Fast turnaround, good quality and decent price. I'd highly recommend his belts to anyone with an ANOVOS kit that needs to fix their belt. So now I've gone to work disassembling the ANOVOS belt... Holster came off nice and easy, so that should be just about set (I contemplated trimming the leather belt attachment tabs, but opted not to because if at times I want to put this holster on another belt, for example, my Mandalorian, I'd like options for attaching). The harder part has been removing the plastic front boxes. They used a really strong adhesive on the buttons that covered the rivets and so removing those has been no easy feat. I only have two off right now and I'm waiting on the third, seeing as I stabbed through my hand when I slipped with a knife trying to remove the second... So just waiting for my hand to heal up. Anyway, the rivets are presenting another challenge, with only one fully removed now. The other is tearing up the plastic and won't seem to budge. Not sure how to remove it, but this thing has to go before it tears another hole in the plastic... I can't afford to have to replace that piece. Finally, once I get the belt fully disassembled, what should I used to reattach the stuff? For the plastic belt, what should I use? I assume some kind of rivets, but if anyone knows specifics, let me know so I can order some parts for em. Otherwise I might just use up they would split rivets I have left, or use snaps. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

So, a small update. Not too much has happened, seeing as most of the work needs to happen on the belt. As for the bicep hooks, I'm currently out of the plastic I need for them (2mm thick ABS strips, essentially excess cover strip pieces). I was originally planning on picking them up on pass on the weekend of the 16th, but seeing as there is now training scheduled for that weekend, I can't leave to get some. So this may set me back until the end of May, but I am looking into options. So, as for the belt, I took y'alls advice and ordered one from TKittell (less expensive than Trooperbays, no offense to either maker- I'm just on a tight budget). Hoping that comes in soon so I can remount the holster and plastic belt assembly. Currently working on getting tools for that. What do you recommend for reattaching the plastic part of the belt? (Just so I can order the materials ahead of time). Lastly, just for fun, I played around with my painted Hasbro E11. Found a silver sharpie and went to town. Perhaps a little heavy on the weathering, but at this point, this is mainly to create a cool looking shelf piece. I wanted it to look like it had been salvaged by some rebel from a crashed Star Destroyer, so that's why the damage is so heavy. Might end up using it with my Merc anyway: And the lights still work too, same as the sound! Let me know what you all think! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks! This is brilliant... I wish I had thought of this. Definitely going to do it now. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Brian, thanks for the advice. I didn't actually know that about the shoulder straps- being forward of center that is. Very good to know, and I'll make sure that is adjusted next time I'm wearing the armor. As for the return edges, they have been removed at the ankles. The edge curves in a bit, but what would be the return edge is cut down so it's flush with the inner surface. As for the wrists, I'm leaving on the edge right now, simply because I don't currently have access to the equipment I usually use for trimming and sanding edges (yes, I could do it with a knife and some sandpaper, but I prefer to use a dremel because it's less work and comes out nicer usually). I think that's only a Centurion requirement too, right? If that's the case then it should be fine for now. It will be gone eventually though. The belt rivets definitely need to go. I was thinking of getting one of Trooperbays belts on the recommendation of another cadet. If not, I might just see if I can have my family back home sew one for me. Also, the ANOVOS suit appears a little baggy on the arms and chest because I was kinda rushed to take this picture. Underneath the forearms, the sleeve is bunched way up, but if I had actually taken the time to pull on the shirt properly, it would've looked better I think. Good to know though. I'll make sure I fix that in future images. And on the butt plate- it definitely is a bit too wide for me, that said, I've been hesitant to heat it and bend it because of some previous bad experiences with heating ABS. Although, when I look at some of the screen caps from ANH, it appears that a lot of troopers have this issue... I do want to correct it at some point if I can, so if anyone has any recommended methods, tutorials, etc, I would love to see them. Thanks for the input! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Alright, thanks Jason! The back plate can definitely be adjusted, I'm glad you caught that. And the bells do seem to ride a little high... Can you explain what you mean by "bicep hooks"? I'm not familiar with them, but I'd love to try them. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Alright, I think I'm just about done. A few tweaks here and there maybe, but other than that, nothing serious. Please, look through these shots I took on the weekend and let me know what you think. Let me know of any improvements I need to make. Also, I'm leaving out the blaster in my photos until I can get a hyperfirm or something like it, because I doubt the conversion I'm doing now is going to fly: Action Shot: Without helmet: Please let me know what you all think. Your feedback is much appreciated. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I just remembered some other mods I did that I happened to take pictures of! So, here are some of those (unfortunately I don't always document everything I do because I get caught up in actually doing it). Anyway, so, I had mentioned the slot and tab system that I made for the ab and kidney plates. After a little bit of research I found out it may have been a little bit overkill to do it on both sides, when I could've had one side riveted together with webbing in between... On the plus side, the slot method at least allows me to break the ab-kidney section into two different pieces, which makes it easier to store, especially when you're working with the limited space underneath my bunk. So, now with the tabs glued in place, the ab and kidney edges match up perfectly and and the two pieces form a nice complete loop that fits around me. I don't have to worry about the plates gnashing return edges or folding over each other. Check it out below. It may not be film accurate, but it makes wearing and storing the armor a whole lot easier for me: And here are the pieces together when worn: Little to no gap, and the tabs are hardly visible. Alright, so, next modification I made- I got rid of the construction liner on the helmet. Wasn't a fan of it from the start, and it never seemed to stay in the proper position. Noticed a lot of people were using ACH pads in their buckets, so I figured I'd do the same. I had a few lying around and put some Velcro in the dome and now the helmet fits nicely. At some point I plan to add an elastic chinstrap of sorts, as well as to bolt in the lenses, but for now, those are staying as they are: I also cleaned up the area around the eyes on the helmet. ANOVOS trimmed the eyes pretty straight along the top, which meant that the green lens didn't sit quite right. Not a difficult fix- just traced out a line roughly parallel with the outer surface and dremeled it out. Sanded to a smooth finish and now the lens sits flush. Very pleased with it, but apparently not pleased enough to take a picture of the finished product... Oops... Also added two helmet fans and I have a friend working on a mic and amplifier system, however I do not have pictures of that... And finally, I had discussed reinforcing the vac formed portion of the belt. For this, I cut two strips of polystyrene and glued them along the outer edges around the snaps and riveted areas. Turns out, that's all you really need. Belt is much stronger now and I'm very happy with it. Now my major concern is the belt itself. I'm planning on replacing the canvas, but I'm on a tight budget and don't have a lot of resources. I was considering sewing the canvas myself, but I won't be able to leave post to pick up supplies and sew the belt anytime soon. I started looking into Trooperbays stuff, and while it looks great and seems like a good option, I don't think I can justify the price right now with my current budget. Other than that, this kit should be nearing the finish and approval. And, as always, if any of you guys see anything I can fix, adjust, or improve on my armor, let me know. I always appreciate feedback. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I did this and it really helps a lot. I can do stairs and even sit down now with it. I first cut out some semicircular pieces and then sanded the leftover edge with a Dremel. Very easy to do and a great fix: Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Right, yeah, unmodified should get me basic cert, heavily modified should bring me to EIB, and a hyperfirm is pretty much standard for centurion. At least that is to my understanding based on what I read in the CRLs. But yeah, you're right, the Hasbro here is a lot of fun and is more of a side project for stuff and giggles. I'm hoping I can use it to get my kit up to EIB when I finish modding it, but I guess I'll see what happens. Right now I just need to get this thing fitted... As it turns out, I never got to have this properly fitted on me because I spent most of spring leave helping to build two mandalorians for some friends of mine. Anyway, now I'm back at West Point. The TK should be coming up next weekend for Easter. Until then, all I have are a few pictures of my friend wearing it when he tried it on. He's shorter than me, but I have to say, it looks pretty dang good: Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

kman- you hit the nail on the head there! Yup, I noticed that with the left thigh, I added some extra padding there to eliminate that. Didn't know that was a common issue... I was afraid it was just me haha. Anyway, should be good now, going to do a full test fitting tomorrow. In other news though, while I was waiting for glue to dry, I started tinkering with a Hasbro E11. I'm liking where it's going. This should just be a place holder until I can save up for something a bit nicer... Maybe a hyperfirm, we'll see. Lemme know what you all think (and if you have a spare folding stock for an E11 around) Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Today's update: Got a little bit done, most of the stuff is drying though, so it's a lot of wait time. Anyway, things I did: - finished the chest and back shoulder modifications - finished the left leg, including thigh armor and internal padding So, for the chest to back shoulder connections (the webbing, not the plastic) I wanted to upgrade the look to hopefully get this kit to EIB status, or hopefully Centurion someday. As such, the black stuff had to somehow become white. I can't just reset the Velcro strapping they gave me (I mean I could, but that would be more complex), so my solution was to get some white strapping and sandwich the original black webbing between it. I like the look, and I think that covers the white strapping requirement, right? Have a look for yourselves: Alright, so, I also added a little touch for accuracy- got some quarter inch elastic and made some loops to hold down the plastic straps on the back armor. Not a big fan of the look (though I think they came out cleanly) but I'm doing it for accuracy and to hopefully keep my plastic straps centered when trooping. Alright, then I finally sanded and cleaned up the thighs. The left thigh us the only one I was able to finish today, but I'm liking it. I took off all the sharp edges and added some foam padding. It's much more comfortable now, and after a test fit, I can bend the leg to a 90 degree angle allowing me to sit, climb stairs, or kneel (not sure how wearing the ab plate will affect that motion though, but for now I'm hopeful). And that should fo it for today's update. Hopefully tomorrow the ab and kidney system will be done, as well as the right leg. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Spring Leave!!! You know what that means? Access to an actual workshop!! So, I started going to work solving some of the problems I sorted out when I tested out the suit at West Point. The major issues I started with had to do with reinforcing the ab and kidney plates, and then I also started on the shins. First things first, got my TK boots and man are these amazing! I was hesitant at first to drop $100 on these because I wasn't expecting the kind of quality I got. These are very good, sturdy, solid and extremely comfortable- I've been wearing them around the house they're that great. To anyone on the fence, I'd highly recommend them. So, to help with the ab and kidney- the major issue I have is that I'm a decently skinny guy, and the two plates like to overlap and grind each other's return edges. At some point, something is going to tear, so I figured I'd solve that by getting them on the same plane so they can't overlap or grind. To do that, I've devised a kind of tab and slot system. The kidney plate will have four black tabs mounted in the edges that will plug into corresponding slots on the ab. It's looking good so far. Only issues are that I'm concerned that I'm using polystyrene for the tab system versus ABS on the armor as I don't have any scraps left to build tabs or slots etc. it's working so far though. After talking with a friend who helped build another ANOVOS kit, he marked that the should straps were thin. So, I built these up a bit too, adding a layer of plastic to the underside to reinforce them: And finally, I notched the shins and the thighs to give me some more mobility. I'm liking it so far. Should hopefully allow me to get up stairs now: More to follow. Let me know what you all think. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I ordered some TK boots. The Nikes are just standing in for now because they're all I have here at the Point. I had them for Military Movement class, but once my good boots come in, I'll be applying for membership. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Alright, so, I have a little down time between guard shifts. Here are some pictures of the work I did on the rest of the armor to get it wearable for the central area shenanigans. Still a few tweaks need to be done, but here are some more pictures recovered from my iPads memory. First up, this is how I managed to clamp the thigh armor when I was gluing the two halves together. I used MEK to chemically weld the two haves together with some strips of ABS holding it together inside along with the cover strip on the outside. I'll get more pictures of the insides later once I trim them up and sand them down. I'm going to add a little bit of padding to the thighs too. MTF on that. Now, if you're wondering how I store the armor away for inspection, here's a fun little shot of the armor broken up into sections and into plastic bags that I have stashed in the compartment under my bed. Nothing too special, just a fun shot. Finally, here are some shots of the current state of the armor. Now, I know there are a few flaws in these images. I had haphazardly thrown the armor on for a photo and so I noticed the improper overlap of some of the chest, kidney and ab armor, however, other than that, what do you guys think of the armor? Still gotta get the boots and paint the ab buttons. Should be getting that done in a few short days: Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk