SublimeBW

I think I corrected the alignment a bit but I ended up cracking the ear piece a smidge and I now have a visible screw (you have to look close, but from the right angle and distance it is visible) so I will have to get that worked out.

That is EXACTLY the feedback I was looking for, thank you! I originally had a higher brow but while making some minor adjustments it somehow slipped (I noticed the slip when I took the picture) so that should be am easy correction. For correcting the ear positions, I feel that is may possibly leave some of the old holes open. I can fill those up using the patching method (clippings and acetone) , right?

I took a bit of a build hiatus due to some of that life stuff getting in the way (holidays, travel, vacation, general life BS) but am now back at it! I wanting to put my stripes on but wanted to double check that my helmet alignment looks good prior to doing so (I know I have some paint touch up and clean up to go through still). Any section eyes would be appreciated.

Hey gang, I am nearing completion of my helmet and am curious if there is a recommended build order for the rest of the suit (AM 4.5 if it matters). I am guessing that the forearms are likely a good place to start as they are smaller, easily visible and pretty independent from the rest of the suit but wasn't sure where to go from there. Ideally, I am hoping that there is a list starting with the least complex and most independent working my way up to the most complex & integrated.

I am nearing completion on the helmet but worry that I have the alignment off (I should have given this a better look before manicuring the first ear) and was hoping to get an opinion from the group. I think my brow and eyes are lined up but the damned asymmetrical aspect of the helmet has me second guessing myself. Any opinions or feedback is appreciated.

Is there a secret to getting the faceplate and the top of the helmet lined up? I know that the helmet is asymmetrical and have watch the videos from Eric Dyck (which have been a help) but every time I get one eye lined up the other gets out of whack or my brow changes (I am shooting for about 3/8" or what I believe is the mid-brow look) during alignment and then I get that fixed and the eyes are out of whack again. Am I being too critical about the alignment or misunderstanding how the alignment is meant to go? Or is there some sort of "Hey Brian, you are a dork, do this and win at helmets" step that I somehow skipped. Note: I did NOT do the trim step in Eric's video; will that help? From the explanation, it comes into play with the ear piece mounting. Note: I did also post this same question on the AM Facebook site. Edit: Update from the Facebook post. I was not lining up the correct pieces. The front line of the front traps should be lined up with the orbital ridge rather than the eye cutout.

I actually ran out the the hardware store and grabbed some files today so I now have a set (I know it was something that was going to be needed and was on the to buy list). Gonna start cleaning it up in a few.

Awesome! This is just the feedback I was hoping for. The references will help as well. Thanks!

I Figured it was better to go slow with my modifications and wanted to run my teeth work with the group. I think they are pretty good but wasn't sure if I need to clean them up and if the 5th pair of teeth cut out or not (I am thinking not as the CRL states 8 cut outs).

Day 1 progress was minimal but better than nothing. Mainly putting the decals on the helmet. Apparently, I am horrible at it as there were bubbles in one and when I tried to fix another I made it worse. I may end up scrapping the decals and just going the hand painted route. My next steps include actually drilling or sanding out the teeth so trying to work up the courage for that.

Whelp, the box has arrived. I rummaged through it, did a poorly made unboxing video where I likely got most of the pieces wrong in my excitement and now I have a bit of "where do I go next" paralysis (I will get over it). Rumor is the helmet is the best place to begin so I will start researching that. Given it has the most complex parts (fans, voice box, lenses and so on) I will make sure to do lots of research before starting.

Hey gang, I am eagerly awaiting my arrival of my Armor Masters kit and am looking to purchase some lexan scissors, as recommended, however I have two questions/issues I am trying to resolve: I am left handed and am nearly completely unable to use standard right-handed scissors. In all the products I saw, none mentioned left-handed use. I know I cannot be the only lefty out there so I am hoping someone could either confirm that there isn't an issue with the scissors or possible point me to a lefty pair Is there a recommended brand/vendor? When I fire up the ol' Amazon buying machine I see a bunch without many reviews nor differences between them. Not sure if there is a huge variance in quality or not Thanks for any info you can offer!

I have officially purchased my kit from Armor Masters (AM) and am excited to begin my journey!

Really dumb question - is the information on the first page up to date or is there a more current list of approved vendors somewhere within the 59 pages of this thread? If it is up to date, how big are the differences between the RS Propmasters (original sculpting) vs something that may have had a few revisions/tweaks from the other vendors? It is a bit hard to make a decision on vendors when the only one that seems to have some clarity is RS (I say hard as I want to check out the others but the information you can garner from a facebook page seems rather limited for something of this value).

Thanks for the encouragement gang! I am debating on the best place to order my ANH Stunt kit and it seems that RP Propmasters is going to be the likely winner as the site I have been to, it is the most clear on what you get and visible pricing.

Thanks for the input. I didn't think about the blaster build and gather tools; I like that idea. It will allow me to continue on the build journey without worrying about the impact of the weight loss. Great suggestion!

Good morning gang! I have always loved Star Wars, plain and simple. I love the story, the esthetics, the lore, the expanded universe; all of it... When I learned of the 501st I knew there were be a day I would join the numbers, it was just a matter of when (time, money, all that jazz). During a recent outing to a zoo, I explained what the organization was and how one day I would like to join and my wife give me the thumbs up to proceed so here I am! Originally, I was split between a 5555s/Fives build and a standard Stormtrooper but after asking around I found that starting with the Stormtrooper is likely the correct path (easier build, more cost effective, likely more troopings are applicable). I do have a question as to when I should purchase my kit. I am 5'9" and currently 185 lbs but am going to be dropping some weight (goal is ~165 - 170, started ~198 in August) so I wasn't sure how "fitting" the kits run. Is it better to wait, drop the weight and measure or is there enough leeway in the suits (once assembled) to account for some weight fluctuation?