justjoseph63

If you keep your E-11 stored in your holster it will eventually take the shape of it.

My Hero armor is Anovos, and one thing I was really surprised to notice when I got the kit was that the holster really is superb. Super thick leather. Some makers are made with thin(ner) leather, which can cause an issue when actually trying to insert your E-11 as they just don't stay open enough. Especially tough when you can't see what you are doing with a bucket on, lol. The one with the black straps could be sold to someone doing an ESB build. "Also - save money when you have a hobby as this - said no one ever"! So true. Unfortunately many purchase armor from unscrupulous sellers on ebay for a "great price" then find out it can't even meet Basic 501st approval and are gutted when they find out. An inexpensive hobby this is not, but when done right a nice set of armor from a reputable maker looks truly spectacular and is something to be proud of.

If by "all black" holster do you mean the straps that hold it to the canvas belt? While there was an exception or two (see last pic below) the majority of the straps were the natural tan color, which is what it looks like you are wearing in the photo. Although the CRL doesn't specifically mention the color of the straps themselves, I would stick with the tan ones. Looks like one of the prop makers attached this one on the wrong side, lol.

That turned out GREAT, Chris! You may have already noticed, but make sure before you attach it to the ABS belt that it lines up with the 45 degree angles on the corners. The left side if perfect!

Welcome to the true home of shiny white armor, Brandon! Dave makes an awesome kit, and I'm sure you will be pleased with the quality. As Arthur mentioned, the key to a successful build is research. One way to do this is to look over other people's AM build threads. 2 are now in progress and can be found here and here, but there are lots of others. Fantastic to hear that you are aiming for Centurion right out of the gate! The best way to achieve this is to start your own build thread. That way, you can (and should) ask all the questions you want. Lots and lots of questions. Posting photos will help immensely, especially if you have an issue. A few more hints: Measure twice (or 3 times) before cutting. If you have an issue, don't just "forge ahead". Stop and ask for help. We are here for ya'. When in doubt, ask for advice before cutting or gluing. (Trust me on this one). Posting photos is easy. I have a tutorial here that will help. Lastly, take..... your.... time. Consider your build as a marathon, not a sprint. Looking forward to seeing your progress!

Nice job, Shane! I gotta' ask, though.. how does it fit?

While we can't be 100% certain at this point, if it can be proven that this is FN it should certainly be a case of "Buyer beware", and some more research would be in order for sure. BUT, keep in mind that this person is selling 30 of these kits as one package, which I imagine will end up being individually sold on ebay or the like at some point. While all armorers have unique little nuances in their designs, as seen below this one has it's share as well, and to be honest, I'm not a fan of this kit. Depending on the GML it might be fine for Basic approval and maybe even EI with some work, but not for Centurion if that is what someone is aiming for. Here are a few items that would need some updating for screen accuracy: The ab plate button covers are integrated and not separate pieces. The buttons themselves are not integrated into the design and are separate (like SDS and Maker of Things). The small button plate is way too tall. Reference 1. Separate cod. Not a big deal but should be part of the ab-plate. 2. Oddly shaped ridges on lower thigh rears. 3. Overlap design on all limb joins, not cover strips. 1. 2. 3 1. Zero return edges on limb pieces, posterior plate and kidney. Not ideal for those that like a thicker look to their armor, and could cause kidney/posterior plate overlaps 2. Large center button on TD is convex, not concave. Again, not the biggest of issues, but the buttons look more square than rectangular. Length needs to be reduced (easily done). 1. 2. Reference

I always glue/attach the inside cover strips first, and suggest making them wider than the outsides. The reason being is that there is a lot of strain on those seams from opening the calves when suiting up and that will add some extra strength to the join. Another tip is to sand down all surfaces to be glued with heavy grit sandpaper, which gives the glue a better surface to adhere to (be sure to clean them thoroughly after sanding). Be careful on the outside ridges when sanding as to not scratch your armor.

You can definitely go black with the interior as many of us do. It can be a bit tricky, as you will need to mask off any openings (eyes, frown etc.). Many of use Plasti Dip spray, which is a rubber-type sealant. It stinks like crazy for a day or two but then goes away 100%. No matter what type of product you use, be sure to sand down and thoroughly clean the interior beforehand so that the product has a good surface to adhere to and wear a mask or respirator. Overspray can be removed with a NON acetone paint thinner or sometimes even rubbing alcohol. I have a set of extra large black rubber (flock lined) gloves if you want to see if they fit better. If interested just let me know via PM and I will send them to you (no charge).

Overall not a bad fit at all, but there is some tweaking that could sharpen things up for you. One of the first things I would think about is removing the padding from the inside of your bucket (or at least going with a thinner type). It should ideally ride much lower, and this should give you a better field of vision. Having it seated lower would prevent anyone from seeing the inside as well. One thing to consider is the strapping. In a perfect world each side should be pretty close to symmetrical. Raising the right bicep a bit and lowering the forearm would help. As for the thighs, it has to be considered that not all troopers are the same size so allowances should be made. The left side should come up a bit to match the right, but as you can see from the reference images below the gaps are not unprecedented, To keep the posterior plate from riding up, our resident expert on this is Glen @gmrhodes13 so I'll let him show you his awesome method of preventing this. The gloves you are wearing are the rubber type, which is required for Level 3 (perfect). The hand guards that are attached are the flexible type and look to be glued on. Perfect for Level 3 as well.

It looks as if you should be fine here, Terry. Nice job!

Exactly. This should be written in stone (or at least carbonite) somewhere.

Hopefully you can get those separated fairly easily, Terry. It looks as if you may have trimmed a bit too much off of the outside pieces (but let's hope not). Note how the outsides are normally higher: Once you get them apart you will be able to tell better, and If that is the case don't sweat it too much or let it get you down. I've seen far worse setbacks, and I'm sure Dave can get you sorted out with some new ones if needed.

GREAT start. James! I think you could use a few more clamps, though..

Nice work, Jonathan... looks like you are moving along quite nicely!! Excellent job on the tops of the forearms. Just enough (but not too much) of the return edges, which will give them that thicker appearance but not cut into your arms. I noticed that the edges of the cover strips are a little ragged, but it's not that big of a deal since the shoulder bells will cover a lot of it. Your left one has a smooth edge which is spot-on. For the remaining cover strips, I would suggest using a sanding block*** with some 180 grit paper using long strokes to give them a clean straight edge, Smart move by wearing gloves during fitting! A few things to keep in mind: 1. The wrist opening should be just wide enough to get your hand through and leave a little extra room for the glove. 2. Remember that since the hand guards are glued to the glove you will have to put the gloves on after you suit up and tuck them in. It looks like you have the Nomex gloves, and hopefully they are the ones with the longer wrists, which keeps them from popping out during a troop. 3. The forearm should be tapered as much as possible but still allow for comfort/mobility at both ends. My personal rule of thumb is if I can fit 2 or 3 fingers in between the armor and my wrist/upper arm I am good to go. 4. The openings on all your pieces should be sanded super smooth (220 grit or higher) to prevent snags. Trust me, lol. *** A small piece of scrap FLAT wood will do nicely.. just wrap the paper around it. The foam type sanding blocks are great for curved areas, but not really so good for flat ones. Looking forward to seeing your next steps!!