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Just getting going in researching all the parts and pieces but wanted to start a build thread now to document every step. Sorry for the current lack of info just yet. Stay tuned on my journey and looking forward to all the help I can get ! John

Hey Tony, thanks for the warning, I know scratching is probably going to be inevitable and 2K is just too expensive for me right now when it comes to paint, so I think I'll be sticking with just gloss white and gloss clear coat right now, paired with a whole lot of foam on the inside. I really like TPU (It's so satisfying) and I took some shoulder straps from here on the forums, modified it a bit, and I print at a very low layer height so I'm really hoping that I can slide by with minimal sanding and painting. I'm going to see how others attached their chest and back together, and I know some have some strapping connecting the chest and back underneath the shoulder straps so that the weight isn't entirely on them, but I'll figure that out later. In this photo, you can see how I eyeballed the thigh measurements, or the chest in this example, where I imported a photo of myself, scaled it, and tried to get the proportions right. I then went and measured my thighs again in order to make sure nothing would be too tight or too loose. I am willing to accept some reprints but I hope I won't have to. You know what they say, print twice, measure once. I haven't even gotten to the calves yet when it comes to printing, and I noticed some issues right off the bat. First off, the two calves are different, with one being two parts and another being three with that front bevel being detached like you said. I plan on installing some Velcro or elastic to the inside of the calves, with the elastic being tighter in the front than the back. Also, the sniper knee plate just doesn't have a great connection point so it's just going to be slapped on there with some glue. I'm interested in seeing if and how Sayless will tackle this if he's going to add a notch or connection too.

Awesome, thanks so much. Everyone is so helpful.

Thank you for the photos, I did notice the trimmed belts on some stormtroopers while watching Rogue One earlier today, but I'm just sticking with Akira's non-trimmed files for now. Something very important that I wanted to ask which connects to the reason why I don't want super restricting armor is on how to prevent the armor from scratching. On my last build, I put some velvet-like padding or some soft material to my armor so that it wouldn't scrape on some parts, but I just don't know what else I can do to protect the paint or make it more durable. I'm not very experienced with clear coat, but would more layers help protect the armor? I'm still thinking and looking at other armors, but if anyone could help me with this ongoing issue I would appreciate it.

I am one of the lucky ones who received their product (an FOTK undersuit), and while I will say the quality of the craftsmanship is quite good... if he spent as much time working on product orders as he does posting on socials, he'd be in a lot better position with the community. I can't currently recommend either.

Yeah avoid Sheev's. Paid for a Captain Enoch undersuit last April and nothing

Hey John! I'm Justin/Rascal and am your Imperial Attaché for the Orange County Squad, along with fellow Armorer @Oztrooperin Garden Grove. I'm based in Placentia, run @Rascal.Works out of my garage, have mentored a good number of the TKs in our Garrison, and would be happy to assist. What armor to buy is a complex question that is pricey enough to require a good deal of thought to ensure you're happy with your final purchase. It's like somebody asking - what kind of car should I buy? Well the guys who can afford Ferraris are going to say that's best, and they're not wrong persay, but that would probably be insane for a daily driver suggestion. Some guys prefer domestic brands over imports. And in the same analogy - there are a lot of guys out there have only ever driven one type of car or haven't driven in years - so be careful whose recommendations and advice you take on the internet. There will be positives and negatives about every maker, so just find one that fits for what you prioritize (accuracy/lineage, comfort, size, price, etc.). That said, there are a lot of us locally that wear Denuo Novo armor (or the older Anovos variant). They're a licensed maker in the US and their armor usually ships quick when it is in stock, and it's a great kit - they retained all the accurate dimensions and asymmetry of the original suits but are made without the lumps/bumps of the inferior vac-forming work done at the time. However, their helmets have been out of stock for a hot minute with no end in sight, and they do not offer replacement parts or extra ABS, so if the kit does not fit your frame, it will be harder to modify. There are also lots of great makers abroad as well, but with tariffs lately, who even knows the cost/shipping you'll deal with, so that's a consideration. Point being - there is no one right answer, but that's not a bad place to start, in addition to this subforum for getting started. Budget about $1500 on average for it, and most builds take about 6 months, but it all depends on you. If you're not already in the SCG Imperial Recruits Facebook group, I'd definitely recommend it. You just missed an Armor Party (where we get together to work on our kits) this past weekend in Anaheim, but there will be more throughout the year. Let us know if you have any questions and we're here to help!

Updated. Have added a warning under Sheev's and stated gloves no longer available for Endors.

One other misc quality of life change. This whole time I've kept the ab piece whole because I can actually slip in and out of it. However, for ease of putting it on and off, I did finally decide to split it, and just add some elastic across the split. This way it should hold together, but as I'm taking it on and off, it will give me a little bit of extra room. Tonight I also starting painted the chest piece with acetone-thinned Bondo spot filler in preparation of final surface prep: I am using the method shown in this excellent video from my garrison mate, Colin: