Airborne Trooper Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 Get a clean mason jar or baby foot jar and put some small pieces of abs in and then add just enough acetone to barely cover it. Wait an hour or so and mix it with a craft stick or something similar. I always let mine sit overnight and I bought some cheap throw away craft brushes from walmart to brush the paste on. The smoother you get it on the less pain to sand it. You want to let the ABS paste dry for a day. If you rush it it'll be spongy like texture. Need to give it time for the acetone to fully evaporate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD42115 Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 Welcome, glad to see this kit going dirty :-) Good luck with the build.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwatcher Posted February 19, 2016 Share Posted February 19, 2016 man you're killing it. looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelbrierly Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 Thanks everyone! And thank you Jason!! I had no idea, that sounds awesome though! I almost want to try it just for the sake of trying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyTrooperDotCom Posted February 22, 2016 Share Posted February 22, 2016 Hey Mikel, nice job on the build so far! I just started an Anovos TD build over the weekend. Are you going with the Anovos supplied strapping? Like you, I'm following Tony's build over at whitearmor.net, and it appears he swapped it out. I guess when I get to the strapping part I'll evaluate it. Just wondering what you were thinking about the strapping system. Also, thanks for the tip on using the extra flash for inside the assemblies! I saved all mine in case I needed filler. I'm definitely gonna follow your lead on this. Great idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelbrierly Posted February 25, 2016 Author Share Posted February 25, 2016 Thanks Damon!! And I am planning on using the Anovos provided strapping, especially because it's so adjustable with the velcro, that way I can get the sizing dialed in before I plan on using a more permanent strapping system. One thing about the Anovos strapping to note though, is that they say for the split rivets on the side to place them 20 mm from the edges, and it should be 10, so when you get to that part, take a moment to search online for the correct placement. Good luck!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airborne Trooper Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 SInce you guys are in the middle of your builds, regardless of your preferred strapping methods you choose, remember for Police Officer (Level 2) you're going to need the bolts showing on the exterior like it would with the original strapping method. Just put that into consideration if you plan on going anything higher than basic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE TROOPER Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Lookin very cool Mike. Will be following. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyTrooperDotCom Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Thanks Damon!! And I am planning on using the Anovos provided strapping, especially because it's so adjustable with the velcro, that way I can get the sizing dialed in before I plan on using a more permanent strapping system. One thing about the Anovos strapping to note though, is that they say for the split rivets on the side to place them 20 mm from the edges, and it should be 10, so when you get to that part, take a moment to search online for the correct placement. Good luck!!! Thanks for the heads up, I hope to get that completed over the weekend. I'm gonna give the Anovos straps a try too. Good luck on the rest of the build and keep those progress pics coming! Thank you too Airborne! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelbrierly Posted February 28, 2016 Author Share Posted February 28, 2016 Sorry for the lack of updates, I should have a little more progress made this coming week. Jason that's a good point, but I beleive they just need to be visible, not necessarily functional right? So technically you could go PO or SWAT with velcro strapping I would assume? And good luck Damon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airborne Trooper Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Yes, it just needs to be visual and it's possible but I wouldn't go the pure velcro route personally. I use the snap method and it's stronger. Last thing I need during a troop is something to come out of alignment or what not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconoclasta_88 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Its has been a long time since we as a detachment recomemded velcro. I know some people still use it with fair results, maybe Dirty Boy, but most of us use snaps... More reliable and less bulky for parts like shins. Velcro is know to fail under extreme conditions of usage, or hot or humid weather... But, go with what makes you happy... Velcro might not make you too happy when it fails... Just saying. Lol Saludos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airborne Trooper Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 For me, the original strapping method wouldn't work well on my body type so that's why I went with snaps. If it did, I would went that route from the get go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD42115 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 I second the snap strapping system its a very large improvement over the older FX style Velcro system. Here are a few pictures of what i followed during my build, i did make a few modifications to this but this layout is a very good start. I ended up having a grader bet system made for the thigh armor that uses snaps as well, helps keep Them up on long troops. This idea has been awesome the cover strip hides the valcro very well. i also put some valcro on the front top of my boots and the inside front of the calves to keep the shin armor from moving around wile walking or running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelbrierly Posted March 3, 2016 Author Share Posted March 3, 2016 Alright you guys have swayed me. Haha I will start out with the snap strapping system, i'll just have to measure twice for sure. Haha. And Chris thank you SO MUCH for those diagrams!!! They will be infinitely helpful I'm sure of it! Can't wait to get back at it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jancelot Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 I recommend three straps for the chest to ab. It keeps the pieces in alignment better and prevents the top from popping behind the bottom. The movie strapping had three, so it'll line up nicely when you do Police Officer mods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD42115 Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Alright you guys have swayed me. Haha I will start out with the snap strapping system, i'll just have to measure twice for sure. Haha. And Chris thank you SO MUCH for those diagrams!!! They will be infinitely helpful I'm sure of it! Can't wait to get back at it! No problem, glad to help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelbrierly Posted May 19, 2016 Author Share Posted May 19, 2016 Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates, but I've been back at it after finishing school, so I'll post my progress in a couple series posts. Quick note - I am still definitely going to be doing the snap system in the end, but for starters I'm going to go with the velcro for most of it so I can get sizing really dialed in. After getting all my edges cleaned up nicely, I wiped down the inside of all my armor with clorox wipes to remove any leftover mold release that would keep the velcro from sticking to the inside. Installing the knee boxes was fairly straightforward I just centered the middle box with the cover strip and put a dollop of E6000 near the rivets to hold it in place. The one problem that I could have potentially had was the vague ANOVOS instructions on this part. It seems to indicate that it is the right leg on one of the diagrams, and then says it's the left in the other. I get the feeling that these instructions were quickly thrown together seeing as how there are quite a few errors. Speaking of ANOVOS mistakes, I moved on to the kidney piece next, and this is what they have to say - 20 cm from the edge is twice what it should be. Here I marked where ANOVOS says to rivet, and then the correct placement. Getting the strapping ready for the kidney piece. I now know that I need to place symmetrical rivets on the ab plate to join these pieces, but for now I'll start with the ANOVOS velcro way. I made sure to melt any frayed edges I cut/drilled into the straps. Finished with velcro on kidney plate - Next I installed the snaps I would need for my belt (according to ANOVOS placement, which as you will see later left me with a fairly saggy belt) Also on the ab plate I wanted to get my 3 button sandy thingy installed, and I decided it would be easy enough to make with the scraps I had laying around! All I needed was a dime, and I used some white caulk to give it the "vac-formed" look by softening the edges. Shoulder straps! Doubled up elastic with some (crappily) sewed on snaps did the trick. I used some of the ANOVOS strapping for this part, I just cut off the chest to back part of the "T" shape. Here's the laid out internal strapping with the velcro And my first suit up test!!! Thanks to my wonderful fiancee, without whom I would be unable to get it all on. Haha Saggy belt I'm a happy camper!!! I've waited such a long time to wear this white armor!!! (Soon to be dirty!) Next post I'll talk about some of my initial feelings wearing the armor (mostly pinching), and what needs to be adjusted and changed, and I'll post photos of the progress that I have so far on that. Also I'll post the little rig I made for keeping the shin armor down as low as possible over your boots! Thanks for reading and helping everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airborne Trooper Posted May 19, 2016 Share Posted May 19, 2016 What boots are those? They seem a little short and that's why they are coming out under the shins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelbrierly Posted May 19, 2016 Author Share Posted May 19, 2016 They're just some chelsea boots I found that were a lot cheaper than TK boots, hence they are a little short, but I think I can make them work! If not I'll just save up my pennies for the better ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelbrierly Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 Next up on my list was some modifications I needed to make to my armor. Getting the sizing right has been tricky and I'm sure will be an ongoing process. (part of the reason I'm using the velcro at the beginning so that I have room to adjust the sizing as needed.) The first thing I realized I needed to fix was the return edge on the forearms. In ANH there was no return edge on the sandtroopers. (correct me if I'm wrong on that). This actually turned out to be a HUGE help with my arm flexibility. The return edge would catch on my elbow as I bent it in certain positions, and it could either really hurt or crack the armor if I wasn't careful. So getting rid of it is a double-plus! NOTE- these photos may seem out of order, since me removing this return edge is from the armor I'm doing for a friend in tandem with my own, but I took off my return edges as well. Also just so everyone knows, I AM moving forward with the snap system, and as soon as I feel comfortable replacing the dreaded velcro, I will. Here is the beginning of my snap plate collection. (those snap buggers are surprisingly expensive!!) The next mod I wanted to fix was how painful the calves can be when they dig into the back of your knee! I opted to go the route of cutting a notch out of the back of the armor (which I have heard was done on some of the screen used suits) to give my knee a little more room to move. I tried to use the heat gun on it at first to bend it back and that was bad idea... So after I mangled it, I cut off just the TOP return edge, to see if that would work... That turned out to not be enough to fix the pinching, so I went ahead and did the full notch, this did the trick for both shins. Another uncomfortable thing about the shins I found was the way that my boots (admittedly a little too short) would push up the calf amor as I walked. To fix this, I wanted a system to keep the calves as far down on the boots as possible. This is what that solution looked like for me. Those pics are a little hard to make out, but what I did was I used the velcro/elastic piece from the hand guards as a connection to pull the shin down, and attach via snap to the boot itself. Here's some more pics to clear that up. First I sewed on a male snap to the loop on the top rear of my boot. Then I sewed a female snap on the elastic end of the hand guard velcro piece. (which snaps onto the boot) This is what they look like mounted on the inside rear of the calf pieces. I found the velcro to be better than the snap system because you have more granular control of how tight you want it to pull depending on where you arrange the velcro. Then when you are putting on the shin pieces, you can reach in and pull the elastic snap down, and attach it to your boot! So when you move around, the shin armor will always settle back into place. I am aware that having tall enough boots might fix this problem, but even so, it will at least give you more space between your calf and thigh for your leg to bend, so maybe it will come in handy for someone else! The last change I made that I'll post about here was the shoulder straps. I noticed that the gap between my shoulder bells and my chest piece was far too wide to match the suits used in ANH, so to fix this I tightened up my shoulder bell elastic by shortening it. This succeeded in pulling the shoulder bells in closer, but it also caused the shoulder straps to fold out and look super wonky. My idea to fix this was to create much firmer, sturdier shoulder straps. (At the cost of not being stretchy.) To start, I grabbed some 2 inch white elastic, which was better than the inch and a half I had before, and I got some plastic grid reinforcement from hobby lobby to stiffen it up. (the grid has been cut to size) Then I measured out the correct distance of my snaps for the shoulders... and placed the plastic grid inside my doubled over elastic shoulder strap. Then I popped in my snaps where they belong... And then I sewed in my snap that connects to the shoulder bells. (sorry this picture doesn't show the snap). This is a comparison of my old shoulder strap with my new one. The reason for the second set of snaps is to add another layer of rigidity to the straps while the shoulder bells hang on them. I don't want them to swivel in the wrong direction at all. Here you can see that the bells sit in a much more natural position, without warping the shoulder straps at all. Next up, Thigh adjustments!! PS- I also decided to try and "make" my own latex hand guards by using the plastic ones ANOVOS provided. I have started putting the first few of MANY coats of liquid latex inside the hand guards used as a mold. We'll see.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandmann66 Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Hi Mikel, like your ANOVOS armour. Good job. Cheers Olli Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelbrierly Posted July 4, 2017 Author Share Posted July 4, 2017 If no one minds, I'm going to resurrect this thread and share some of the finishing of my kit. Life has been insane in the last year, but I have found time here and there to get the armor to a "phase 1". I unfortunately didn't take any pictures of the weathering process (I know, I know, the heart and soul of the MEPD), but what I used was a couple different shades of brown acrylic paint sponged completely over each armor piece in a thin layer. Once it was dry to the touch, I took a rough damp rag and using a circular motion rubbed off the majority of the paint, especially on the raised areas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthStevius Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Looking good Bro! Nice to see you've picked it back up again. Welcome back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikelbrierly Posted August 7, 2017 Author Share Posted August 7, 2017 Darn you Photobucket!! I'll upload the rest of these via Flikr Armor updates to where I am now - Switched internal strapping system now totally snap-based. So much nicer. Belt I made that holds up the thigh pieces via elastic Velcro. (Seemed like a better option that attaching via snaps to the codpiece, anybody have advice having tried both?) . Bought a crappy pauldron off Amazon so I'd have something to wear to Denver Comic Con Painted inside of helmet black, made single eye lenses out of full visor Added padding to helmet Added some foam inside shin pieces to the return edge from painfully digging into my knee Dissassembled helmet masked off for interior painting I used a glossy spray-paint on the interior that I was not very fond of So I used some Testors dullcote to bring the sheen down, and it looked waaay better Here's the bucket re-assembled with new lenses, paint, and padding. The padding is from amazon and is very firm, I will probably be doing some more trial and error to get it dialed in for comfort and stability. (I also salvaged the nose piece from an old toy clone trooper helmet) Here are my canvas MP-40 pouches as they arrived in the mail, ready to be dyed Here's the shoulder pouch after dying but still wet After drying out, the nylon stitching remained white This is after using a sharpie on all the seams (sorry about the orientation) And here's the wood blocks to fill out the pouches For my first troop I wanted to have the speaker in the shoulder pouch like so But that turned out to not work as well as I was hoping, I'll probably be investing in one of ukswraths in-helmet hovi-tip speaker systems. Speaking of the first troop though, here's a couple pics from Denver Comic Con Things I'd like to add and work on Helmet fan system (I wore it for 2 hours at the con and sweat was pooling in the helmet when I took it off... ) Better speaker system in helmet (I also used the TrooperTalk app developed by Andrew Brinkhaus, and I had some lagging issues toward the end of the 2 hours using it) Weather pauldron Find a better way to attach shoulder pouch sans backpack (As soon as I can I will have a fieldpack!!) Adjust a couple parts of the armor for better comfort Finish E-11 blaster (I'll post a different thread with that build) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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