tkrestonva

ABS is absolutely lighter than either fiberglass or resin, and is typically more durable and easier to work with. As for which is better, that depends on your definition of "better". Weight, sculpt accuracy, quality of assembly, etc. all needs to be taken into account.

ABS is absolutely lighter than either fiberglass or resin, and is typically more durable and easier to work with. As for which is better, that depends on your definition of "better". Weight, sculpt accuracy, quality of assembly, etc. all needs to be taken into account.

Have you looked here yet? http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/38-getting-started-read-this-first/ FYI - this isn't a hobby that can be done on the cheap. You can expect to pay upwards of $1,000 for a 501st-quality stormtrooper costume. But like Mathias said, there are cheaper ways of getting your foot in the door - and until you can raise the funds, being a handler is FREE and a great way to start getting involved with the 501st. Also, you say you're at Fort Drum. That's in upstate New York, and in Garrison Excelsior territory. I recommend you also check in with them - there might be members nearby to you. http://www.garrisonexcelsior.com/index.php

If you're talking about the button cover, you can easily make your own. Heat up a square-shaped piece of plastic (I like to use boiling water) that is the appropriate size until it gets semi-soft, then press a small disc-shaped object of the correct size (such as a rare earth magnet) into it to form the indentation, then cool it in cold water so that it keeps its shape.

TKBoots are true to size. If you normally wear a size 7 shoe, go with size 7. The only downside is that they can be uncomfortable to stand around in for long periods of time. Gel insoles can help with that. So if you plan on using gel insoles, then go up a size.

Interesting idea, but I agree with Steve. You can mitigate the short shin appearance by (1) wearing the spats such that they touch the bottom of the shins with no overlap between the spat and shin, (2) positioning the thighs a bit lower but balancing the black space at both the knees and the hips such that they are roughly the same, and (3) positioning the floating knee armor right the middle of the black space between the bottom of the thigh and the top of the shin. I'm 6'1". In order to make sure I have it right, I do two things - (1) attach my knee gaskets to both my thighs and shins via industrial strength Velcro once I get them to where I want them, and (2) carry a full-length mirror with me to troops so that I can check the alignment and make any small alignment adjustments as I'm getting suited up.

That's a solid strategy, and exactly how many people start out. Get yourself a helmet kit and build it up - you gain confidence, experience, and a much better idea as to if you want to proceed with a full kit without having to put up a lot of up-front money. Even if you decide not to continue, at the end of your helmet build you have a nice collector's piece.

Daniel Craig is 5'10". Gwendolyn Christie is 6'3". Any idea how tall Liang Yang (who of course played Riot Control stormtrooper FN-2199) is? Are there any other confirmed stormtroopers that we know of?

The #1 thing you can do to bring your TK to life is to get a voice modulation system such as Aker/iComm, RomFx, etc. Looking like a "real" stormtrooper is one thing in and of itself. Looking *and* sounding like one takes the fan interaction to a whole new level. Other than that, it's situation-dependent. Most instances allow you to loosen up a bit and "play" with the fans - give high-fives, do a little dance, etc. Others situations call for a strictly no-nonsense Imperial Stormtrooper where you'll want to stick with your standard guard poses (attention, low-carry, high-carry, etc.).

Unfortunately it's very common. They are brittle and they love to come together with a great amount of force. Always buy more than you think you'll need, since the more you have the faster you can build and you will usually have a few casualties along the way. I typically recommend ordering at least 50.

As an experienced builder myself, I'd say that 40 hour build time (not including E-6000 curing time) is pretty much on the mark. Having more supplies on hand - in particular blue tape, clamps, and rare earth magnets - facilitates being able to work on some parts while others are curing. Not to mention having multiple sets of lexan scissors, box cutters / hobby knives, metal rulers, etc. if you have more than just yourself doing the actual building.

That depends on a number of factors ... 1. How much time per week you can dedicate to your build? 2. How much reliable and experienced hands-on assistance can you get? 3. Do you have the proper tools and supplies handy in the appropriate amounts (in my experience you simply can't have too many clamps and rare earth magnets on hand)? 4. What kind of adhesive will you use - quick-curing yet utterly permanent (CA glue) vs long-curing but very forgiving in case of mistakes (E-6000)? 5. Do you already have everything else (boots, undersuit, blaster, belt, etc.) in hand required for a complete costume? As a benchmark, a UKG team once demonstrated that you could build a complete TK in a weekend, and do so to the highest standards. Granted, that was with a team of experienced builders with everything they needed at their fingertips, using what I assume was quick-setting glue. If you are new to this and working by yourself, if you can dedicate 1-2 hours a day and about 8-10 hours per weekend, receiving your brown box in February and having your kit completely done in early July is very doable.

Have you tried reaching out to a local 501st member? http://garrisontitan.com/mainpage/

The Aker amps sold here already sound almost exactly like the troopers' voices on screen.

The shape, material, that quilted pattern - pretty much everything. Seriously, it looks more like an oven mitt you would use to pull a hot cookie sheet out of the oven than a sandtrooper pauldron. But if you want the expert opinion, I recommend you head on over to the Mos Eisley Police Department: http://www.mepd.net

Not withstanding the fact that OT stormtroopers do not wear pauldrons - no it isn't.

OT stormtroopers and shadow stormtroopers are put together nearly the exact same way. So yes, you can probably find most of the assembly help you need right here. If you want to start a TX build thread, you can put it here: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/99-other-501st-costumes/

Just caught this being broadcast on CNN as I was walking past the television. I'm not a fan of Mr. Ainsworth, but I figured the story was at least worth sharing. http://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/06/entertainment/stormtrooper-helmets/index.html

Both the Alpha and Beta/Bravo groups paid the exact same amount for our TFA kits. The tiered prices were for the ANH-style armor.

I don't see it. -----------

If by harness you mean the black tactical vest, that's a Heavy Gunner stormtrooper.

Welcome. The First Order Riot Control stormtrooper is nothing more than your standard trooper armed with a shield and a baton. Nothing special or different about the armor itself. As for the baton, if you pick up a copy of the TFA Visual Dictionary that just came out in the last couple of weeks, you can probably make some good guesses on the basic dimensions.

And we now have reached the 100 page thread milestone for a kit that no one has even seen yet - wheeee!! Back to the discussion ...

Mathias pointed you in the right direction when you asked this very same question 12 hours ago. You can read and join the discussion on the injection-molded Anovos FO helmets is here: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/34541-anovos-tfa-fn-stormtrooper-helmet-thoughts/

Nice!