Chopper

Hey Jordan, what you have for the return edge looks good to me. For screen references, you can get a sense of the return edges on the chest and back armor from the photos below:

Gotcha, please keep us updated if you see them post more images.

Interesting, thanks for the heads up on this Arne. Do you by any chance have any images of a fully assembled helmet from them?

"Dogbone shape conforms to the original screen used boot; there is a concave curve along the bottom edge." Some vendors were using a dogbone shape that was essentially a rectangle with rounded off edges as the dog bone. The dogbone should generally match this shape: Also, some vendors were gluing the dogbone to the sides of the soles, which should also not be done.

You don't need to bend the end into a slot on the front end of the holster. You can either 1) glue the bend to the holster or 2) rivet the bend to the holster. Either is fine.

Like these, or your closest local equivalent: https://www.amazon.com/Tandy-Leather-Snaps-Nickel-1261-02/dp/B003ABEYW6/ref=sr_1_6?crid=3QU6SYG4A3OVJ&keywords=tandy+snaps&qid=1656689909&sprefix=tandy+snaps%2Caps%2C71&sr=8-6

The connection point is concealed, so the method of attachment is up to you. In terms of best practices, some people sew the webbing to the belt. Others have used snaps to attach it. Personally, I like using snaps, since if the drop box snaps get tangled in my bin, then it's easy to straighten them out.

You might need to do some trimming on some parts, but for your size, I think Mon Cal would work quite well.

You can look at this post to get a sense of the different armor makers that are out there: http://forum.501stpathfinders.com/index.php?/topic/17774-the-ultimate-armor-comparison-thread/ "Best" would depend on what you're looking for -- accuracy, price, shipping speed? Both Mon Cal and Studio Creations are good choices and are popular sellers for those who are in the US. The Mon Cal armor is better suited for medium build folks, so if you're larger, then that might not be the best fit. Both Mon Cal and Studio Creations come fully trimmed, so they're a little quicker to build. If your primary criteria is accuracy, then RS is the way to go. You're also paying a premium for that level of accuracy, plus it's coming from the UK. Let us know if you have any further questions.

The most common method is to use hot glue along the sides of the lenses on the inside. It keeps the lenses secure, but you can also replace them relatively easily if need be.

For Christina's method, I don't believe you'll need to do anything like painting the armor white first. It's not needed.

Do you have a link or photo to the kit you bought?

You mean painting the armor white and then weathering over it? Are you concerned about diff shades of ABS plastic or something of that nature? Otherwise, that seems like a lot of extra work for not a whole lot of benefit?

Eyeslot looks good to me.

That looks fine.

The SC eyeslot is somewhat undersized. I'd go bigger. You can trace a larger outline around it with a soft pencil to get a sense of how it looked when it's opened up a bit more.

Congrats Dennis!

I moved it over to the Mando Scout WIP section.

Scaling the pouches to the wearer's size used to be more common about 5+ years ago, but we've encouraged people to stop doing so. It's not a requirement for Level 1/ Basic clearance, but it is for Level 2/Lancer. We've found that the 6x5x2 pouches don't generally need to be scaled and, with a 8.5" bund, shouldn't need to be. Also, lacking a photo, you might want to check your belt position in relation to your chest armor. Many tend to position their belts too low initially, which can contribute to the issue. Ideally it should sit just below your navel.

I like your attention to detail. Yeah, Lou's blasters had a magnet embedded in the nose and in the handle transistor.

That's pretty much just a tendency of how weathering looks to the naked eye vs camera. Weathering will always appear less on screen or in a photo than to your eyes. With the photos you've got, I think the weathering looks good.

Thank you, Pete. Yes, I agree that you've done a great job with the weathering. Keep it up!

Hi Ryan, welcome to the pathfinders. As you start your build, particularly if you're looking to make some of your own soft goods, then I suggest you take a look at the following posts: http://forum.501stpathfinders.com/index.php?/topic/19003-biker-scout-vendor-list/ http://forum.501stpathfinders.com/index.php?/topic/17305-lancer-build-tutorial/ http://forum.501stpathfinders.com/index.php?/topic/19967-soft-parts-best-practices/ http://forum.501stpathfinders.com/index.php?/topic/19259-undersuit-mods/ http://forum.501stpathfinders.com/index.php?/topic/19200-pouch-dimensions-and-patterns/ http://forum.501stpathfinders.com/index.php?/topic/22433-cummerbund-tutorial-sort-of/ http://forum.501stpathfinders.com/index.php?/topic/19708-biker-scout-boots-tutorial/ We're here if you have any questions. Good luck!

FYI, liquitex paint is acrylic and will not be durable over the long term. Look for Rustoleum Appliance White.

Good luck. Arne!