tkrestonva

Dude, are your calves *really* 24" in circumference??? Might want to double-check that measurement. I don't own an ATA kit, but I've worked on building them for others. You may need to shim the waist. Aside from those monstrous calves everything else should work out, with the disclaimer that at 6'1" you can expect a good bit of black undersuit to show at the hips, knees, elbows, and possibly the shoulders. EDIT: Ah, I see you've corrected the calf measurement. With that, an ATA should fit you OK.

6'1" & 195lbs looks different on different people. It's not just about height/weight (although that's a good first-order metric), but how you are proportioned. How big around at their widest points are your upper arms, forearms, waist, thighs, and calves? Having said that, as long as you are OK with the prospect of installing shims then any kit can be made to fit you - including ATA.

Keep in mind that this is neither a cheap nor quick endeavor, and "the best armor you can find" will depend on a number of factors such as your budget, build skill, etc. As far as locals to talk to, depending on where you are in New York it will either be NorthEast Remnant Garrison, Empire City Garrison, or Garrison Excelsior. http://www.501st.com...s.php#garrisons

If you want white armor, you would be better off getting white armor rather than getting black and having to paint it white. I recommend you attend C6 if possible. You wlll be able to see different types of armor there worn by 501st members.

Looks like you did it correctly, and yes, you trim/fit from the back of the thigh.

What Vern said, plus chinstraps. Just like the screen-used helmets.

You have the correct guide, and Tom is an angel for putting that together. Looking at the photos, that actually appears to be your right shin. What tells me this is the more pronounced curve as shown on the right side of the middle photo and the left side of the right photo, which is how your calf is anatomically structured. So you do have it assembled correctly, just on the wrong leg. One trick I use is once I'm completely sure of which piece is which (and I still have trouble with it at times), I use a sharpie and write RO (right outer), LO (left outer), LI (left inner), and RI (right inner) in small letters on the inside. That way, I never have to think about it again. Yes, I would cut off the raised strip in the back completely and replace it with a cover strip. You can either reuse the part you cut off, or use the "belt" plastic that came with the AM kit.

20mm in width is what's usually recommended for the cover strips on the thighs and shins. However, in reality you adjust them to your size. Personally, I've found that for bigger guys 30mm both looks and fits better. Regardless, it needs to be wide enough to cover the entire flat part in the front. Your forearms look good, although it looks like you are being pinched a bit at the outer elbow. If that's the case, just trim down that return edge some.

Well done. So what do the twins think of their dad, the newly-minted Stormtrooper?

The drop box straps should be white - yours are black. Easy fix.

Starting off, I highly recommend using the butt-join / cover strip method. Not only does it look better, it is actually easier to get the parts to fit correctly with this method. Forearms - completely trim off the return edge at the wrist end, and taper the forearms so they match the natural taper of your forearm. Be sure to leave a wide enough opening at the wrist to slide you hand in and out once the forearm is glued together. At the elbow end, trim as much or as little return edge as you like. Biceps - trim as much or as little return edge as you like. How big in circumference are your biceps and forearms at their widest points? By measuring your flexed biceps and forearms, you can get an idea of how much you'll need to trim before you get started. Trim a little at a time, and do a fit/mobility check after each trimming. You want to ensure you can get the parts on when glued together they are form-fitting, while at the same time leaving you enough mobility to put on and remove your helmet unassisted, and eat/drink unassisted. Trim / tape / fit / test, repeat.

I've built and/or assisted in building several AM kits now, and this is the build order I find works best: 1. biceps 2. forearms 3. shins 4. thighs 5. ab/butt/kidney 6. belt 7. chest/upper back 8. shoulders 9. hand guards 10. small parts (shoulder bridges, ab buttons, thermal detonator, sniper plate, knee ammo belt) By starting with the arms, you build confidence for tackling the larger pieces later. When building the arms and legs, you have a choice of using the overlapping method that the instructions call for, or using butt-joins and cover strips. Use the latter method. Also, throw away those useless printed instructions, they will lead you astray. In your first photo, your left bicep is twisted out and needs to be rotated back into place. It needs to be rotated to match your right bicep. For now, don't worry about the body, there will be time for that later. Focus on getting the arms and legs properly built. Measure 2-3 times before you make any cuts, always tape together the pieces before you do any gluing, and use E6000 as your adhesive - that way if you make a mistake you can pull it apart, clean up, and reglue it. In addition, the armor fits differently in street clothes or against bare skin versus your bodysuit. So when doing your fitting, it's best to have the bodysuit on to ensure an accurate fitting. Do you have the tools (E6000, clamps, magnets, etc.) and accessories (bodysuit, cloth belt, boots, etc.) needed to complete the build? If not, now would be a good time to pause and collect them.

I had a similar reaction at a troop a couple of years ago. I was outside in a semi-crowded area, and I heard growling and snarling at my feet behind me. I turned around, looked down, and saw a small-breed dog looking up at me barking and growling. I took a step toward it and it immediately started backing up - barking and snarling the entire time. Clearly it was afraid of me (don't know why ). The dog was leashed the entire time and the highest it would have been able to reach is mid-calf, so there was never any danger. The dog's owner thought it was pretty hilarious though, as did I.

Recast FX armor (and a poor recast at that) paired with a recast SDS helmet. Avoid.

I'm unable to see who is browsing which threads. Even if I'm the only person viewing a particular thread, I should be able to at least look at the bottom of the screen and see my own name. Being able to do so is handy from a moderator standpoint, as it gives you an idea what the hot threads are that may need a bit of extra attention from the long arm of the law.

Here are two that focus on our favorite white-armored heroes http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Allegiance_(novel) http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Choices_of_One

Congratulations! Unfortunately, the answer is "it depends". Sometimes the gears at Legion move quickly and you get assigned a number within a day or two, other times not so much.

As has been said, great work so far. 501st approval is actually granted by the local Garrison Membership Liason (GML). There will be plenty of FISD members at C6 who can give you a lookover, but you'll have to go to your local garrison for the final OK.

I remember that video when it was first posted shortly after Halloween one year. Both of those troopers are using RomFX.

Seems to me that the 2mm acrylic-capped ABS is too brittle to stand up to the original strapping system method of using wire brackets installed in the return edges. But better to ask TM himself, since he offers both options with his kits.

Photos of the problem would help. I suspect part of the problem is that you are not using rare earth magnets. Most of us use them when gluing the forearms, shins, thighs, and biceps. They can be positioned on the long seams where clamps cannot reach. Like Mathias said, there are plenty of ATA build threads here. Along with screen captures, archive photos, and behind-the-scenes photos, the build threads will be your assembly manual.

I agree with Frank. Trim and butt join the fronts. It's a much better look. As for the return edges, trim to suit your individual comfort, mobility, and aesthestic.

Diana, I simply love the idea of having a laminated checklist with your travel case!

It usually means your garrison status has been changed to "inactive". That happens when you have not trooped any garrison-sponsored or otherwise "official" events in a year or more. Assuming your costume still meets Legion minimum standards, you can get back to being classified "active" by trooping an event in your Legion-approved costume and (if it has been at least two years since your last troop) resubmitting your Legion-approved costume for GML approval.

Congrats, bro. Once your Legion profile is up, be sure to request 501st member access here: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=16