LadyInWhite

It does look like the neck bulge is a little shallow, but it's harder to tell from photos and when it's not all together. Might I suggest (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong - I'm on suggesting what I would try myself) to use a little sealing iron on that very edge to curve it inward more like the rest of the bulge? The sealing iron we use for return edges. Or perhaps simply heating it with a hot hair dryer, but it's harder to "mold" properly on the edges that way.

What they said, but if you don't like or can't make the ABS paste, Bondo + paint. It wont' be quite as good matching white to white but better than nothing. ABS paste, if you make it with the right stuff that isn't tinted (like some acetone), your whites should match. I just find sanding it flat is harder with the ABS. GOOD LUCK!

If that's all you have to work with right now, might as well go for it, but use the metal clips, not velcro on the flat parts. But if you want to be more accurate, use the PVC pipe style.

Ten minutes scanning instagram and you'll be vomiting. I will say, for those who make the full-on box costumes, making box costumes is hard work. I respect their effort. At least they are not TRYING to look accurate, but boxy.

Welcome back!!! Look, it's like the Centurion Club thread here. LOL

Snazzy!

Thanks, all

Nice.

Today I took my HWT equipment out for a test drive. It was a hot and mostly up-hill troop at the L.A. Zoo, but was totally great. I've been dreaming of, and piecing together the parts for, a HWT for about a year. For those of you who already do this bad boy, I have some questions. PACK The pack wasn't all that bad. I have a DirtyBoy move-along pack which I bought used and had to wash some of the weathering off. I had to McGuyver some straps together last night but I'm pretty sure I'm going for the padded backpack straps option. Question: Do you wear the pack on top of your shoulder bridges? Or do you somehow get the straps on under them? Two friends with AP armor had their shoulder bridges snap recently, and not from this, so I'm a bit leery of breaking mine. (If I do I will have to go sandy and that is just not good before I can acquire my next set of shiny armor.) BFG I am toting a T-21. I used to hate the look of this thing but I rather like it now. It's BIG. Question: How the hell do you carry this thing? Mostly I used it as a tripod. It's not the weight so much as the bulk - I can barely get my arm around the thing to hold it like a regular rifle-like gun... I tried holding near the bottom and resting it on my pauldron... heavy is only half the issue; comfort is the other half. SHOULDER AMMO My ammo pack didn't want to stay up on the shoulder/chest area. Kept sliding down to my hip. Question: What's the best way to secure this? Also, how to keep it from going under my shoulder bell? GENERAL My pauldron is orange, and practically brand new, and very comfy... anyone want to trade for a white one? Question: Do you have trouble moving your head around? The pack seems to perhaps limit my head/neck movement, perhaps touching the top bar against the back tube of my lid. Not sure. Can't move my head in any direction. Felt like I was wearing a halo. It was all right for the first hour, then my neck started to cramp. I have a few details to patch up and tweak before I submit, but boy was it fun!!! That's all for now

The helmet is not as hard as you might think. It was actually easier than many parts of my armor, like the thighs... The hardest part is curving the ears as best you can to countour against the cheeks with minimal gap. If you're patient and do a little at a time, it's totally do-able, even by eyeballing it. Scootch has the less expensive "practice" kits right now if you'd like to try it with less up-front cash, though the final product is just as good as any; but any maker with an assemble-it-yourself kit will be good practice. You might buy a helmet kit while waiting for your armor to arrive, and if you totally blow it (you won't!) you can build the armor while you wait for your replacement lid. Makers are listed in the Getting Started : Where to Buy thread, and Scootch is I think in the For Sale area. I'm not trying to push Scootch unfairly, just happens to be a good deal if you're timid.

Always always always exciting!

I've never even heard of such a thing. Mathias or someone more expert than me will have to chime in for your answer, tho.

Yeah that armor is too good to be your average non-501st costumer. Well, the helmet is newer, anyway. Armor looks like FX. I'm hoping everything and everyone turned out all right and the costume did in fact just deter a crime and has nothing to do with anything. Between this and the drug raid in Russia, I'm worried there will be a crack-down.

I think we need to update the first/original post with updated information for NE and maybe a few other details...

If you used e6000 glue, it will definitely "rip" apart. VERY GENTLY pry it apart, using a blade to "cut" the strings of glue as they expand. This will loosen the overall grip and it slowly becomes easier and easier to remove. Just be gentle as the ABS will break. Vern's suggestion of shims is better than my "fix" so I'm going +1 the shims.

I am EP!C and I endorse this armor party

It amazes me too. In this case Derek is "alone" because he snuck up on the guy...

Pretty cool! Did you hand out the Imperial Handbook too?

Well, we wish we could get to everyone before they buy... but alas, sometimes this happens Make sure you check it out with the SpecOps detachment, they might have some handy solutions for you as well. (Isn't fiberglass really heavy compared to ABS? Just curious.)

Hi, Dan! You are in an excellent position to document every detail of your build for future troopers. Of course, being new to it, it's easier said than done! When I can afford a new suit, I plan to do just that... video tutorials from the ground up. But that won't be for at least a year, unless a trooper joins up near me and we can document his/her process. People's build threads are the closest thing we have to all-in-one tutorials. Most everyone documents their questions, the answers, photos, the anxieties, and how they solved little problems. Otherwise, the tips and tutorials have great photo references. And your garrison mates and local attaché are also great folks for hands-on help. In the beginning, I had a few questions and troubles that were not well-documented or photographed, but I just did the research, asked questions here, and hoped for the best. It worked out great. Problem solving is one of the highlights of the crafting hobby. You'll build up confidence as you go and need less and less help along the way.

That's the spirit!

One of the purposes of choosing "a standard" for CRLs is consistency. It was decided long ago that the prop/wardrobe department's mistakes were not to be considered "consistent" and therefore they are not considered standard. Mr. Nostripes is prevalent due to filmmaking techniques, not because GL wanted inconsistencies in his galactic marine uniforms. So we take the standard from what was intended and what we see the most of ("majority" - there, I did it for Karin!) as opposed to isolating errant TKs as individuals. We often joke when a part falls off or something that we can fix it with duct tape because "it's canon" when truthfully it's only "caught on film" but not necessarily what was intended. Personally I don't like standing next to taped-up troopers - they look like shoddy armor jobs and falling apart mistakes, not "canon." That said, I wouldn't mind some jelly thighs if they were consistently shiny with my plastic. I often think neoprene with a gloss/latex coating could look decent...

I'm always open to suggestions or ideas or first-hand experience for encouraging and incentivizing TK upgrades in a way that does not demean or seem elitist. I struggle with this as well. It's an honor to have been around so long that your FX was once cream of the crop. 9 of 10 guys I work with are new, so it's not an issue. But we have a lot of FX troopers and I'd love to help them feel great with simple upgrades, like colored ab buttons and canvas belt! (and a new lid!)

I'm already Centurion but still making tweaks and upgrades, installing the "better" rivets, etc. - and maybe I can remove my side shims now!!! It never ends. I definitely need a good long day of polishing.

It works! Thanks so much, Sam & team!!!