Rich330

Thanks. If I'm really careful, I might even put them on the right feet!

I received my new boots yesterday and immediately set about dying them. These are a pair of Jones Chelsea Boots. They're about as good a match to the originals as I've been able to find over the last few months of scouring eBay. Before: During: After: They've turned out pretty good I think. Maybe a dab more dye on the elastic and then a bit of wearing for a nice beaten up look.

Looking very smart, Julie. Great work.

Cheeky! Why do you think I like ESB so much? Here are some more incorrect handguards in my defence ...

Good job on the chest plate. Hats off to you!

I thought it appropriate to get some proper Chelsea boots and dye them. Can't go to all the effort with the suit (internal strapping and weathering and all) and then put on my TK Boots. The TKBoots are great but for a whole different kind of idealised look. Armour assembled and ready, just waiting on my kit. Won't be long now, mate.

In the end I bought this very pair of Jones boots off eBay. It looks like this style is as close as I can get with a current product for the time being. Just arrived today. They fit me fine (yes, I am a hobbit) and are in good condition. I'll post pictures when I've dyed them.

This feller has got his on the wrong way round. That was how I ended up gluing mine on wrong. Trust me to pick that as my reference picture!

The three brackets on the chest are longer than the rest. Check out Pete's sales thread. http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=12511&st=0 He specifies that the set includes "15 small brackets and 3 large brackets" Looking forward to receiving mine. Some day. Soon. Hopefully.

Superb! More reference pictures for my upcoming strapping installation! Shall I take a picture of the view from my window and the weather here?

I don't think so. The only things which are visible on the outside as far as I can see are a few snaps and rivets and the screws holding the strapping brackets. It would be perfectly possible to include these so they are visible on the outside but without any practical function and then put in your own more secure strapping system. Something I considered myself.

This is only my opinion but I think in ANH there were suits that were painted and some which were not. In the end, to get the look that I wanted (quite glossy white appearance of suits in ESB screen captures) I decided I had to paint my armour. There is also clear run of paint on this original suit (look inside the neck) ...

You and me both, mate!

This is what a few of the parts are looking like after a date with "La Opinión de Tenerife". Would you believe I even had to go out and buy a newspaper especially. The missus had used all the old newspaper in the house to make baskets! (No, I'm not kidding )

Ha ha ha Cheeky!

Might have to have a look at that later too.

Sorted already. Drilled out the rivets (yes at this time of night! ) no problem. Welded some plastic into the holes and will refinish it tomorrow. Ammo pack safely on the right leg. Lord only knows how that happened. I could understand it if I'd put the sniper plate on the right shin. Never mind.

Er .... I think I have ... Not as if I've built two sets of armour before this already or anything! How did I manage that?

I sanded down all my rough bits of paint work and decided the whoel kit needed another coat of gloss as it was still a bit patchy in some areas. I now have a fully assembled and painted set of armour. Just waiting on my strapping kit now and in the meantime I need to add a bit of dirt to the finish. A few more pics ...

Well, we're just off the African mainland so not too far from Mos Eisley!

Thanks, Joe. Coming up soon, don't worry.

I'm more your whistle posse type! By the way, did you get my reply to your eBay message with measurements of my jack boots (you cheeky sod! )

Thanks, Mathias. It's been so easy to put together. The material is so thin it's like cutting paper (not one blister!) and I didn't have to do any real fitting and measuring; I just matched it all up to my other kit. It's another glorious day today so I was able to give my armour it's coat of gloss white. It's looking pretty good considering it's me first attempt (Pete's tutoral helped a lot) but a bit of wet sanding when the paint has cured will be needed to finish it off and iron out a few rough bits. Top one, nice one get sorted ... hardcore, you know the score!

Thanks, mate! My armour arrived on Saturday morning so I had all weekend working on it. My customers were also kind to me and left me all day yesterday free. I have it fully assembled and was in my home made paint booth last night. All primed and ready for the first gloss coat! After a lot of umming and erring, studying screen caps and pestering Paul for advice, I finally decided I had to paint the suit and took the plunge. It wasn't an easy decision as the off-white colour of this armour looks just like the new suit that was found. In the end I just felt a lot of the parts in ESB look glossy white and I like the way your suit and Pete's have taken the weathering. Here's a few photos ... Ran out of Halford's white primer and had to switch to a standard grey product. The gloss white should cover it fine though ... I'm lucky to be able to do this stuff outside at the end of November. Nice and dry and a warm 23°C

Yeah, same material. Pretty sturdy. You know, it always makes me chuckle how much we always go on about whether something is "troopebale" or "suitable for trooping". In my experience it's not the trooping that damages the kit, it's the transportation. I have my armour in a big tool chest and it never gets more battered and beaten than when it's in transit. So far, apart from dirt and grime, my armour (the other set) has held up fine. I've had to toss a resin blaster though. I don't think the maker allowed the resin to set hard enough and as a consequence it was always a bit soft. A couple of trips in the tool chest have ruined it.