BikerScout007

Just a fair warning, KS isn't the quickest draw in the galaxy.

I'm not an expert on Lancer, but I would say 1) It's got to be centered and 2) that hole needs to be filled. Weird, my SC tank topper didn't have a hole there. Some kind of defect?

Yeah they are pretty baggy, but they are made to work in so it's something we have to deal with. I bought the smallest size that would fit me (medium), but still had to bring in the legs a little bit.

Painting the snout was the biggest pain. I had to do a lot of scraping and sanding!

Correct. It's outdated.

"Around 1 3/4" was what it was changed to. It used to be 2 inches but that is way too wide, just looking at screenshots. It also helps not to have to buy several different types of strapping.

"2. Shoulder bridge Straps attaching front and back armor should white cotton webbing. Nylon webbing is not acceptable- Side under arm chest/back straps should around 45mm (1 3/4") white webbing ( off white if using off white pouches/drop boxe straps), but for trooping practicality, place elastic on the ends hidden by the armour."

Sent you a PM

Glad to hear that, Chris!

The guy in the video, and a lot of other folks, seem to be missing the point. The eFX helmet is not meant for costuming. It's a collectible. I mean sure, if you've got piles of cash to burn and you don't mind trooping around for hours in a $700 helmet, then have at it. But ultimately, it's meant to be put on a shelf and admired. You are talking about making a build with which to join the 501st Legion, get your troop on, and make a lot of kids smile. I can tell you from experience that not one child has pointed out to me that the dimensions of my fan-made helmet are not 100% accurate. They are too busy asking me 1) where did I park my speeder bike and 2) Have I spoken to Darth Vader today? So ultimately, comparisons between the two don't really matter because the fan made helmets and the eFX helmet do not serve the same purpose. For $700 you can get yourself a helmet AND a set of armor, and be well on your way to completing your build. A scout trooper is a pretty pricey build to begin with, so if budget is an issue (and head size), I think the KS is a perfectly good bucket to troop in.

I wasn't comparing them. Dude said he had 1) A big head 2) Not $700. That equals KS. I'm sure the eFX helmet is the best thing since sliced bread, but since it's too expensive and not practical for trooping, it's not really in the running for someone who is just trying to get their foot in the door.

Oh yeah, one of those horror stories was probably mine! It took them about 3 months to get it to me. Which isn't such an unusual time frame, actually. But when they tell you 8 weeks, then you get a little cranky. As for the lid itself -- they redid their molds so I havent had some of the quality issues that troopers in the past have had. But like I said, if you got a big head, it's kind of your only choice

If you have a big head, go with KS. You can get an assembled lid from them that is made in ABS and costs half as much as the eFX lid.

Yes you have to open the visor. It's the best way to adjust the chin strap and get the helmet situated. And I'm assuming you have a big melon because you ordered the KS! I think that's the reason why most of us ordered them. Yesterday I was on a troop with a guy that was thinking about becoming a scout but he was like -- "but the helmets are too small." I handed him my KS and said "Try this on." After that he was like "Maybe I will after all!" The KS helmet is ready for basic approval as is, but for Lancer there are some upgrades that need to be made: remove the ear mesh, paint the inside black, change out the snout, paint the snout base (satin black, yes), replace the decals (trooperbay), and replace the bolt covers. Chin cup is optional I posted a thread on how I did the bolt covers here: http://forum.bikersc...showtopic=12355 In that pic you can see that I already changed out the snout.

Order some from trooperbay. they are the most screen accurate

I considered magnets but I didn't want to put something in the helmet that could potentially mess with my Aker microphone. Or magnetize my brain. hahaha

Hahaha, well yeah I think for a snout and some bolt covers it's pretty good. Looked good with the trooperbay decals too.

I got Krylon ColorMaster Paint & Primer. the color is "Classic Gray" in gloss. I used that on both the snout and the covers

Picking nits: 1) the pouches might be a bit big for you 2) you vest sleeves might be a touch too long 3) the TD greeblie is upside down. And both could be centered better. 4) the suede thigh patches are really big. I've never seen them come so far around to the front of the leg like that. Not sure if any of these would stop you from basic clearance though. Good job!

I didn't change the rivet that KS uses when they put their helmets together. Sorry, should have mentioned that I bought a helmet that was already assembled. The faceplate stays up when I lift it and I didnt want to risk changing out that hardware and screwing that up.

I've been upgrading my KS helmet to make it a bit more screen worthy. First I changed out the KS sticker/snout with rottie's screen accurate one. The next thing to tackle was to replace the Frankenstein bolt-looking furniture pads that KS uses for bolt covers with more screen accurate ones. I bought the replacement hardware set.... but after receiving it and realizing that I was going to have to drill some big holes in my helmet (and not being all that crafty, honestly), decided to set upon another solution. I know a lot of folks were buying either 3M bolts or elevator bolts and then snipping off the threads and gluing them onto the helmet. I don't have the tools to do a clean job snipping off the threads, so instead I just ordered 1 inch diameter aluminum discs from one of the many jewelry sellers on Etsy. For $8 I got a bag of 10. I spray painted a pair the same color as my snout, glued them onto the helmet and.... voila! Much more screen accurate helmet!

I'm kept my riding patches on the narrower side so they don't wrap out to the fronts of my legs. Yeah the prototype guy has bigger patches, but he also has a strapped holster around his boot, so what does he know? And I'll be danged if I could see patches on one scout in the film, even on the Blu Ray

Wow you are one industrious dude!

So how does this attach to the main part of the belt? My rear straps are riveted to the velcro closure in the back.

Wow those are some big thigh boxes. You could pack lunch for the whole squad in those! And yes, the cummerbund should never come out below the belt. But that's all nitpicks. Nice job!