DroidHunter

If you are thinking ATA (which is the way I am going as well), shoot him an email. He's got a waiting list that is in the ballpark of 7 months right now. I got on the list in January and the list at that time was 6 months. No action need be taken other than asking to be put on his wait list. So some of that time until you get home will go towards the armor wait.

I'm just getting started on this quest myself, so if I can pass along anything I've learned, I'll be happy to do so.

I asked a similar question a couple of months ago and got some good advice. Here's the thread: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/22616-armor-sizing-question/ And of course, the armor resource thread: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/ Hopefully this helps.

A little more progress on the neckseal. I have seix section tacked and folded over the cord. Now I nees to sew them together, but here you can see how its starting to come together. Mind you, I'm still just holding them in place, so pay no attention to the spacing.

Well, I'm still on the waiting list for my armor and will remain that way for a while, so starting a thread seemed a bit premature. But then I see that some other guys have started up anticipation threads and I figured, why not? I did manage to get myself on the list for ATA armor, and I'm in the procesf of scaping together the funds. I may go ahead and pick up the bucket first, but even so, I'm going to wait until after tax season ends. In the meantime, I have started working on little things here and there. I do have an old Hasbro E-11 that I converted about 10 years ago. It should be OK for trooping, but I will need a better option at some point in the future -- after building the armor. For this one, I will likely Dremel off the makeshift magazine I built, and then pick up the Doopydoos conversion kit. But again, I'll wait a little while. I'm just going to add some weathering for the short term. I'm presently trying out some ideas for a homemade neckseal. I have some materials laying around from previous costumes, so it doesn't cost anything which is key. Gotta save up for the armor and other things I can't make myself. Here I have some pleather which is wrapped around parachute cord. I'll stitch the individual sections for better definition and then sew them together. Here's a pic of me just holding 3 sections in place to get an idea of what it may eventually look like. I know the spacing is off but the slipped when I held them up. I anticipate about 10 section with perhaps a tapering section or 2. I also got lucky (as noted elsewhere), and was able to grab a pair of TK Boots as part of their final batch until they get a new supplier. They look great and fit perfectly. Only baby steps, but you have to start somewhere, right? I won't have any armor build posts for a few months, but I'll update as my neckseal progresses (I already had 1 epic fail, and have a third idea in mind in case this one doesn' pan out!) Until then, thanks for looking.

I agree. Try them a few times. Like I said, I did not pr-order. I emailed them with some inquiries a week or so before the problem was announced. They were very good about getting back to me. Low and behold, when the final shipment came in, they had a pair of 9's for me. They showed up on my doorstep today!

On some of the current builds I see guys using 1 solid piece of tinted material for both eyes, and it is attached to the ear screw assembly. How to you insert individual eye lenses like that?

There are so many buckets out there, and at the end of the day, we strive for a level ofuniformity from the outside looking in. And yet the inside of a Troopers helmet is left open for personal statement -- to a certain degree. I was wondering if people would be wiling to post up pics of the inside of their helmets just for comparison's sake. I've seen quite a few pics over time, but never in one central location. Post 'em if you got 'em!

Excellent build thread. The bucket looks great -- thanks for the pics!

Never would have picked up the difference until I joined up here and started researching for my AHN suit. Good stuff.

I was just watching the Blu ray collection (x-mas gift this year) and was paying close attention to it for the first time. When it came to the scene in ANH where the extra Sandtroopers were added in ("Look sir. Droids." scene), it looked to me like the new guys were in ROTJ armor (based on frown, ab button config and shoulder bells). I'm only a rank amateur at this point in picking out armor differences, and I'm sure this was discussed long ago here, but I was just curious and looking to see if somebody would care to chime in.

That seems odd only because they have been very good about returning emails. Double check that you were using the right address and contact them again. Even though I didn't pre-order anything, but only emailed with some questions, they got back to me every time within 1-2 days.

I did the same. I started exchanging emails before the bad news hit. When the last shipment came in, they checked for me and had a pair in my size! I now have a pair on 9's headed my way on Monday. I'd say, shoot them an email. You might get lucky.

Thread is still running strong: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/

And on the side, I have made a short step towards an improved PVC blaster which I will mod using Doopydoos resin parts. Later.

Many moons ago (say close to a decade) I first discovered Star Wars costuming and costuming in general. I started to pursue the idea of building a TK kit, but quickly found that I was not at a time in my life when it was a realistic possibility. And I had zero experience in either costuming or prop building. Nevertheless, I took it upon myself to attempt to convert a Hasbro blaster into an E-11. I picked up some parts online and made others myself. I've been told this should be fine for trooping though I will need a new blaster in order to achieve EIB status or higher. I've dusted this off and I have to make a few repairs -- my son snapped the head off of the folding stock! So while I fix it, I am going to modify the scope and give it some weathering. I don't want to repaint gunmetal grey and then black as the paint is quite thick on it already, so I will likely stick to dry brushing some 'damage' onto the edges. Here are a few pics ofthe original built. The entire magazine assembly was made using a for sale sign so its lacking in detail. First step on my TK quest.

I've seen a number of pics over time of significantly weathered E-11's. I gather from the discussion that none of them were from the movies. My question is that in certain pics, the blasters have a brownish hue as if dry wiped with a camo brown over black. Is that just a photo artifact?

I actually went to the plumbing section and found a PVC drain section that measures about 17 3/4 inches (45mm) in length. Its quite thin unlike the larger tubes. I printed out the 38 mm templates and they fit perfectly. Then I broke out the old ruler and checked the outside diamter, and it measured 38 mm. I'll try to post a pic when I can. The tube is just a tad short, but measures out fine after placement of the end cap.

Can you give any insight as to how you achieved that finished look. Painting is not my strength!

Like X-mas in January! Good luck on the build.

Really amazing work and attention to detail! Many thanks to all for the hard work and effort by those of you who contributed to this. Obviously, I live in the states and I have a question. I know that the templates are for outside diameter measurements. I looked through the plumbing section at the hardware stores (Lowes, Home Depot) and found that (1) plumbing pipe is WAY to thick -- and of course is measured by internal diameter; and (2) drain pipes are much thinner but appear to measure at 38.1 mm (this is a guess as I do not have an accurate measuring system. However, the 38.1 mm template ficts perfectly and the 40 mm is too big. So my questions are: Where in the States can someone find 40 mm pipe that is not too thick? More importantly, will the Doppydoos pieces custom fit to a 38.1 mm PVC pipe build? Sorry if this was answered elsewhere. My searching skills sometimes fail me!

Thanks for the information. I'm torn on this decision, but obviously have plenty of time to make up my mind. I will likely order the decals from trooper bay when I snag my gloves just in case, even if I don't use 'em.

I was just looking at what Trooperbay has. Anybody know which set of templates would work for the ATA helmet? Looks like they are specifically made for certain helmets.

As I eagerly await the arrival of my armor, I have been reading almost non-stop regarding how to put the thing together. As of right now, the whole process scares the bejesus out of me. But more than anything else, I dread putting the finishing touches on the bucket. I've built things before. I am familiar with the Dremel, a drill, installing snaps and rivets, gluing, etc. But I have never been able to paint worth a darn. I like the look of painted helmets, and if I can figure out what sign vinyl is and where to buy it, I'm going to try that method. But I am curious... What is the ratio of those using decals to those who paint their helmets? Is one methond more common than the other? How did you finish your helmet?

This has turned into a really interesting thread. Great comments from everyone putting in their two cents on the topic, and glad to see the +40 crowd turning out in numbers. Looking forward to getting started on the journey.