Jamtrooper

Thanks for all the feedback. The shins fit together pretty well once I cut them out. They need a little reshaping but I don't think it will be bad.

Am I imagining this or did the AP kit come with silver stickers for the O2 cannister? If it did then I lost mine. Also, isn't the helmet supposed to come with padding? Mine didn't but when I look at the new opened boxes of forum users, there's a piece of foam padding in their kits.

Thanks everyone. I just got the first inner/outer shin pieces cut out and once released from the mold, they seem to fit together. They aren't aligned right as seen in Stukatroopers tutorial, but I'll deal with that later. Nice to know I'm not the only one struggling with this build.

Okay. I'm about to cut out the shins of my AP armor but holding them together (pre-trimmed) I can already see that they don't line up. The inner shin literally could fit INSIDE the outer shin!! By almost an INCH!!!! Did I just receive a horrible mold or is this just the way AP armor is? Good golly!! If this is just the way it is, I guess once I cut it I'll force it to fit together. If I got a bad mold, then I guess I'm screwed. I'm following Stukatroopers build a lot and I can completed empathize with his frustrations!

That's a great tip about the shreds of plastic. So is acetone safe to use on ABS plastic (AP armor) without warping it like I've heard some glues do? Is there a US brand name acetone that is preferred? I'm in the US.

Is Plastic Weld and E6000 always clumpy? They're both like trying to spread frosting on. I saw some pics on here where there is a plastic weld in a bottle. It looks like there's a brush and it might be liquid enough to spread on clean and easy. But the ONLY thing I can find is the stuff that comes out of 2 tubes and you mix it (Devcon Plastic Welder). It's clumpy and starts to thicken up immediately and I have to spread it on with a popsicle stick like paste. Am I doing something wrong or is this just the way it is gluing armor together? I guess I'm looking for something that's easy to use like simple model cement that flows more. I've read a lot of threads and everyone swears by Devcon and E6000 but am I the only one about to pull my hair out using these products? Any advice would be great!

Great...I guess that's the fine print on this armor. I've now got my thigh pieces trimmed and measured and there is enough range to at least kneel down. So, far I haven't compromised the look which is good.

I went ahead and committed on what I think is left/right. At least 50% of photos will match mine.

Can someone post a picture showing the difference between the left and right ANH stunt hand guards? From the movie reference pics, it looks like I can see it done both ways, which is very possible because I doubt they took the time to make sure every pair of gloves perfectly matched. What is the common left/right distinction amongst 501st troops?

Are you in AP armor? How tall are you? I'm 5'11" and I started testing the fit of the thigh pieces last night. To my surprise they seemed way to long and cut into my gut and the backs of my knees. I can barely even bend forward let alone sit. I'm also seeing a potential issue with the knee plate of my left shin constantly catching on the left thigh piece. I'm getting really concerned that this armor is going to require a lot of trimming and maybe even cutting up to a point where it loses it's screen accuracy. How do the rest of you even move comfortably?

I think I'll leave it on my ship. Thanks for the advice.

Hi Troops, I have AP armor which I'll be wearing for the first time in about a week. Can't wait! Just wondering if it's safe to sit in the armor or will I crack the butt plate?

Hey Troops, I'm almost done with my first build!! Can't wait to premiere it on Halloween. Just wondering about the blaster. I'm in Los Angeles. Will I have trouble with the police or security at bars/clubs with this fake gun? I've seen people at the cons put orange tape on the tips. Is that all I need or should I just leave it at home for the night?

Thanks! I'll look him up.

I'm in the middle of my first build (AP armor) and it's going well. Problem is the instructions that come with it are pretty useless and I haven't even used them. The details of where exactly to cut, where a snap needs to go, the fact it helps to use a heat gun to bend the belt - just aren't there. Instead, I've figured this all out by looking at the great tutorials some of you have put up. Problem is I'm spending so much time looking for reference photos of where others are making cuts and installing snaps and rivets that it's really slowing me down. My question is, are there any diagrams out there of where the cut lines should be and where and what size hardware should be installed? It would really help and save some time. Thanks.