Geaux Saints

Look him up in the members section and send him a PM. He's pretty busy, but he will respond just give him some time.

A little helmet update action.... I used a pencil to mark the edge of my tube stripes. The marks mark the edge of the stripes, not the template (from Trooperbay). Here's the finished paint project... I painted my gray areas first, then outlined in black. Afterwards, I used a toothpick to "tighten up" the lines. I've seen the "paint black first" method, and after doing it my way (without a steady hand) it probably would have been easier doing it the other way. Regardless, I'm happy with the results.

When you hand paint your helmet, has anyone sprayed the painted areas with a clear coat? If not, how do you keep the paint from chipping or coming off?

You're welcome on the pictures. If you're like me, you like/need plenty of pictures when it comes to things like this. I decided to go with the brackets (original strapping) because that is how the originals were done. I have the TM (Troopermaster) 1.5 mm armor which is more flexible, lighter, and like the originals as well. The original strapping with the screws and brackets can be used on the 1.5 mm armor BECAUSE of its flexibility. The brackets would not work on the 2.0 mm acrylic capped armor because it is not as flexible and likely would break with any stressing of the armor from movement. Purely a matter of preference. Snaps can be used on 1.5 mm armor as well. FYI: Don't make the mistake I made on the arms with the joining strap (see above pictures). On the inside of the forearms, make sure the ridge between the two parts is the same width as your joining strip (more visually appealing) then make your size adjustments on the other side. I'm going to redo mine at some point.

Here is some of my helmet progress. Future Centurion hand painted proof. The ear screws are loosened to allow the brow trim to be easier to remove.

Amen! These shipping charges and conversion rates are killing me.

Thanks, Paul. I really wasn't paying attention when trimming. I know now and won't make that mistake with the thighs and shins. I'm going to leave it for now and then look to see if it can be redone after Halloween. If I can't redo it, I may just order some more forearms along with the ears that I'm thinking about ordering. With regards to the S-trim, I think I was using the longer/deeper side to attach to he helmet. Maybe THAT was my problem. Newbies....whatcha gonna do with us?

Of the parts that I received, none were broken. I'm just missing half of the kit.

Yes, I'm using E-6000. My only concern is the adjustment may make the forearm too snug. I might just have to try it anyway.

I see what you're saying now. I think it may be a little too late for the arms. I will do that for the legs and shins. Dang, I could kick myself for making that mistake. Will that count against me? On a side note, is there a miraculously easy way to put the S-trim on the base of the helmet?

I decided to post how I've been doing my joining strips for my tutorial/build. I put a strip of painter's tape on the inside of the part receiving the joining strip to a) hold the two pieces together, and b) to keep the glue seeping through off of my clamps and magnets. EDIT: I did not overlap the ridge of the forearm to be the size of the joining strip. I redid the forearms, and that can be seen in post #106 at http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/21390-geaux-saints-anh-stunt-build-tm/page__st__100__gopid__272047#entry272047 I then score/crosshatch the back of the joining strip like many have suggested. I then apply a bead of glue on both sides of the joining edges, and down the middle of the joining strip. I then apply the clamps and magnets (I taped up the larger magnets to help prevent any scratching of the armor). Make sure the joining strip is still centered on both ends. Sometimes my clamps would cause it to shift and need to be readjusted. I know this may be simple logic, but as a newbie I like as much info and pictures about a project that I can get. If it helps JUST ONE trooper, then it has been worth while.

Biceps finished and forearms almost done. I painted my ab buttons today, and may start working on legs tomorrow.

Apparently the claim window is 45 days. My purchase date was at the beginning of August, so I guess I'm at the mercy of DD.

When the box arrived it looked kind of beat up with two large rubber bands holding the box together. The zip lock bag that is suppose to hold the smaller parts was opened and empty with all the parts that were left spread out throughout the box. Very frustrating.

What is the time frame window to make a Paypal claim?

Well, I'm missing quite a few. Here's the list I sent them with the corresponding part numbers from their website. 1. MAIN GRIP 2. SELECTOR SWITCH 3.TRIGGER GUARD 5. EJECTOR PORT SHROUD 12. REAR SIGHT 13.MAIN MAGAZINE RECEIVER BODY 15. MAGAZINE RETAINING SCREW 17. FRONT SIGHT 20. 1st GEN CAST OF A HENGSTLER COUNTER BOX Also, the end piece that holds the D-ring. Quite a list of important parts, huh?

Are these required for assembly or just used to make assembling and adjusting the helmet easier?

Well I ordered a full E-11 kit a while back. When it arrived, the package was damaged and half of it was missing. Damage was from shipping, not DD's fault. Anyway, Casey said they were making a claim and would be sending me my missing parts in the mean time. That was WELL over a month ago and communication since then has ceased, so I was wondering if it was my situation or if something else was going on. Now I'm stuck with half a blaster.

Has anyone been able to contact or has had contact with Doopydoos via email in the last 4 weeks? I've sent multiple emails with no replies even though I was talking with them over a month ago.

It seems one ear fits better over the seam than the other side. Then I looked at one of Paul's helmets, and it looked like the same thing was going on with his, so maybe they're molded that way? Would that be an accurate observation, Paul? Mine will just have to do for know. Maybe I'll order some new ears down the road. Do most people use a "pivot" rivet on the sides to hold the helmet in place while bolting on the ears (and adjusting the brow)?

It seems one ear fits better over the seam than the other side. Then I looked at one of Paul's helmets, and it looked like the same thing was going on with his, so maybe they're molded that way? Would that be an accurate observation, Paul? Mine will just have to do for know. Maybe I'll order some new ears down the road. Do most people use a "pivot" rivet on the sides to hold the helmet in place while bolting on the ears (and adjusting the brow)?

A biceps shout out to you, Clamps!

I have some good clamp heroes to look up to.

Best of luck!

Today I've been working on a couple odd jobs. I like to skip around to keep from getting bored being stuck on one particular thing. I glued the ab side snap. I placed the snap where I wanted it to go, then placed a piece of tape to mark the edge when I went to glue it. I glued the shoulder bridges to the chest plate with the top being between the 5th and 6th ridge (not counting the first large rectangle). I worked on the armor part of my belt. Paul â„¢ belt measurement suggestions: The belt should be about 95 mm wide. He suggests cutting the ends 40 mm from the last block. The corners are cut just over 45 degrees....10 mm horizontally and 12 mm vertically.