tkrestonva

Looks like the link has been fixed. Funny photo - and a bit scary.

Awesome job! It's like I'm looking at a stormtrooper made of liquid metal.

That was really good - Carrie Fisher has a great sense of humor, especially given all she's been through. She definitely could do stand up comedy, I'd have loved to have seen her "Wishful Drinking" tour. Her Twitter posts are pretty funny as well.

Ryan, have you considered small, frequent meals (as in 5 - 7 per day) as opposed to the traditional breakfast/lunch/dinner most of us grew up on? A meal doesn't have to be a 7-course dinner. Something as simple as a single-serving can of tuna, some crackers, a piece of fruit, and a bottle of water will do. Although I don't have a family history of low blood sugar (to my knowledge), what you experience sounds a lot like what I experience when I skip meals. I've found that eating small meals every 3 hours or so works a lot better at keeping my energy (and mood) up and stable throughout the day. Plus, I've read that eating this way helps stoke the metabolic fires.

When you say you're "a bit husky" can you be more specific? How much do you weigh and how are you carrying your weight (bodybuilder vs beer gut)? Pretty much any kit can be trimmed to match your height or shimmed to match your physique. Other considerations are your armor budget, building skill level, material preference (HIPS vs ABS), etc. Off the top of my head, the major changes over the past 2 years have been (1) the introduction of ATA armor, (2) the end of FX production, (3) the introduction of AM - FX's successor, and (4) the overall increase in the availability of screen-accurate armor and especially helmets.

I used hot glue around the rim of the lenses.

Good to hear. What kind of protein powder did you get? What else are you doing differently?

Happy 42nd, Paul - here's hoping you have an enjoyable, relaxing day surrounded by family & friends.

By definition, the "best, most accurate" E11 would have to be a working Sterling SMG with authentic parts (Hengstler counter with eagle, M40 tank scope, etc.). The next best thing would be a deac'd Sterling, again with authentic greeblies. It would be heavy, and I'd personally be too paranoid of something happening to it to troop with it, but no reproduction - no matter how accurate - beats the real thing. For an accurate-enough E11 that's still suitable for everyday trooping, I use the HF.

FX is no longer produced, its successor is AM. AM is more accurate, but still not as accurate as TM or the TE-lineage kits. Same deal with RT Mod. I wouldn't worry about the waist being too large, if necessary you could trim it down. Like you correctly stated, although some kits are made with larger guys in mind (AM and RT Mod), you can shim any kit to fit you - including AP. So if you like the look of AP, I say go for it. As a bodybuilder (I've been a recreational bodybuilder for the past 20 years), I imagine with any but the largest kits you'd end up having to shim the calves, thighs, forearms, and biceps.

Glue: E6000 Velcro: Industrial strength Both can be found in quantity at WalMart, Home Depot, etc. - What kind of kit do you have?

You could do a little experiment - buy some cheap plastic, cut it up, and add some overlap strips via non-permanent method (low-strength glue?) and see how it comes out.

At your size and assuming you have a typical teenager's budget, I'd seriously go with either an AM or an RT-Mod kit. It may take you working a summer job to swing it, but that's a lot less time than it would take to be able to pay for a TM, and you're much more likely to be able to make either one fit. And yes, both AM and RT Mod are made of ABS. Both are also relatively easy to assemble.

Per forum rules, if you have decided to sell your TX kit then please start a separate thread, either here or in the open forum. Price must be clearly stated. Thanks.

I think it would be a great choice. Both AM and RT Mod are made of high-gloss ABS of similar thickness. I currently wear an RT Mod helmet with my FX kit, and the two match perfectly. No reason to think that the same wouldn't be true with AM. I also have an AM lite kit on order - when I get it I'll do a comparison of the AM with both my trooping helmets (TM for ESB, RT Mod for ANH) and get some pics up.

The only reason I can think that ATA and AP are the recommeded options is that they tend to run the smallest. Being 5'6" 120 lbs, even in an AP or ATA you'll have plenty of room and may require padding to get it to fit properly.

TE2 is certainly a viable choice - and the seller is a real top-notch guy. The same can be said for TM.

I actually thought the original T-tracks were plastic cabinent "rails" - can someone confirm?

Agreed. If nothing else, this seller gets kudos from me for that statement.

Great news, Mike! I won't knock Atkins for quick, short-term weight loss - competitive bodybuilders have been using the same high-protein / low-carb strategy when dieting down and getting shredded for a contest long before Mr. Atkins made it popular among the masses. However, I will say this - the Atkins diet is not really appropriate or sustainable as a long-term solution. I'll leave the whys to Tiffanie or someone else who actually has formal training in this area, but it really does come down to a permanent lifestyle change if you hope to permanently keep the weight off. Carbs are the body's primary fuel source, and long-term deprivation of that source can have some unintended side effects (again, I leave the details to Tiffanie). Further, you'll find that once you go back to a "normal" diet, here comes the weight gain. My 2 cents - again, I don't want to sound like I'm demeaning your achievement, rather I don't want to see you (or anyone else) get frustrated down the road.

Any kit can be made to fit any frame, and we've had troopers larger than yourself not only accepted into the 501st, but make EIB as well. Having said that, some kits are specifically designed for larger troopers (AM and RT Mod in particular) and will naturally require less modification to make it fit. Also, please post an introduction in the New Member Introductions area.

Agreed, outstanding job on both helmets.

First off, WTB armor/helmet threads are not allowed per forum rules. ----------- As far as a helmet that can fit over glasses, although some helmets tend to run smaller (AP, ATA) and some tend to be larger (MRCE, FX), much depends on how the helmet was assembled. Of course it also depends on the size of your head and glasses. The safer bet if you really need to wear glasses underneath it is to go with one of the larger helmets, for instance, MRCE. Also, I get the impression you're looking for a preassembled helmet as opposed to a kit you'd have to put together, and that it would be more of a collectable than something you actively troop in. What I recommend is look through the threads here - especially those that document costume builds. There are build threads for every type of armor & helmet available. Find something that you like, and send the author a PM.

I agree with Richard's assessment regarding the inconsistencies, but they are there.

Nice find!