troopermaster

Trust me, you did not see where the original rivets were. More like a flaw in the forming tool since the belt is sculpted, not original cast.

What are we actually seeing in the photo Karin? This is not what I was expecting to see comparing to the screen used neck seals.

This is where you should put your rivets. I know it's too late for you but I hope this will help someone else before they attempt to attach the belt in the wrong place.

No point making anything too slim so you can't fit into it. The whole idea is to build the kit as accurate as possible but still be able to wear it. This is where the test fitting comes into play and rushing gets you nowhere. I am seeing more and more poeple making silly mistakes with these kits when they could have easily been avoided if they had slowed down. Now, if you really want to add wider strips on the legs then you can still do it without having to buy new parts. All you have to do is a leave a small gap between the parts and add the wider cover strip. Nobody is going to pull you on it and many of the screen used armour parts are like this anyway. This is providing you only want to add a few mm's to the overall circumference of the parts. I would say you could get away with a 5mm gap on both front and back giving you 10mm extra. I regularly put 25mm joining strips on kits I build so you should be good for 10mm more girth. Anything more and you may need to have a hidden shim or new parts.

I think if they fit you that way then leave them. If not, then pull apart and adjust so they are equal. I never worry about side gaps and hate to see shims there, so I say leave them as is

That's the one! It doesn't look too long on the finished armour but a shorter strap allows less movement. Also, if you have original strapping, it kind of forces the armour to hang a certain way and the chest brackets could be forcing your abdomen down. Try having longer loops at the chest only and see how it feels.

Everything is looking really good. The knee plate problem is pretty common and I think a bit of foam inside the back of the thigh (at the knee) cures the problem. The side strap between the kidney and abdomen looks too long in your build photos. It really should be very short and only long enough to reach the snap on the abdomen. Trim the tops of the thighs by all means.

Photos of the main torso parts and the face plate are what I would like to see more of. I already know where the arms came from.

More importantly, I think we would like to know who you got it from?

Now the truth please!

Who did you buy that kit from?

The brown boots Mathias posted are original brand boots. Here are a few more photos of originals to help make better replicas.

I haven't seen those photos from Matts' Yahoo account for years now. How time flies....

Here is another with the original (?) flat lens in one eye.

LOL beat me to it while I was searching for a photo

Nice photos Joe! Some there I haven't seen in a while. Hmmm...not sure about the prop. I'll ask ziggy, he should know

When you asked me about the cloth for the belt I was under the impression you wanted material to make your own.

You have almost got it right. The top of the inner half of your forearm should have a flat ridge just as your outer half does. I don't know if your kit has one originally but that is how ANH armour is.

This is not surprising to see. I facepalm on almost every thread I read lately

You have over painted them making them look too big. There should be a nice gap between each button and they could be neater.

I believe this is the actual helmet in the auction. I wonder where the rest of the armour is? The last ROTJ helmet went for double this estimation if I remember correctly.

The gap at the shoulder bells will be reduced once the biceps have been trimmed. The biceps were made to suit the incorrect measurements I was given and are oversized through no fault of my own (just want to make that clear ). Also to note, anyone who is larger than a skinny 70's guy cannot expect to look they do one screen. So if there is still a gap at the bells it is because David is a stocky guy and has nothing to do with the armour (just want to make that clear too )

The diagram is wrong. The ridge should be on the top of both the inner and outer parts so there is a flat surface to glue the butt joining strip to. The back side of the forearm has no ridge and allows you to trim where you want (within reason) and close them using the butt joining strip again. Use this information if you want to go screen accurate. You do not have to do it this way, but it is the way the original suits were assembled.

I trim 10mm in from the top and bottom and 13mm in from the sides. I don't think there is any set measurement here, but most belts seem to have slightly more off the sides than the top and bottom. Here is an original ANH belt for reference.

No, you are not doing it right. ANH forearms have the ridge on the front side of the forearms and none on the back side. Same goes for the shins and thighs. Only the biceps don't have any ridge.