freakengine Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 Hi all, I've been a SW costumer for some time, but am going to take the plunge and work up a set of stormtrooper armor and join the 501st, with my eventual goal being to apply here for deployment with the MEPD. Of course, the first step is purchasing a kit. What I'd appreciate advice on is this: should I bother with an FX kit, or save my money for one of the new TE sets that's rumored to be coming out, or maybe a SDS set? I'm not rolling in dough, so the FX is appealing, but I keep reading lots of posts where people say they started with an FX and a year or two down the road they upgraded. Is the FX really as bad as it's said to be? Mind you, I'm a pretty big guy(6'3"-230lbs.) so I think the bigger bucket might actually benefit me. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated! -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SethB6025 Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 You will get a parade of opinions on this, but I would say go for an accurate set. Other people around the same dimensions as you have successfully fit into an ANH set. Often, people will get an FX set, then buy an ANH helmet. Ultimately spending about as much as just going for an accurate set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD-1536 Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 ...Mind you, I'm a pretty big guy(6'3"-230lbs.) so I think the bigger bucket might actually benefit me. That pretty much answers it. FX all the way. You would never fit in TE armor, and even if you shimmed it up, it would look like you're wearing kids cloths because there would be so much black space. TE armor (or the stuff made for the movies) was designed for people no taller than 6' and maybe 170lbs tops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trooperexpert Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 do the best of both worlds... Get a GT armor kit to fit your frame and get a TE2 helmet from them when they are ready to roll out. That way you can lok spiffy accurate helmet wise. It will look fantastic with the armor. See? You can go with both and still look great! Matt/STE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freakengine Posted May 4, 2006 Author Share Posted May 4, 2006 Thanks a lot for the opinions so far. All valid points. I have to admit to considering a combination of sorts...maybe starting with an FX kit, and upgrading to a better helmet later if it looks terribly oversized on me. A couple of follow-up questions: I've read that GT and FX are the same. Is that true? Would it be better to start with an FX since it's cheaper and I might make some mistakes while assembling it? -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilovesand&dirt Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 ...Mind you, I'm a pretty big guy(6'3"-230lbs.) so I think the bigger bucket might actually benefit me. That pretty much answers it. FX all the way. You would never fit in TE armor, and even if you shimmed it up, it would look like you're wearing kids cloths because there would be so much black space. TE armor (or the stuff made for the movies) was designed for people no taller than 6' and maybe 170lbs tops. Well. I just became out of the running for TE armor. 6' 235lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD-1536 Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 ...Mind you, I'm a pretty big guy(6'3"-230lbs.) so I think the bigger bucket might actually benefit me. That pretty much answers it. FX all the way. You would never fit in TE armor, and even if you shimmed it up, it would look like you're wearing kids cloths because there would be so much black space. TE armor (or the stuff made for the movies) was designed for people no taller than 6' and maybe 170lbs tops. Well. I just became out of the running for TE armor. 6' 235lbs. Don't get me, I'm not trying to offend people, just making a honest opinion. FX armor is just designed to accomodate larger folks. It may not be accurate, but you'll look more proportinate than if you were wearing TE stuff. The helmet I would judge on a per-case basis, because if you're really big, then a accurate sized helmet may look too small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trooperexpert Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 fret not, diets are wonderful things.. I know a certain expert that lives in Hillsboro, OR that can help you with making sure it fits. Lose some weight and magical fittings can take place. I will be helping Irob with his and a few other locals in WA as well... Matt/STE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom Starscreamer Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 Other than size of Trooper it will fit what the difference between the FX / ANH / TE I'm 5'08" 169lbs I'm new to this and all the FX/ANH/TE/GT is pretty confusing. I was on the SDS website and saw their products....$$$...out of my league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD-1536 Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 Other than size of Trooper it will fit what the difference between the FX / ANH / TE I'm 5'08" 169lbs I'm new to this and all the FX/ANH/TE/GT is pretty confusing. I was on the SDS website and saw their products....$$$...out of my league. I outlined most of the difference on my site, click the banner in my sig. But, in short - FX is fan sculpted, TE is as close to the real thing as you can get. (However, Troopermaster Paul continues to tug my interest) Anyway, for your body size, go with TE2. Trust me!! With your height, you'll be perfect. Some of the Santroopers, namely the first two at the Pod crash site, were_in my approximation_about 5'8, because there is literally no black space between the parts. But, as I also outline on my web site, no matter what you get, you're going to spend over $1000, especially with the Sandtrooper with all our extras. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freakengine Posted May 4, 2006 Author Share Posted May 4, 2006 fret not, diets are wonderful things.. I know a certain expert that lives in Hillsboro, OR that can help you with making sure it fits. Lose some weight and magical fittings can take place. I will be helping Irob with his and a few other locals in WA as well... Matt/STE Spoken like a marketing genius. I'm a few pounds overweight...maybe 5-10 considering my body type...but cut a brother some slack, wontcha? Hey, if you're not the nominal size for something, you just gotta deal with it, right? I mean, you can't really be 4' 11" and expect to be a decent Vader for events, even tho you could do it for fun. I'm actually a good match for Vader, but since there can only be one Vader at each trooping event, only the elite ever get to troop in the suit. I do, however, want the suit to look proportional on me. The height issue concerns me more than the girth. -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freakengine Posted May 4, 2006 Author Share Posted May 4, 2006 I outlined most of the difference on my site, click the banner in my sig. But, in short - FX is fan sculpted, TE is as close to the real thing as you can get. (However, Troopermaster Paul continues to tug my interest) Hey Mike, thanx for chiming in. I've already crawled all over your site. Thanks for such a comprehensive overview. It IS appreciated, and has been an excellent resource! -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom Starscreamer Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 What he said. I've also added it to my bookmarked favorites. "I'll be back." Thanks, Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilovesand&dirt Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 ...Mind you, I'm a pretty big guy(6'3"-230lbs.) so I think the bigger bucket might actually benefit me. That pretty much answers it. FX all the way. You would never fit in TE armor, and even if you shimmed it up, it would look like you're wearing kids cloths because there would be so much black space. TE armor (or the stuff made for the movies) was designed for people no taller than 6' and maybe 170lbs tops. Well. I just became out of the running for TE armor. 6' 235lbs. Don't get me, I'm not trying to offend people, just making a honest opinion. FX armor is just designed to accomodate larger folks. It may not be accurate, but you'll look more proportinate than if you were wearing TE stuff. The helmet I would judge on a per-case basis, because if you're really big, then a accurate sized helmet may look too small. Mike, I didn't take any offense. It is all good. I am glad you actually did say something. I would of been really disappointed with spending a lot of money on armor and it not fitting. That would of really sucked. No worries, Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanL Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 I just finished putting my FX bucket together. Is it bad if my head barely fits in it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weiBes trooper Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 i dont understand how anyones head could not fit in a FX helmet?please explain your trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilovesand&dirt Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 IanL, What did you use for the lining? Foam? Hardhat liner? Take pics of the inside, bro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanL Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 Hardhat liner I need to turn it sideways to fit over my melon, and once it's on the front of the bucket is almost touching the bridge of my nose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilovesand&dirt Posted May 4, 2006 Share Posted May 4, 2006 Hardhat liner I need to turn it sideways to fit over my melon, and once it's on the front of the bucket is almost touching the bridge of my nose. Welcome to the "Big Noggin" detachment. I used foam. But I also have glasses, and I have to turn the helmet to get it on also. I think that is true with most helmets(don't quote me). I had to put more foam at my forehead so it would push my face off the front. I didn't want my glasses touching. I guess as long as it doesn't touch your face you should be ok. I assume you can see decently enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avatar_man Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 WOW - I am 5' 10" - 225 lbs... looks like there is no TE in my future. As my friend Tony said - "Built like a lowland gorilla"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD2802 Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 Anyway, for your body size, go with TE2. Trust me!! With your height, you'll be perfect. Some of the Santroopers, namely the first two at the Pod crash site, were_in my approximation_about 5'8, because there is literally no black space between the parts. Mike, that's a reassuring observation to hear; myself being only 5'8" 150 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanL Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 Welcome to the "Big Noggin" detachment. I used foam. But I also have glasses, and I have to turn the helmet to get it on also. I think that is true with most helmets(don't quote me). I had to put more foam at my forehead so it would push my face off the front. I didn't want my glasses touching. I guess as long as it doesn't touch your face you should be ok. I assume you can see decently enough. I will try putting in some foam. I wear glasses too, but it ain't happening in this helmet. I must have a really big head or something. I can't imagine fitting into an ANH or TE helmet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SethB6025 Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 IanL it may be due to the placement of your hardhat liner. You could try foam. I had a similar problem with the lens area being awfully close to my face. I think there is actually a little more room in my TE helmet (in regard to the area in front of my face). This was due to the placement of my liner. Don't worry, "corkscrewing" on your helmet is not unusual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daetrin Posted May 5, 2006 Share Posted May 5, 2006 FX is nice 'cause it's cheap and you can practice putting armor together. It's a great "starter" suit if you will. But I don't think it's a must for guys your size. But TE is TE and what everyone here seems to want eventually, cause it's the best. CMANavy is MEPD deployed with TE armor and he's not a small guy (he can state his dimensions). Look at the pix he posts on these boards. Somehow he made TE fit. If he did it, then it can be done. FX helmet not fitting? I concur the liner is probably in wrong. That thing is huge and even with my big schnoz I could put it on normally, whereas I can barely get my AP helmet on sideways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stomper Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 WOW - I am 5' 10" - 225 lbs... looks like there is no TE in my future. As my friend Tony said - "Built like a lowland gorilla"... {SMILIES_PATH}/icon_lol.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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