Jonathan's ANH TK Build

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Looks pretty good. 

 

I measure 10mm to the end of the cap of the rivet, not the centre, cap rivets being 8mm, half that which is 4mm, so mine are 14mm to centre from the edge.  From the CRL: Rivets are equally spaced along the depth of the armor and about 10mm from the edge.

 

 

Note references below, both sides notches are different. There's a nice piece on notches by @justjoseph63 in a previous EIB submission you may be interested in reading 

 

 

Cut notches are optional, from the CRL:

• Cut-out notches at the bottom of right and left sides of the Kidney Armor are optional.
  • If present, each notch is approximately 22 mm tall and the back of the notch ideally is aligned with the front edges of the Posterior Armor plate..

 

 

 

 

 

Deployment Officers Reference images for side rivets

              

[JSchmit[TK]]

I went ahead and redrew those lines out from 10 cm to 14 cm on each side with the same dimensions for the rivets.

[JSchmit[TK]]

Using the updated measurements for the snaps on the left side of the abdomen and kidney pieces, I attached the two pieces using the cover strip/strap hinge method A.J. utilized in his thread.

 

 

 

My plan is to install the snap plate for the right side of the abdomen and kidney pieces. When looking at the reference materials, I noticed that there aren't as many pieces to measure on this side with the exception of the Han snap. I measured 20 mm from the corner and 20 mm down and drew this mark:

 

 

My initial reaction was that this appeared to be too far into the piece in comparison to the references I've seen. Does this look like the accurate measurement for the Han snap?

 

Also, I know that I'll need to install the snaps on the crotch area of the codpiece. I was advised to trim a little more off that piece, and this is what I took off:

 

 

Does this look to be accurate, or should I remove more from the crotch piece?

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

9 hours ago, JSchmit said:

My initial reaction was that this appeared to be too far into the piece in comparison to the references I've seen. Does this look like the accurate measurement for the Han snap?

 

 

Hi, according to the references, your locations is a bit too far. bellow the suggested location.

 

 

 

Reference

 

 

 

 

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

10 hours ago, JSchmit said:

Does this look to be accurate, or should I remove more from the crotch piece?

 

It looks ok. 

[JSchmit[TK]]

Based on the reference photos, I adjusted the placement of the Han snap to approximately 15 mm over and down:

 

Additionally, I measured 20 mm from the front of the crotch for the snap to connect to the posterior:

 

Do these measurement look close?

[Chemi[Staff]]

Hi Jonathan. I would move the Han snap a little bit more towards the edge. 

 

          

 

 

The other rivet, looks good to me.

 

                    

[FN1313[TK]]

I found with the Han snap it’s more visual placement than exact measurement that being said based on your measurements I’d say try 10mm x 10mm and see where that dot lands


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[JSchmit[TK]]

I measured 10 mm for the Han snap. Does this look closer?

 

 

Also, I plan to go ahead and start trimming the posterior section and attaching it to the kidney piece. What is the rule of thumb for return edges for this section? Am I able to leave about 5 mm on the tops like I did for the kidney pieces, and do the bottoms get removed entirely? Also, does the crotch area where the snaps go get trimmed at all, or just rounded out?

 

 

[JSchmit[TK]]

In addition to the questions above, I do have another question regarding snaps. I purchased snaps from Tandy, as recommended. I've been having a persistent issue when I align and set the male and female parts, the pieces don't fit together or are very difficult to fit together when set. I've used both the hammer and anvil and handheld pliers methods of setting, and each often yields the same result. Does anyone have any tips on getting these pieces to fit together?

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Looks pretty good

 

Yes posterior does get trimmed, 5mm is enough of an edge 

 

A couple of AM EIB references 

 

 

Really depends how the posts collapse, sometimes they offset to one side and make it harder to close or they don't squash down as much as they should. I found once setting to use a bolt the same size as the opening and give a tap to squash the post a little more. Try not to hold too tight with pliers it can deform the opening which also makes them harder to close.

 

 

[JSchmit[TK]]

Hey, everyone! I'm currently waiting for some 2 inch nylon strapping to arrive in order to start strapping everything together. In the meantime, I thought I'd work on a few odds and ends items. I also believe that I solved my issued with the snaps.

First, I got the sniper knee mounted on the left shin:

 

 

 

 

I know that I'll need to trim the sides to make them closer to the top edge of the shin piece. Is there anywhere else that needs to be trimmed?

 

Also, I went ahead and trimmed some of the return edges from the posterior piece. I also marked a few dots on the bottom of the crotch area in preparation of the snaps. I measured two dots, one 15 mm from the edge and the other 35 mm from the edge. I just want to verify that these look ok:

 

 

Lastly, I just wanted to see what was recommended to trim for the return edges on the front and back chest pieces:

 

 

 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

You don't need the full length and can trim which will be more comfortable, have a look at the images I post in my previous post.

 

Chest/backplate references 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

I would definitely trim down the tab, Jonathan.  (Trust me).  The example has more squared corners, but for comfort I suggest rounding them out a bit.   Either way shown below is acceptable for Centurion.

 

                 Suggested                                                                 Example

   

[JSchmit[TK]]

Thanks for the feedback! I'll trim down the tab based on that image and re-measure the markings for the snaps. And it looks like the references leave a bit of the return edges on the chest and back plates. I've been leaving around 5 mm on other pieces. Does that sound about right? And lastly, in regards to the sniper knee, does the top of the knee get trimmed down, or is it just the sides leading up to it?

[TheRascalKing[TK]]

5 hours ago, justjoseph63 said:

I would definitely trim down the tab, Jonathan.  (Trust me).  The example has more squared corners, but for comfort I suggest rounding them out a bit.   Either way shown below is acceptable for Centurion.

 

                 Suggested                                                                 Example

   

Y'all are wildin on these AM kits man. I was told previously on a mentee's EIB submission that this tab is not present on any screen used reference armor and not included on any other maker's kit other than AM, and that it should be removed and the snaps placed higher. It would be great to have consistency on this point.

 

Edited May 24, 2023 by TheRascalKing

[JSchmit[TK]]

Thanks for that input! Based off that image, I went ahead and trimmed the tab down and redrew the 14mm and 35mm snap markings. Does this look closer?

 

 

Also, I've got some glue drying along the sides of the sniper knee to bring it closer the the shin return edge, but after trying on both shin pieces, I think I'll need to take some of the return edge off the top of the sniper knee for mobility. I'll do that after the glue settles for a few days. In regards to the chest and back plates, it's hard to tell how much return edge is left based on the reference photos. It looks like the chest piece is pretty consistently has 10 mm of return edge, so does 5 mm sound about right?

 

 

However, it looks like the back plate's return edges on the sides vary a little more in return edge length, and they they get to around 25 mm near the bottom. What is the recommended return edge length for this section?

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

If you reference Justin's post above he mentioned an EIB submission which didn't allow the tab, I've seen both approved before perhaps the @Deployment Officer Team may jump in and confirm before you proceed

Both EIB approved

 

No tab

 

Tab

 

[FN1313[TK]]

I personally removed the tab. Looks better to me and also don’t have a trooper suppository every time I walk.


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[dblcross[TK]]

On 5/26/2023 at 12:59 PM, FN1313 said:

I personally removed the tab. Looks better to me and also don’t have a trooper suppository every time I walk.


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I wish I could have a rofl emoji for this!

[JSchmit[TK]]

So If I'm understanding correctly, if I were to remove the tab from the posterior piece, I would remove the tab where the plastic angles, as pictured in the image below. I went ahead and re-measured the markings where the snaps would go.

 

 

Also, I do have a quick question for clarification. Are the snaps on the posterior meant to be functional or just for aesthetic? If so, where do the snaps connect to?

 

I also went ahead and tried on the chest and back pieces:

 

 

 

 

With this fitting, this is how far apart the two pieces are. Does this look about right?

 

Also, do the plastic tabs on the shoulders of the chest and back pieces get trimmed down, or are the left as is?

 

Lastly, I went ahead and marked approximately 5 mm of remaining of the return edge of the chest and back pieces. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The exception to this is the lower part of the back piece where the return edge becomes more thick. I marked about half of this section, leaving approximately 13 mm of return edge on this section. I also marked where I would measure the bottom corners of the back pieces in order to prevent the back from hooking the kidney piece, similar to how AJ referenced in his thread. 

 

 

 

As always, any input before I proceed to final trim works is greatly appreciated!

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

I think you are on the right track with your cuts, Jonathan.  If I could make a few suggestions they would be:

 

I see that your backplate is over-riding your kidney (1).  Not by much and certainly not the biggest of deals unless you are (hopefully) aiming for Centurion.  The back plate can have a minimal overlap for that, but you may be able to get rid of it altogether.

Note how the angle of the arc in the screen used back is less severe than your is at the moment and the tabs on it are kinda' stubby.  Removing some of the length on those tabs (in increments) will help it ride higher

 

        

 

When you have your arms raised it's almost perfect (yellow arrow).  One of the nuances of AM armor is that the bottom corners (orange arrow) tend to overlap more than the flat ridge between them.  @A.J. Hamler has a fantastic tutorial on how to effectively take care of those (link here).

 

 

"Are the snaps on the posterior meant to be functional or just for aesthetic? If so, where do the snaps connect to"?

 

The 1" black elastic strap that connects the cod to the posterior plate tab should be connected to one of the snaps (your choice)

 

Here are some detail pics from @WillJ's AM armor Centurion approval thread that will help.  Note the length of the tab  and the placement of the snaps.

 

You can also see that the bottom of the back plate sits in a great position (blue), the corners have been trimmed and that the back of the neck sits pretty high (ideally in my opinion).

 

          

[JSchmit[TK]]

Thank you for that information, Joseph! That'll be very helpful as I'm assembling these pieces. I do have a few points I'd like to clarify, however. Do you recommend removing the length of the tab on the back piece before making adjustments to the bottom return edge in order to gauge how much to take off the bottom to prevent the kidney overlap? Also, in regards to AJ's process, I see that he was using a combination of trimming and shaping with heat? Is he incrementally trimming the bottom of the wings and heating the sides to bend them inward towards the back to level them out? 

[JSchmit[TK]]

In addition to the questions I asked in my previous post, I went ahead and remeasured my chest and back pieces per Joseph's advice. I move the chest and back so the shoulder tabs overlap in order to simulate what it would look like I I were to trim them down.

 

 

 

Does this look closer in terms of top of the back's proximity to the neck and the bottom of the back's proximity to the kidney? If this looks closer, these measurements indicate taking about an inch off of the back shoulder tabs.

 

 

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

I wouldn't trim anything off of the shoulder tabs of the chest plate.  In your previous photo (first pic below) it sat in a lower position on the ab, but the way you have it now it rides a little high.