Fry's ATA build

[Fry]

Well I have been reading up on this forum a lot recently and took the plunge to order in an ATA TK kit.

 

Its currently an 11 month wait on the armour But helmets were ready to go. Seeing as the shipping costs to Australia for a helmet by itself then armour once available was almost the same as the whole thing I decided to grab the helmet kit so at least I had something to keep me occupied for the next 11 months.... lets hope I can nail the helmet before then hey! If I manage that I also have ordered a DoopyDoos E-11 kit. So have a few things to keep me busy.

 

Anyway the Not As Big As I Would Have Liked Box arrived just before the weekend. I was busy this weekend so sat it aside until today.

 

Masked it up and spray painted the inside black.

 

Nothing exciting really, but was exciting to me just start on the thing!

[welshchris77[TK]]

Great start!, what paint are you using, automotive?

[illusionz_09[TK]]

Have fun! The helmet is the best part...

[Scotty33[TK]]

Good work! I have ATA as well and am very happy with it. Use the wait time to save and gather together your soft parts. Where in Australia are you?

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Off to a good start, ATA is a long wait but well worth it in the end, plenty of time to do some research and other builds

[Barcoder[TK]]

Very exciting indeed!!! Have fun & enjoy the journey.

[Fry]

Thanks for all the replies

 

Great start!, what paint are you using, automotive?

 

Not automotive, I just asked the guy at the hardware store for a flat black paint to use on plastic.

 

Good work! I have ATA as well and am very happy with it. Use the wait time to save and gather together your soft parts. Where in Australia are you?

 

I am in Perth. Definately will use the wait time to gather everything. Will try and source as much from in Australia as possible. Shipping from overseas is a killer, basically doubles the price of anything

 

So on to todays effort. My two boys are as excited putting this together as me I think. The youngest (3yo) is getting angry as "he wants to build it" and will run off with the helmet at any chance he gets.

 

 

Trimmed the sides first, then started on the eyes. Scary cutting the eyes out! I scored the plastic a few times with a knife then cut through. My first eye was not so great as you can see from the picture, but the 2nd eye I think was better. Thats the left one with the ATA logo peeking through (I had masked that before painting the inside). So improving my skills already...

 

Got out the rotary tool and sanded down the teeth from the inside. Cut the brow trim to size. Then I could not help myself and had to tape it up and try it on.

My boys are going to go mad in the morning when I show them

 

Tomorrow I will just start to tidy up the eyes and teeth. I am guessing the eyes need to get sanded down until there is no more 90degree edge to them?

[jnnfr72[TK]]

Nice job so far Brad!

Congrats on your ATA... sorry 'bout the wait. 

I saw this, and thought you might get some use from it. 

There's lots of info.. just have to dig - which sometimes takes hours!

 

http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/14806-how-to-assembling-ata-abs-helmet-1/

 

Cheers!

[Scotty33[TK]]

If you're in Perth, make sure you check in with gmrhodes, he can probably supply you a lot of the parts you will need.

[Fry]

Thanks for the replies again

 

Yes I am reading through heaps of build threads and how - to's. Progress has been a little slow the last few days. Wife is working over the weekend, but I've got the last week of school holidays off work so I am home with both boys. So I am doing more research and getting together my shopping list. The youngest goes to Daycare on Monday so I am going on a shopping mission tomorrow.  But I have cleaned up the eyes and teeth, and cut the ears out ready to start sanding them down to shape.

 

A couple of things worth mentioning... while wife is working I've got heaps of jobs to do around the house...

 

 

Yes my Doopys arrived. Have been reading up all the build threads on it also, not really sure what I was going to do with it. Pretty sure I will order T-Jays finishing kit for it. But focusing on finishing the bucket first.

 

My eldest couldn't help himself and had to pew pew some lasers.

 

 

Now while getting my shopping list together I was going to grab some foam for lining the helmet. But remembered I had an old motorbike helmet that I had a crash with while wearing. Was a decent crash, I broke my collarbone and the helmet had a decent whack. So it really should have got destroyed, but I held onto it just incase. I think I will cut out the chin strap and use that on the bucket. But I can also use the lining from it.

 

 

Just need to remove the plastic shield part that sticks out at the front. The white plastic clips at the back should be easy to remove, then I will attach some velcro on that back plastic part. Also on the top it has a black fabric mesh. Removing that will not affect its structure and will allow me to put a bit of velcro straight onto the foam part at the top. Also I think it could be used as the mesh covering for the teeth. There should be no reason why you can't use a fabric mesh for that?

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Fabric mesh should work fine for behind the teeth, I've been using fly wire mesh, very similar.

[Fry]

OK time for a little SOS. Not a huge problem (hopefully) and I probably know how to fix... but just wanted to check with the pros

 

Have tackled my first ear. Got it fairly close to how I wanted it. Just a bit of a gap in the front but it was pretty good. For the final adjustments I had drilled all the holes, and kept lining the ear up on the helmet with the screws inside.

Now im assuming it was how I was applying pressure on the helmet or something but once I put the screws on and tightened them up I get a larger gap in the front and a bit of a gap in the back.

 

So first question. When doing the ears do you just lightly place them on the helmet when testing? Rather than applying some kind of pressure? I was basically pressing in where the screws would be tightening from the inside.

 

Second question. How to fix it?  Im guessing I need to take the whole top disk region down about 1mm or so and maybe a little from right off the bottom...

 

Last question. If I do that fix, it should still be large enough? How small is too small for the ears?

 

Anyways here are the pics.

 

 

[welshchris77[TK]]

Im no expert but one way to 'scribe' the ears in would be to measure the gap at ist widest point, then take a pencil and sand one side of the pencil until the the distance from the sanded side to the 'lead point' of the pencil is the same as your gap, the lay the sanded side of the pencil against your lid with your pencil tip against the ear and, keeping the pencil pushed tight again the lid, draw a line all the way around the ear, this is your 'scribe line', then, theoretically, if you take the ear off and sand to this line it should fit back on perfect minus the gap.

It will make the ear a bit more 'shallow' though.

Don't try this unless your confident in doing it.

Its easier to show than explain to be honest.

I take no responsibility if you get it wrong!

 

I have used this technique, on a larger scale' to 'scribe' kitchen end gables and plywood/mdf boards to uneven walls etc. but the gap is a lot bigger, I would cut a small piece of wood to the size of the gap and push it along the wall next to the gable (sheet material) I'm going to cut with the pencil held again the wood block.

Same principal.

 

Someone else could probably explain this better than myself! 

[welshchris77[TK]]

By the way, i can see why you might think moving the ear down would solve the problem but this could cause 'new' problems, the ear could end up too low and also cause the bottom part of the ear to pull away from the lid.

[Airborne Trooper[501st]]

Taking off a little off the back will close up some of the gap in the front. Shave a little off right where the disc and the curve starts. 

[Fry]

Thanks. I kind of get what you are saying with the pencil. Not confident so will just continue to slowly sand it down and test, this time with tightening bolts just to be sure. Might take a while longer screwing and unscrewing nuts, but hey I have a 10 month wait still on armour... there is no rush <br><br>

I think I worded the 2nd question wrongly. Did not mean to actually move it down, but to sand it down.

[Airborne Trooper[501st]]

Your picture links broke. ATA is very nice armor but there are some other great vendors that make a quality kit and a fraction or zero wait time. Not trying to push you either way, just letting you know. Best of luck. 

[welshchris77[TK]]

Thanks. I kind of get what you are saying with the pencil. Not confident so will just continue to slowly sand it down and test, this time with tightening bolts just to be sure. Might take a while longer screwing and unscrewing nuts, but hey I have a 10 month wait still on armour... there is no rush <br><br>

I think I worded the 2nd question wrongly. Did not mean to actually move it down, but to sand it down.

You could still lightly mark off the area your going to sand with a pencil, even if you don't sand to that line just as a general guide to how much is coming off.

Just take your time, remember you can take away but not put material back.

Did I mention take your time!!!! lol 

Edited January 29, 2016 by welshchris77

[Fry]

Your picture links broke. ATA is very nice armor but there are some other great vendors that make a quality kit and a fraction or zero wait time. Not trying to push you either way, just letting you know. Best of luck.

 

Not sure why pics are not working. Uploaded them on photobucket. Not at home this weekend so will have to wait a few days to fix it.

 

I had checked some other armour vendors, price for ATA was a big factor. Im not going to be able to buy armour, boots, undersuit, blaster ect all at once. Australian dollar is not as good vs US as it was a couple of years ago and shipping costs here kinda suck too. So basically spreading the costs of everything over a year by buying things here and there while I wait is best for me. Got the helmet and doopys to keep me occupied for a while anyway

[Airborne Trooper[501st]]

Understand not being able to buy it all at once. I took my time too. Keep an eye on your garrison forums because armor may come up for sale and can save you some big $ too.