justjoseph63

IMHO, I would say that the kidney is definitely going to have to be trimmed, as this is causing your chest plate to stick out way too far. I would suggest going ahead and attaching the snaps to the bottom of the back and the top of the kidney to keep it in place while you do your trimming, and only do a little at a time until it fits correctly. I was having the same problem, and after using the double snap method, it worked out great. Looking at photo # 3, it appears that the kidney is a bit wider than the ab, so you should have enough to work with to match them up correctly. I noticed the snap on the ab, and hope this means you are shooting for EIB and Centurion, (awesome), but remember you will still need to cut out the 22mm x 22mm squares on the front of each side, so this may give you a little extra "wiggle room".

Good call, Jason! I forgot to mention that

It's looking like AP is going to be the way to go, Ryan. As for the differences in ANH Stunt and Hero, you can see exactly what they are by clicking on the Costume Requirements tab on the top bar of the home page. (I tried to link it here, but it seems the 501st site is down right now for some reason). There are a lot of great build threads here for customizing the armor to fit your type of frame perfectly, which will give you something to research while waiting. You can (and should) start your own build thread when you start putting things together... this way, you can keep track of (and show off) your progress, and it makes it much easier for us to answer questions when there are photos. (We love photos)!

I purchased some one inch thick pieces of "chair pad" foam from Wally-world and cut them into 2 inch wide strips, but I only need them on the inside of the front of my calves to keep them from shifting. To attach them, I picked up some industrial strength Velcro from Lowe's. I like this method because I can remove them when they start to get a bit smelly from sweat, wash them by hand, let em' dry out, and pop them right back in. I would stay away from duct tape if possible, as the residue can get sticky, and getting it off of your under-suit would be difficult. Are your forearms and thigh pieces too large? If they were put together with E-6000, you can always think about cutting them down a bit.

I find it amazing what some people can do with a few empty bleach bottles, a dull hatchet, and a spare couple of hours.

Ian is correct, Rui, you will need to apply for EIB first after you fix the holster. Great looking build, and excellent job on the paint!

First, steer well away from acetone, Spencer. The only time ABS and acetone should come in contact with each other is when you are making ABS paste for repairs, as it can and will melt it. Even if you use small amounts on a rag, it will take off the shine. I would try oven cleaner, which seems to be a popular way to do it, or like Dlotz mentioned, using fine wet sand paper and then Novus fine scratch remover. Just be SURE to use rubber or latex gloves and not breathe in the fumes, and try it first on a scrap piece of ABS.

First, it sounds like you are perfectionist, Derrick, which is a good thing! Like Michael,, I am not a GML, but I am highly doubting if using anything but paint would meet with 501st approval. The CRLs are pretty specific on these things, and one of the main reasons is continuity. I am thinking (hoping) that you will be shooting for EIB and then Centurion, (especially with RS armor), and believe it or not, if the area is properly prepared (sanded and taped off) and you use a high quality enamel paint, the frown will be not only as smooth as glass, but will have razor sharp lines. If you need a few tips on how to do this, just PM me and I will be happy to share them with you. You could also use decals, but I have the feeling you don't want to go that route!

Not sure about FO armor, Sam, but I am in the same boat as you... 5'10 155, and my regular TK armor fits pretty well, (see photo). I initially thought that wearing a compression suit would highlight my lean frame, but the armor takes care of "bulking me up". With the FO armor, I believe the gaskets and such will take care of that even better.

Auction mysteriously ended with no bids..... Hmmmmm.

As far as painting the frown, Tim, it's not as hard as you would think. I would try to steer clear of the decals if you can.. I found the best way to do it is to first use blue painter's tape to mask off the area you want to paint. Take your time on this... it's not a race. After you get it where you want, firmly press down all the edges, and then lightly paint them with white paint, (yes, white), and let it dry for about 20 minutes or so. This will seal the edges and prevent the gray from bleeding underneath and give you a clean,crisp line. (This also works great for tube stripe templates). Then you can hit it with a coat or two of the gray. I would also use some fine grit sandpaper wrapped around something this like a chopstick to sand down the inside of the teeth holes first to smooth them out a bit. Otherwise, your build is looking great! BTW, Fantastic job on the eye openings!

Did you buy a kit or a completed set of armor, Andrew?

My sincere apologies to Jim and you all regarding this matter... The Philippine maker I was referring to was that overpriced fiberglass kit at StarFortress... certainly not Jim's great armor, and I meant in no way to confuse the two. I take full responsibility for not clarifying that fact, and hope you will understand . I have PM'd Jim and explained the entire matter to him along with a humble apology as well. "To err is human..."

It polishes off easily, and leaves no film!

You may have one of two things going on, Dan... You may have either an allergy to the latex material (common) or getting some sort of heat rash. The liners will certainly help, but for everyday trooping you may want to go with a different style of glove. I only use the rubber ones on canon events, as it is simply too hot to wear them in the Florida heat/humidity, but I found a pair on ebay (yes... I know).. that are truly awesome. They have a thin leather palm, (good for gripping) and a cloth top. They fit tight, (I can pick up a coin), but breathe really well. The best part is that the base is longer than regular gloves and fits nicely up into my forearms, eliminating the gap than can occur and expose your wrist. Here is the link if you are interested: ----------

Mis-post. Oops!

I have the Evilboy's fan system, and am really happy with it. Being in NY, you may get away without using them much, but here in FL., the heat can really get to you quick, (but at least we have high humidity, ). Mine are installed near my jaw line on either side, so even for someone with long hair this shouldn't be a problem. As for the lenses fogging up, a cool trick that really works is put a dab of shaving cream on the inside, smear it around a bit, let it dry, and then polish the inside of the lens just until it is clear.

Pedro, if you are looking to get 501st approved and troop with your Garrison, steer WELL CLEAR of the maker (Star Fortress) in the Philippines.

Jeff showed me this awesome improvising method at a recent troop, and it not only looks great, it does the trick splendidly! Quick question, though... Why are you dancing at the office?

Looks as if it's going to be a month or so before I can get this up and running. I will have to pay for 50 of them, (plus engraving costs) out of my own pocket, and then hope that I can sell them all! Haven't forgotten about it, though, and will keep this updated as things progress.

Two words: Battle damage.

With Doopydoos there are positives and negatives, Jens. The positives are that it is a great resin kit, and can be modified like crazy, especially using Tino's (T-Jay) awesome upgrade kit. The negative is that it can take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive when ordered. Yes, they are often out of stock, unfortunately, but on the site where it states that, there is a "contact me when this item is in stock" button you can use. The thing is, when you get that email, it will not say "It's back in stock". It will actually say nothing at all. BUT, you must reply immediately. I waited 45 minutes, and they were out of stock again... (yes, that quick). They are well worth the money in my opinion, though. You can also consider a Hyperfirm. The advantage to these is that they are normally available pretty quickly, and can damned near be dropped out of a plane with no major damage. Perfect for trooping when you want to allow someone to hold your weapon for a photo op without fear of them dropping it.

For further clarification of this point, watch one of the best films ever made, "Patton". Especially when he takes command of the base near Kasserine. Patton: Where are your leggings? Cook: But I'm a cook, General!. Patton: Your' a soldier. Patton: Why aren't you wearing a helmet, Doctor? Dr.: I can't wear my stethoscope with it on... Patton: Then cut two holes in it...

Outstanding build, Andrew, and I gotta say that is one of the finest paint jobs I have ever seen!

This has to be the coolest troop I have ever seen.. I laughed my butt-plate off! Great job, but it could have used more bacon..