Sentry71

Looking good, keep it up!

Eric, this is looking better and better all the time. You can see the effort put into the suit. Keep it up! (And yes, PLEASE let the boots be here soon...)

The wider strap would keep them from twisting as much... I'll have to rewatch a few episodes and see if I can catch how they "flap".

Strap from the inside makes the most sense for the drop box, since attaching to the bottom of the belt directly, or the posterior plate, will just cause the box to get torqued one way or another. It does seem to be literally on the side aligned to the last ridge on the belt, where the OT TK has them aligned to the plastic belt ends.

Making good progress!

Mark (AP) makes awesome armor. Other makers do too, but I love my AP kit. Your list seems pretty well covered for major items. Depending on your intention for accuracy and just basic approval or EIB/Centurion, definitely check out the threads Joseph linked to above. And keep your garrison mates looped in - they will be able to answer a lot of questions on sourcing items locally.

Will you be adding eyeglass screws to the side as well?

For a first time builder (and even some of us with experience), E6000 is MUCH preferred. Yes, it takes longer to set, but it is forgiving of mistakes. Slow steady pressure will let you pull pieces apart if necessary, and cleanup of glue that "leaks out" from joints is pretty easy. Zap A Gap is permanent. Not recommended at this point. As for inner strips, I use them to help make sure that things are solid. They are not necessary, but I like the extra reinforcement - especially for the shins, where there will be a lot of flexing as you take them on and off.

Christian has been right with his suggestions. The ears will cover and "hide" any misalignment of the cheek tubes. Having the front aligned properly is more important. Eyes and teeth look excellent. The eyes could be smoothed a bit more, but you have them in a great position now. My only addition at this point is to be careful when you attach the parts of the helmet. Are you planning to use just the ear screws, or did you intend to rivet the pieces together first, then add the ear screws later? The reason I ask... I used rivets to put together the cap and face, and accidentally put the rivet very close to where the ear screws ended up later. It didn't keep it from working in the long run, but did cause me to be concerned.

Have fun with it! Lots of work there, but always worth it in the end.

I'm glad to see you back in action on your work, and hopefully will have some Centurion upgrades of my own soon. Keep up the great work - and keep the pics coming!

You want the front raised area to match your cover strip width once it is completed (for ANH, 20mm) - so trim each side to 10mm on the front. Your first photo is how you want it to look when you are done.

My balance is in.

IB says they run true to size... not sure how that compares, though.

Thanks for the work that you put into this, Eric. I disagree on the grey weathering being a requirement at basic level. Yes, the animation style and shading does tend to give the armor a light grey pall, but I think that has more to do with simulating the environmental effects than the armor itself. I would prefer to go gloss white on the armor (with grey indents), but that is personal taste.

Well, after doing some general trimming and test fitting, I have determined that I will not be able to use the kit. I taped the side boxes in place, and found that I could not even get the helmet on. The faceplate sits against my nose. So, unfortunately, I will be listing the kit in the for sale section later. Aaron did an awesome job with this kit, and someone else will definitely enjoy it, I am sure.

I actually have not had a chance to continue on it for quite a while. Now that Twnbrother has posted his, I need to get back on mine!

A few things I noticed from these pics, which you may want to consider: - The shoulder bells should be brought up to the outside of the shoulder straps, not over them. This will help the bells sit lower, and help cover the biceps a little more now that you have them pulled down toward the forearms. - You already mentioned that you will work on resizing the thighs a little, so nothing to add there from this end. - We don't see the strapping internally, but an elastic strap or two from the chest to the abdomen would help keep it from rotating backward on you.

No, there shouldn't be any issues there, since the E6000 will attach to almost anything with a rough surface (and some smooth ones), so you are good.

Count me in for a set.

Any special reason for using CA glue vs E6000?

If you follow the curve when you trim, it will still be close in shape, and therefore would not be an issue. I agree with Joseph, that you want to leave the inside of the thighs alone if possible. I had to remove an inch off the top of my thighs, for the same reason that you are pointing out. I did this in small (1/4") increments, and it helped immensely. On the shins, definitely get your boots first before sizing them to your calves. It makes a world of difference.

Thanks! I'm interested to see who else has this issue - or if I am the only one. Yes, I definitely will be painting and adding tiny screws for detail here and there - but if this isn't going to fit, I would be better off selling as is, so that the next person can do their own mods.

Looking forward to how this works out. Starting to find out that there is less space inside than originally thought for some of us (though no fault of Mark).

In addition to what Christian listed above, consider adding bicep hooks to keep the biceps from sliding down. This will help the forearms stay up as well, and give a more consistent look to it. You already have the elastic on the bells, so a simple addition will be all that is necessary. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/31920-ukswraths-am-10-ata-bucket-build/?p=412528