Husky68 ANH TK (trimmed AP)

[Digz Graavz[TK]]

I also just completed an AP ANH stunt so feel free to PM me with any questions or check out my build thread.

 

Have fun!

[husky68[TK]]

11 hours ago, Digz Graavz said:

I also just completed an AP ANH stunt so feel free to PM me with any questions or check out my build thread.

I know,  I've been watching you..... 

[ABS80]

Here's a tip which I find useful and will save you some time and even save you from scrapping some strips from measuring errors,  I cut all the strips a bit longer so when I instalI them I only have to worry about adjusting one end and just trim off excess on the other end before gluing the inner part, this way I don't have to go crazy measuring each strip to precision trying to make them fit flush on both ends. For the forearms I cut the strip to follow curvature opening only after forearms are fully assembled and glue has fully set.

 

Mark (AP)

Edited February 21, 2019 by ABS80

[husky68[TK]]

Some additional work this weekend but mostly just sorting things out.  First one of my biceps is finished,  except for trimming of strip, and the other bicep has one side done.  I am holding off completing the other bicep in case some later cast off cut of ABS fits.

 

 

Next I also put a strip on the forearms with a gap of about 4mm for both forearm front sides.  One has finished glue setting and the other should be set tonight.  The main issue is my forearms are both large and wide in the opposite curve of the armor.  Additional size with trench only gives more space in the direction that I am not lacking.  So hoping some hot bathing and reshaping will both make the fit better and reduce the trench needed.  Basically I need to change the horizontal oval to a vertical oval.

 

 

I also wanted to put all the unfinished armor into a different box but it turned out to be too narrow.  I took this unpacked time to consider the inner strapping and inspect those provided by Mark at AP.  His pattern using single snap sets with two instead of three at each joint between pieces.  I'll likely use his pattern to avoid making additional strapping and consider adding more in future if needed.  Overall I confirmed with some tape that the torso is perfectly sized for my current weight and could withstand a small weight gain in future.

 

Does everyone's bottom hang out from the back when you have the cod pulled up?  Also it seems like the butt plate is longer than the kidney so some trimming might be needed.

 

 

Lastly I checked out the shins with some tape as this was an area I knew would be an issue with my calves being larger from youth spent playing hockey.  Even giving a trench in the front I find them just too tight and a hot bath to reshape might not help much in this case.  This problem challenge is for near the end of the build as I am working top down.

 

   

 

 

Edited February 24, 2019 by husky68

[wook1138[TK]]

Hey Robert, looking good.

 

A lot of people need to hot bath the forearms to make them fit better - for most, it is the shape near the elbow.  I had to re-shape it so that the diameter from cover strip seam to cover strip seam is more (if I remember correctly).  if that makes sense. 

 

Remember to wear your boots when sizing your shins.  And remove all return edge, especially at the bottom - your boots with thank you.

 

When you say your butt plate is longer - do you mean wider?  It should be the same width - but it might flare out a bit and appear wider.  Extra or sturdier strapping from the kidney to butt might help - I had to hot water bath the butt piece to keep it from sticking out in addition to tightening up the strapping. 

 

You might find the return edge at the top of your ab and kidney a bit uncomfortable when trooping.  The amount of return edge is up to the individual, but it does tend to rub against the body or undersuit and cause issues.

 

Keep up the great work!

[husky68[TK]]

   The forearms are really driving me crazy and it feels like I can't make any progress.

 

  Shape of forearms is opposite of what I need.  Pieces don't naturally fit together so glue is not holding.  Failed attempts at hot bath because no pot will fit these forearm pieces together with clamps,  pouring water over the pieces even less effective.  Can't finish inner strips without them pulled away from one side or the other. Even had a complete failure with strip letting go of one side and back to two pieces.

 

 

The other forearm with both inner strips is pulling away from the strips on both sides.

 

  I'm going to try to finish the inner strips then fill sink with boiling water and see what I can do about shape for both fitting my arms and holding the strips.

 

[Digz Graavz[TK]]

Strange that the glue is failing like that.  You can try a slight bend in the strips to match your shape before gluing, and also try roughing up each surface with an aggressive sandpaper before gluing to help give it something to stick to.

 

[wook1138[TK]]

20 minutes ago, husky68 said:

Can't finish inner strips without them pulled away from one side or the other. Even had a complete failure with strip letting go of one side and back to two pieces.

That's strange indeed.  I used E6000 and they held the forearms together very well - even with the odd shape.  All I can recommend is that you give the areas being glued a quick sanding with coarse grit sandpaper.  Use painters tape to hold the arm together along with the clamps, and let the glue set for at least 24 hours - 48 ideally. 

 

The hot water will soften the E6000 - so hot bathing with the tape still on helps.

 

Filling a sink up with mix of hot tap water and boiling water from a pot should work - the AP armor is 2mm, so it takes a bit longer for the plastic to soften up when compared to other kits.

 

You've got this, Robert! 

Edited February 27, 2019 by wook1138

[Digz Graavz[TK]]

You could also try adding some CA to the inner strips when you glue them to get a bond.  The E6000 and the outer strip should reinforce it.

[husky68[TK]]

32 minutes ago, Digz Graavz said:

try roughing up each surface with an aggressive sandpaper before gluing to help give it something to stick to.

 I'll step up the sandpaper before gluing.

 

28 minutes ago, wook1138 said:

let the glue set for at least 24 hours - 48 ideally. 

I'll wait the full 48 hours.

 

23 minutes ago, Digz Graavz said:

You could also try adding some CA to the inner strips when you glue them to get a bond.

 This might be last resort as I have heard CA can be more unforgiving of mistakes and permanent. 

[Digz Graavz[TK]]

CA can pop off, so don't worry too much about using it sparingly.  I think part of the issue is that you have a narrow strip to glue to due to the needed gap for your manly forearms.

[Bulldog44[TK]]

Hi Robert. One thing that worked for me when gluing the outer strips was to glue only one half of the strip at a time. First I made sure where I wanted the strip to be, then I sanded the area on the armor part & the glue side of the strip. Again, I glued only half the strip down let it set properly and then I glued the other half afterwRds. This helped keep things in place better for  more and much easier to work with than trying to get both halves to stay aligned& under stress while setting. 

[Bulldog44[TK]]

I also chose to work with e6000 as its very forgiving. My RS armor is pvc and the glue they gave me at the time did not set properly. Had same issues. Takes more time to set but worth it in my opinion.

[MakeNoiseMan[TK]]

Lots of good advice coming in :-)

Gluing my forearms together was a several-day process. It was difficult to be patient, but paid off in the end. For clarity, I'll detail my steps here—you may already be doing them, but just in case.

Day 1: Glued the inner coverstrips to the the outer forearm, let cure for 24 hours
Day 2: Glued one edge of the inner forearm to the matching inner coverstrip, let cure for 24 hours
Day 3: Glued the other edge of the inner forearm to the matching inner coverstrip, closing the forearm, and let cure for 24 hours
Day 4: Aligned and glued the first finishing strip, let cure for 24 hours

Day 5: Aligned and glued the second finishing strip, let cure for 24 hours

And done! The E6000 has held very strong for me by following this method. I did my biceps, thighs and shins the same way. 

Keep it up trooper! 

[Digz Graavz[TK]]

Yeah it can be hard to take it slow... Just get lots of clamps and magnets so you can have multiple parts going at the same time.

 

Edited February 28, 2019 by Digz Graavz

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

As long as you are not applying pressure to the pieces then 24 hrs will be fine, anything that needs pressure to close then wait the full 48 hours. Make sure you rough up both pieces with sandpaper before gluing and it will help adhere.

 

Can never have enough magnets, clamps or blue tape when building, I've doubled up on magnets since this photo  

 

[husky68[TK]]

  Just want to check on how strict measurements are for drop boxes.  Sounds like there is some variety on this,  some use them for storage, and mine are big enough that I should trim them down.  Just wondering how much,  suggestion below in image but seems others have slimmer ones.

 

 

  Also for the TD,  the CRL mentions 190.5mm while image below suggested 184mm?

 

 

  I might just be tumbling down the rabbit hole.

 

[Bulldog44[TK]]

For the TD I would certainly stick closer to the CRL measurement. My TD ended up being 190mm in length. 

 

When you sent me that TD pic the other day I didn't see the measurements, sorry. 

I used this photo which I believe was the TD from the RS suit (screen used)- experts out there, please correct me if I am wrong.

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/gallery/image/2484-td/ 

 

Edited March 6, 2019 by Bulldog44

[troopermaster]

5 hours ago, Bulldog44 said:

 I used this photo which I believe was the TD from the RS suit (screen used)- experts out there, please correct me if I am wrong.

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/gallery/image/2484-td/ 

 

You are correct.

 

The end cap is not fully pushed on in the photo which makes the detonator look slightly longer than it is. 184mm is the correct length but a few mm's either way should be good.

Edited March 6, 2019 by troopermaster

[Bulldog44[TK]]

19 minutes ago, troopermaster said:

You are correct.

 

The end cap is not fully pushed on in the photo which makes the detonator look slightly longer than it is. 184mm is the correct length but a few mm's either should be good.

Thanks Paul for confirming that!  

I think I remember wondering if the CRL was incorrect as I was building my RS armor to the RS suit measurements,. So to play it safe I went with 190 to be in the ballpark. I thought better to leave some meat on the bone just in case, as I could always trim it down afterwards if required. Harder to fix if its over trimmed. 

[husky68[TK]]

The battle with the forearms continues with inner strips in place. The new V trenches in the back keep the wrist smaller and top wider but strips are still separating in small areas along the inner strips. One last attempt to glue them down before I start hot bath reshaping. If they lift again will tear them off and start over.

 

 

 

[MakeNoiseMan[TK]]

17 hours ago, husky68 said:

The battle with the forearms continues with inner strips in place. The new V trenches in the back keep the wrist smaller and top wider but strips are still separating in small areas along the inner strips. One last attempt to glue them down before I start hot bath reshaping. If they lift again will tear them off and start over.

They are looking good! Sorry to hear that the glue is still not holding, though. That really does surprise me with E6000. I've heard rumour of knock-off brands that don't perform as well and was told to make sure the E6000 packaging had a little "Made in U.S.A." flag in the bottom left corner—perhaps it's worth double checking to make sure you've got the right product.

 

 

Great job with the fitting! The wrist-end return edges (or lack thereof) look super clean, too. If you're shooting for L3 they may just ask you to trim off the itty-bit of return edge still left where the track of recesses is.

 

 

 

Keep it up! 

[husky68[TK]]

On 3/9/2019 at 4:24 AM, MakeNoiseMan said:

Sorry to hear that the glue is still not holding, though.

Thanks,  I think it is from earlier gluing where I didn't rough it up enough.  Now I scratch cross pattern into the strips hoping to end the cycle of glue.

 

On 3/9/2019 at 4:24 AM, MakeNoiseMan said:

If you're shooting for L3 they may just ask you to trim off the itty-bit of return edge still left where the track of recesses is.

  I'm trying not to set my expectations on L3 but trying to build to the best of my ability which may one day get me to L3.  I've seen other AP kits need to trim that last bit which is super close to the ridge.  I've wondered about instead of cutting to try bending it up,  but that is getting ahead of my initial goal of just making wearable armor that will make basic.

[Digz Graavz[TK]]

More more more!

 

[husky68[TK]]

Attended my second armor party in Tokyo and concentrated on my TD.  The CRL being 190.5mm and the reference image being 184mm,  I've decided to go for CRL measurements with aspects close to the reference image.  So I cut the end caps and used a belt sander to get them to 20mm ( image makes them look slightly different but they are identical.)

 

 

The tube is black which have already purchased rattle can of grey to paint.  The diameter is a perfect tight friction fit without glue and matches the CRL.  The length was a bit over given the caps add an extra 10mm each so I also gave this a trim.  Given some final fine tuning I should be able to get the CRL length of 190.5mm

 

 

  I'm always considering novel options and was wondering if anyone tried using the TD as a storage container?  With the exception of the screws poking inside it is basically a hollow tube with end caps that could be removable.  Even if it just held a repair kit inside.  Also magnets could be glued inside to hold it to the armor/belt to reduce chance of it falling off or stolen by those tricky jawas?