mikedwelle94

Hopefully what I'm about to say won't rub anyone the wrong way. I strongly believe that Vern here has displayed nothing but pure professionalism. Not only has he provided us with a helpful solution to this particular issue, but he has also personally reached out via PM. Karin, being as knowledgeable as she is, has offered her take, which is appreciated. What I don't appreciate are the unnecessary and unconstructive comments made by both Karin and Mathias. Truth be told, it didn't make either of you look good. My jaw was pretty much on the floor after reading through all of it. I understand we're all only human here, all with the same goal, but let's all stop for a moment and reevaluate the means of achieving that goal.

I don't know, or want to know what's causing the tension here, but I'm appreciative of everyone's eagerness to help a new guy out. I have two handguards, I see two different (but similar) methods of going about fixing them, so why don't I just do both? One for each handguard? Vern and Karin both seem like they know what they're talking about; no doubt they both have a lot of experience under their belts. It's just a bit awkward seeing this tension in a topic I created, so let's all just kiss and make up. Being new to these forums, I probably have no right to say this, but remember why you're all here; I was under the impression that this is supposed to be a constructive and friendly atmosphere so let's keep it that way! I think all the information that was posted here is going to help me out a lot, and will hopefully save me from wasting more money on new handguards. I'm probably going to revisit this topic later when I get my boots.

The commercially available suits (Rubies) are crap so stay away from them. eBay's bad, too. Your question will be answered by the link at the end of my post. Everyone on that list of "vetted makers" sells good armor kits. But...what's good for you may not be AS good for someone else, and vice-versa. There are certain kits for certain body types, but every one can be modified to fit you. It's up to YOU to do the research and contact the vendors to find out what will work for YOU. Don't forget to introduce yourself in the new members section; we'd like to know what brought you here and what costume you're planning to emulate. By the way, ask questions if they pop up, even if you think they're stupid ones. I probably won't be of much help, because I've pretty much started my build, but there are many here who will be more than happy to guide you along the process. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/

Aiming to get my TX Magma approved on or before my 19th birthday - August 4th.

^ I'm going to try this. You da man. I'll post before/after pictures when the deed is done (in your new "how to" topic).

I looked again at Trooperbay.com; these hand guards are made of flexible rubber, NOT latex. It's looking like I'll either have to make due with the plastic ones in my kit, or buy another set of flexible ones. Thanks for the info

I dun goofed. I took a can of spray paint to my Trooperbay hand guards, and now the paint is all tacky and sticky. Not only are the hand guards now caked in cat hair, but I'm at a loss at how I can paint them correctly. Removing the paint is also proving to be a difficult task; I easily removed paint from my pauldron using Goo Gone Painter's Pal, but it doesn't seem to be doing much of anything to the hand guards. I'm looking to paint them a matching shade of red for my Magma Trooper build. Any help would be appreciated. If all is lost, I CAN use the plastic ones that came with my kit, but those aren't as good.

I've yet to do my first troop, but I own a black lycra hood that's used for diving. It's pretty comfortable to wear around with my helmet indoors, but I never yet had any reason to wear it for an extended period of time outdoors.

My Trooperbay decals arrived in the mail today! I also brought a handguard from my armor kit with me to the hardware store to match it with a good shade of red. I'm a little disappointed at the lack of glossiness, so do any of you have any suggestions on how to make it look a little shinier? My EFX still lacks ear screws, so I picked up a small bag of them earlier today at Walmart, along with a few other tools for my armor build. Let me know what you think. I'll put up more pics soon. Here's the result as of right now:

Greetings. I got my brown box in the mail today, along with my Hasbro E11. I stumbled upon this rare armor over on the Spec Ops forums, and pounced on the opportunity to NOT be on an 8-month waiting list. I originally wanted to be a Stormtrooper Commander (TKC), but I think this'll help me stand out in a sea of white even more. As this is my first build, I'm *probably* going to have some questions at some point, but for now, here's a few pictures of what I got in the mail. I don't really have time to start working on it today. Milo's got a new box to sit in. He likes sitting in boxes. Yes, that's an EFX helmet. I plan to paint it a matching shade of red after I finish modifying it. As of right now, I have the seams filled with caulk and I removed the flimsy green lenses and now own darker ones. What's left is to add ear screws and put together my cooling system (I have the components on hand). I don't feel like messing with the size of the ears; I don't think it's THAT necessary. I also have replacement decals on the way from Trooperbay. If there's anything else I should do to the helmet to have it pass for basic approval, let me know.

Good info here. I'll leave the suit red. My only concern will be the reaction of the general public; there will be those few people who question the color of my suit or mistake me for a Power Ranger. Once the armor arrives at my doorstep, I'm going to take one of the handguards and bring it to an auto shop. I'll have them make me a can of spray paint that matches the shade of red that I need, and use that to paint my helmet. I already have the eFX/MRCE replacement decals on the way from Trooperbay. Also, I've been refreshing the USPS tracking app on my phone every 30 or so minutes I'm a little obsessed with it right now! Thanks again for the suit, Lou. I'm sure it will be quite a gem, and a great deal.

On my most recent visit to the SpecOps detachment, I came across a thread in which a guy was selling off his ATA Magma Trooper armor kit for a very generous price. I opted not to have the helmet included, as I already have plans to modify the EFX helmet that's already in my possession. I bought from him for two reasons: 1. His armor was cheap. 2. I wouldn't have to wait the 8-months that I would buying directly from ATA. So all I have to do at this point is wait for the red armor to arrive. I'll post pictures when it gets here. I plan to eventually paint the armor a glossy white, because with the red armor, the question "why is your armor red" will inevitably be sprung upon me. EDIT: I had NO idea the Magma Trooper is as rare as it is. I might even paint my EFX helmet red after I'm done modding it. I haven't made a final decision, but I'm going to look into this a little more.

I turn 19 in less than a month. A lot of people think it's unrealistic for me to start dumping all this money into my armor, with all these expenses I'm about to incur. College tuition, a car, gas, insurance for the car, phone bills, food, etc. With you being 17, it's going to be hard setting time and money aside to take this hobby on if you plan to do so. I assume you're still in high school. I'm on the waiting list for an ATA armor kit, and despite the cost, I believe it will be worth it when I put it on and step out in public with it for the first time. Patience is key, which most of us young kids seem to lack. In short, while many things may be more important than hobbies such as this one, being patient and setting a little bit aside every week will get you to where you want to be. Good luck.

How long did you have to wait for your ATA armor kit? I read that it could be 8 months, which I think seems a bit too long. Still, it's the only affordable option for me to consider, and by the look of these pics, it looks easy enough to work with.