Beren

Thanks Brian! That's the one. There are so many other story lines out there and I haven't read any if them. Any suggestions???

I am looking for some book recommendations... A few years ago, I read a book that occurred between episodes III and IV about Vader's early efforts to track down the Jedi, but I can't remember the books title and was wondering if any sequels have been released. Does anyone have any idea what book this could be or have any other recommendations?

Awesome photo! Congratulations.

How thick is your ABS? What are you trying to connect? Can you upload a picture? A lot of us use webbing instead of ABS to fabricate a snap "plate", but it might not work depending upon where you are working.

Joe, welcome to the FISD and to the Florida Garrison. It sounds like you've got your heart set on this kit. Keep in mind, it may take considerable effort to make it fit you and to make it 501st acceptable. I don't have any personal experience with the mods necessary, but from what others are saying, you should not expect it to be easy... It may be a struggle if this is your first kit. For me, once I got started, it became a bit addicting and I wanted to get my build as accurate as possible. We are all happy to help with whichever kit you choose. Just want to make sure you are an "informed consumer"!!!

Joe, you are getting good advice here from reliable people. If you hope to have armor that resembles screen accuracy, you will be very disappointed with this potential purchase. If you are just looking for something to kick around in for Halloween, then have at it! I see you are local too... Be sure to check in with the Florida Garrison if you haven't already at http://www.fl501st.com/boards/

Yes, you should cut away the front, back, and clean up the sides. Be sure to leave a small return edge on front and back. You can always remove more later if necessary. Enjoy your build! I just finished my AP build earlier this year.

... and you're not holding the can too close to the armor or making the paint too thick??? Maybe you just have a bad can of paint... Try using it on the back of a street sign.

How old is your paint? What type of armor is it? I used Krylon brand spray paint and did not have any trouble.

My legs are thin and I wanted to avoid the "cow-bell" effect, so I tapered the legs to fit.

You might consider cleaning out the return edge inside the eyes too. Otherwise, looks great!

Great work Chris! I'm about the same height and your legs appear to fit much better than mine. Did you have to adjust the length much at the bottom of the shin pieces?

I purchased a hyperfirm DLT-19 and am very happy with it. The end of the gun (barrel end) is flat... Has anyone attempted to drill 1/4- 1/2" into the barrel to make it look more realistic?

I had trouble with the thighs too. Check out my build progress at http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=18259 and let me know if this helps.

I stand corrected... sorry about the bad advice! Congratulations on your approval!

For a more accurate look, you should cut the corners off of your belt at 45 degree angles.

It took a bit longer than I expected, but Mark is very reliable. You'll get your armor soon and will be very happy with your new project! It's a great kit!

I'm not sure what others have done, but to adjust the pinching elbow problem, I found it easier to adjust once the armor was assembled. You should be able to touch your ear without impingement. Have you tried taping the two pieces of armor together yet to confirm that your hand can fit through the small end?

Be careful not to trim too much from your armor... too much trimming may make it tough to fit your arm and hand through. The cover strips should measure 15mm for the arms and 20mm for the legs. The amount of "face" that you leave for the cover strip to cover should come as close to possible as the width of your cover stip, but may be bigger if your arm/leg size dictates. If you have 20-25 mm on "each inside end", your total facing is going to measure 40-50 mm and most likely will be too large unless you have HUGE appendages. Hope this helps!

Some have used velcro between the bottom of the calf and the top of the boot (at the front). Combined with the foam, this should help quite a bit.

Rusty, Looks great! A lot of people place the seam of the neck S-trim at the front of the helmet rather than the back so it doesn't show. Maybe this will work for you too.... Looking forward to seeing you at some local troops soon!

Great job! Nice AP build.

Has anyone had any luck drilling into the barrel end of the hyperfirm to make it look more realistic?

How big is the gap? Can you post a picture?

Here's my helmet. I used Krylon gloss black from the home supply store and didn't notice the paint smell after a few days. --------