BDWC's ANH stunt ANOVOS build WIP

[BDWC[TK]]

Tony, looks like I understand your combination now, and the sharper slope is on the inside part on both shins ( I had them paired up )

 

Not sure what you mean about the thr upper left return edge sitting lower, as I planned to match the upper return edges and trim at the ankles

 

 

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[ukswrath[Staff]]

Tony, looks like I understand your combination now, and the sharper slope is on the inside part on both shins ( I had them paired up )

 

Not sure what you mean about the thr upper left return edge sitting lower, as I planned to match the upper return edges and trim at the ankles

 

 

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Where my fingers are located holding the shin. Looking at it from this point of view the right return edge is lower then the left.

[BDWC[TK]]

Worked on the hand guards, sculpting a curve into the plates. And since these are going to be eventually replaced, I tried forming them with a heat gun. I was super careful and they came out gret. Once the plate was heated, I pressed it onto the back of my well gloved hand to shape then ran under cool water to set it.

I still don't know if I would have tried this on more critical plates, but I wanted to give it a go in case my shins need adjustment and I'm not successful with the hot bath method. There is definitely more art involved in the heat gun method and things can go south quickly if you overdo it.

 

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[BDWC[TK]]

Okay, hard to find time to work on my kit right now, but trying to wrap-up some details at least.

so I thought it'd be an easy task to slap on the thigh ammo pack....WRONG!

My understanding is that is is supposed to have the pack ends evenly spaced on the lower thigh ridge, but this offsets the packs from the center of the coverstrip.

So off to reference pics I go......but most screen caps focus on the helmet, upper armor placement and TD shots.

The only one with any clarity and close-up enough to be of any value was this:

http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/gallery/image/137-screenshot72343/

 

So maybe it looks slightly shifted to the inside (left)??

Also I checked the CRL and the only requirements listed are for the pack being on the lower ridge, having rivets, and being painted

 

UGH...

Evenly spaced ends of centered pack? 

Flush with top of lower ridge or mounting holes centered vertically on ridge?

 

Still TO-DO:

- commit to a shin combination

- finish sizing shins and glue-up

- Cut apart lenses for new mounting nuts installed in helmet

- knock out ANOVOS strapping just for basic approval

 

Then:   start trooping and upgrade straps, shims,& helmet electronics along the way

[BDWC[TK]]

Still haven't found much time to get back on track with this build, but did some velcro install and fit checks today

 

Now I truly see the advantage of snap, especially for shoulder connections

 

Still going to use velcro for the first round though just to figure put locations ( not much flexibility on snap location outside of "rip off and re-glue")

 

Question:

How much does the shoulder overlap the bicep? And should the lower return on the shoulder bell be removed?

 

 

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[BDWC[TK]]

Okay finally getting to the dreaded shins,

Here I have 24/27 on the left and 25/26 on the right

Hopefully this is correct

 

 

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[BDWC[TK]]

Tried put on my arm armor after sewing my shoulder and front-to-back straps and snaps, and discovered that my biceps were way tighter than I remember after gluing up just a month ago.

So I tried the hot bath method but there was too much return edge left to keep them from flexing to the rounder form I need. Instead this caused small tears in the return edges and pulled apart one side of the cover strip at each location.

So I went ahead and pulled them apart to trim some more since I just wasn't feeling the ABS dust today

 

 

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Edited April 19, 2016 by BDWC

[ayen_s[TK]]

Okay finally getting to the dreaded shins,

Here I have 24/27 on the left and 25/26 on the right

Hopefully this is correct

 

 

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Do you mean 24/27 & 25/28?

 

Refer to ukswrath's ANOVOS TK build

3c. Shin Pre-assembly

http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?/topic/35086-ukswrath%27s-ANOVOS-TK-build/page__view__findpost__p__462538

Edited April 20, 2016 by ayen_s

[BDWC[TK]]

Yes, the ukswrath combination

 

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[BDWC[TK]]

Got any tips for making the oval biceps more round?

 

 

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[ukswrath[Staff]]

Got any tips for making the oval biceps more round?

 

 

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Hot water bath 

[BDWC[TK]]

Tony, as I stated above,  I tried the hot water bath...it maybe helped a little, but the return edges restricted any changes.

{Engineering note: Return edges act like the flanges on an I-beam, they give rigidity and resistance to twisting to the flat part it is attached to.}

 

So, I all but removed the edges and they flex enough to basically open up to put on and not be too tight once in position.

With the return edges, they were so rigid that even when softened with the hot water, they would not greatly change  shape and actually tears in the return edges started to occur (that was a major clue that they had to GO)

 

I also removed ALL of the returns from the shoulder bells, because they were 1) too tight and would not stay high enough, even with strapping, and 2) they would "squish" themselves out of place since they were not wide enough to cover the overlap part of my biceps, since my biceps are much bigger than the molded curve of the shoulder bells.

 

I like the look that return edges give to provide the illusion of thicker, heavier armor, but I just need this "thinman armor" to open up a bit.

Besides these are the only parts with this issue (we'll see about the shins) and the rest will provide enough to make up for it.

 

I knew I would be tweeking my armor, but I had hoped I could at least get everything together enough for basic approval before this process began......just another perk of not being average size

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Tony, as I stated above,  I tried the hot water bath...it maybe helped a little, but the return edges restricted any changes.

{Engineering note: Return edges act like the flanges on an I-beam, they give rigidity and resistance to twisting to the flat part it is attached to.}

 

So, I all but removed the edges and they flex enough to basically open up to put on and not be too tight once in position.

With the return edges, they were so rigid that even when softened with the hot water, they would not greatly change  shape and actually tears in the return edges started to occur (that was a major clue that they had to GO)

 

I also removed ALL of the returns from the shoulder bells, because they were 1) too tight and would not stay high enough, even with strapping, and 2) they would "squish" themselves out of place since they were not wide enough to cover the overlap part of my biceps, since my biceps are much bigger than the molded curve of the shoulder bells.

 

I like the look that return edges give to provide the illusion of thicker, heavier armor, but I just need this "thinman armor" to open up a bit.

Besides these are the only parts with this issue (we'll see about the shins) and the rest will provide enough to make up for it.

 

I knew I would be tweeking my armor, but I had hoped I could at least get everything together enough for basic approval before this process began......just another perk of not being average size

 

Excellent! well keep up the good work.

[BDWC[TK]]

added "hans hooks" today

 

that is all

[BDWC[TK]]

Finally had some time on this long weekend to actually commit to my shins. Bit with that killer curve, I only had enough magnet to glue up one at a time

 

 

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[BDWC[TK]]

Shin #2 in work

I can already see that there are s several hot water baths in my near future

 

 

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[BDWC[TK]]

Welcome to hot bath day!

 

The front cover strips went on fairly well, considering the curves on these pieces.

However,I could tell right away that there was some twist issues with the left assembly that would need "coaxing" out and the right assembly had a very large overlap on the back side that needed some relief if the Velcro is to work and the connection not pinch my calf muscle.

 

The wife's roaster was the largest pan we had on hand. so had to make the best of it.

 

 

and after using some "persuasion techniques"....

 

...the end result was pretty good 

 

This worked for both shin sets, and any "non-straightness" of the rear joint was then sanded out for very nice closure (once I get the back strips glued into place)

Edited May 30, 2016 by BDWC

[BDWC[TK]]

Okay, now with the shins mostly sorted out, I thought I'd go ahead with the sniper knee plate install

I first noticed that I needed to do some more trim work, both on the return edge removal edge and smooth out the top also.

I figure touching up some of the edge details now would be much easier than after it was glued into place.

 

When I did my dry fit, I noticed that the right side went past the shin armor corner in the return edge so I looked back on Ukswrath's tutorial section for this.

What I found was that his trim measurement turned up maybe 4 to 5 mm shorter than mine. It also looked like both end sections looked vertical, where my right-hand "too-long" side was angled up and back. After correcting these trim edges, tie sniper plate looked much more in line with the shin armor return edges.

 

Yes it "looked" in line, but the flare angles just didn't match my shins well. I tried some hot bath soaks on the sniper plate to try to adjust the angle, but there is just not enough flexure in the piece to change it much. the hot bath made enough of a difference that I went ahead and glued the center section, and then I will tackle the end sections once the center is anchored into place.

too much movement for magnets, switching to clamps....

 

Can you really have too many clamps?

[jonhaag[501st]]

Can you really have too many clamps?

No such thing as too many clamps!

 

Good to see you making progress on your kit. Looks like it is coming together.

[BDWC[TK]]

Velcro installed, and finally pulled off the "saran wrap"

Ready for basic submittal!!!

 

Remaining TO-DO items:

1) make snap plates and swap out Velcro straps for snaps

2) upgrade to TKittle canvas belt and swap out ammo boxes (EIB reqt.)

3) add latex hand guards (Centurion reqt.)

4) add ab-to-kidney shims (EIB reqt.)

5) add ab and kidney rivets (Centurion reqt.)

6) add felt to inside of shims to protect boots

7) add fans to helmet 

8) add UKswrath Hovi tip mic and speaker kit

 

....plus other foam adds, trimming tweaks and 100 other items I will discover while trooping 

[BDWC[TK]]

Well, I guess I rushed myself too much to try to get my application in....

I had contacted my local garrison officer and I was all set to suit-up and take submittal photos this morning, but....

 

First thing this morning, I noticed that I had forgotten to reinstall the mesh in my near perfect helmet; after trimming eyes, ears, browlines, replacing to screen accurate screws, and repainting the frown and trimming the teeth.

I though "oh, ANOVOS had it originally hot glued in, so I'll just hot glue it back"...WRONG

Two issues, I forgot that my glue gun was a hi-temp hot glue, and secondly, I forgot how thin these ANOVOS helmet are.

So now I have indentations above the center tooth and at each end of the frown.

 

 

When suiting up I noticed that I need to remove some more return edges on the thighs and the shins, especially the left side for some reason (???)

 

I coerced the wifey to help me suit up and to take the pictures. Even though I fought and fought with the biceps, they still fit poorly and tend to pull my shoulder bells down (or maybe I just need larger shoulder bells). Then after all the photos were taken I noticed that my abdomen was sticking out over my chest plate. So all for nothing.

 

In fact I'm thinking about posting this armor set for sale now...I'm just too tired to fix it all now

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Hey Jim, sorry to hear about your situation, all is not lost brother. None of these issues above will hold you back from basic 501st approval, and with very little corrections EIB and Centurion will also be at your grasp. A good majority of us have stories of despair. Don't give up hope, you're almost there.     

[BDWC[TK]]

Well I tried to fix the indentation with metal backing shims, a heat gun and a lot of nerve, but not much change.

At least now I think it looks more like battle damage than a "punch in the nose".

 

I has taken all day to get out of the slump this has put me in, and I don't think I am going to try to mod anything this weekend, just so I have time to process If I am going to continue this journey or not.

If so, I will be setting the bar low.

I had planned to drive forward with upgrades to meet Centurion requirements and to eventually add all the fans and sound electronics.

Right now, I just can't see doing that for a fouled up ugly helmet (I can't put $200-300 into this to replace the helmet at this point)

 

If anyone know if ANOVOS is open to selling spare parts yet (I have not heard any word of this on their social media yet) or if anyone has any links to threads that have resculpted the face around the frown, please let me know.

 

 oh yea, gotta re-"hot bath" the biceps and shoulder bells....again...possible shins too...again

 

Thanks to all my brothers out there pulling for me; I'm gonna need it 

For now, I need to rest and think

[Strength]

Hey, if it were easy then everyone would be in the 501st. The best part of this is seeing the finished product after investing the blood, seat, and tears...figuratively with the blood part.

 

Post pics and ask for guidance. Meet with some members of your garrison for a hand. There is NO WAY this is a lost cause.

 

Take some down time, let everything settle and marinade. Then come back to it.

 

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Edited June 26, 2016 by Strength

[BDWC[TK]]

This side is still a little wonky after trying to fix it

 

Okay after going the extremely dangerous route of trying to salvage this with a hot-glue gun tip, a heat gun, and some metal shims to help shaping, at least it no longer looks like a "nose dimple", but now it's a "smutty nose". However I jacked up the center tooth in the process. Can I say I just did this intentionally to make the frown look meaner??

 

On this side I was successful in smoothing out the dimple, but re- stretching the plastic caused a tear in the gums. This should be easy to fill, but I'm not so sure what to do about the other two 'deformations'.

 

 

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