ukswrath

4. Thighs cont... 4f. Thing ammo belt install. In this section I'll install the right thigh ammo belt using 5/16" head double cap rivets. Starting withe the ammo belt. Anovos was gracious enough to pre set the drilling holes needed to mount the belt to the thigh, and to my surprise they were located close enough to canon standards, go figure. Anyway all I have to do was drill 1/8" holes. I elected to start on the inside of the thigh to mark and install the double cap rivet mount. It really doesn't matter which side you begin with as long as each end of the belt is equally spaced from the last rear corner of the thigh when finished. I calculated the hole of the mount will be roughly 1" from the rear thigh corner. NOTE: The belt upper edge is roughly the same level as the upper edge of the thigh return edge. After drilling belt measure, mark than drill thigh mounting hole. Remove protective film from mounting corners. Using the rivet tool install cap rivet. NOTE: It doesn't matter from which direction you install the rivet. Once finished with one side wrap the belt around the thigh and verify the outer location to mount. Drill hole. Install cap rivet. NOTE: I found it much easier to just let the belt hang down during this process. You can slide it into its correct position when finished. Finished: Note: The belt packs do NOT have to be aligned with the front cover strip. Original OTTK armor ammo belts were mounted all over the place. At this point i usually flip the thigh over and apply a few drop of E6000 to secure the ammo belt to the thigh. After the glue dries paint the rivet heads black.

Man I wish you made and sold these Tom. Beautiful work

Thanks for the kudos Ricky

4. Thigh cont ... 4d. Thigh assembly Part 2 In this section we'll finish closing off the thighs by connecting the rear sections. This section is a bit tricky. The front sections were pretty because we attached a flat cover strip to a relatively flat thigh armor surface, the rear sections are not flat, instead they have some curvature. This is the reason I installed the cover strip on one side first making the final assembly that much easier. To ensure both rear halves are parallel when finished, using painters tape and tall or double stacked magnets and force the cover strip area and armor inward. Photos are worth a thousand words so let's do this and you see what I'm taking about. Apply the glue to the inside of the cover strip or outer section of the armor. Connect and secure the two sides. Have several sections of painters tape ready to apply. If you apply the tape tightly over the magnets it will flex the armor inward. NOTE: This armor made by Anovos is very thin, I do not claim the process will work exactly the same with other manufactures. After drying Next up, installing the thigh ammo pack.

4. Thighs cont... 4d. Assembly Part 1. In this section we'll assemble the thigh sections. Again I'm starting with the left thigh. Like in the previous sections mentioned, measure the longest section of the two halves, front and back. NOTE: The front and back cover strips start at the top of the armor and stop just above the lower return edge as seen here in the screen used armor. Now measure and cut the front and rear 20mm cover strips. As mentioned above, install front and rear cover strips on the inner or outer half on both left and right legs. Afterwards let dry. After drying Peal back the protective coating of plastic and apply glue then connect the inner and outer halves at the FRONT ONLY! Let dry. Afterwards To be cont...

4. Thighs 4c. Pre assembly. NOTE: Sections 4a. thigh trimming & 4b. thigh ammo belt are illustrated back on page one. In this section we'll measure, cut and prepare the thighs for assembly. The thighs use a 20mm cover strip and so we'll be trimming each side approximately 10mm starting at the return edge. Starting with the left thigh or whatever floats your boat, measure approximately 10mm out from the front return edge. This what you should have after trimming both left and right sides. Once you've cut both left and right sides perform a test fit to see if any excess needs to be removed or maybe shims added for the larger troopers. The goal is 1/2" clearance between your body and the armor. If you need to remove material make sure your remove an equal amount from both sided. If you need to add it then do the same, equal from both sides. This will ensure the rear cover strip is centered and not offset. For the larger troopers, to gain more room trim the upper and lower return edge as needed. At this point your should be ready to assemble. To be cont..

Final shin photos posted back in the shin section.

My pleasure, glad to be of assistance

Sorry for the delay

3. Shins/calves 3d. Sniper knee trimming and assembly. In this section I'll finish up the trimming on the knee plate, prepare it for install then install. NOTE: For those who don't know this belongs on the left knee. Remove all lower return edge. Taper upper to match the taper of the shin armor. First off remove all the lower return edge then test fit. NOTE: If you leave the return edge intact it WILL split the armor material when trying to test fit or install so do this first. Afterwards place on the shin and note the taper of the shin armor in relation to the sniper plate. Note: Though not required it is recommended (IMHO) the front section of the sniper plate be flush with the front shin outer cover strip for maximum strength. Trim accordingly. Before After Check alignment Prepare to attach to shin. NOTE: The sniper plate will be glued in three areas, center, left and right corners. I've found it much easier to glue the front first, let dry then attach the corners. Apply glue, clamping device then let dry. Finished, after sniper knee install.

I actually found it's more confusing to have the instructions than not. What makes it worse is Anovos isn't actually supplying instructions, it's a part list with corresponding numbers, where in some cases don't match. AHHHH!

3. Shins/Calves 3c. Assembly In this section we'll assembly the shins. As with the forearms and biceps I found it easier to assemble one side of the shin first, let dry, then assemble both sides together. The front cover strips are 20mm the rear 25mm. As also you may have noticed the back half of the shin is not glued together (info for the new recruits). More on that later. For now measure and cut the front and rear cover strip to length as describe in previous chapters. NOTE: The front cover strip will run the full length of the armor, the rear starts just below the upper return edge. Ready for assembly. In this section we'll be gluing the front and rear cover strips to the OUTSIDE shin/calf half. NOTE: When fully assembled the calf cover strip will attach to the inner (mentioned above) via velcro or elastic and bra hooks (most commonly used methods). Apply glue, attach 1/2 the cover strip to the armor and secure. Let dry After After glue has dried glue the front shins halves only. Finished Right shin Time for the sniper knee. To be cont.....

3. Shins/Calves 3b. Final trimming and pre-assembly. In this section I'll be assembling the shins. Not to my surprise the shins were mislabeled. According to Anovos chart below shin sections 24/25 are the right side assembly and 27/28 are the left. In my case this information is incorrect. As with your legs, the armor has an inner and outer section and specific shape. The inside leg muscles have a short swoop or curvature to them, the outer has a longer curvature. If I were to assembly the armor given the Anovos instructions one leg would be made up of outer sections and the other inner sections. What I came up with is 24/27 represent the left shin and 25/28 are the right. Let me illustrate a bit more in the following image. NOTE: Something also worth mentioning, some other armor manufactures have the longer shin covering the outside of the ankle, I've found this not to be the case with the Anovos armor, the longer section covers the inner ankle. Finally, I don't know if your shins are mislabeled as mine are. When in doubt post photos so others can help you. Anovos illustration Pre-assembly. Starting with the front sections, locate the beginning of the return edge, measure approximately 10mm then trim. The beginning of the return edge isn't always well defined or symmetrical. Here's an image illustrating my point. Rear edges. In the rear there are no return edges as seen with the front so this area will be cut depending on how the armor fits your body and boots. Tape the front halves together. Install the armor (preferably with your boots on). If possible tape the back together and check fitment. If there's no need trim for size then remove the armor and trim the rear edges to mate flush. NOTE: One side of the Anovos armor has a funky/warped shape to it, no worries, just make sure flex the warped section to mate the opposite half. It works best if you have a flat surface to check the straightness of a side. Simply press one half onto a flat surface and check for then remove any high or low spots that could create a gap. Once you have relatively parallel joints then recheck. Ready for assembly. To be cont ........

4 months later mine is still sitting in the box. After the ST fiasco i'm waiting to see other's builds and compare. Fingers crosed

I get mine off Ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/191570155765?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Technically I'm 95% finished, just trying to get this thread updated lol. Thanks for the kudos Torri

Thanks for the kind words Lance. Hope this helps you

Black version of the jump pack? duee you're an animal lol. Those are awesome. Thanks for the kudos Shawn

haha thanks for the props, but I'm certainly not the master lol

The back pack master

2. Biceps 2a. Assembly In this section I'll assemble the biceps almost exactly how I assembled the forearms. The bicep inner and outer sides are almost 1/4" + different in length. Since the upper section (arm pit side) is mostly hidden under the shoulder bell I'll match the lower halves (elbow side) then trim the upper. Beginning with the Anovos parts list. Gather the needed components and prepare them for assembly. The biceps do not have obvious return edges at the butt joint areas as seen with the forearms. Like with the forearms after the initial trimming place the armor around your bicep. Giving yourself space to freely move around either have someone locate and make the bicep in the locations where it will be trimmed for the cover strip or apply tape to the two halves, remove from you arm then mark. Again, don't let the difference in height distract you too much. After trimming ready to assemble. The left side inner cover has what appears to be a thumb indent. The right side does not. Like with the forearm, measure the shortest side to be covered by the cover strip. Cut cover strip to desired length. Remove protective film from armor to be glued. Install cover strips on one side then let dry. Like with the forearm after the glue has dried finish attaching the other side. See a pattern here? Apply glue and clamping devices. Let set for 48 hours After the glue has dried, remove clamping devices, and tape. Trim the top edges to match or you can leave them as they are. I trim mine to avoid pinch points. Comfort is your friend, keep that in mind. After final trimming. Moving back a couple pictures you may notice one of the biceps is a bit on the oval side. Later on I may give it a hot water bath to round that out a bit. I may have other areas to give a bath also so I'll save that for later. Bicep assembly done.

1. Forearms: 1d. Assembly (Part 2) In this section we'll finish with the assembly. In part 1 we left off with one side with two cover strips installed. In this section well connect both sides then let dry for 2 days. I prefer to assemble the front side first as that's what most fans see. It's always better and easier to hind any imperfections in the back. Apply glue than install opposite half. I prefer to use small clamps at the end and magnets in the center. Works perfect for me every time. At this point you let it dry before tackling the other side or install the other side and use painters tape to hold the two together. I went with door #2 Apply glue to the other side and apply clamps, magnets and tape. Let dry for 48 hours. Remove clamping hardware At this point remove any return edge as needed. As you can see I trimmed mine down quite a bit. No return edge on the wrist side Forearm assembly completed

This forum keeps jacking with my text. please excuse the mess 1. Forearms: 1c. Assembly (part 1) After the trimming either tape the two halves together, or not. The goal here is to measure the shortest length than cut a cover strip to match. Something to keep in mind, you'll eventually need to completely remove the return edge on the wrist side. That said measure the length distance just short of where you'll remove the return edge. When finished you don't want return edge hanging over the end of the armor. It's better to be a little short than too long. Eventually you need to remove the return edge here. You can do it now or later. I personally find it easier to do after the arm is assembled Measure and cut the cover strip. I personally trim the corners (OTTK cannon look) and edges eliminating burrs. You need not worry about the width. Once you have the cover strips cut you're ready to assemble. NOTE: The armor and cover strips are covered with protective layer. You must remove it from the armor before assembly or your joints will NOT hold. The cover strip protective layer can be left intact facing away from the armor during assembly. Apply E6000 to one side of the inside forearm. Attach cover strip. Use clamps or magnets to secure. Repeat the process on the opposite side. Let dry minimum 24 hours, highly recommend 48. This is what it will look like after. This is the outer side right arm as I forgot to take a photo of the left inside. Doesn't matter which side you start with. to be continued.....

Thanks Steve, sorry for dragging my heals on this.

1. Forearms: 1a. Forearm trimming part 2 and pre assembly NOTE: Always remember the golden rule "measure twice, cut once" Using the supplied Anovos instruction sheet gather the forearms sections and cover strip material. Each section is numbered. There's an inner and outer section with all the limbs. With the possible exception of the shins, each section mates with the corresponding section as outlined in the below chart. Cover strips length chart Something to keep in mind: The armor is asymmetrical, in other words the shape in some areas may appear warped, dented or bloated THIS IS NORMAL. How the armor fits and even assembles may differ from side to side. Armor is assembled in two ways "overlap" or "Butt & strip". This is butt & strip armor, that means the inner and out halves will butt up against one another then a strip will cover and connect the two. Besides assembling your armor correctly and looking good you also want to be as comfortable as possible. To achieve this I use a 1/2" rule. Building your armor allowing for a 1/2" of clearance between your body and the armor is optimum for many reasons like mobility, eliminating pinch points and body cooling just to name a few. Allowing your armor to slightly float over your body will help immensely during troops. Back to the pre assembly. Your outer forearms (the side with the indents) may have two trim lines. As I suspected in my OTTK build it's for multiple sized arms. Since my arms are average I used the trim line closest to the indents. The goal here is when were finished your armor will be assembled correctly and fit comfortably. I know it may be hard to see but there is a trim line here. ​Using a steel ruler or equivalent and a pencil mark the trim line on both halves of the armor. Note: Not all areas have definitive trim lines. In these areas it's best to perform a fitment test before continuing. Fitment test. It is always best to test fit the armor (if possible) before final trimming. After locating and marking the trim lines take the two halves and connect them, overlapping if necessary until the line match up. This will give you an idea on how it will look. Slide you arm into the section, this will give you an idea of how it will fit and feel. Note: If you can't get your had through the wrist side of the armor it's because you need to remove that side return edge (the area that flaps over). NOTE: Return edge gives the armor the illusion of thickness. For most areas it is not required unless specified otherwise or if you want to assemble the armor a specific way, for example, if I had chosen to use screen used brackets to connect the torso sections then I would technically need the return edge on each section to mount the brackets and screws to. For reason explained earlier I won't be doing that so I won't need all the return edge. Now if your a skinny fella or gal you may want to leave as much as you can to buff you up . The heavier or thicker you are the less you will want scraping on your body, so trim it off. If you're not sure what or how much to trim, ASK someone. Once you find the sweet spot of the armor fitment use a fabric ruler and measure around your forearm armor in a couple areas. Though the measurements won't be extremely helpful at the moment it will get you in the habit of comparing areas and sides. Compare arms. You'll notice one arm is larger than the other, this is normal. Let's finish the smaller arm first then we'll tackle the larger. Preparing armor to install the cover strip. By now you should notice one side of the forearm has a raised areas or return edges (Arms down, forward facing, away from your body). Then there's the indent side which is facing away from the side of your body) and finally the back (or rear) with little or no return edge, again facing away from the rear of your body. Starting with the forward side measure and mark plastic 6mm in width from the edge of the armor to where the edge drops off. After the initial trimming, in most cases you shouldn't have to remove much more. Trim off the marked area leaving only the 6mm section. After cutting both inner and outer halves butt them up against one another and check. The cover strip for the arms is approximately 10mm wide. This will leave you roughly 1mm of forearm on each side of the cover strip which give a nice clean look. It doesn't have to be perfect, a little more is perfectly acceptable. Before final trim (left forearm) Measure and cut. After Fitment check. It's a good idea to do another fitment check at this time. Using painters tape, tape shut the newly cut (upper) edge. Leave the lower edge untapped. Slide your arm in the assembly. Using your right hand clamp the loose sides together. You should have a good idea how much room you have between your skin and the armor, and how your hand and wrist fits in relation to the armor. Keep in mind if you still have the return edge at either end it may be digging into your skin. Don't be concerned with that just yet however, it may be a good idea to trim it back to about 1/8-3/16", especially if you have larger forearms. If you're a thin person you can leave it for now. If you have a sufficient amount of room but not too much to move your arm around then we may be a the sweet spot I talk about. If you are flip the armor over and trim the two halve so they are parallel with each other. Once finished with this step, clamp the armor shut and measure the circumference (outer diameter) at the elbow and wrist ends. You'll be using this measurement to duplicate the other side. Once you've completed the right side prepare to measure the cover strips and install. To be continued...