Anovos ANH Thigh Shim Help

[Echnate[TK]]

So I am still working on my kit and I am having a heck of a time trying to figure out how to shim the thighs so they fit and finish them off. I am not technically inclined enough to add repair plaster and sand and paint it so I am looking for another way to finish these pieces and have them acceptable for initial entry acceptance. My issue is I needed to add large shims to each side. Someone suggested that I use velcro to close them instead of using glue to make it a solid piece. If a cover strip is required then I don't know how I can add it without it being huge or looking terrible when compared to the rest of the armor. Any simple solutions would be greatly appreciated.

[dejango[TK]]

One way would be to add another piece of plastice where the gap is so that it fits between the two cut thigh pieces, then fill the gaps with ABS paste. Here is an example of what i mean. Red = plastic piece, Blue = paste

 

And then of course you would have to sand down the paste a bit. Other than that I wouldn't know what to do to make it less noticeable 

Edited September 25, 2016 by dejango

[sylverbard[TK]]

If youre adding a shim, it will need filling and painting. No way around it. Big shim on inside to glue to thigh pieces, another piece on top to level it out, two seams to Bondo and paint the thighs. Front and back cover strips as normal.

[jeffnorth86[TK]]

I had to shim my thighs a bit, and the ABS paste isn't all that technically challenging. It's just time consuming. Cut up some of your scrap trimmings into small pieces in a glass container and add 100% acetone until the pieces are just covered. Cover it with foil and let it dissolve. I lightly stirred it after an hour or so to separate some big chunks. Do more of a slow folding motion though to avoid air bubbles.

 

Once it's the consistency between marshmallow fluff and mustard it's ready. Brush it onto the seams making sure to fill the cracks completely. Try not to put too much on as you're just going to sand it back off. Leave it to dry for a few hours and start sanding. I started with 150 grit to even out the edges and moved my way up to wet sanding with 800 grit so it's nice and smooth. That's really the only way to hide the seam. And the beauty of ABS paste is you use your scrap trimmings so the color is matched and there's no need to paint it. Good luck!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited September 25, 2016 by jeffnorth86

[Echnate[TK]]

So I placed the back shim and then a fill in strip using scrap, I also made a slurry from cut up scrap and used it to fill in the gaps. Right now the color does not seem to match at all.

 

[Echnate[TK]]

I am kind of stumped on how I can sand all the excess abs paste away and clean it up to look like one solid piece. I asked Anovos what paint they would recommend and they couldn't either. I just don't want to have to scrap this and start over. Frustrated.

[troopermaster]

It would have been so much easier for you to make wide joining strips on the outside instead of going to all that trouble. I don't know what the current craze is with all the ABS paste is? I would have used maybe a 30mm wide strip on the front and whatever size needed on the back. It looks much neater and is a lot less hassle than spending hours sanding and polishing.

[Echnate[TK]]

I did some more sanding today. Does this look like it could get to initial entry acceptance or am I wasting my time.

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

I would use progressively finer sandpaper until you get it smooth, Jake.  After that, there is a scratch removal product called Novus, which I have used with great success.  You start with the one for heavy scratches, then fine, then finish off with the polish.  It is relatively inexpensive for a small set : http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOVUS-LARGE-KIT-PLASTIC-POLISH-RESTORATION-SYSTEM-/350159188809?hash=item51871d3349:m:mPib9dcjha-2zCZqvOVfy_g&item=350159188809&vxp=mtr

One thing I would definitely recommend is to glue some sort of cover strips on the backs that will cover the seams from the inside.  This will add a lot of strength to the seam, help prevent splitting, and will not affect approvals at any stage.

Keep up the great work, sir.  Don't be upset because of the extra work... we all had it in one place or another, and I promise you it will be worth it in the end!

[ComradeDave[TK]]

It'll take some work but listen to Joe, keep sanding until it's flush with progressively finer grit and definitely buy the Novus 3 pack.

[Echnate[TK]]

So this is what one of my thighs looks like after repeated sanding and Novus polishing. I dont think it will get any better than this. Any chance I can get approved like this or am I wasting my time?

[troopermaster]

This is how I do it.

[Pretzel[TK]]

Hey Jake,

 

Take a look at my build thread. I had to shim my thighs as well but used a different method that I found worked for me. But you are well on your way. short version is that I used apoxy putty, and sanded vigorously until smooth and the ends were even. I then used a spray paint and feathered it to make it blend with the ABS. It was a lot of work and got help from someone with a lot of experience in spray painting.

I did not use ABS paste. I find it difficult to sand. Apoxy Putty is easier to work with (IMO) and then I used spray paint. But do what you think is best in your situation. Good Luck on the rest of your build. keep at it.   

[TKNick8350]

On 10/18/2016 at 11:26 PM, troopermaster said:

This is how I do it.

What’s the size of that cover

strip?

[troopermaster]

1 hour ago, TKNick8350 said:

What’s the size of that cover

strip?

I'm not exactly sure but it's easily 3-4" wide at the top. I will use whatever size is needed to make sure the thighs fit the wearer. I would rather use a wider strips to fill the gaps than go to the extremes of shimming and filling that never looks quite right to me.