justjoseph63

NICE JOB on those fixes, brother!

I have ordered from them 3 times, and the first two took about 20-25 days to arrive.... no biggie. The last time I ordered one I tried to contact them at the 30 day mark. Nothing. No reply to multiple emails. I ended up contacting PayPal to look into it and I magically received a reply from them the next day with an apology, and received my kit 3 days later. They may not pay attention to you, but they will certainly take notice when PayPal gets involved. It;s kind of sad, really, because they really do make a fantastic kit at a great price but seem to enjoy shipping when they feel like it.

Looking great, Gary! If I could make a suggestion, it would be to (carefully) sand down the heads of those rivets so that when you paint them it will adhere a LOT) better. I suggest masking off the area around them with painter's tape so that you don't scratch your armor.

A small amount of the cover strip sticking out will not make that much of a difference for approval, but as you mentioned you can cut it along the contour of the armor as shown in your photo. Looking over some of the approved Centurion submissions will give you a better idea of how close you can take it. The paint on the rivets will definitely need to be removed. Here are a 3 shots of screen used armor and a screen capture as a reference:

Way back when, (before I was aware of the 501st) I ordered a set of this armor. During my search for the best way to put it together I discovered the FISD and found out that it would not be acceptable for even basic 501st approval due to the fact that (as Mathias mentioned) MOT is a recaster. If you are not familiar with that term, it means that they copied someone else's work. I was really disappointed to find this out, but instead of sending it back I sort of "made lemons into lemonade". Instead of returning it, I used the build threads on this site to put it together and then sold it on ebay as a complete "Halloween costume" in 3 days (and actually made a profit)! Doing this gave me some great build experience and gave me the chance to interact with some great folks here on the FISD, which prompted me to order a kit from AM. Getting a kit from a vetted seller also has the advantage of giving you the chance to join the 501st. This way, instead of keeping it in the closet all year except for Halloween or the occasional convention, you have the chance to wear it throughout the year, (our Squad did over 250 appearances in 2016), make some great friends, and put smiles on hundreds thousands of faces.

A bungie cord... DANG! Why didn't I think of that?! Looks like a trip to Lowe's today.

Q is exactly right, Ivan. The sales threads for example require a minimum of 5 posts before you can add your own.

Really nice job on that Anovos build, Noah! Like Patrick mentioned, I would try to cut down the extending cover strips.. they may poke into your arm/thigh and be a bit uncomfortable. Also, you will need to take a few minutes and remove the white paint on the butt plate and upper ab rivets. An easy fix, and I hope to see that EI badge under your name soon!

If I have a long way to transport my bin/pack, I extend the handle of the bin and tie the top portions of the pack straps to each side of the base of the handle. This lets it sit on top of the bin and not fall off while I roll it. Most troop changing areas are a relatively short walk from my truck, so I normally just leave it on the back seat and make 2 trips. My T-21 unfortunately doesn't break down, so I use the sling to carry it on my shoulder. I do get some strange looks occasionally, though.

If I could throw in my 2 cents worth on this... I thought about that when building my first set of armor. I also thought about someone's idea where they used a pouch that hung around their neck to hold a wallet, phone, etc. The truth is that I just keep these items in my bin. I have been on countless troops, and never, ever felt uncomfortable about doing this. 99% of the time, the bins are kept in a secure area, and I don't even lock it. We tend to be a very honest, respectful bunch of folks, and I trust my fellow 501st brothers and sisters implicitly. Once in a great while bins are stored in an area where the public may have access (this is very rare), so I just lock it and keep the key on an elastic band around my wrist under my glove. If you want to keep your phone on you at all times (as some do) it should be turned off during a troop, and if it is in your backplate you couldn't get to it anyway. Just food for thought....

I have the same issue, Hugh. I took the padding out of the top of my buckets because it made them ride too high and like you, I couldn't see. I ended up using a piece of 1 inch thick foam in a horseshoe shape that keeps them snug enough to effectively move my head but it still slightly touches my chest plate. I just have to clean off a few black marks with a Magic Eraser after each troop.

ONE DAY LEFT! Also, just wanted to say a big THANKS to all of you who participated in this. These stories are amazing, and many bring back some of my own memories. The Attaches have quite a job on front of them choosing a winner. Best of luck to all of you!

ONE MORE DAY.. Just a note to say a big THANKS to all of you who participated in this! It's awesome to see so many of you headed toward Centurion, and with all these great entries choosing one is gonna' be one tough task!

I couldn't agree more..

You can certainly add the brush strokes, which will show up in the final product, but I suggest painting them afterward though with actual exterior latex house paint. The reason being is that (depending on the manufacturer) natural latex (even white) can turn orange after extended UV (sun) exposure. If I could make a few suggestions, I would beef up the area in red (below) a bit, and thin out the area in blue. When creating your clay originals keep in mind that the latex will shrink when drying. The edges will pull away from the mold, but don't try to fill those gaps. The center will also shrink quite a bit, but you can fill that with extra liquid latex (but just to the edge). I have been through this process many times, so if I can be of any help just PM me

A photo would really help, Mike, but there are 2 ways you could remedy that. One would be to use progressively higher grit sandpaper (I would probably start with 300 or above, ending with 1200 or higher) and finish up with a plastic polishing compound like the Novus system. Alternatively, you could sand it down really smooth and paint it. Hopefully you haven't glued on the TD plate, but if so you could mask it off.

There is always a bit of "wiggle room" concerning "screen accuracy". Should we always strive for it? Of course! But, there are some things we simply cannot do, like: 1. We can't all build a TK with the original strapping system. It entails using the bracket method, which is beyond many first time builders' experience. The snap method achieves the same result without the extra work. 2. Carry a 100% accurate E-11. We have standards, of course, but to insist that everyone should have an exact replica of the ones used onscreen is not that feasible. Some are made of rubber, some of resin, but we allow them because they are close. Perfect? No. But again, not everyone can afford to purchase a decommissioned Sterling and transform it. It is simply cost prohibitive for the average Trooper, and we want everyone to get out there and enjoy Trooping! I guess what I am trying to say is that we have to make allowances for certain things. If we were striving for 100% accuracy there would be very few of those who reach EI and Centurion.

You did your first troop as Centurion? WOW! Sounds like you set the bar really high for for your fellow UKG Troopers, Darren. Outstanding job, brother, and a big WELCOME to level 3!!!!

That could very well be the best "Aren't you a little short..." comeback I've ever heard!

I'm just a bit OCD, (just a bit, mind you) but those frayed edges would drive me bonkers. Since you are making your own belt, I would seriously advise putting a piece of thin plastic inside (like a strip from a plastic "For Sale" sign). This will stop it from drooping like one of those Anovos belts.

In theory the back should not stick out, Nate. A tiny bit won't hurt, but you may want to trim the backs down a little. Gluing them together is fine, as they are only really there for aesthetic purposes. Since you are aiming for Centurion, when attaching them to your belt make sure the outside edges of the box align with the outside edge of your ABS belt.

Occasionally after someone takes a photo with me, I ask to see their phone and announce "This is the droid we've been looking for", or "I think I had my eyes closed". Always gets a laugh or at least a big smile.

I'm with Allan on the "clean crisp" look of the edges. No matter which path you choose, here is a tip: Give your canvas belt a few coats of Scotchguard protectant. This will make it much easier to clean, (trust me, it WILL get dirty after a few troops). I like my Hero and Stunt belts to stay clean (OCD, LOL). My HWT belt is another story.. the dirtier (battle worn) the better.

I don't think you need to use the wire cutters Aaron showed as a way to actually cut through the rivets, (GREAT idea, BTW). All you need to do is use them to pry up the "legs" of the rivets inside enough to be able to grab them with a set of pliers to straighten them out. After that, they should slide out.

bump... Only 3 days left!