batninja

I'd like to see a picture of that, Fettski. Sounds like a good method, too.

I was thinking of a screw-in method for my own bucket, similar to what I did for my Fett lid a few years ago: But I like the idea of the single-screw on the nose bridge. I'll have to look into that method! Several years ago, I devised a method of attaching my Fett visor with Velcro. When I went out on Halloween night, hitting nightclubs, I'd switch out the tinted visor for a clear one. Much easier to see everything in a dark room!

Using one of the black clips that was included with the MonCal kit, I took a Dremel to it, and cut it down to fit the plate. I haven't screwed it onto the plate yet, but here's what it would look like. DIsregard the chrome Makita clips; these will be replaced by Chef's version:

The clips that Chef is working on will hang the entire assembly onto the main belt, like this: I'm just going to add a single clip to the middle of the plate, but in the opposite direction. This should make the assembly more stable in case, say, you get suspended by your boots by ewoks.

I do my best brainstorming on my days off... In anticipation of Chef's laser-cut clips, I turned my attention to the placement of the thigh box straps, and how they attach to the rear of the costume. I think most people use snaps or Velcro, and attach them to the main belt, but I wanted to attach mine to the TD itself: So I designed a plate that attaches to the back side of the TD, held in place with zip ties that go around the tube, and slits for the thigh box straps (the fabric is folded and stapled behind the slit so that the straps don't come through. The next step is to add a small belt clip the center of the plate, but mounted from the bottom. I figure that once the laser-cut clips are attached, an extra clip mounted the opposite direction will add stability to the TD assembly as a whole. More pics to follow...

Thanks! That's the 1.5" (38mm) off-white cotton webbing that came with my MonCal kit. I've bleached it to the point where it's a single shade from being plain ol' WHITE. I've sent an email to Cal to see if the place he gets his makes a white version of the webbing. I can't seem to find a source online.

Is this tidy enough?

On a whim, I went back to the BluRay Scout reference pics to verify some points. I understand the pictures are reversed (holster is on the left instead of the right boot, TD greeblie is mirrored), but I started scrutinizing the clips on the webbing. The front clips are shown with the ribbed end of the clip on the bottom. The one of the rear shows the ribbed end on the top. The MoM pics show the rear clips with the ribbed area on the top, hence the confusion. My question is: Does it really matter, for Lancer purposes, if it set up the same, or can I satisfy my OCD by correcting one side or the other? I'm also aware that the webbing goes through the backside of the clips, and that, because of this, the clips are not 'functional': My second question is: If I decide the make the clips functional by trimming the webbing and attaching it to the clips, does this disqualify me from Lancer status? Again, my sanity relies on this discrepancy. I apologize for lack of pics. I searched for screen shots of the BluRay gallery, but couldn't find anything on BSN.

I can't take credit for the image, it's CB's from the original eBay posting. But after looking the images posted so far, and the discussion, I tend to agree that there appear to be many discrepancies due to the different helmets and different construction/trimming methods. I'm not so bummed about the ear holes anymore.

What's throwing you off? For reference, here is CB's helmet next the the real deal:

That's what I like about it, too. The top of the visor is arched a bit more than the other mass-produced fan offerings, and doesn't have the 'squared' corner look of the MLC. The CB has a longer look to it as well, a bit closer to the original helmet. My only minor complaint is the size of the ear holes. They're a bit larger than I'd like. But it's a small compromise compared to the overall look of the helmet. In retrospect, and certainly evident in that picture, the KS version looks short and squatty to me.

I can put on my CB helmet without lifting the visor. I was not able to to that with my KS. Here is a comparison shot of the KS (left) and the CB: Personally, I like the larger size. I'm 6ft, 250 lbs (trying to get down to 220), and I think it will work perfectly for my frame.

I made a point to buy what I could, when I could. Some things were difficult to find at the moment, so if I saw a hard-to-find piece I knew I'd need, and I had the money, I grabbed it. For instance, the Hyperfirm blaster is a rare item, so I was lucky enough to be able to buy it when one popped up in the Trade section. Some things need lead time (custom sewing, for instance), so plan accordingly. So if you need this costume in a specific timeframe, say, Halloween, don't wait until mid-October to buy it.

I third Chunk's recommendation, and completely agree with topherhunter's suggestions, too. My first sewing machine was an old 60's Montgomery Ward model, all metal, in pea-green, handed down from my mother. I had no idea how to use it (was winding the bobbins with a pencil!). Several months later, I bought a basic Kenmore from Sears (about $130 in 1997, but Sears is always over-priced), and it came with a USER'S MANUAL! It explained every feature on the machine provided a guide to basic stitching. I was off and running. And I've been using that same machine ever since.

Back in February. Put it off until I could devote a few weekends to it.

I've put it off long enough... Although I'm still working on my CB helmet (wet-sanding/polishing), I thought I'd go ahead and dive into the LW project. Here's the kit, in all its glory! Before joining the back halves, I saved myself some future trouble by tackling the earholes first. The kit is shipped with pre-cuts in the ears: Using a Dremel with a small cutting head, a round file, and some sandpaper, here is the result: One of my biggest pet peeves on other fan-made helmets, is that the earholes are usually all wonky. My goal was to make sure the earholes match on mine, as close in size and shape as I possibly could. In the picture below, although it seems a little off, the holes are almost exactly the same length and shape. The next step will be to join the back halves of the helmet together, using clamps to hold the flanges together. I'll hold off until tonight to start this step, but I couldn't resist a teaser pic on this 4th of July. 'Murica. You'll see I've also trimmed and sanded the edges of the face opening. Again, doing this part early means I won't have to do it later, after the two parts are joined. Doing it this way, I only have to touch up the center brow...not the entire opening. Tips, thoughts, and suggestions welcome!

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but after seeing the Lancer specs, it only mentions the snout area and plate: "Complete replacement of snout detail and aerator with accurate parts, mounted onto a plate and painted medium grey." Nothing mentioned about the black edging.

Odd, I cant seem to find the Lancer specs on the website anymore, and I get an error when I try to access the link by Chex.

Or you could go the OTHER direction and polish your armor to a high shine, like these 'dodgers:

He's working on a new version? News to me!

I believe, and I could be wrong, that John is 'postmortem' on TDH. I had a deal fall through with postmortem several years ago in a trade. He got his, I didn't get mine. Again, IF that's the same person...

I'm knee-deep in Fett vest orders right now. In a couple of weeks, I hope to be done with that project and back to the Scout. As of right now, the white paint has cured pretty well. The next step will be some wetsanding with 1000/1500/2000 grit sandpaper, and then applying 3M auto polish. More to follow!

I thought a few of you may be interested in seeing some sizing differences in a couple of the different armors out there. Being a larger guy, I ordered a few replacement pieces from SC, as they were sized a bit more to my frame. Enjoy! SC on top, MC on bottom: SC on top, MC on bottom:

The back shell of mine is warped outward to the point where the front bottom edges of the back piece are wider than the bottom edges of the faceplate (making it impossible to close without magnets or Velcro). The entire project is shelved for now, but I will eventually glue a curved piece of a thin metal rod to reinforce and correct the curvature of the bottom edge. I wanted something sturdier than coat hanger wire, so I found the rod at a local RC/Hobby shop. I doubt I'll ever use the helmet for trooping, but I hate leaving a project unfinished.

Just so I understand correctly, it should NOT come all the way down to the knee?