Warkicker

Hang in there Shawn. If you are near finished with your bucket, that is generally regarded as one of the more difficult parts of the build. I'm new to this myself but I was able in seven weekends, with a few hours each of those weekends, get a Troopermaster 2 mm Hero kit to at least where it was wearable. You can see how I greeted trick-or-treaters below. There is still a lot of very minor tweaking to do before I take pictures for EIB and Centurion applications (heck, I'm not even registered with a garrison yet!) and I'm currently installing electronics in my bucket based on ukswrath's schematics and kits I purchased from him. Instrumental in my build are resources from ukswrath, FBJ, Troopermaster, Pandatrooper, JustJoseph63, Locitus, Gazmosis, PenCap510, Veedox and a whole slew of others. Since you are a fabricator for NASCAR, you more than have the skill set. I live in the Charlotte area in Mooresville, just up the road from you. Other than the aforementioned online resources and PM's with the very gracious people in FISD, I've had to go at this alone given my 15-18 hour workdays. I'm just a newbie and don't know if I can be of assistance but maybe we can get together after the holidays.

Doing a great job Richard! Admittedly I find myself coming to see your artwork as much as your build!

Wow! Just wow! You have a nice lawn Tony. And the armor is OK too. Just kidding! I'm speechless. That is some good looking armor! Well done!

There is almost an expected high level of anxiety with your first build given the investment most of us have made in securing our armor as well as the novelty of the build. As has been stated, taking your time and doing your research are key. I reviewed many builds and soon discovered there were recurring motifs with each aspect of the build as well as many permutations of mistakes humbly displayed online allowing perusers to take advantage of the former and avoid the latter. The complexity and sophistication of the build lie in the number of steps and parts necessary to make functional armor, but I found there was no single step that was difficult. As Tim pointed out, mistakes made are often due to impatience and carelessness given there is no part of the build that would be construed as physically challenging or necessarily intricate. With the rich resources of the FISD, I was able to take a Troopermaster 2mm Hero kit and finish it to EIB and Centurion status (still waiting onTK boots to finish the job and submit my application) in 7 weekends with just a few hours a weekend. I've not been around more gracious people than those on the FISD. Get started, take your time and ask questions. You'll do great!

Great advice has already been given. With respect to expense, when I consider my other hobbies - Crossfit, skiing, model building, RC helicopters, astronomy, golf. etc., I'm not so sure this is any more expensive.

Nice adjustments on the arms! I think you'll be fine with the shoulders. I like the slightly flared look. It'll be a moot issue with the pauldron and pouch. Plus, if you look closely at the screen capture images from the movies, there are some stormtroopers with no gaps and others with large gaps in the shoulders.

Dan, This may help. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/19372-correct-bicep-to-forearm-connection-anhesb-video-and-photo-references/ The less gap, the better, between the biceps and forearms. I think your shoulder gap could also be closer. I try to get the top of my shoulder bells almost touching the shoulder strap which then closes the front and back gaps. Also, I have big shoulders so I carefully used a heat gun to open the shoulder bells slightly which allowed for a better fit and less gap. Your armor is looking good. Hope this helps!

TM (troopermaster) offers 2 mm acrylic capped ABS. That's the armor I have and it is beautiful. Send him a PM.

Just finished my armor and used JJ63's double snap method and Pencap510's thigh strapping system and they work beautifully. I get the sense I could do backflips in my armor without anything coming off.

I went with Veedox because I have Hero armor. Couldn't be happier with the quality of his product.

The cross sectional anatomy of the human forearm is more oval than round, so the shape of the armor as pictured would be more in harmony with most people's anatomy.

I have a pair of the black Duofolds that I bought from Dick's Sporting goods two years ago that I use as a base layer when I go snow skiing and snowboarding. They are comfortable and have held up very well despite how much I have punished them. They seem to wick moisture away nicely without overheating you. I remember paying more than $36 but I did buy it from Dick's which is known for high mark-ups.

Bob, I got my Troopermaster armor just a couple of weeks before you. I'm about 70% into my build and it's been nothing but fun. I'd be further along if I didn't sit and stare in admiration at the armor for long periods of time but Paul makes such beautiful armor, it's hard not to Based on other threads, I purchased some Tesla compression wear from Amazon and it seems to be a good value. For the price, it won't hurt your feelings to take a black sharpie to the logo. I also have a Neosport under-suit that fits under a wetsuit and looks and feels great. It is a little more insulating and may make more sense to wear in cooler weather. I see that you are in SC. I'm north of you just above Charlotte! Happy building!

What an embarrassment of riches this thread is! Great job on the list Joseph!

Joseph inspired me to use the double snap method in most places and so far it works great! I personally am using elastic connections with the understanding that they may not hold up as well, but was able to find a compromise that has worked nicely so far. My solution was to purchase a thicker elastic (at Joann Fabrics, it's called belt elastic, rather than knit elastic, and you have to ask them to cut the desired amount for you. It's also more expensive that the prepackaged stuff). I then doubled the fabric over on the ends and sewed them together with a sewing machine, using a pad or quilting stitch to reinforce the ends before putting in the snaps. The stitching also makes the ends less elastic and nearly as strong as the nylon, preventing the snaps from pulling through. You still, however, benefit from the elasticity of the bridging piece between the ends. I found the diagram Michael linked useful, and hardly had to make any adjustments in placement of the snaps. As has been mentioned before, using the Tandy snaps is worth the extra cost. I've experimented with many types and nothing as worked nearly as well as the Tandy snaps.

Please proceed! I just grabbed my popcorn.

I just got my 2mm A/C armor and am in the early stages of my build. As Steve mentioned, it is impressively white and shiny. I'm shooting for a more idealized stormtrooper and I just couldn't pass up how beautiful the armor is. I'll troop in it but it will likely spend most of its time on a mannequin in my man cave; a trophy of sorts. I'm getting 1.5 mm armor to make a sand trooper after this build.

"Personally I would stick to snaps and elastic straps inside and keep the squeaky clean look of an idealised Stormtrooper. Leave the brackets for a hard core ANH replica in 1.5mm gloss ABS." ​Then snaps and elastics it is. This armor is too beautiful to risk cracking. I'll save my brackets for the 1.5 mm kit.

Ferg, I believe your assessment is accurate. I asked that same question to Troopermaster as I too am assembling 2 mm ABS armor with acrylic capping. He admits it will crack if flexed too far given it is more rigid. I actually ordered the bracket system from Mr. No Stripes but am having second thoughts using it given this information. We've must have read similar sources as the general consensus is to use the snap route if you have the harder, more rigid 2 mm armor. The bracket system seems to be exclusive for the thinner, more flexible stuff. I also thought as you, thinking the thicker armor would be more durable but it seems flexibility trumps tensile strength.

Looks great, Todd! Can't wait to get started on my Troopermaster armor.