ATA armor kit suitable for a newbie? And other questions

[Mithras[501st]]

Hi-

 

A couple questions about the ATA armor kit-

 

Considering picking up their untrimmed ABS kit in the soon-to-be offered Magma. Trooper red. Despite the color I understand it will be the same kit as the standard white. I am new to trimming/building armor.

 

First, how easy or hard is the ATA kit to assemble? If difficult, what aspects of the build are challenging?

 

Second, in terms of trimming, someone said it's trimmable with scissors. But my concern there is, would it be too thin and/or brittle? I have a KS Scout helmet kit, and it was so paper thin that when I attempted trimming it, it cracked, pretty badly in one place. Is the ATA TK more durable?

 

Any advice appreciated - thanks!

Edited August 8, 2012 by Mithras

[Valgars[TK]]

I don't have an ATA for the record but I know a few who do. Look at build threads the returns are a bit different from a trimmed AM like I have. Do your homework and you'll get A's well that's what my mom always said!

[Mithras[501st]]

Well, yes, that's what I'm doing - my homework. I'm not willing to invest a chunk of my money for myself and the wife in a new armor project unless I can get more details on the armor kit in question, since she and I are both relatively new to the armor building side of the hobby. So, again:

 

1. Can anyone tell me if the ATA armor is suitable for beginners? Anything to look out for? Would you recommend an easier kit?

2. How durable is the ATA armor compared to others? We've run into some serious concerns assembling this other helmet kit,.

 

-Alex and Jen

[LadyInWhite[TK]]

Hi, Alex,

 

ATA will be fine "for beginners." Their white TK tends to be for the average sized trooper, so if you want to post your height & other dimensions we can be sure it is good for YOU. Although unless you're freakishly tall like most of my family you should be fine. I'm not sure if the magma is based exactly off the same molds but I assume it is.

 

Also, ATA is plenty durable. Don't sweat it. When they say "scissors" they probably mean lexan scissors and other industrial scissors, not your household paper variety.

 

Anything else?

[Mithras[501st]]

Thanks, Ingrid. Load off my mind. Very, very much appreciated:)

 

I think I'm squared away, for the moment. Will let you know if anything comes up. Seems like it would fit me if I go that route. I'm six feet, around 210-220 depending upon the week, so not a particularly unusual body size, but the killer for me is my shoulders - they're extremely broad, and that can make for some unsual issues with uniforms and such. However, it seems like that wouldn't be as much an issue for armor as it is for soft uniforms.

 

Alex