Saltyr1's First ATA ANH Build thread

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

14 minutes ago, saltyr1 said:

For the thigh cover strips, it seems most things I've read or watched are using 20mm vs. ATA's 7/8th's of an inch.  From what I figure 7/8th's is about 2.5mm wider.  Should I use 20mm cover strips instead?

 20mm is a guide, a mm here or there isn't too important. I personally try to stick to 20mm

 

References

 

 

Shins are @20mm front and @25mm on the rear, this is because of the velcro closure  

[MaskedVengeance[Staff]]

It seems Terrell essentially stuck with the imperial system of measurement that is standard in the US, as opposed to the more global metric system. Personally I went with the 15mm, 20mm, and 25mm widths for mine, though actually cut them 1mm wider to account for any necessary sanding. Either way, as Glen said, and the reference suits photos show, the actual screen-used suits had varying widths.

[saltyr1[TK]]

So slightly off topic, one of my concerns has been the potential yellowing of the armor.  Since it seems UV and heat sources are the contributing factor, I decided to do a test with a scrap piece of plastic.  I have a paint / plastic cleaner / protectant for my motorcycle that I've used for years - Original Bike Spirits (this is the original formula for Honda Spray Polish).  It's supposed to block UV.  So I applied it to half of the piece.   Then I taped the piece to the top of my deck railing which is in the sun all day long (unless clouds).  So it's been sitting out there for 2 1/2 months.

 

The result - it did slightly yellow.  But I really expected a lot more yellowing.  Quality ATA ABS?  The pic below compares it to the thigh I'm working on.  Interestingly, the Original Bike Spirits did not make any difference.

 

 

So my next test is to tape it above the burner vent on my hot water heater.  If heat sources / combustion are the issue, this should be subject to it regularly.

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I guess 24/7 you will get some discoloration, my old set of ATA which is now a Sandy only changed slightly in color and this is will multiple troops worn in direct sunlight, hottest day was 39.8deg C. 

 

I feel over time the plastics have gotten better in regards to UV light, we don't see the issue come up very often to say 10 years ago when I first started.

 

Once you have finished with the testing phase this could be a good subject to post it's own thread, others may share their experiences too

[saltyr1[TK]]

I think I have the right thigh at its final trim for the cover strips.  Please let me know if anything needs attention.  I still have to do the final trimming on the openings.

 

Front Right

 

Front Back

 

Now I'm not happy as mentioned before about how the back bottom lines up.  This could be solved by the following mobility cuts.  Any suggestions?

 

[saltyr1[TK]]

Glen - would you have any close up pics of how you added the piece behind to align it better?

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

4 hours ago, saltyr1 said:

Glen - would you have any close up pics of how you added the piece behind to align it better?

Sorry I don't have any on hand. It's only a piece of scrap plastic shaped to fit in the back, glued and clamped, this helps the pieces to match a little better. Just make sure you rough up both surfaces with some coarse sandpaper so it gives the glue something to grip too. Also any pieces you glue that need clamping I try to leave for 48 to 72 hours so the glue fully cures.

 

I heated and bent the lower edge so they matched, I've been using a heat gun for years but you could use a hot water bath. Using to pieces of wood when hot to clamp together will help to stop it distorting, once clamped just bend to create a new edge.

 

I don't have mobility cuts as I have long legs and there's already a lot of room at the knees, if you add mobility cuts you can end up with too much black. So I would advise to see how they look on when all your legs pieces on.

 

 

If you do add mobility cuts make sure you check the gallery to match references and don't cut through the upper ridge

• Any mobility cuts on the back do not extend beyond the top of the raised ridge.

 

 

 

 

[saltyr1[TK]]

Thanks Glen for the explanation.  Question - Did you have the cover strip already on (to keep the rest in place) before you did that?

[Sly11[Admin]]

I trimmed mobility cuts after the thighs were fully assembled, including cover strips attached.

I would wager, most do it that way.

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

8 hours ago, saltyr1 said:

Thanks Glen for the explanation.  Question - Did you have the cover strip already on (to keep the rest in place) before you did that?

Yes as Andrew did, it's best to have them in place and glued so nothing moves while you trim the lower ridge  

[saltyr1[TK]]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.  I'm finishing the left thigh trimming.  But my plan is to get the calf armor close to final trimming and see how it all fits before making a decision on the mobility cuts.  More to come... 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

6 hours ago, saltyr1 said:

But my plan is to get the calf armor close to final trimming and see how it all fits before making a decision on the mobility cuts.  More to come... 

Best way to do it  

[saltyr1[TK]]

Started rough trimming the shin pieces.  Before I trim too much on the backs, I have a question.  Since the ATA already has the defined ridges for the cover strips, am I still splitting the 25mm in half?  Or since there will be velcro keeping it closed, is it more beneficial to leave one side longer than the other (since it will be covered by the cover strip anyway, except for the top)?  I assume it's like any other piece and should be split in half.

[saltyr1[TK]]

Also, I'm planning on evening out the thigh top to match the other.  

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Thigh tops can be different or match it's up to you, ATA molds are a little different to many other makes, notice originally the left leg has a step  

 

 

You want to make sure they appear centered when closed. I just split the difference as you are only talking about a couple of mm's.

 

There is also a thicker/industrial velcro which I find works better than standard velcro. Make sure you rough up the back of it to help it hold to the glue

 

Standard velcro

 

Industrial

 

I also found they don't close very well and do need some heat to bend so they will lay a little flatter and close fully

[saltyr1[TK]]

I trimmed the shins even more and was able to tape them together.  The thighs were really riding on my knees and I realized I could bring the ad piece up some more.  So I redid some of the strapping to snug it up, which helped.  Unfortunately since I still need to remove the return edge on the bottom of the shins.  So I wasn't able to get the boots on.  Admittedly the shins could come up a bit.  

 

Which would shrink the gap in the back.

 

But the problem I still have is I can't bend my leg more than this due to the thigh.  I assume a mobility cut on the thigh would fix this.  But thoughts?

Edited September 14, 2022 by saltyr1

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I can't bend my knees very far and I have a larger gap. Mobility cuts may help a little but you'll never have full moment, that's the downside to wearing armor. I have to crab walk up stairs, it don't look pretty but get's me there  

 

 

[saltyr1[TK]]

That's good know!  I'll continue the trimming on the shins so I can get the boots on and much.  Thanks!

[saltyr1[TK]]

I trimmed the shins and I think they are ready for the front cover strips.  

Right

 

Left

 

And I tried fitting again.  Looks like the previous pic, but with boots on.  Feeling like I'm getting close!!!

 

As always, any feedback is appreciated.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

You could drop your thighs just a little, give you a little more room for movement at the tops of them, also nearly touching on the sides.

 

Getting close to the exciting time  

[saltyr1[TK]]

Today I glued the front cover strip on the left shin. 

 

After studying and printing out some sniper knee pics from the gallery, I drew out where I plan on cutting.  In the pics below I marked the mold line and my cut line.  On the bottom I plan on removing the entire return edge.  Let me know if something seems off.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

A couple of Centurion approved sniper plates for comparison

 

 

 

[saltyr1[TK]]

Just an update on my progress over the week.

 

I worked on gluing the front cover strip on the left thigh.  To keep the glue mess down, I first mock up the cover strip and use painters tape to run down both sides.  This is twofold:  First it makes sure that the cover strip goes exactly where I intended after I apply E6000 to both pieces.  Secondly, any glue that squeezes out of the side after clamping will end up on the tape.  I remove the tape once I have it all clamped and a couple pieces of tape on it to make sure it doesn't move.

 

Here it is after it dried.  I'm pretty happy with how the two pieces joined at the bottom.  I still cut a small square and glued it on the back to keep them stable.

 

Back to the left shin and sniper plate.  Getting close on the final trimming / sanding.

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

Hi Chris, that thigh look nice sir, well done . 

 

It could be the photo angle or my eyes  but, If you haven't glued the Sniper knee yet, I would suggest  you to re-check the alignment once more to confirm if the ridges are aligned 

 

For higher levels 

Sniper knee plate must be aligned with the ridges on the shin.

 

 

References 

 

     

 

 

[saltyr1[TK]]

Here is a couple more pics of how I have it (its not glued yet).  I tried to follow the line as best I could, but I think how the ATA sniper plate is makes it impossible to be perfect (see the last two pics).  I've looked at other ATA builds and seems similar.  Any thoughts?

 

Following the upper ridge perfectly: