Ukswrath's ANOVOS TK build (stunt)

[ukswrath[Staff]]

I have a question about the biceps. Is the outer part of the armor with the longer lip supposed to meet the inside piece evenly? Or is it supposed to have a drop off before it meets the inner piece?

 

Best practice is to align the upper edges of the two halves. During the fitment and trimming this may not always be the case, just get it close. 

[WEllis52421[501st]]

Tony, for the forearms, do the strips have to be exactly opposite each other or it is ok if they are a bit towards the outside ridged edge? Based on how I had to trim it to fit my arm, the right one is a bit off. Hoping I haven't ruined it. The butt joint isn't totally flat.

 

 

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[ukswrath[Staff]]

Tony, here is the right forearm pic.

 

 

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, yes your life will be much easier with that flat section. If you still have it I'd suggest gluing it back on using a piece of flat scrap or other to secure it from the inside. At the angle the two halves come together it will be very difficult if not impossible to connect the two forearm halves using the cover strip provided. This is not a deal breaker, you'll just have to get a little creative.

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Hi ukswrath, thanks for doing this, it is invaluable!

 

Is the measuring of the circumference of the left forearm (top, middle, bottom) piece done just to make sure the right forearm piece ends up with the same circumference?

Yes.

For the record it's not required for the forearms to be exactly the same size being the movie armor had many imperfections itself, I just like mine to look as uniform a possible, hence the reason for this particular procedure

[ukswrath[Staff]]

3c. Shin Pre-assembly

 

NOTE. Your shins may be mis-labeled by Anovos. The shins come labeled in pairs 24/25, 27/28. A good majority of customers are stating they should be 24/27 and 25/28. Regardless of the numbering system when assembled they should resemble the following image. Note the long swooping outer edge verses the shorter inner. These should resemble the anatomy of your legs. Double check before final assembly.

 

 

After initial trimming perform a fitment check by installing the shin armor around your legs. As you install the shins you should notice the flat edge on the front. This is where the 20mm cover strip will reside. This flat area once trimmed correctly should be approximately 20mm in width. If your legs are within the intended body type of the armor you should be able to overlap the front achieving the desired 20mm width. The rear sections should be touching each other or overlapping each other.

 

If you have a pretty significant gap in the back you can start by loosening up the front (taped section) allowing the armor to come around the back to close up the gap however, the goal here is not to have too much armor in the front. Beyond 30mm cover strip mounting surface (butt connection) in the front would be considered too excessive in which those of us who approve armor will most likely tell you to add shims to the back. With that said, we'll cross that bridge if we need to.

 

Front final trimming for cover strip. Starting with one section, find the return edge then measure and mark out 10mm as seen below. 

Before

 

After

 

Now trim the excess using the score and snap technique mentioned earlier.

 

Repeat the process with all the shin sections

 

In some areas it may be difficult to identify the return edge, this is where a straight edge comes in handy.

 

After scoring.

 

After the excess has been removed perform a joint check with the inner and outer halves to ensure the area is relatively straight and ready for the cover strip.

 

Continue with the remainder of sections. 

 

Hopefully this illustration will help clarify things. Red lines indicate return edge locations. The blue rectangle represents the 20mm cover strip. 

 

Shins, rear (Calves) - The rear section of the shin/calves are NOT glued together with a cover strip like the fronts, instead a cover strip which is 25mm wide will be attached to the outer shin section. This will overlap the inner and when completed the two halves will be held together with straps and hooks or velcro, depending which you connecting method you choose to use. This will be be described in detail a bit later later. 

 

Temporarily assemble the shins as illustrated in the fist photo at the top of the page (disregard the label numbering system). Using tape (shown above) perform another fitment check. Ensure you'll have enough room to assemble the calves correctly. The fitment check will also confirm if you have an excess of material on one or both sides that will need t be removed. Once you've confirmed you're good to proceed divide excess (if any) between the two halves and remove. If you have no excess proceed to the assembly section.

 

   

 

Measuring the overlap. 

 

Important note: The upper return edge is within 10mm of equal width between inner and outer sections. This will NOT always be in your case.

 

Continuing on... divide the overlap measurement between the inner and outer sections.

 

NOTE: My calves are pretty wide and I have thinner ankles which means the upper measurement was 0 and the lower was 20mm. When trimming the I'll start at the bottom (10mm) and then taper off as I reach the top of the calf. This will give the armor the same taper as my leg. 

 

 

 

After trimming

 

One side may be wider as seen in the next couple photos.

 

After evenly dividing and trimming the halves.

 

Ready to assemble. 

 

Next up, thighs...

[Kredal[TK]]

Tony, you're making marks on the outside of your armor with Sharpie?  How do you take those lines off after they've served their purpose?

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Tony, you're making marks on the outside of your armor with Sharpie?  How do you take those lines off after they've served their purpose?

 

Hey Josh thanks for bringing that up. The armor comes covered with a protective film of plastic. I have found as long as the coating isn't penetrated you can write on it with pretty much anything.

 

My suggestion to everyone is until you're ready to assemble the armor I'd leave it on, just don't forget to remove it.

 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

7c. Thighs Pre-assembly

 

Start by perform a fitment check. If you have ample room, enough so the butt connections overlap each other then continue on. If not then let someone know so we can assist you on what to do next.

 

Starting with the right outer thigh #20, front section. As with the other sections locate and mark the butt connection return edge. Measure out 10mm then cut off excess.

 

 

 

Right inner #21

 

 

 

Test fit. The armor fit perfect

 

 

Measure the top and bottom

 

 

Left shin

 

Left outer, section #22

 

 

Lift inner, section #23

 

 

Test fit

 

 

Measure top and bottom

 

 

 

After comparing the measurements between left and right thighs the left would have to be trimmed.

 

Measure, mark then trim excess.

 

 

After trimming

 

 

 

Both thighs are now ready to be assembled.

 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

if a shim is needed to widen the armor to fit is it still applicable for lvl3?

If the shim is installed so that there is no seam visible then yes Centurion is applicable however the shim needs to be applied at the back of the armor.

[whostaylor]

Hi tony, i have a quick question. When you show this photo and the left edge looks alot higher than the other, do you cover that with a strip or do we just let that show?

 

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I was just about to type up that same question... Except.. I covered mine with the strip. 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Hi tony, i have a quick question. When you show this photo and the left edge looks alot higher than the other, do you cover that with a strip or do we just let that show?

 

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Here's a nice reference photo. As you can see the offset between the two halves is pretty significant however you have to have a balance, the lower connections can't be too far off either. I'll address this issue in my "Assembly" section coming up but you're more than welcome to check out other RS builds as well.

 

Doesn't the cover strip get glued to the outer half and overlap the inner half of the leg armor? This is where ANOVOS applies Velcro.....but I am curious how you will use bra hooks in this area as mentioned early on

 

 

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Yes, I just wanted to be clear that this is not overlap armor assembly. The calf is still considered a butt and strip section with the exception it is not permanently fixed to both halves of the armor like in other areas.

 

I will address the bra hooks in the "Assembly" section

[ukswrath[Staff]]

BTW here's a reference pic for those who may be interested in going the the calf hook direction. Later on I'll also illustrated the velcro method. 

 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

On 2/2/2016 at 6:19 PM, CommanderZel said:

He's marking the armor with sharpie because there's a layer of clear plastic covering the armor. Peel it up and the sharpie goes with it.

 

Exactly 

 

DO NOT mark directly your armor with a sharpie or any other permanent marker unless you know it has the protective layer over it, you plan on removing the marked section when finished or the marked section will be under the cover strip. 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

So,I have a question about the ab button plates... Are they supposed to have a return edge? With it I can't fit the lager plate to the ab section. I was just looking at an AP build and those plates were flat, or flush... Which way is correct?

 

No return edges

[ukswrath[Staff]]

4c. Ab Button Pre assembly

 

All return edges have been removed and the edges are following the ab mounting area lines. The buttons will be painted before gluing to ab, but that will be done as one of the last steps in the armor assembly.

 

Before...

 

 

After...

 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

What's the best way to cut these? It looks like the easiest way is to use the return as a guide for the blade and cut from behind but I am worried this may make the plate a touch too small.

 

You can mark and follow the top of the return edge with a straight edge and knife. I would use sand paper and a flat surface to perform the final touchup.

 

Tony, the return edge on the front of #23(left inner thigh) seems to curve off to the left in the picture below. I have marked the 10mm edge from the return with tape. If I just use the straightedge, it doesn't go with the curve and removes almost all of the raised area in the middle. You can Barry make out the pencil line. Did you experience that curve on yours? I didn't have that issue with #21(right inner thigh).

 

 

 

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Good question, I may need to go back and touch up my post on the thighs but I believe in a previous post I mentioned NOT following a curved return edge instead find the lowest point of that edge then use the trim line as a guide. Obviously sections will not butt up against each other if curved. I believe I also posted a reference picture to illustrate what I'm talking about. 

 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Are the ABS joining strips not included?

 

Yes, but asking novice builders to flex them (sideways) then glue them with E6000 maybe asking a bit much  . For accuracy sake it's a great idea.  Maybe you can post a "How To" tutorial link for those adventurous few who may want to try this. What Paul is referring to is the front butt and strip connection (seam) on the screen used armor had a curve to it, as you may notice, if not here ya go.

 

  

 

Paul is suggesting a alternative, more accurate approach to the build. Instead of running the cover strip vertically, as I've illustrated, you curve it to follow the contour of the seam. This takes a bit of finesse however, if you want it to look exactly like the movie armor then have at it. Either way is acceptable at all levels of approval.

 

Thanks for the info Paul   

[ukswrath[Staff]]

It is very simple to do for any level of builder. Here is my method.

 

Mark both ends of the joining strip in the middle (10mm or half of whatever size strip you are using) and offer it up to the joint (I never measure the armour to be cut). Use bulldog clips to hold it in place on one half of the armour and mark the middle of the joining strip. Take the strip off and offer the strip end half way down the armour part and again, mark the middle. You now have three marks and they may not all measure the same from the edge of the flat section on the armour but that is not important. Simply clip the joining strip to the marks and draw a trim line. Cut with heavy duty scissors (I never score and snap). Use the same method on the other half of the armour to be joined together.

 

The next thing I do is glue both joining strips onto one half of the armour and leave to set. Use bulldog clips or magnets - whatever you have. Once set, you can offer the other half of the armour and glue it together. I usually only glue one joint and wait until it fully cures before I glue the other side closed.

 

I can take photos soon as I have just started a build myself

 

Thanks for the "HOW TO". You heard it from the master folks. Here's another option for assembly. 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

I have skinny arms. I know the armor needs to fit right. Is it possible to cut off too much? I'm refering to the biceps and forearms. May not be an easy answer but I can't find an anwer here on the forums. thanks

 

You can only cut off so much, that's why there's internal foam padding. Do what you can but retain the correct shape, afterwards add foam as needed.

[ukswrath[Staff]]

On 2/3/2016 at 8:43 PM, NorthernGator said:

Any thoughts for inner cover strips? I don't believe the Anovos kit provides the ABS for this. Are the inner strips helpful? Is it a problem to obtain a sheet of ABS to install inner cover strips?

 

Mentioned earlier, though I'm a fan of inner strips because of the cleaner look it give the interior of the armor, in this build I will NOT be using them mainly because ANOVOS does not supply enough material to do it, as well as I'm attempting to build as accurately as possible.

[kman[TK]]

I had a question about the biceps. They don't seem to line up correctly. Is this ok?

You might want to check the real screen-used armor shot Tony posted in this post, earlier:

 

http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/35086-ukswraths-anovos-tk-build/page-13#entry462833

 

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Do you measure the bottom fitting with your boots on? How much extra space would you recommend for them to fit comfortably over boots and still have clean lines and comfort?

 

Thanks,

 

Don

 

You can but if your boots are properly sized and you give yourself the 1/2" gap I spoke of earlier you should be fine.

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Tony -thanks for the thread and the expert tutorial

I've been out of the loop for a while, but my anovos kit arrived safely and I'm excited to be going Centurion with it.

I do have a question about the shoulder straps

I was looking at them and wanna know if there is a front or back and a right and left

 

If you look at them , they aren't exactly the same

 

 

 

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As Josh said left and right no, front and back yes. One side of the cover has a thicker pad at the edge, this goes towards the front.

 

Thanks for helping out Josh

 

 

Also, sorry for the delay folks, knee deep in the build, glue everywhere, I really need to ventilate my Garage   

[ukswrath[Staff]]

On 2/5/2016 at 12:03 PM, BDWC said:

Tony, yes, I am unclear on this gap issue as well. The can was 1" more in circumference which allows for only abour 5/16" more in diameter. So, I guess my question is what is too big/loose? I would like to allow the full half inch clearance in the gaps on my arms and maybe more like three- quarters inch clearance in the thighs just for comfort and to avoid " armor bites" when trooping. Any tips on these ideas?

 

 

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Point being, don't make the distance (clearance) between you and your armor too tight, you'll be miserable. Give yourself some clearance, 1/2" around your body is a good rule.

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Assembly!

 

Some information regarding assembly cover strips. ANOVOS was kind enough to provide us with a cover strip length chart. The lengths are illustrated with a letter in the chart (A-F) however, confusingly the package they come in are numbered like each piece of armor.  Grab your ruler and measure accordingly. You have about a 1" margin of error per cover strip. Measure twice, cut once.

 

 

 

1c. Forearms (front)

 

In this section I'll be assembling the forearms starting with the front side first. The front side the is side most seen, easiest to assemble and is harder to cover up errors.

 

You can start with either forearm, I'll be starting with the right.

 

 

 

Though I normally state align the upper edge first, due to the asymmetrical design of the armor upper alignment (elbow side) it's ok for it to look offset. The lower (wrist side) return edge will be removed for Centurion approval. It's easier to accomplish this when the lower edges are aligned.

 

 

 

Measure the butt connection area. In my case it's about 9-7/8" in length.

 

NOTE: Do NOT go by my measurements. Your measurements may differ. Double check. This goes for the entire armor.   

 

 

 

Measure the cover strip to cut.

 

 

 

Left forearm. Around 10"

 

 

 

Once the front cover strips have been cut I always cut the corners off at the end as seen in some of the movie armor. It's not mandatory but looks more accurate.

 

 

Movie armor

 

 

 

Installing cover strips.

 

Have necessary items ready to assemble. Glue, clamps, magnets, painters tape (not shown). Painters tape is good to have when your having difficulty keeping the two sides together during the assembly process. With E6000 pieces will want to slide all over the place, the tape helps hold it in place if needed. Tear off three to four 4" section and have ready just in case.

 

 

 

There's two different ways you can assemble the cover strip, one side at a time or both sides at the same time. The difference? Some find it easier to apply 1/2 of the cover strip to one side of the armor and let dry then assembly the other half later. The other is to assembly both sides at the same time (dramatically cutting assembly time). Not all armor can be assembled using the later technique, this armor can be, with the exception of one of the rear thighs which I'll discuss later. 

 

Apply glue to both butt connection surfaces (right arm)

 

 

 

Start by using one had to hold the two sides together. This take a little practice. Don't worry, if something goes wrong, clean off the glue and start over.

 

Note: If you still have the protective layer on the cover strip it's ok, just make sure it's facing away from the armor.

 

Add the cover strip to the two sides. Install a clamp at one end. Then install the other clamp at the other end. Install the magnet in between the two clamps. If you need to use the painters tape to bring together and help hold the sides together.

 

 

 

Afterwards check the inside alignment

 

 

 

Left forearm

 

 

 

Let dry. Drying time is dependent upon ambient temps. The warmer it is the quicker it will dry. I have found average dry times (being able to safely work with the armor) is around 24hrs in 60+ degree weather.

 

to be cont...