AlexPrime91 Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 So, after a good two years of wanting to get armor, and FINALLY having the funds to do so, I have got my Stormtrooper armor. I am more excited than words can say. However, I shall have a few challenges. First, I am female, so my body shape is obviously a bit different. Twigs for arms, really skinny waist, and then wide hips. So that'll but fun to work around. Also, I am 5'5, but I have heel lifts that'll bump me up to about 5'8. I hope to try to avoid the 'Short Stormtrooper' comments. If not, I'm arresting the offender under the suspicion of being a Rebel Scum Spy. I decided to go with ATA, as I have heard great things about the build and it was the cheapest way to go. That way, if I slagged it up beyond all belief, I wouldn't be out $600+. Excellent service, and it arrived at my door in one day! It was shipped on Saturday, and it came on Monday. Beautiful! The armor is so much thicker than I thought it would be! But I am extremely excited to start in. Terrified, but excited. Of course, I have absolutely no idea what I am doing, the fitting part especially. If I were male, I think it would be easier to deal with. I have to worry about my darn curves. *Mumbles angrily* Being can suck for costuming. But I have vowed to work around this and sometime soon hope to wear that beautiful white armor! I just have... no idea what to do. I am likely starting on the helmet first, as I have a guide on how to do that part, and there is very little fitting involved in it. I am just not sure what to do about the rest. If anyone can point me to a guide of where to cut and how to fit things, I'd be most grateful. I am terrified beyond belief to even start cutting... It seems TK build threads by girls are rare on here, so I hope to contribute as much as possible to all the future ladies in white! I'll share my experience the best I can so that others can follow in my stead! I am mostly on my own in this, since I am located in Spokane, WA. Havoc Squad is the local squad, and Garrison Titan the main branch. But Havoc Squad has only one TK (well, technically, he is a TD), and he bought his already assembled. So I am somewhat screwed in the begging for help end of things. Ahh well, I knew I would be mostly on my own with this when I got the armor... Anyways, I'll be posting pictures on here quite a bit, as well as asking tons of questions that should probably be obvious. Thank Primus for the FISD! Without this place, I would be completely and utterly lost! You guys are all awesome! First of all, the obligatory Brown Box Shot! Taking the idea of one of the other members on here, I opened while blasting the Imperial March. Something I shall never forget! I seriously have no idea how he fit all of that armor in there, though! I tried and it is overflowing at least a foot out of the box! The armor all spread out. Thank you so much, ATA! I absolutely LOVE the kit! It is beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye[501st] Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 Nice one! have fun building, but always cut LESS! then later you can take of more!. How do i contact ATA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexPrime91 Posted February 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 Thanks! Yeah, I plan to cut way less than I need to, just to be on the safe side. I have had bad things happen when I did not do this. I have learned my lesson. Also, refer to this topic: http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11538 It will have his contact info there. I highly recommend the armor. It is great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkrestonva[TK] Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 Congratulations on the new arrival. There has been at least one build thread done by a woman here in the past, she's up in Alaska and did an FX kit. Her board name is "Spookx" or something like that. In the meantime, Lisa (TK8224) did a "build thread" on her personal blog, it's AP but may still be helpful. EDIT: Found Spoox's thread - http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=7116 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daetrin[Admin] Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 Heya Alexandra - great to see you doing a full thread. I'm sure other members of Havoc squad can lend a hand, so at least you'll have some local help too for the fitting, which will be the trickiest part. Don't be afraid of strategic foam padding if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexPrime91 Posted February 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 Yeah, the foam will be used, definitely. Especially on the ab/kidney plates.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnnfr72[TK] Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 Congrats Alexandra!! You are gonna do great! Can't wait to see your posts and pics. [My armor is shipping now, I know all about the excited/nervous feelings!] Glad everybody's pointing towards other builds, I'll be searching those, too. Have fun! JEnny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexPrime91 Posted February 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 Right. I really need someone to point out a good thread on where to trim my armor. I am terrified to even cut it out, because I am not entirely sure where to start. I really don't want to screw something up. I have searched around, but I cannot find any threads that focus on ATA armor, as opposed to the other makes. Even a really good build thread on where to cut armor in general, as well as how to fit it. It doesn't need to be ATA specifically, I guess. I did, however, begin to cut out a few of the small things, like the hand-guards (which are massive on me and dwarf my tiny little hands) and the Thermal Detonator middle piece. I am getting the hang of the score/snap process. Awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogueTrooper[TK] Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 (edited) Congratulations Alexandra! have fun with your build! Here is a link to help you with the arms, start there first... http://www.whitearmor.net/home/tutorials/armor-tutorials/arms.html Edited February 17, 2011 by RogueTrooper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogueTrooper[TK] Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 (edited) Also here is a great review on the ATA that was in the FISD Newsletter... At the bottom of this there are some ATA builds and info on painting HIPS... Hope it helps ya, Tom From the NEWSLETTER: January 2011 This month, we feature a full review on ATA armor! Greetings troopers! Going forward, (the staff with assistance from FISD members) will be conducting detailed reviews of the various armor makes, to give troopers a better idea of what the specific features and qualities of each kit are. This month, we have chosen to highlight the ATA kit. ATA Armor Highlight and Review by Terry / Pandatrooper FISD Intelligence Officer ATA has been around for some time and has produced a quality armor / helmet set for troopers wishing to portray TK's, TD's, TX's (kits are available in black) for any stormtrooper based character. The lineage of the armor comes from CAP-W / TE, which has roots to the ROTJ tour suit. Thus, it's "screen accurate" in terms of sizing and detailing, and will fit most average / idealized sized troopers (commonly believed to be approx. 5' 9" / 10", and 165lbs). Completed ATA armor ATA armor is available in complete sets, helmet only, or even individual parts (pending availability) The armor is made from a bright white HIPS (high impact polystyrene) plastic. It has a matte finish and is very easy to trim, cut and reshape with a heat sealing iron (if required). ATA kits generally include the following "hard parts": ATA armor ATA helmet - Helmet parts (brow and neck trim, green welders lens, white Hovi mic tips, mesh, helmet and mic tip hardware) - All body armor parts (depending on which stormtrooper character) - Additional plastic for cover strips - does not include any velcro, adhesives, elastic, etc. ATA comes rough trimmed, so you will not only need to assemble the armor, but also trim along the proper edges. Some edges are more clearly defined than others, but using reference photos can help in trimming. Trimming the armor can be easily done using the "score and snap" method (repeatedly scoring along a line and snapping the plastic to separate the parts) or using lexan scissors or tin snips. While a Dremel cutting wheel can work, care must be taken as HIPS plastic is softer and can heat up quickly. In terms of sizing, ATA is a fairly "standard" screen accurate size which is common among other makers such as AP, TE2, etc. Components Since ATA has lineage to the CAP-W/ TE, many of the components are considered "standard" in terms of common details seen on most armor. All of the armor and helmet pieces are considered much more accurate than FX or AM armor. Below are some details regarding specific pieces, which may be an upgrade from those transitioning from the older fan sculpted FX armor. Helmet: The helmet has good detail in the face and cap and back. The undercut on the cap and back is slightly less than other helmets, but it does not detract from the overall shape. The mic tips are a cast white resin, with silver mesh which must be assembled and painted. There are "U" shaped rubber trims provided for the brow and the neck trim. Partially completed ATA helmet Ab buttons / button plate: The AB comes with a TD specific ab button box molded into the ab plate. Should you want to portray a TK, there are separate button panels and a button strip that must be trimmed and glued on. Partially completed ATA torso Belt armor / rivet covers: the belt armor does not have square indentations where the rivets or snaps can be installed (to attach the armor to a canvas belt). The covers can be simply glued on top. Close up of belt detail Butt: The butt is formed separate from the back plate, which is correct for ANH and ESB suits. Biceps and forearms: The CAP-W / TE2 suits have unique biceps and forearms. The left bicep is "pointy" while the right is slightly larger and has a square notch opening. Also note the "thumb print" on the bicep, which was seen in some of the original armor. Bicep and forearm pieces Thighs: The thighs again are derived from the CAP-W / TE suit. As such, the right thigh is slightly longer and pointier at the top, where as the left is slightly shorter and has a rounder top. Comparison of left and right thigh tops Chest and back: Of note to those with FX armor, you will notice a big difference between FX or even the updated AM compared to ATA armor. The ATA chest and back are much more accurate. The chest is rounder, and much smaller and more defined than fan made chest armor. The back is also similar with a more modestly sized back box and "OII" details). Thermal detonator: the thermal detonator includes the control panel and end caps. You will need to find a section of PVC or ABS pipe, along with metal clips to attach the detonator to your belt, if you want an accurate replica. Conclusion This is a very fun and easy kit to assemble. The HIPS plastic is very easy to trim and finish, which can result in a very screen accurate armor build. The quality, affordability, customer service and availability of the kit are it's strongest factors. ATA's customer service and support is great, and they are willing to answer any questions you may have. In terms of a final white finish, you have several options. You could leave the white matte finish as is (which works fine for TD's), paint the kit (sanding, using a white primer or white lacquer based paint) or polish the kit. The majority of people tend to paint the kit as it results in a very glossy white finish, and is fairly easy to achieve. The most common paints troopers are using are Rustoleum and Krylon, both of which can achieve a good finish. It's been reported that Rustoleum achieves a glossier finish. You can also polish the kit via wet sanding, and using plastic polish to give it a final sheen. See links below for discussion threads and tutorials. Many troopers in the 501st legion have either upgraded their armor and or helmets to ATA due to it's great features and quality. Links to options for adding a gloss finish to styrene kits Painting a HIPS kit Discussion for making armor shiny Polishing a HIPS kit to make it shiny Some links to ATA kit builds Dashrazor ATA build Midnyt17 ATA helmet build Naatsirhc ATA build Dark GT104 ATA build Pandatrooper's ATA TD build Edited February 17, 2011 by RogueTrooper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoVATie[Admin] Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 If you use the search function and type *ata, it will bring up the ATA threads we have tagged so people can find build threads more easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonnenschein Posted February 17, 2011 Report Share Posted February 17, 2011 Regarding the "big" hand guards. take a look here: How to: Shorten your hand guards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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