wook1138

So, the base and the top of the t-tracks didn't really fit together that well so I had to add some wood filler. Wood filler isn't the best choice, but it is easy to clean up and I had it handy. Also, tried dry fitting the completed t-tracks to the barrel and realized that they didn't fit so I had to clean out some of the vent holes on the barrel as well as file down parts of the t-tracks. It wasn't difficult but does show that dry fitting everything is really important. Also, I noticed that the t-tracks do not actually sit on the outer barrel. Is this normal? I'll post pics in the next post.

For anyone really new to this, I thought I would go through the sanding process on a piece of the t-track. The sanding actually goes pretty quick and you really don't need to press very hard for the plastic. Each stage is less than one minute. In this kit, the t-track come in two parts - the base and the edge. The parts need to be sanded and glued together. These are supposed to be rubber, so the surface should be somewhat smooth. Some cleaning up with a shape blade and sanding is needed. To be fair, this is a very close shot just to show the detail of the printing. After 100 grit sanding... I then followed that with 150 and 220. I could have skipped 150 but my 220 was getting worn out. And one coat of filler primer. I usually spray on very lightly - about 3 coats - 10 or so minutes between coats depending on drying conditions. Primed and sanded track base on right (just the front edge was done with 220 grit). You should see the plastic "highs" and the primer only seen filling the lows - you end up sanding most of the primer off. Depending on how smooth I need the surface to be, I will repeat the sanding and priming process 3 or 4 times and up to 600 grit. The surface is smooth to the touch although it looks a little rough in the pic - the lighter color is where the primer has filled in the grooves.

As far as tools I am using: small file set small side cutters needle nose pliers dry wet sanding paper - from 100 to at least 300ish grit. I use 600 on certain parts. CA glue - I use a thicker glue - it fills in gaps a lot better and gives me some time to position the parts before the glue sets. Filler Primer various sticks and blocks for using with sandpaper Patience variety of sharp knives Putty or wood filler and other things that I am not thinking of right now. I thought I would use ABS cement on this build, but because of all the sanding and the use of the primer I decided the CA glue would have to work. Depending on the surfaces that you are gluing and the stresses that those parts will be under, CA glue can kind of suck. It is not very good with shear stress or shock as it dries very brittle - from my experience. I guess I should mention that I am pretty new to building kits like this. I did some model building when I was younger (stopped in my mid 20's). Everything I did was typical small-scale models. Nothing like a 1:1 replica gun. It took me a while to come to terms with that - instead of buying little jars of enamel model paint, I had to get used to the idea of buying large spray cans. I do have an airbrush that I almost know how to use. I used it to paint and detail my DLT-19 so I will be using it again for the E-11. DLT-19 3D kit Below are the different filler primers that I have used. They work great at reducing sanding times and getting a very smooth surface. They both worked fine for me - the Dupli-color didn't spray on as well as the Rust-oleum but it seemed to sand a little easier IMO.

I'm in the process of building an ANH E-11 3D print kit while I wait for my armor. I thought I would post the progress. Since I am new to all of this and not very social media savvy, I figured I should try posting a build before my armor arrives as I plan to post that build as well. Anyway, this is my second 3D print kit - the first being a DLT-19. Which I was pretty happy with the way it turned out. The kit is from Blaster Master (Raymond) out of Florida. It is printed in ABS and is a very detailed kit with many small pieces. He has a Etsy store and I believe he is on this forum as well. Update: Here is the finished kit (well, almost). I went with the weathered look. From what I can tell, the kit is pretty accurate and comes with all the proper add-on part that were added to the old Sterling like the power cylinders and counter. The finished model does have a functional folding stock and charger. There is an option for electronics that I am not including in my build. So, I'm going to go through the basics with the hope that people that have never tackled a 3D print kit will get something out of this. Plus, I will try to highlight my mistakes as I go along. I'm part way through and forgot to take pictures at the beginning, but something is better than nothing. By the time I thought to take pics, I had the barrel section pretty much done and was just starting to sand and prep the other parts. By the way, if you are new to 3D prints, be prepared to do a lot of sanding! This is where I started to take pics... And this is an example of the barrel after sanding and priming compared to some pieces that have not undergone any prep work at all. As you can see, the printing process does leave a lot of artifacts. here is a link to a page I came across that outlines some of the common issues when 3D printing. Just so you know what you are getting into and some of the challenges of printing with plastic. https://all3dp.com/1/common-3d-printing-problems-troubleshooting-3d-printer-issues/#section-my-print-looks-bad

Thanks, Michael. Yeah, when you have waited so long to pull the trigger on getting some armor - and you finally do - the last thing you want is to have another indefinite wait time. Not to mention the generically indifferent customer service... . On the positive side, Anovos did make it seem easy to get into the game. Their very inclusive kit was a draw for someone like me who felt overwhelmed with the whole process. But now that I've had some time to seriously research things (thank you, Anovos ), I am far more comfortable with starting a build that may include various mods and finding the right resources to do so.

I just wrote my break-up email to Anovos (and yes Anovos, it was you - not me). I must say I feel pretty good about it. I've already ordered TK armor from AP. They seemed pretty good to deal with and they are here in Canada. I would keep Anovos in mind for other kits or helmets (the Death Trooper bucket looks pretty sweet), but I think I will stick to the "in stock" items. I'm excited again.