Leaderboard

Ha ha, It takes a while for that feeling to go away - but it is amazing what kind of mistakes you can fix if you need to. Yeah, based on what material I have left on my bucket - you have room to trim. And I agree that trying to move the screws around can get tricky - best to avoid if possible. I had to move the lower hole a bit (down a touch) to eliminate the "ear gap". Wasn't really necessary since the ear gap is totally screen accurate. For bucket inspiration, check this site out: http://starwarshelmets.com/original-stormtrooper-helmets-sub-submenu.htm

Hi all, Carried on painting this TM beauty today. Just added the vertical lines to the traps and tears, plus the rank bar to the ears. Not completely happy with the rear traps as the lines aren’t great. However I can touch this up. CableGuy Builds: (Part 10) Troopermaster - detail painting

This list is for Original Trilogy (OT) builds. ANH, ESB and ROTJ) For those who are about to embark on a TK build, in addition to the kit itself and the supplies you will need** to do that we are often asked about other items to complete the ensemble and get approved. These are known as "soft parts", and include the holster, under suit, boots, gloves, neck seal and canvas belt. Be aware that some armorers may include one or more of these items with their kit, but some do not. Also be aware that just because the seller includes them it does not always mean that they are the correct type/style and are eligible for approval (especially at higher levels). When in doubt, always ask your armorer which items are part of the package or feel free to ask here if you have doubts/questions. We are here to help! If there is a particular soft part you need, below is a list of "tried and true" vendors who have an excellent reputation, as well as suggestions for where to get other pieces or even make your own! NOTE: If you are a vendor and would like to add your sales thread here or you have a tutorial on how to make your own please PM me before posting here. **https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/31404-supply-list-for-your-tk-build/page/11/ White Canvas Belt: NOTE: not all belts are created equal! The belts used in the films were firm and sturdy with no creasing or sagging. Vendor- Rob Kittel https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/19803-fs-white-canvas-belts/ Soulart https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/40849-geeky-pinks-phantastic-gaskets-and-so-much-more/ Trooperbay- https://trooperbay.com/stormtrooper-sandtrooper-white-canvas-belt Make your own: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/665-howto-a-guide-to-making-a-canvas-bel Neck Seal: Vendor: Darman https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/21385-darmans-neck-seals/ Soulart https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/40849-geeky-pinks-phantastic-gaskets-and-so-much-more/ Trooperbay- https://trooperbay.com/costuming-accessories/headgear-neck-seals/stormtrooper-neck-seal Make your own: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/34548-10-diy-neck-seal-v1/ Holster: NOTE: Holster straps differ for various costumes. Please see the CRL for your particular style here: http://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:FISD_CRL Vendor- Darman https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/16744-leather-e-11-holsters-35/ Trooperbay https://trooperbay.com/costuming-accessories/ammo-pouches/stormtrooper-genuine-leather-blaster-holster Make your own: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/23643-making-a-holster-for-anh-stunt/ Boots: Vendor: Keep Trooping https://keeptrooping.com/product/421-classic-white/ NOTE: Imperial boots are 100% approvable at every level, but they only open once a month for orders. They can run a bit small, so I suggest ordering a half size larger than what you normally wear. Vendor: Crowprops https://crowprops.bigcartel.com/product/jhodpur-tkclassic-short-boots NOTE: Crowprops are 100% approvable at every level. Make your own: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/27565-how-i-did-my-boots-tkboots-alternative/ Under Suit: Under suits can be purchased from many sources, and you have the choice of one or two piece types. I have found Amazon to be among the least expensive sources. The easiest thing to do is visit that site and search for it, for instance "Mens compression suit top black long sleeve". Examples: Mens compression suit top black long sleeve- https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mens+compression+suit+top+black+long+sleeve&ref=nb_sb_noss Mens compression suit pants black- https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mens+compression+suit+pants+black&ref=nb_sb_noss Vendor Trooperbay https://trooperbay.com/star-wars-stormtrooper-sandtrooper-black-undersuit NOTE: While some prefer the one-piece type, the two piece tends to be better when you have to... uhhh, let's just say "answer nature's call". IMPORTANT! When ordering an under suit, be aware that many have printed logos, white stitching etc. These can not be visible while wearing your armor. Hand guards (Flexible) Vendor: justjoseph63 - https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/35702-fs-flexible-hand-guards-for-centurion-level/ Vendor: Trooperbay- https://trooperbay.com/flexible-hand-guards-in-white-black-or-plain Gloves: NOTE: As per the CRL for Basic 501st OT TK approval, gloves must be all black with no visible straps/logos/designs and can be rubber, Nomex, leather or a leather-like material. For Level 2 (Expert Infantry) and Level 3 (Centurion) they must be made of rubber or a rubber-like material. I highly suggest finding ones with a long wrist, which prevents it from sliding out from underneath your forearm armor. Vendor: Trooperbay- https://trooperbay.com/accurate-trooper-black-latex-gloves Vendor: justjoseph63- https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/49156-fs-rubber-gloves-for-expert-infantrycenturion-level/ eBay is also an alternative. Just search Black Nomex (or leather, rubber etc.) gloves. Be sure when ordering the rubber type from eBay that you are purchasing the heavier duty type and not the disposable kind. Thigh Garter system: Vendor: Pencap510 https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/29991-thigh-garter-system/ NOTE: These are not a requirement, but they are AWESOME! Pauldrons- (For Heavy Weapons Troopers) Vendor: Soulart https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/40849-geeky-pinks-phantastic-gaskets-and-so-much-more/

Hello, Got a Black Series bucket for Christmas and I am hooked. Blaster on the way and will go after an 850 R1TK. Wish me luck!

Drop boxes should sit snug against the ammo belt, aligned with the bottom corner. No visible gap between the two parts. For the holster, Stunt requires ONLY the bottom two be connected (as you have pictured now). Hero requires all 4 to be in place. This means two different belts, unfortunately...

Hi Luca, About low budget, are you talking about Stormtrooper costume? If its Stormtrooper maybe you can do the research here first: How much does a suit of TK armor cost? https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/28304-how-much-can-i-realistically-expect-to-pay-to-finish-my-stormtrooper-costume/ I don't know about installment payment, but you can do the research and make a plan whatever you comfort and fit in your budget. The main parts and most costly will be hard parts, the armor, You can check and contact the maker, Where do I buy armor? https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/ Or you can start planning buy the softparts first. Also you can contact Italica Garrison member for more information, there is an Attache in Italy, Davide @lorddavids

Yeah, I seem to have just not pulled the forearm enough down and I hadn't pulled on the gloves enough either as I use inner gloves as they are XL size (it's also less sweaty) so it was hard to feel that. Some new pictures:

I have one of those Disney blasters, I just took it apart and painted it. I added a piece of black tape between the existing plastic "light guide" that runs the length of the barrel as you aren't supposed to be able to see through that barrel through the holes. I had to take it apart again as the trigger switch was cheap and would go off on it's own randomly. Your work is great and need a link to those shapeways parts if possible, and the mini telescope you used.

Looking Good mate!!!

Test fitting today as almost all strapping is done! How does it look?

Thanks @wook1138. I measured mine without my trim on, so we're about the same size on the opening. Funny you mention that you couldn't put your helmet back on. I had the same thing test fitting. I think I was getting hot and frustrated which likely caused a bit of swelling. I looked at re-drilling the holes by using my magnet clamps to hold the bucket without screws. I realized that because of the top cap and the way it fits you end up only being able to pivot the bottom apart a bit. This does make the helmet look a little wonky. Holding the helmet up to a strong light you can see that the holes only get offset about 2-3mm at most and then the holes get a bit too close to the edge. I think I wouldn't be happy with this look for all the work it would take going that route Thank you to @ABS80 at AP for messaging with me off-line about options and ideas. Sent me some info that looks like I can trim a bit more and still keep the proper look. Made me feel a little less nervous about cutting more off my bucket. Hoping to make some more progress after getting over this feeling of "not wanting to ruin my armor" LOL

Gotta' say Ardeshir that you did an AWESOME job not only with this armor, but toning down that weathering made a world of difference...DANG I'm proud of ya', brother!!! The work you did on that DLT-19 is among the most impressive I've seen (especially for a 3D print). Being a fellow detail freak, I was glad to see that you added the wire on the T-tracks (most people miss that) and the paint work on the butt-stock is outstanding! I predict you will have no worries reaching EI, and I look forward to your Level 3 submission on this soon after so that we can add another HWT Centurion to the ranks. If I could suggest one thing, it would be to add some light weathering to the pauldron. GREAT JOB!

Hey trooper, If you haven’t had a reply just yet, quickest contact route for RWA Creations is through their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/rwacreations/?ref=share). Best wishes Dan

In the end any blaster can break as resin and even metal ones are not indestructible. Perhaps an advantage for 3D prints is an increase of accuracy, ability to print replacement parts and the decrease of printer costs. It is possible to increase the infill or print with other materials like ABS and PETG which may affect durability. With chemical welding mine is pretty solid but expecting one day something will happen that will require repair or replacement.

Avoid them like plague. If you are looking to make a TK Commander, look for CFO or Troopermaster in the vetted maker list. You might want an ANH helmet to go with a ROTJ body, they can tailor make that for you (a ROTJ helmet with flat lenses is also acceptable I think at entry level, but might want to check with your Garrisons membership officer or our deployment officer here on FISD first).

They made great base stands for 3.75" and 6" Star Wars figures :>

There is no concern. It IS fragile. I broke mine twice and I finally stick a metal tube inside it to give it some strength (donated by my old vacuum cleaner, RIP).

Congratulations Trooper !!!

It's been a busy couple of weeks for me. Being a first time dad, I am trying to find gaps of time to continue building. Seems like when I have a chance to build, baby stuff comes up LOL. Ill get the hang of balancing everything. The work I have done was not a lot. Seems like since there was so much glue in the gaps of the shoulder bridges and the extra glue to secure the bridges to the chest........the glue took longer than expected to dry. Im used to gluing just cover strips and they are usually pretty solid in less than 24 hours. I also realized that the chest plate tabs curved to much making them ding into my shoulders rather than rest against them. So since the shoulder bridges fell off due to not being 100 percent dry (I waited almost 48 hours) I took the bridges off and flattened the chest tabs so they arent digging into my shoulders. I also had to reshape the bridges a little so too much pressure wasnt resting on my shoulders. I kept the same curvature but I had to flatten the front part of the bridge that goes on the chest plate tabs. *Note bridge is flat on the fat tab (side that glues to the chest plate) I think it looks good and the curvature seems pretty good. I tried to tape the back plate on and see if it will work *note it looks extra sloppy as it was hard to keep everything together with masking tape. But it looks like it will look good with everything strapped. Looking forward to criticisms/advise. Like I said, it looks a little wonky but I believe its mostly due to trying to keep everything in place with a few pieces of tape. I did make the elastic straps to hold the shoulder bridges to the back plate tabs. Also getting ready to make my left forearm. If my shoulder bridges look good according to the pros looking at my build, I will reglue them.

It's not all about what the cast is but also longevity and price to keep in mind

Congratulations trooper and welcome to the EI ranks

Have you tried using Armorsmith to fit the parts before printing? That program has saved me hours of printing and tons of wasted filament! You attach the armor to your perfectly sized avatar, take the measurements, adjust in your slicing program, and voila. For example, I discovered for my shoretrooper shins, my perfect size was 95% scale on the X and Y axis, and 89% on the z axis just by adjusting the fit on the avatar in Armorsmith. So handy!

Costume Approval Information - Legion Elections 2020 With the Legion election period about to start Today Monday 27th January @ 12.01am GMT, the membership database will be in lock down, during this time new member applications through your local garrison/outpost can not be finalized, you may however still submit them but they won't be processed until the end of this cycle. This does not affect the addition of any new costumes to an active members roster/profile, however it does affect any membership status changes ie: active / reserve / retired and any personal information updates. The period of membership database lockdown for 2020 Monday Jan 27th @ 12:01AM GMT and ends @ Wednesday Feb 12th @ 11:59PM GMT Thank you for your attention.

Thank you Tony, means a lot brother. That DLT was super fun to paint up. I was so happy with how it came out and painted up my Praetorian the same way. Appreciate it.

Congratulations trooper. Welcome to the ranks. From what I saw you should be #952, but let’s just wait for the DO to make a confirmation.

Hello everyone and thank you for all of your guidance and help. I am withdrawing this submission for EIB. In the future if this tolerance is expanded for grit and battle scuff, then I will resubmit it. I really hope this happens. But I have submitted another kit for EIB and will be Taking that to Centurion Status as well. Thank you everyone. I must say I am disappointed that this kit could not follow through as it is insanely cool and even more so in person. The new kit follows all of the guidelines for Centurion already and the light scuff. Thank you again.

Hi Thomas, this chart may help with the shoulder bells to forearms connection when need it . cheers -----------

I contacted Eelco at 3D-Props and he sent me assembly diagrams! I just have to marry up the parts in my pics to the diagrams. So, big thank you to him. I have done some minor sanding but had to stop. I'm in the RCAF and was just notified that I am being posted (moved) from Ontario to BC. I leave in a month, wife and household goods to follow this summer. I'll manage to squeeze in 2 more troops before I go, but this build will have to be put on hold for about a month. I won't be bringing my armour with me as I will be busy there. I WILL bring the DLT to work on during my down time in the military barracks.

Good stories never start with good decisions. I am a life-long skateboarder. Once I get my build done, you'll absolutely see a few half-pipe TK photos. What was that about good stories? "Yeah, let me tell you about the time I broke my wrist and shattered my stormtrooper uniform 3 hours after it was completed."

You want the Dave M decals from Trooperbay they look hand painted Or use standard decals and draw over with a permanent marker, a little trick I came up with

Greetings Troopers! I've just posted a new thread in the same vein as this one from @kman, with photos of the new Hellhounds / Trooperbay rubber E-11. In fact, this thread served as the inspiration and basis as mine, and I formatted my post to compliment this one. i.e. I used the exact same camera angles and perspectives so that between these two threads all three blasters could be compared against each other. Check it out below if you're interested in seeing a comparison between a new rubber blaster on the market and the old war horses. Below is a photo of the E-ll I purchased from @Hellhounds and used for my photo review. I'm loving it so far!

Gmrhodes13 and Darth147, Thank you. Updated 10-2-2019 Step 10 Masking and Detailing Unfortunately, I got carried away with the build and did not take many of the pictures that I should have. Regardless, the only parts left to be painted should be the tear traps, ear bumps, temples, brow, rear vents, and teeth. I masked off everything except these areas with various width masking tapes. Tamiya produces several different width masking tapes and are available at model supply stores and amazon. Once everything is masked, I sanded all the areas to be painted with 220 grit sandpaper. I was not trying to remove the white gloss, rather to roughen it up. Next, I used my airbrush and shoot the Admiral Grey or medium grey on all the noted areas except the brow. Next, I used a small signature brush to hand paint the black outline of each grey boxed area and the small oval on each ear bump. Next, I applied masking tape over the mouth and tear traps (be careful to not let the masking tape touch the painted teeth or tear traps) then applied the flex-seal to the brow and then carefully removed all the masking tape. There were a few areas that required touch up but overall, I like how everything came out. Step 11 Back all vents and mesh For all the vents except the tube vents I used a breathable black fabric like a spandex. I used super glue to apply the fabric in place. Try to not get the super glue on the fabric that will be seen because it can turn white. Next, back the tube vents with a breathable blue fabric. I got this fabric from JoAnn’s when I built my ROTK. Next, I cut some dark grey plastic window screen to fit the mouth and superglued it in place. I mixed some PC-7 and applied it to the mesh to make sure it stays in place. Step 12 Install inserts I installed the lenses, nose guard, head straps, front support frame and both side (tube) plates. I installed the ear caps and then rear insert inside the rear half. Lastly, I installed the insert inside the top dome and superglued the rear part of the insert to the added plastic support between the rear vents. Step 13 Assembly and finishing I attached the front and rear half’s together then attached the dome. This was the first time I put this helmet on and realized just how useless the head straps were. I will scrap those things and add my own support system. Also, the rear insert forced my face closer to the front of the helmet. I may alter the insert further, but I will not worry about it now. Next, I inspected the neck opening and noticed two areas (red lines) that plastic must be removed from each ear cap before applying the neck opening seal. I removed this plastic with a Dremel then applied the U-shape neck seal. Next, using a ¼” drill bit I drilled the two mounting holes for the Hovi mics and applied the correct Hovi mics. I got my Hovi mics from Etsy and they required assembly. Here is the link to the ones I used: https://www.etsy.com/listing/245863441/star-wars-screen-accurate-11-hovi-mix?ref=yr_purchases Lastly, I test fit the Vocoder then sanded the back side of the Vocoder where it would touch the helmet to remove any flex seal and allow a good surface for super glue. Next, I glued the Vocoder in place. This completed the helmet for the most part. If I do anything further, it will be to install a better support system and fans. Reviewing the Level helmet CRLS, there are a few incorrect details (I struck through the incorrect information) in the CRLs but for the most part they are correct: Helmet ü Traps (trapezoids on dome of helmet) and tears (area beneath the corners of eye lenses) are gray. ü Rear traps and tears have vertical black lines. ü Lenses are flat material, green in color, sufficiently dark enough to obscure the costumer's eyes. ü The “ear” bars are gray or painted gray, with a black outline. They may have between one to four painted black rank stripes. ü Frown is painted gray and does not leave the teeth area. Eight total teeth on the frown are cut out. ü Tube stripes are medium blue, numbering between 9 and 16 per side with the curve bends extending backwards. ü Vocoder (vertically ribbed chin detail) is painted black. ü Aerators/Hovi mix tips (cylinders on either side of the vocoder) are black or painted black. ü (VERTICAL LINES ON) Tears and traps may not be hand painted. ü Tube stripes are recessed, and the recessed section painted blue or backed by blue mesh. ü Frown mesh must be present and be wire screen mesh. It shall be dark metallic or dark grey in color. ü Note: The helmet is accurate in detail and proportion to official references. It should be symmetrical unlike an ANH helmet. ü Many commercially available helmets or those considered disproportionate in size or shape are ineligible. (UNLESS PROPERLY MODIFIED) OPTIONAL Level two certification (if applicable): ü Rank bar area on ear must be of the correct RO style and pattern, no ANH style ear bumps allowed. ü Head opening has black trim running all along the edge. ü Brow trim should be positioned 1/4" above the eyes. ü Ear screws must not have a visible slot mark and be flush to the ear. ü Any gap between the ears and helmet will only appear to be a seam, not any bigger. ü Correct 'Hovi mic' aerator tips. ü Chin section has a well defined seam from the angles of the mouth. OPTIONAL Level three certification (if applicable): ü Only 12 tube stripes per side are allowed. ü The Tube stripes are completely hollowed out with a blue section underneath. ü Rank bar area on ear must be of the correct RO style and pattern, no ANH style ear bumps allowed. ü Frown wire screen mesh is dark grey in color, and there is nothing behind it that closes off the gaps. ü Vocoder is tubular in nature with a visible gap between the outermost section and the helmet. ü The inside of each tear will be a raised area that is grey, with the black lines being engraved, not painted. ü The frown shall be recessed to the proper depth, unlike standard ANH. Based on the CRLs, this helmet is now Level 3 approvable. Here are the final pics Thanks for the interest.