Scott M.

Thanks guys. I really do appreciate the criticism and comments. Criticism is not usually a bad thing, especially if it is mean to help, not hinder. I will get some pics of the blaster and plate as soon as I can. It is great to want to work towards something, and have people not only willing to help you get there, but also be willing to show you areas where you need to improve. MUCH APPRECIATION!! Mark IV here I come!! "trooper:

Ok, two new pics to get feedback: correcting the frown: View of the lenses (Hero style) Paul, et al; please let me know your thoughts. I still need to get a pic of the blaster and the back to show the butt plate seperation, but I wnated to get feedback on the frown, and an OK on the lenses. Thanks guys, still trying to get it right. I agree the frown was way off, and I just never looked at it closely.

I just helped a friend complete his FX, and he is 5'3". Keep in mind we had to cut about 1.5" off the thighs, shoulder bells, biceps, and chest armor, but he looks good. OBVIOUSLY the bucket is a little big, but he still looks good.

Welcome to the show, Brad!! Regarding the armor, what you are lookin at is what is referred to as FX. (BTW, I am NOT the expert here, nor do I play one on TV, but I will share what I know, and others can keep me in line) The FX is an accepted form of armor by the 501st and the FISD (I own a set, and I am very happy with it), but it is not the most screen accurate armor out here. This forum is a great place if you are looking for more screen accurate armor, and the good folks here can point you in the right directions. As for the black TX, since it was never on screen, most people have the FX as their armor. I assume others can do black as easily as white, so you might be able to use that as a different direction. Not sure if this was any help, but I had to get my multiple posts in, so I thought I'd be long winded and type a little. Glad to have you on board, and here is to a great new set of armor, and many happy troops ahead.

But that is exactly what makes all of us important here, our opinions and our individualality(sp?). I for one appreciate all the opinions and comments shared here, even the ones I do not argeee with. Helps me to better define what I belive in and why. Nothing like having a few "taras-chi*" in the discussion. Keep in mind this turned out to be a totally made up idea by Kyp Duron, but the real point is it does make sense to have this as part of the discussions. I think I will use this as my new signature line. What do you think??

Just as a side note, you can also wire the speakers in a series, if you want to lessen the number of connections. For example, take the red from one speaker and connect it to the black of the other. Now connect the loose red and black wires to the mini plug. You can use extra wire if you need to extend it. Since there is no balance (left vs. right) between the speakers, and the distance is so short, this also works well. Just an option for wiring.

Good idea. I may need to trim the butt plate, but it will depend on where the belt sits. Thanks for the suggestions and support.

Probably just need to work thru the nylon. The nuts are designed to hold tight, so you have to screw thru the nylon. My suggestion is to keep going, even though it feels like you bottomed out. I have those same screws on my FX, and have used these type of screws many times in the past. It is a wierd set up if you have not used them before. Hope this helps,

Yep. And I see the gap is ABOVE your belt, not below it as in the reference photo. I wonder if the belt just needs to angle up or something. Thanks for the shots, that sort of confirms my suspicions, and could get interesting, i.e. 2 cuts in the armor. Thanks again,

Requests for updates received and will commence immediately. Thanks Paul.

1) Yea, I forgot about that. I have been meaning to clean that up, and I never did. (rookie mistakes) 2) I assume a shot that shows the separation is acceptable? The only issue here is that if the belt moves (now that it is canvas and has more weight on it, it will) they gap may not always be visible. AFR 1) Will get a shot outside to provide better views, after the frown is fixed (2 birds, 1 stone) 2) Will get a few shots of the blaster outside as well. Thanks for the tips and suggestions. I will see how soon I can get this done, and add the new pics.

Ok, here it is: Correctly colored ab buttons (Thanks Steve!!) Seperate kidney and butt plate Canvas belt, Holster from behind, Holster on the left, and no gap between ab abd kidney plate Hero style bucket No visible rivelst and neck seal Modifed hasbro balster, complete with Hengstler counter I think that covers it. Let me know if I am missing anything. I will be working on my Stunt helmet starting next week (it is on order). Thanks guys!!

I will be submitting my pics for Mark IV status this weekend. Finally got the belt and blaster done!!

Too true!! I just got to do my first public appearance on a local TV stations morning program, and all they could talk about was Stormtroopers. I had on my TK , and Kurt had his TB :bikerscout: on, and they just ate it up. One guy on the show asked me all sorts of questions, like were to buy, how to get info, who to contact (I gave him our garrison web site AND THIS ONE to check out). Right after that, he asked us to go outside and help him do his car review, so I sat in the front seat of a CRV while he gave his report!! How cool is that!!! Anyway, there were people from Star Trek, Harry Potter, and Star Wars; and everyone wanted pics with and to talk to the 'troopers. TK's all the way baby!!! Just wanted to share, I will calm down now. Later,

Wow, I had no idea what I would start. First off I want to say thanks to EVERYONE who posted or sent me a PM. Being a newbie, it is always great to hear lots of different bits of information and get lots of opinions. Second, I think it is great that we are all so passionate about this topic. I personally do not have the faintest idea of what is and is not "acceptable", so this thread has helped me a great deal. Last, I will say that at this time I am not going to do anything. I sort of leaped before I looked, and I cannot afford to do anything this big right now, but the education has been well worth my time. Thanks again to everyone who chimed in on this, regardless of your take or feelings. The minute we start to ignore one side or the other, is the time we start losing the focus on who we are and why we do this. I am in it for the kids, as well as an opportunity to dress up as a TK. To me, that is the best, and what it is all about for me. Thank you, and please know I will not discount ANYTHING anyone shared with me. I hold all your opinions and information in the highest regard, since I am "just a learner".:vader1:

Very sorry to hear as well. I live in Colorado, so I would have been no help.

I appreciate the input. Thanks for posting. BTW, lets pretend I am not very "wise in the ways of science", and have no idea what RPF is? Can someone enlighten me? Thanks

Good to see you here Kent!! Make sure you post in the Newbie forum so you can introduce yourself, and everyone can say Hi!!! You will also need to post pics of your armor, so we can all watch the progress here as well.

Congrats!!! There is no better time of life than the time spent as a father.

What else can I say except that I will be praying for you and your family. Not something anyone wants to go thru. God bless,

Very cool!!! I was also able to get my local garrison to get in on the one in Denver on September 16th. This will be my 7th walk, but my first as a member of the 501st and my first in armor. I have had Type 1 diabetes since I was 15 (man, am I old!!), and a fellow trooper locally had his 4 year old son diagnosed last September. In case you have not already, contact the local JDRF chapter and let them know you want to be a part of their walk. I am on the local board of directors in Denver, and it is AWESOME the amount of excitement this has garnered already. The local chapter is going to include the 501st appearance in their press releases and mailers going out, and we are going to try and get a table for the kids to get stickers and temp tattoos, as well as show the adults what our purpose is. If you need help figuring out who to contact at your local chapter, let me know. I can get you in contact with the right person, and I assume most chapters will be as excited about this as the one here in Denver is. Maybe we could get a ton of the 501st to be a part of the walks this year, and make it a really big deal nation wide.

I did my figuring the other day, and my FX cost me $863. It broke down this way: $675 for armor,including shipping (Should have paid less, but lesson learned) $89 for a pair of CA boots $54 for a black body suit $20 for a neck seal $25 for a set of gloves This is just the beginning. I already had a Kenner blaster, so that did not factor in. Now if we add the other items: $55 for the WRONG boots $20 for a set of Green lenses $4 for blue tube stripes $15 for a com-link prop $45 for a second body suit (Thought I would need it for CIV) $41 for Kenner conversion kit $30 for left handed holster (Bernard does them on this site, and they are great) $5 for plastic to fill in between the kidney/back plate and ab plate $12 for screen accurate AB buttons(Steve did these for me, also on this site) $20 for canvas belt material $6 for holster clips for my TD $84 (approx) for inside of my bucket (Speakers, amp , mike, fans) Am I missing anything?? So, all told I would say my $1200 exactly is my investment. Also I had to buy things like a rivet gun, rivets, as well as ABS tubing to make a stand for it, plus the storage locker and helmet bag for transporting the unit. This may be WAY more than you wanted, but I figured I would share since I just did this.

I am not sure if I would use the term waste. Sure, there are several armor options out there, and the fact 90% (give a few percentage points here) of the TK's have FX does provide some proof that FX is not a bad kit. Is it 100% screen accurate? No. Is it going to be the choice for those who want 100% accurate armor? No. Is is what most troppers have? Yes. Is it a decent set of armor? Yes. Is it right for everyone? No. (I digress, sorry) My point is that I personally feel with all the options out there, there is a set right for everyone. You might even need to make a few adjustments (or maybe a lot of adjustments), but in the end, YOU have to be happy with it. I have an FX kit; and it will not be my last. I have had several people tell me it looks good, but you know what? I like it and that is all that matters. I am in the process of getting my Mark IV deployment desigantion, and it has been a blast. I had to mod my ab plate, get a blaster conversion kit, replace my tusks, swap out my lenses, get a new belt, get a new holster, ets.... The best part about this is I WANTED to do it. No one here told me my armor looked horrible because it was FX. No one here told me I could not be a member of the FISD with FX. The cool part is I could do what I love doing, and make my armor better IF I CHOSE TO, not because someone made me. This is a great group of individuals, and I think that right there says it all; individuals. We all have different needs, wants, desires; in regards to our armor, and this forum allows us to explore than and work to attain it. Back to the original point I wanted to make; don't think of buying one set of armor a waste, unless you do not want to buy it but are forced to. No one here will force you to buy FX, AP, ANH or any other version. They will, however, help you make the most out of your armor, without question. There is my $.02. Thanks for listening.

Agreed. That is what my link above is connected to! Good call!

I think this is an example of a similar type of bag ----------- Please feel free to correct me guys if I am wrong. Later,