AM 2.0 HWT & ANH Stunt build

[Eric Ostendorf[TK]]

20 hours ago, TheSwede said:

Must be great to have a 3D printer and don’t know much about HWT packs but looks like you’re doing a great job

Thanks!  The 3d printer is pretty great but it is a fair amount of work.  It has a super steep learning curve and the machines like to break (lots of moving parts so go figure) so keeping them running is a challenge in itself.  I started with just printing ready-made files off the internet but I've been trying to learn some 3d modeling software lately and the HWT pack parts are a good practice item since they are fairly simple shapes. 

[TheSwede[TK]]

2 hours ago, Alibi1986 said:

Thanks!  The 3d printer is pretty great but it is a fair amount of work.  It has a super steep learning curve and the machines like to break (lots of moving parts so go figure) so keeping them running is a challenge in itself.  I started with just printing ready-made files off the internet but I've been trying to learn some 3d modeling software lately and the HWT pack parts are a good practice item since they are fairly simple shapes. 

Yeah I can only imagine, looking forward seeing how it all turns out

[Eric Ostendorf[TK]]

And I'm finally looping back to working on my Kit.  I have been wearing it as-is to several events without any issues but I'm still not ready for approval, although I'm *super* close.  

 

I finally managed to get some good tube stripes printed off for my HWT pack.  I switched to PLA plastic to make it easier to bend (lower melting point than PETG) and I increased the number of top layers to reduce "pillowing" of the plastic bunching up around the support structures underneath the thinner top layer.  

 

 

And being that my 3d Printer is currently busy with some other projects, I have decided to go ahead and get my TK approvable as a regular TK.  This involves building a second belt with drop boxes, holster, and thermal detonator.  The HWT isn't supposed to have visible holes in the belt from removing the holster so its simpler to just build a second belt and this makes it easy to swap back and forth between TK and HWT.  

 

First I had to measure the original belt and mark off for snaps for the new belt.  After I attached the second belt cover with cap rivets I assembled the inner and outer shells for the drop boxes and then riveted those to elastic looped around the belt. 

 

 

Then I made aluminium clips for my thermal detonator by following the instructions in this thread:

The instructions worked perfectly for me

 

 

Next I glued the front plate onto the detonator and held it down with tape while the e6000 cured.

 

 

While that was drying, I installed my holster.  It is left over from my original Anovos kit so it came with 3/16 chicago screws which I reused.  Since this is a stunt I only punched the bottom two holes per UksWrath excellent build thread.  

 

 

About three years ago I bought a disney E-11 blaster off Amazon.  It lights up and makes noise but its not particularly accurate.  I don't have a better blaster so I figured I'd just spray paint my Disney and troop with it till I get around to getting a better one.  It turned out pretty OK, OK enough to sit in my holster or give to kids anyway.   Here it is compared to my friend's Hyperfirm blaster:

 

 

And that's as far as I have gotten.  I'm hoping to get my helmet squared away so that I can get TK approval pictures taken this weekend as all I lack for basic is the small screw that holds down the bottom of the ear to the helmet.  Once I'm finally an official 501st TK I'll get back to finishing up my HWT pack

 

 

 

[magni[TK]]

Glad to hear and see your progress!

 

Keep it up Future Trooper!

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Coming along nicely

[Eric Ostendorf[TK]]

Thanks guys! My local garrison, Oklahoma, is doing its first coin run as a garrison and I really want in on it so its incentive to finally get the last dab of little issues sorted on my kit.  The goal for this week is to take all my armor out of my crates, clean them up, do some crack repairs, touch up some paint, trim a couple small armor bites, swap out some straps, finish the ears on my helmet, and take TK submission photos this weekend

 

After I'm officially in as a TK, I'll get back to work on my HWT pack and get approved as a Heavy too

 

 

 

 

Edited October 1, 2018 by Alibi1986

[Eric Ostendorf[TK]]

So didn't get all my armor finished last week but I'm working on it this week instead.

 

First I took all my armor out of the crates and disconnected all the strapping and wiped everything down with alchohol.  This removed the bulk of the scratches and smudges and sweat stink.  Also this gave me a chance to look everything over and patch up some small cracks with ABS paste. 

 

I have decided to re-do the strapping on my torso.  The ab to kidney gap was a big larger than necessary so I will be shortening up those straps.

 

 

I am also working on adjusting the straps for the butt plate.  The butt tends to pop out of place and ride up onto the kidney plate so that every time I walk it makes an annoying squeak.  I tried duct tape to keep it in place but eventually the tape would give way and the squeaking would resume.  I think part of the problem was my straps were too tight and too low on the plate so I will be making my straps with a bit more slack after moving the snap plates up to just below the return edge.

 

To also battle the butt plate slipping up I have added plastic tabs.  I saw this in a couple other build threads and looks like it will help so I'm going to give it a go. 

 

When the butt plate return edge is flush with the kidney I do have difficulties walking so I think I need to trim a little off the bottom so my legs have more room but I will trim only after I have the new straps in so I can test them first.

 

[Eric Ostendorf[TK]]

Tiny update.  I've been exhausted at work lately so work is slow going but its still going.  I think I have cleaned the outside of all the armor of scuffs and smudges and glue residue.  I want to wipe the insides down one more time with a sanitizing wipe before I put the armor back in the crate to be sure to kill any funky sweat smell.  

 

To get my armor ready in time for my first event I used Velcro to hold the shoulder straps in place.  I was concerned that I was going to need to adjust them and just didn't have time to wait on glue to dry just to have to peel it back off so Velcro made sense at the time.  Now that I like where they are, I have removed the Velcro and glued them on with a generous dab of e6000.  Hopefully They stay in place and I don't have issues but I suppose if I ever do I can just hide that shoulder with the pauldron. 

 

 

 

I have added self-adhesive felt to the backs of the drop boxes and insides of the shoulder bells to try to reduce the clacking sound I get when I walk.  I know I won't completely get rid of it but if I can reduce it a little that would help.

 

 

 

Next up is the helmet.  I am planning on cleaning it, fixing my ears so they fit tighter to the helmet sides, drilling holes for hearing assist, adding a bit more padding to get it to fit my head better, re-route the fan wires better, touch up some paint, and add the last screw on the bottom of the ear.  Then that will make my kit ready for submission   

 

 

[Eric Ostendorf[TK]]

Woo a good update!  I have finished a bunch of small tweaks to the armor:

 

First the butt plate modifactions I made the other day are close to perfect!  NO SQUEAKS OR POP OUT!  Yaaaay!  The only change I need to make is to trim another 1/2" or so off the bottom edge that goes between my legs.  My thighs still rub some on it but that won't keep me from submission for Basic.  For EIB I need to swap my snap plate for two snaps in the plastic so I will probably trim when I'm ready to upgrade for EIB. 

 

 

I also revised my thigh holding rig.  The straps that hold the thighs to the belt were originally 3/4" elastic but the thighs kept drifting down over the course of a troop so I have swapped these for 1" nylon.  I folded over the last 2" and glued it in place with CA glue to give it some stiffness, made a hole in the nylon with a soldering iron, and set the snap.  I did not use a snap plate for this as I didn't want the extra bulk riding against my thigh but I did use a sacrificial plate to guide the soldering iron to the correct location so that this new strap will pop onto the existing plate on my thigh.  

 

 

 

Next I added a little piece of soft loop sided Velcro the inside front edge of my shin.  It was starting to wear off the white on my boots so I figured this may slow down the wear.

 

 

The next area of attention was the helmet.  I added some more padding to the inside to raise it up on my head a little and I taped down the wires for my fans.  Eventually I'm wanting to add a super ear and hovi mic tips so I'm not mounting anything with glue yet.  The extra padding has the helmet wobbling on my head though so I think I will be adding a chin strap until I figure out how to pad it better.  

 

 

The last bit keeping me from wanting to submit were my helmet ears.  I trimmed them down a little more to try to close the gap but they still aren't perfect.  I think I will live with it though as I think I will have to start over if I want them to fit better.  I know the originals all had gaps but I'm just being persnickety.  I also touched up the paint on the vocoder, teeth, and ear bumps.

 

 

 

 

Today is the day I take submission photos so hopefully I will be approved.  I was going to try to take them yesterday at a troop but I didn't have shoulder bell straps across my biceps but I have them now... I think I'm good for the CRL requirements now.  

 

 

 

[Eric Ostendorf[TK]]

I submitted my application to the legion!  Here are the photos I had taken for my GML.  I think I should approve fine but we will see.  After I am accepted as a TK I'm going to work on finishing up a couple other projects and then come back to finish the HWT pack and submit again as a HWT.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Nice work, you could have received some feedback if you posted in the pre approval forum https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/193-request-tk-pre-approval/  

 

A couple of things that stick out, looks like just some tweaking needed:

 

Looks like your forearms are a little low and your biceps are a little high, you could bring them closer together. Your forearms also look a little on the large side, your left arm seems a lot bigger than the right.

 

Drop boxes should align with the end of the belt.

 

Normally you don't need a strap between the chest and back plates.

 

Belt is a little high.

 

Ab buttons could do with a little more pain.

 

Hopefully you hear some good news soon, even if it's just some tweaking needed, good luck

 

 

 

 

[Eric Ostendorf[TK]]

4 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Nice work, you could have received some feedback if you posted in the pre approval forum https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/193-request-tk-pre-approval/  

 

A couple of things that stick out, looks like just some tweaking needed:

 

Looks like your forearms are a little low and your biceps are a little high, you could bring them closer together. Your forearms also look a little on the large side, your left arm seems a lot bigger than the right.

 

Drop boxes should align with the end of the belt.

 

Normally you don't need a strap between the chest and back plates.

 

Belt is a little high.

 

Ab buttons could do with a little more pain.

 

Hopefully you hear some good news soon, even if it's just some tweaking needed, good luck

 

 

 

 

It is indeed not perfect. but I'm just trying to get approved for Basic so I can get in on some coin runs and then make improvements over time.  Thanks for the pointers and I will certainly take care of them whether I get approved this time or not.  I need to do a ton of tweaks and changes and updates but I just don't have a lot of free time to do all of them right now :\ 

 

-The biceps are being pulled up from the strap in the shoulder bell that goes across the bicep... I have another strap on the inside that lets them sit lower but per the CRL they have to have the visible strap across.  If its a problem, just lengthening those straps should release the tension on them to let the biceps sit lower... or I can just go back to not having the straps at all if I get approved.  If you go back through my posts you'll see in earlier pictures where the arm gaps are better.

-The forearms are just held on my arms with friction via foam, I don't have a strap to the upper arm to hold them up and they had just slid down for the pictures.  Size-wise, I was in a hurry when I put them together to make my first event and I was afraid of cutting them too small and then not having time to fix them.  Making them smaller is on my list of tweaks to do eventually though.  

-I have the straps for the drop boxes between the snap to my ab and the rivet that holds the plastic belt to the canvas belt which seems to be right spot per screen-used photos but they can still slide around some since I don't have them affixed in place.  I can slide it over as close to the rivet as I can get and tack it down with some E6000 though.  
-The chest to back strap keeps the chest and back from flaring out and flopping around as I walk since they are not connected to the kidney and ab to weigh them down

-I placed the belt a little high on accident... I know its supposed to ride at just the bottom of the ab button plate but I guess I didn't quite measure correctly. I was trying to copy the dimensions from my first belt that is set up for the heavy weapons and wasn't 100 successful.  

-The ab buttons were way harder to paint than I expected... I have touched them up several times and I just can't seem to get them right.  I have a second set of ab plates with dimples for metal buttons instead that I've been thinking about swapping to but I don't think they're accurate.