DarkTrooper

Well, last week I finally let go of the FX TX helmet. It been sitting in my room collecting dust ever since I upgraded my lid to a CAP TX helmet. Along with the FX helmet I sold my chest, back, shoulder straps and shoulders. Sort of a whole bust deal. The new upgraded parts arrived today. I've already started to do some trimming.

I have the same problem with one of my shins but I've learned to live with it. The opening scene of A New Hope had Stormtroopers invading the rebel starship and the backs of their calve pieces were opening up.

I will be there for the first time with my ESB TK I'll also be seen around the Con in my upgraded Blackhole Trooper armor also (most likely on Saturday). I'll be there the whole convention this year!

Well, they maybe more popular in cities that have major sports teams. People have them all over L.A. representing the Lakers. Its NBA finals time so there are people at street corners selling them. I've seen them sold at flea markets/swap meets. Plus, they are sure to be at sports memorabilia stores.

what a great find! We have those over here in the U.S. too & they are all over the place.

wow, so 'cryptic' . What 'upgrade' parts are you talking about?

Good luck with your build. I've built an ATA also. It's a fun build. I bought that same bag of clamps from Lowes too, they'll be very useful when you join the various armor halves together.

AP next to C6 clonetrooper. Whoops! I said I was gonna make the AP into a Hero lid but got too carried away with cutting out teeth. Ah well, I wasn't sure how bubbled lenses would have worked with that infamous AP bump in the right eye.

(rrrrrhhh-I misspelled ANH in my topic title. Good thing I'm not in this year's spelling bee) Its been a good week. Two new helmets arrived this week. First was my Clone Six Episode II Clonetrooper helmet and yesterday my AP 'seconds' helmet arrived. The mic tip area is a little thin and discolored but I'm not even worried about that since it will hopefully be hidden behind the mic tips. Mic tips will be upgraded along with the neck trim. I'm gonna follow TK4510's AP helmet build that he has posted here. Since I'm a 'shorter' trooper I'll be going for the Luke AHN look with his helmet, making a Hero lid. I'm gonna test out the ABS paste method of 'melting' ABS shards with acetone. I'll be sure to test this on a scrap piece of plastic before applying it to my new helmet.

cute dog & nice boots. I'm thinking I'll have to pick some up to replace my CA boots.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. Good thing you got your money back. The same thing happened to me awhile ago. We all need to be a little more cautious when looking on ebay for armor. I'll admit, I bought my first Stormtrooper kit off of ebay but it wasn't until I followed that particular seller for a couple months and read the feedback from others who bought armor kits from them. I know ebay can have deals that look too good to pass up, but be careful. If in doubt, be sure to let us know about something you have questions on.

Your armor looks great! Wonderful finish. Its great to see another ATA looking to achieve EIB status.

Awesome costumes. yours and your daughter's. I love how Star Wars can be something that families can enjoy together.

There's also the 501st Special Ops Detachment 501st Special Ops

I found this There's more on his flicker thread here: --------

That's a 'mean' looking set of armor! I like it

I have used them in a past build. I thought they looked great. I'll try to find a picture.

Well, I prefer the first one if I had to choose. I'm curious . . . how is the FX "ruined"?

Yes! Another ATA build. Wow you jumped right in there. I was intimidated by the helmet so I did that last. You've done an excellent job so far. I can't wait to see the rest of the build.

Here are the links of two female Stormtroopers that have achieved EIB status here on the FISD There are more around here though. -------- I'm not sure of their height or weight. (men never feel comfortable asking that kind of info ) You might wanna PM them and asked them about their armor build experiences. I do know TK-7995, Gunners'N'Roses has the same kit as me which is ATA.

I've read a number of posts where new members ask the common question concerning the durability of the various kits. "Is it strong enough to troop in?" What is "trooping"? Based on my experience in this hobby for the past three years(14 months of which have been a member of the 501st) "trooping" has been for the most part simply posing(for pictures)in my armor in public at conventions, fund-raising events & concerts. I may have walked my share of long distances through convention centers and halls, climbed up a flight of stairs or walked around a city block but I have never had to sprint, jump in the air or roll on the ground in armor. Taking into consideration the crowd that you'll be around is also important. You might wanna stay away from crowds where alcohol is available. I walked through the parking lot of a Oakland Raider game dressed in my TX Blackhole trooper armor . . . not a good idea. There is strength in numbers; have a handler. Remember you're vulnerable and can't see everything that's going on with a helmet on. ABS vs. HIPS . . . for me it all amounts to how well the kit is assembled. Using the right combination of strapping, rivets, snaps, velcro, etc. Trimming the armor to fit you right. Being comfortable in it and knowing your limits as far as movement. An armor kit will last for a good amount of time if you take care of it. Don't leave it in the trunk of your car or outside on a ninety degree day. Properly store it after each troop. Clean it if you want to. I remember hearing a story of someone who discovered a bad case of fungus growing on an abandoned sweaty set of armor. Yuck! Get a nice big plastic tote or crate to keep it safe in. Some people keep it in the cardboard box it came in kit form in. Whatever works for you, just take care of it. Like most people i don't have money to burn or waste. Choosing to purchase a quality set of Stormtrooper armor for me was decided after tons of research online and talking to fellow 501st members and saving money. I wish you all happy & safe trooping!

Looking good so far. Yeah on my FX kit I had to do quite a bit of trimming of the chest and ab pieces. I took about an inch and a half between the ab & cod pieces. I don't have a "Michael Phelps" long torso. I'm 5'7". If you don't cut the chest piece it'll cover up the details on the ab plate and end up touching your belt like my friend's here. Also I trimmed my shoulder bells a lot. They were huge, almost dropping down to my elbows. They covered the biceps entirely. AM/FX kits = bigger troopers . . . but we can make it work for the "short to be a Stormtrooper" Stormtroopers

I've removed previous rivets by drilling them from the outside.

why not a TE2 helmet?

The only thing that would not match with that armor & helmet combo is that the armor would be ABS and ATA's helmets are made of HIPS. So you would have to paint the helmet. Painting to match the gloss of ABS is not impossible but it is a challenge. My helmet is super glossy for being painted. I polished it with some cutting compound and micro fiber polishing cloths.