paint durabilty and why oh why!

[Dargas[501st]]

Ok... so i´ve been having this building urge to just sell my FX to buy an ATA just for accuracy´s sake.

 

the two problems I find here is:

 

-1) Size: my FX fits like a glove on me and if ATA is smaller I just don´t think my frame would fit in it.

 

-2) painting: this is THE most preoccupying issue for me.

 

just how much different is the plastic colour tone? is it because it´s dull?? can it be polished to shine as desired instead of painted?

 

from what i´ve seen on the out of the box pic,s on many build threads, the kit looks pretty white to me. this will be a decisive thing for me as i do very heavy trooping on my armor and the idea of having my armor all scratched and with serious paint chipping problems might really detract me from buying ATA or AP in the future, no matter how accurate they are.

 

I´m asking for heavy feedback here guys as I´ve just had serious problems with my darth vader armor paint to the point of just not wanting to see the damned thing anymore!

 

i painted and repainted and spent LOTS of cash trying to get it done and be durable to no avail until i got SICK OF IT. painted armor just doesn´t cut it for the level of heavy troops I do here.

 

if you can please tell me the why of the paint and the how to make it durable enough to stand heavy trooping please guys, I beg of you, let me know so I can really set my head straight about ATA.

 

thanks!

[dougefresh]

Richard-- AP is made from ABS, so no worries about paint chipping or flaking. The only concern I would have with you and AP is size. The helmet, in particular, is one of the smallest out there. Smaller than TE2, ATA, etc.

 

I'm 5'11" and 160, and the AP body armor fits me fine, with moderate room to spare in the legs and arms.

I have a pin head too, so the helmet works out okay for me.

 

I'm going through the same anxiety with painting as well -- I hope to get an ATA kit very soon, and am sweating bullets about the painting process, not to mention the butt&seam construction method.

I think I'll be able to pull it off, but boy oh boy, does it make me nervous.

[TK-2126_MD[TK]]

Ok... so i´ve been having this building urge to just sell my FX to buy an ATA just for accuracy´s sake.

 

the two problems I find here is:

 

-1) Size: my FX fits like a glove on me and if ATA is smaller I just don´t think my frame would fit in it.

 

-2) painting: this is THE most preoccupying issue for me.

 

I ask ATA question 1.

i am 6ft 210-220 lbs, he told me that he fits in his armor with no issues at 6ft 1 in 200-210 lbs. so i think wereare okay, not mention that that might just have us think about down sizeing or gut just to make sure. i will let u guy know about this to once i get it.

Question 2

??? no idea i am going to start reading up on paints.....

[Dargas[501st]]

good thing on AP being abs but the size is certainly a problem as I´m 6´2" and have a "not-fat/not slim" build, although i have a bit of a beer tummy. wich is what I think would really get me in trouble. The upper legs is another problem for me.

 

the ATA (sans helmet) is then, my best choice but the paint issue is really creeping me out of deciding to go forward with it and I´m still doubting the armor will fit me. I really don´t want to look like a German sausage in it.

 

the main issues I have with the FX is the accuracy of the upper arms, upper legs and calves, shouderbells and handplates. the rest I can live with...

 

if ATA would sell just these parts i would upgrade my kit with them, specially the legs... I guess I´ll have to ask him about it.

[Sgt JB]

I'm almost done putting my ATA kit together. few points. Yes, the butt - strip assembly method is a bit of a pain. however, it also allows for some wiggle room. I'm 6-2 190 lbs. On the fronts of both the thigh and shins I used 1"strips. After an initial fitting, I realized that 1" on the back of the thighs was too thin, and I couldn't get it on. So I cut the strip off, and increased the size to 1.5" This worked perfectly. So I've done the same for the other thighs, and the shins. The nice thing about this is that it's adjustable. It does take some work, I'm not going to lie. but IMHO it's worth it. I'm very happy with what I've been able to do so far. As far as painting, I think that's a personal choice. I don't mind painting, and have had very good success with it on my lid, and Thermal Detonator, but that's just me. Others might find it too much. Just my opinion.

[Dargas[501st]]

Thanks Erick! you are very much like i am. 6´2 at 184 pounds. Knowing i can fit in one really lifts my spirit!

 

On the paint side and just to check i got it right... ATA can be worn without painting it?

[Sgt JB]

On the paint side and just to check i got it right... ATA can be worn without painting it?

 

Honestly? I don't know. I guess you could just clean it up after assembly, clear coat it and buff it out. But I'm not an expert on such things. I can say that it takes paint very well. I applied 2 coats of Rustoleum, and 2 coats of clear, light sanding with very fine grain sandpaper, buffed it and it's got a mirror shine. As for the plastic, it's got a dull appearance right out of the box. Hope that helps.

 

I will be painting everything esle in the comming days. I'll get pics up when I'm done.

[Dargas[501st]]

I just sent an email to ATA to check about this but all the while I would like to know from the guys that have built one on their experience. specially after some trooping.

[Sgt JB]

I'm not sure if anyone's completed an ATA build yet. I'm about 90% done with getting everything together, then a little time fitting and connecting. But like I said, the parts that I have completed have fit well, with some adjustments.

[Dargas[501st]]

ok... i got a response from Terrell.

 

the price can´t be beat, it´s as easy as that and I´m pretty much convinced that ATA is the best armor choice to date regarding accuracy vs cost in my humble opinion.

 

I now understand about the slight tint in the armor and why it has to be painted and i have been convinced my frame will fit in it. I also have a buyer for my armor now and he´s just waiting for mi decision although he´ll spend several months paying me on a regular basis.

 

however... i´m still to hear about the durability of the paint during trooping and the durability of the plastic. if I sit down... will it break??

 

i read somewhere that a helmet got cracked while sanding it... is all the armor like that or was that an isolated issue with the thickness?

 

i can buy this kit in December, so i have up until that time to figure my mind about this, but in the meantime, really please, help?

 

thanks!

[Sgt JB]

well, from a durrability standpoint, I don't forsee it cracking on you from things like sitting down. the butt plate I have is plenty flexable. I was able to bend mine a fair amount with no ill effect.This is my first armor set, so I have little frame of reference. Only tear or anything I've had was my own fault, pulled my lid off by the chin and my head got stuck. about a 1/2" tear in the chin, easily fixed with a strip behind. Buffed the front with rubbing compound, and it's 100% invisible. again, my own fault. Another nice thing is that if you do crack it, or screw up the trimming, it's easy to repair and repaint the area. from what I understand, If you mess up ABS, there's not much you can do to cover up any mistakes. Again, this is my first armor, so I don't have anything else to go on. I can only say I'm very pleased with mine. I do want to say that I am a model maker, and painter prior to doing armor, so I do have alot of painting experience, and experience working with styrine, so my opinions may be different than someone who's new to doing hobby work. So take what I say understanding that what I think is normal work for a project may be alot more work than someone else is willing to put into it. Heck, I've spent 3-4 hours just painting eyes on a mini before. Hope I'm being helpful.

[Dargas[501st]]

you are my friend, quite a bit!

 

I´m not very good at the painting field at large, o miniatures yes, i´ve spent more than 10 years painting warhammer minis and now with warmachine, but how to make paint to stick to armor un a durable way its just beyond me at this point!!

 

i don´t know if it´s the brand of spray paint that it´s available here or what but man... they sure can chip fast!

[2155TK[TK]]

is it possible to just rub and buff the ata plastic till you get a shine? i know that ATA sells individual pieces.

[Merugear]

Well from my point of view, I tried several things...

 

I was the one with the 'cracked' helmet though, but I guess it's to do with me cutting too far in the helmet and sanding too roughly. Terell offered me a new cap if need be, but a quick fix was all it took to make it look good again .

 

The helmet is thinner than the armor, and the armor is frakking unbreakable. Snap and score was a chore for me. I really advise you to get those Lexan cutters they use for modelling as described in (I believe) stukatrooper's tutorial. The curved plastic scissors... That surely would have made cutting my helmet a LOT easier!

 

I put the cut-off plastic in a bag to keep safe as a lot of cut-off strips from the arms and the shins etc. can be used as an inside strip for adhesion (yeah smart eh? ). The plastic is a bit curved at times (the cut-off plastic, the pieces themselves are AWESOME) but you won't seen them anyways.

 

Buy glue-clamps and GOOD glue cos I spent some money on buying Bison's Polymax and it just plain sucked. Now I got this bucket of Polystyrene glue for ceiling-plates and wall panels etc... It works like a charm!

 

Apart from that... Use VERY FINE GRIT sandingpaper if you're using some. With the paint, be careful for drooping paint... Also, if you're doing the helmet, make sure you stick it up a pole or such, cos I put it on some newspapers on a workbench and the papers soaked through at the beginning.

 

I am a newb when it comes to all this and suffice to say that I made a lot of beginners mistakes .

 

Also, with ATA and other hips armor... It's never truly ruined! If need be, you can just get the paint off or repaint over it. Or even sand it right for that matter. For the price, if you mess something up, there's always a cheap and fast replacement part to get.

 

I love Affordable Trooper Armor (and at times I hate it with a passion, but that's mainly cos of my lack of skill with plastics in general )

 

It's all part of the process.

 

If you got any more questions Rich, ask away

 

And for Luis:

 

I did a test spray with primer+paint+varnish and on the other side (after curing) I did primer + varnish... From my point of view they look the same, though keep in mind that the paint itself will also act as a layer of protection for your armor pieces. Yes you scuff and you can mess up, but if you got the right paint, it will add to the strength and flexibility of your armor.

[Sgt JB]

you are my friend, quite a bit!

 

I´m not very good at the painting field at large, o miniatures yes, i´ve spent more than 10 years painting warhammer minis and now with warmachine, but how to make paint to stick to armor un a durable way its just beyond me at this point!!

 

i don´t know if it´s the brand of spray paint that it´s available here or what but man... they sure can chip fast!

 

if you have access to a 'plastic' paint I'd go with that. the paint bonds with the plastic. can't chip. Either Krylon or Rustoleum make a plastic paint. I'd look into those.

[Dargas[501st]]

thanks guys, this is turning to be really helpful.

 

Krylon I think I can get here, but not rustoleum and yes, absolutely, that's the trick, the paint needs to be flexible enough so it can bend with the material.

 

oh man! I'm already thrilled by this! mwahahahhaha! it's going to be a loooong wait until january!

[Sgt JB]

Krylon makes a paint called "fusion" that's the stuff that bonds with the plastic. that's what you're going to want.

[Dargas[501st]]

thanks man!

 

I'll look for it all around.

[Murray1134[501st]]

Your situation sounds pretty similar to mine Dargas, you seem about my size too.

 

I'm trying to go over options for making my FX more accurate, and I haven't had the best luck with painting. I'm thinking RT-Mod for my next kit and my FX is probably going to be a TK-Commander or TD.

[GosHawk[501st]]

Check out my post on the mepd forums. Billy had told me about wet dry sanding then polishing it. From what I saw it looked pretty good. Granted this topic was more focused on weathering a td, but still...

 

http://forum.mepd.net/index.php?showtopic=5687

[Dargas[501st]]

Thanks you SOOO MUCH!

 

this beats the painting issue! it´s much harder work but I wont have to be afraid of my armor paint chipping or scratching off!

 

thanks!!!