vettereddie

Brian Vetter 75053 EIB Letter Andrew http://www.whitearmor.net/eib/certificates/75053-eib.png

Excellent, thank you for the consideration. I appreciate the thorough review and individualized recommendations. - shoulder straps have been shortened, will make sure they're aligned for the next round of pics. - sourcing ear screws, may need to go w/ 1/8 countersunk machine vs. M3.5, metric are hard to find here - Excellent suggestion on the kidney to back. Current connection is black webbing glued on both ends, will look at replacing with elastic or partial no-strap style brackets. I didn't even consider the weight of the holster dragging it down. - will tack the drop box straps w/ e600 to ensure proper edge alignment - TD screws on order, planning on standard testors gloss black, unless satin/matte is needed, can spray if so. Will submit once parts are in and all updates have been made.

Update #2 added. - Trimmed the left eye, droop gone - Shortened the shoulder bell straps, rolled them forward - Added detail shots of the sniper knee alignment - Added detail shots of the thigh ammo pack painted split rivets, came w/ the Anovos kit Gave centurion some more thought and decided to pull the trigger. Ordered hand plates and screws yesterday, will be waiting on parts (and EIB approval) for the next round of submission.

Looking good. Snap plates for the belt, why didn't I think of that. Would have saved moving them on the belt when I mis-aligned the drill hole on the suit.

Thanks for the support. Updated w/ the aligned calf closures and detail on the shoulder straps showing the white elastic tie-down. One question for Centurion; for the forearm return edges, would I need to trim flush the raised area where the cover strip goes over, or can I trim a simple circle leaving the bump filled in? Based on the CRL, I'm assuming rear return edge is OK.

FO TK still in black text for Q3. Vegas odds of it going out before the ANH? Oddly, when I ordered my ANH on Black Friday Nov. 2015 it showed up in Feb 2016, less than 3 months wait. it's a crap shoot.

I'm a swear by chin strap person. Tried with out it and every time I went to look down bucket would pop up and need adjustment. Downside, it will interfere with a normal mic that goes over your head. Solved the problem by mounting direct to the helmet and using a wireless transmitter. Using the MICH/ACH helmet pads. 3/4" that came with the set for the top was too thick, bobblehead effect as a result. Ended up using a 3/8" foam cut in a circle and then glued black automotive carpet to go against my head. Back side glued Velcro w/ e600. Works great.

Thanks for the feedback. I've been nervous about trimming the eye, may try with a tape or ruler score to guide. Shoulders can shorten the straps a bit. Will add additional detail shots of the calf closures, help had gone out when I did the photo shoot. Not decided yet on Centurion submittal, I'm partial to the look of the forearm return edges and material/color matched hand plates. Will take a look if any fellow TKs have the newer silicone plates and maybe reconsider. Would also need to update the helmet screws.

Basic Information Name: Brian Vetter Legion ID: 75053 Garrison: Old Line Garrison Mandatory Information Armor Maker = Anovos Helmet Maker = Anovos Blaster Type = Hyperfirm E-11 (standard) Optional Information Height = 6' 0" Weight = 172 lbs Boots Maker = Imperial Boots Canvas belt = TKittel Hand Plates = Anovos ABS Electronics = Aker/iComm/Steren wireless Neck Seal = Cloth / Anovos Holster = Anovos Lenses = Trooperbay dark green lens Hovi Mic Tip screens - Ukswrath D-Ring = Lowes Armor Photos Full Body Front Full Body Back Full Right Full Left Right Side Detail Left Side Detail Helmet Detail Photos Front Right Side Left Side Back Hovi Tip Detail Lens Color Accessory Photos Ammo Belt Front Ammo Belt Rear Neck Seal Blaster Left Side Blaster Right Side Blaster D-Ring Thermal Detonator Back Action Shot Optional Internal Strapping Ab Detail Cod and Butt Plate Attachment Helmet Interior Helmet Electronics Front (fans & mic) Helmet Electronics Rear (battery & transmitter) *** UPDATES *** Calf Closure Right Shoulder Strap Left Shoulder Strap *** UPDATES #2*** Helmet (Left Eye Cleaned Up) Shoulder Bell Strap Shortened Shoulder Bell Left Shoulder Bell Right Shoulder Bells Rolled Forward (on body-fitted duct tape mannequin) Sniper Knee Left Sniper Knee Right Thigh Ammo Pack Rivet Left Thigh Ammo Pack Rivet Right

Listing is very confusing. 10 week lead time, didn't realize you could sell on eBay before the item is manufactured. Description says only the white armor parts are included, but the only white is the chest piece and in one shot a knee and half thigh. Any idea on the lineage of this sculpt? Potential to be a re-cast? Given the Buy It Now price, there are other vetted makers who may be better options if you don't want to wait on the Anovos release schedule for their standard line FOTK pre-order.

Any comparison on durability? I had read some of the earlier kits had issues w/ the armor edges chewing up the gaskets. I know even on the Anovos cloth neck seal for the ANH TK, the coating is beginning to flake from rubbing on the bucket lip. Ordered a set of Imperial Gasket cloth but no clue how it compares or if it's coated like the neck seal gasket.

Can someone clarify the CRL language? Some pieces (shoulder, neck seal) do not have any reference to EIB or Centurion. others (forearms, hand plates) list: For level 2 certification (if applicable): For level 3 certification (if applicable): - additional requirement for certification... When it calls out level 2 and 3, but there is no additional requirement listed under level 2, does that mean 2 and 3 have the SAME requirement or that there is NO additional level 2 requirement? If no additional, adding a line saying 'n/a' in blue would help to clarify. Personal preference, but I like the return edge on the forearm to add the 3D effect, and plastic hand guards to match the rest of the armor. Latex always seems off-color.

I used the cutting disk to do a rough cut on the Anovos. Was great for quickly trimming the excess flashing around the pulls, followed with the lexan scissors at the cut line. Score / snap didn't work for me on anything with a return edge, though was great for the flat seams under the cover strips. Dremel and belt sander I'd consider optional for future builds, especially for those without one when starting a build.

Bald Guys Doing Good?

I'll wait for the armor to catch up w/ the scratches before making a switch to HWT or Sand, 1st year so it's been staying pretty shiney otherwise. For now I'll try polish to fill the scratch and blend, maybe one more season, after the harvest, I'll join the Academy and go Commander.

I think you need to define "best". Price, accuracy, durability, availability, ease of build? I have the Anovos ANH TK but no firsthand experience w/ other makers. - Their kit should be pretty accurate, though the early release / prototype kits had some detailing issues. Based on their feedback it's been addressed, but no-one knows for certain until the new kits ship. - The ABS plastic used for the ANH has pretty sharp pulls, but to get it they went thinner on the ABS than other makers. Durability is fair but will require reinforcement in certain key areas where flex can occur. Their FOTK kit comes with latex joint gaskets, which is softer and more likely to damage or tear where the armor rubs against it. More durable rubber and cloth gaskets are available 3rd party, but increase the suit cost. - Anovos is pretty bad on availability, other than their brand-new pieces like the Deathtrrooper and Shoretrooper helmets. I'll likely be waiting 1 year+ from ordering to shipping for the FOTK. - Ease of build was high on the ANH kit. Having the helmet pre-built, and cut lines molded into the armor really helped out. Also, being white ABS, no painting. The FOTK kit is aiming to be about the same level of skill to build.

What is the thickness of this armor? I have the Anovos and love the sharpness of the pulls but after a year of trooping am starting to deal w/ cracks and splits on the return edges. It is rather thin compared to some of the other makers. With the set you posted the detail looks softer, I'm assuming it's a thicker plastic.

For a timesaver, you only need snaps at one end of each strap. The other can be glued to the armor like a nylon snap plate. I also glued both ends between the bicep / forearms.

Just wondering, is the ANH TK neck seal approvable on a FO TK? Still trying to find a good alternate source, though I like Imperialgasket's integrated in the shirt version.

Shipping or design issues? Happy w/ my OT and other than the wait for soft goods no shipping issues. I see some massive armor parties popping up when this finally ships, I might even host one.

I troop in and display my Anovos, duct tape mannequin w/ PVC skeleton works great, unless you need to troop and display at the same time. That said, if you're time sensitive not a bad price for a pre-build.

Shoulder straps are cracking on mine. Solution will be to shape a piece of scrap to the curve with a hot water bath, then glue under the strap w/ e6000. If the crack is visible, I'll sand it wider w/ a v-notch file then fill w/ abs paste.

The main trick for me was getting the top pad thickness right. Ordered a set of MICH / ACH pads, and the 3/4" top pad had me tilting the helmet forward all the time. Removed it, and it sat too low. Solution was a 3/8" green foam pad cut from a sheet of remnant from JoAnn Fabrics, and black automotive fabric glued to the front of it. Just like the rest of the suit, tailor to fit. Chin strap helps a lot too. Made mine removable by adding a snap plate on each side between the foam covering the ear screw and the cheek tear.

I have the ANH TK and ordered the TFA mainly for it not needing paint. The ANH suit is solid, only cracking for me has been on the shoulder straps (a common problem on the TK design from multiple makers), the helmet is too thin around the base and has cracked under the rubber trim on myself and others. The TFA helmet is injection molded and seems much more durable, it should not be an issue. Not sure on the ANH suit until they release the updated version, I would hope for similar quality. Overall I'd say probably not worth the wait unless you're bondo-shy like me, for the price it is a good deal.

I've got the Vaderpainter lens as well, and waiting on some brave fool soul to post a how-to w/ the standard bucket. "Who's the more foolish, the fool or the fool that follows him?"