Fuumantroop's AM armor build

[fuumantroop[TK]]

Looking forward to it Ted! Appears that a lot if the AM build threads have slowed down quite a bit.

 

Right now, I have the side panel ab buttons being glued on, installing my bicep hooks i made, and hand guards should be ready tomorrow. I would go ahead and start installing my cover strips, but most of my clamps are being used to glue the elastic inside my handguards. Should have taken a picture of them LOL. Will be cutting out my cover strips tonight and sanding them down. Should be able to at least tackle one forearm tonight. We will see.

 

Most likely submission pics won't happen until mid week at the latest, but no big deal. My ab button plate should be here by then, and my cover strips should be good to go as well.

 

Updated with pics

Edited October 5, 2014 by fuumantroop

[fuumantroop[TK]]

Got one cover strip being installed right now. With the way the AM kits are now, it seems almost impossible to have it sit flush on the forearms due to the curves. Is that going to affect basic approval, EIB, or Centurion? Its not a gigantic gap, light does not pass through it either

[DarthDadio[TK]]

Question about EIB and Centurion with a AM build.  What are you doing about the check and back plates.  Did something change or am I missing something. The CRL says they must be replaced?

[fuumantroop[TK]]

Chest and back will be replaced in about a month or so. I just figured I can build the rest of the armor to where all I have to do for Centurion status is replace the chest and back, armor wise that is besides latex handguards. I'm debating whether or not to buy a pipe build E-11 KIT, or just save for a DLT 19

 

For EIB the AM chest and back are fine, not for Centurion though

Edited October 7, 2014 by fuumantroop

[fuumantroop[TK]]

Alright more updates

 

I have both biceps getting cover strips glued with some trusty E6k.

 

The side panel ab buttons are glued to the ab

 

Elastic glued to the inside of my handplates, may end up redoing them as they fit pretty tightly. But they don't shift at all when wearing them. Perhaps i will just try to stretch them out a hair.

 

I decided to go after both biceps tonight. Using E6k is awesome, yes there is a waiting period, but if I were ever to outgrow my armor or even lose weight, it will be pretty easy to take the armor apart and resize everything.

 

One more thing, the AM armor comes with 2 ammo belts, one with recessed rivet covers, one without. I just want to be sure of this before I cut these buttons up, are these supposed to be the rivet covers on the belt that has NO recessed spots?

 

 

Want to make an edit notation here. After getting excited that the build is almost completed, I naively glued a 20 mm cover strip on my forearm. Deleted the picture in complete and utter shame of myself. Ive since then removed the strip, and will be gluing a correctly sized 15 mm strip. Lesson learned here, don't let that light at the end of the tunnel make you ignorant! And thank you E6k!!!!!

Edited October 6, 2014 by fuumantroop

[Sly11[Admin]]

If I can just offer a piece of advice , paint your ab buttons first then glue the plates on later. Trust me , it's a lot easier to paint and turn the small parts then it is once you have glued them on.

 

 

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[fuumantroop[TK]]

Thanks Andrew. Will do. Not much i can do about that side panel, but will definitely do that for the center buttons.

[fuumantroop[TK]]

Edit: found my answer through digging into build threads. Thanks DarkCMF for your detail on installing the snaps onto the canvas of the belt

Edited October 6, 2014 by fuumantroop

[Zarlon[TK]]

I'm finally caught up on your build thread. Everything is looking good and it won't be long until your official!

[fuumantroop[TK]]

Thanks Kyle! Will be posting a small update soon. Also found a local source for blower fans! Going to pick some up tomorrow after noon hopefully.

[fuumantroop[TK]]

Updates!

 

Here are my newly completed biceps.

 

Coverstrips being set on my right forearm

 

Thigh cover strips being glued. I used a bunch of 2" painters tape to hold these down. There isn't a whole lot of curvature going on here, unlike the forearms, so i decided to glue them on using more E6k.

 

And have my snap installed on the top right if my abdomen armor

 

Also, not pictured here, i made new shorter straps for my ab/kidney connection on the right side. I had about a 1/2" gap with my old ones, these shorter ones should take care of that.

 

Also not pictured, i trimmed a little more off the butt plates return edge on the piece that connects to my cod strap. Without doing this, my butt flap stuck out too much for my liking, so by using a heat gun on the low setting, I heated up about halfway down the butt plate all the way down the flap to heat up the entire area so I could try to bend the piece while retaining the same curve(only slightly more curved). Really wish i could have gotten a before and after picture, but i simply cannot snap a picture of my own butt...plate very easily! Emporer Wifey has grown tired of my armor build and how long it has taken. So hoping to complete this before Order 66 1/3 is executed on me. Luckily I am treating the family to Oktoberfest at the Renaissance Festival this weekend! She has assured my safety for the price of one t shirt and a turkey leg, minimum.

[fuumantroop[TK]]

And for the record, on the topic of my bicep straps, I did not follow the HOWTO. I simply gathered two strips of scrap ABS, heated them up with the heat gun, and bent them until I got the shape I desired. Still have yet to test them out, perhaps later tonight.

[fuumantroop[TK]]

Heres my attempt to get the cover strip flat on my left forearm. Hoping beyond hope this works!

 

Edited October 7, 2014 by fuumantroop

[Starfox2010]

I think mine is going to be an oval shape.  The only way I got it to be flat is how Rystan explained it, cuting one side into a curve.  Im going to let it sit until tomorrow night and cross my fingers.

 

Did you glue the nylon webbing on the drop boxes or did you install them with a rivet?

[fuumantroop[TK]]

I riveted them. Both on the back of the box and on the canvas. If this doesn't work, I will try to reglue my inner shim, sand iff the e6k, and reinstall it. Why is it ALWAYS the left side! First the helmet, now the forearm lol

[fuumantroop[TK]]

And i used elastic, not webbing for the drop box

[Sly11[Admin]]

Nice clean looking build so far, and elastic on the drop boxes is a good choice as sometimes they can get caught on your thighs and that little bit a stretch makes a difference.

 

 

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[fuumantroop[TK]]

Nice clean looking build so far, and elastic on the drop boxes is a good choice as sometimes they can get caught on your thighs and that little bit a stretch makes a difference.

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Thanks Andrew! I'm hoping it stays that way. There are some smudges of left over tape here and there, but will be addressing those before I submit my hopeful approval pictures. My new center an button plate should be here tomorrow or the next day, in the mean time, I still have to attach my ammo belt to my an plate. Hoping to get that done at some point tomorrow. If it all does work out right, I should be able to submit my pictures. I have yet to trim down my other ammo belt(the one without recessed rivet hiders), but will get to that before submitting my EIB application. I don't think I have missed anything even up to Centurion standards, besides the obvious chest and back plate replacement, latex handguards, and replacing my Hasbro.

 

I do have my TD completed, just need to add some Velcro to the back to help keep it steady.

 

 

I truly hope my build helps those that need the help down the line, and people can learn to avoid the mistakes I have made during this build. I have not revolutionized anything whatsoever here like some have before me, but I do believe this can at the very least offer some guidance

Edited October 8, 2014 by fuumantroop

[fuumantroop[TK]]

So the great tape experiment with the left forearm did not work. It resulted in an oval shaped wrist opening that simply looked terrible. So i went on to removing the coverstrip and the inner shim, and following Rystan's build, i found the edges that prevented a flatter gluing surface, trimmed those areas, and got it to sit a lot more...user friendly. This seems to be an issue with the left forearm on the new AM kit, and i only conclude that from now 3 builders running into the same issue. I apologize, but i did not get any pictures of this fix. I did reglue the inner shim, and after an hour, went on to glue the cover strip on both sides of the forearm(after cleaning up the previously dried E6k of course!)

 

Here is my completed TD. From what I have read and researched, the total length from end cap to end cap should be between 7.25" and 7.50". So, here it is

[Sly11[Admin]]

Nice work on your thermal det.

If I can make one suggestion. For centurion level you may need to square up the corners of your belt clips a little.

If unsure , just ask Gazmosis as he is the one that most probably will review your EIB and Cent apps.

 

 

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[fuumantroop[TK]]

Will do! Just gotta bring them to work and grind them a bit on our bench grinder

[fuumantroop[TK]]

Ok, need advise. How does this look?

 

Has not been glued yet, just trimmed and sitting on top for the time befor paint

[fuumantroop[TK]]

Heres my first coat of testors paint. A little rough right now, but I will be using paint thinner to clean it up tomorrow, just like I did with my helmet.

 

 

 

Also painted my side rivets

[fuumantroop[TK]]

 

Flattened out the clips, how does that look?

[Starfox2010]

I doubt there should be a problem with that.