fritzthefox

My forearm pieces have been trimmed a bit smaller (I'm skinny) and have a tight curve to them at the join, so the cover strips do not want to lay flush against the armor. Was this ever an issue for anybody?

Nixed this comment in favor of starting a new thread. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Just a footnote: people respond to facial symmetry very positively. In psychological tests, symmetrical faces are considered prettier than ones that are not, most likely because symmetry is a sign of genetic health. The stormtrooper helmet, were it truly symmetrical, would probably not convey quite the sense of subliminal menace that it does in its current misshapen form. I'm in general agreement with the post's author that the filmmakers were shooting for an ideal that they lacked the funds or technology to reach completely, but I think that, in this particular case, the movie benefited from it. In fact, I think that one of the real advantages of practical (as opposed to digital) effects is that you end up having to make design compromises that enhance the overall realism of the effect. It's the girl-next-door syndrome applied to imaginary worlds. If they're too perfect, you don't believe they are real.

Thanks, Tom (and everybody else), I appreciate your perspective. Ironically, I backed myself into the cover strip approach while I was waffling over the decision. My kit came with extra plastic for the strips, and I was trying to figure out how to score and snap properly (my early efforts at this were disappointing), so I ended up cutting a bunch of cover strips for practice. Now that I have the strips cut, and a newly acquired ability to score and snap with the best of them, I figure, why not? So cover strips it is. BTW, it is thanks to this forum that I finally learned to score and snap. A simple practical tip vastly improved my success rate: clamp a flexible steel ruler to the part you are cutting. Big salute to the FISD for that nugget.

Just a footnote regarding the before-mentioned minor crisis: It is always a good idea to remove masking as soon as possible...especially with slow drying paints. The reason for this is because capillary action will draw the paint under the tape. That is also why they make painter's tape. Normal masking tape is prone to doing that.

It was a couple bucks more lol. (Probably to cover ebay's cut) No biggie, sounds like he's worth it.

Thanks, Pete. I finally worked it out, I think. My quandary was that I would get one number when I measured from my waist, and a different number when I would measure from my armor, so I was a bit confused. I decided to split the difference. I figure one inch either way isn't going to be a big deal. I ended up going with this vendor ------------

I'm preparing to order my canvas belt and I am a little unsure of sizing. Is it safe to assume that the belts are tolerant of a few inches either way, owing to the wide strip of velcro in back?

Has anyone ever just glued cover strips to armor already constructed using overlap construction? It seems like it might be a fuss-free way to get the authentic screen look without sacrificing ease of construction/structural integrity.

I have one of the recent T/MC kits, too. I haven't got very far with it yet, but I noticed the right eye deformity in photos before I bought it. (I'm assuming you are referring to the 'bump' along the lower rim of the eye) I think the irregularity is actually present in screen TK's...it is just a bit exaggerated in this kit, perhaps because of the thicker ABS or simply as a resulting of the way the molds were produced. I imagine it can be sanded down a bit.

Knock yourself out. Jar Jar can't get too much abuse. If you size and print it to 1.25", it should fit nicely. (You will probably need to print from software designed for print, like Word or Photoshop or something, in order to set the proper image size. FYI.)

OK, based on some suggestions here, I think I know what I'm going to use....

I've been trying to come up with a graphic to stick on the end of my gun sight to make it a little more interesting. I came up with this cartoon, but when I printed it out, it was small enough I didn't think everyone would get the joke. (The gestures of the TK's are an important part of the gag...if you can't make them out clearly, you don't realize the incident was an accident, and then it makes no sense). I thought I'd share it, anyway. What do you think? Another option is a simple gun sight crosshair, which is unambiguous, albeit not as fun. I'd love to put some sort of tiny hologram or other visual trick there, but I haven't come up with anything yet. Any ideas?

I've looked everywhere in vain for compression pants with a fly. Anyone ever seen any? I am still working on my first kit, and I'm a bit nervous about trooping while still meeting my, ahem, biological needs. I'm pushing fifty and there is no such thing as a long time between bathroom breaks for someone my age. I've got less bladder capacity than a cocker spaniel.