justjoseph63

Awful. Just awful. But whaddaya want for $100.00? Interesting how the word KIMI is built in to the sculpt on the bottom of the back in large letters.

Awesome job, Steve, and great attention to detail!! If I could make one small suggestion, I noticed that the kidney notch on the right has a sharp angle on the inside, and this could cause it to split or crack at that corner at some point. The one on the left is perfect! A tiny round needle file would round that corner out, or you could glue a small piece of ABS on the inside to prevent that. Good luck, trooper, I think you should have this one nailed!

I used the crackle finish on the barrel after seeing Dark CMF's build. Just don't forget that the t-tracks do not get any sort of textured finish,

Hmmmm. "Anything and everything" certainly encompasses a lot, Jason! Once you get your armor built and approved, you will start trooping with a lot of like-minded folks who will share not only your enjoyment of everything white armor related, but your other hobbies as well. Another idea for you in the mean-time is to get in touch with your local Garrison or Squad and get involved with some of their activities. You can volunteer to be a "handler" at events, which will allow you to gain some knowledge, as well as meet your future trooping friends. You get out of this exactly what you put into it. The more active you are, the more fun you will have. I guarantee it.

Now that is one fine looking set of armor, Jay! Not sure if it will matter, but the ammo belt seems a tad low in front. I believe it should be either touching or slightly overlapping the center ab-button plate. Great job on the painting, and loving that ab/kidney connection in the back. I think you should have this one nailed!

Hi Ken.. Believe it or not, there are a LOT of differences in helmets! There are dozens of individuals and companies that make them, but only a few can be approved by the 501st. The main reason being accuracy. Just because it looks similar to what you have seen onscreen, that unfortunately does not mean it has the proper details, sculpting, and size needed. There are even some sites and auctions (ebay) that list their armor as "501st approvable" when they simply are not. Not even close. Your best bet is to return it if you can, and look at the list of "vetted" sellers here http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/ thatmake armor and helmets. If you should have any questions about armor or helmets, you should try this forum: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/29-hard-armor-general-discussion/, which will help get you answers quicker. This forum (the one you posted on) is normally for questions about supplies to put a kit together. Hope this helps, and best of luck on your quest! Side note: If you would like to research the differences in helmets, you can check here: http://www.501st.com/databank/Costuming:FISD_CRL

From what I have noticed, Jason, the most popular armor is ANH Stunt, (not that i'm partial.... Well... a bit). If you look through the EIB and Centurion submission threads, the vast majority are ANH S. I went this route because I knew I would be going for Heavy Weapons trooper, and it worked out pretty well.

John Boyega is 5' 9" if that helps.

Those sound perfect, Tom, so one on each side of the joint you are gluing should do just fine!

This is one of the reasons I suggest purchasing the larger ones. Also, there is a great idea by Brandon for making little "sachets" for the magnets here:http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/31701-how-to-assemble-magnet-sachets/?hl=%2Bmagnet+%2Bsachets. Looks like it would be a much easier way to pull them apart, rather than breaking a fingernail or using pliers!

The link Eric posted will give you all the information you need, Mike. Yes, they look similar, but there are minor differences. For instance the hand plates are different, the holster is worn on a different side, and there are variations in the helmet. There are even differences between ANH Stunt and ANH Hero! These will matter when you are applying for 501st approval.

Great news, Ken! Can't wait to see the pics!

I would echo all the opinions here, Nick. Even if this armor was from a vetted maker, it is simply too small for your frame. The shins alone are WAY too short. To quote from a famous film, "Move along".. To something better!

Some great advice from Ken, Brian and Jason there, Justin. Depending on how much free time you can dedicate to not only the build, but to the research needed, I don't think you should have a problem. Some new builders will go for CA glue to speed things up, but I honestly don't advise it. Believe me, I found out the hard way..., and it cost me more time and effort than if I had used E-6000 in the first place. Like Jason mentioned, you can use this time to get your supplies in order and acquire your other items like neck seal, under suit, etc. You should think about ordering your boots and E-11 as well, as these will take time to get to you. Better to have everything in place when BBB day arrives, that way you are not scrambling around at the last minute and things will go much smoother, trust me. Starting a build thread will also help immensely. This way, you can post photos, ask questions, and show off your build all in one place. It also highly increases the likelihood of people helping you out, rather than posting 20 different threads.

Ich denke, ich mehr carfully lesen, Michael! LOL

I find the wider ones easier to work with, Bartek. Like I was saying, these things are unbelievably strong, (they can and will actually "jump" several inches across a table to connect), and it takes some practice to keep them apart. You will need at least 10 large ones or 10 "sets" of smaller ones in order space them out about 3 to 4 inches apart on the seams while gluing the thighs, and 2 inches or so apart on the wists and biceps. I mentioned wrapping them in blue tape, and you might want to use 2 layers of it. You honestly can't have too many!

I'm not sure if it's available there, Jens, but CA glue is also made in a gel form, which gives you a bit more working time before it sets permanently. Liek Steve (Gazmosis) mentioned there are a few spray products that you can use to instantly set it once you get the pieces in place, such as insta set or Zip-Kicker.

An entire warehouse full of Stormtroopery goodness...Can you imagine the number of handlers they had available??

Not sure what area you are in, Eddie, but you can get in touch with Vern. He builds armor for folks, and I am sure he can help you out. You can PM him here: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/user/2173-tk-bondservnt-2392/

If I can offer a word of advice on magnets... If you can't get at least a 20mm (2cm) x 3mm size, you can certainly double or triple them as needed. I would highly suggest that when you find the right "formula" for strength needed, (2, 3, 4, etc.) to wrap the sets in blue painters' tape. These things are incredibly strong, and they are danged near impossible to get apart. This will also prevent them from scratching your armor.

Congrats, Erik, and welcome to the ranks!! If you can't get in touch with Karin, you can always go with Trooperbay. I think they sell for around $33.00 or so.

This is what the pauldron should look like, Georg: ---------

Welcome, Paul! You are in a bit of a quandary here... While I am glad to hear you are considering HWT, (we can always use more in the ranks!), the ANH Hero bucket would unfortunately not be acceptable for HWT approval. I went with ANH Stunt, and made a few alterations... 99% of the time I use my armor for the Heavy Weapons style, but occasionally I need to do the regular TK, so I made the drop boxes removable, (snaps), and bought a second canvas belt, (to which I added "blaster residue), as the TK one has the E-11 holster attached. I just switch out the ABS ammo belt and I'm good to go! While basic HWT approval accepts 3 (Hero) or 4 ear bumps, the frown has to be gray, and have 8 teeth cut out, and the Hero has a black frown and 6 teeth cut out. If you do decide to go with RT-MOD, and want to double as a HWT, you will need to let them know this when they build your bucket, as well as ask them to add the ear bumps. If you should need any help in finding accessories, or just general information on becoming a Heavy Weapons Trooper, just PM me, and I will be glad to help!

Perfect advice from Andrew there, Eric.

Hi Simon! I have a thread in the "Getting Started" section of supplies you will need, but here is a link: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/31404-supply-list-for-your-tk-build/ As for the build threads, (assuming you are going ANH Stunt or Hero), there are a lot of build threads here: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/80-anh-build-threads/. Hope this helps!