Engineering Trooper's ANH Stunt Build (RT Mod)

[Engineering trooper[TK]]

Further update, 1 step forward, 2 back..

 

So the initial gluing for the right shin did not work well, misaligned, and was a bit too wide under the strip.  So will be doing some trimming and regluing.

 

So, with that, a couple of questions:

 

1. Should I strip off all of the glue from the shins/cover strip before regluing?

 

2. Had a small mishap with the sandpaper, got a scratch on the armour.  Any thoughts on polishes, etc for this type of issue?

 

On the good side, the left strip turned out great, and with some brainstorming (thanks to Shannon for the idea), used a chalkline type setup to set the line on the inner calf piece.

 

That is now glued in the front, so hopefully tomorrow will be to do the back, and reglue the right side.

 

See pix below.   Also, got a really nice DeWalt storage box for my kit , 38" x 23" x 24" so will hold armour and my HWT backpack.

 

[STUNTMAN FRED[TK]]

This is awesome. I just paid my deposit for my RT Mod. I'm getting antsy waiting for the email saying it's ready. Thank you for sharing your build.

 

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[magni[TK]]

To your questions. 1. Yes. Completely. Old glue will hamper good bond. 2. Novus polish #1 and #2 for deep scratches. Looking good Jim.

[pewpewpew[TK]]

Looking good Jim. That's a good bit of progress there. You should be ready to get out trooping soon. Looking forward to it.

[Engineering trooper[TK]]

So the holidays are done, despite a lot of family events, got some work done,  so progressing.

 

Left thigh is glued, ready to take the magnets/clamps off.  And, reglued part of the right calf, again..  Will work on that this week to get it finally together.  probably a bit more trimming..

 

Next goals are to finish the right calf, front and back, put the velcro on both calves, and get the right thigh done.

 

See pix of my progress below..

 

 

 

[pewpewpew[TK]]

Oh man! You can't be more than a month away from finishing. Hurry up already!

[Engineering trooper[TK]]

Ok, more progress:

 

1. Back cover strip for right calf complete.  After drying will do Velcro

 

2. Applied Velcro to left back calf,  glued sniper plate 

 

3.  Some trouble with back cover strip on right thigh:  The top edges are about 1/4 inch off.   Any suggestions?  Do I trim the back top?   

 

Next will be finishing back strip on the right thigh, riveting the ammo pack.

 

Then, onto rivets, snaps, and assembling the main torso!

 

 

Right back cover strip glued... Velcro next!

 

 

Mismatch at top of back right thigh

 

 Cut Velcro strips..

 

 

Sniper plate in progress... 

[Engineering trooper[TK]]

Ok, latest update:

 

Starting to put the snaps on, did a fitting last night, and getting closer..

 

Need to fit my garter system so to glue in the snaps on the thighs, but found doing the snap plates first on the ab area is a necessity!

 

Going to use double snaps on the back, as I need the reinforcement.  Will experiment with the front to see how it goes..

 

Also, I got a thread from Trevor about making original style hooks for the connection between the biceps and the bells, see this link for details: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/tutorials/article/37-howto-create-a-bicep-strap-hook/%27

 

After a lot of trial and error (tried to use boiling water, other issues) got it done.  I used a candle versus the lighter recommended in the thread, with quick passes to avoid scorching, then did the bending slowly bit by bit.

 

So next more snap plates, getting the tricep hooks done, and perhaps more fitting...

 

Getting there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[magni[TK]]

Looking good Jim! You're getting there!

[Engineering trooper[TK]]

Ok, so after a flurry of activity the last few days, have a few updates:

 

1.  Snaps are finished for front abs to cod piece, back to posterior plate

 

2.  Did the snaps on the right ab plate and for the posterior plate   (thanks to Ukswrath for his video on Youtube on how to do the snaps for ABS plastic, and to get the position of the right side snap ( 20 mm in each dim from edge, Anovos build)!)

 

3.  Snaps set for biceps and forearms

 

4. Painted the buttons for the Ab plate and the pipe for my thermal detonator   (Side note:  The cover template I bought from Trooper Bay is awesome for doing the painting, see pix) 

 

5.  Glued in the elastic for the bells as well as the snap plates

 

6.  Did a fitting and got the snap plates done for the garter system

 

7. Did some testing on using Chicago screws for securing my belt.  

Want to be able to swap it out for my HWT belt.  Remember:  Spare ABS is your friend.  See the prototype I did in the pix, showing how the cover button fits for the screw. 

 

 

Lots of pictures attached.  Getting near the finish line, but a little concerned about the stomach area, going to need to get to the gym a lot more, or a lot of sucking in during trooping!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prototype fitting for Chicago screw with ammo belt cover

 

 

 

 

 

20 mm in for each edge for the snap center

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 30, 2017 by Engineering trooper

[magni[TK]]

Looking good! I started out like you did with cod separate but eventually Velcro'd the ab and cod together. It didn't sit right with belt when I walked. But you might have better luck then I did. Keep up the good work!

[Engineering trooper[TK]]

Further updates:

 

Had a flurry of activity over the weekend and last night, got a lot more done, can almost see the finish line!

 

1. Tested out my fan system, seems to work great!  (Thanks Tony!)

 

2.  Did a fitting for the S gasket on my helmet.  Let me tell you, that stuff is like working with an anaconda, does not want to go where you want..

 

3. Assembled my thermal detonator 

 

4. Got more snaps set, almost done excepting the left ab side, need to find out best fit for ab to kidney: See picture, a bit of a mismatch between top and bottom

 

5. Mounted cod piece split rivet/measured for the strap between front and back (Thanks Joseph for the advice on drill bit size!)

 

6. Got thigh ammo belt mounted using split rivets.   I had to cut about 1/4 inch off of each side to get it to fit, so anyone who has the RT Mod kit check the length.  

 

7.  Measured and mounted the strapping between forearms and biceps.   Hooks for bells work great!

 

8.  Worked on strapping between chest and back plate, glued in the shoulder straps to the front

 

9.  Mounted snaps on my belt.  As I am planning on switching the plastic ammo part between my ANH Stunt and HWT setup, used a snap system. Seems to work better than the Chicago screws.  Will have more in next fitting. 

 

10. Put the sling on my T-21.  Can't wait to troop with it!

 

A few tips I learned along the way:

 

1.  Use mineral spirits to take off paint.  Got this tip from one of our Canadian Garrison members (Thanks Steve!)

 

2.  Use Popsicle sticks to clean off excess glue from cover strip areas

 

3.  Use a candle or lighter to sear the edges of your elastic straps.  Helps to keep them from fraying

 

  More to come soon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[magni[TK]]

Wow! You got a lot done. You'll be Trooping before you know it. Keep up the good work. And those tips are great for newbies following along.

[Engineering trooper[TK]]

Ok so haven't posted in a few days again, but got a lot more done! 

 

1.  Got the belt done, snap system mounted, drop boxes on, and the holster mounted.  

     Used Ukswrath's dimensions for the elastic on the drop boxes, and mounting hole locations for the holster.

     Contacted Steve (Gazmosis),who crafted the holster to get approximate hole locations (put so that about 1 inch of strap is visible below the belt).

      I used Chicago Screws for the mounting, recommend to use a 3/32" punch for the holes

      Pictures below.

      I may have to move my drop boxes as I got feedback they should be out a bit farther.

 

2.  Got the elastic strapping done for the shoulder mounts and glued the plastic shoulder bridges down 

 

3.  Put in some snaps on the left side, as I am concerned with my girth that the elastic I am going to use for the rivets may not hold, so it is extra.

 

4.  Strap mounted for the cod plate using rivet.   Lesson learned:  I used a chisel and tack hammer to install the rivets, seems to work for me.  Going to fold over the extra elastic and sew it down to protect me from rivet sharp edges. 

 

5.  Worked on painting my buttons on the ab plates.  First time using the templates from Trooper Bay didn't work so well, so did a lot of cleaning off mistakes using mineral spirits. Tried using a 10 mm washer as a template with some success.  

 

6. Sized a piece of foam to go behind the sniper plate.  Recommendation from a Canadian Garrison member (Thanks Trevor!).  Keeps the plate from rubbing on the thigh.  If cut down enough, and dyed with white shoe polish, is nearly invisible.

 

7..Mounted the clips on the thermal detonator, painted screws.    I used a screws from a hobby store that are for a remote control airplane (Thanks Mike Brace for the recommendation!), size 6-32 1 1/4 ", see picture.  With that type of screw, use a 7/64" bit.  Black Humbrol paint (black gloss #21)  to cover the screw head.   Recommend to paint the head before screwing it in fully, so you don't unintentionally miss on your detonator!

 

 

Next steps:  Bell straps to shoulders, recheck dimensions for holes on rivets (now with secure strapping) then mount rivets, securing gloves to hand covers, mounting fans in helmet, final repaint of buttons and gluing plate on front ab, snap mounting for belt to ab.  

 

Then a full fitting for review on the forum, adjustments as needed,  polishing (Novus #1 and #2 per Randy's recommendation), then submission!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[magni[TK]]

Looking good Jim! Just one thing. Your drop boxes are out to far. They should line up with the edge of plastic belt. The gap between them looks perfect. Easy fix. So we should see some pictures of you in it soon the way it looks.

[Engineering trooper[TK]]

Ok, so going to post a couple times today, one with what I worked on, and the other with initial photos of my build.

 

So, here is what I did up to now:

 

1. Finished shoulder straps adjusted the elastic snaps for better fit 

 

2. With help, sewed on the snaps for the bell to shoulder straps (used Unique brand that is in Canada, 15 mm size)

 

3. Tied on the white elastic straps to hold the floating shoulder straps in back ( used Tony's (Ukswrath's) Anovos build for reference, simple knot around the shoulder part)

 

4.  Rivets on the left side.  This one was a lot of measure twice, cut once type.  To make sure I got the best measurement, flattened out the plastic using clamps.  See below.

     4.1  Used guidance from Tony's Anovos build and a photo reference from a movie prop (attached) to finish it.   

     4.2  Made web plates with holes 20 mm across to fit.  As I was using Joseph's split rivets, my punch hole was a bit smaller than Tony's (3/32"), used 9/64's drill bit for armour per Joseph's recommendation

     4.3  With help from son #2, used a chisel to bend the rivet edges down, then a tack hammer to bend them in place

     4.4  Testor's white to paint the heads

 

5.  Glued the rubber hand guards (Justjoseph's) onto the rubber gloves (Trooperbay).  Used Tony's method to fill the gloves with foam, rubbing alcohol to clean both surfaces, E6000 to glue them,  and rubber bands to secure

 

6.   Was looking at a for sale mention of a kit, and I believe it was Joseph that mentioned using scrap pieces for reinforcing strips inside of the calves.  As I noticed my front strips starting to come off, took his advice, put strips inside both sides

 

7.  Still working on cleanup on the button plates.  Mineral spirits work well, but just not quite there yet... 

 

8.  Mounted fan system (nice setup from Tony!), Velcroed it in.   Put my bucket on for 15 minutes just to see how it worked, and was a lot more comfortable!

 

Couple more lessons learned:

 

1.  Snap removal:  Made a few adjustments, so had to remove snaps.  I used a pair of pliers and channel locks on each side, after smashing the center post so it would more easily slip off.  I have heard of other  methods using a drill, but that didn't seem to work for me.   I singed the edges of the hold with a candle to keep the fraying down.

 

2.  Tab mounting system on right side:  Got this recommendation from Trevor from Canadian Garrison.  Helps to align the armour on right side.

 

3.  Pay attention to the orientation of snaps when mounting them (especially the cod rivet !)

 

4.  Extra length on your elastic straps is a good thing, helps for adjustments

 

 

So here are the pix, then next post in a few will be with full armour (excepting button plates ...)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 20, 2017 by Engineering trooper

[Engineering trooper[TK]]

Ok, so here is first full fitting.

 

Couple of points to note:

 

1. Belt is not yet secured to the front by snaps.  Wanted to see the right position, so would appreciate any input, think it needs to go up some?

 

2.  Noticed my right tricep is sticking out.  Easily fixed.

 

3.  Button plates not on yet:  Still cleaning up the paint..

 

4. Some gap on right side, can tighten up the snaps/elastic on that, and on bottom of left side. 

 

5. Drop boxes need to be moved, just not sure how far out? 

 

Would appreciate any input/corrections/advice as I think I am pretty close to ready for submission.

 

Also, as I am going for Expert Infantry/Centurion, please add any comments that would help for that submission.

 

Will take all advice, and send updated photos.

 

Thanks!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cricket[TK]]

You'll need to bring up the belt a bit.  It should rest just at the bottom of the button box, or just touch the bottom button.  See the two troopers in the front on the far right.

 

Your kidney/ab rivets should be more evenly spaced.  Check out this post for details on what you should be aiming for.

 

Your right bicep seems to have escaped from inside the shoulder bell.  

Keep it up!  You're doing a great job!
 

Edited February 20, 2017 by Cricket

[Engineering trooper[TK]]

Thanks to Christine and Tony for initial feedback!  

 

I think I understand what is going on with the rivets:   They are a bit off because the rivets are a bit loose, so in the pictures, the sides shifted and the tops of the armour didn't align.  I think that is easily fixed by getting the sides aligned and further securing the rivets.

 

Hope that will take care of that issue.

 

Here's a picture of the armor showing the lineup, hope that it shows the alignment a bit better:

 

Edited February 20, 2017 by Engineering trooper

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

Looking good, Jim!  I noticed a few things that may help in addition to your list.  You will need to turn the "Chicago" screws holding your holster on around.  You will want to trim off all the excess of your cover strips (photo 1) to where they sit flush with the armor.  Also, you will need to remove all the return edges from the wrist side of your forearm pieces.  Looks as if you have done a great job on this, but you will notice that the part in the ribbed "hump" (photo 2) is still there.  

You have a bit of a gap at the bottoms of your ab/kidney connections, but when you cinch up your belt these will probably disappear, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.  Once you get it situated correctly it will also hide the gaps and notch in your kidney plate as seen in your third photo.

Here are my personal opinions of your questions:

 

1.  Cricket (Christine) nailed that answer.  It should be just as she stated.

2.  Easy fix.

3.  Painting in progress.

4.  See above about tightening your belt.

5.  The outside edge of the drop box should be in alignment with the outside edge of the ABS belt.  (PERFECT in the last photo)!

 

These are not meant as critiques, Jim, just suggestions.  I think it is fantastic that you are aiming for levels 2 and 3 (I wish more Troopers would).  You are well on your way, sir, and have done an outstanding job on this armor!  I applaud those who ask questions and ask for opinions as you did, and I look forward to welcoming you to EIB and then Centurion!

 

                                                    Photo 1

 

                                                   Photo 2

[magni[TK]]

Looking good Jim! Another thing I noticed is your left side rivets look like they're spaced wrong. They look too close. As it looks when you put belt up where it belongs your bottom rivet will still be showing. And it shouldn't.

[Engineering trooper[TK]]

Thanks for the feedback Joseph, will start on the return edge cleanup and the other suggestions ! One question back: if the edges of the armour don't line up evenly (as in the case of the forearm, which is at a bit of a slant), how do you trim it to be even?

[Cricket[TK]]

I think I understand what is going on with the rivets:   They are a bit off because the rivets are a bit loose, so in the pictures, the sides shifted and the tops of the armour didn't align.  I think that is easily fixed by getting the sides aligned and further securing the rivets.

 

 

Here are some pics to help clarify what I meant.  I suck at explaining things like this!  

 

Here's what you are with now vs what I'm fairly certain it should be if you're aiming for Centurion:

 

 

Your belt should be covering the lowest rivet.  From what I've read, you want your top and bottom rivets about 10mm in from the ab/kidney edge, and 15-20mm from the top and bottom edges of the ab (starting with ab rivet placement first).  Center your middle rivet evenly between them.

 

While the following diagram is to illustrate kidney notch placement, it also shows what the rivet placement should be.  If I'm off here, someone please correct me!  

 

[Engineering trooper[TK]]

Thanks Christine, appreciate the clarification. <br><br><br>

Now my dilemma: Assuming I have to relocate 4 rivets, will have 4 holes left behind. How do I fix that?

Edited February 20, 2017 by Engineering trooper

[Cricket[TK]]

ABS paste all the things!!!! 

Seriously, make yourself some ABS paste (acetone mixed w/clean ABS scraps), patch the holes, sand, polish, and you're good as new.