Leaderboard

As long as you get the pic posted tonight, I will make sure you have that Centurion badge first thing tomorrow morning! BTW, I appreciate you waiting to put the Centurion decal on your bin... that definitely shows character!

I just ordered some from him. I’ll need some for the space I’ll have between abdomen and kidney anyways. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the feedback, The bracket screws are painted so I guess its the light, maybe i'll do another coat to make sure. I did a lot of my strapping with Velcro so I can easily adjust the biceps and forearms. I added some spacers behind the sniper plate so it wouldn't get caught under the thigh but I think that threw off its alignment so I will adjust that. I did notice my belt was low, i'll add some Velcro to get the right placement. I'm definitely going for Centurion so I'll get those cleaned up.

Time for yet another round of "What have I gotten myself into this time?" courtesy of Sharkbait (ooh ha ha!). After numerous people telling me I should do a Phasma, what the character could (and should) have been (don't get me started on TLJ), how awesome Gwendoline Christie is, and that Make-A-Wish troop I don't stop talking about ever where our then-Squad Leader pulled every favor he ever had and then some to get the Make-A-Wish little girl her favorite character, Phasma (at the time there were about 10 Phasmas in the entire Legion), and I got to troop my TK along side, I finally decided I was going to do Phasma. Armor: KB Props, in hand Helmet: JImmi - in hand (Thorsson, in hand- being relegated to battle damage Phasma prop) Neck seal: Geeky Pink's, in hand Gaskets: Geeky Pink's, in hand Fingers: Jim (Starbuckcylon) (resin), in hand Belt: Jessica's, in hand Undersuit: TK undersuit/Easbay compression shirt and pants, in hand Cloth belt pouches: TrooperBay, in hand Boots: In hand, random black boots found on clearance for $12. Ended up using Calto lifted shoes. Inserts: 4.4''. I estimate with my barefoot height (5' 11''), the boot heel (1''), the inserts (4.4'') and the dome on the helmet (1''), I'll stand at about 6' 4''. Using lifted shoes for total lift, not inserts, but height still remains the same- about 6'4'' in costume. Cape: Jessica's, In hand Blaster: Heston3DSolutions F-11D in hand, chromed Chroming: Current plan is one of two professional chromers for the armor, I will do the prop helmet and blasters myself to save on costs. Extras: Heston 3DSolutions SE-44C, in hand and chromed and JJ Industries quicksilver baton. Are either from TFA? No. Do I care? Obviously not. Haha- hence "extras." Majority of my events are non-canon, the public doesn't know the difference, and that baton is amazing and I knew I wanted to play with it regardless. Toys and photo props and talking pieces. I won't use them at every troop, just once in a while for the fun of it, and obviously they will stay at home for the few canon troops we get. Also Heston had another 50% off sale and I had been toying with grabbing a SE-44C anyway, so just take my money already. Goal Timeline: Finish by the release of Episode IX - December 20, 2019, so I can troop that premiere (locally). Well, that didn't happen. New goal is Fresno State Men's Basketball Star Wars Night, January 4, 2020. Submitted for the third time 09/10/20. Third time's the charm, right?

That makes sense - I’ll start trimming from those two lines and see how the fit feels from there. Thanks! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I normally leave for 24hrs but if they feel that they had any strain on them to close then I leave for 48hrs

Got the boots together. Just got some cheap shoes from Walmart. Took out the laces and then painted them with Angelus shoe paint. Same thing I did with my shoes for my TK. Then it was just cutting a small plastic piece to cover where the laces are. Attached those with Velcro. Dirtied it up to match the suit and it’s good to go. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congratulations Robert

Way to go, Rob! Congrats, and I hope to see you at Centurion level next!!

Hi Rob, and thank you for your EIB application. Let's cut to the good stuff... CRL and EIB Application Requirements: All the required submission photos have been posted. You've made a great job of your build and we are pleased to inform you that your armour meets the requirements for level 2, Expert Infantry. Very 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. Let's start from the top. Your left shoulder bell looks like it could come in a little tighter, just like your right bell. Shortening the shoulder bell elastic should help with this. Also in the same picture, we'd suggest evening out the gaps between the biceps and forearms. Neither is correct or incorrect, as such, they just want to be the same gap each side. Reference: Whilst it is minimal, we would suggest keeping an eye on your back/kidney gap as you head towards Centurion. Keeping the gap nice and even, and as close as possible. At the moment, your thermal detonator clips are quite long and possibly showing below your belt. They are also not quite sitting right at the top of the belt in the below pictures. We would suggest checking the length of your clips. The butt plate should sit nicely under the kidney plate. Tightening the strapping in this area might help to keep the pieces closer together. A few areas of your armor appear to be a little jagged and could cause damage to your undersuit or other armor parts, including the butt plate and thigh ammo pack. A little sanding here and there would easily solve this. A very simple dressing issue here, and that's just to watch the alignment of your shins and thighs. Centurion Suggestions: In this section we prepare you the best we can for Centurion. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Based on the pictures provided, it looks like you are on track for a straight forward Centurion application, should you choose to apply for it. Congratulations Rob - welcome to the ranks of EI.

You should try accessing this site from a government computer.......................... Waiting still waiting Oh its loading wait oh there is the little spinning circle of death

Your right it is a small thing. But its a small thing that MATTERS! Plus I have a troop this weekend so I will be trying on my kit tonight anyways to make sure all is good. Easy to snap a pic. Hope you can approve me by Saturday so I can troop with that centurion sticker on my tote

Sounds like a plan, sir. I know it seems like a small thing, but it's the details that matter when you get to the higher levels. This is actually one of the most common issues we see, and fortunately it's a very easy fix with good ol' E-6000.

This one has fiberglass in it and is just superstrong, I have flexed the ab/kidney section quite rigorously and all is good. I did however glue wide inner strips with plastic weld so that might be a factor, not putting much of a strain on the seam itself….I guess time will tell

I thought it was my phone, iPhones tend to slow down when a new version is released. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

DEAL BREAKER...... U HAVE TO START W/ANOTHER KIT...... LOL [emoji23]...JK... CONGRATULATIONS [emoji323]... I knew u could do it !!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Very nice ‘85...NICE FABRIC !!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Forward progress on the shins last night. I cleaned up the left shin from regluing the cover and inner strips and then I glued the magnets into the cover strip, so those are curing now. I found out that the magnets I glued into the little covers Sunday morning still weren't cured yet. The E6000 was cured at the surface but was still liquid under the magnet. Accidentally found that out when one of the covers got too close to one of my clamping magnets. Guess I'll need to give them the full 72 hours and see what happens. I put some magnets inside the right shin to test how well it will close once the magnet covers are glued in place. I'm happy with this! I also reglued the hooks back into the biceps, I positioned them a little higher than they were originally to accommodate the potential bicep placement. I plan on gluing the second shoulder bridge on tonight and once that cures I'll begin working on getting the arms positioned right. Going to try to get the rear of the thighs trimmed up tonight too. Running To-Do List: Drill/install snaps in ab for belt Build Belt Glue on Shoulder Bridges (One glued, one to go) Glue Shoulder Bridge elastic in place Glue in snap plates for Shoulder Bell to Shoulder Strap connection Glue in snap plates for Shoulder Bell to Bicep connection Reposition Bicep Hooks Reshape Shins & Back Plate at Shoulders Glue in Shin Magnets and Covers (In progress) Final thigh test fit for upper thigh trimming (Front done, rears to be done) Glue in snap plates for Thigh Garter System Glue on Silicone Hand Plates Install Sniper Knee Plate () Submit Application/Pictures to GML Submit Member Application Hopefully be able to sign up for 9/28 troop () Make any necessary changes & submit EIB Application Make any necessary changes & submit Centurion Application  Start next build 

That bin liner looks amazing! Great work. Make sure that the black doesn't bleed on to your armor. You can test by laying some scrap ABS on it for a day or so. I have been shocked at what some fabrics can do to armor. Those purple stains are the worst!

OK, Jeff.. FANTASTIC job on taking care of the issues from your EI application! Just one last thing and we can get you level 3, brother... I noticed that your left drop box needs to be aligned with the edge of your ammo belt. Please post up a new pic of that so we can get that Centurion badge under your name! Reference image

Congrats Marcel!

Hi Taylor, Great that you’ve got a second pair of hands help out here and there. You’re making really good progress. :-) Next time you try taping bits together, perhaps try taping the ab and kidney lined up together. This will give you a central shell to work up and down from. Example With these two parts lined up, you can then start looking at how to adapt the butt, back and chest plates to work around this central point. :-)

Actually got some work done today! A friend of mine came over and helped me test fit some pieces and I helped her so some measurements for her Zarya cosplay, so it's a win-win! Test fitted the torso pieces. Here's some things we noticed that we did a bit wrong while fitting and will adjust next time: - The butt plate was put too high, we thought - the chest plate was off the the side a bit. Couldn't really tell though, since I couldn't look down very well -couldn't really connect the underneath of the butt and crotch plates. Someone at an armor party helped me trim the crotch plate though the two pieces have a hard time connecting now. I'll ask her about connecting them I also noticed parts I needed to trim: - the return edge on the top of my chest piece was digging into my neck, so I got rid of it - The chest seems a bit big on me, considering it almost goes over the ab button area. Might have to trim the bottom of the chest? Maybe? -may have to trim a little more of the sides of the kidney plate I also (finally) got a piece glued: the outer section of my right bicep. Tried to work on the forearms but just...ugh. So much work to be done on those darn forearms. Also, I know the wrong shoulder bell was used for the right side Do keep in mind, my friend never worked with stormtrooper armor before. Neither of us really knew how to do the test fitting, haha! And considering I couldn't look down and hardly at all to the side thanks to my chest plate, it was a bit hard to guide her. Though, what are tests for, right? Sent from my LGLS992 using Tapatalk

Now u tell me..... LoL [emoji23] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I used some rubber hose as a stencil/guide, with pressing down on the rubber it creates a seal. You can also apply some white first so if there are any areas that may run at least the white will be seen

As Jim has said the cut lines aren't that important, the only ones really you want to worry about is where the cover strips don't cover, the ridges on the bottom of the thighs you want them to meet without a gap. Also the ends of pieces which have a return edge still showing, these should also be as tight a gap as you can get.

I make mine in a small (glass!) jar. Take scraps and cut them into ~1/4 x 1/4" squares, fill the jar with them, pour in acetone, put the cap on. Come back an hour later and stir, and I am usually good to go.

Right, Rat. Definitely. I wouldn't smooth the seam over or anything, just attach the pieces permanently from behind to prevent the kidney (look! look! I know what it's called!) from sliding over the butt, as I suspect it might without that return edge to keep it in place. Boy. That's a scary prospect. It would be clean, though. Hmm. I'll try it all on and see what needs to come off, then make the call. Maybe a bit off each is called for. So you don't see a reason why connecting the kidney and butt plate would make the armor even less comfortable than it [reportedly] will be though, eh?

Is the plastic not dissolving? I would start by going to Home Depot (or equivalent) and getting industrial strength acetone. If that still doesn't do it, you may not have ABS.

Knife worked great. Took off about 5cm from the bottom of the back, and now it tapers really well. Test fitted a couple times with blue tape, and don't think I should go any smaller. Trimmed up the back edge slightly as well for bit better movement with the calves. Drying again with e6000 then will put back in the interior strips after 12 hours. Hopefully ready to do follow up pictures for approval tomorrow night. Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk

Looks like the TFA kits should be shipping within the week according to that calendar. So my guess is we're going to get an email soon.

Thanks Tony. I'll have them in as soon as I get basic and my E-11 from Praetorian Thanks guys! Walking around with this ABS suit was SOOOO much different from walking around in my fibreglass Jimmiroquai TFA The forearms can be adjusted more downwards as I sewed velcro onto the bicep->forearm elastic And I agree with that, they could come down. I also sanded the branding off the gloves (barely visible in the photos). My ABS belt is just a smidge wider than my cloth belt luckily. I trimmed the ABS belt further when building as I saw from reference they were very close to the boxes. Not exactly the sizes I was hoping for but it works I think

Today I gave the shins a hot bath. The left shin wasn't cooperating but I finally got it worked right, but then the rear strips came halfway unglued from all of the heat. Got those reglued and curing though. Started gluing the magnets in the right shin and into the magnet covers but I have to stop for a bit so I'll finish that later tonight. I also glued in the rest of the snap plates to get that out of the way and got one of the shoulder bridges glued in place and curing. I did a test fit with the thighs on and got the front of them trimmed down nicely. Now I just need to mark & trim the rears of the thighs and they'll be done. During the test fit I also snapped on the shoulder bells and thanks to my long arms I'm going to have to drop the biceps very low in the shoulder bells to minimize the elbow gap, so I positioned the snap plates inside the bells accordingly, with some wiggle room just in case. I'll probably need to make slightly longer bicep hooks too. And I'll have to remake new bicep-to-forearm straps with a gap wider than 1/4". I did get the belt all done though (modeled by my wife's mannequin). Running To-Do List: Drill/install snaps in ab for belt Build Belt Glue on Shoulder Bridges (One glued, one to go) Glue Shoulder Bridge elastic in place Glue in snap plates for Shoulder Bell to Shoulder Strap connection Glue in snap plates for Shoulder Bell to Bicep connection Reposition or Remake Bicep Hooks Reshape Shins & Back Plate at Shoulders Glue in Shin Magnets and Covers (In progress) Final thigh test fit for upper thigh trimming (Front done, rears to be done) Glue in snap plates for Thigh Garter System Glue on Silicone Hand Plates Install Sniper Knee Plate () Submit Application/Pictures to GML Submit Member Application Hopefully be able to sign up for 9/28 troop () Make any necessary changes & submit EIB Application Make any necessary changes & submit Centurion Application  Start next build 

Worth noting, his 501st costume is not a set used one Rather a bunch of TDH folks helped put it together... here's a breakdown

As Tony said they will work fine as long as it has pressed over the post. I do find if you use a Philips head screwdriver and tap on the post lightly it will help to spread out the post, then when you use the setting tool it will spread better, worth a try.

TBH, I’m being semi partial, but I think NOTHING beats ANH-Stunt ...lol Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There is lots more reference now than when I started; Then we had VCR and movie stills. The Original Trilogy Visual Dictionary has long been one of our greatest resources. You can still get them on Amazon.