LadyInWhite

Ah, I will get braver and try this! Because yeah, I moved back and forth for like 30 minutes and nothing.

Fixed brow looks good. If you're going for EI be sure to lightly trim that return edge off the bottom/hand part of the forearms. If not, no biggy. It might be the angle of the photo but it looks like you have 'em, but maybe you're past that too!

Deep enough to make a trooper cry... but I suppose I would call them scratches not gouges. They are just quite numerous. I am trying to get a photo to upload but it won't go. Looks like I have a lot of options to try, though! -----------

So it IS possible to fine+wet sand and somehow get the shine back? Is Naptha/Zippo polish or just cleaner? Good point about the car buffer heating up. (I'm lazy) Will give T-cut a try...

Ah I see. Nice.

In an effort to make my TK even shinier, I have been hand-polishing with Novus 2. And my arms are falling off. And it's still not as shiny as I'd like. Has anyone used and can recommend (or recommend against) polishing using particular tools? My husband suggested a hand buffer - the kind used to polish cars. I think it's the kind that spins. Seems overkill. Is there a tool for my dremmel? Also, I have a lot of micro scratches. The Novus 1 does not seem to work. I am afraid to sand it and then not be able to polish it. Anywhere I tried to wet or dry sand (mostly edges, ultra fine modeling sandpaper) it's dull and I can't seem to fix it with any amount of buffing. Lastly, when I fell on the PIR set, I apparently scraped the heck out of my left shin. (I can only imagine what my flesh would have looked like without the armor!) These are much deeper scratches - horizontal, from ankle to sniper plate. These, however, will require sanding. So what is the best way to sand out such dings, or is it even possible? I'm just really bad at this polishing thing! On the plus side, my arm muscles are getting big...

Automotive gloss... Why are you doing that ?

WOW You wasted NO time! Just flew right through that! Hmm I thought Mark was shipping with the EI hovis now. Oh well, they're not hard to find - there's even a blowout sale on the For Sale boards. The helmet, if you follow the AP markings for screws, will put your brow where it is. I was a little annoyed but I'm used to it now and did a small tweak. Someone recommended you can put some flashing or "for sale" sign abs on the back of the ear pieces inside the helmet, adjust the brow, and drill new holes. I haven't tried this yet but I'm considering. I think you should paint into the holes in the teeth, just not above or below on the lips

Butt join. Gives you so much more room to maneuver and make cut errors... and still be able to cover it up. And looks better, IMHO. I had more than enough extra ABS strips for inner and outer shims (although I did not put inner in the biceps), but yes a lot of guys use the for sale sign method on the inside. The key is to have something to hold it together, if you need it, but nobody sees the inside, right? Look at the second page of my build thread about your anxiety (link is in my signature)... lol... very normal! I recommend starting with practice cuts on a sheet like the one your hand plates or O2 end caps come on, then cut those pieces (because you can replace them fairly easily), and by then you'll have the method down.

Woo, exciting, and perfectly normal to be nervous to start!

Wow. I'm thinking about what to do when I retire my kit and this looks inspiring!

Wow. I'm honored and, well, my husband says this makes me "Worst Wife of the Month." Meh, who needs him. I have a new family. Thank you so much! Awesome pic, Eric, I'm going to post that in my office. Great newsletter - love to see what's going on around the planet. I am not going to miss out on any St Patricks fun next year! This year I blame WonderCon. I think I need to order another patch, because those displays all gave me new ideas! One is simply not enough. I need to frame one next to my framed EI certificate. (I don't even have my two college diplomas framed, how ironic is that!?)

OMG I am so jealous of your return edges. I could never seem to get them to work. Yours are beautiful. That bicep might be a little long for you - be sure to fit it under your shoulder bell high enough to be able to bend your elbow. Personally I would do all cutting and fitting first, then go back and do the return edges. That way if you have to trim anything again (esp. if you decide it needs to be even smaller! - I did my thighs 3 times ) you won't be sad about having to cut off your gorgeous return edges.

Dang it, my attempt to post last night was thwarted by the server jawas! Starting to get discouraged on this build. Did you vets of building feel that way when you started? I feel like I've hit a wall and I dont really know where to go next. I want to go EIB so there is the pressure to not make a wrong trim or anything. I just wanted to say the following: 1. YES it is perfectly normal to have ups and downs - a roller coaster of excitement and frustration, feeling discouraged and stuck now and then, etc. May I suggest moving on to other pieces and coming back to your biceps? You've spent a long time on them and some fresh part of the project might get you going again. 2. It's great that you're planning EI from the start. It will help you know what to do and not to do with your details. However, I suggest, for what it's worth: don't overthink it, and don't stress out too much about doing anything wrong. Pretty much anything can be fixed, as long as you're not, you know, splitting your chest armor down the middle or something blatantly nuts like that. I have dremmel gouges and all kinds of dings on my armor. I redid my thighs 3 times and I still hate them. I know my shoulder straps, glued on, are not perfect. But you have to let go at some point. 3. Since in your case it's more about fit, start big and adjust downward. I am guessing you'll want to minimize your return edges (the flashing on the ends of the armor is just that: flashing - you don't need it all) in places where your super muscles might get bite, but that's perfectly fine. You are already doing the cover strip trick for enlarging your armor, so I think you're on your way. The more you do, the better and more confident you'll get at it. It's also great that you have local help to get you through this. You're in good hands. Now go hug those gorgeous clones of yours and jump for joy! EDIT: And I meant to say the frown looks good - paint your ab buttons so you can keep your mind off cutting for a bit longer!

Nice! Looking good! Can't wait to see it ON you!

Just joining in... looking good... I hadn't thought or heard of the boiling water, but that's smart. I have a heat gun, but my hair dryer would have worked. See, you never stop learning new things!

Wow, 3000... *shaking my head* Someone has a lot of time on their -- naahh, you're truly dedicated!

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.

Studly band of troopers! Did any of you guys notice on all the promo posters and wall murals, the foremost TK's battery box has fallen off to his shin? The other background TKs seem to be ok... LOL!