Thanks guys!! And a reply from the board owner himself! 
I've been pretty fortunate to have a job recently with a lot of days off per week that has allowed me to get as far as I have in such a relatively short time.
It's been quite a long road on this and I still have plenty left to do, but I've definitely learned a LOT along the way. Not only just about the armor, but about sculpting and vacforming as well. I have pretty much nil experience with sculpting in clay. However, I have been scratchbuilding models for quite a few years now which has spilled over into my costuming....I figured I would try and see if I could apply those skills on a larger level and with sculpting. So far it seems to be working I think. Being outside the box definitely helps with thinking outside of it and I'm sure to a lot of people my methods are pretty unorthodox.
I'm definitely a far cry below BM, FP, Cruzer and all those other talented dudes, but thanks to them I have learned quite a bit about the process just by looking at pics they have posted here and there. Also Alan of WOF's templates have been a HUGE help in all this...so credit must go to those guys as well for inspiring me to take the plunge. Thanks for everyone who's been watching this thread, and stay tuned!!
