NerdBird's first Anovos TK build

[NerdBird]

Alright here is an update. I was busy the past few days so I was not able to do much. Today I have gone and purchased a big black box, I saw this one was recommended and also it has tons of room for extra things

 

 

I also have started work on the sniper knee.I think something is wrong with mine, I tried as much as I could to attach this piece and be flush with the shin but, nothing worked. I am gluing what I have now and hoping this will not hold my armor from passing EIB certification.

 

I also have figured out how to upload photos using Imgur so now I don't have to deal with what I was worrying about earlier. Found out that my allocated attachments data was all used up. 

 

Let me know if I need to figure something out for that gap on the sniper knee, I will peel it off and redo it if need be. If you know of a way to help it be flush with the shin I would love that information. Thank you everyone!

[TK20187[TK]]

Alright here is an update. I was busy the past few days so I was not able to do much. Today I have gone and purchased a big black box, I saw this one was recommended and also it has tons of room for extra things
 
 
I also have started work on the sniper knee.I think something is wrong with mine, I tried as much as I could to attach this piece and be flush with the shin but, nothing worked. I am gluing what I have now and hoping this will not hold my armor from passing EIB certification.



 
I also have figured out how to upload photos using Imgur so now I don't have to deal with what I was worrying about earlier. Found out that my allocated attachments data was all used up. 
 
Let me know if I need to figure something out for that gap on the sniper knee, I will peel it off and redo it if need be. If you know of a way to help it be flush with the shin I would love that information. Thank you everyone!

The case looks great, being in Australia I haven't found this style crate. I instead use a large hard shell suit case.

In regards to the sniper plate, I found attaching it in two steps worked well.

1. First glue the front onto the shin and let the e6000 set.

2. Then attach the sides to the shin.

I found clamping on the sides tended to push out the front creating the gap and by attaching in two steps resolved this issue.

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[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

17 minutes ago, tgoldner76 said:

The case looks great, being in Australia I haven't found this style crate. I instead use a large hard shell suit case.

Bunnings (on the mainland, not sure if you guys have Bunnings there ) gets them in from time to time but I haven't seen them for the last few years. I've only used mine a couple of times, it's too big for most vehicles I go in but was great for air travel, pretty sturdy but the ground crew did manage to bust a wheel off, must have just dropped it outside the door straight to the ground. 

[TK20187[TK]]

Bunnings (on the mainland, not sure if you guys have Bunnings there ) gets them in from time to time but I haven't seen them for the last few years. I've only used mine a couple of times, it's too big for most vehicles I go in but was great for air travel, pretty sturdy but the ground crew did manage to bust a wheel off, must have just dropped it outside the door straight to the ground. 

Thanks, will keep an eye out. Been pretty happy with my suit case. Recently travelled to Melb and it held up really well. Only thing is my bucket doesn't fit inside.

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[NerdBird]

1 hour ago, tgoldner76 said:

Thanks, will keep an eye out. Been pretty happy with my suit case. Recently travelled to Melb and it held up really well. Only thing is my bucket doesn't fit inside.

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Now that is a nice case!

[NerdBird]

Alright got a small update. I decided to sheer the cover strips on the shins off and swap the pieces so it would be what others recommend. I think it looks a lot better and they are drying right now. Hoping that will help with the sniper knee. Also I have decided to do some small things that I have not done yet such as the thermal detonator

 

and ammo pack on the leg.

 

I think they both look great and it's coming along nicely. Now I know I will be coming up to the point of buffing out any scratches and fixing those holes that I should not have created. I decided to try a tester for the buffing and I must be missing a step due to the lack of that nice shine. Here is what I got,

On the right is the control where I did not touch it, the left I treated as if it got scratched. I used grits 200, 320, 400, 600 wet. Then I used the Novus #1 on the left to see if it would give it that shine but, it just feels super smooth and it's dull. What would you recommend to achieve that shine?

[NerdBird]

Update here

I got higher grit sandpaper, 800, 1000, 1500. I tested it on the test piece and it felt even smoother but, still no shiny. Think I need to use a tool to add that shine. If anyone could help me understand what I need to do for that I would appreciate it.

 

I have also put some work into the shins, I did a hot water bath for the left shin and it worked perfectly. Probably the best outcome I have experienced so far this build. I might do it for the right but, I have not decided yet.

 

I have also finally added paint the buttons on the ab piece, they are looking good!

 

-I have trimmed down the cod piece a bit so I should not experience the rubbing anymore on the thighs

-I gave the back piece a hot water bath for the straps on the shoulders. It helped but, it did not extend it far enough. I am thinking I need to attempt it again and see if I can achieve a little more length on it.

-Doing this should help align the ab piece with the kidney cover.

-The last bit of gluing that needs to be done is the back cover strips for the shins.

 

I am so excited that I have made a lot of progress, I know there will be a lot of tweaking that I need to do to achieve a better looking suit.

 

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Generally once sanded you need to use a cutting compound, it's a lot rougher than normal polish and will help to bring back the shine. Also try ultra fine sandpaper 2000 grit, it will then need less work to bring back the shine and if you are using wet and dry sandpaper make sure you are using water and a few drops of dish liquid in it, will help the paper to glide easier and not clog as fast.

 

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

Like Glen says, you won't get any shine from using sandpaper alone, even when wet sanding. You need to use polish and scratch remover compounds for that. Here's an example of something I did a little while back. From left to right:

- Raw Gloss clearcoat.

- Wetsanded down to 2000 grit. 

- Buffed with polish and scratch remover.

[TK20187[TK]]

Like Glen says, you won't get any shine from using sandpaper alone, even when wet sanding. You need to use polish and scratch remover compounds for that. Here's an example of something I did a little while back. From left to right:
- Raw Gloss clearcoat.
- Wetsanded down to 2000 grit. 
- Buffed with polish and scratch remover.

Oooooo Shiney

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[NerdBird]

7 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Generally once sanded you need to use a cutting compound, it's a lot rougher than normal polish and will help to bring back the shine.

 

Is there a tool that you use with the cutting compound? Also for sanding, are you doing it by hand or tool as well?

 

7 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Also try ultra fine sandpaper 2000 grit, it will then need less work to bring back the shine and if you are using wet and dry sandpaper make sure you are using water and a few drops of dish liquid in it, will help the paper to glide easier and not clog as fast.

 

I will try to stop by the store today to get that sandpaper as well as that compound. Once i get to the 600 grit I start using water with the sand paper, should I only use water or do a dry then wet process for each one going up from 600? Thank you for the top on the dish liquid, I will be trying that out today.

[NerdBird]

6 hours ago, The5thHorseman said:

Like Glen says, you won't get any shine from using sandpaper alone, even when wet sanding. You need to use polish and scratch remover compounds for that. Here's an example of something I did a little while back. From left to right:

- Raw Gloss clearcoat.

- Wetsanded down to 2000 grit. 

- Buffed with polish and scratch remover.

Wow! That looks amazing! For the polish and scratch remover was it the novus #1 or did you use something like a cutting compound that Gmrhodes13 was talking about?

[SCTrooper[TK]]

These micro abrasion pads work well.

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[The5thHorseman[501st]]

I usually start wetsanding before 600. I start adding water around 280-400.

 

23 minutes ago, NerdBird said:

Wow! That looks amazing! For the polish and scratch remover was it the novus #1 or did you use something like a cutting compound that Gmrhodes13 was talking about?

We don't really have Novus here in France so I can't tell you exactly what brand I used. But most of this stuff works the same so you should be fine with Novus. Also, be sure to get some cotton swabs or cotton cloth along with the polishing compounds as you'll need those to apply the polish and gently work the surface. Working with nitrile gloves is also a good idea

[ukswrath[Staff]]

I highly suggest buying a headlight restoration kit. 3M makes one that I use on all my armors. It works fantastic on ABS and since it's designed to be used with a power drill it spares your body a workout. Basically you toss out the heaviest grit sanding pad as it's designed to really chew into the plastic. Take the second finest grit pad with water and polish the area smooth. Afterwards use the finest grit sandpaper to prep it for the polishing pad and compound. Finally hit the area with the polishing pad then lastly the buffing pad and polishing compound. If done correctly the area will closely resemble the rest of the armor.

 

Amazon sells them if you're interested https://www.amazon.com/3M-39008-Headlight-Restoration-System/dp/B001AIZ5HY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2ROQ0G2E40F8J&keywords=3m+headlight+restoration+kit&qid=1559675914&s=gateway&sprefix=3m+%2Caps%2C198&sr=8-3

[NerdBird]

3 hours ago, SCTrooper said:

These micro abrasion pads work well.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
 

Those are really cool, I might have too look into something like those because I am using sheets right now and whatever around the apartment fits the area I am sanding.

 

2 hours ago, The5thHorseman said:

I usually start wetsanding before 600. I start adding water around 280-400.

 

We don't really have Novus here in France so I can't tell you exactly what brand I used. But most of this stuff works the same so you should be fine with Novus. Also, be sure to get some cotton swabs or cotton cloth along with the polishing compounds as you'll need those to apply the polish and gently work the surface. Working with nitrile gloves is also a good idea

Okay that's good to know, I tested it earlier and it seems to work a lot better doing that. I used the Novus #2 that I have with a drill and I am surprised it actually was making some noticeable changes

I don't have too many tools so I make due with what I got.

1 hour ago, ukswrath said:

I highly suggest buying a headlight restoration kit. 3M makes one that I use on all my armors. It works fantastic on ABS and since it's designed to be used with a power drill it spares your body a workout. Basically you toss out the heaviest grit sanding pad as it's designed to really chew into the plastic. Take the second finest grit pad with water and polish the area smooth. Afterwards use the finest grit sandpaper to prep it for the polishing pad and compound. Finally hit the area with the polishing pad then lastly the buffing pad and polishing compound. If done correctly the area will closely resemble the rest of the armor.

 

Amazon sells them if you're interested https://www.amazon.com/3M-39008-Headlight-Restoration-System/dp/B001AIZ5HY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2ROQ0G2E40F8J&keywords=3m+headlight+restoration+kit&qid=1559675914&s=gateway&sprefix=3m+%2Caps%2C198&sr=8-3

Now I got to try this out! As you can see from the above images for what I was doing was working but, takes A LOT of work. I will order that kit right now and do some other small things that I need to do while I wait for it to come in.

 

Thank you all for the helpful input and things I should do for buffing. I got a couple small things I will want some input on but, that will come up as I get there.

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Regarding the 3M HR kit, forgot to mention practice on some scrap to get the hang of it.  

[NerdBird]

1 hour ago, ukswrath said:

Regarding the 3M HR kit, forgot to mention practice on some scrap to get the hang of it.  

Thank you for the heads up! It just came in today and I took it to a piece that I have been testing on. It really did bring that shine, I could not believe my eyes. I do need to work on getting better at the sanding because I can see some scratches in the armor after I buffed it. I need to order more of the compound that came with it, there is only a little packet and I don't see it lasting long. Thank you for the tip on the buffing equipment, it is very helpful!

 

Here's the list of things that I still need to do.

-Glue sniper knee (The sides came undone during the bath)

-Glue back cover strips for shins

-Hot water bath back piece

-Check belt alignment

-Add button on crotch (only have 1 right now)

-Paint rivets on kidney and ab (paint came off while putting together the right side)

-Sand down and buff left side oops 

-The helmet is it's own list of things to do

-Check to make sure everything looks good.

 

I put the rivets into the right side of the kidney and ab piece today. It seems that they are a little short but, are doing the job. Tonight I should have a photo with myself completely suited up for the first time! Just need to do a hot water bath for the back piece again, currently the back is not touching the kidney piece. There is a good 2-3 inches of space.

[ukswrath[Staff]]

1 hour ago, NerdBird said:

Thank you for the heads up! It just came in today and I took it to a piece that I have been testing on. It really did bring that shine, I could not believe my eyes. I do need to work on getting better at the sanding because I can see some scratches in the armor after I buffed it. I need to order more of the compound that came with it, there is only a little packet and I don't see it lasting long. Thank you for the tip on the buffing equipment, it is very helpful!

 

The Novos polish #2 is basically the same polish as what's in the 3M kit. Glad to be of assistance

[TK20187[TK]]

3 hours ago, NerdBird said:

Thank you for the heads up! It just came in today and I took it to a piece that I have been testing on. It really did bring that shine, I could not believe my eyes. I do need to work on getting better at the sanding because I can see some scratches in the armor after I buffed it. I need to order more of the compound that came with it, there is only a little packet and I don't see it lasting long. Thank you for the tip on the buffing equipment, it is very helpful!

 

Here's the list of things that I still need to do.

-Glue sniper knee (The sides came undone during the bath)

-Glue back cover strips for shins

-Hot water bath back piece

-Check belt alignment

-Add button on crotch (only have 1 right now)

-Paint rivets on kidney and ab (paint came off while putting together the right side)

-Sand down and buff left side oops 

-The helmet is it's own list of things to do

-Check to make sure everything looks good.

 

I put the rivets into the right side of the kidney and ab piece today. It seems that they are a little short but, are doing the job. Tonight I should have a photo with myself completely suited up for the first time! Just need to do a hot water bath for the back piece again, currently the back is not touching the kidney piece. There is a good 2-3 inches of space.

Almost there, looking forward to seeing you kitted up.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Looking forward to seeing the pics

[NerdBird]

Got myself all suited up today and boy did it hurt. Lots of work that I did not know existed, very glad I put the armor on today.

The right thigh's strap was a little short so the painters tape helped hold it up. The chest piece got caught where the abs and kidney meet, we did not catch that till after the armor was taken off.

 

As you can see in the second photo, the right side is not wanting to line up with the abs so I am going to need to figure something out for that.

 

What do you guys recommend to make the armor more comfortable? 

Are the biceps too high?

How does the belt look?

Over all, anything you notice that should be changed? Let me know! 

 

Thank you everyone for all the help. All of it has been wonderful.

[TK20187[TK]]

56 minutes ago, NerdBird said:

Got myself all suited up today and boy did it hurt. Lots of work that I did not know existed, very glad I put the armor on today.

The right thigh's strap was a little short so the painters tape helped hold it up. The chest piece got caught where the abs and kidney meet, we did not catch that till after the armor was taken off.

 

As you can see in the second photo, the right side is not wanting to line up with the abs so I am going to need to figure something out for that.

 

What do you guys recommend to make the armor more comfortable? 

Are the biceps too high?

How does the belt look?

Over all, anything you notice that should be changed? Let me know! 

 

Thank you everyone for all the help. All of it has been wonderful.

Looking good, for comfort, it should be noted that you will never be 100% comfortable, as your walking around covered in hard plastic.

 

To improve look for any pinch points, remove any sharp corners and adjust your strapping. This will however be a continued process as you do different troops (ie walking up hills presents different pinch points vs walking on flat surfaces). I found the back of my knees as the worse place for pinching.

 

Based on the pics you Biceps look ok, I'd just make sure you have enough movement between your Bicep and Forearm Arm. Once you have your gloves on you may find you hand guard hitting your Forearm armour for example. I'd also suggest putting your boots on to see if your Calves sit higher, which will give you a guide as to the gap between your thigh and calves, which may then led to you wanting to add the half moons on the Thigh/Calves behind your knees.

 

[NerdBird]

3 hours ago, tgoldner76 said:

Looking good, for comfort, it should be noted that you will never be 100% comfortable, as your walking around covered in hard plastic.

 

To improve look for any pinch points, remove any sharp corners and adjust your strapping. This will however be a continued process as you do different troops (ie walking up hills presents different pinch points vs walking on flat surfaces). I found the back of my knees as the worse place for pinching.

 

Based on the pics you Biceps look ok, I'd just make sure you have enough movement between your Bicep and Forearm Arm. Once you have your gloves on you may find you hand guard hitting your Forearm armour for example. I'd also suggest putting your boots on to see if your Calves sit higher, which will give you a guide as to the gap between your thigh and calves, which may then led to you wanting to add the half moons on the Thigh/Calves behind your knees.

 

Very true! Thank you for the heads up on different surfaces, that would have never crossed my mind till it occurred. I will make sure to wait to add major changes till the boots and gloves come in. I am not too sure when I should be getting either of them, should be sometime this month or next. I am really happy to hear that everything is looking great, just have those small changes for comfort and pieces that I need to add.

[NerdBird]

Got my boots, gloves, blaster and neck seal in finally. I feel the boots are a little too small because my little toes are smashing against the edge of the boot. My big toe is almost an inch away from the tip, I just have some wide feet. Should I think about getting a bigger size? Kind of stinks if I made this mistake

Edited June 15, 2019 by NerdBird