khausauer

Thanks Joseph!! I agree its a shame to have to mention it as some have said but it never hurts to have that reminder!!! Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

So after a prolonged break on this without any posts i have a new update finally. Have spent time carefully and diligently making shims on the kidney plate sides and then searching high and low in Germany for matching paint.... I have made them / measured them for almost zero gap between kidney and front ab plate... Perhaps this weekend i will start on the straps to hold it all together. Here is what i have achieved. Please let me know what you think!!! Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Looks awesome Chris!!!! Great work!! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thx!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I got my E11 fast but emails to them for the instructions have been never answered..... Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I bought one a few months ago and am very happy with the quality of the print. It's a LOT of work sanding and gettting it right and if you follow the instructions you will not be disappointed. It's not heavy and I am sure you can add real parts to one to make it even more realistic... All in all, great seller, great communication and would buy one again. My two cents. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Niiiice!! Good job!! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Nice work Cricket!!!! One can really notice the effort and attention to detail you put into this. Superb Trooper!!! :dancing trooper: Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Awesome job by all and a special congrats to the winner(s). It really is a great design. :double thumbs up: Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I will say everyone here has posted exactly what we all went through or are still going through and it's all spot-on. But Joe just as well put int in a great perspective. Maybe grouping the threads under each armor maker will help trying to find those pesky issues we all want to solve. I think that would be a great place to start? It won't happen overnight, but just like building the Armor. Slow, steady and ask lots of questions. (Anyone heard that before?? Naaaah. Not here!!!!) Happy to chip in if I can even if just giving feedback. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thx Christian!!!! Appreciate the thoughts immensely. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

OK. I had some serious time today and felt like I was ready for the first "real! test fit of what I had done so far. I used the Anovos Velcro to hold pieces together even though this is not my final setup, as I just wanted to see SOMETHING after all this work. My final setup will be with snaps and fitted as best as I can make it. This was a I GOTTA SEE IT moment.... so feel free to throw critic and feedback my direction. I welcome it. absolutely. My goals are as follows: first: 501st approval and my TK number second: EIB Third: Centurion lofty goals, I admit, but achievable when I see the photos below. when i consider all the details of a 2-hour session to put velcro in temp spots and try to make things work, i can also see that with some time, effort and attention to detail, I might just can pull this off!!! so without further ado.... front shot: (and you just gotta love the "neon" stripe look of "Steve" in these shots!!!! (this is because "Steve" is still a Saran-Wrap soldier for as long as needed to finish the build. (meaning he still has the plastic fantastic protective covering except were absolutely needed.) First Notes: 1-Gap in between shoulder bells and Chest. Yup. gotta fix that. I dressed MYSELF today. no handler or help. trying to get the bells attached period was an act.... 2-Gap in the outside of the Thigh Armor to the cod piece by the hips...seems a bit excessive, but the thighs were already as high as I could pull them without discomfort...(thoughts welcome here everyone...) 3-Calves (in particular the left one) can use some adjustment (but keep in mind these are not finished yet and had nothing but a strip of tape holding them together in the back today.) 4-Chest and abs plates felt like they keep slipping down and i think that is nothing more than me using eh Anovos velcro strips and guessing where to attach Velcro...if i were to tighten these up with a bit of help I think it would fix this problem, as well as my thoughts on the upcoming photo of the back where the back kept trying to climb higher... Next photo: Back shot!! First Notes: 1-WIIIIIDE gap in between the shoulders and the back plate. 2-gap between back plate and Kidney plate...seems a bit excessive, doesn't it?? 3-back plate seems to be riding very HIGH (noted above) 4-butt plate and kidney gap seems to be acceptable 5-butt plate seems to splay itself OUT on both sides (blue tape help to see this easier), so need to find a way to make this come in a bit more and form to my body (hot water bath perhaps??) 6-back of the thighs...on the tops that is blue tape and not a gap...but the bottom there is a gap that i need to cover...but with that in mind, these are biting into the back of my knees quite severely. what is acceptable to cut out? if anything?? i have seen different posts where some is cute out quite a bit and others just a bit. what are the rules?? i want to look as accurate as i can. 7-calves....oh boy. i can tell this is going to be the FUN part of this build....the left one seems to be more or less okay from this picture, and I think if i had the cover strip on it, we would be set. ( i think the front side seems to be a bit "fat"??) anyone?? the right leg though needs some more attention and lovin'... Next shot: Right side arm up--- Notes: 1-NO I AM NOT FAT!!! hehehehe (but this photo sure makes it look like it!!!) 2-the kidney plate and ab plate and the GAP. yup. noted. this id due to only using a single strip of Anovos Velcro inside on each side and one single strap to hold the two together. i think if i would have used two straps on each side to bring the plates closer together, one would see that the 6cm shim I have made for each side is actually quite good and just need to be color matched...(the gap is already covered up with ABS paste made from Anovos plastic scraps i have saved. dry to the touch but letting sit overnight and will start sanding tomorrow, and then on to the task of paint matching.... 3-calves seem to sit okay on the boots 4-gap between calves and thighs is okay? 5-gap between thighs and butt/kidney/ab seems to be quite a LOT?? 6-back plate is hardly visible in this photo...is that okay? same side, with arm down: notes: 1-NO I AM STILL NOT FAT!!! hehehehe (but this photo sure makes it look like it!!!) 2-In this shot i see a discrepancy between the ab plate and the kidney plate with them not lining up. kidney is too high and ab too low. (see above notes and i think that is the reason due to using a single straps to hold thing together....) 3-bicep and shoulder bell...the two outward dents in them don't line up here....i think the shoulder, bicep and forearm outward accents are all to line up or?? Left side arm up: 1-grrrr...STILL not fat!!! 2-this side seems to be "better" with the kidney to ab plate in terms of lining up...i can see that it seems reasonable to think they will align fairly well. 3-nothing further to note on this side, that is not already noted for the right side... Left side arm down: 1-No comment!!!! 2-that gap between butt plate and thighs seems to be LARGE.....(anyone??) am i worrying about nothing? AAAAAANNNNNNND!!!! no test fit would be complete without the "action shot without an E-11" photo... (both models i have are being worked on but not ready to be in the photo just yet so on a whim i just hit a pose and my Mrs. took the shot.) with a bit of "imagination" i am sure this would be some thing really "AWESOME"!!! alright guys and gals....its is up to you now to give me some guidance and tips, thoughts, feedback, laughs, jests, pokes, (criticism you can keep to yourselves, thank you very much!!! JK!!!) gimme your thoughts. am i in the right direction? have i picked up on the things that are important? what have i missed? and as a final note....DAMnit but was I SWEATING in the bucket by the time i got myself kitted up and UP the stairs (don't even start with me on what challenge THAT presented!!!!) and tossed my phone to my Mrs. to get some pictures. firstly she started laughing her butt off that "Steve" was in the living room but the she got on with the task at hand and the results are above. (me the dumb@ss realized too late that i had no gloves on.. duh!!! oh well. this is only a speed bump in the long journey. thanks in advance to anyone who replies or likes. MTFBWY!!!! Kevin

Nice job Chris!!! Looks awesome and you got a wicked Centurion number to boot!! Great job sir!! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Updates for today (then into weekend break).... 1- Thermal Detonator (DONE!) 2-Left Side Thigh top and bottom returns removed (and it fit quite well with what i left (about 4mm) just like in the right side) I need to figure something out for the back of the thighs to fix that gap...but can get to that later. (open to any suggestions everyone!!!) 3-Biceps to forearm elastic (DONE!) both arms done and dried now....test fit seemed to be okay on both. i know why troopers can't hit anything. they can't move!!! i left about 1/2" between them (hard to tell with clamps, but even that is tough to get a 90 degree bend out of...maybe i need to learn how to move like a TK??? 4-Shoulder Bells Elastic (DONE!) hopefully this works out as planned... 5-Kidney Bridge!!!! have installed the first part of the side shims i will need to the kidney plate. These are the backing/support strips shown and the final piece gets glued to the top of these, which puts it almost perfectly flush with the armor itself and giving it the strength and support it needs. I will glue those on sunday night or monday. once done with that then i can go and try to match the paint... (giving me nightmares already... 6-I got tired of the battery Dremel, so i pulled out the corded version and went to Town..I trimmed now all the following pieces to where i want them to be, (cod piece still needs a bit of trimming in the crotch or things will get ugly...) Ab plate Buttocks plate back Plate Chest plate Kidney plate will get its final trimming once the shimming is done and i can blend everything in nicely... oh yeah, i also gave a hot water bath to the top pieces of the back plate as well as the chest plate. QUESTION:::: i trimmed a LOT back on the return edges of the points where the chest to shoulder straps go but left about 3mm and it is STILL poking me in the collarbones. what is allowed here?how much modding can be done and still be okay?? No rush. can't do any more till monday. I wish everyone a nice weekend. Be safe, be cool, MTFBWY!!! For my German Garrison Colleagues: Ich wünsche euch all ein schönes Wochenende!!!! Bis später!!!!! --Kevin

Great Stuff Garry!!!! Take your time and ask questions! I have found everyone here to be. Dry helpful as I make my own way through the same kit. Good luck to you!!! :dancing trooper: Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk