Terry19D

Just wait until you're successful at putting together one set of armor. Soon you'll want another to try out different things with...and then another to convert into a Sandy...then a helmet or two for display...

As someone who is seriously looking at replacing his FX kit with another, I understand your concerns. I'm not too far off your dimensions (6'3", 197), so I was also curious as to the fit of some of the other available armor types. After reading quite a bit on these boards and asking some questions, I've come to the conclusion that the choice is completely up to you. All of the armor I'm aware of can be trimmed and modified to fit a wide variety of body types. For myself, I am interested in AP & TE2, and I had heard that taller/larger persons may have difficulty in wearing them. However, after discussing this issue with a few other members as well as reading a lot of posts in the AP/TE2 forum, that concern has been eliminated. I really can't recommend any one particular type as they all have their advantages/disadvantages, and it also comes down to how much work you feel like putting into the kit and which you think looks good. This is a hobby, after all, and we want to have fun.

As gaps in the ears are screen accurate, perhaps that needs to be added to the Elite requirements?

Can't wait to see the pics from this go-around, Steve. I'm interested in finding out which changes you've implemented for this set of kit.

Yeah, pretty much all of the armor you pick up needs to be modified in some way to fit better. I had to re-trim both thighs as I had made them too large the first time through - I generally err on the side of caution. For riveting, all I did was to load the rivet gun, insert it into the holes in the plastic where you want to rivet, and place the washer on the back end (opposite the gun) and hold it there while you squeeze the gun. It should stay in place when you squeeze the gun again to complete the connection.

You can pick up a rivet gun as well as rivets at Home Depot, yes. And as Scott mentioned, definitely make sure to pick up some washers to back the rivets so that they stay in and bind the plastic pieces together tightly. I tested a rivet job on extra plastic and it didn't hold without the washers. I've since had no problems with riveting my sniper plate & thigh ammo belt, and I'm not exactly a handyman.

Nice work - I'm enjoying following your progress.

Congrats! Guess I'll have a as well - no fun drinking alone.

Awesome news - congrats! But I guess now would not be the time to suggest to you that the trap on Endor might not be the best choice...?

Empire is definitely first in my book. Although ANH is a close second, Ep. V really brought those characters to life. We now understood where they were coming from, what really motivated them, and some possible directions they could go in the future. Ep. IV could have been a stand-alone film. It had a beginning, middle, and end. With Ep. V it really felt like Lucas & co. were building up an expansive, cohesive, and ongoing sci-fi universe... ...A universe in which the Empire showed they could still kick the crap out of the Rebellion in a stand-up fight.

Just when I was thinking about picking up a TE2 helmet, too! I loved your tutorial and can't wait to see it again in either its old form or a new one.

Glad you had a good time! I bet you picked up all kinds of great advice and tips - like not putting your TK thighs on backwards or riveting the knee plate to the wrong calf.

I have already paid for a Rom from the latest run that I'm waiting to come in, and I'm also on the list for a TCI. Since I'll be picking up a second set of TK armor in the future, I figured I might as well go ahead and get another comm unit. Both options sound good and there's some flexibility between them that I can use depending on how I want to set them up (helmet-contained vs. chest rig, for instance).

Honestly I don't think you screwed up "that" badly, at least from the pictures you posted here. Things might look different in person, maybe... Anyway, your second set will come out nicely, I bet. Good to see that you're upgrading the bucket - I haven't seen a lot of mention about RT Mods lately - are they becoming harder to obtain? I'm still looking around for a new helm, myself. The best of luck to you on your upcoming build!

This is a great idea! I need to check to make sure nothing is going on either of those weekends, but I am leaning towards taking you up on this. I saw the poll you have going, but I won't post there until I'm pretty sure there won't be any conflicts in my schedule. The house looks great, too.

Nice - bet you're itching to work on it. Looking forward to following your armor progress!

My uncle served 20 years in the Air Force in Accounting. Said I was crazy to join the Army. I should show this to him.

I think you're the first person in a long time to make that connection. Yes, I was a Nineteen-Delta/Calvary Scout, stationed at Fort Knox, KY, right out of high school. Had to be honorably discharged early because of a medical conditon that cropped up. It's hard to believe I've been out of the Army for over 12 years now. But now I have my degree in Criminal Justice and could be joining my county's sheriff dept, so I guess it's all good. I'll be sure to take some better pix for the board!

Newly-commissioned TK-2055 requesting 501st status. http://www.501st.com/members/displaymember...cfm?userID=8817