justjoseph63

I wonder if these come in black?

You will definitely save more than a few dollars building the armor yourself, Dan... Plus, it will be custom fit! To get in touch with AM and AP, try the following, and best of luck on your build! AM- troopergear@gmail.com AP- authenticprops@hotmail.com

Being a TK, it can be difficult to carry trading cards with you at events, due to the limited (almost non existent) storage space and accessibility. I found a method to use (at non canon events) that has worked out really well, and thought I would share it. I discovered an old cell phone case in my junk drawer that fit the bill perfectly. It is 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 3/4 inch deep, has a magnetic catch, and holds approximately 50 cards. It fits nicely on my canvas belt, and can be easily opened, (even with gloves). I realize that this style of case is going out of fashion, due to the advent of smart phones, so it can probably be picked up at a bargain price at popular auction sites or at a discount store. ------------

You are not "Doing it wrong", but a suggestion at this point would be to invest in a Dremel tool, Sebastian. It will make life soooo much easier, and you will be able to use it on a lot of areas. You will need to also purchase the "sanding drum" attachment, (pictured below) along with a few extra spare sanding barrels. One word of warning, though... although this will make removing return edges MUCH faster, you need to practice a bit first, or it can get away from you rather easily. Just trim off a little at a time until you get the hang of it If you choose to go the razor knife method, you can purchase a "half round" file ( I swear by mine) at Lowe's and use the rounded part to smooth out the edges before sanding.

Awesome build, Kris, and kudos on the paint job on the bucket and ab buttons!

Some of the tools you will need are: Snap setting tools- For.. well.. setting snaps. A hammer- Razor knife- (Preferable a heavy duty one with a retractable blade) for cutting the nylon straps. Soldering/wood burning iron- I promise you that this is the best 13 dollar investment you can make when it comes to this part of your build. Use it to make the holes for the snaps and to melt the ends of the nylon to prevent fraying. Available at Lowe's, Home Depot or the like. Some great advice from Mark and Jason about the Tandy snaps. Do not even think about buying cheap ones.... you get what you pay for!

I agree with Michael about HFX (Slavefive's) hyperfirms. I have purchased a DLT-19, T-21, and other items from them, and have always been blown away (pardon the pun) by both the quality and customer service.

For ten bucks you can't go wrong!

Good idea about adding the nylon strap, Jeff, but you can also fold over the elastic at the end to double it's strength, (especially the white shoulder bridge elastic). This is what I did, and it has held up really well.

Do you have any photos/links to the imperial sandtrooper pack? I would be really interested in checking them out...

You can also purchase a half mask instead of an entire balaclava. The one pictured here could have the mouth cut out completely, and your neck seal would probably cover the bottom. Plus, the top is open, which would keep you cooler...

I just wish I could figure out a way to keep them cold, especially on those 3-4 hour troops in the Florida heat!!

Way to go, Andrew! There are going to be some mighty happy kids thanks to you all and your Imperial presence!

It states in the CRL that you should not wear it if you are wearing a pack. (Then again, what's a HWT without the pack)?! Hope you have a blast building it, Andrew, I know I certainly did!

Good call by Bill on going a half size larger.. I also keep shoe stretchers in my boots when not wearing them.. They are pretty inexpensive, (less than 20 bucks), and keep the shape of the boot in between troops.

Way to go, Jaydon, and welcome to the rank of Centurion!

You will also need boots, a neck seal, E-11 holster, black compression under suit (I would recommend the 2 piece), gloves, and a white canvas belt.

Really nice job, Terry... I see an EIB badge in your near future!

I think you are going to be just fine with the AM armor, Tim! I have noticed that there are a large number of AM purchases lately, especially by those in your size range. Hopefully most (including yourself) will start build threads, which will help not only you, but those in the future. The one piece of advice I would offer is to "have all your ducks in a row" (be prepared) before your armor arrives. Having everything you will need on hand and doing your research ahead of time will serve you well and make your build go much more smoothly, I promise. It may seem overwhelming at first, but trust me, you can do it, just as we all did. Take your time, ask questions, post lots of photos, and you will be out there trooping sooner than you think!

If you are looking at it from the side that faces in, (or I guess the other side as well) the top part has a slight rise toward the sides.

Hi Shawn! You can always check out the some of the ESB build threads,http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/82-esb-build-threads/, which should give you a good heads-up. I personally started with the biceps, then forearms, to give me some confidence. One of the keys is to take off a little at a time, and like they say, "measure twice, cut once". There are also some nice videos here:http://trooperbay.com/videos/# You should also consider starting a build thread... this way you can post photos of your progress, (we love photos), ask questions, and keep everything organized and easy to reference. Also, have you joined the Carolina Garrison yet? There may be some members in your area that would be more than happy to help you out in person,http://www.carolinagarrison.net/. Hope this helps, and best of luck on your build!

Oops.. Sorry about the mix up, Spencer! Tim was spot on when he mentioned that flat ABS plates will not stick to the curved surfaces, and that you should sand down the area prior to attaching anything. As for gluing the snap plates directly onto the armor, I personally would advise against it. One reason being is that if the snap should get bent or damaged, you can pop off and/or grind it down without having to worry so much about damaging the actual armor.

With the snaps I used, it's the male part that is rounded, and the back of the female part is the flat one, so I am guessing it can vary from one manufacturer to another. Either way, like Paul said, use the one with the flat back to go next to the ABS or nylon.

Welcome, Vernon! You are definitely in the right place if you are looking for all the information you could ever want to know about becoming a Stormtrooper. A good place to start is here,http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/38-getting-started-read-this-first/ which can give you a lot of the basic information.

The female part of the snaps are attached to a 1 inch by 2 inch piece of the nylon, then CA (super) glued directly on to the armor. I originally glued the female parts onto small ABS strips, then glued those directly onto the armor, but obviously could not remove them when I switched to the double snap system so I just went over them. The nylon I sent you should be more than enough to make all the necessary pieces. P.S. Use a name brand, quality super glue like Zap-a-Gap or the like. (Trust me on this one).