LadyInWhite

And us married women, our husbands think we're nuts. But our kids think we're awesome. LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PICS!!!

I was JUST looking at that kit yesterday at that store while picking up some fans. I was confused by all the parts. Now I see it looks quite do-able. I might try it out, because I hate my Aker, it's enormous.

Yeah, stick with Denmark... I hear it's one of the happiest places on Earth [[ at least that's what my grandmother always told me ]]

Thanks, all. I do need to adjust the new garter/harness to raise a bit so I will rotate outward at the same time and see how that goes. I think I'll keep looking at reference photos too... actually I need to stop doing that. it's our never-ending need to represent the 501st to the best of our abilities!!!! Yep, thanks Jenny!

I am thoroughly disgusted with my thigh pieces. Any suggestions? Small note here: the downward angle of this photo kind of exaggerates the shapes by making the legs look shorter, but that's why I chose it. The red lines indicate possible cut/heat/flatten/trim/something areas. I hate the little bulge on the right thigh. It just makes my leg look disproportionately large. Some guys have very "conical" or "cylindrical" armor without all the lumps. I suppose those are screen accurate or something? I am considering opening the front and trimming some more, though it will be really snug until I lose another 2-4 lbs. I love the way a good TK looks with the top inner thigh aligned with the cod piece. I cannot seem to achieve this. The AP tops are curvy, the cod piece is angled. Trim to shape? Twist thighs more outward? Are they too high, too low? Is my battery box too low? Should it be higher, or should I trim some off the bottom or something? EDIT: bottom of thigh piece, not battery box. Should my thigh pieces be a bit shorter perhaps? Is my belt too high? My cod's "belly" area looks so huge. UUUGHHH does anyone else stare at their flaws and go insane? Or am I just really vain? (Don't answer that last question.) Any other "areas of improvement" ? I seriously have this obsession with looking "right." Whatever that is in my own mind.

Eric ROCKS.

I've seen pics of TKs in all shapes and sizes. I am a little torn between the "buff" big guys and the tall, skinny 160-pounders... they both look great to me.

Sweet! Yeah the scissors killed some weaknesses in my hands... now they are strong hands but sore!

I prefer to wear my contacts but I also have problems wearing them sometimes, so some days I do end up with my glasses inside my AP bucket. It is tricky getting them to stay put when I put them on - the balaclava over the ears helps a bit. I built my padding to allow my head to be back in the helmet a bit more, so that there's room. Trooping has pushed me over my barrier to lasik, though...

Good luck, Kendall. I can't wait to see how it comes along!

That is so cool, your SIXTH!? Wow. I was thinking of doing another set with another kind of armor but can't quite justify it yet... but this is inspiring!

Mine is not really AP specific (even though it is AP) but has a lot of answers to the general anxieties that come with early cutting and building. (see my sig for link) By the time you get a few pieces trimmed you feel like a pro. So don't sweat it. My one major advice is to keep as much flashing as a return edge as you can, but if you have to trim it there is a great tutorial for putting a return edge back on.

Mysie, I would think (and I maybe wrong) it's more about the bucket compared with your build/height for proportions, so at 5'10" any of the regular buckets should look proportional on you. Then you just outfit the INside to get it to fit your head, so you might need extra padding. Heck a helmet liner might actually work for you - I couldn't get one into mine. I am now thinking bike helmet padding...

--------- <-- would something like that work? (you can order online)

Welcome, Sherry! Glad to have another lady don the shiny white! I guess I am the first lady to chime in but I'm less help than, say, Jenny, who will chime in first thing in the Midwest Morning. She is closer to your size. I am "man size" lol. With some nice womanly hips... starting to hate looking at my photos! Anyway, the guys got you off to the right start. I heard this weekend that AM is also built for bigger sizes, so ATA and AP (AP good for slender but mid-tall people, methinks). Whatever you get you're going to be modding it to fit you. I have a build page (link is in my sig below) that points out some special considerations for ladies, given that we are not always stick-shaped like the guys (insert humor!). If you run into any, please share or add directly... CHEERS!!! Don't forget to start a build thread when you get your fluffy white gift in the mail, and keep us posted with pics and questions!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Yes, this policy works best for me. Every package is "how much did you spend now?" instead of "wow, what really cool awesome thing did you get?" Hey, it's my money not his! AP is pretty easy to get your EIB if you start out in that direction. Centurion too, if you don't rivet the sniper plate like I STUPIDLY DID.

I would walk with my Stanley the 375 miles from Los Angeles to San Francisco for this. Question for TOM: should I reach out to my garrison (SCG) for this? Forward to my fearless leaders? Or is someone doing that already? Cuz you know not everyone checks FISD enough for this exciting opportunity to THRILL everyone!

I vote FX. Your build thread, in addition to being infused with the humor and entertainment value you bring innately, will be an excellent tutorial for those wanting to upgrade or enhance their own. Of course, if someone can achieve Centurion with Rubies, I suppose that is also an excellent addition to the tuts. Okay I changed my mind. DO BOTH!

THANK YOU! YOU GUYS ARE SWEET!!! Happy Birthday, Nathan! Best day to have a birthday!

$0.02 = WHITE - it's iconic and canon and potentially more gigs!!! Start with that. Then build yourself a shadowtrooper if you really want that "stand-out-blend-in" stealth thing. (TKs are not built for stealth, so noisy!!!) That said, shadow is so cool and just unusual enough to get a little extra attention. I might build my husband one. Except he's tall and will definitely look like vader. You are not going to miss out on any camaraderie based on black or white armor as long as you're not planning on hanging out solely with rebels. (jk!)

Probably some but they're on the outside and pretty small so take 'em out and try one of the many methods above.... barring that you can replace mic tips pretty inexpensively and there's an ongoing sale in the FS threads.

Welcome back, Luis!

Trooperbay has rubber trim - you can replace and upgrade to S at the same time! (Unless you already have S lol) Definitely going to need to replace the foam. Nothing soaks up odor like foam. Have you smelled a hockey helmet lately? (Caution: don't) Okay maybe neoprene is worse. If it's paint not decal, you could probably wash it with dish detergent or other MILD soap and water, inside and out (mostly inside). If it's decal, I don't know if that would work - you could wash the inside but keep the outside dry. Obviously remove electronics first. Other than that, if the plastic needs more work, you got me. I would imagine really washing it off is the only way. Smoke sticks. That's why there are companies that specialize in smoke removal after fires, or why your hair smells like a campfire for days after.

Wow, that's excitement we can all share!!! As for the ear pieces, well, if they're "closer to good" in the front, and a little less perfect in the back, that's okay. I've seen plenty that aren't 100% flush. Mine are about 95% in front and wonky in the back.