bwattsup

It will be pretty easy to swap it out once you change boot sizes. You can drill the "stud" portion out. Just be really careful about your drill bit size.

Great pointers Patrik! Thanks for sharing Oh...and sorry to hear about your painful experience. Ouch!!! You're the second person I've read about this week who's Scout build drew blood.

Freakin' awesome Adam! Enjoy yourself. I know you've got to be excited.

It would drive me nuts too James. Are the eyelets able to be filed? Maybe spread a coat of E-6000 around the eyelet section to "flush" it out. I don't know man. Just trying to offer some solutions.

I think he's using the same Lugz base boot a lot of others are using. Not sure if they are doing something different to cover the eyelets a little better. Maybe a second layer of vinyl would help.

Not a bad dilemma to be in. That's 5 pieces closer to completion.

Got ya! If I come across anything, I'll be sure to let ya know. Good luck

Is this what you were looking for Matt? http://website.lineone.net/~hollis_wood/trooper/avatar/TB-RubiesMod.pdf That's quite a nice collection you have there! Jealous!!!! Nice concept piece you're working on with the new helmet. Good luck.

I didn't realize it was you Adam. lol. I saw this on the mobile version of the site (which doesn't give your real name). No worries on not getting back. I'm just glad it's all figured out now. It's kinda ironic that I had this question, was directed to take it to the local level, and now have it answered back where it started. Glad to see you're working on a TB as well.

I was under the same impression as well. I asked Adam (the GT garrison liaison) that question last month, and still haven't received an answer yet. I'd really like to know what they are willing to accept considering this will be my first costume. A couple of other Virginians on this board have already ordered the Redkap suit. I'm about to do likewise, now that there seems to be a wave of us doing so.

Be patient if you can. I talked to him the other day, and he said he was finding a new manufacturer for the scout gloves. Something about quality issues. He told me to check back early next year. He has no plans on abandoning the community. P.S. He still has SM and XL gloves available

Have a blast building Jonathan! I can't wait to have my big box party.

No problem. There's some basic info in this thread: http://forum.bikerscout.net/index.php?showtopic=9353 On post #7, Griffin links a couple of other threads from the BSN archives. This thread is also of interest: http://forum.bikerscout.net/index.php?showtopic=8740 On post #16 Smiling Fox describes what he did. I hope those help. If you make something that works well, you could always be the one to make the tutorial. Good luck

I haven't come across a tutorial on the flak vest yet Jesse. I don't think one exists. The only thing i"ve seen so far are just gallery pics. Most things I've read about it say to follow a general pattern for a t-shirt...with obvious alterations to the pattern of course. Wish I could help more. I'll be in the same boat soon enough.

Well with all the praise he's received, and a new section added to the board since his arrival, his head might already be swelling I'm not sure if head size continues to change past 14. It was many moons ago that I made that change in life. Lol

I think with scout armor you should be fine. The only things you would have to replace over time if you grow are the cummerbund, undersuit, shoes, and gloves. Maybe the helmet too if your melon swells The cummerbund is probably your biggest concern though since it has to have its edges under the belt and chest armor.

Thanks for pointing this foot locker out Jim! I looked on their website yesterday, and couldn't find it. Later, I went into the store and grabbed one off the shelf. Even though I don't have a completed costume yet, It's still needed to keep my project parts together. Got mine in "Imperial Black".

Since I’m going to tackle the “ears†as the next portion of my project, I made some collage shots. I wanted to eliminate flip flopping between a bunch of reference pictures when I start modifying. All pictures were sourced from the BSN Gallery, StarWarsHelmets.com, the LFL/EFX mold, and the Prop Store. These will be a good reference for anyone else looking to scratch build/modify a helmet. I noticed for the first time last night, that the right and left ear cutouts are 2 different shapes. The left ear has the traditional "bean" shape that we cut into our helmets. The right ear actually has the same shape; except for the top inside corner. That corner is not rounded on the right ear. Instead, it meets in a 90 degree corner. I would assume it’s a defect from the vacuum pull on these helmets. I just thought it was an interesting thing to point out. Alright, here’s more “ear†pics than most people will ever want to look at. Inside Portion/Mold Inside Helmet View Right Ear Left Ear

Congrats on nearly completing both of your projects! Your scout looks great!

Alright…I was able to put a little bit of time into my build this week. After another rough mock up, I finally slapped the helmet together. I used the pilot “divots†on the different pieces as my guide. The top was really easy to set in place because of the way Jeff makes his molds. The top and side have a couple of spots that butt together nicely, letting you know exactly how they are supposed to fit. I just taped my top in initially so I could further evaluate the helmet. Overall, if you are looking for an easy helmet to build, the SC is super easy to put together. At least if you plan on keeping it “factory freshâ€. Initially, I drilled another hole on the right side to make the face plate/visor sit closer to flush on the back shell. After doing so, I was convinced that the issue was actually shape; not placement. The top back corners of the visor need to be re-cut. I drew some lines and was prepared to cut the hinge corners, but thankfully…I stopped. It needs to wait until I’m just focusing on the front. I need to keep reminding myself during this mod to take my time, and really think things through. That could have been a big mistake that would have taken a lot to overcome. I made one of those mistakes a little later in my build. I snapped a couple of pics of the “ear†holes so I could compare them to the screen used helmets. They have the right general shape on the outside. Only a portion of the inner hole needs to be reworked. I ordered some Apoxie Sculpt this week so I can reshape the inner “earsâ€. Should have it really soon. It’s another one of those things that I’ve only read about. I can’t wait to play around with some. I’m going to be using the Apoxie Sculpt on the top of my Helmet as well. Screen accurate helmets have a flattened top. The SC helmet has a rounded shape. This was my first “Oh s***!†moment of the project. It was kind of scary to tell you the truth. I grabbed a baking pan from the kitchen, and placed it on a table. I heated up the top piece with a heat gun on low, trying to disperse temperature evenly. As soon as if I saw the plastic turn wavy, I pushed it down on the baking pan. It worked, but not as perfectly as I had imagined. The Apoxie Sculpt (and some serious sanding) will take care of the rest. When I got the helmet, it had a couple of “forming ripples†in the ABS. I attempted using a sealing iron on them to flatten them out. It’s apparently a skill that I’m lacking (lol), and will need to learn on something non-critical. Mad props to Pandatrooper for making it look so easy! Trust me, it’s not. It was at this point that I decided to cut away the bottom portion of the front shell (where the chin strap elastic attaches). The overhang on the front of the shell wasn’t wide enough to accommodate the proper chin cup elastic. From the pictures in the gallery, I determined the elastic is supposed to be 1†wide. The mount plate for it is at least 1.5†wide. I eyeballed the cut location and made a mark. I then took a measurement from the top of the “ear†so I could make a line on the other side. Initially, I planned on just gluing some sheet styrene in place of the ABS. I made the cuts on both sides. Little did I know: I was making my first mistake. I was happy with the cut line, and even shaved a little more off with a Dremel. It wasn’t until I reattached the visor/faceplate that I realized how I erred. By cutting away those strips, I had just lost the support structure for the bottom front of the shell. It wanted to start following its natural curve now. The middle part (ear section) of the shell expanded out, making it difficult to close the face plate fully. The lower section of the shell curved inwards on both sides. I even tried to use some washers behind the mounting screws, but that didn’t help either. Flush, it sits not. I’ve learned a valuable lesson this week. When you think you have things thought out logically, write it all on paper and play your own devils’ advocate. Back to the drawing board I guess. I’ve got some ideas of what to do now that are even better than my initial thoughts. Overall, I’m glad I made this mistake. It’s caused me to really look at all aspects of the screen helmet. I think what I have in mind now will make it even better in the end. I was going to skimp on the details of the helmets inside; focusing solely on the outside appearance. Now, I’m going to try to make it look accurate all around.

I wouldn't dream of putting the screen in the ears Mark. All of the screen used helmets I've seen have black cloth attached to them. That's the look I'll be going for It was kind of daunting prior to drilling some holes in it. As soon as I made the first hole, Everything was alright! Again, sorry Donovan for misleading you. I hope I didn't make a mess for Jeff by telling you so. Sorry Jeff

There's a tutorial around that will walk you through it. I can't remember if I've seen it on here, or elsewhere. Hmmmm.... All I remember is that it was a lot of work. Lol Ah, here it is: http://website.lineone.net/~hollis_wood/trooper/avatar/TB-RubiesMod.pdf

I've finally started my Scout build with the item that convinced me to become a Scout in the first place: "The Bucket" Over the last couple of months, I've looked at enough pics to go cross-eyed at times. It's been tough deliberating between which lid to purchase, because they each have their own idiosyncrasies. I finally settled on the SC helmet because I think it has the right general shape, and can be modified into something close to screen accurate. The main thing I wanted in my helmet [that’s lacking on an SC] are the “cheeksâ€. Now that I’ve held it in my hands, I can see some other areas that are in need of improvement. I’m sure that I will probably find more along the way as well. As of now, I plan on modify the following: The visor/faceplate mounts on each side of the helmet. The chin strap strips on both sides of the helmet. The top needs to be flattened. The “ear†holes need to be more defined on the inside by adding depth and correct curvature. Bring out more definition in the face in general (especially around the “eyesâ€). Installing “cheeks†on the faceplate. Scratch building a chin cup. This is my first foray into costuming/prop building, and I want to learn something through this experience. So bear with me… I’m either going to succeed at modifying this helmet, or I’m going to fail miserably. And I’m OK with that. Ya gotta learn somehow. Plus, I ordered the “White Parts Only†kit which was considerably cheaper than a full helmet kit. Last Tuesday, my box arrived from SC! (Thanks again Jeff!) It was slated to arrive the day before, but Hurricane Sandy (you know…the nickname for a TD) delayed delivery. Pretty fateful, considering later that day the Disney buyout occurred. It felt amazing to finally be holding something in my hands that I’ve only seen in 2 dimensions for most of my life. I shot a couple of more quick pictures, just to have some reference images for later. Surprisingly, my kit included the nose greeblie and decals. I thought I was going to have to purchase one from DJ, but SC’s nose greeblie looks accurate to me. I wanted to start slapping the kit together right then, but life (and work) got in the way. It will have to wait until another day for a rough mock up. This is going to be a really slow mod/build folks. Fortunately, I have nothing but time. It’s going to be about 6 months (or more) before my armor arrives from MC

I don't see why not. The eyehole has the right general shape. Keep it up!

Congrats! I can't wait til mine is finished. I like how you secured the snout detail with a screw. I might use that on my build. I'd probably replace the material inside the ears though with something solid black instead of mesh. As for the bridge of the nose, I've never seen a picture of the screen accurate helmet that had a cutout area. It's always been stickers/decals on every one. Check out the pics in the gallery.