pandatrooper

Most people that make deadly mistakes with a heat gun do two things: - get impatient and run it too hot - hold it too close - hold it on one spot and not a larger area (even when you want to fix one thing, you need to heat a much larger area) - aren't paying attention before it's too late I use a heat gun all the time, and you really only need to use it once in a while. First, get one that has 2 heat settings: high and low. Pretty much always use low. You could try and use a hair dryer but it's usually not hot enough. I have heard of people using hot / boiling water, but that's too much trouble for me. Hold the gun on "low" setting and run it back and forth, not in a straight line but "direct" it on one path, then move it along an inch or two below the first area, then move it back, etc. What you're doing is heating an area along the path. If you do it in a single straight line, you'll feel the plastic bend along that line. You don't want that, you almost want to heat that whole side of the forearm. When I say other side, I mean the opposite side (what's already glued). What you are doing is just softening the overall shape a bit so that you can get some better closure. I have build a good number sets of armor now, and almost everyone required heating especially the calves if you want them to shut nicely. You can rely on elastic hooks or velcro, but if you don't want them to spring closed - I just heat them up. That's just the way I do it, others might do it differently. I'm sure the armor makers using thinner plastic don't have to worry about this.

With everything still clamped, run a heat gun on low along the length of the forearm about an inch or so away from the seam. Do this along the other seam too. This will soften the plastic slightly and you will get some better alignment. Make sure you have removed the return edge on the wrist and left just a bit at the elbow as this will prevent the forearm from reshaping.

The ATA right outer calf has an ankle that's too long. Just match it in length with the other side.

Looking good!

The even pin stripe black outline over grey is harder than filling the shape black (leave the middle unpainted if you like) then doing the grey is easier.

http://www.starwarshelmets.com/Feb04/origBrFront2.jpg

If you look at the original helmets, the black is on the flattest part of the tear ducts. So on your first photo you posted above, I would bring the lines deeper in about 1/16" all around. Reference pic

Don't bother with pinstripe tape. Its not going to hold its shape around complex curves. Just hand brush the black and gray, no need to mask it. Personally, I think where you have masked for the black will make the black shape too big. Should be black inside the curves.

I think he's referring to the photo which shows the side rivets on the left side of the torso. Not sure if its because of the elastic but the photo makes it look like the rivets are not parallel with one another (eg. Top rivet on the ab armor is not at the same height as the top rivet on the kidney armor). It would make it a lot easier if you posted the images directly in this build thread. Also, not sure if you are done the thighs but in my opinion they need to be tapered such that the knee opening is closer fit around your knees. Right now they look way too big. This is what I refer to as "church bell thigh syndrome". . They should taper down if possible.

I think your tube stripes are a little low. They should be about a pencil width approx. 3/8" away from the cheek valley. Not a requirement for centurion but there was no mesh under the teeth on the originals.

To make it a TD you would need to remove the shoulder straps, change the lid or decals at least, new sniper knee plate, upgrade the belt to canvas (for both TK or TD) change the ab button plate among other things. In regards to yellowing, you could repaint it white, weather it to be a sandy, or sell it and start fresh. Personally, I think you should sell it and get a more updated kit.

You have to do a lot of mods to that helmet to make it 501st acceptable. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/18801-info-on-mods-and-how-tos-for-mrceefx-pcr-helmets/

Make sure your lid is sanded and washed with detergent. Warm up the can of paint by immersing it in warm (not hot) water for several minutes. Warm up the lid with a hair dryer and paint it with a light coat quickly outside. Let it tack up and dry. Then repeat the process. Be careful not to get dust or lint on the helmet between coats.

Your build is looking sharp, very detailed! A leather hole punch is an invaluable tool for punching holes in most soft materials.

Yes you can have a TD with pouches and a pauldron as long as you have 2 pouches in any location (left shoulder or either hip). Backpack is optional. This is for 501st acceptance, not Deployed officer or Swat. The armor is of course different from a TK.

Isn't the thigh ammo armor supposed to be attached with a cap rivet, not a split rivet?

Tip: double stack the magnets to increase strength in the middle of a limb. Eg: 2 stacked on the outside on top of the cover strip, then 2 stacked on the inside. Do this in 4 to 5 spots in the middle with clamps on the ends.

Polish before painting. I use Final cut for the polish in a beige bottle. Its in their pro line of products. Novus will work too.

Use plastic to shim the gap, black elastic to connect the above and kidney.

Yes, alive and still blasting.

There's a guide right here. -----------

Nice work!

Looking sharp.

Glad the tutorial is helpful

The vinyl in the hockey bag is reacting to the plastic. Dont use that bag, I had this happen to me too.