so, i'll trot out one of the most often repeated lines out there
making your own stormie armor, if you want something that really looks good, will cost you more than buying a kit. seriously. glue, filler, plastic... they all add up. fast. i've spent $500 in the last 2 weeks for materials to make stuff out of... glue, sandpaper, bondo, fiberglass, silicone, etc...
now, closer to $400 - $800 i also have to disagree with... even the cheapest TK kits i've seen are more than $400, and the cheapest "accurate" kit i know of is $800 just for the plastic parts. but that's all a matter of what "accurate" means to you!