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Let’s face it; those silicone Anovos gaskets suck. Unfortunately demand was high and supply was low, so I decided to try making a set of fabric gaskets myself. After a bit of reading and experimenting, I think I have a decent method down. This might look like an intimidating project, but I really think anyone who can thread a needle can manage this. Materials needed: 1 set of existing gaskets or a long-sleeve t-shirt as a template 1 Sewing machine 3 spools of black thread 2 yards of headliner fabric (available many places; here’s the one I used: http://www.amazon.com/Foam-Backed-Automotive-Headliner-Black-Fabric/dp/B00O5BKN0W/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1448471199&sr=8-7&keywords=headliner+fabric) 2 yards of shiny black spandex/poly blend (again, lots of sources; here’s the one I used: http://hancockfabrics.com/black-stretch-satin-fabric-1704519.html) 1 can of Super 77 adhesive or equivalent UPDATE 3/31/16: David Rodriguez (TK-11686) discovered this amazing new fabric from Yaya Han (http://www.joann.com/cosplay-by-yaya-han-4-way-ultrapreme-fabric-black/14749170.html). It looks fantastic as the top layer, replacing the black spandex/poly blend I listed above. His gaskets are works of art. Useful tools: Straight ruler, 1 yard/meter Seamstress’ tape Quality scissors and/or a cutting wheel Fine tipped black marker 4-8 yards/meters of double-fold bias tape (for edging) All told this project took me about 3 days, not counting some restarts, mistakes, and lessons learned. I suggest starting with the knees so you can get a feel for things. Step 1. Cut the foam Unroll 1-2 yards of the headliner foam, and lay your gaskets on top. If they’ve already been assembled, gently press them flat and flip them over. Trace an outline, leaving about 1 inch (2.5cm) around the edge for allowances. Cut along the outline. Step 2. Cut the spandex (making sure to get the orientation right!) This is critical: take a look at the spandex and feel how it stretches. Unless you got the fancy stuff, it will be much stretchier in one direction. That direction should end up parallel to your pleats; in other words, if you hold the gasket so the lines are right/left, the spandex should be more stretchy when you pull it on the left and right than if you pulled on the top and bottom. I learned this the hard way, as my first set of shoulders didn’t look nearly as sharp as my knees. See below: (lower left: my knee gaskets, with sharply defined pillows/pleats; upper left: my first shoulder, with poor definition due to mis-oriented fabric; right: the new shoulder, oriented correctly) As you can see, the mis-oriented spandex doesn’t pucker down well, creating shallow, poorly defined ‘pillows’ in between the stitches. Ok, so you’ve learned from my mistake and laid the foam pieces on top of the spandex in the right orientation. Cut the spandex, again giving about ½” (1.25cm) allowance around the edge. This allows some slop in Step 3. Step 3. Glue them together Take the parts to a well ventilated area with some cardboard or another surface you don’t mind wrecking. Lay the headliner foam down (fabric side down, foam side up) and spray it with the Super 77. Wait a few minutes (3-5 for me, but it will vary with temperature and humidity) until the glue is very tacky. Roll up the spandex from one end, and carefully lay the loose edge onto your glue-treated foam. You won’t have a lot of chances to re-orient things, as the glue is often stronger than the foam itself, and you’ll tear it. Slowly unroll the spandex onto the foam, smoothing it as best you can. Wait about half an hour for the glue to fully set. Step 4. Mark your guideline(s) Take the parts back to your sewing area. Lay the gasket on a firm surface trace a straight guideline for your first stitch, somewhere part way into the gasket if possible. I put the gasket on a counter, lined the bottom up to the edge of the counter, then measured 6” from there. I used a steel ruler and a fine-tipped black Sharpie marker. If you can reference a few more straight, parallel lines now, go for it. About every 8-12 inches is best, so you can’t have the pleats drift too far before you get corrected by another guide line. This is also why you put the first guide partway up the piece; you’ll run stitches on either side of the guide, again limiting how badly you can drift. Step 5. Lay the first stitches Take the gasket to your sewing machine. Set the machine to a fine stitch (about setting 1.5 on mine, but this will vary by machine) start the stitch with a bit of a zigzag (width 3 for me) for a half inch or so, double back, then forward (so three passes over the one spot with a zigzag). This anchors your stitch. Change to no zigzag and proceed down your guide line. When you get to the end, I found it convenient to leave the needle in the fabric but lift the presser foot, spin the piece, then lift the needle and reposition. Step 6. Lay all the other stitches Set the edge of the presser foot on the previous stitch. Run the second stitch, keeping the presser foot carefully aligned. Don’t rush this, or your pleats won’t be crisp and parallel. When you get to the end, repeat the turnaround process and keep going. Every few stitches, put in a zigzag to anchor things in case the thread starts to come loose. You’ll eventually run out of bobbin thread during a run. Don’t panic, just rethread the machine, back up a few inches, and carefully trace over where you ran out. Take breaks during this process, as you’ll go a little nuts running every stitch back and forth. Patience, young one. Many, many stitches later... Step 7. Trim You finished the really annoying part! Go have a beverage of your choice. Trim the edges so you have a clean end with both spandex and headliner. Step 8. Finish the edges Use bias tape, scrap fabric, or your favorite method to sew a trim onto what will be the exposed edges of the gasket. Step 9. Close the tubes (Depending on your sewing machine, armor setup, etc., you may need to attach velcro now.) Take some time to test-fit the gaskets, making sure you’ve got the diameters right. It’s easy to make them smaller, but no fun to fix an arm or leg that gets too small. Fold the tubes so they’re inside out and sew them closed. Step 10. Attach velcro, magnets, glue, the Force, etc. Use your favorite method to affix the armor bits, strapping, etc. Step 11. Put everything on Step 12. Dance a jig now that you can move! Finished knee gaskets:

OK, future Troopers, many of you have asked about how to set snaps for your armor connections, so I thought I'd whip up a little tutorial. Please note that the example that I am making is based on using the "double snap" connection system (see last photo). I highly recommend this method, especially on the back/kidney, kidney/butt, and ab/kidney connections, as it provides an extra layer of confidence. Yes, it costs a bit more to do due to the extra snaps involved, but you can be sure that no matter what happens, you will NEVER have a piece come loose or fall off on a troop. Some builders may have used others, but after countless troops I have experienced no problems. So here we go.... Materials needed: 1. Hammer 2. Soldering (woodburning) iron. (Available at home improvement and craft stores. WELL worth the $10-$12.00 investment). NOTE: The tip of this thing gets CRAZY hot, so be very careful where you set it. Many come with multiple tips, but I suggest the pointed one. 3. Snap setting kit. (Available at all craft stores). Please note that I am showing both sides of the base... more on that later. Convex side Concave side 4. For this purpose, I am using 2 inch (5cm) wide black nylon and 1 inch (2cm) black nylon. The 1 inch strips will be attached directly to your armor. I suggest using E-6000 glue and clamps for this. 5. Snaps, of course! Don't "cheap-out" when buying these. The cheap ones come undone very easily and are garbage. For this tutorial, I am labeling the 4 parts as such: STEP ONE Cut the 2 inch strapping to about 4 inches long** (or as needed) for the particular connection. Cut the 1 inch nylon into 2 inch lengths as seen below. **NOTE: The actual length will depend on there you are using them, i.e. the kidney to posterior plate connections will be shorter. Just be sure there are no gaps, and that the 1 inch wide base pieces are in the correct position before attaching them. Example: The ends will be a bit ragged and will fray. Use the soldering tool to seal them. Again, using the soldering gun, make 4 holes in the 2 inch wide nylon as seen below. Be careful not to make them too large (just larger than the shaft of the snap base) or the snap may eventually pull out. Take one of the 1 inch wide nylon pieces and slide it up under one end of the 2 inch wide piece, even with the end. Once it is lined up, use the soldering iron to make holes in the 1 inch wide piece. This will assure that the holes for the snaps line up correctly. (VERY important)! You should end up with this: Repeat for other side, but be sure not to get the sides mixed up, as one set of holes may be farther apart. Insert one of the male bases into one of the holes in the 2 inch wide piece. Flip it over and place one of the male snaps on the post. Place the base in the concave side of the snap setting kit base. Place the striking rod in the center (straight up and down) and strike it several times firmly with the hammer. The inside shaft should be sufficiently widened to keep the top from coming off. There... your snap is set! NOTE: Do not attempt to do this step on a regular table. You need a hard surface, and a heavy duty workbench or concrete surface works best. Repeat this step for the remaining 3 holes. Now onto the 1 inch wide strips.. Insert one of the female bases into one of the holes, then (as above) place one of the female snaps on top. Place the female snap base into the convex side of the snap setting base. Again, using the striking rod, give it a few good whacks. (Getting the hang of this now)? This is what you should have at this point (only one end shown) CONGRATULATIONS, you have one strap completed! Now that you realize how easy this is and have it down to a science, repeat as necessary. NOTES 1. For added security, the double snap system can be applied to other areas as well, including shoulder bridge attachments and bicep to shoulder bridge, (example below) This is especially good for those who wear packs (HWT, Sandie, Spacetrooper). 2. Snaps set in elastic (as seen above) can pull out over time with repeated use. For added strength I recommend doubling the elastic over before attaching the snaps. 3. Be sure to use the female base on all the straps that will be glued to your armor. The reason being is that the bottoms are flat, insuring a tight seal. 4. Some folks set the female snaps in ABS instead of nylon when gluing them to the armor. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, it's just a different way of accomplishing the same goal. The reason I use nylon is that I find it conforms to the curved parts of the armor better, and gives a larger surface area for the glue to adhere to. 5. Some use CA (super) glue to attach the 1 inch nylon to their armor. I have found that it can get brittle and break off or even cause warping on ABS due to the heat it puts off while drying. E-6000 needs to be clamped and takes more time, but trust me, it's worth the wait. 6. When gluing the 1 inch nylon to your armor, do NOT keep the 2 inch wide nylon attached with the snaps. Some of the glue may seep through the hole in the snap and glue the whole connection together. Not a good thing. If you should have any questions, just ask here or PM me, and best of luck on your build! Photo 1 (Double snap system.. note clamps). SHOUT OUTS: Gary jr. ( @flashpoint0214 ) The guy who introduced me to the double snap system! Jeremy (Copper) who supplied the nice clean photo of the double snap system.

There has been a lot of negativity surrounding FISD and our former DMBO lately and I thought I would inject some positivity instead of the mudslinging that the Legion boards seem to have (sadly) devolved to. I don't know Wyatt. I've talked with him via PM in my role as an attache a few times at most. Regardless of charges or what you think of him, he has poured everything into the Legion and this detachment for over a decade, from handling nearly every merch run on FISD to running Imperial Gaskets. I know I've only been a Legion member since November, but Wyatt... thanks for everything you have done for us here.

Hit up Belts Of The First Order on Facebook, great 3-layer kit. If you decide to go Jim he offers the pouches (at least he did when I ordered mine) which work fine. If not I know Trooperbay has them too.

REALLY nice job on that report, Sarah!

Yepp, Sandtrooper handguards ( Sandtroopers also use the "standard" one)

My shoulder bell, biceps, and forearms, are all connected by snaps and elastic. I disconnect them to store them in my bin, but when I'm suiting up, I connect them all and slip them on like sleeves. Most of the time I can get the shoulder bells snapped to the shoulder straps myself; sometimes I'll need help snapping the second one on. Gloves go on last, and I tuck the cuffs into my undersuit sleeves.

They look great! Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk

Looking good

No but that Troop is AWESOME! You look really great

I had a troop at a bookstore last night. No free movie but fun nonetheless. Thanks to Giles Woodward for the pics Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your belt looks great! I do not see any issues with it.

That’s awesome!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm sure you've already seen it, but this thread will be a great help in your DD build: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/32111-fisd-e-11-blaster-reference/ Also, if you want to take it to the next levels of realism/accuracy, I highly suggest picking up one of Tino's E-11 finishing kits: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/28444-fs-completion-sets-for-e-11-resin-kits-with-worldwide-tracked-shipping-and-paypal/

Looking good. Good luck in your application. Sent from my M631Y using Tapatalk

Looks great, perfectly acceptable

Looking good, Daniel! As always. And if Dan ( @CableGuy) didn't see anything amiss, then all is good.

Very nice armor, looking very good.

Happy Star Wars day, everyone. Now, go buy your Solo tickets. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Maybe he meant "figuratively 1-3 days". People always misuse "literally". Ok, I'll shut up now. That sucks. Luckily, you literally have like a dozen other builds to work on.

Also, the TD looks great.

This is something I found I had to go back and do after a very brief troop. I'm glad I did - there is now no risk whatsoever of the biceps popping out of the bells (which seems to happen). I can still get everything on by myself even with the biceps attached to the bells - it is not pretty, but doable.

Don't you all worry I'm still working on my build just really slowed down. It was my intention to be approved by 5/4 but I opted to not rush and finish the last few items with more attention to detail. Still outstanding- Attach drop boxes (working on making them functional) Paint screws Clean up paint lines on bucket Fix some ABS on the shins due to slight warping with hot water bath Attach elastic between Bicep and Forearms (still deciding if necessary as it may be very hard to put it on as the biceps will be snapped to the bells

Yesterday afternoon the Connecticut Garrison hosted our second armor party of the 2018 year. This is my sixth armor party I've "lead". The Location The Portal in Manchester. The Portal is a local gaming store. Normally not quite the ideal scene for this sort of event, a member of the CTG (Jonathan Roath) is the general manager / partial owner of the place. He loves the 501st, and though he rarely has the time to actively participating in troops he goes out of his way to make sure these sort of outreach events have a place to happen. Just his way of giving back how he can. The cool thing about using this public venue is we get people that are just wandering in for tabletop gaming or whatever see us, come talk, and sometimes it leads to new recruits/events!! The Troopers Quentin - ID Pending Quentin is a new recruit of the CTG. He's working on a Del Mekko TIE Pilot uniform. Pretty slick, and he had tons of questions about approval, requirements, etc. He came with a printed CRL and a big smile and we were able to help point him in the right direction on a lot of stuff--and save him from a few ebay purchases! Michelle - TK 24124 Michelle is the newest CTG member. Recently approved as an ANH Stormtrooper, she brought along her helmet to ask some questions. Her main concern was replacing the eye pieces from acetate film to an actual harder material. I pointed her in the direction of green tinted face shield and let her snag some pictures of the buckets I'd set those in for ideas. She seemed to have a great time, and is excited for her first troop this Saturday!!! Nick - TX 686 Nick is our resident Death Trooper. He's also at just about every armor party to help, socialize, and put smiles on faces all around. His currently project is an all metal E-11D for his death trooper. Partially aluminum, he's machining several bits himself. Since I had a torched Sterling L2A3 I brought it for him to take for reference (since I'm still a long way from finishing my pipe to weld it to). It was really cool seeing the aluminum parts he'd gathered. He also hooked me up with a spare Hengstler Counter, so that was awesome!!! Brian - ID Pending Brian is a recruit of the CTG that was brought in by stumbling upon our armor parties! He purchases an Anovos TK kit a while back and has been assembling it over the past couple of months. He brought his kit to work on and ask some questions. He had us look over some parts, notably the leg and arm pieces, for a sanity check. Not that it was needed! Brian is doing an amazing job assembling it! I'm hoping to see him in our approval inbox very soon Christopher - TK 66402 Christopher is one of the CTG event coordinators. He brought along his stormtrooper kit to shine up like he does for most events, as well as talk and help out new members/builders. He's pretty fun to be around, that's why I married him. Arthur - ID Pending Arthur has been a recruit of the CTG for a while now. He's most of the way through a stormtrooper Rogue One style kit. He had a few personal complications along the way, but the end of those seem to be in sight and he should be in our approval inbox soon! He came by to meet the other recruits, say hi, and get a set of my Patented (patent pending) Floppy Silicone TK Hand Guards™ (trademark pending) Joan - ID 31461 Joan is the second event coordinator for the CTG. She lives wayyyyyy on the other side of the state, so it was a real treat to have her out and meet up with us Joan has been convinced to start building an ANH Stormtrooper, and came by to ask us where to cut some parts, and what parts are left/right for legs. She also came to nab a set of my Patented (patent pending) Floppy Silicone TK Hand Guards™ (trademark pending), since I'd asked her to testrun the first pull of them Now that she's over her fear of cutting into ABS I expect her to be up and running in no time. Oh yeah, I was there too. Group Shot:

A quick tip for when you paint those with the template, Chris.. After pressing them on firmly, hit them with a light coat of white paint first and let it dry for 5 to 10 minutes. This will seal the edges, so that when you paint the blue on it won't bleed underneath.