Sgt JB

OK, it's done

Krylon makes a paint called "fusion" that's the stuff that bonds with the plastic. that's what you're going to want.

if you have access to a 'plastic' paint I'd go with that. the paint bonds with the plastic. can't chip. Either Krylon or Rustoleum make a plastic paint. I'd look into those.

thanks, I might have to try that

what is the chance you could get a few pics of this up? I'd like to see how you did that.

couldn't have said it better!!

I was thinking of doing that with a toothpick, just spread what I need on the inside.

OK, I got my lenses from Smitty today (thanks Smitty, they're really nice!!) I was going to use silicone to put them in, but that turned out to be too messy. how do you guys glue in your lenses? e-6000 seems like it would be too messy, and super glue will leave a white haze. Suggestions are appreciated! Thanks.

well, from a durrability standpoint, I don't forsee it cracking on you from things like sitting down. the butt plate I have is plenty flexable. I was able to bend mine a fair amount with no ill effect.This is my first armor set, so I have little frame of reference. Only tear or anything I've had was my own fault, pulled my lid off by the chin and my head got stuck. about a 1/2" tear in the chin, easily fixed with a strip behind. Buffed the front with rubbing compound, and it's 100% invisible. again, my own fault. Another nice thing is that if you do crack it, or screw up the trimming, it's easy to repair and repaint the area. from what I understand, If you mess up ABS, there's not much you can do to cover up any mistakes. Again, this is my first armor, so I don't have anything else to go on. I can only say I'm very pleased with mine. I do want to say that I am a model maker, and painter prior to doing armor, so I do have alot of painting experience, and experience working with styrine, so my opinions may be different than someone who's new to doing hobby work. So take what I say understanding that what I think is normal work for a project may be alot more work than someone else is willing to put into it. Heck, I've spent 3-4 hours just painting eyes on a mini before. Hope I'm being helpful.

after it's cured you can sand it off. it'll clump up, and you can just pull the clumps off. I had the same problem.

I'm not sure if anyone's completed an ATA build yet. I'm about 90% done with getting everything together, then a little time fitting and connecting. But like I said, the parts that I have completed have fit well, with some adjustments.

Honestly? I don't know. I guess you could just clean it up after assembly, clear coat it and buff it out. But I'm not an expert on such things. I can say that it takes paint very well. I applied 2 coats of Rustoleum, and 2 coats of clear, light sanding with very fine grain sandpaper, buffed it and it's got a mirror shine. As for the plastic, it's got a dull appearance right out of the box. Hope that helps. I will be painting everything esle in the comming days. I'll get pics up when I'm done.

I'm almost done putting my ATA kit together. few points. Yes, the butt - strip assembly method is a bit of a pain. however, it also allows for some wiggle room. I'm 6-2 190 lbs. On the fronts of both the thigh and shins I used 1"strips. After an initial fitting, I realized that 1" on the back of the thighs was too thin, and I couldn't get it on. So I cut the strip off, and increased the size to 1.5" This worked perfectly. So I've done the same for the other thighs, and the shins. The nice thing about this is that it's adjustable. It does take some work, I'm not going to lie. but IMHO it's worth it. I'm very happy with what I've been able to do so far. As far as painting, I think that's a personal choice. I don't mind painting, and have had very good success with it on my lid, and Thermal Detonator, but that's just me. Others might find it too much. Just my opinion.

using my modeling experience, get yourself some 'green stuff' 2 part modeling putty from your local hobby store. it's flexable, sandable, and paintable. I'm using it on all my seams.

lookin good!! Not a high brow guy myself, but it does look good!!

lookin really good there!!!

yup, I have the biceps and arms to finish trimming, then sanding, painting, and fitting, so a few weeks away still!!

will do, looking at yours, I see what you mean. will fix it up

it's an ATA, made of HIPS, so I painted it. 3-4 coats of gloss white, 2 coats clear, then polished with rubbing compound.

looks more like a Republic Commando lid to me.

side on pics

awesome. been working on mine for a solid week. on my last few pieces (arms) just go slow, take your time. It's a fun project, but take your time!!

ok, so aside from the lenses, tube stripes, and bottom seal, all of which are on order. it's done. gotta do some minor touch up on the vocorder, but that's about it. Since it's my first ever helmet build, I'm pretty proud of it. What ya'll think? Thanks for the constructive critisim.

the 7/8" for the legs, is that the front of both the thighs and shins? and the 5/8" is all arm strips? no differenct in the biceps and forearms?

I'm almost done trimming, and about to start assembly, and I was wondering the same thing, about the strip width that is.