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The last time we did this was February, 2014. It's time to get new data. What we want to know is, what armor / helmet are you wearing? EDIT: If you do *not* see your armor maker listed explicitly but think it should be, that is why we are having this poll. Do chime in via reply and let us know what you are wearing. This is the single best way to ensure we have valid numbers, and that the options support it. For instance FX will be listed separately as at the start it was like 90% of the responses, now it's much lower. Once it gets below a small % then we'll just remove it as a stand-alone, e.g. usually under 5%. Questions? Ask away! This poll will run for 3 weeks.

Hi all, Well, the new mag is finished. In a nut shell; -finished sanding the top -corrected arrow (“OFF ->”) -prep for primer -metallic silver -hammer black on top/end plate only -Matt black top coat -cut down mag -shaved off some of mag to avoid modifying the mag well (allowing me to switch between mags, should I need to). -added magnets -weathered And, for now, that’s all she wrote. I think this blaster is finally finished. :-) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Troopacoola installed Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

My BBB came yesterday and I'm super excited. Just got everything laid out. Life's been busy, so I won't be able to work on this often, but I plan on knocking a lot out when I do. The goal is to build this to Centurion level. I'll be sure to ask plenty of questions. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thank you guys for all the help! I did contact them and am posting my WIP build on their forum also. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Yeah just did that. Link for the images is active. Post sanding images coming.

That’s a big box! Can’t wait to see the progress. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Happy BBB-day and good luck with your build

Looking good, Dave. Liking the new shape.

I thought I'd try to update my thread a little bit more than I did in the last week, so here is a little continuation of the snap bases post I made at the beginning of the week. I measured and positioned all my snap bases on the chest/back/ab/kidney/butt and am now waiting for some magnets (ran out of magnets as many things were glued at the same time) to glue them all in place before I start making the straps that will hold them all in place. For positioning, I started by looking at ukswrath indicated in his AM build post, and then adapted a little bit for myself. I mainly positioned all my snap bases at about 10mm from the edge of the part they are on (except for the chest piece, of course, which is something more like 110mm from the bottom edge). I started gluing a few ones on the back already, but I didn't take any pics yet - will post more of that stuff later.

New sniper knee fitted Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Yepp - 3 bumps is the way to go

Few updates . Firstly bought the mk 2 forearms from ross . New on the left and mk 1 on the right . For my arms the mk2 fit is a little better for me Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Hiya. Yes, I believe that’s how they’re described. As per the above pic, they look very similar to those Dave M ref pics. :-) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Huh? last I heard they were going out fast (I ordered 2, not yet recieved though) or have I missed something?

So, word is out that there is a storm trooper in the neighborhood and so I've been asked to make an appearance at a bday party. Any tips? This is a friend of a friend and the child is turning 5. I assuming that to avoid a mass confusion of kids jumping on the armor (and other kiddie shenanigans), that some ground rules are typically conveyed to the parents? Go in, do a quick hello and take some pics, and get back out again? I did a visit at my kids kindergarten class, but there was a teacher with very well disciplined kids. I assume this will be a bit more chaotic. Thanks

Ha ha. Aren’t you a little tall for an elf?

Thanks everyone! After reading the above comments I have decided not to do the party. Just kidding. I will secure a handler for sure. @justjoseph63 the 15 minutes of fame followed by perpetual abuse was what I was worried about. The swag bags are an awesome idea. I will definitely ask the parents about that. And I'll be using a "Darth Vader wants his stormtrooper back at the Death Star" type of line. Love it. Thanks. I'll let you know how it goes.

I did once as a favor to a friend, but that was it. Having a full time handler (don't count on the parent(s) to be there beside you full time) is a must. The first 10-15 minutes the kids are super excited and everyone wants a photo and to interact with you. Once they have their pics the excitement wears off (very) quickly, and you run the chance of becoming a white plastic pinata for lightsaber wielding younglings, or you end up standing there like a decoration. I would advise having fun while you are there, but when you feel things are getting dull have your handler (or the parent) announce that Darth Vader needs you back at your post. If it is a SW themed party, you could also ask the parents if they have any SW themed swag (party favors) that you could hand out.

I've done a few and younglings can get a little outta hand, from sticking sabers into places they shouldn't be to bashing them over your helmet, definitely a good idea to have a couple of wranglers who can see the attacks coming before you feel them

Hi mate, I’d certainly have someone to protect you. I “met” my daughter and her friends (around 5 years old) at Christmas, and they can get a little excited... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi guys, I’ve tried a couple of different methods for the stripes. Either a simple top and bottom mask with freehand lines between. Or: “Freehand look” ANH style templates. The ones pictured I sourced from Mike (Trooperbay). They are lovely and really look like the screen used ref pic. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree take someone to run interference if a kid comes running at you. And keep us posted I’m curious how it turns out. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Definitely have a handler/life saver Good Luck! Hope you make it out of there!

I would personally thin the black lines as well, but I don't think this is outside of acceptable range. Thanks for the ref, Dan. I also found this one in the gallery. Looks like the lines are a bit thicker in some spots here.

I think this can be a sticky in the R1 area, and may help new builds. What do you think?

At the moment unless proven otherwise most are going with the OTTK colors. French blue and Dark grey

Update : Paint Ok, I can't believe I've burned a week and a half (evenings) just testing paint. Enough. I have a game plan....if anyone follows this for their build, this is what I'm doing.... (I'll update this image if/as things evolve) Counter, Power Cylinders = 1, 2 Handle Grip = 1, 4, 5 Handle (non-grip) = 1, 2, 9 Stock, End Cap, Trigger Guard = 1, 3, 2 Scope = 1, 2 with weathering of 6, 7 Receiver Tube = 1, 2 Bolt Area = 1, 9 with weathering of 8, 7 The T-Tracks = 1, 2 but may follow with something more matte. Everything here seems to play well together. The base layers are all lacquer and the Testors/Humbrols are enamel so any layering should be fine. I opted against the Testors Matte Black spray I was testing because it was REALLY matte. I changed my mind and liked the way the Tamiya Matte Black still had a bit of shine to to. I think it makes things look a little more like metal. How much more? I'll post a couple of "teaser" pics in a sec.... Mark

Tips for newbies building an AP kit for the first time. Please excuse this massive post, but I tried to summarize some points about my build below. I wrote this summary up awhile ago but just got around to posting it now. This was my first build, and although I did some research before starting, I discovered a lot of other things while actually building – some of these things are just because I am new to this, and some of these things are particular to the AP kit. Most of these points are explained in detail somewhere in my build, but it is getting hard to find anything. And I’m sure for every point I mentioned below, there are two that I forgot. Again, this is the AP trimmed kit. Helmet: · The brow sat a little low and a touch crooked, so I had to raise the brow. I raised (trimmed) it about 4 or 5 mm (at the center of the front, the sides are kept in the same spot) – I could have gone a few more mm. · The ears needed some trimming and sanding to fit. The right ear was especially bad. A space between the right ear and helmet is screen accurate, but I wanted to reduce it as much as possible. After some trimming and sanding, I realized that the ear just wasn’t placed right. The bottom needed to be pushed inwards a little – but the all the holes were pre-drilled. So I expanded the holes (in the helmet parts) down a little with a soldering iron. This worked well – but when I finally put the helmet together with the brow in place, the fit wasn’t as good again. I haven’t gone back to fix this again – but it should be an easy fix – even having a third hand while I tighten the screws would help. · I hand painted everything. I tried to use the stencils from Trooperbay. They worked for the most part, but I only used the stencils for the tube stripes and the stripes in the tears and traps. I found it easy to just take a pencil and trace in the areas for the traps and tears along the return edge. Just make sure the area you marked out is big enough for the Trooperbay stencils. I mixed up the tube stripes – I put the right on the left side and vice versa. It was an easy fix – I just had to remove the front 3 stripes and redo with the proper stencil – trooperbay provides 2 of every stencil for these “oops” moments. · Cleaning up the paint. I used humbrol paint and found that it scraped off pretty easy with a toothpick. I did wipe it down with some mineral spirits first – that seemed to have weakened it a bit. It can leave a very, very faint stain, but for the most part it comes off really clean. This worked great for cleaning up edges and making things look pretty. · I installed s-trim (Centurion requirement). It was a bit of a challenge. You have to start and really work to open the rubber grove as you feed it onto the edge ABS. You have to keep pressure applied and just go a few mm at a time. I went around the whole helmet and trimmed some extra off – but left about 1 inch. I just worked the s-trim until I could get the extra one inch to fit. I’m told this helps hold the s-trim in place. I didn’t use any glue. By the way, I put it on this way (not my pic – borrowed it from Sean who is now Centurion): · Hovi-mics will not sit even. Let the OCD go. Paint the edges white · When locating the tube stripes, they should be a pencil’s width from the return edge. The left side edge is straight and this works well there. The right side is not straight and makes placing your stencil or decal a little trickier. Arms: · This was actually the first thing I worked on. Good place to start. I trimmed all my coverstrips to about 16-17mm. Mark has the trimmed kit trimmed for 20mm coverstrips on the arms, so I had to take off a little off each butt edge. The actual edge of the return edge can be hard to see in some places due to a lack of definition. I found that using the back side of the piece worked better – the lines are more defined. I just kept in mind that the front would have about an extra mm or so of width. · I used 1 inch black elastic (glued) to the shoulder bell to shoulder strap, shoulder bell around bicep (hook), and I used ¾” elastic for the forearm to bicep. I had used ¾” for most things (as per a number of threads) but switched up to 1” because it is screen accurate and works better for various reasons. The 1” shoulder bell to should strap elastic is not shown in pic below. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180121/b543ab19033983ac78404c1423d0949a.jpg · I originally used snaps with 1.5” elastic for the forearm to bicep attachment (as per the billhags diagram). I found this didn’t work for me. So I switched to the ¾” elastic glued directly behind the front coverstrip. Worked really well. Keeps the bicep and forearm lined up nicely. Thighs: · The right thigh gave me a lot of grief. The butt return edge was trimmed to 10mm per side, for a 20mm coverstrip. However, that 10mm got a little tight in places (less than 10mm). So I put a inner coverstrip on first to get the spacing right. Then, the whole seam is slightly curved. The best solution was to glue the lower half of the coverstrip fist. Wait to dry, then glue the upper half. I did this for both the inner and outer coverstrips. · I haven’t actually done it yet (as of time of writing this) but I will trim a bit of return edge away from behind the knee. · I ended up tapering my thighs a lot – and it didn’t seem to create any issues with gluing. · I found hot bathing the ammo pack made it really easy to install. I used the same split rivets used for the ab to kidney connection (as provided by AP). I didn’t worry about lining up the front “bump” with the coverstrip. I just made the ends look even where it is connected to the thigh – I drilled the holes 6mm from the upper return edge – that was the only real measurement I made. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180119/c06f287020555551e41e70006d013136.jpg Shins: · The sniper knee will not fit very well. Mine ended up crooked – as do a lot of AP kits. I tried to raise the outer piece of the shin a bit to help, but it didn’t help enough. The sniper knee plate will not fit on the shin perfectly – at least not with my skill sets. This is a good as mine got: https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180203/159996fa67b1dc5bc212cac6c1ce63d9.jpg · I had to add a little bit of Velcro to the boot and inside of the shins to keep the shins from rotating on me. · I put inner and outer coverstrips on the front of the shins. I’m glad I did because these things take a lot of abuse. The rear coverstrip is 25mm – I used Velcro and it is working very well. Once I finished my shins, I taped them up to correct for the gaps (they won’t line up in the back). I exaggerated the correction (if I had a gap, I would tape it overlapping by an inch or so) and then took the heat gun to the shins – on low – and kept the heat gun moving. I heated up the shins so they were slightly uncomfortable to touch and then let cool. I did this a few times. It helped with getting the rear seam to line up better. Torso: · Aside from cleaning up some edges, there isn’t much I had to do for prepping these pieces. I did trim the return edge to about 5 mm. I wasn’t planning on using the canon brackets, so I wasn’t worried about using them (return edges) for anything and I heard that reducing them will help with comfort. The torso fit a little large on me so the comfort thing wasn’t an issue; however, by reducing the return edge I think I made it easier for the pieces to overlap each other. I don’t think I would trim them so much next time. · I had to hot bath the butt piece and tighten the strapping to reduce “butt flare”. The butt piece does tend to do this and it obvious on screen as well. · During the build, I lost some weight and the kidney / ab section ended up being somewhat oversized for me. This caused all sorts of issues when I tightened my belt. The pieces would overlap each other. I had to reinforce the left ab/kidney connection (the three split rivets) with glued in pieces of thick nylon webbing. I then created a tab and slot for the right side. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180203/671d5f8f33df3cf5589cd98eebd31285.jpg · Shoulder bridges – the ribbed abs parts that go from your chest to your back – these need to have the spaces on the bottom back filled with scrap pieces of abs and glue so they will stick better. I recommend hot bathing these so the very front part will conform to the shape of the chest and shape the back so it stays close to the back (they are free floating in the back and only held down with a little piece of ¼” white elastic. Also, the large bump at the back of the ABS shoulder bridges can be removed - I removed the large bump and one small bump as per instructions from Mark at AP. · Painting the ab buttons – I used a 7/16 circle template from an old drafting kit. I traced the circle on the button with pencil. Then hand painted – the pencil line can actually act like a dam and keep the paint in place – to a point. · Remember to trim the button plates enough. A lot of people seem to miss this from what I’ve seen in application pics. I hope mine are trimmed enough now that I think of it. Belt/holster: · Drop boxes – they are a little deep – I needed to shave off about 5mm. I aimed for a depth of 15mm. The references I found mentions anywhere from 15 to 10mm depth. · Elastics connecting drop boxes - use 1” elastic. Some threads mention ¾ inch elastic. One inch is screen accurate and will allow you to trim a little off if you need to get around a snap that might be in the way · My snaps on my ab piece ended up in the wrong spot somehow – they were shifted over to the left by a cm or two. The location of the left snap conflicted with a rivet that connects the canvas belt to the abs belt (ammo pack). I had to move the one snap on both the ab piece (male end) and the canvas belt (female end). · Removing snaps are not a big deal. If you use a drill, take your time because the snap can heat up. I drilled from the back of the male side – worked well for me. The female snap was easy, I just reached in with needle nose pliers and squished the post and the snap popped apart. · I ordered a holster from AP as well. I switched out the black straps that connect to the belt with tan coloured straps. I used ¾” 8oz leather strips. It was heavier leather than what was originally there but seemed to work just fine. AP uses Chicago screws for this so things are really easy to switch out. You do need tan holster straps for any level of approval (at least for now) – this is just a screen accuracy thing. TD: · The end caps as provided in the trimmed kit needed to be trimmed down a few mm (5mm was removed in my case). I couldn’t get these all the way on (I’m not sure if they are supposed to go all the way on). The control panel had to be trimmed down about 10mm in my case. · I had to trim the TD tube as well. I think I took off about ¾” or so. Can’t remember for sure, but I ended up with 7-3/8” total length. I believe ideal is around 7-1/4” · I also trimmed the metal just above the upper screw hole to be more screen accurate. Also had to replace the screws with slotted pan head machine screws - #6-32. The ones I found were brass, but they get painted black regardless. Strapping: · This is where you will probably have to improvise the most. · I used a single snap system with nylon base plates (and some elastic in key places for mobility). · Nylon base plates seem to work really well – they conform to the shape of the curved armor and E6000 holds them very well. · Use good quality nylon. I ordered some stuff off of Amazon – I used it until I ran out and then bought some stuff from a local fabric store. The stuff from the local place was almost twice as thick. Way better for adding rigidity to connections if needed (i.e. the spilt rivet connections on the left ab/kidney). · Setting snaps can suck. If you are not very handy and lack patience, you might want to think about getting a snap setting press. Roughly $75 on Amazon. I’ve never used one, but it has to be better than using the $15 snap setter you get at Tandy. · Choosing snaps: based on recommendations from other threads I used the nickel plated, Line 24 snaps from Tandy. Durability-wise they seem fine – but I’ve hardly used them. However, I had an issue of the armour deforming and discolouring in some locations. The worst case was where I used an ABS snap base, lots of E6000, and clamps to hold in place. This is an issue that has many builders puzzled. So, please note that the following may have contributed to the issue (none of this is proven): o E6000 may react with metal and, at the very least, create heat. o E6000 may create even more heat under greater pressure (strong clamps). o The Tandy nickel-plated snaps appear to be possibly prone to reaction with E6000. · So tips when gluing in snap bases (nylon or ABS): o Do not get E6000 on metal part of snap if possible o Do not use excessive amounts of E6000 o Apply very light pressure to hold the base in place while glue dries. You don’t need to keep the pressure applied for very long – E6000 will stiffen up pretty quick, it just takes 24 hours before it is strong enough to take any stress. o Use good quality snaps that are rated for outdoor use or professional use (marine grade – I think some people use Fasnap snaps) · Example of the reaction. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180117/679949ebef7613a86177d7a96ef3deec.jpg · When setting snaps – make sure they are set all the way (the post is driven down until the whole snap feels secure). · Locating the snap bases – there are a bunch of build threads that have very precise measurements for placing the snap bases. Don’t feel you have to follow any of this. Keep in mind that the closer the snap bases are to the edge – or one another – the shorter the strap and therefore the more stable that connection is going to be. So if you need more movement – you can move the snap bases away a little. I moved most of my snap bases after a few attempts at wearing the armour as it moved around too much. I originally used elastic in a few spots but replaced them for nylon. This is all dependent on how the armour fits you and what you like. I kept all my elastic connections so that I may use them during trooping for more comfort – time will tell. · For more support along some connections, I may upgrade to the two-snap connections. Single snaps can rotate and move around a bit. The double snap will not allow the play and keep things lined up. A two snap elastic system (2 or 3 inch elastic) I think would work really well. I think this would be very similar to the elastic and bracket systems used in the original costumes but you could remove the straps and you don’t have to worry about the brackets (they have to be screwed in and you need enough return edge to install them – and you will probably have to reinforce said return edge with strips of ABS). Soft Parts: · I got the flexible hand guards from AP. To attach them to the gloves (Gorilla Grip nitrile gloves) you are going to need Loctite Plastic bonding system. It contains a surface primer and superglue. Works great. · Undersuit – get compression shirt and pants – everything else just doesn’t seem to get tight enough. · Get thin cotton liners for your gloves – they get really sweaty and sticky. Fitting/dressing: · In case I didn’t mention it already – I really underestimated this part of the process. · I re-did a lot of my straps once I got the armour on. Take your time fitting pieces with the strapping. · Get someone to help – more than likely, you will not be able to get dressed by yourself. · If you are getting dressed for pictures – have a handler (someone who knows what the armor should look like fitted) there to help – that person will be making sure you look good for the pics – not you (for the most part). · If using nylon straps, pre-loosen the material by bending and twisting the nylon before measuring and cutting to length. It will loosen with use – my left ab to kidney connection really loosened up after a few fittings. · I did use a little foam attached with Velcro in a few places to keep pieces more stable (biceps for example). I would rather keep things a touch loose – incase I gain a little weight. · I put Velcro on the front of the boots and inside the shins to keep them from rotating. General building stuff: · Lexan scissors work like a charm for trimming most things. I got a set that included a straight pair and curved pair of scissors as well as a tool for boring out holes (I bought this on sale: Duratrax Body Scissors and Reamer Set, 3 piece). This worked very well for countersinking the edges of drilled holes for snap installation. If you don’t get the set, at least buy the curved scissors. Score and snap works best for the cover strips. · You get a generous amount of cover strip material. If you don’t make many mistakes you should have plenty to do all cover strips – inside and out. · Note that there is a good and bad side to the cover strips. One side is shiny and white, and the other side is less shiny and less white. Can be hard to see under non-ideal lighting conditions. · The cover strips are rough cut – so you will need to make sure the edge is square before trimming. Also, to make the most of each piece, you could square the piece on both sides – measure the width, and figure out what combination of strip widths you can cut. If the width is 55mm, then you might want to cut two 20mm strips (for legs) and one 15 mm strip for arms (or whatever widths you have decided on). My laziness overrode my OCD on this and I didn’t do it but it would have provided even more usable material (if I needed it – which I didn’t – so, nevermind). · Rough sand any areas that you are planning on gluing. Like back of cover strips, for example. I used a 100 grit paper and it worked well. Use E6000. · Use enough E6000 on cover strips so that the E6000 oozes out along the edges. This is a good thing. E6000 is pretty easy to clean up after it dries. · Humbrol paint is a pain in the donkey. Especially the French Blue – it needs a lot of stirring – at least mine did. Maybe it was an old tin. · I cleaned my armour with mineral spirits in the case of paint smears or drips. I also have Novus cleaner and polish that seems to work really well.

Not only does the riot baton segment need to be reworded, but it really needs a new model. The one featured is really inaccurate (there is no rectangular striking area) and as far as I can tell, it's a fully cylinder. I'm still pretty sure it's the same ones used in Battlefront 2. A lot of troopers in the Campaign mode use them when you're fighting them, they'll run up from behind a barricade and raise a 3 part extended baton, similar to the one a fellow member posted here a few pages ago.

I'm doing whats been mentioned above and using foam sheet to line the insides so it doesnt have to be really smooth. Also contemplating picking up a 2nd hand kids voice changer helmet and using the electrics. Then change the push button to on/off or perhaps extend it so that you can operate it by the hand. Trouble is now weather is chronic so dont fancy spending time gutting the insides out in this weather. Think I`ll start with the helmet first.

Summary of where these ideas are today: FOTK Merch * FOTK FISD Blue Patch (finalizing artwork, will do run soon) * FOTK specific coin design: Riot Squad (finalizing artwork, will do run soon) * FOTK specific coin design: Prior run (will see if we can still use the design) ** coins will be spaced throughout the year Other * FOTK Hoodie/Shirts (needs a design) ** We may be changing vendors soon anyway * FOTK Racing Shirt (finalizing artwork, will be done after regular shirt run) FOTK L2/L3 Approvals * Perception that they are slower than OT TK (investigating)

I would love seeing this get approved...

Please stop requesting this patch. I am not starting a list until the patch is produced. If you send paypal, it will be refunded.

For those that have not seen, our DL has given the green light to a FO version FISD patch and it is in the merch queue https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/40583-official-detachment-logo-variation-proposal/

Nice!

A FO only shirt version example

Hi SW enthusiasts! Excited to share yet another installment. Over the past two weeks, I've tackled and continue to do so, the magazine housing. Original Doopydoos Magazine Housing For this piece, I wanted to get it looking and functioning much like an original SMG piece. With some green stuff, customizing a solid aluminum rod and some aluminum sheets, I've tried to push this mod without busting this resin piece =) I begin first by looking to replace the ejector with a custom aluminum build, then I proceed to creating the component pieces that relate to the magazine release button. Grub screw used for the ejector comes from Tino's completion set. Inspiration for creating a working release button comes from Tino as well; he's been a huge influence on getting me to my level of build so far. Although I haven't completed the release button components, I'll share my progress so far. Here I measure the ejector diameter for correct purchase of my solid aluminum rod. I then proceed to using a diamond cutting blade on my dremel, then sanding drum, and finally manually sanding via square file. To get it close as possible to the real SMG part, I filled in the underside, under the ejector with green stuff. With some light sanding, I am able to achieve some of the contours of the underside. In now having set the stage, I proceeded to hollow out the resin ejector. The solid aluminum rod is approximately 8mm in diameter. In using the correct drill bit, the rod fits nicely into the magazine housing. I discovered, use of WD-40 is helpful to catch the metal shards and also good for lubricating the hacksaw blade for cutting. Adds smell to the task and drippy but with cardboard placed underneath, no biggie. Here is the test fit for the custom ejector rod, I like it! This hear comes the tricky part, trying to capture the ejector bottom that I think, Is used to individualize the rounds for firing. Hacksaw used to get primary shape. Attached my round file to my drill to shape out the curvature outlined with pencil. Crafting bottom portion of housing ejector - applied blue tape as guides after rough mark up using pencil. Cobalt hacksaw blade used Test fit of partially completed lower portion of ejector - quite happy with the contours. Here comes the final shaping of the end of the ejector - Boeing 747 jet tail, here I come! I begin with getting the tail angle then glue the fin using J-B Weld. I'm hoping with it being made with steel fragments, the glue will adhere well to the aluminum, we'll see. Ejector bottom end completed to follow up with light sanding over glue seam area Ejector with fashioned bottom I now proceed to drilling the other way, so that I can have a functioning magazine release button. I use a 5mm diameter solid aluminum rod for this. I begin by hollowing out a place for it using a drill bit. The holes more so align with the position markings on the housing - a little off but the resin around these holes all have to be taken out anyways. I then have to tackle the ejector - making the same diameter hole right through it...this was nerve racking but I managed to pull it off. Here comes the really finicky part of the ejector. If the bottom part of the ejector wasn't finicky enough, the top is even more work. I proceed here to fashion the bevel and also install the grub screw for it. Grub screw had as part of Tino's completion set. I begin by measuring out the grub screw. I needed to use a progression of drill bits. One size smaller is used than what's measured for the final hole drill out as I will be needing to manually screw the grub screw in so to etch thread onto the ejector. Here's the task ahead of me: I begin initially though to mark the bevel location to gauge the correct location of the grub screw. I then proceed to drilling out the grub screw hole. Here's that manual process I was talking about - I used an allen wrench to drive the grub screw into the aluminum to etch threading. For anyone attempting this, wear cloth covered with rubber gloves, I blistered my fingers pretty bad... I finally drive that grub screw right through! In the process, the fashioned bottom of my ejector piece lost a detail part. I will need to add that back on a later time. Now for work on the bevel, I inserted my ejector into my drill and held it against my square file. Remember to wear ear plugs; drill motors get really loud, especially when you hold your head up close to see the shavings up close. Here's the progression of my work - I like how it had come along! Here are some angle shots... I would actually now have to drill a recess for the grub screw to sit deeper - the actual SMG piece has a hole through the entire triangle part of the housing and the grub screw has a straight-long piece attached that would go through this...fyi. Now, I'm pretty happy with my ejector. The task of getting a custom catch was looming...here we go! Here is a photo taken previously, it shows the component pieces involved in creating the custom catch. The catch being that 'foot' looking thing =) Here I put together the catch, via aluminum provided in T-jay's completion set - perfect length. I then add green stuff and contour it, following SMG references. I then proceed to creating the catch rod by precision measuring the rod. Here, I begin to add thread bolt to one end to hold the foot, I mean catch. Pretty happy with the end result. I would follow through by adding some E-6000 to close some gaps between the aluminum and green stuff. I'm a fan of Terry Fox - A tribute to you dear champion!!! Here's some test fitting... Now the task is to carve out the channel for the catch to rest inside. Measuring depth of custom catch piece and taping off dremel bit 194 to gauge correct carving depth so to get ready for carving out resin catch In checking SMG references, I discovered the catch is to poke into the magazine housing channel as a way of locking the magazine in place. So in my work, revealing some hollow-through parts is a good thing!! Here are some test-fit pictures of the catch - it's sitting flush! I now have to work on the button end of things, that will have to be saved for the next update. Thanks for reading folks and for keeping up with me on this snail of a build - cheers! Have a great day.

I did the same thing for my son two years ago. This is him the last time he wore it just two months ago. It's going to go through one more upgrade in hopes he can wear it for The Last Jedi showings and Troops. You can see the whole progression at https://m.facebook.com/pg/DravensTotalCustoms/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1066385786758960&ref=page_internal&mt_nav=1 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk