Timberwoof's Anovos ANH TK Build Thread

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Dang it, I need to sign up for something so I can come hang out with you chaps

[Timberwoof[TK]]

52 minutes ago, ukswrath said:

Dang it, I need to sign up for something so I can come hang out with you chaps

I'm going to the Half Moon Bay event on Saturday. 

[Harbinger[IPM]]

I need to get my butt out there and troop with you guys too. Maybe this summer.

[Timberwoof[TK]]

 AUGH! D'OH!

 

I was reading someone's Anovos build thread and saw an entry about the weird numbering of the shin pieces, and that they had put them together the way recommended here. I couldn't tell what the descriptions of the curves of the parts meant, but reading about the ankle protection on the outside made me suspicious. I checked my shin pieces and found to my dismay that one side had wimpy ankle protection and the other side had … better ankle protection. AUGH! D'OH! D'OH! D'OH! D'OH! D'OH! D'OH! D'OH!

 

So I carefully peeled the shins apart. E-6000 is good that way: it will, with some persuasion, let you do that. I'm probably not going to reuse the velcro; that started unsticking anyway. I peeled off the glue on al the parts, filed down some unevenness in the mating edges, and started off gluing the front cover strips to the outside halves. 

 

The second tube of E-6000 is different from the first one I got. This stuff claims to be flexible and transparent like the first, but it's also self-leveling. I think I'll figure out soon enough what that means. 

 

Other progress is mostly in cutting down return edges: front end of wrists, tops of bicepses, and shoulder connecty parts. 

I also plan to replace all that velcro with snaps. I scavenged the cut-off ABS for suitable flat sections from which I plan to cut 1" x 2" rectangles. These will get drilled to receive two snap halves, then glued in place. The existing elastic I will re-use to join the armor pieces. I think elastic will work better (as in more comfortably) than non-elastic nylon strapping. And I might as well use white elastic for the shoulders while I'm at it. 

 

The back-kidney-butt and right kidney-codpiece connections are probably straightforward: Make the parts have tight connections. (I'm 5'10" tall, perhaps a bit short in the thorax and longer in the legs. Stand up straight, Timber!) The chest-codpiece and back-chest connections are a little trickier. I think I will set up the shoulder joints to butt tightly together as I am an elf right on the border of S and M. (That's in t-shirt sizes!) Then I'll try on the armor and mark how the chest overlaps the codpiece. That will guide how those straps should go. I may build in a little tension there. Nobody likes a saggy codpiece. 

 

Going will be a little slower form here on out as next week I start my new job. 

[Harbinger[IPM]]

You're basically the ideal height/size for TK armor, I'd imagine it should be smooth sailing.

Edited January 31, 2018 by Harbinger

[ukswrath[Staff]]

3 hours ago, Timberwoof said:

 AUGH! D'OH!

 

I was reading someone's Anovos build thread and saw an entry about the weird numbering of the shin pieces, and that they had put them together the way recommended here. I couldn't tell what the descriptions of the curves of the parts meant, but reading about the ankle protection on the outside made me suspicious. I checked my shin pieces and found to my dismay that one side had wimpy ankle protection and the other side had … better ankle protection. AUGH! D'OH! D'OH! D'OH! D'OH! D'OH! D'OH! D'OH!

 

So I carefully peeled the shins apart. E-6000 is good that way: it will, with some persuasion, let you do that. I'm probably not going to reuse the velcro; that started unsticking anyway. I peeled off the glue on al the parts, filed down some unevenness in the mating edges, and started off gluing the front cover strips to the outside halves. 

 

So here's a photo of a set of shins I'm building, forget the sniper knee it's for a TD. Though I have no idea if Anovos has fixed their numbering system, note the contour of the inner shin halves vs the outside. The inside has a more defined curve compared to the outer. I've also included a canon reference photo. Though the Anovos armor shape is considerably softer then the canon you can still the shape I'm referring to. Finally you can also see the inner halves tend to be longer than the outer on the Anovos. 

 

[Timberwoof[TK]]

Yup. I checked my submission photos and I can now easily tell that I had them wrong: On the right, the ankles both curved farther down than on the left. They didn't ask me how to do the part numbering scheme. 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

30 minutes ago, Timberwoof said:

Yup. I checked my submission photos and I can now easily tell that I had them wrong: On the right, the ankles both curved farther down than on the left. They didn't ask me how to do the part numbering scheme. 

And they won't. Armor will look different between manufacturers. 

[Timberwoof[TK]]

Shins are reglued. Pictures would be boring. But I would like your opinions, please. Here's my customized Hasbro E-11: 

 

Multiple Choice: 

• If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it!? 
• Paint that awful orange tip black! 
• While you're at it, paint the U-shaped chamber slot gray! 
• Index your trigger, dumbass! 

• How'd THAT armor get past your GML? 

• Can we come over and watch TV? 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

For level two certification (if applicable):
Folding stock (does not need to function).
A real or replica ammo counter - based off of a Hengstler counter - shall be present.
D-ring mounted on the rear.
Sterling based blasters have the correct M-38 or M-19 style scope.
Two power cylinders on the magazine housing.
Scratch-built or cast blasters shall have a total of 6 T-tracks on blaster (leaving the lowest row on the magazine housing side uncovered).
If using the Hasbro E11 toy blaster, it is modified to have the correct number of T-tracks (6 total), with a lower row of open vent holes on the magazine housing side.
This is accomplished by covering the pre-existing rows of holes with T-tracks, then grinding off the lower integrated T-track on the magazine housing side, and drilling a new row of holes in its place.
No ESB/ROTJ greeblies are allowed on the blaster.

 

For level three certification (if applicable):
Hasbro blasters are not allowed, even conversions.

[ukswrath[Staff]]

BTW nice onesie 

[Timberwoof[TK]]

Advanced certification is not in this blaster's future. It was an Easy-Bake-Oven in a previous life before it got recycled, so its karma is to remain a low-ranked prop. But will painting its orange nose black help its way on the Eightfold Path? 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

6 minutes ago, Timberwoof said:

Advanced certification is not in this blaster's future. It was an Easy-Bake-Oven in a previous life before it got recycled, so its karma is to remain a low-ranked prop. But will painting its orange nose black help its way on the Eightfold Path? 

YOU CAN DO IT!

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

5 hours ago, Timberwoof said:

But will painting its orange nose black help its way on the Eightfold Path? 

Definitely wouldn't hurt

[Timberwoof[TK]]

The deed is done: glossy paint on the nose. Shiny! 

[Timberwoof[TK]]

A couple of weeks ago the Golden Gate Garrison hosted an Armor Party where I got to watch Ukswrath make quick work of cutting the edges off a just-unboxed Anovos kit. I reassured the kit's owner that it was okay not to work as fast as ukswrath. Then I got some direct advice on my own armor, and spent the rest of the time polishing my kit, which had gotten a bunch of marks on the arms from my blaster. I showed him my helmet, which I thought looked like crap. He reassured me that in his expert opinion, it looked like crap. 

I had brought my Lightdremel but as a newbie I felt a bit timid with it; that thing is almost like a Lightsaber through plastic. Almost. Not quite. I watched the Master at work and realized that it was not such a beast. It's not: just handle it carefully and with mindful intent. Turn it off. Let it spin down. Then set it down. … the sort of stuff. It is actually an elegant tool, a reminder of an ancient time. 
Today I had nice trip to the hardware store for some correct screws, more glue, and some furnace filters. I took apart the helmet and removed the visor. Here you can see the reason for the awfulness: 

I decided that I should try to practice extreme cleverness in drawing guidelines. The first bit was to use dry-erase marker. (Wipe it off as soon as practical, and hide your black Sharpie. Don't ask me how I know. Also, paint thinner will clean up Sharpie.) I put blue tape on the visor to protect it from further scratches. (It is gonna need some careful polish with the polish kit. Don't try to wear metal-rimmed glasses inside your helmet. Don't ask me how I know. Plastic polish will restore scratched-up BluBlockers.) I taped the visor to the inside of the helmet so its flat edge matched up to the eyebrows, and then marked the eyebrows to its curve.

The Lightdremel with the roughest purple cylinder and only about 1800 RPM was a nice balance of progress, not melting the plastic, and not acting like a Lightedremel through butter. The plastic is thin. It helps to think out how you will hold the hemet and the Lightdremel to apply its business end to the work piece. I did the brows and the visor fit tons better. I couldn't figure an elegant way to mark the bottom edges of the eye openings, but had gained enough confidence with the Lightdremel that I cold wing it. I marked with the dry-erase marker and applied the Lightdremel. 

Initially I was so concerned with the awful shape of the openings that I didn't notice that the right eye outer corner was too rounded. That took careful deregulation with the smallest grinding bit and a shallow D-shaped file. 

 

I am pleased with the result. 

Next I intend to treat the interior to black Plastic-Dip. I had considered just painting it, but after taking the helmet apart and seeing how basically flimsy it is, I think Plasti-Dip is the way to go. I'll probably have to drill one new set of holes in the visor so it doesn't leave a gap at the bridge of the nose. (Not shown here is that I got fed up with the Anovos sticky velcro system of holding the visor in place. Months ago I ripped all that out, gently, and drilled holes in the visor so the ear screws hold it in place. Much better!) Then of course the ears have to go back on and glue back the little velcro circles to hold the pads in.

I ordered a Shock Doctor football helmet chin strap which I hope will help stabilize the helmet. (I used to play ice hockey; I was a goalie. I did NOT want my helmet to come off my head, ever. Some attitudes die hard.) I am thinking of gluing snaps to the inside of the helmet to use as fastening points for the strap.

 

 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

8 hours ago, Timberwoof said:

A couple of weeks ago the Golden Gate Garrison hosted an Armor Party where I got to watch Ukswrath make quick work of cutting the edges off a just-unboxed Anovos kit. I reassured the kit's owner that it was okay not to work as fast as ukswrath. Then I got some direct advice on my own armor, and spent the rest of the time polishing my kit, which had gotten a bunch of marks on the arms from my blaster. I showed him my helmet, which I thought looked like crap. He reassured me that in his expert opinion, it looked like crap. 

 

You're killing me smalls! Michael I think I said Anovos does a crappy job assembling the helmets and they need updates, but yea lol. Excellent work on those updates . Don't forget to change out the tip screens. 

[Harbinger[IPM]]

Wow, I'm surprised QC let that pass, those eye returns are way off. Nice job.

[Timberwoof[TK]]

4 hours ago, Harbinger said:

Wow, I'm surprised QC let that pass, those eye returns are way off. Nice job.

I guess they looked okay from far away. 

[Timberwoof[TK]]

8 hours ago, ukswrath said:

You're killing me smalls! Michael I think I said Anovos does a crappy job assembling the helmets and they need updates, but yea lol. Excellent work on those updates . Don't forget to change out the tip screens. 

Oooh, tip screens. On the list. You make correct loudspeaker things for those, yes? When I replace them, I will go whole hog and put those in. And microphones in the ears with the isolation we talked about. 
I am getting better at seeing the details in TK armor. I was not so good when I started; I figure it's an experience thing. The other day I was watching that fanfic movie that came out about TKs storming a beach. I caught a glimpse of back-of-shin ugliness and I'm going to resist mightily the temptation to look at that frame by frame. And gawd, when I saw those dancing Stormtroopers, I almost burped my evening Trooper Barracks Meal at all the inaccuracies. 

[Harbinger[IPM]]

He sells just the mesh too. I have pics in my build thread.

[Timberwoof[TK]]

I think that Plasti-Dip for the interior is next on the list. I don't want to put electronics and fans in twice. 

[Timberwoof[TK]]

I think I annoyed my roommate. 

 

 

I was wearing this: 

 

That mask is really good. I could not tell how stinky Plasti-Dip is until I was done and ready to clean up. Wow. I put the helmet halves outside and sent the air-cleaning droids to work. When I checked in on them they had passed out. 

 

(They deserve special paint jobs for this work, don't you think?)

[ukswrath[Staff]]

10 hours ago, Timberwoof said:

I think I annoyed my roommate. 

 

LOL , I pretty sure  when the plasti dip mfg states "apply in a well ventilated area" he's not referring to venting your room into the apartment itself.  Nice work though 

[Timberwoof[TK]]

On 6/11/2018 at 5:16 AM, ukswrath said:

LOL , I pretty sure  when the plasti dip mfg states "apply in a well ventilated area" he's not referring to venting your room into the apartment itself.  Nice work though 

That's venting the work room into the downstairs which contains the laundry and the garage. If I open the back door and raise the garage door a foot or so, I get a lovely clean Pacific breeze rushing through there. When we were three hockey players, we'd do that to air out the gear after games.