ZeroRoom

There's no denying that guy behind Landon has greeblies on his scope rail. On my screen I just can't make anything out on the trooper next to Vader. This blaster issue is never gonna be solved! Damn you George Lucas why couldn't you have a kept a closer eye on prop consistency!

Sorry Troopermaster - I wasn't endorsing fake/non functional brads per se - I was just pointing out that if the ESB Centurion requirements were to change to eliminate the crotch brad it would make the option of building an ANH / ESB interchangeable suit that much harder without solving the crotch brad is there / crotch brad isn't there issue. All the current interchangeable stuff is relatively easy to accommodate to switch between the two but a split rivet driven through your crotch plate isn't quite as easy to swap as a pair of gloves or a holster... Apologies for not making myself clearer, but I'm definitely a fan of the ability to choose depending on mood

Good point Brian. I have some of that sticky back velcor used for mounting signs, perhaps that's the way to go and still make it fairly easy to remove for ANH days... That on the other hand is a little more tricky A removable crotch brad could be hard without leaving any marks... Craft stores do sell sticky back stones not unlike brad tops. Perhaps a fake brad that can be stuck on when necessary is the way to go? The CRL does say that the brad need not be functional to be centurion ready...

This really throws a spanner in the works for this elf us wanting to build ANH and ESB by just getting an extra lid, gloves and belt! You'd need an extra chest plate/shoulder strap set as well

Looking great! Thanks so much for posting this thread - I've been thinking about getting one of these new kits and have been wanting to see a build. Inspiring stuff!

No problems! That's what I'm doing - AM with AP bucket!

I've seen TM, AP and RT- Mod all look great and not out of proportion to AM kits at all. It really depends more on how you trim and scale the armor. Have a look at PandaTroopers AM build (pinned at the top of armor builds) to see a guy about your size make an AP helmet with AM armor look awesome. Also check out TKrestonva's recent centurion application pics. He's rocking a TM with AM armor and it looks top notch. If you are really concerned then go for an RT-Mod helmet which is about 4% bigger than other helmet kits but very accurate looking. This helmet was designed to keep scale with larger sets of armor like AM and RT. Cheers Lucas

Nice work man! Big difference in the two kits. I especially like your subtle but uber realistic weathering.

Happy Birthday!

My vote goes to the wider ones as more SA. Look better too!

Looks great in Safari 5.0.5!

Thanks Joe for that link - great reference! I'm confused though - are some of those pics of an Ainsworth suit? Are these photos related to the lawsuit (ie comparison pics) because some of the parts are definitely new and the crotch plate on the "new" looking armor has no brad? Great place to get a basic idea of some return edges though and great down shots of the leg pieces. Looks like there was a slight return edge to the thighs but basically none on the shins...

Ok, so while work schedules interfere with my ability to actually start assembling my armor, I thought I'd really start firming up the research details. I wanna get to the point where I've built this thing a thousand times in my head before I start actually cutting and strapping So I've been looking at screen shots to finalise my decisions about where to put return edges on my armor (for ANH/ESB) and where to leave them off. It goes without saying that the front end of the forearm has no return edge, and that there is a return edge at the bottom of the chest plate where the strapping connects to the ab/kidney section, along with matching return edges on these parts to hold the strap bar, as seen here: Troopermaster stated somewhere in another thread that the original suits had very few return edges anywhere except these torso parts. Looking at siMan's pics of his original suit over on the RPF this certainly appears to be the case - there are basically no return edges, excepting those mentioned and a very small edge down the sides of the Chest/Back/Ab/Kidney/Butt plate sections. It's possible I can see a very subtle return edge on the bottom of the left (as you wear it) thigh, but it might be the light. Unfortunately I cannot post pics here as SiMan asked that the pics not be reposted but they can be easily viewed here on the RPF. Examining screen shots from ANH and ESB however i get different impressions. The shoulder bells are tricky to figure out. SiMan's armor most definitely has no return edge anywhere on the shoulder bells (something I have heard before) yet looking at these screen shots I'm sure these troopers have return edges on the bottom of the bells: They differ in size sure - but doesn't every detail of the OG suits? The picture above and this shot of Luke and HAn does seem to confirm a return edge at the sides of all torso armor but does not reveal the butt or crotch plate detail: Detail for the arms has been hard to ascertain as well. This TD seems to have a return edge on the back of his forearm peice - but again is lighting playing tricks with me? I was under the impression no part of the forearm had a return edge. The hardest parts of all to confirm/deny are both portions of the leg armor. As I mentioned - the SiMan suit appears to have a slight return under the left thigh but these screen shots could really go either way. Is that a return edge or not on this guy's thigh bottom?: And while this guys knee plate definitely has a solid return the rest of the edges are hard to define: The guy in the background of the pic above seems to have a thigh top return edge and in this photo I swear I see a return edge at the thigh top of the guy on the left but no on the TK to the right: I know that every suit was hand trimmed for the film, and that they were all "unique" but, like everyone, I am trying to go for the most accurate compilation of general detail in one suit. I also know that return edges on everything help give the armor a "thicker" look for trooping and that ultimately it's up to me - but I'm trying to get the best possible blend of idealised and screen accurate I can - think original prop, but as it was supposed to have looked. Can any of you detail buff's out there help me out with advice/knowledge on (relatively) screen accurate return edges?

Great job! That helmet would be great coming from an old hand let alone a first build!

I would agree AM would be a great fit for you. I'm a skinny 6'2" and it's sized great for me with trimming for skinny limbs. Check out my "Why I chose AM thread ---- for a detailed examination. You can also see pics of the kit out of the box with a review in my unboxing thread ----- AM is definitely that little bit longer in the limbs which can help reduce visible black areas. If you have saved up a good budget get an AM lite and spend for a good TM or TE2 helmet. You could also get RT-Mod as it is even larger scaled for very tall/large troopers but it's a little more work for a first build and while it is generally considered a little more accurate than AM it can be a longer wait as it tends to be made if and when he has time. AM on the other is widely available (in fact I believe MightyTank is offering some kits in the For Sale threads right now. It depends how long you can wait!

The seller says they don't know the maker. Anyone recognize it? http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/STAR-WARS-STORMTROOPER-HELMET-1-1-SCALE-NEW-/230622301011?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b2290b53#ht_500wt_922

it is indeed - call it a "bonus" I guess! I'm going TK though so if anybody wants the spare TD knee plates I'll send em to you for the cost of shipping.

That thing is pure, unadulderated wow.

Thanks! I was wondering how long it would take for someone to pick up on that

Do you still have your AP armor? Why not just "frankensuit" it - use the bits that fit best from both kits?

Thanks for the heads up Julie. Fixed the photos and moved the thread-----------

Thanks tkrestonva! I know that AM is often dismissed as an armor kit for "John Citizen" and not for the serious trooper. I just wanted to show that there is more to it than that when it comes to serious decision making and I can safely say having had the armor arrived I made the right call. Now it's just up to my build skills to get it right!

This part 2 of my original thread found here: ---------- I moved it here after I fixed the photos up for those who want to see AM right out of the box. So how was it all when it arrived?! I'm pleased to say - fantastic! I felt totally vindicated in my choice. Deciding on AM based on fit was the right decision - a quick test/ measurement of parts clearly demonstrated that had the shins or forearms been even 1" shorter they would have looked very odd on me. But never mind that - lets get to some photos First the obligatory "big brown box" shots As you can see here everything was wrapped incredibly well with vary careful consideration. Each piece was individually protected with postage wrap which ensured absolutely safe delivery (but did test the patience when desperately trying to rip every piece out into the light!) Here is the full kit laid out on my lounge room floor (note that the kit is supplied with elastic. I'll be replacing mine anyway but it's a great bonus)

Grrrrrr... no time to fix it now - will have to get back to it later... Fingers crossed I've just fixed it - let me know. Thanks I don't get it! I edit the post fix it up and the images are there fine and dandy and then I come back 20 minutes later and they're gone again!?? Anyone know what the hell is going on? Are there any known problems with images hosted on MobileMe accounts?

Anybody else getting question marks where the pics should be? Not sure what I'm doing wrong here- the code is right but the pics seem to come and go of there own accord. Are they visible? {EDIT}: Think I got it fixed. Let me know