ACJay

I actually improvised and used a bocce ball for the planishing phase. The hardest part for lack of better terms was the upper breast area. the slope made it very difficult to find something the work out the dents. The lower portion is actually pretty darn smooth though. I used a file to work away the other inperfections and what you see for most of the breast area is the very slight dips that are still left. I'm probably gonna throw some primer on them to see what the finish is like. If it's not up to my standards I'll continue planishing and filing till it is, then try primer again

Did a little work this week. Here's some new shots of the metal armor coming along. I'll be cutting the half pentagon on the bottom of the breast plate probably this week. Hands hurt from snipping the 16 gauge. Got the templates too for the abs. Gonna cut those and the back this week as well. Enjoy

New pics of the metal work I've been doing. Hardest part is over... I think... Note to self: "Dishing" 16 guage steel really $%^& ing hard Definately using aluminum for every other piece

Your paint job is Outstanding Darth. Almost looks shinier than the ABS lid you've got there. Dunno if the black aerator mesh is ok by standards but it would look super stealthy

If my helmet arrives before my AM/FX sells on ebay I will take a comparison shot for you Baron

As a side note if my lid doesn't sell on ebay this week I'll be putting gold decals on it and using it as a signature lid

Doh, now what to do with $17 worth of reflective gold decal It was worth a try but based on the response i'm guessing it wouldn't be an idea that would pass a vote if it came down to it. I appreciate all the constructive criticism. What I was trying to do was match the reflectiveness (dunno if that's a word) of the AM armor to the stripes. The way I was looking at the references the armor and the stripes shared a light reflecting quality. Unfortunatly the references are drawn in such a way that you can't really tell how reflective/glossy either really is. And really you can't depend on the SWG references because the technology at the time of the game restricted having reflective/glossy armor on any of the textures used in the game so all armored characters apperaed to have flat non- reflective surfaces. I was trying to get away from the paint look mostly because I saw in my mind's eye actual gold plating or gold embedded in the armor itself versus just paint stripes denoting Nova status. I was hoping to have the stripes look more like actual shined unweathered gold rather than gold paint. I think the decals were perhaps overly reflective and defeated my original intent. I was kind of thinking along the lines of C-3PO rather than Clone Trooper paint stripes. I've contacted a few companies but unfortunatly no one has gotten back to me on vacuum metalizing so for now I will stick with what works. Again thanks SpecOps for the input it was much appreciated. Especially my Nova Brothers and Sisters Now back to the CRL's

Here's a demo of the paint scheme I hope to use on the Saz bucket when it gets here. Used an old Jango two piecec from way back when. It's our take on the "executioner"

Wow thanks for the heads up Iz Soon as it gets here that'll all be done.

Ok I know this armor isn't even finished yet but I figured while I wait for the Saz lid to arrive I might as well start working on the upgrade. I bought one piece of 16 gauge steel and started hammering out a chest peice. It's just a start but version 2.0 is going to be sweet. Also since I'm going metal I've decided that 2.0 will have a more traditional legacy look with no gaps but I will maintain the feminine form versus the man pecs seen in the comic. Side Note: already broke one mallet hammering away

Used my FS lid to test this out. From a distance it looks great but up close there is alot of "spidering"/ bubbles in certain areas. Does anyone have suggestions on how to get rid of these imperfections? Some areas look great but others really need work. Suggestions?

Sorry for hardly any updates and even less in progress pics guys. I've been working like a mad man evenings mostly. In order to even have time to work on my armor I've been getting up before sunrise (kid rise) and doing as much as I can. Haven't had much as far as time for pics or even surfing forums. But here's some I took last night. All I got left is the right Calf, left Thigh and the Belt. Then it's a waiting game for the pack a helmet. Good correspondence so far on the pack. It should be sent any day now. Unfortunately no feedback on the lid so I'm starting to get worried about my deadline.

Looks good

Thanks folks. So the clamshell up front is ok without the cover stripping?

OK did a little work. Got one shin together and wanted to see what everyone thinks before moving on to the other shin. Does it look acceptable? I used the blue tape method to mark off measurements where I would trim the shins. I really didn't measure so much as eyeball where I thought the trim line would go and it worked out. I took all the return edge off of the bottom of the shins for the boots to fit in properly and most of the return edge of the top. I'm not totally against return as it gives a "thickness" to the plates in some areas but is just a pain (pinching) in other areas. I removed the return on top only far enough to match up with the small rise in the calf itself as shown in this picture. I did this because I figured if I went further there would be open space between my upper shin area and the armor itself due to the small rise deeper into the piece. I clamshelled the shin and have not put a strip over it yet. I was wondering if the strip is a requirement or if it looks good as is. I also worked on the left bracer. I again eyeballed and blue taped for the trimline. didn't reove any return on this peice and clamshelled it as well. I will be using velcro on the bottom half and if required will put a strip over the top clamshell. I was also wondering if anyone knows what to do about some Rebel E6000 that ended up on the side of the bracer? Finally, I worked on the chest and backplate. Pulled some of the return off the trap area so I could fit the two pieces flush together. I ended up using industrial velcro to attach the two peices. On my original armor the pieces could not tough but with the extra room of this larger set I decided to make a semi-permanent bond between the two pieces. The straps will go over this area and start at the ends of the blue tape pictured. I am planning on still using my canvas harness setup to hold the armor just above my shoulders to keep the weight off the plastic but I figured why cutoff the plastic in the traps when I could have the extra reinforcement.

Awesome Lids IZ

Yeah no worries Suuly. The easier you take it the less work there will end up being in the long run

Most definately! Saz Krayt lid is being made as we speak. Totally custom jobbie so it may be a few more weeks I'm gonna have the neckseal cover on the back extended just slightly by my local seamstress to cover the velcro but other than that and the lid this setup is complete. Time to get on that Nova

Gotta put a strap under the arm on each shoulder plate to keep them from popping up. ie: the sniper rifle pic

Updated pics

The neckseal I ordered for my original costume just came in (9 months later). It does look great though and will suit my new armor nicely.

Two "miracles" happened today courtesy of Paypal Disputes I got a neckseal I ordered for my Nova trooper about 9 months ago and my wife got her vest and neckseal from Tforce. Here's the vest and neckseal, standby for the new pics fully suited up this evening.

Weathered the pistols per suggestion . Weathering is similar to the pack. side note the pack now is fully attachable and so is the cape. All finished now just waiting for vest/neckseal. Gave up on Tforce ever coming through. ordered a stand-in vest neckseal from an unlikely source. Should be here today or tomorrow. Once it arrives new pics with full submission photo style sans Lid. I would just like to confirm everything but the lack of a lid is 100% ready for approval before I set this down and wait for the Saz lid to arrive.

I wanted to be able to make specialist requirements so I was going to make the necessary modifications to my original armor set but then I saw Defiance's ABS armor in person and just had to have ABS. The gloss is simply breathtaking. So here I am

Wasn't sure if I should restart my old build or start a new therad. Guess you all know what I went with. So here goes. Got my new kit at Wizard World today and it is SHINY! The chest/back and torso fit very nicely without any shims. Just need some trimming over the collar bone area. Everything else is Huge on me Bleh. Lots and lots of careful trimming will be necessary. Got a pack coming from Dirty Boy at MEPD soon as all parts come in as well as one of Baron's fine High Gloss HIPS helmets. The current helmet is also way to big for my 5'10" 200lb frame. I'd look like the Tie Fighter in some of my build threads if I wore it. I also need to buy some buttons and a shiny material soft belt. Any suggestions on where to find shiny material for the belt would be greatly appreciated. Got a long road ahead and only a month before Star Tours so time to really get to work.