SpectrumOfPain's ANH Stunt ATA Build

[spectrumofpain[TK]]

So after many, many months of putting this off, I have finally started my TK build. I've had my ATA kit since last August (got it just right before CVI!) and been super busy with other things to get started. Mostly though I had been waiting for my local squad/garrison to have an armor party so I could get a few first hand pointers in person. Lots of good info here but it's always nice to have someone show you things in person. Well I went to my first armor party last month and I met a lot of cool people and learned some good tips! Anyways with that on to some pictures!

 

Below pics are my work area, for the time being I am using my Star Wars room to build things. What better place to work in, right?!

 

 

 

 

Here are my biceps curing.

 

 

And here are the completed biceps

 

 

I kinda went crazy with the E6000 so I still need to scrape off the excess glue. It's not hard to do but it is tedious. I finished the forearms also so hopefully I can post pics of those up soon. Right now my goal is to finish this build by the end of May, which is also the time of the big Con we have here in Houston. I'll be working on the armor when I can after work but most likely will hit it hard on the weekends. Well wish me luck and it's great to be a part of this community!

[Kessel Run[TK]]

So far so good! keep it up and you will be done in no time. any questions you be sure to let us know. Good Luck!

[HockeyTrooper[TK]]

I found the E-6000 got away from me on a couple of pieces as well. The way I avoided this was by spreading the glue a bit thinner and leaving room for the glue to spread out once everything was clamped on.

 

Good luck, keep up the good work!

[LadyInWhite[TK]]

I like the way you strategically position your photos to show off your man-cave and all your awesome toys

 

On those biceps, it looks like at least one of the cover strips doesn't come all the way to the top. (It might be covered by shoulder bell anyway.)

 

Some tips for the e6000...

• Sand and wipe clean the parts you are going to stick together before gluing.
  
• Let the goop cure for about 2 minutes before sticking it together.
  
• Spread evenly and not too thickly.
  
• Once you press the pieces together, TAPE THEM before clamping them. This helps prevent in-clamp slippage.
  

If you get dried gloop out the edges, use an exacto to gently cut away along the edges and underneath. This is delicate, though, because you don't want to scratch your plastic. However, it's probably a little better than having that gloppy look.

 

GOOD LUCK!

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I would just take the coner off of your cover strips so they don't catch on anything. Good luck with the build

Edited March 13, 2013 by gmrhodes13

[Ravenwood[TK]]

great start, I am looking forward to watching it all come together.

[spectrumofpain[TK]]

Thanks for all the words of encouragement! Also, thanks for all the tips on working with the E6000, after finishing my forearms I think I have a better understanding of how to apply it. Haha and yes I guess I did take those photos pretty strategically Well here is a picture of the forearms done:

 

 

My next thing to work on now is finishing the shoulder bells. I already pretty much trimmed off all of the extra plastic but I just need to give it a once over to make sure I got it all. Once that is complete I plan to strap and connect everythning together and call the arms done! Well I guess I'll still need the hand guards but that will get done as well. Now this leads me to first question. I have been looking around at stores for the snaps and plier I need and I think I found them at Joann. Is this plier I need for the snaps?

 

 

I also found a package of snaps that was labeled size 24 and contained 5/8 inch snaps, are these the ones that I need? Thanks for any help!

[Ravenwood[TK]]

That is the snap pliers I used for mine worked great. I found my snaps at Menards for a great price.

[Echo[TK]]

I bought these too. They work well, though I found I had a few snaps that wouldn't bind together well. But it was totally operator error.

 

I also bought the setting set that gives you a round base and a metal tool that you use a hammer to fit them together. I personally prefer the hammer tool to the pliers and used that for almost all of my snaps..

[spectrumofpain[TK]]

Thanks for the responses! I'll probably go this weekend to pick up that plier and the snaps then. Now I do have a question about using the snaps. I have seen people make snaps using a combination of ABS plastic and nylon and also have seen some using nylon only like in this tutorial http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/tutorials/article/16-howto-nylon-snap-plates-w-tandy-line-24-snaps/

 

Can I use either method to make the snaps? Or is there a particular method used for specific applications. I have seen snaps plates made with ABS/nylon for strapping the shoulder bells/biceps/forearms, could you use the nylon snaps like in the tutorial shown above instead? Can the nylon be glued directly to the armor using the E6000?

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

There are a few different ways to attach the snaps here you can glue the nylon directly to the ABS. You should use elastic between your arms and thighs as it will alllow a little movement

[Ravenwood[TK]]

I used the nylon webbing for my snap plates and they worked just fine glued with E6000.

here is my strapping.

 

 

[spectrumofpain[TK]]

Ok I think I understand now. I can use either plastic or nylon to attach the male part of the snaps and then attach the female part of the snap to the elastic and then use the elastic to connect all of the parts together. Thanks for the advice and the pics!

[Clamps[TK]]

I used nylon snap plates exclusively with E6000. So far they are holding great after 7 months and 11+ troops.

[Kessel Run[TK]]

just remember E6000 and metal generate heat, so carfull how you clamp.

[spectrumofpain[TK]]

just remember E6000 and metal generate heat, so carfull how you clamp.

 

Should I tape the metal over first then before I glue it? Would that help? Or just be sure to use enough E6000 to glue the nylon to the armor?

[Ravenwood[TK]]

I glued my nylon snap plates directly to the armor using E6000 with out any problems

[Clamps[TK]]

I added a small piece of tape as precaution on the snap metal and only placed magnets and clamps to hold the edges down as e6000 cured ...applied no direct pressure on the snap itself.

[spectrumofpain[TK]]

Ok, I finished gluing the nylon snaps to the arm pieces and connected everything with elastic. I think I have the lengths down but I may need to refine it later once I get the shoulder bells firmly attached. I'll post up a pic soon. The last thing I need to do is put the elastic in the bell, the one that wraps around the biceps. Do you just glue the elastic in place with E6000 or is there something else I am not thinking about? The next thing to work on this week will be the thighs.

[spectrumofpain[TK]]

Here are my arms pieces pretty much done execept for the elastic around the biceps.

 

 

Once I put the elastic on there I think the bells won't be as loose and once the bells are attached firnly I think they will look fine. I plan on connecting the bells via an elastic snap to the piece of nylon that connects the chest and back plate.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Don't want to pick but your cover strips are not that nice, the one on the right biceps seems really narrow. Usually the cover strips go up to the ridge edge also. Think you should check the sizing of them and also get the to go right to the edges

[Echo[TK]]

You can trim away all of the return edge of the forearms where it meets your wrist. It will be more comfortable and screen accurate. Also, the ends of your cover strips could be chamfered a little more.

[spectrumofpain[TK]]

Yeah the biceps were my first pieces so I was trying to get the technique down on cutting the cover stips, I think I am better at doing them now, haha. I'll probably go back and fix those at a later time. Some of the cover stips I did make a little long but with the intention of going back later and fixing them up, cutting off the execess and curving the corners. Thanks for the advice on the forearms, was not sure how much return edge to leave so I left it on just in case.

[spectrumofpain[TK]]

So I have trimmed and sized my thighs, using 20 mm cover strips so I left 10 mm on each half. I finished the right thigh and its fits fine but when I sized up the left thigh it fits really tight and snug and kinda points inward toward my right leg. Has anyone else had this problem? I'm glueing the inner front strips now, as soon as they are done I'll test fit them again and post a picture.

[spectrumofpain[TK]]

The thighs are done, false alarm on the fitting, they fit fine after all. Still finishing the shins the right now but I am done trimming the torso components. Tested fitted them today to see how it all will fit together and see which parts I will have to trim further.

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see there are a lot of things wrong right now, haha. The kidney and AB plate overlap so I will have to trim some away on the kidney. The butt plate saggs also but hopefully after I add all of the strapping it will fit more snug. I probably need to pick up the thighs a little more (glueing the snap plates to them now, they were taped to the garter in the picture). Does the chest fit too low on the AB plate? Hopefully after strapping it all up it will sit a little higher. Also, for joining the kidney and AB plate, I see some people use three snap plates on one side and two snap plates on the other side. Why is that and is there a particular reason it is done that way? Sorry if that is a silly question but I have read a lot of build threads of people doing that and there is never a reason given. Thanks for any help!