Ukswrath's Anovos Shadow Stormtrooper Build

[ukswrath[TX]]

Haha whatever Michael. BTW where's your Magma?

[mikidymac]

Did you already give up on this Tony? The suspense is killing me. I love it.

[ukswrath[TX]]

Sorry folks, between collecting images, small movement on the build itself, vacations, sales, FISD DO duties, and plain ole procrastination I'm running a little slow on this build at the moment. Now that the weather is tapering off a bit here in Cali I will actually have more afternoon time now.

[nerdfullyyours]

Keep up the good work Tony! I've got my pieces all trimmed. Haven't started fitting anything yet though. Looking forward to following this because you were such a big help with my Anovos TK.

[ukswrath[TX]]

Keep up the good work Tony! I've got my pieces all trimmed. Haven't started fitting anything yet though. Looking forward to following this because you were such a big help with my Anovos TK.

 

Thanks Tim. If anyone wants to jump ahead this armor (except for a few minor details) is exactly like the white OTTK. If you're interested feel free to take a look at that build thread on the FISD. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/35086-ukswraths-anovos-tk-build/page-1. If you have any questions regarding any differences between the two don't hesitate to post it here.

[ukswrath[TX]]

WHEW! What a busy season, good news the armor is about 3/4 built and I should be updating this thread soon. Good to see other builders and threads out there.

[Darth Emphatic[CMD-DWM]]

Very cool. Can't wait to see pics!

[ukswrath[TX]]

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...

[Darth Emphatic[CMD-DWM]]

Very nice build info here!

[ukswrath[TX]]

Very nice build info here!

 

Thanks Steve, sorry for dragging my heals on this.

[ukswrath[TX]]

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.....

[Darth Emphatic[CMD-DWM]]

Trust me, I understand

[ukswrath[TX]]

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

[ukswrath[TX]]

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.

[usmc03[TX]]

This is awesome. I have been looking for an example like this. I have a WTF kit that came pre-trimmed. I just need to fine trim it and glue. Thanks for all this.

[CrookKnight[501st]]

Tony,

Looking great as usual. Glad to see you are building one of these. I placed an order with WTF and should have it in about 4 weeks. Going to start with the soft goods and other stuff. Of course I will follow your build thread, as you are the "Build Master". If you have any good pointers on the best places to get the best stuff, let me know. This should be fun.

 

Also, I should have the Jump Pack ready by the time I finish my build. Will be making the black version of the pack, as you see in Battlefront. Should be cool.

[ukswrath[TX]]

Tony,

Looking great as usual. Glad to see you are building one of these. I placed an order with WTF and should have it in about 4 weeks. Going to start with the soft goods and other stuff. Of course I will follow your build thread, as you are the "Build Master". If you have any good pointers on the best places to get the best stuff, let me know. This should be fun.

 

Also, I should have the Jump Pack ready by the time I finish my build. Will be making the black version of the pack, as you see in Battlefront. Should be cool.

 

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

[ukswrath[TX]]

This is awesome. I have been looking for an example like this. I have a WTF kit that came pre-trimmed. I just need to fine trim it and glue. Thanks for all this.

 

Thanks for the kind words Lance. Hope this helps you

[Scubacat[TX]]

Looking great bro! Keep up the great work and you will be done in no time!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ukswrath[TX]]

Looking great bro! Keep up the great work and you will be done in no time!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

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

[CrookKnight[501st]]

Are you using rare earth magnets? If so, where do you get them? I am having trouble finding a good source.

[Darth Emphatic[CMD-DWM]]

I've found good ones on Amazon. I'll see if I can dig up a link.

[ukswrath[TX]]

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

[Griffin-X[501st]]

You can also pick them up from Trooper Bay

 

https://trooperbay.com/costuming-supplies/hardware/10-pc-5-16-x-1-8-rare-earth-magnets

 

https://trooperbay.com/costuming-supplies/hardware/3-4-inch-x-1-8-inch-thick-n52-rare-earth-magnets

[ukswrath[TX]]

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 ........