kman

Just a tip, Brandon, if you add some foam (perhaps 1/2" - 1" thick, maybe a 2" strip?) inside the back of the thigh armor on the left leg, just before the back of the knee, the added space taken will pull the front of the thighs more flush to the front of your leg. That will help stop the sniper plate from getting caught under it. Sort of like what they did in this thread: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/34005-best-non-electronic-armor-mods/

Yes, although they're also hitting the butt plate in the back. Simply lowering them should be fine, if that's the case. It wasn't clear how much room you had to do that, although now that I look again, I think I was worried there wasn't room because the one shin was simply not pushed down. Also, if your looking for ways to improve, you might want to fill in the gap between the front thigh halves with a small shim and some ABS paste. I personally find the little buck tooth look distracting. (which is why I did the same fix on mine)

I hear you on the belt. It'll do for now. The top thigh ridges can be duplicated, lower down, but it's definitely an advanced technique. Check out PandaTrooper's build thread for a pretty clear idea of how you can cut the entire thigh top to make is shorter, and keep the original curve: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/10434-pandatroopers-am-build-threadam/

Yes, you are. I'm sure either method would work fine. But tape is tried and true, and requires no drying time. And was sitting right there. So I went with tape.

I've seen that, too. And yet I've also seen photos of people showing heat damage from an E6000-metal reaction, which visibly warped their armor on the outside! I don't know if it was a funky batch of glue or extenuating circumstances, but considering how simple it is to stick a little piece of tape on the back to cover the metal, it just seemed like a prudent step to me. May not help, but it doesn't hurt anything, and it might help.

People recommend adding an unsharpened #2 pencil to your kit, to aid in getting gloves right. Use it to push the extra glove down into the armor. The eraser on the end helps grab the material and give friction to push it in.

Line 24 is a type and a size. Line 20 is the same type, smaller size. http://www.amazon.com/Tandy-Leather-Nickel-Plated-1263-02/dp/B00O1GTVMW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456888462&sr=8-1&keywords=Tandy+line+24+snaps Other company's "Line 24" snaps may be different size from the recommended Tandy snaps (which I do not believe JoAnn's carries) Also see page 16 of the March flyer: http://www.tandyleather.com/en/eflyer/1603rt-usa

The gloves go on AFTER the forearm armor does, then tuck the long part up under the armor. No problem.

Agreed. It's only an inch, so 1/2" on each side. Add 1/2" foam padding and your arm will be nicely centered.

Took a couple nights off to spend time with the wife, and some quality time at my favorite pub. (or was it the other way around?) I'm thinking shin closures, and the belt are my next steps.

I had the exact same look at the back of my thighs. Probably because I didn't trim anything off the thighs at all, since I need all the space they can offer. I "fixed" it from behind by putting longer inside cover strips, curved to match the curve of that ridge (see my build thread). That at least stops the black from peeping through the crack. I may (or may not, see below) fill it with ABS paste at some point, to further close it up. Considering there is a decent chance that part will be cut away anyway, later down the road, for increased mobility (on stairs, etc.) I’m not too worried about it.

Nice! I picked up some regular sized Chicago screws, but they're SS, not aluminum. Now I'm thinking I'll use those nice new ones on the holster, where the extra length is no problem, and I'll use the 4 aluminum (I think you said?) from the holster so they're easier to cut down, and use them on the belt.

That Anovos belt isn't doing you any favors, although with someone to assist perhaps it can lay straighter. One shin is higher than the other: Is it cut too small or can it be pushed down lower onto the shoe? A simple strap and velcro tab (like this) may help keep it down, if you find it's creeping up. I think the thighs are still too big, despite cutting out behind the knee. It would look better if they were cut in smaller at the top, and frankly, the whole thing could be cut down an inch or so, and a new return edge created with a hobby iron. Not an especially simple mod, but I think there are plenty of threads of people who have done it successfully which would contain tips. (starting with that hobby iron link)

Ukswrath just did the thigh ammo pack in his thread. On his, he angled it up slightly (like the screen-used armor photos he also posted). I angled mine up so it ends right at the bottom of the cover strip, and none of the "ridge" part is showing. The only issue with cutting down your TD later is you'll have to drill new holes, too, since the metal straps are right against the end caps and will be forced to move once you cut it down. Not sure I follow about hex head bolts... did you actually round off a hexagonal bolt?!? Got a before pic? Cuz that's niiiice work, if you did that by hand.

Well done! My effort to do the same was not quite as effective. The f$%*ing return edge split so I'm going to have to reinforce it somehow. 3 steps forward, 2 steps back...

Well, last night's late night work went well, at least. Errors corrected. Glue needs more cleanup once it's drier, but... Thermal Detonator (screws blacked with sharpie until I get some black paint in): Completed Shims (well, except for days of ABS paste and sanding, of course, but that may wait until after I submit for basic 501st acceptance): Left: Right: No new gluing last night. (shocker!) I'm busy tomorrow so we'll see what I'm able to get done. Perhaps drill the holes for the ab-to-kidney rivets, and finish up that Velcro? Or finish up with the back of the shin armor?

Naturally, I'm only referring to the front/top edges, with the really defined return edge on each half. The other side of the armor (bottom/back) should be adjusted for size (within reason, don't make it too small even if you have really slender arms!), not for a return edge measurement.

TK offers MUCH cheaper shipping in CA (they're based here in CA), and it's VERY fast (when they're in stock, of course), but they do have to charge sales tax within CA. Still, I think TK ends up being priced roughly $5-10 less than IB, for purchasers in the US. (although IB has a sale price now, so normally more!) IB shipping takes a long time to reach CA, I believe. They're based in China, and ship from there, so it's faster for Europe and slower for us. (and the opposite, for TK... faster in the US and slower internationally) Shipping is also a LOT more expensive with IB. $35 for "standard" shipping, which is going to be quite slow from China. Or $50 (!!) for "Express" shipping from China. The TK Boots are a little taller, I've read, which many prefer because the shoes stay tucked under the shim armor easier. Not vastly taller, just enough to notice. By all reports, quality between the two is otherwise very comparable. Sizing is a little different. Both run small and narrow, but I believe I've read IB's sizing is a full size smaller than TK. IB sizes are in EU sizes so it doesn't fully match US sizes. TK Boots only come in full (US) sizes. Numbers for California orders: TK Boots: Boots: $80 Shipping: $14.50 (to CA) Tax: $6.40 (only for California addresses) Total: $100.90 Imperial Boots: Boots: $69.90 (on sale right now, normally $5-10 more) Shipping: $35 (to CA) Total: $104.90 In sum, BOTH boots will give you an excellent result, once you get them in hand, but for someone in California, TK will cost less and arrive MUCH faster. People in other countries will have different calculations, due to very different shipping prices from both vendors.

Nice! I'm in a similar boat, although I'm using the Anovos straps (for now). I have paints from TB on their way, at which point I'll probably tackle the helmet, too. Mostly the frown, although I have the rank template and the paint, so I might do that, too.

1) I filled the gap in mine, although mine was larger. 2) I think ukswrath uses the double cap rivets for his, but Anovos gave us split rivets. I believe either are acceptable. I used split rivets because I had them. Also I think they're easier to remove if needed. 3) I stretched the ammo pack tighter to get rid of the gap, and to keep it higher on the thigh, in front. Mine is positioned tightly so it just touches the bottom of the thigh front cover strip. (covers up that ABS paste patch, so why did I bother? LOL)

Heh. Funny you should show those. After venting my frustrations, I realized that, as late as it was, I didn't want to turn in without glue drying, or I'd lose ANOTHER day waiting for glue to dry. So I stayed up until the wee hours, painstakingly removing glue residue from the pieces that came out wrong (pipe, control panel, inner and outer shims panels), and re-glued them. So now the right side shim is re-clamped and re-taped (having confirmed with certainty that it wasn't shifted over, and even adding a side clamp that I taped down to hold the top edge together!): ... and the TD is re-glued, and clamped within an inch of it's life, using slide clamps (like the ones you posted, DBoz), my heavy duty clamps, AND magnets to make sure the edges are solidly down!

The Shimming, Part 2: Last night's inner support shims glued in nicely. Outside: Inside: So once the appropriate curing time had passed (actually I jumped the gun by a couple of hours, but it's on plenty strong, and the whole area getting clamped for yet another 24 hours, so should be no problem), it was time to glue down the outer shim. I test fit both pieces to see which fit which side best, and which orientation (emphasizing the top, since that'll be the more visible edge). After that, it was just a matter of laying down another line of glue, and clamping the two shims with everything I've got. Easy, right? Not really: The 24 hours having gone by (since I never finished putting up the second post this afternoon), tonight, I checked my work. Right side shim is great. Mission accomplished! The Left side shim, however? Somehow, despite being both taped and clamped within an inch of it's life, the shim seems have slid up (towards the head) a tiny amount. (The left side, naturally, which I want to be especially strong since that'll be used as a hinge by the split rivets, and I need to drill it for them, too) It was only off by a small amount, maybe 1/2mm. But that's just enough to be visible, and the top return edge doesn't quite line up, as there is a visible bump. I technically may have been able to sand it down with a ton of sanding, but that would likely take the whole return edge off at the highest point (thin plastic, 1/2 mm? bad combo), and I don't want to depend on ABS paste to build that back up. So I tore it off, AGAIN, and I'm re-gluing tonight. Yet another 24 hour delay. As I wrote, the other side came out perfectly normal, so yay for that, but I'm still incredibly annoyed. AND THEN IT GOT WORSE: Speaking on re-gluing: That Thermal Detonator? Which I "clamped" by sitting a bin on top of? Worked great. Except the front and back horizontal edges are a tiny bit lifted. Not quite enough to slid in a dime, but enough to see, and bother me. So I got to tear that off, too, and I get to re-glue that one, as well. Strike Two. E6000. You love it. AND you hate it. I know it'll be fine when it's done, but right now, it's yet another full day of delay. ARGH. And for a THIRD problem, I think I'm going to need to move a front snap on the belt. It's just a little too tight, stretched across there. I'll hold off until I'm less peeved to revisit THAT issue, though. Still, strike three. And I'm too frustrated to even really think about the place things really went wrong the other night (alluded to a couple of times). I'll revisit when the glue dries and I've made some real progress to make me feel better. The trial and tribulations. All part of the fun, I guess. At least I'm not at the office. Coming tomorrow (I hope): The Shimming, Part 3: The Paste. (I hope, because that'll mean this part is finally done!)

Many people have used rubbing alcohol and cotton balls, and rubbed it all off with a little bit of elbow grease. No damage.

I suppose I should post last night's progress update. (It's either that, or deal with that stack of work that's due by the end of the day) As usual, excellent forward progress, combined with obnoxious backwards progress. I started on the Thermal Detonator, first. I sawed off 1/4" as planned, using my old miter saw. Naturally, my POS old miter box delivered a fairly wonky cut (I really wish I had a chop saw!), so I cleaned up the end with the OTHER disc on my belt sander, to get a nice final end. Then I chamfered the ends a bit, by hand (meaning, I sort of eyeballed it as I rotated the pipe over the belt sander at an angle, by hand). Doesn't need to be perfect since it's just to get the cap on easier, and the cap is covering it anyway. I used my dremel and a sanding block to get clean up the control panel's edges, since there was some return edge-looking stuff on the underside. Much nicer now, so it should lay nice and flat. I popped the end caps back on (MUCH easier now with the chamfered edges) and laid it out. I'm VERY happy with how mine is going to look, compared to the screen-used original. Check out this control panel lineup! (borrowed pic from ukswrath of screen-used Thermal Detonator with measurements) Mine is a little shorter, overall about 7", compared to 7.25" on the original. CRL's call for "approx" 7.5", so if they're ok with 1/4" over, I'm sure they're ok with 1/4" under, especially since everything is lining up so well. If not, I guess I'm buying more pipe! I marked the edges of where the CP hits with tape so I could see where to sand. This pipe REALLY shows scratches, so I wanted to keep all the sanding well hidden. I used E6000 to glue the control panel on, taped it in place well so it doesn't move while curing, and stuck it under a bin with some stuff in it to provide "clamping" since none of my clamps are big enough to go around it, and I didn't want to risk scratchs with my bigger tools. Point of interest: I bought two bags of screws (nuts & bolts, actually... wood screws are a terrible idea here): 1/2" long #4, and 1/2" long #6. I couldn't get black slotted panheads nuts, so I'll have to make do with combo head panhead nuts. (which I'll paint black) I tried both screws. Frankly, the #4 screws look closest in size, compared to the screen-used TD. But the screw holes Anovos drilled in the bracket are so big, it just barely stays out from sliding THROUGH the hole (in the photo below, you can actually see the hole behind the screw head!). So I'm going to go with the #6 screws. Pan head bolts, to be technical about it. I have #6 nylock nuts, too, it'll stay nice and tight and won't loosen or rattle. Tonight, once the glue is cured, I'll drill the holes and put it all together. Next post: Shimming part 2, which went fine, and then we'll get to where I went wrong...

There's another guy who is 6'4" who is cutting the ab plate and adding a shim under the belt, which is allowed as long as it's all hidden. I'm 6'3" but my height is more in my legs than torso, and it's really tight, vertically, but I won't need vertical shims. (just horizontal ones due to my love of home brewing) More shots in my build thread: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/35552-kmans-anovos-tk-adventure-build/page-4