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Happy trooping in 2019!

Aw thanks Rat You can't keep a good woman down. Despite my best intentions, I did a little more armor work day before yesterday. I put in kidney notches and trimmed the buttplate! The left side looks so nice. Good thing, too, because it'll be completely hidden by the holster. The right side is the side with the splice, and the 20mm trim line was so close to the seam that it snapped there instead... So I'm gonna have to put a few mm back there. I haven't refinished the seam yet anyway so it's ok. (Also, the kidney+ab themselves are different heights at each seam. What is with that??) Buttplate trim time! Been a minute since I was so scared to make a cut. I think it looks great so far, though, and will look even better when I take the return edge off the lower area like so (faint pencil lines): Ooh but also look! Butt snaps!! Doesn't it look just so... real?? My snap press continues to prove it was a great investment, by the way. Foolproof, perfect snap setting in seconds. Future readers from Garrison Carida, let me know when you want to borrow it. I removed the edge snap plates from my kidney. The E6000 did eventually let them pop cleanly off, as advertised. Very pleased. And thanks to the trims I won't have to move the snap plates on the buttplate, as they're now on the edges where I would have moved them anyway. Tonight I painted ab buttons, and did a little bucket work. No pics of the ab buttons because they're an absolute travesty. I tried a couple methods and am relying on the cleanup process to make them presentable. I ended up doing one coat of cheesecloth and one coat of plain plastidip (with a little cloth in thin spots). After two days, I punched out the eye tape and lightly scored the plastidip around the eyes, gently pulling the scrap as I went. For me the edges don't matter much since they'll be covered by my lens/mesh mounting method. Say it with me - feel the relief wash over you - "It doesn't have to be perfect." Then I kneaded up some epoxy putty (another plumbing aisle wonder) and laid plastic wrap over the eye because I don't want the putty to adhere yet. Those of you who attended higher tier art schools - or second grade art class - will recall the roll-the-clay-between-your-hands-to-make-a-snake method which I employed to get the putty around the eye. It's not pretty, but I'll be shaping it nicely after the second layer. I love how this stuff sands. A few minutes later it was ready to pop off and mess around with, but I was cold and weary and ready for dinner. Tomorrow's another day.

Yeah, that's an actual sterling stock. took a bit of work to adapt it, and still not done. @Dracotrooper Yeah, I dont think Im going to be able to match that due to the design of the Airsoft Rifle, Yes, it still works as an airsoft rifle, just think Glow in the dark red BB's

Just got my Imperial Boots' 421's today. Body suit came in a few days ago. along with the neck seal. E-11 comes tomorrow. Starting to get excited. Still have a bit on the armor but its starting to feel real. Can't wait for the BBB day. The boots, by the way, are freaking awesome. They are so '70s its unreal.

Perfect. Thanks, Ryan. Be with you very shortly. :-)

Bottom line: No eBay, no Amazon, no Etsy for armor. Many Reasoner include: bad quality, not 501st quality, overpriced, far too cheap yet still a rip off, recasters, Rubies, Rubies in disguise. I love all those places, but not for armor. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/ And then feel free to ask about any of those listed there, too- like what would best fit your body type if you're not sure!

As requested here's some side shots with no Belt. Left Right Flexible Hand guards on the other set of Gloves (Have 2)

OK troopers... thanks for your participation, but we have a winner! Ray (RCMUSTANG) guessed 199, and the actual number was 186. Congrats! I will PM you for your shipping details,

Hi Ryan, We're nearly finished with your review. Could you please just post one final picture - we need a clear shot of your cod and butt plate attachment. We can see the inside of it but we need to also see the outside. Thanks in advance, Dan

Hi Miguel, and thank you for your EI submission! CRL and EIB Application Requirements: All required submission photos have been posted, and I am very pleased to announce your armor displays all the necessary elements to qualify for ANH Stunt Expert Infantry. On behalf of the entire D.O. staff, congratulations!  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. Nice paint job on that bucket, sir, but your tube stripes are sitting down farther than they should be. The width from the top of the stripes to the edge should be about the width of a pencil. Reference image We are recommending that your ABS belt be raised a little to where it covers more of the bottoms of your ab button plates. Right now it is sitting a bit low. Reference image You did a spectacular paint job on the buttons of the large plate, but the ones on the smaller one could definitely have the edges removed to match it. The paint should not extend all the way to the bottom of the button itself, just as you did on the ones on the larger plate. Reference image I suggest doing a little trimming on the tops of your thighs. This would give you a better look, as well as making it much more comfortable. You may also want to remove the "point" from the top of the right thigh, which would prevent it from poking in to your leg while you walk. Reference image Your posterior plate appears to sit too far away from your kidney plate, and should actually sit underneath it. This can be achieved with some strapping adjustments. Reference image Although SDS armor is built using the overlap method, there should not be a visible bump at the connection(s) next to the cover strip. It may be the angle of the photo, but the right one does not appear to have this, and they should be symmetrical. You did a fantastic job on that blaster, Miguel (especially the weathering on that scope) but we are highly suggesting that you change out the D-ring that came with the DD kit. The center part is too narrow, and the width should not extend past the inside ridge of the rear cap as shown below. Reference image Centurion Suggestions:In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos may be requested that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustment etc. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all we can from what is seen but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. As per the CRL for level 3, "There should be minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates". The tops of your shoulder bells should be touching (or very near to) the shoulder bridges. I suggest removing all the return edges from the bottoms, and perhaps giving them a hot water bath to widen them to where they sit right up against the biceps. This will help eliminate the gaps in the front and back and bring them closer to the chest/back plates. Reference image Reference image No more to add here, mi hermano. Congrats, and I hope to see your Centurion submission when you are ready!

Patience is good here. But you look pretty good for EI. Sent from my 5054N using Tapatalk

Yeeeeeeeah. I'll post some pics after the 1st in my thread. Have some serious gaps in my chest/ab plate. Sent from my MSE-6 droid using Tapatalk

(Oh no!! But yeah, if it fits me at 5' 4" pretty decently, I can't imagine adding a foot, yes...)

That is the best combo, lol. Super clean build, man. I love it. I am going to take this into consideration for sure and most likely experiment with a few methods. I still haven’t even gotten a chance to see how much contact there is to the back plate yet.

Same here I can get everything on and done minus one bell snap. Sent from my VK815 using Tapatalk

Well be seeing your EI and Centurion applications soon enough I think. Awesome job Lorelei. Sent from my VK815 using Tapatalk

Re pack straps, you might consider something like what I just did with mine. Ignoring strap width questions, just regarding the attachment to the pack. Mine is simple, awfully close to free, extremely easy, and very robust. Good combo, if I do say myself. LOL

So I take it that you don't live up to your screen name?

I think Glen has had more practice than most of us, lol! It takes me a good 15-20 minutes (with a handler) or so when I go HWT because of all the accessories. Speaking of mobility, I am constantly dropping bits when getting kitted up, and since I can't bend down after putting on my calves/thighs without looking like a contortionist I bought a "grabber" device. On my next troop the first thing I dropped was yep... the grabber.

Dec 2018 Troopers, it's been brought to my attention that Locitus' name has not been brought forth yet on this thread, yet he is a recipient nonetheless. This is entirely an oversight on previous administrations, which may and truly have been one of my own! Either way, we should ensure that the reasons are posted transparently so that the integrity of the award is beyond doubt. Mathias (Locitus) has been on staff many years as you can see from his staff award badge, including being a former DL. However there have been years where this is not the case, and Mathias has many times over not only been a tremendous help and resource for new members, but has been one of the key players in keeping our forums up to date, recovering them when an upgrade has proven unstable, and put in many hours resolving technical issues that otherwise would bedevil this detachment that few outside of the command and site admin team will ever know. He is truly an FISD legend and clearly deserving of this merit.

I've had good luck fixing cracks with ABS paste and an extra small piece of ABS backing to add more thickness. Using a ceramic or non-plastic bowl, pour acetone (100% like from a hardware store- nail polish remover won't be strong enough) over small trimmings of matching ABS pieces. You'll need more than you think- let sit, and stir occasionally. If you add too much, it evaporates quickly, if you add too little, just add more. For this fix you'll want it quite runny, and a Popsicle stick works great for spreading. Spread it on the back of the piece first to get your technique down, then repeat the same on the front. Glue another small piece of ABS on the back to strengthen the area. Once the front is dry, sand down to remove any blemishes from the paste. I would also echo trimming the return edge down a little bit more- it will help in the long run. Do you have a bigger photo of the shins?

Safety first: USE PROTECTIVE GLOVES! Bring a pot of water to a boil. Reduce to simmer or remove heat Submerge item for 30 seconds Remove, shape as needed Hold under cool water for 60 secnds Repeat as necessary NOTE: Try not to apply pressure with finger tips instead entire hand or palm.

Well, you've all convinced me to at least give nylon snap attachments a try. Still have a while til I get to that stage though I'm afraid, as I found out yesterday while learning to put my armor together(!). As it turns out, a fellow Garrison Carida cadet got his BBB two days before I did last week, and we managed to coordinate a time to get together yesterday and take our first steps down the long path ahead. A few Carida vets were free and came by to help us learn how to properly fit things (and form pieces with a hot water bath, in my case), which was so (so) helpful. I got less done yesterday than expected, but came away from our build time much more confident than expected. For good or ill, I believe I have a shot at putting together much of my armor now. I'll need a hand, literally and figuratively, fitting pieces, but I can get things to that point now which is pretty thrilling. I totally forgot to take pictures of my biceps before all the work I did on them, but here they are as they stand now! It was crazy how bad the shape was for me before the hot water bath. Which, by the way, requires water at a rolling boil, no less, for at LEAST 30 seconds to soften that thick ATA ABS. Looks like a pretty respectable shape, right? At least the cover strips will go on! I ended up having to take off much more of the return edges all over than (I guess) ideal in order to bend the curves right. I suspect that will be a theme for this build... This one (right) looks a lot wider but is actually much more comfortable. I will likely reshape the left to be more similar to the right. I was reminded yesterday to check Cricket's build thread religiously. Boy is that a good idea. Especially moving on to the forearms, and trimming the wrists which is totally nerve wracking... confident about this build?? Who, where??

Oct 2017 Jim Tripon TK-82480 (aka jimmiroquai) has made substantial contributions to the Legion and FISD in particular by bringing to life the Rogue One Stormtrooper and The Last Jedi costumes as well. His creativity, energy, and dedication to stormtrooper costuming has earned him special recognition in service to the Legion community. In recognition, I am please to award Jim the FISD Achievement Medal. Well earned, and we as a costuming club are thankful to you and all you continue to do. With unquestioned loyalty, TK-8020 "Daetrin" FISD Founder | DL

3D printing is awesome... if used judiciously. My suggestion... Use the detail parts but build the rest from scratch. The barrel would look much better, be quicker to make and sturdier if made from a piece of PVC pipe. The pistol grip, rear cap, Hengstler and scope are the parts to print but in my opinion and experience, you'll get a much better product from scratch building the rest. The pistol grip in this model is overly simplistic. You can buy a real Sterling grip for 30 or 40 bucks, why spend 3 or 4 hours printing, filling, sanding, priming and painting? Bottom line, tech is cool but don't forget that low tech works too... and often better, quicker and cheaper. Jus' sayin'.