TheBlooperTrooper

Congrats on the BBB and MBB day! AM 2.0 is an interesting kit to get into. I'm taking it slowly, but surely. In regards to the helmet, I emailed Troopergear a few days ago about possibly buying a pre-assembled one, as I'm a bit of a clutz. Also, make sure that every part is there! I just found out yesterday that I'm missing my thigh ammo pack and accidentally got two belt pieces. I'll email him about that once he replies to the helmet thing, but just a warning! Good luck!

Yeah, I think I got two un-notched versions. If I hear back from Troopergear about the helmet, I will definitely ask him about this as well. Fingers crossed! Thankfully it isn't a necessary part, but I hope to resolve that issue soon!

Update on progress January 10: Today we applied the final cover strip, secured it with bungee cord, magnets, clamps, and a sanding brick to push down on it to be extra safe. Will probably look into ABS paste if this option doesn't work out. Sadly, no email from Troopergear about the helmet, but I'm still optimistic! We also took the magnets and clamps off of the biceps, trimmed the excess and rounded the edges with a dremel tool. My dad and I also trimmed the other button plate for the ab armor, and started working on snaps. Midway through working on the snaps, the power went out! We kept working, and managed to get all the snaps for the arms done (12 in total) and 4 for the torso (2 on the top part and two on the ab piece). The aim is to get more E6000, some white webbing, and a new lighter to be able to fully make all the snaps necessary. If anyone has a solid snap guide aside from Navajo bro's build, send it! Otherwise, I'm using his build as a direct reference, with an exclusion being that I'm using snaps for the arms instead of velcro like shown in his. Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5F with highlights below: Working through the power outage. Total result of all the snaps we made today. I made sure that they were fully secured and ready to go.

Update on progress January 9: Today we trimmed the left shin a lot, and added its inner cover strip. We also glued up the three remaining bicep cover strips and fully trimmed the ab plate button. Tomorrow, my dad and I plan to trim out the other torso button piece, and start work on painting them, as well as adding the last cover strip to the forearms. Also, I emailed Troopergear about possibly looking into a pre0made helmet, hopefully I'll get a positive response back! I had some ideas for a silly helmet to work in a cloth cover or something to be able to move aside to play an instrument through, as I'm huge into my school's band programs. Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5F with a small highlight below: I placed the ab buttons on the torso just to test the size, and added a stencil from Trooperbay on the top left button. I know it might sound silly, but do you remove the stencil when your done?

Update on progress January 8: Today we had a minor emergency with the right forearm. The gap I talked about a few days ago widened, so we took the outer strip off and redid the inner strip. Used a vise grip and rulers to set a flat edge so that the ends would meet properly, and reapplied the inner support strip with a few magnets to seal the deal. We also trimmed the excess parts off of the left forearm and cleaned it up with a dremel tool. Aside from needing straps, it's good to go! We also worked on trimming all the outer cover strips for the biceps, and glued one of them with the magnets we had left. Lastly, we took the clamps off of the over-the-shoulder straps that attach it to the torso, and was happy to see that it came out clean. Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5F with a small highlight below: Having trouble figuring out which one of these is the thigh ammo pack. I read on another thread to not use the piece with the pre-cut squares in it, so I started work on the belt piece (In the middle). Is the thigh ammo pack the one on the right? If not, I can't find it anywhere in my kit. Regardless, in the coming days I plan to finally get around to trimming the last piece of the shins, gluing more bicep pieces, and finally finishing the right forearm.

I'll definitely consider this, depending on how much I need to trim off. Still up in the air on it. Aiming to be at this point ASAP, as it'll be a relatively simple fix.

These two images are a godsend! I seriously was terrified that we cut off too much and were going to have to reform an edge or something. After some comparison, you're totally right Also, did you keep the return edge on the top of the thighs? Mine are at least a full inch too tall to fit naturally with the torso piece and shins, and I am wondering if I'll need to re-add a return edge.

Very nice build! As a fellow Ohioan, I hope to see you at a troop as soon as I can get my own AM 2.0 kit complete. Really nice work on the helmet

Update on progress January 5: Today we applied both cover strips to the left forearm. The right forearm's second cover strip came out a little odd, and has a gap between one part of the cover strip and the arm plate. We also trimmed the top torso pieces, and attached the ribbed over-the-shoulder pieces. Lastly, we started to trim the ab button pieces. We ran into some issues here, as it would not be flush to the ab armor. I would really appreciate any input on how to fix it up, as I'm at a bit of a loss. Also on the lookout for someone to possibly finish this helmet up for me, as it requires a bit of finesse that I don't quite possess. Would appreciate any ideas / help! Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5F with highlights below: Front torso piece! A noticeable gap in the right forearm's second cover strip. Any ideas on how to fix this? Was told to avoid heat guns by a local garrison member, and I'm unsure where to take it from here in regards to this piece.

Update on progress January 4: Today we worked more on refining the forearms and trimming the shins. We fixed the right shin, which had a cover strip glued incorrectly, cleaned it up, trimmed it properly, and reapplied the cover strip on the front right side properly. We also worked on the forearms by cutting out several more cover strips and closing up the seam on the left forearm by using a heatgun to ease the process. We aim to attach more cover strips in the coming days, and fully trim the left shin so we can work on trimming them for height. Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5F with a small highlight below: Shown on the left side is the right forearm having its second cover strip applied. Tomorrow we'll trim down the excess and use a dremel to smooth out the edges. Shown on the right side is the left forearm with its second seam being sealed. We had to use a heat gun to make sure that the process went smoothly, giving us a much smaller spacing between the two pieces. Tomorrow we'll add the first of the two cover strips to it, as well as starting on the cover strips for the bicep pieces.

Update on progress January 3: Today we worked on trimming down the shins and fitting them. It took a bit of time to understand, but we got the right shin almost complete with the left shin well on the way. Also, took the magnets off of the cover strip on the right forearm, cleaned up the excess glue and mess, and had an overall pretty good result that I'm quite happy with! Aiming to add more arm cover strips in the coming days and finish the shins ASAP. Once the shins are complete, I'll be able to use painter's tape to get a rough test fit, with the exclusion of the helmet, for the entire armor! Might take a few days, but I'm quite excited that real progress is finally starting to show Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5F with a small highlight below: A few minor marks are present, but as it stands I think it will work out alright This was the first time I got the boot to fit under the shin piece while having it properly taped into position. The shins will need height trimming, but it's a solid start!

Update on progress January 2: Today we looked over the forearms in preparation for adding their outer cover strips, and discovered that the left forearm needed significant work. We pried it apart, cleaned off the glue, and reapplied some with more magnets so as to not spread the pieces as much this time. We also cleaned up the bicep pieces for cover strip work, and applied one of the two cover strips on the right forearm. Aiming to finish the outer arm cover strips in the coming days, and then get going on the snaps. While it needs minor amounts of velcro, the Thermal Detonator is otherwise ready to go! I'm looking into ways to add the ridged shoulder straps to the torso piece, as the indents are too much to be able to just apply it directly on its own. Also, I ordered some templates to work on the helmet frown easier, as well as the ears. Progress overall is still going steady, but a little slower than I expected. Ah well, it works right? Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5Fwith a small highlight below: The right forearm with one outer strip attached. The excess glue will be cleaned off after it dries, as it tried to shift a lot when originally applying it.

Using a few excess bits of plastic, I kept mine all paired up and divided so that there will be few, if any issues in the future. Progress update on December 29: Today, I didn't have a whole lot of time, but began work on the helmet's face. After getting a dremmel tool, I took out the teeth on the mask, and used a little putty to fill in a spot where I cut a tad too much. I then started to attempt to paint the frown after some brief sanding. While the left half of the face turned out okay, the right half had paint stretch around the holes in the mask. Thanks to some quick tips from a local Garrison member, I was fortunate enough to be able to remove most of the excess paint with minimal consequence. I hope to get back on track in the coming days with the whole kit, as all that remains aside from the helmet is the trimming and gluing of the shins before I can begin strapping. Also, the last thigh piece came out glued decently, and the helmet's back and top came out pretty decent as well. I trimmed the brow of the helmet decently, and aim to fix the slant on its ends tomorrow. The helmet needs more securing to be safe, so I plan on adding a few pieces of supporting plastic on the inside to be safe. Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5F with a small highlight below: As you can see, the left side appears slightly more normal than the right. This was fixed, but more paint will need to be applied to smooth over what was done today.

Much appreciated! And the tip with the magnets will definitely come in handy, as once the thigh is done I will have too many to store once again!

Update on progress December 28: Today we glued up the last of the four inner pieces of the thighs, and took the clamps off of the other thigh piece. Aside from some minor cleanup work where the glue oozed out, it looks good! We also started trimming the torso, mainly around the codpiece. Also trimmed the shoulder pieces that attach to the front torso piece, and trimmed the belt that attaches to the canvas belt on the armor's front. Lastly, we glued up the back piece of the helmet to the top piece. In the coming days, my dad and I plan on finishing any neccessary torso pieces by trimming a few quick details, and then adding all the neccessary snaps. Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5Fwith highlights below: The last of the thigh pieces being glued up. I can make moderate steps in them, but they are too tall to be used in conjunction with the shins as both are. Looking into trimming the top and re-adding a return edge somehow, as well as trimming the shins from the bottom once those are fit otherwise. As stated above, started work on the helmet. Looking into working on the front face piece before putting it all together. Doesn't quite seem to line up to the dimples, but with a little squeezing and adjustment the pieces could fit together roughly well.

Update on progress December 21: Today my dad and I sealed up the back of the right thigh, repainted the screws of the Thermal Detonator, and did some major cleanup and organizing of our workspace, as it had tools and parts strewn everywhere. Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5F Will be taking a break from the build to go out of town over Christmas. Will be checking in on here and a few other sites every few hours. Happy Holidays!

Update on progress December 20: Today we got a few more magnets from Home Depot to aid in sealing up the thigh pieces. We closed up the front of the right thigh, and left it to dry. We also painted the screws on the Thermal Detonator black, and started to size the shins. I think that I will need to trim at least an inch off of both the shins and the thighs to allow them to sit properly on my legs without going too far. They are trimmed properly around, but are just too long to work well. Aiming to get the right thigh sealed up tomorrow or to get the other thigh's long side glued up, as well as applying another layer of paint to the TD screws. Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5F with a small highlight below. The left shin piece is shown while I'm wearing a TK boot on that foot. The shine is rubbing its upper end against my knee, and is far too low against the boot. Anyone have any ideas on this one aside from taking off some of the bottom of the shins? If so, how would I go about doing that? Thanks!

Update on progress December 19: I got the privilege of helping my local garrison out at a troop yesterday, and it was fantastic! Helped remind me of my end goals in the project and get a close up view of some complete armor. Special thanks to TK-48258, who has gone absolutely above and beyond with all his help on my kit, giving me advice since the very beginning. Tonight I got a minor bit of work done. I finished sealing up the bicep, sorted out the shins (after much debate with my dad, who believed that I had been sent two identical leg pieces), and finished attaching pieces to the Thermal Detonator. I plan on painting the screws black soon! Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5F with a small highlight below. As I've said, I glued the panel on in a previous day. Bent the clips a tiny bit to get the screws in. Going to paint them, then bend the clips back into shape before calling the TD complete.

I have An AM 2.0 Kit, and have had troubles with the helmet myself. Trooperbay's decals are top notch, and are indistinguishable from what came with your kit.

Did a fair bit of that today! Got a few results with a few things to have a follow-up look on later. Appreciate the tip! Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5F Update on progress December 15: Today we didn't do much, we just finished sealing the other forearm and started sealing the left bicep. Not especially photo worthy, but the imgur album is updated as always.

Update on progress December 14: Today we took the right forearm out of the clamps and magnets to reveal a moderately okay sculpt. We also sealed up the right bicep, sealed up the left forearm, trimmed the left bicep completely, and trimmed the right thigh. The thighs are a tad long, so I'm looking for ways to reduce the height issue, but everything else is turning out okay. Having issues with the helmet, as neither my dad nor I are quite delicate enough to get it properly fit together solidly. Sidenote, got the holster, paint, gloves, and belt from Trooperbay today, and the TD clips and screws from another seller on FISD, quite happy about those. Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5F with highlights below. Showing the sealed up right bicep. Trimmed it to be snug, but with a tad bit of wiggle room just in case. The right forearm, sealed up with inner support strips. Looking to use a drill press with a sanding tip and lexan scissors to round out the edges and eventually add cover strips before finally getting the strapping in.

I decided to go with Trooperbay! As Daetrin said, his customer service is top notch and I'm happy with the rest of the products I've received from him.

Update on progress December 13: Today, we sealed up the left forearm with glue, magnets, and clamps. Didn't have much time, but aim to do more very soon. Got the last few tidbits of my kit ordered, all that remains is to find some sort of underarmor at a local sporting goods store or something. Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5Fwith highlights below. As stated above, didn't have much time today to work. Got the forearm sealed up, and plan to do a decent chunk more tomorrow.

Update on progress December 12: Today, my dad and I worked on closing the first half of one of the forearms, as well as one of the biceps. We also started to size up the thighs, trimmed the left one completely, and the right one to a lesser degree. We also managed to get inner support strips on both sides of one of the left thigh pieces before running out of clamps and magnets. Plan for the next few days is to trim the other bicep properly, close off the forearms and bicep in progress, close off the left thigh, and finish trimming the right thigh. Pics updated at http://imgur.com/a/Ibs5Fwith highlights below. Using some VERY strong magnets (Was not prepared for how difficult they'd be to separate to tape up), E6000 glue, and clamps to secure the inner portion of one of the forearms. Looking to make the majority of outer cover strips as aesthetic as they can be, keeping any unnecessary stress off of them. Trimmed piece of the left thigh shown here with two inner support strips recently attached.

So the trooperbay variant is more moddable, but slightly less durable? I mean, I won't be dropping it every which way, but I want it durable to a solid degree.