Bradley's ANH Stunt Build [Anovos]

[AngryEwok[501st]]

Height: 5'6

Weight: 170-ish

• Armor: Anovos
• Boots: TK Boots
• Neck Seal: Darman
• Pauldron: Trooperbay
• Blaster (DLT-19): HFx
• Silicone handguards: justjoseph63

Also: mic tip mesh from Tony; screws and rivets from Joseph

 

Update 12/06/17

TK kit has finally arrived. Ordered on 10/27/16 and somehow my order got duplicated and so now I have two kits in-hand.

 

Update 12/07/17

I got the chest and abdomen cut out, today. The first few cuts were scary, and I died a little inside the first time the blade slipped across the surface of the armor.

 

Update 12/12/17

I've been juggling final exams and also occasionally saying "Yes dear" as my fiance plans our wedding, but today I found time to cut out the back...

Edited January 7, 2018 by AngryEwok

[Harbinger[IPM]]

From blaster and pauldron choice (and signature) I assume you're going HWT only?

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

Looking good so far, Bradley!  Hopefully you have checked out Tony's legendary Anovos build thread (link below if you need it).  He used the "classic" (bracket) system for strapping, but you can also use the nylon/elastic method and still reach Centurion.  Keep up the great work, and be sure to ask questions if you have them!

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/35086-ukswraths-anovos-tk-build/

 

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

5 minutes ago, Harbinger said:

From blaster and pauldron choice (and signature) I assume you're going HWT only?

Can't believe I missed that!    (I may be a little biased, though, lol).  If you are indeed going for HWT, just PM me if you have any questions.

[AngryEwok[501st]]

6 minutes ago, Harbinger said:

From blaster and pauldron choice (and signature) I assume you're going HWT only?

The ANH-S and HWT is sort of a two-for-one arrangement, so I'll probably switch back-and-forth between those depending on my garrison's needs at the time. I've already got a HWT patch from Joseph, can't wait to sew it onto a 501st jacket someday.

[Harbinger[IPM]]

Okay. Keep in mind that for Expert Infantry and above (and I hope you are aiming for those!) weathering vs shiny TK will become an issue. I believe Joseph has, or at least can point you to, some products that are removable.

[AngryEwok[501st]]

Definitely aiming for EIB. Earning Centurion would be amazing, as well. I expect the biggest challenge for me will be dealing with my height and not having very many local contacts that could provide hands-on assistance/guidance with respect to fitting and re-shaping. Thanks for the head's up on the weathering difference between the ANH/HWT at higher levels, too. I was planning using some sort of washable/removable type material like Joseph has mentioned in the past.

Edited December 12, 2017 by AngryEwok

[Harbinger[IPM]]

Yeah, if you've even considered Centurion, now is the time while you are still planning and haven't cut anything yet.

[Harbinger[IPM]]

In addition to Tony's build thread (practically the Bible for Anovos kits) feel free to take a look at mine as well. It isn't as in-depth as his but I'm not much taller than you, and built an Anovos kit with Centurion in mind. It was also my first build so maybe you can learn from my mistakes.

[AngryEwok[501st]]

Anovos' kidney plate is notoriously thin as most of you know, but I believe my plate is the thinnest I have ever seen in all of these build threads. It is so thin, it is actually transparent...

 

 

[Harbinger[IPM]]

I've seen people reinforce the flimsy areas with fiberglass or Plastidip-soaked cheesecloth but those a bit involved. As long as the areas where any strapping/snaps/rivets are going to go is thicker than that  you should be okay for now, but something to keep an eye on for sure.

[AngryEwok[501st]]

Kidney and posterior cut out. I'm not going to sweat the paper thin areas, as I'll probably have to trim down and create my own return edges, anyway, before this is all over.

 

[TheSwede[TK]]

16 hours ago, AngryEwok said:

Anovos' kidney plate is notoriously thin as most of you know, but I believe my plate is the thinnest I have ever seen in all of these build threads. It is so thin, it is actually transparent...

 

 

My Anovos ShadowTrooper was the same, I smerared it with several layers of abs-paste and it became a lot better, not worried anymore 

[allan1313[TK]]

Looking good so far. As a fellow TK/TX with Anovos kits might I suggest a few other areas to reinforce. The chest has a few spots where cracks occurred. I just put some scrap abs behind in those areas and it has been good since. The neck area and each side where the chest curves up, I guess the armpit area. I can get pictures if you want.

Good luck with the rest of the build. Also it's not much more effort to take the Anovos to centurion.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[AngryEwok[501st]]

I will definitely be reinforcing those areas according to your suggestion. I've seen the stress cracks in other guys' build threads and I want to prevent that and any other repair work as much as possible from the get-go.

 

Got the shoulder bells trimmed today. Insanely asymmetrical, I love it.

 

 

[AngryEwok[501st]]

I cut out the left bicep and forearm pieces, today. Since I have short arms and I'm going for Centurion, there's still a lot of work to do on these.

 

Edited December 18, 2017 by AngryEwok

[68Brick[TK]]

Nice Work Bradley. The benefit of having two kits is if one of your parts gets damaged or miss-cut, you've got a spare on hand with no wait times for replacements. Keep up the good work!

[AngryEwok[501st]]

One thing that I found confusing about the forearms is the asymmetry of the beveling. The left forearm has a nice bevel where the pieces join together, but the right side doesn't....

 

This got me to second guessing if the outside indented line on the right forearm wasn't actually a cut line but a weak bevel. I checked Tony's build and also checked-in with the Anovos Stormtrooper Kit Building Group on facebook. It isn't a bevel, it is an alternative cut line for folks with larger forearms.

 

I don't have a big forearm, but as you can see, I went ahead and cut according to the outside line, just in case I need a little extra room. It is easier to trim down than to add-to.

 

Edited December 19, 2017 by AngryEwok

[Steaditrooper[TK]]

I think you made the right choice. Much easier to remove than to add. Just use E6000 to glue. The dry time is worth it if you need to change things. My AP kit has small arms (for me at least). The asymmetry is what makes these kits feel like there is a human touch IMHP. I love the differences in the various makers. If everything was symmetrical and precise I don't think we would see as many people trooping because the various kits wouldn't allow for different body types. Keep going. Your progress looks good.

[AngryEwok[501st]]

Last big update for a while as I turn to focus on Christmas break with the family and studying for the GRE.

 

I think my left shin is comprised of #27-28, but apparently Anovos has mislabeled these in the past. I'll do additional research on that before I do any glueing.

 

My sniper knee feels a little brittle in certain spots, and so I will probably make a batch of paste to reinforce it in those areas.

 

Just seeing how the sniper knee fits, to determine if this is, indeed, the left shin. One thing I did not realize until today is that the sniper knee should not have a lower return edge, which is kind of sad because I think the sniper knee looks better with a return edge. Oh well!

[AngryEwok[501st]]

Needing a break from studying for the GRE, I decided to go ahead and cut out the shin pieces for the right leg, as well. Nothing too exciting, here.

[TheSwede[TK]]

But still....one step closer of being a Stormtrooper

[AngryEwok[501st]]

Had a little fun, today... (Please don't hate me because I'm beautiful!)

 

 

I'm guessing I'll need to trim at least two inches off of the top of thighs, which I guess means I'll need to recreate the return edges? I also forgot to trim the sides off of the thigh ammo pack, which is an easy fix, of course.

 

Edited January 3, 2018 by AngryEwok

[TheSwede[TK]]

No hate here However I would suggest fitting your armor with an undersuit on (unless you do and the pic was just for laughs) and...having return edges is not a requirement but they ad to the illision of thickness to the armor, inside of the thighs benefits from removing a good portion (but not all) of it, more comfortable and makes walking a bit easier, same goes for inside of forearms (comfort wise) but having returns is all about personal preference (you already know that for Centurion there can`t be any on the wrist ends). If you want to recreate the returns (I think having returns looks better) then check out this thread - https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/38416-crickets-rs-stunt-build-for-the-vertically-challenged/ 

 

[AngryEwok[501st]]

I'm taking a look at the thermal detonator, next.

 

The tube from Anovos is roughly 7.5", which is going to be too long for Centurion. While it is basically impossible to have the exact dimensions of the screen-used thermal detonator (left) without resculpting the Anovos control panel (right), the idea is to stay as true-as-possible to the proportions. This means cutting the tube down 8mm before proceeding. I've asked a friend to do this for me as I don't really have a lot of tools for sawing/grinding. In the meantime, the screws that Anovos includes are also incorrect: I'll need to get my hands on some panhead scews (I thought I ordered some from Joseph a few months ago, but I can't find them). Lastly, I'm going to wait and see about leaving the clips curved or straightening them to be more screen-accurate.

 

 

 

Update 1/06/18

Didn't cook breakfast, but I boiled some plastic. After cutting 80mm off of the tube, my thermal detonator ends up being 186mm with caps. That's only 2mm bigger than the screen-used prop I was using as my model. Now I have to find those panhead screws. I'll make sure to set the clips much closer to the caps than what I have in the picture below...

 

 

Update 1/12/18

I've had a crazy week. Grandma had a major stroke and so I spent a several days with her in the hospital, then I had to take the GRE for grad school (I scored a 295, I needed a 300), now Spring semester has begun and I'm in two upper level classes, working full-time, and getting married in May. Anyway!-- I ordered a second set of panhead screws from Joseph and installed them today. I'll have the plate glued in place and the screws painted and tightened down this weekend. 

 

 

Update 1/18/18

Joseph's panhead screws received, installed, and painted. Thermal detonator is complete and should be approvable at Centurion.

 

 

Update 2/13/18

Fortunately, my grandma is doing very, very well after her stroke. Thank God. Also, even though I scored a disappointing 295 on the GRE, I was accepted into Graduate School on the basis of my sample writing and recommendations! And! Someone from the local garrison has offered to make a trip out here to help me out with fitting the TK armor, which is yet another reason for my standstill.

 

Update 2/18/18

Jon (TK12569) went an hour or so out of his way to come over to my house and look at my armor and show me what needs to happen next in my build. He pointed out the return edges that need to be removed, and also gave me direction on how to mark and remove excess material before setting cover strips down. Once I've got that done, he'll help me with the fitting. This was actually my first opportunity to see a Centurion Stormtrooper in person. I really liked Pencap510's Thigh Garter System, and the TKittell belt. Jon loaned me all the Humbrol paints I will need for ab buttons and helmet touch-ups, loaned me an awesome plexan cutter, and gave me lots of material for the shoulder cover elastic retainers and even some webbing to hold my ab and kidney plates together. Last but not least, Jon gave me an Alabama Garrison challenge coin and lapel pin. Really fun, encouraging, helpful visit.

Edited March 9, 2019 by AngryEwok