Unable to cap Automaton skills...

I've been trying to cap my Pup Skills but it stopped and didn't go blue.
I've got Forefront Animator (Automaton Boost: 106), Percolator, Optic Fiber, and Cirque Pantaloni +2 (Skill +10). My only Tier 1 Puppetmaster Merits are Activate and Repair Recast.

My magic skill is 434 base skill (the true skill level displayed on screen while skilling up), even though base cap is 424 (it 'showed' 434 since hitting 424 base bc of empy pants, but kept going actual 434 base) never turned blue, just stopped.
My ranged skill is 427 base skill, with base cap of 417.
My melee is still a work in progress @400.

I've tried even match (105-6) mobs for 3 hours and no skill ups. Then went to lvl 108 mobs in Adoulin and no skill-ups for an hour.

Is it even possible to cap blue skills if you use Forefront Animator before already achieving blue skills? I mean it's not going up no matter what I do, but they aren't displayed as capped. Tried using older Animators and didn't change anything.

I'm by no means new to skilling up, have capped every skill in the game aside from these automaton skills and SMN, but this makes me feel retarded.

The Producer said: "The animators with item levels have accuracy and other stats built into them, and it will not increase individual automaton skills (melee skill, magic skill, and ranged skill)." but I can't figure out why I can't cap blue.