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Hi everyone. So, around 1 year ago (June 2017) I started a project to revive my 12 year old Shepperton Design Studios Stunt lid. The years has taken their toll on my once beloved TK lid so I did my research, ended up finding the videos of TK4510/ Mike / Trooperbay and decided to strip down, spray and hand paint my old lid. Well, this REALLY got me interested in Stormtroopers again and, thanks to doing plenty of research on FISD on how to respray my lid, got me hooked on the whole armour idea. Right, back to the subject at hand.... I came across Mike’s videos again on YouTube, one of which was weathering a Sandie helmet. Based upon this I ordered some Fullers Earth and a Revell weathering set. Following Mike’s excellent video, essentially the process is done with hairspray > earth flicked on with paintbrush > brush off excess earth > repeat. This, mixed with brush dabbing, sponge dabbing, sandpaper in places etc hopefully leading to a realistic, dirty/used look. Firstly, I started by painting over the vertical black stripes in the traps and tears, then improving the frown paint by extending it beyond the un-drilled 5th hole. I also took the opportunity to raise the brow. As this isn’t my trooping lid, I simply cut an additional upward curve in the cap. Time to throw some dirt at this thing!! After fogging the front of the lid with hairspray, I started to flick Fullers Earth at the lid to give a general covering. After letting the hairspray dry for a bit, it was then time to brush of the loose earth. Essentially, the process is then repeated and repeated, mixing in different shades of earth at different times, and focusing in areas where dirt would naturally build up over time. Next round: Now, at this stage I decided to do another round of hairspray and darker earth, then attempted some wet sponge dabbing..... I went a bit heavy!!! Well - as it was heavier than I had planned, and my first attempt, I decided to have another go. I took the lid out to the garden and literally washed off all of the weathering with the hose! I started the process again and was a lot more careful with damp paper towels his time. Here’s some picture from along the way. And now for the finished lid. Overall, I’m really pleased with how it turned out. I set out to make a naturally dirty looking sandie, hence using Fullers Earth and weathering powder, to get a textured look, and am pleased with the results. Hopefully to photos do it justice. Enough from me - thanks for reading. Dan :-)

It`s ready for submission pics but I´m in no hurry so I`ll play more with the weathering

Thank you! Just got approved by the GML at the Japan Garrison! WOOT!

I fixed the sniper knee plate. I had to bring it up about 1 inch. Thank you MEPD. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks, Daniel - much appreciated. :-) I’m following your sandie build with interest, too. :-) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You're right, I was following the contours on the RS vocoder, but I can ignore them and sharpen it up.

Great work in putting the helmet together one suggestion though - the vocoder would like some touching up to make it look more like this:

Nice work Dan

Fantastic!! Especially for a first time making a short film! I would like to give you a little constructive criticism based on some of my own experience, but I'll give some compliments first on what was done well. It had a nice cohesive story, and a decent flow to it. The sound design, especially in the battle portion, was very well done; it was a pleasant surprise. Many of the shots looked really damn cool too. Obviously the costumes were great, thanks to the 501st , and helped make the story more convincing. Now for some areas of improvement to keep in mind for whatever your next film will be -star wars or not. There's only a few things that kinda 'took me out of the film' so to speak. First and foremost was the presence of unnecessary jump cuts. When they are not being used for story telling purposes they make films look a little off and poorly edited. If you don't know what a jump cut is, you can google it, but the first one appears just before 1:10, and several more are in that sequence. A good way to fix this is to record many more takes of the same scene from many different angles, and cut between them. Second was the VFX. Now obviously a low budget short film can't afford expensive CG, but writing a script around the need for explosions works well. But so does some cheap fireworks! but I wouldn't recommend that in the woods. The last major criticism I would give would be that there was some areas of the film that were quite silent that could have had more sound/dialogue, or could have been cut out. It just feels off. Some more minor things I noticed was that the music didn't always fit the scene, lighting could have had more attention, some things the TKs said were lost in the voice fx, and the action sequences felt a tad underwhelming. But all in all, this was well done, and you did great! It was an enjoyable watch and I will be looking forward towards whatever you make next! Best of luck!

Great work on those Shims for the thighs. I had to make shims for mine as well, but decided to not use ABS paste, and used Apoxie scuplt, and re-painted them. I found it much more forgiving than ABS paste. But, whatever works for you! Good Luck, I am eager to see how the thighs turn out. Well done so far.

Sniper knee plate. A lot easier than a TK knee (for the AP kit at least). Added some pieces of plastic to the back and glued into place. I hope it is enough to hold. The shin is curved and the plate is flat, so I piled on the E6000 and will hope for the best. Reference Also trimmed this guy. Reference pic Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That actually helps a lot. Love the fact there's 15 on the right, and 16 on the left. It shows symmetry in the asymmetry of the suit, with the 12 blocks on the right, 11 on the left of the forearms. 12 and 13 is what I think I'll shoot for now. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

My garrison GML has already approved the build and asked for a couple more photos for my legion profile photos!! I will suit up again tomorrow and ballance our the bicep, forearm gap and post those here too.

Looking again, the stripes look a little long to me. I had read 13/16ths. Dan I'm sure you have an accurate length (or width, depending on your point of view) in mm. Thickness being the 2.5 to 3mm. Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Well spotted!!! Fortunately the glue hasn’t fully cured so I could remove it without a problem!! Currently cutting a new strip!!!

Your shins in back look like they both close in same direction. The right one needs to close to the inside.

Dan, I think I'm giving myself 2 more strikes before going to the template. For some strange reason, I feel that being able to free hand it, is a rite of passage for me. The trials and tribulations of these tube stripes are strengthening the bond between me and my kit. The build hasn't drawn blood (yet), so mental anguish is seems to be a suitable replacement. Looking again this morning the right tube isn't that bad, a strong B- even, and the left tube a solid D. The front three stripes on the right were the first ones to go on, and where the runny mess panic quickly set in. I did those facing the helmet looking eye to eye, which forced my hand into a less than stellar position and the panic made me forget to concentrate on the slight curve. Positives, are maybe 35% of the stripes look good to me, so I think I can pull off free hand in the end. I also think I got the placement of the area for the stripes pretty good. I'm taking the kids to a Galactic Academy meet and greet later today, and it's being hosted at a hobby shop, so maybe they'll have some Testors French Blue (it Humbles isn't carried in my nearby Hobby/Craft stores), for attempt #2, and I'll be able to pull the paint better if it's thicker. Thanks again for all your tips and guidance! Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

Came out great I’m sure you’ll have a blast at the troop making you work 24/7 on the armor

It’s never too early. Best to have everything do when you need it, it’s there. I don’t think you’ll have an issue with using the two paints. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ahhh yes! I actually sneaked a bit of tape behind it.

I've ordered a pair - actually just put the build up for Pre-approval! Here's a toast to good luck for us both!

Nice job on that, Gary! Hopefully that will do the trick.

I gathered up the courage to carve into the receiver tube today. I carved out only enough to make the grip and magazine housing sit flush on the tube. This way, there's more surface area for glue. In dremeling out the resin I would hit the inner black hard plastic. I felt it to be pretty malleable so not too bad to take away. It was really encouraging to see the individual parts fitted together - resembling a blaster!!! Still keeping to safety on the project: respirator, protective glasses, vacuum, and ear plugs. Wanna stay healthy by the end of it.

After a lot of procrastination, re-fitting, & second guessing. I finally made myself make a cut on one of my shins before turning in for the night. Might get a chance to cut the other shin and thighs tomorrow. Going to be a handler for a troop tomorrow afternoon so I’ll get a little insight into trooping. Should be fun! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

OK. Last one for the night. After some toothpick action, it's not god awful, but will definitely go back it with a fine tip to add some coats. Of course on the buttons the blue found all the tiny nicks from cutting out the masking circles. Toothpick, cloth, 1000 grit sandpaper, and a little thinner on a fine brush. Before using thinner around the tubes, added a photo for an AOK. Actually picking in some of the curves. Still blame the paint a little would have gone better if it was thick like the Testors Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

I think you're right on as far as the degree of weathering. Less is more. There's a few pics where it looks like these guys were engaged in a mud wrestling which I can't see as realistic. A professional soldier, such as an Imperial Stormtrooper, is not going to walk around for long with a a huge amount of mud splotches on his armor. Either he or is peers/superior are going to remark on his sloven appearance and demand that he police that *%#*.

Once the paint has dried a bit, it usually goes pretty well removing it with a toothpick. Sent from my LG-M470 using Tapatalk

Yes they do.. I’m EIB and getting ready to submit in next day or so for Centurion after making my couple corrections.. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice work

Here's my initial box opeing video. Don't worry, it gets better. Feel free to subscribe and follow my progress.------------

I wear thick wool hiking socks in my boots. They keep my feet really dry, and the extra padding helps my feet fill out the boots. Along with that, thick socks are super comfy. FYI, my boots are about one size larger than my normal shoes to allow me to put lifts in them.

How I picture opening a box without a sharp object ------------ Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Saw this on your Instagram. Love this idea. Very cool item.

Today's 20 minute sprint is dremel out resin for housing the trigger lever....its in the right position horizontally. Need to still adjust vertically by keeping the trigger at maximum throw position. Armorture wire will be used to keep trigger lever component in place using CA glue. Will use a 1/16" drill bit to make the holes for the wires. P.s. I think I'm good now for the grip position relative to the folding stock hinge.

I think that’s only likely to happen with the gloves. The original method of rubber gloves can get sweaty and (sorry) a little stinky after a long troop. Nomex is better in this sense, I believe. Most decent rubber blasters still meet CRL requirements so it doesn’t really matter which one you clear with, they’re just not (for the most part) as detailed when you look up close. Personally, I like to troop how I cleared, following the same level of detail that I put into my build, so have to put up with sweaty gloves!! Lol

Congrats on your EIB!

Congratulations trooper

Hi Gary, and welcome and thank you for your EIB application. I appreciate your patience, so let's take a look. CRL and EIB Application Requirements: All the required submission photos have been posted., your armour displays all necessary element as set out in the level 2 CRL, Congratulations on a job well done!. Other-Armor Fit/Assembly: In this section we review observations made by your fellow troopers and ourselves. Some observations may lead to suggestions to improve the overall look of your armor. If any suggestion affects any application, it will be listed separately in the above or below sections. There are a few areas that could use some attention, which I will go over here, sir. The tube stripes have 2 issues. They will need to be moved closer, and they should not extend behind the ears. They should be about a #2 pencil width from the cheek. Reference images Your shoulder bells should be moved closer to your shoulder bridge. I read in your thread that you had tried to adjust these and your bicep rode up, so the you may have to adjust the bicep/bell connection. I see you have removed most of the return edges from the bottoms of the bells, but you can actually remove it all. A hot water bath may help widen the opening so you can bring them in closer to the chest/back plate. Reference image Reference image Reference image It looks as if the return edges on your forearms may be a tiny bit long at the top, and a quick trim with a Dremel will get you where you need to be. A small fix, but it's all about accuracy. Reference image As mentioned in your thread, you will need to take a few minutes to remove the white paint from your posterior snaps. Reference image Another quick fix is to add a quick coat of black paint to your charging handle: Reference image Centurion Suggestions:In this section we prepare you for Centurion. If there were any areas of concern they would be discussed here. It will take a little time to re-do the tube stripes, but these will be a necessity for level 3, brother. The other items should be pretty easy. Again.. congrats, and great to see another EI for the FLG!!

Perfect! Looking forward to having another EI (and then Centurion) representing the mighty FLG!

Other than the white paint to be removed, everything looks good. Nice job

Big weekend! Started setting some snaps. Have put the female (flat backed) end in some 1” nylon strips. Now those are attached and curing on my shoulder bells and biceps. Went loosely by the BillHag diagram. Oh, and added elastic. Oh, and first time with the heat gun! I made my bicep clips. They are not perfect. And one day I may try to re-do them. But I’m proud of myself and learned lots in my efforts! I (think I) finished my bucket! Well, you know “TK finished” (meaning I still may tweak it 1000x for comfort.) My fans from ukswrath are ordered (woohoo on that Memorial sale!), and are on the way. So it looks like I’ll be starting that tweaking soon. And first official bucket selfie—- And re-finished that thermal detonator. This time with the control panel on correctly. But, this is still on my “not perfect” list, and will re-do to higher level standards. And (no pictures), did my first hot water bath. I molded my shoulder pieces and my ammo pack. I think I may tweak the ammo pack, but that will be another post with dedicated pictures. But a picture of why I am so amazingly thankful for the ultimate sacrifice paid by so many for our freedom. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just remove the white then. Easy fix.

Nice overall look! Only thing I could see is from some pictures it looks like snaps on butt and right ab are white? Maybe lighting or my eyes. Fitment you look ok. I'd only recommend pulling bells in to straps and lower forearms a bit. Even space between elbow and handguards. And belt to be spot on could come up 1/2" right up against bottom button. Just cosmetic stuff. Good Luck Trooper!

Some exciting things happened tonight— Whaaat?!? E6000 on plastic?!? Whoop whoop!! So started on some inner coverstrips, because I like the idea of extra strength... plus it gave me a chance to try this whole gluing thing without it really counting. Things I learned— - it’s all fun and games reading 100 build threads, but sh** is starting to get real - if you’re only gluing half a cover strip, only put glue on half of it. - y’all weren’t joking... I need ALL the clamps/magnets. They are literally the rate limiting step. - don’t take a bath before sanding. Once I had my inner coverstrips glued (which took longer than expected because I had to sand to make sure I’d only left 10mm on the front thigh, cover my magnets in tape, sand the cover strips, etc), I moved on to some other smaller projects. Got my TD caps sanded down to 3/4” (no pic). Cut the corners on the belt. Thanks again for the diagram! (That’s my hubby in the background monopolizing the Drimmel for his R1 DeathTrooper build.) Next question— drop boxes. 15mm deep, correct? And how are y’all going about trimming these? Lexan scissors? Drimmel? Looks like too much to sand. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m back. Turns out it’s harder to build two TKs at a time than I thought. First one is doing awesome. Meets “meatball” CRL just great. Now I’m back to my other TK. So first, trying out this Imgur stuff. If the pic shows up, how does the frown/vocoder look? Painting makes me so nervous. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk