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Tom, you rock. Thanks, man!

Thanks, Tom. Looks like I'll just stick with the E-6000 for the whole thing then. I'll have to get going on some snap plates. I ordered this snap tool http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOOLS-SETTER-Line-24-SNAPS-Tandy-Craftool-8058-snap-/140592089525?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20bbf109b5 but they didn't send me the anvil to hold the snap as you pound it.

Here is how I trimmed the eyes and teeth on my AP Helmet. I'd really appreciate some feedback on this. I think I went fairly conservatively, but I'd like to know if I need to trim more out. Please, any feedback would be most welcome! Having fun with the build.

A little bit of progress: Here you can see I dremeled out part of the return edge on the forearms. Perhaps I need to do more on the other side? Ordered and received my line 24 snaps and the snap setting tool. Not sure if I need to do the pliers. The pliers Wal Mart sells look like they're for a smaller size snap. Also picked up some styrene for snap plates or inside shims (Which do you use the scrap trimmings on?) And some glue for that:

R2-BBQ

This is an incredibly helpful build thread. It's right where I am at on my own build. Tom has been incredibly helpful to me as well! I can only imagine having him help in person. Thank you both for posting such detailed pics. It really is a help! Thread Bookmarked!

Tom, Thank you so very much for such a well-articulated and visual response! I truly appreciate the time you took to compose that. The (hopefully) good news is, I sized it very conservatively, leaving generous room. So I think I could get away with trimming the ridges clean off and then doing the coverstrip over them. I like the idea of having a pure ANH look to them. I'm finding sizing the biceps to be challenging. I don't know what it should feel like. The hardest part of slipping them on is getting them over my elbow area. I have to do sort of a twist and then re-align it. Flexing my biceps doesn't seem to be a problem. I do want to be careful and make sure I don't cut off too much though. Concerning the interior shims... do I make them out of the flat sheets of abs that came with the kit, or do I need to reserve those for cover strips only? I'd hate to run out. Am I better off using scrap pieces as interior shims or should I cut up a for sale sign?

Thanks Terry! Your thread is legendary. I'm just being extra careful in my interpretations of each step.

Thanks for the suggestions! After re-reading Pandatrooper's fantastic thread a few more times, I finally got enough courage to begin! Even made my first cut. But I'm already questioning something regarding the AM biceps. There is a formed ridgeline only on one piece of each bicep. Following Padatrooper's great tutorial, I have used a 8mm strip to mark that and cut the bicep leaving only 8mm of the ridgeline. Seeing as how the other half of the bicep has no ridgeline, am I correct in just butting the non-ridge piece up to the ridge piece, like this? Or, if you like, I whipped up this diagram based on the existing method, to illustrate what I see happening. Does this make sense, or am I doing it wrong? The cover strip will simply lay over the 8mm ridge, and the side of the bicep with no ridge, shimmed inside also.

I have a question regarding specifically, the AM biceps. There is a formed ridgeline only on one piece of each bicep. Following Padatrooper's great tutorial, I have used a 8mm strip to mark that and cut the bicep leaving only 8mm of the ridgeline. Seeing as how the other half of the bicep has no ridgeline, am I correct in just butting the non-ridge piece up to the ridge piece, like this?

I am so incredibly excited to at last be able to begin my own build, and my own build thread! First, a little about myself. I have been a Star Wars collector ever since 77, and it has been my dream to get my own TK armor since Star Wars Celebration II. In recent years, I have gotten into collecting prop replicas. I even put together a pretty accurate ANH 1:1 Vader costume: I've worn it a couple of times, but it is truly built for display, not for trooping. As such, it is very uncomfortable. And I don't yet have contact lenses. So the costume sits in my basement as a display piece (much to the chagrin, I'm sure, of my local Garrison Excelsior members). I suppose sometime in the future I may mod it to make it more conducive to trooping, but for now, I'm much more interested in making my white armor dreams become a reality. I am 6'2". Used to weigh about 215 lbs. Doctor warned me about my cholesterol, so now I am down to 180 lbs. So I will be a somewhat tall and lanky TK. Hope that's alright. I've been a member of this forum for a while, but only recently have begun lurking more, and seriously researching which armor to buy. Because of my height, I went with AM armor, like a few others my size have posted. I'll begin by saying TrooperGear has been a fabulous guy to work with! He helped me with the finances, and delivered a well packaged product that is just fantastic. Every piece has been pre trimmed. And he graciously threw in a pauldron should I ever want to go down that road. Thanks, TrooperGear! So, without further delay, here is my customary brown box photo: Now for my customary plea for help! Help me FISD, you're my only hope! I am... overwhelmed. Daunted. I am Chief Brody when he says, "You're gonna need a bigger boat!" (If you'll pardon a quote from another blockbuster 70s film.) I've been reading and searching lots of AM threads, and the legendary Pandatrooper build thread is basically going to be my bible. I want to do the butt joins and cover strips to get that slimmed down ANH accuracy. But I need help with a few questions, and will most likely continue to rely on the good people of this forum for help as I go. First, check out the size of these calf pieces! That's my leg going through both halves of the calf piece. Look at how much room I have! I have rather skinny limbs, so there will be a lot of trimming involved. I've got some Lexan scissors, and an Ex-Acto blade, but I think I still need a basic box cutter style utility knife. The good news is I will have lots of extra plastic for snap plates. On to my sizing concerns... I'm planning on starting with the bicep pieces. When I put them on my arm to size them, do I nestle the piece without the raised strips inside, or vice versa? Here's a pic for what I mean? But if I am to butt join the pieces, what gets trimmed and what doesn't? On one half of the bicep is the raised strip. Does that get trimmed anyway? Or does all the trimming happen on the side with no raised strip? I have the same question with the forearms. Does the raised strip edge need to be preserved in order for the coverstrip to go over them, or do I try to trim equally on both parts? Also, for the biceps and forearms, what trimming method is recommended? Score and snap? Or lexan scissors? Another question. Do I glue both sides of the bicep and forearm assemblies, or do I glue only one side and leave the other side unglued and use velcro? I want to have an accurate, hopefully EIB-worthy build, but I also want it to be practical and sturdy. In case you're wondering, I've already contacted my local Garrison leader. He's planning on giving me some help as our schedules permit. Do you think this is finish-able in time for Halloween? That is my goal, but we'll see... Again, I am delighted to begin my hero's journey. From what I've seen, the people on this message board are incredibly helpful and generous. Hopefully, my questions and trials will help future troopers who are in my shoes, so I'll do my very best to document each step of my build.

Anyone?

Would these magnets be appropriate? How many would I need? http://www.rare-earth-magnets.com/showproduct.aspx?ProductID=50&SEName=nsn0674

I too am 6'2" and I am having a heckuva time making a confident, informed decision. Right now, I'm split between ATA and AM. I'd really like to do a glossy Death Star TK. I am fearful with my height, I will have a lot of black at the knees. Anyone care to weigh in?

Thanks! That's what I had thought.

If I take a 10.5, should I go with a 10 or an 11? Do they run a little large or small?

It's a 'propaganda' poster playing on the "short for a Stormtrooper" line, and encouraging legit troopers to watch out for rebels in disguise as troopers.

Glad to see this thread! I am picking up an AP helmet, and am planning to get AM armor. I am 6'2, 185 lbs. Hopefully it will work for me.