tkrestonva

Moved to "ebay armor" section.

First off - an introduction would be appropriate. Please create an introduction thread in the New Member Introductions section. Second - In order to properly assess your kit, we need to see some photos. From there, the experts here (one of which will be yourself, with time and due diligence) can provide you with advice on how to salvage it, assuming it's possible. Third - Best thing to do is start reading. Everything you need to know is right here on this forum. Start here, paying particular attention to the pinned topics: Read Me First Fourth - as you've already discovered, eBay is not your friend. Especially this time of year, when demand (and prices) for costumes are at their highest. Welcome to the community.

Huh? The thought never occurred to me, nor have I ever been told on a troop by a fan that my head reminds him/her of a part of the male anatomy. But I'm looking at a side-view picture of my bucket and I see it . . . sort of. Sounds like this person has some issues - I recommend therapy or a really good f***. Or both.

Hi Will - glad you made it over here. What I told you on the garrison board still applies, but here you'll get even more feedback. As is our custom, please post an introductory thread in the Getting Started Thanks.

Again - beautiful job!

Wow. That's the guy I want with me at troops.

Give her a few weeks (or months) before you drop your cash - she'll have moved on to something else. Boys, clothes, music, etc. She is twelve, after all.

Wow, 14 inches is really all the room you get inside the biceps!?! I'm a recreational bodybuilder. On my old FX kit, I had to shim my biceps, forearms, and calves - not the case with my new AM kit . Some tips: 1. Use the same type of plastic that your kit is made out of. If you can get some HIPS strips from ATA, that would be perfect. Of course you'll have to sand and paint them as well to match your kit. 2. When determing how wide to make your parts, use your flexed measurements. No point in getting your kit perfectly fitted to your unflexed measurements if it flies apart when you flex - or is so tight that it's impossible (not to mention exceedingly uncomfortable) to move or even bend your arms. More room is almost always better than less. 3. Shim the seam that is the least visible from the front. For example, on the thighs you'll want to put the shim in the back, and make the front as close to screen-accurate (20mm overlay strip) as possible. For the biceps, shim the inside seam, i.e. the seam that is closest to your body. 4. As for the waist, you could shim that as well - or you can use getting into an unshimmed kit as motivation for getting back that nice "V" shaped taper that is common to bodybuilders. Think of it like you would the 2 - 3 month precontest phase prior to a show.

Love the hair!

Ideally, the ab and kidney plates should touch at your centerline with neither a gap nor overlap. The AM kidney plate is made extra large, and for many people will need to be trimmed.

Plain old black elastic will do. You can get it at just about any fabric store, in varying widths, and cut to however much length you choose to buy.

You can't go wrong with either of the options Vern stated. However, you'll likely not find them at your neighborhood hardware or home improvement store. If you don't want to bother with getting the accurate stuff (and TK4510 has made it really easy to get so I don't know why you wouldn't), a medium gray flat is what you're looking for.

Look here. At 6'2" 230lbs, RT Mod or AM would seem to be your best options.

This thread is about boots - not about recasting, archive photos, or anything else. Take things down a notch and keep it focused, or the "discussion" ends.

I agree with Terry - it's an AM full kit. If you want one of those, better to go with one of the reputable vendors and build it out yourself to your individual specs.

Great kit! Still, if I had to choose, I'd take your kitchen over your kit. Both look top-notch!

Same experience here. When asked, I politely tell them I'm working on a "special project", thank them for offering to help, and state that if I need assistance I'll find someone to ask. It would simply take too long to explain the whats - and I don't even bother with the whys. <_<

Looking good - and the high-brow is perfect for a sandtrooper.

Unfortunately, this type of thing happens every year about this time.

Wanted to wish a Happy 39th Birthday to both Scott (Scott M.) and Rob (TKittell) - FISD EIB#1 and #100, first ANH EIB and first AM armor EIB, Mountain Garrison CO and GML, etc. Enjoy what's left of your day, gentlemen, and remember - 40 is just around the corner.

I ordered my snaps from Tandy: Item Description: Line 24 Snaps Nickel Plated 100/pk Item No.: 1263-12 Unit Price: $32.99 I got my snap tools from JoAnn Fabrics:

The green lens material that Mike (TK4510) sells also works well.

You're going to need more than that. At a minimum - I'd buy a pack of 20.

I'm 6'1" 210lbs, and I wear AM. AM is a good choice - both for your physique and as a first set. No sanding or painting required. You will however, probably have to trim to fit. AM was built with a wide variety of physiques in mind, but especially for larger troopers, so it comes with more material than is necessary to accomodate most bodies. It's not the most accurate kit out there but it can look good nonetheless. John, congratulations on the arrival of your big brown box. As for those that "very detailed instruction packet" - toss it out. There are many build threads here that can guide you through the process, ranging from relatively simple to fairly advanced. AM lends itself to builders of pretty much all skill levels. Have a look around, and pick a handful of builds to emulate. As always, ask questions if you get stuck - better to prevent a mistake by asking in advance, than having to correct that mistake later. Oh, as for the helmet that comes with the full AM kit? Toss that out right alongside the instructions - or get an AM lite kit.

Your shoulder bridges are sitting kind of weird - it's especially noticeable in the back. Can you reposition them? Also, it looks like you have a very slim build. I'd consider either tightening up the arms and legs, or using padding.