DarkTrooper

Yep, I've been doing that for the past couple years with my suit. Works great

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Should be fine. I see no reference on the CRL as to what size the elastic needs to be. FYI, elastic is not required for basic 501st approval, only for EIB and Centurion levels.

My ab and kidney are held up by elastic straps so I guess I'm a suspender user.

Dremel is the preferred choice in rotary tools. I personally don't have a preference. I've been using an old Black & Decker tool for the past several years. Its compatible with the Dremel attachments. One could complete a whole armor kit without a rotary tool. It does make it easier though especially when cutting out the eye holes in a helmet.

I ordered my 2 kits a month apart from each other. The first having been ordered in April and the other in May. BOTH kits arrived this week.

http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/9515-flexible-anh-white-rubber-hand-guards/page-32#entry460492 I guess it was on facebook. They are listed on Trooperbay https://trooperbay.com/flexible-hand-guards-in-white-black-or-plain.html but I always wondered it these WERE Karin's and trooperbay was just the middleman and getting the orders

HFx Productions. Their blasters are light and the most durable trooping blaster you can find. Contact them directly or find a deal on their 'B' graded casts every now and then.

I agree with Panda. There are troopers out there in the opposite situation of yours who NEED a larger chest & back piece. If you can wait awhile I'd seek a smaller chest & back piece. Chopping off from the bottom only fixes a portion of the problem. The orientation of the chest details will still be off, the pectoral definition will be down around your naval

I would sew an extra length of fabric & velcro to the end of the belt. Same idea as shimming the armor.

Have you considered replacing the velcro? It could be that the velcro isn't that strong and could be better with an industrial strength version.

Good luck with the build. I'm looking forward to having more TKs in our garrison. Mine just arrived rt now too.

I don't know if I would use that specific picture as a costume reference. I view it as JUST a picture of costume pieces. Most of the pictures of costumes on display were thrown together without any screen accuracy. I've seen that photo before and it still puzzles me Its like the belt is flipped and the drop boxes are on the other side

ATA is worth the wait for quality and accuracy

I used rub n buff on a couple areas of my hyperfirm. Worked great!

That's how I've done my builds. Makes sense rt? The cover strip is going to cover two meeting sides; divide the width (20mm) by 2 and it equals the portion of one of the sides that will be covered = 10mm.

interesting

If I lived in AZ I guess I might be concerned about UV protection too

$$$ and time are the main factors in completing a Stormtrooper kit. Realistically yes you're probably looking at spending $800 to $1000 to complete your first set of armor. Understand that it take $$$ to look good & this isn't a cheap hobby. Your best option for assistance is contacting your local garrison. I'm within your area and I know about 8 others that are in Modesto that can help you too.

https://trooperbay.com/costuming-accessories.html?p=2

Great job. Congratulations. That mannequin/display looks awesome

Michael Bender had his armor painted pink.

contact your local garrison. Contact Toddo http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/user/15803-toddo/ he is near you. He seems to have a ton of free time because he has a battalion of armor jsut by himself.

First it depends if you are going to need it or not. Personally I would wait to get the armor first to assess if those tools are needed. One person's armor build is not like another. No need to spend on items if they're not a necessity. The Hangar 9 sealing iron is what I've used in the past. For heat guns, I've personally didn't see a difference. I have a Wagner and a cheap Harbor Freight one. Both work well. It all depends on you being comfortable and understanding the temp settings and the distance you hold the gun to the armor when forming the plastic (bending/shaping)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Smoky-Mountain-Boots-Womens-Jodhpur-Black-Patent-Leather-Elastic-Gore-/172049025924?var=&hash=item280eebcb84:m:mmRXJCQXM4qcVTfRCrTk7ew I've used these for my boots when I had a TX