MaskedVengeance

We’ll be waiting for the obligatory armor-laid-out photos! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When inspecting for EI and Centurion the DOs not only go by the CRL, but also screen references, which is why some details are scrutinized, even if not actually written in the CRL. Everybody is here to help you through the process, and I’m sure you’ll be all set soon! Keep up the great work! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Tanner, and welcome to FISD! I too am working on a suit of ATA armor for my ANH Stunt build. Here's a link to a list of resources I've compiled for TK builds, which includes and extensive list of links to previous ATA build and approval request threads. Perhaps it might be helpful to you and you continue your journey. As for weathering--as Troy said, OT TK armor is generally pretty clean, so if you want that dirty look you could consider going with a TD (Sandtrooper) or a HWT (Heavy Weapons Trooper). I'm also currently working on my own HWT build, which you can find a link to in my signature. Again, welcome, and we're here to help!

Hi Thomas! Those screws you have appear more dome in style, rather than pan head. Joseph sells proper hardware sets, linked below, which I would highly recommend. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/48550-centurion-level-hardware-sets-for-sale-open/

You may need to bargain a bit with your GML, and you may even consider reaching out to them before printing. Keep in mind your GML may not necessarily be well-versed in the HWT, and may therefore put a lot of stock in the CRL reference images, rather than game images. Note, too, that the oil pan which Joseph used in the CRL images is no longer produced, and weren’t readily available all over the world anyway, so obviously some latitude is in order for builders. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hot water bath for the win. Also, for higher levels of accuracy, be sure to leave the corners on both those plates crisp at 90 degree angles. It will be tempting to sand them round. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great job explaining all the aspects of disassembly! What is your process of painting the ear screws white? I had intended to just paint the top of mine, but is there a benefit to getting all the way down to the threading? Perhaps tighter fit? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Glad that trick worked! You’re on your way! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It looks like there are already holes at the ends in which you could slide in a ring. Perhaps you could try some form of heavy gauge copper wire (painted)? Shape it into a “C” (or rather a “D” with an opening on one side) then slide the ends into the holes on the butt-plate? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Amazing work! I’m going to have to visit Thingiverse once I’m back at a computer! I’m new to 3D printing, so hopefully I won’t mess things up too bad, but I’ll probably try a combination of the CRL and game parts, including scaling the vent box. I LOVE the vent style on the game one, but may just make it a bit larger to occupy the space on the pack. I’d love to take my HWT to L3 so I’ll need to stick close enough to the CRL to satisfy the DOs. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Removal of the rear large tabs is recommended for higher levels of approval, but I don’t think it’s absolutely required, depending on fitment. If I ever get there, my plan is to cut them off only once everything is assembled and I know I have the length to spare. You’re doing great! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Don't give up, David! You're SOOO close! Have you considering drilling out a hole in the protrusion on the butt of your stock, then bending a D ring into it? Or sanding it off completely and reconstructing it? Here are a couple threads which you may find helpful. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/12542-how-to-add-a-d-ring-to-your-hasbro-blaster/ https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/19478-adding-d-ring-to-hyperfirm/ You can do this, Trooper, and soon-to-be EI!

I, too, ordered my 421s from IB and was not submect to tariff fees. And I'm located just west of you in Georgia. In case you're on the fence about purchasing them, here's a link to a post on my build thread in which I have quite a few images of the boots. Many troopers have them, and love them. Just keep in mind that you may want to order one half to a who size up, since they run a bit small. That will also come handy when trooping outdoors during the cold, when you'll want to wear thick warm socks. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/48337-mvs-anh-tk-stunt-ata-1st-build-thread-for-centurion/?tab=comments#comment-677524

Can you take a photo from an elevation level with that portion of your armor, or from a more natural viewing angle? I know they may be variations in that raised lip, but suspect that your near-ground camera angle is exaggerating the lines.

I just did a quick Google Search on FISD and found the following threads: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/43890-cleaning-ca-glue/ https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/47962-removing-super-glue/ https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/25191-ca-glue-removal/ https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/32492-removing-and-reapiring-abs-that-was-glued-with-ca-glue/ As Greg said, it looks like freezing it would help, and maybe some debonder too. Once removed, maybe use the process described below to re-polish that area.

Looks like both you and Shane are in So Cal, which is neat. Both Shane and I are mid-build, though mine actually just went on pause today. It's definitely fun to keep up with other people who are building at the same time, so I would recommend checking out the ANH build thread forum below. The most recent threads will be towards the top yet underneath the pinned topics, and most threads with recent comments indicate that the build is still in-progress. You can use the "Follow" button at the top right of the page to stay updated whenever new posts are added. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/80-anh-build-threads/ E-6000 does date at least 24 hours to fully cure, though some people will leave it to dry for 48-72 hours. To keep your furry friends away from armor you may try putting them in boxes, or hanging them in a closet.

Moving forward, for areas which will require fitment adjustments, I would recommend E-6000. In fact, many people use that exclusively for their entire builds, which is what I’m doing. It holds very strong, yet is removable when needed. I’ll have to let other people speak to removing CA, as I have no experience in, and understand that it can be quite difficult. But don’t give up! There will be a solution to the CA-on-arm issue. You’ll be back on track in no time, I’m sure! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Stephanie! Welcome to FISD! As Andrew said, it may be good to copy and paste some of your Garrison build thread content to one on here so we can check it out without registering for a Carida forum account. Good luck on your journey!

Thanks for the kind words, friends! My hope is that other new builders (or perhaps veterans too) will find this a helpful resource for their TK journey. It represents much of the information that I've compiled for my own build, and I thought I'd pass it along! Aspiring Troopers helping aspiring Troopers!

Hello there, Troopers. I'm dealing with a family and financial crisis right now, so I'll probably be going dark on my build for several weeks—likely until this time next month. I hope to find time to maintain a presence on the boards via Tapatalk to keep up with you all and continue my research. Feel free to chime in if you have any tips to questions I've asked on my build thread thus far. Until next time, MV

Congrats @TKSpartan! I noticed the Deputy DO title above your avatar a couple weeks ago and was wondering if I had missed an announcement! Thanks so much for your continued assistance on my build thread!

Great job on this, Jorge! I had recently been thinking about this build and wondered what the status was. Based on your previous batched posts I assumed you were making progress and would simply update us a later time... today! My TK build is progressing much slower. Haha. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As Joseph mentioned, it’s highly recommended to wear some form of mask while sanding ABS. In my most recent build thread post from yesterday I show what mask/respirator I’m using. The filters on the mask are actually for fumes (painting, or E-6000), since I don’t have the simple round dust filters. Better to be safe than sorry; nothing is worth a health compromise. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great job, Emma! That would have been scary for me too! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

OP (MV) Post #25 FIRST BLOOD. A very minor cut, from a lexan scissor slip, and now that I've experienced this rite of passage, my build can officially commence. Ha. In today's update I will cover the following topics: Uncut belt and knee ammo pieces ATA vs. AP belt Rough cuts of belt and knee ammo pieces Additional trimming and sanding of drop boxes, shoulder bridges, and sniper knee plate Cover strip cutting E-6000 question Recent purchases (Trooperbay, Amazon, Lowes) Holster lubricant function The belt and knee ammo pack are the last two pieces of raw untrimmed armor which I have yet to present individually photographed, so here they are. They appear to be very crisp pulls and in the second series of images you'll see my ATA belt alongside an extra AP belt I purchased for my HWT build. Raw Uncut ATA Belt & Knee Pack AP vs. ATA Belt Rough Trimmed Belt and Knee Pack Today I finally trimmed the return edges off both the belt and knee ammo pack. After pondering what would be the best strategy to take, I opted for scoring the back corner edges at roughly a 45 degree angle. I decided on that 45 degree angle in order to keep some of the rounded (aka smooth) edges on the front side, but I may still need to trim more off each side once I measure; I know I'll need to shoot for around 3-5mm. The ATA belt has quite crisp lines, so there was a very distinct corner for which my blade to follow, and it only took less than five passes of my xacto blade to score most of the way through the ABS. Then some simply folding back and forth freed up the excess strip. Knee Ammo Pack I used the same technique for the knee pack, but first had to cut off the two short edges at either end. It only took two passes of my xacto blade to score nearly through the pastic, and in a couple areas I actually accidentally cut all the way through. Additionally trimming, with the rounded edges for example, will occur at a later time. I also did some additionally trimming on the drop boxes and the shoulder bridges, and tested some rough sanding. I tarted with 60 grit on the drop boxes and 120 on the shoulder bridges, and plan to later move up to 220, and maybe even 320 for a super smooth finish. Be sure to always wear proper PPE; this white plastic dust is no joke, and you definitely don't want it in your lungs. Quick technique note: cutting off the corners of the drop boxes made it easier to get to those straight runs. Just be careful not to take off too much in the corners at the beginning. I'm shooting for 15mm deep outer boxes, and flush inner boxes (likely around 12mm). Finally, as far as trimming is concerned, I did a little more scissoring on my sniper plate, and I think brought it a lot closer to the final profile. Mainly I was concentrating on the curve/angle up to the raised section, as I know I'll still need to cut the back corner edges and the bottom return. Does the side profile look ok, or should I make the curve a more distinct angle? Concerning Cover (finish) Strips I finally cut my first cover strips and here are the resources and technique that I put to use. I figure I would document my steps since they are sometimes overlooked in other builds, and I only did the two front thigh pieces, and opted for a 20mm width. Terrell from ATA writes 7/8 inches (22.23mm) as the measurement on the spare ABS sheets included with the armor, but that is simply a rounded imperial figure, and I want to avoid any imperial entanglements. To account for potential improper blade angle and sanding, I added 1mm to my measurements, so my cut marks were drawn at 21mm. Provided that fitment allows it, my plan is to utilize 15mm cover strips on the fronts and back of all arm pieces, 20mm on the thigh front and backs, 20mm on the shin front, and 25mm on the back calves. These are shown visually in the two graphics below, which I borrowed and adapted from ukswrath's ANOVOS build. Here are resources I found helpful regarding the sizing and cutting of cover strips. The build thread links below are for posts in which cover strip cutting techniques are described with photo illustrations. Forum discussion threads for dimensions reference (by year): 2011 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2017 Build thread references: Ukswrath (pages 1-2) | A.J. Hamler (#1, #2, #3) | Cricket | StrmTRPR85 | wook1138 | LEGOeatPokemon/justjoseph63 | dereferenced (#1, #2) | LadyInWhite's Google Doc As far as my technique is concerned, first I measured (thrice) and marked the cut lines with a pencil and then I clamped the ABS sheet nice (outer) side facing down onto my cutting mat and desk, with a metal ruler on top. I cut my score lines into the back of the sheet in case my blade slipped, therefore leaving any potential stray cuts on the back of the cover strips. I did not want to cut all the way through the plastic, so instead used the score and snap method. I used a metal ruler WITHOUT cork backing in order the keep the metal guide as low to the ABS as possible, thereby increasing my chance of cutting a perfect perpendicular line into the ABS. 5-7 runs with the xacto knife did the trick, then it was on to folding and snapping the piece. During my first attempt (shown above) my cut line was under the clamp arms, which complicated things, so for the second strip (shown below) I flipped my ABS sheet around so the cut line was unobstructed. The resulting cut on the back of the sheet, perhaps about halfway through the ABS. I then re-positioned the entire piece with the ruler situated right on top of the newly-scored strip. I then leveraged the entire remainder of the sheet, bending it downward off the edge of my table. Once I had a solid fold line along the entire length of the sheet I bent the strip back and forth multiple times before it eventually snapped off on its own. No additional use of a blade was required, nor would I suggest it, to avoid any stray cuts (likely with very sharp blades). Immediately after cutting the strips I labeled the front/back with masking tape to ensure I glue the correct sides when that time comes, and below is my finished product. The cuts are perfectly straight, and I'm very happy with my product. Sanding will wait until later. Quick question regarding E-6000 and armor forming. I understand that E-6000 can maintain adhesion in boiling water baths, but is there a limit to the amount of time it should remain underwater? I'm anticipating needing to form my arm pieces after I've glued them together, but I will hopefully I'll have gotten it close prior to gluing with water baths using rubber bands or zip-ties. Thoughts? I'm hoping to have finally purchased the last several tools that I'll be needing for my build construction this week, but I do still need several components/accessories such as my TD belt clips from @ukswrath. Tony - I believe your hovi tip screen mesh is more accurate than that provided by ATA, shown in my previous post, correct? I also still need to order my canvas belt from Rob Kittell, but I don't yet have an armor-on waist circumference measurement yet, so that will need to wait a little while longer. Items recently received (shown below): Dritz 9334W 3/4-inch white braided elastic from Amazon, for drop boxes Blue Hawk chemical gloves, for hot water armor baths, from Lowes Buckle straps for thigh garter waist and HWT pack from Amazon Novus 7100 plastic polish kit - 8oz, from Amazon Items on order: Humbrol Mediterranean, Midnight, and Sea gloss blue paint from Trooperbay. I couldn't resist by try them all. I STILL CANNOT LOCATE ANY FRENCH BLUE. Will one of these aforementioned options suffice, or does anybody have a US purchase source, preferably online? Humbrol Admiral Grey #5 to go along with my Testors 1138. Any preferences to one or the other? Tube stripe and tear masking templates from Trooperbay, hand-painted style Screw thread protectors from the screws inside my helmet, from Amazon Craft foam for cutout around my frown screen mesh Cotton fabric by the yard for magnet sachets Sugru form justjoseph63 To briefly follow up on my holster lubricant application. I gave the inside of my 8oz leather Darman holster several sprays, and my rubber E-11 really does slide in and out of it more easily. It seems the final catch points mentioned in my previous point are now slick enough, and hopefully no additional weathering will get rubbed off. Finally, in case any of you are wondering why my build progress is always so slow, it's because I'm limited to only doing my research or construction between midnight and 3:00am, or 5:00am-7:00am. This build is currently my own side-project, rather than an entire household endeavor, so basically family (wife and baby) time come first. TTFN