MaskedVengeance

I think I mentioned this earlier in your thread, but Tony’s (Ukswrath) Anovos thread should be helpful to you. I also include links to several other good Anovos builds on my reference compilation thread, which would be good reads for you. Justin (TheRascalKing) has also done some great work with his kit. There aren’t set-in-stone one-size-fits-all directions since every armor maker is different, as are the body types of every Trooper. The key is research research research. =) Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

You can never have too many magnets! Five pairs of magnets will let you work on about one limb component at a time, which would be enough for a patient marathoner. If, however, you think you’re the kind of person who hates waiting for glue to dry (literally), you may consider purchasing more. You don’t want to be in a hurry and unclamp/demagnetize prematurely before the E6000 cures, which can take days. Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

Great job with those ears! Very minimal gaps and those that are present are definitely in line with screen accuracy. Since you’re using plasti-dip just make sure you don’t accidentally peel any off when applying/reapplying adhesive velcro for padding or electronics. Supposedly that can happen. Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

Yeah the right-side shim appears to be a part of the excess flashing. I have some of that exact stuff in my “trash” 2-gallon ziplock bags. Since ATA sends two sheets of spare ABS for cover strips you should definitely have enough to cut some for the kidney shimming. Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

Oh junk. Justin goin FO after RO! Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

Hi Jason! You’ve come to the right place for all things TK related, especially building your own kit! Actually, Anovos armor can be approved all the way to Centurion! The reason the company is not on the recommended list is due to the business practices of the vendor; not due to the kit itself. I think you’ll find Ukswrath’s Anovos build an excellent resource, and I include a link to it on my All-in-One resources thread. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/49412-all-in-one-tk-anh-stunt-index-of-resources-by-maskedvengeance/ Wishing you the best on your journey! Start a build thread and post lots of photos and questions, and Troopers will come to your aid! Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

Love that quad action shot! Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

It might be nice to get the rest of the torso armor (ab, kidney, posterior) on so you can check all the gaps to ensure the chest and back are situated properly vertically. But in general I do think you're right that there appears to be room to shift the bridges down the front.

That's a sweet conversion. If I ever finish my build I definitely want to vectorize a shot of myself. Or multiple ones. Haha. I think I'm still running CS5 on a 10-year old machine since a new computer isn't in the budget. But it gets the job done for my basic needs.

Yeah it would take a lot of work to convert a Stunt helmet to Hero, especially an ANOVOS. The green bubble lenses and vocoder paint would be easy, but reforming the teeth would be a pain and you'd need to get new ears with three bumps, which would likely need to come from a different armor maker. As for patching the two belt holes, this first link below shows an example (though not much description of the process), and the second link is a long discussion on the topic. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/33916-anovos-anh-belt-problem/ EDIT: Here's a third link for good measure. Includes a bit more of a practical discussion

Yes, you should bring that front thigh cover strip up just a little more, to the top of the ridge that runs around the bottom. As for the belt, the four holster holes are for mounting a Hero-style holster, but since you’re doing a Stunt, it should only have the two holes closest to the bottom of the belt. For basic approval you might be able to fill the top holes to conceal them. And depending on how the previous owner built it, you should be able to remove the ABS belt from the fabric one; the three mounting points are hidden under the three belt buttons, which you’ll need to pry off. Finally, for utmost screen accuracy, be sure your drop boxes line up with the outside ends of the ABS portion of the belt, as shown in this photo. Hope this helps! Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

Congrats Trooper! Looking sharp in that kit! Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

OP (MV) Post #37: Troopers Helping Troopers Troopers Helping Troopers. Bad Guys Doing Good. Those are both phrases we all see and most of us experience on an almost daily basis here on FISD, and I'm constantly amazed at the genuine eagerness to help others here on the forum. That drive to lend a helping hand is so prevalent that it's contagious―I find myself seeking opportunities to share the [basic] knowledge I've gleaned from the veterans before me―and then hopefully the cycle continues. And this generosity doesn't just end at shared time or verbal and written assistance; it extends into the very real world through the gifting of extra hardware or strapping, frown and hovi tip mesh, or patches and coins. Or in my case, a financial "band aid" gift which might enable me to hold on to my armor and continue my build all the way to Legion approval. Last week was a very tough stretch for my family and then out of the blue, providentially I'm certain, a selfless Trooper reached out to ask how we were doing. The result of the ensuing conversation was the gift of encouragement, and much more. I don't yet know whether we can swing the rest of my build, but the gift that we were blessed with brings it a little closer to reality. Admittedly, there is still the mental barrier of committing a sum of scarce resources to something other than necessities such as diapers, healthy food, loans, bills, etc., but this act of kindness that my family received makes me that much more determined to make other sacrifices in order to see this through (For the Empire!). The thoughtfulness of each and every one of you is a true testament to the spirit of the community, and hopefully someday, or every day, I'll be able to pay it forward. Caleb Quote Response: Andrew - Thanks for pointing out the TD paint that you use. I will make note of that and keep it in mind for when I determine how to proceed with my build.

Am I the only person on here who wants a behind-the-scenes look at Glen's room of requirement (for you HP folks out there)?

Another rubber E-11 option you might consider is the Hellhounds one. It is comparable to Praetorians, but actually features a metal scope rail and independent (though non-functioning) folding stock arm. When Trooperbay has E-11s in stock they are Hellhounds, at least in the past year. You can contact Daniel directly at the fb page linked below, and I've also included a link to my in-depth photo review of the Hellhounds vs. Praetorian vs. Hyperfirm. He has always been very responsive to me, and he also has a presence on IG. https://www.facebook.com/hellhounds.props Finally, remember that though rubber blasters are more expensive, they are also quite durable and might be safer for those moments when you turn your body and inadvertently bump a short child with your blaster. Cuz, you know, I can't see a thing in this helmet.

Congrats on your approval, Victoria! Your work during the past year has paid off, and we look forward to seeing you at EI and Centurion!

Though a blaster is not required for basic 501st approval (due to availability and potential legal restrictions around the world), the holster is one of the required costume components of the ANH Stunt CRL. So yes, you will need to make or acquire one for approval. Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

Those calves look amazing, Ryan! As far as for painting the TD, what paint are you planning on using? I used one which ended up being too dark, so I’m curious what you’ve found. My TD woes and work are well documented on my own unfinished build thread. Somehow I lost track of your build for several months, but I just caught up and am loving your work! Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

Glad to hear the good news. This is the type of customer service with earns a place on the reputable vendors list, and why Troopers should do business with those types of armor makers. Guess you’ll have another BB Day to look forward to! Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

Congrats Colin! An award well deserved! Now onto the 500! Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

Yeah, not sitting will be different for sure! Haha. Somebody needs to come up with a silicone, or other flexible material, posterior piece, similar to Joseph’s shiny hand guards. Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

Thanks for this feedback, friends! That's an excellent idea about leaving a little extra on the cap front sides under the ears, particularly at the bottom near the neck, just to be safe. I will definitely employ that technique! A question I forgot to ask in my previous post is regarding WHEN to spray the interior of the helmet. I see most builders do it AFTER cutting out the eyes and teeth, but Ales (ATA helmet) did it at the VERY BEGINNING. I can foresee the paint hiding potential cut lines if sprayed before trimming, but if I can overcome that, would there be issues with the sanding process, or some paint peeking out when viewing the teeth from the front? I see that some troopers go back and manually touch up (brush) the areas around the eyes and teeth after removing the masking tape. Because my paint is truck bed coating, it should remain unaffected by moisture, so I wouldn't think sanding cleanup would be an issue. Am I missing something?

Awesome kit and great photos! That square one of you two walking away with the leaves around needs to be displayed on a wall somewhere. Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms

OP (MV) Post #35: Helmet Work Begins While I continue to work through my thermal detonator dilemma (paint color and clip shape) I thought I would provide an update on the basic helmet preparations I've slowly been working on. First, below are the primary resources I've been following for all work bucket-related, copied and pasted from my All-In-One Reference Thread, followed by the ANH-Stunt CRL as of October 29, 2020. Helmet Assembly ATA ABS Helmet Assembly by pandatrooper (Print PDF) ATA Stunt Helmet Assembly by Ales (Print PDF) ATA Helmet Build by maxsteele ANH TE2 Helmet Build by TK-4510 Helmet Ear Tutorial by gazmosis (Print PDF) Draw No Gap Ear Line by bpoodoo (Print PDF) Choose Your Brow Height by CableGuy (Print PDF) Helmet Alignment by CableGuy (Print PDF) Template Painting 101 by justjoseph63 (Print PDF) Tube Stripes by CableGuy (Print PDF) Vocoder Paint Examples by CableGuy (Print PDF) Helmet Painting Tips by CableGuy Replicate the Screen-Used Look by CableGuy | For those of you viewing on Tapatalk, I will add the text of the CRL in type format on the PDF of this thread, since the image will be too small to read | In this previous post I documented (lots of photos) what the raw uncut parts of the helmet looked like upon unboxing, and this update marks my first actual work on the helmet pieces. Based on guidance from pandatrooper's ATA helmet build, I began by using a flexible plastic strip (cut from the bottom structural support piece of an eco-fabric grocery bag) to mark off the initial trim line at the top of the faceplate. It was a little tricky getting a level line with the plastic guide because the faceplate is angled, but this wasn't really important since the edge will be inside the cap brow and trim. I did leave myself a little more material than Terry did, just to be safe. Note that some of the photos below do not have optimal lighting since my wife has been using my "studio" lights for online English teaching desk setup. I also marked the following initial cut lines for the cap sides and neck opening. I'd much rather under-trim rather than over-trim, so these guides are pretty conservative. Thoughts on them, shown below? My mantra for cutting plastic on this first build is as follows: Post cut-line photos seeking feedback prior to cutting. Measure twice (or thrice), cut once, then repeat as necessary (see #3). Always under-trim, and retrim, rather than trim too much. While this would seem obvious, I never want to make any assumptions when cutting expensive plastic, so I marked the eye cutouts following ATA's molded guides. Is there any reason to believe I should start further towards the middle of the eye and eventually work my way to those lines based on what it looks like from the outside front? I plan to use a cutting wheel on my dremel and will, of course, cut inside the lines and then sand/file to the lines, but I'm wondering if those lines are an appropriate end-target. And finally, in terms of actual progress, I freehanded what I thought might be an appropriate outline for the vocoder. I know that the 2nd and 6th ridges are supposed to be pretty close in height to the center one on Stunt helmets, and much shorter on Hero helmets, so I'm guessing they are too short for my stunt, correct? I figure I would intentionally draw them on the shorter end and then increase their height as deemed necessary. As mentioned in my previous post, I will be painting this using Testors semi-gloss black, and will simply paint over the pencil markings. Additionally, touching on in my previous post, I observed that the hovi mix tips "wells" (I'm blanking, if there's a proper name) have extremely thin ABS plastic due to the forming process, so I want to reinforce them. In one of the builds I've seen that area was backed with some sort of glue or resin-soaked canvas, and I also considered melting an ABS strip and drooping one onto each of the backs, but ultimately I've decided to try Ales' strategy of using milliput. Do any of you have any thoughts on that, or other recommendations? My plan is to also a rubber and then metal washer before threading on the screw nut. The photo below shows the thinness of the plastic with a light shining on the other side. Finally, in my last post I included photos of the Rust-Oleum Black Truck Bed Coating spray that I intend to use on the inside of my helmet. However, upon closer inspection (see photo below), I see that it contains acetone. Should I be concerned about this, and the potential reaction to the ABS? Do all spray paints have some amount of this in them? Thoughts, @TheRascalKing? Review of my Questions: Do my cap side cutout lines (which will be hidden beneath the ears) appear ok? Are the guidelines for rough trimming the neck opening too narrow? I would prefer to under-trim and have to do more later rather than over-trim. Am I on track with my eye hole initial trim lines, which follow ATA's molded guides? Does my vocoder outline appear ok? I know that Stunt helmets generally had taller (2nd and 6th) bars than Hero ones, and I've drawn mine short to serve as a starting point to build upwards from. Will milliput be a good material to reinforce the hovi mix tips attachment points? In addition to washers, what other solutions are recommended? The black tuck bed coating spray I have contains acetone―is this normal of sprays, and should I be concerned? Thanks in advance for your helpful insight and continued support! You all are the best! p.s. the photo below shows masks made by a coworker's wife and gifted to me, since we're wearing them full-time at work. MV Printable/downloadable PDF of my entire build thread to this point contained in [THIS SHARED FOLDER]. The PDF will be updated within a few hours of my own new posts and will note sequential version numbers and revision dates.

Yeah definitely listen to Glen on this, especially since you’re already at 7.5” length. Good to go. Sent via Imperial Tapatalk Comms