Is now a good time to start a build?

[TK Monkus[TK]]

Hey there,

 

I had meant to start my build over 5 years ago, but life happened and the finances went away. I finally am back to a point where this is a possibility again. I have a few questions before I buy my armor.

 

I am looking at building ANH Stunt and had originally looked at buying it in PVC from RS Propmasters. I am based in Southern California, USA. I am also in the socal garrison forums and will post there as well but as this is the spot for Stormtroopers, figured I would start here.

 

My questions are, since it has been a while since I last looked over all this, is RS still the best place to buy from for ANH stunt armor?

 

I am new to all this and so am also wondering if I should sill try and build it myself with everything going on (I see RS has a commission option where they build it) I am guessing armor parties are on hold and so the next question is, is this really a good time to start this? Maybe I should at least order the armor now and wait to start building until things start to open up? I know building it yourself gives a great sense of accomplishment and being able to say "I built this" while I am wearing it is something I would love.

 

Any input on both questions would be appreciated, and thank you!

 

Matt

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Hello and welcome back, RS is a very accurate set of armor, it is a little thin for some and can get some cracks over time from heavy trooping, much like a lot of other thinner armor but can be fixed and strengthened. 

 

Building yourself does give you a sense of pride and accomplishment, it can seem daunting at first but with research and helpful folk here on FISD to lend a hand you will soon wonder what all the worry was about. You may find with a commission build that you still have to make some adjustments, but some don't.

 

You are right, very little in the way of armor parties with all that is going on in the world but having a build thread here on the forums you will still have many jump in and offer help.

 

A great thread full of helpful info

 

Good luck with what you decided.

 

 

 

 

[TK Monkus[TK]]

1 hour ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Hello and welcome back, RS is a very accurate set of armor, it is a little thin for some and can get some cracks over time from heavy trooping, much like a lot of other thinner armor but can be fixed and strengthened. 

 

Building yourself does give you a sense of pride and accomplishment, it can seem daunting at first but with research and helpful folk here on FISD to lend a hand you will soon wonder what all the worry was about. You may find with a commission build that you still have to make some adjustments, but some don't.

 

You are right, very little in the way of armor parties with all that is going on in the world but having a build thread here on the forums you will still have many jump in and offer help.

 

A great thread full of helpful info

 

Good luck with what you decided.

 

 

 

 

Thank you very much, that thread looks amazing.

 

Is there another set you would recommend that may be a bit thicker?

 

Do you think with nothing to start in the way of tools and what not, it is still something that is doable? Obviously if I did do it myself I would need to invest in the right tools but not sure if there are major things that are needed and hard to access right now do to closures and social distancing.

 

Thanks!

[Sly11[Admin]]

Check the list of our approved vendors for the details of what is available.

AM is definitely a thicker armour if you are after durability, but any of the makers supply a decent product all at varying prices.

 

Who to avoid

 

 

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

9 hours ago, TK Monkus said:

Is there another set you would recommend that may be a bit thicker?

 

Do you think with nothing to start in the way of tools and what not, it is still something that is doable? Obviously if I did do it myself I would need to invest in the right tools but not sure if there are major things that are needed and hard to access right now do to closures and social distancing.

 

My main armor for trooping is AM, which I have had for over 5 years with no cracking or yellowing after 50+ troops.  

 

As for tools, I have a thread in the "Tutorials" area below (Supply list for your OT TK build) which lists everything you will need, the main ones being Lexan scissors (or tin-snips), a Dremel-type tool, razor knife and such and you don't have to get the expensive name-brand ones.   Depending on where you are, (U.S.?) you can pick most them up really inexpensively from places like Harbor Freight (link here) or Northern Tools (link here) or even ebay. 

 

As for armor parties, they will be few and far between for a while, but you are encouraged to start a build thread here on the FISD.  You can ask as many questions as you like and post up tons of photos.  We are here to help every step of the way!

 

[Rat[TK]]

I won't try to say which armor is the best choice for anyone. But there are many good kits out there I have an Anovos stunt kit and a WTF Crimson kit both are decent enough for me and I've had no issues with either so far. When I built my Anovos kit I literally only had access to sandpaper, utility knife, dremel and some kitchen shears. So you can manage with minimal tools. Don't think or feel you need a lot of tools basic tools like a hammer, screwdriver, utility knife, x-acto knife and sandpaper and a snap setting tool is all you really need everything else is just to make it easier.

Good luck with whatever armor you choose and I look forward to your build.

[TK Monkus[TK]]

23 hours ago, Sly11 said:

Check the list of our approved vendors for the details of what is available.

AM is definitely a thicker armour if you are after durability, but any of the makers supply a decent product all at varying prices.

 

Who to avoid

 

 

Thank you for the reply and input. I will check out those threads.

 

 

[TK Monkus[TK]]

15 hours ago, justjoseph63 said:

 

My main armor for trooping is AM, which I have had for over 5 years with no cracking or yellowing after 50+ troops.  

 

As for tools, I have a thread in the "Tutorials" area below (Supply list for your OT TK build) which lists everything you will need, the main ones being Lexan scissors (or tin-snips), a Dremel-type tool, razor knife and such and you don't have to get the expensive name-brand ones.   Depending on where you are, (U.S.?) you can pick most them up really inexpensively from places like Harbor Freight (link here) or Northern Tools (link here) or even ebay. 

 

As for armor parties, they will be few and far between for a while, but you are encouraged to start a build thread here on the FISD.  You can ask as many questions as you like and post up tons of photos.  We are here to help every step of the way!

 

Thank you very much! I actually found your thread a little after I initially posted this and found it very helpful (and encouraging). You did an amazing job putting that all together and it is a godsend for new people like myself! I am in the US and think I am going to go for it at least ordering the armor. I now just need to pick which vendor I am going to use. Thank you again and hopefully I will have a build thread up in the near future.

 

[TK Monkus[TK]]

5 hours ago, Rat said:

I won't try to say which armor is the best choice for anyone. But there are many good kits out there I have an Anovos stunt kit and a WTF Crimson kit both are decent enough for me and I've had no issues with either so far. When I built my Anovos kit I literally only had access to sandpaper, utility knife, dremel and some kitchen shears. So you can manage with minimal tools. Don't think or feel you need a lot of tools basic tools like a hammer, screwdriver, utility knife, x-acto knife and sandpaper and a snap setting tool is all you really need everything else is just to make it easier.

Good luck with whatever armor you choose and I look forward to your build.

Thank you for the input! I think I am going to at least order my armor. Now I just need to choose which vendor I am going to buy from. Hopefully I will have build thread up in the near future!

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

One thing you may want to do while you "hurry up and wait" for BBB (big brown box) day to arrive is to start getting your soft goods ordered.  Having your boots on hand when fitting the calf armor will help a lot, and the same goes for your under suit when sizing up the other pieces.

Many (if not most) of us now order the 421 style type from Imperial Boots (link here).  They make them in "waves" about once a month, and I believe the next round opens up on Jan. 8th.  If you decide to go with them, I would suggest ordering a size up from what you normally wear as they tend to run a bit small.

 

Before ordering the other soft parts, be sure to check with your armorer.  Some include certain items and some do not.  For the ones you do need, I have a link here that will help.

 

 

 

[tat2trooper[TK]]

Start stocking up. Will save you bunch of time. E6000,snaps,magnets,clamps,sand paper. Those are a few things.

[TK Monkus[TK]]

6 hours ago, justjoseph63 said:

One thing you may want to do while you "hurry up and wait" for BBB (big brown box) day to arrive is to start getting your soft goods ordered.  Having your boots on hand when fitting the calf armor will help a lot, and the same goes for your under suit when sizing up the other pieces.

Many (if not most) of us now order the 421 style type from Imperial Boots (link here).  They make them in "waves" about once a month, and I believe the next round opens up on Jan. 8th.  If you decide to go with them, I would suggest ordering a size up from what you normally wear as they tend to run a bit small.

 

Before ordering the other soft parts, be sure to check with your armorer.  Some include certain items and some do not.  For the ones you do need, I have a link here that will help.

 

 

 

Thank you very much. I am 99% sure I am going to go with the RS self build, which I think is just the hard armor but will confirm. I am going to make a separate post, but do you know if his strap pack is worth purchasing as well?

 

Thank you for the tip on the boots. I will reach out to Imperial boots, do you know if they respond while "on break"?

[TK Monkus[TK]]

52 minutes ago, tat2trooper said:

Start stocking up. Will save you bunch of time. E6000,snaps,magnets,clamps,sand paper. Those are a few things.

Thank you. I am pretty sure I am going to go with RS and am thinking of getting his snap pack. I will stock up on the others while I wait!

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

6 hours ago, TK Monkus said:

 I will reach out to Imperial boots, do you know if they respond while "on break"?

No, but they will respond once the site opens up again on the 8th.  The shipping is actually pretty fast and they have a fantastic reputation here so you are in good hands.  When looking over their products, you may think you need to look in the "boots" area, but you should actually go to the "shoes" section.  The ones you want are model 421.

[tat2trooper[TK]]

6 hours ago, TK Monkus said:

Thank you very much. I am 99% sure I am going to go with the RS self build, which I think is just the hard armor but will confirm. I am going to make a separate post, but do you know if his strap pack is worth purchasing as well?

 

Thank you for the tip on the boots. I will reach out to Imperial boots, do you know if they respond while "on break"?

In regards to imperial boots. Make sure to get at least a whole size bigger. I made mistake getting just a half size bigger and they are snug. Might even go a full size and a half bigger for my next pair.

[TK Monkus[TK]]

22 minutes ago, justjoseph63 said:

No, but they will respond once the site opens up again on the 8th.  The shipping is actually pretty fast and they have a fantastic reputation here so you are in good hands.  When looking over their products, you may think you need to look in the "boots" area, but you should actually go to the "shoes" section.  The ones you want are model 421.

Thank you very much!

[TK Monkus[TK]]

20 minutes ago, tat2trooper said:

In regards to imperial boots. Make sure to get at least a whole size bigger. I made mistake getting just a half size bigger and they are snug. Might even go a full size and a half bigger for my next pair.

Thank you for the heads up, I will make sure to do that!

[TK-42134[TK]]

Looks like you have received some great advice. Good luck on you future build. 

 

[TK Monkus[TK]]

On 1/6/2021 at 1:03 PM, TK-42134 said:

Looks like you have received some great advice. Good luck on you future build. 

 

Yes, thank you! Put in my order to RS so now I prep all the tools and wait for that BBB!

[TK Monkus[TK]]

Well I just put in a pretty big order with amazon for most of the tools I will need. What do you guys think? I am going to go with the double snap option for connecting and have looked at @justjoseph63 guide on how to do this, https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/44617-snap-setting-101/, and am wondering if I could just buy all elastic instead of elastic and nylon? For reference I am about 5'9 130lbs and think the elastic will give a bit more for when I am moving in it?

 

I also was looking at getting two strips of the 1/4" white elastic bands that will go around the shoulder straps as I would like to go for centurion from the start, but also don't really need to buy a whole 6' roll of it. Is there anyone on here that sells those strips already done? Same with the mesh for the frown. I heard window screening works but don't need to buy a whole roll of that for such a small piece.

 

Thank you!

 

https://imgur.com/lJDEirx

https://imgur.com/7J5NaUb

https://imgur.com/ou1EsVF

https://imgur.com/wXcIQpX

 

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

4 hours ago, TK Monkus said:

Well I just put in a pretty big order with amazon for most of the tools I will need. What do you guys think? I am going to go with the double snap option for connecting and have looked at @justjoseph63 guide on how to do this, https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/44617-snap-setting-101/, and am wondering if I could just buy all elastic instead of elastic and nylon? For reference I am about 5'9 130lbs and think the elastic will give a bit more for when I am moving in it?

 

I also was looking at getting two strips of the 1/4" white elastic bands that will go around the shoulder straps as I would like to go for centurion from the start, but also don't really need to buy a whole 6' roll of it. Is there anyone on here that sells those strips already done? Same with the mesh for the frown. I heard window screening works but don't need to buy a whole roll of that for such a small piece.

 

Thank you!

 

https://imgur.com/lJDEirx

https://imgur.com/7J5NaUb

https://imgur.com/ou1EsVF

https://imgur.com/wXcIQpX

 

 

GREAT to hear that you are headed for Centurion, Matt!

 

For the strapping, there are a couple of things to consider depending on where you want to use it.  Different trooper have different preferences, but I personally use nylon for all connections except the shoulder strap that connects the chest/back where the 2 inch white elastic is used and the bicep to forearm (1 inch black elastic).

 

Nylon does limit your mobility a bit, but for me it has never been an issue.  Being able to bend and stretch (or even sit down) is not one of our strong points, lol.

 

As mentioned in my tutorial, when using elastic the ends must be doubled over when inserting snaps for strength, otherwise the snaps can/will pull through the material over time.  Elastic does allow for more movement, but will also eventually lose it's "stretchiness" depending on how much you troop and where you store your armor (heat will affect it as well).

Many troopers use elastic for most connections, but that comes down to a personal preference.

 

I can send you some of the thin white elastic for the shoulder straps as well as some of the 2 inch wide white required for the chest/back connection if you like (no charge).  Just PM me your shipping info.

 

 

[TK Monkus[TK]]

10 hours ago, justjoseph63 said:

 

GREAT to hear that you are headed for Centurion, Matt!

 

For the strapping, there are a couple of things to consider depending on where you want to use it.  Different trooper have different preferences, but I personally use nylon for all connections except the shoulder strap that connects the chest/back where the 2 inch white elastic is used and the bicep to forearm (1 inch black elastic).

 

Nylon does limit your mobility a bit, but for me it has never been an issue.  Being able to bend and stretch (or even sit down) is not one of our strong points, lol.

 

As mentioned in my tutorial, when using elastic the ends must be doubled over when inserting snaps for strength, otherwise the snaps can/will pull through the material over time.  Elastic does allow for more movement, but will also eventually lose it's "stretchiness" depending on how much you troop and where you store your armor (heat will affect it as well).

Many troopers use elastic for most connections, but that comes down to a personal preference.

 

I can send you some of the thin white elastic for the shoulder straps as well as some of the 2 inch wide white required for the chest/back connection if you like (no charge).  Just PM me your shipping info.

 

 

Thank you very much Joseph!

 

I think I will probably do similar and go mostly nylon but may use elastic for the forearm, bicep and shoulders and of course the white elastic for the chest/back.

 

PM sent for the shoulder strap elastic, thank you!

 

 

[TK-42134[TK]]

On my first kit, I had all elastic connections except for one (technically two) where I used nylon straps to hold my shoulder bells to the elastic under the shoulder bridges that connects the back and chest plates. I am currently working on putting together an AM 4.5, and will use the same method, but I am toying with the idea of doing two snaps on the plates I use instead of the one I used in each plate before. 

 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I found nylon can be quite restrictive myself, especially the more you want to move around, elastic definitely allows more movement.

[Daetrin[Admin]]

Everyone has a preference, but having done both I use elastic for everything. Actually I go even further - in the beginning when it may take a few troops to get everything dialed in I make the straps a little longer than I may need and then put in knots or pins to adjust it little by little.  After a half dozen troops where I'm no longer making adjustments, then I can make net new ones from scratch knowing they will be perfect.

 

Others put in loops where they can literally adjust them on the fly.  The downside of cordura/nylon is that there is no give at all, which puts more stress on the armor when you are doing something more than just standing around looking pretty.