Damon,
T-VIRUS and I are kind of "brothers in arms" in this war against the ugliness of this ArmorMask product (ArmorMask is the name of the eBay seller... and it is possible that despite his claim to me that he sells many of these that my strong dissatisfaction has resulted in my not seeing any more of these on eBay, similar to how GoldenArmor has now told me he will no longer cast wearable Vader helmets given my bad experience with his fiberglass not bonding to the resin). Count it a blessing if less than stellar products are taken off the market, and we hope that people will improve the quality and integrity of their wares.
In these cases, Damon, the poor quality of these kits are not the fault of us customers. We didn't know any better when we bought them, but we are now trying to make the best out of a bad situation. The *GOOD* thing is that the crappier the kit, the more work you have to put into it -- and despite the learning curve, the experience gained is invaluable. Heck, the skills from modifying the plastic and inaccurate Rubie's Supreme Vader helmet has helped me attack fiberglass -- something I have never done before in my life. Of course, I had to do some extra research into clothing, eye and breathing protection, but that was about it.
The tools you invest in one project help you towards the next. And I can recommend tools! (I should actually do a writeup on ideal tools and in what cases they can be used....)
Bear in mind, I'm a beginner. I've not done hand craft stuff since being a kid, except for some clay work in an art class in college years ago (I'm in my late 30's). There is part of us that is creative and if given the opportunity will find its potential. You'll gain confidence quickly, but you have to start somewhere.
I realize that some people feel very, very ginger about taking the first step. I don't recommend modifying a Rubie's helmet to be a start because the plastic is a pain to work with, but it *is* cheap compared with a FG kit. It may require that you get files, a dremel and possibly a hand-sander but if your ultimate goal is to work with fiberglass kits, these tools will come in awfully handy!
As a result of taking that first step with a Rubie's helmet, my understanding of tools and methods is far greater than when I first started. Plus, you have a very supportive community here -- thanks to NoHumorMan and the moderators. If you have modification questions, post away, and we'll do our best to help you. In one sense, we're like building a family of fellow modders. Any person we help not only in turn can help someone else, but we grow our community that way; we are not alone any more.
Also, T-VIRUS gives me too much credit. His work with the dome and the facemask is what triggered my own inspiration, so his impact upon me cannot be taken away from him. He broke the initial ground to show us that something as ugly, sad, misshapen and pathetic as the ArmorMask urethane kit (which we nicknamed "Darth Ugly') could go from swine to swan.
The fun is seeing the potential in things and working on them to bring that potential to light. That, of course, is a long and arduous process but rewarding nonetheless -- it is the Jedi way.
The Sith way is cheaper and quicker!