tkrestonva

Agreed. The only thing I would do is bring the shoulder bells forward a bit based on the last three photos. Other than that, everything is looking well.

Way back in the day when I trooped with an out-of-the-box FX, my forearms were velcro'd. Makes size adjustments easier and if you use the industrial strength velcro it should hold fine. Problem is (from my perspective) that velcro adds bulk to the seams, and just doesn't have that clean look like fully-glued forearms do.

I also have an RT belt, which I use for my ANH configuration. If there is anyone in the Pac Outpost that recently built an AM kit, they'll tell you it comes with six covers. Three of which of course I used for my AM belt - but the other three I used for my RT belt. I drilled straight through the integrated covers, attached my canvas belt, then covered the fasteners with my extra AM covers.

Also, before you glue anything make sure you have accounted for the mis-molded shins that is a well-known AM design flaw. It looks like you have, but it's always been difficult for me to see it clearly - even on my own AM kit. Tom (Roguetrooper) did an outstanding tutorial describing the problem and how to solve it, I'll see if I can dig it up.

FISD members making a positive difference.

TrikToys is a legitimate seller and those style boots were at one time acceptable, but that's obviously no longer the case. Less so if you happen to frequent the FISD and are as such accustomed to seeing high-quality kits and accessories. I think it's more of a case of him needing to check in with the updated CRLs, than him intentionally attempting to defraud potential buyers. A private message to him may be the right answer in this case.

About the only thing you can do to increase the amount of room in the thighs is take them apart and put in shims.

Is it me, or does it look kind of soft and puffy?

Looks great!

Looks like you might need to trim a scoop of some material from the inner forearm at the elbow, and perhaps push the biceps a bit further up your arm and/or trim a bit off the bottoms of the biceps. If I had the appropriate software, I'd draw a sketch for you. You look great - I'd try to make your current kit work for you as much as possible. If that's as far as you can bend your arms, how do you get your helmet on and off?

I'm glad to see another trooper taking the first steps towards upgrading, especially someone who has been around for a while. If you absolutely cannot see without glasses and contacts are not a viable option, a guy in my garrison had a set of TK helmet lenses ground to his prescription. I don't know how much he paid for that service, but that seems like the best solution of all. As far as getting them on/off, the side-twist method is the screen-accurate way and it's how most of us get them on and off anyway. If you are accustomed to the roominess of the FX, a more accurate helmet will at first seem claustrophobic - it's simply a matter of getting used to it. I understand where you're coming from, though.To be honest, I've worn screen-accurate helmets for a few years now, and I still need a minute or so after putting mine on to calm myself before I can actually start trooping.

Great job narrowing the arms & legs down to fit you properly. Other than what you've already noted, I'd trim some of the bottom off the back plate and/or top off of the kidney plate. Doing so would get rid of the overlap between the two, and give you the gap between the back and kidney required for Centurion. Also, you'll definitely want to upgrade your handplates to latex or latex-like, and the gloves to rubber chemical gloves.

------------- What's going on with this trooper's left shoulder bell? It looks like it's floating above his shoulder.

And the one in the middle wearing the Hero helmet is missing a hovi!

Get the snap in place using the vario pliers, and finish it off with the hammer & setter. Using the two in tandem, you get both the pliers' precision, and the hammer/setter's strength.

Looks like an AP helmet, and not a bad one at that. Assuming the pictures accurately represent the product, it would be a good buy at the current price of $98 + $15 S&H. Still, given this is the high-demand season for costumes, I'd be suprised if it didn't sell for a lot more than that by the time bidding ended. Usually ebay is nothing but trouble. But sometimes, you can find something worthwhile.

Yep, 'tis the season for that. Everybody wants a kick-butt Halloween costume, and they want it now. Happens every year. On the plus side, if you're thinking about selling an older costume with an eye toward upgrading, now is the best time of the year.

There are simulated stormtrooper radio chatter loops often used by Legion TKs (there are also chatter loops for sandtroopers, biker scouts, etc.) but, per the creator's wishes, only available to Legion members via the main Legion board.

I found (after experiencing snap failures while in costume) that it works well if you use the vario pliers and setter tool in tandem. The vario pliers allow you to quickly and precisely set the snap without ruining it. Follow up with the pin-and-anvil setter tool (and a good hammer) on the female snaps to really get them in securely, which results in a much stronger hold when the male snap is mated to it. It looks like you mostly used male snaps on your glued-in snap plates, so I don't think you'll have to pull those out. Just make sure the opposing female snaps on your straps are installed nice and tight using the method I outlined, and they should hold fine.

Aside from the boots, it looks like the costume meets the basic CRL requirements and you're good to go. The garrison GML has final say, so you might want to send him your photos for some feedback. Regarding the boots themselves, take a look at what the CRL has to say

I agree - line them up at the top, and let the belt cover any misalignment at the bottom.

It's a basic FX kit. It's nice that the offer comes as a complete package with all the required accesories, but Aaron speaks the truth. It's much better to start with a kit and fit it to your unique body shape than to purchase someone's premade kit and try to retrofit it. Especially if the only thing you know about the kit and/or it's seller comes via ebay photos. There is a reason why we generally warn new members away from ebay. If you are simply looking for a Halloween costume that will be worn once or twice, OK, but in the end, those who go the ebay route almost always end up regretting it.

Love or hate the blu-ray release, that thread was a train wreck. I stopped reading after page 3. I rarely hit up the RPF, and when I do it's because I'm looking for a specific piece of information (e.g. the origins of the RSProps/SiMan suit) - then I get the hell out. That thread served as another reminder of why I do so, and what I hope the FISD will never become.

Been there, done that. Many, many times.

They are used on the left side of the torso, to join the ab and kidney plate per Centurion requirements. Actual split rivets are both sturdier and screen-accurate, but these are "close enough" and much easier to find. Mine are 3.8" diameter head with 1" legs, exactly as the Staples link Andy provided - with a white coat of paint on them.