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Thanks to all of your help, I am now an official 501st member! Very proud to be TK 90913 and in the Central California Garrison. Couldn't have done it without all of you! Now time for me to work towards Expert Infantry and Centurion! I'm sure I'll have more questions for all of you coming very soon! Haha

BELT POUCHES So I decided to make my pouches functional, while keeping them in shape. I made 2 boxes out of acrylic, reinforced the insides with triangular angle supports. Here's the long one: And here's how it fits inside. With the flap closed. And with the armour piece test fitted on it. The other smaller box. Inside the pouch. And with the flap closed. Both pouches done. Now I can give out stickers while trooping (If my gloves can reach in to grab them....)

Hi Jon So yes, to get Centurion, you can certainly build your kit to that level from the outset, but you then need Basic 501st approval, which you submit through you garrison GML for approval. Once approved you then read the Expert infantry section to make sure everything is according to the CRL for level2 or higher of course. You submit that application here in the appropriate section. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/19-request-expert-infantryman-status/ Once you are approved at Expert infantry, you then submit for level 3 Centurion. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/72-request-centurion-status/ You will get and award badge on your side bar for both those levels.

For the most accurate appearance, the insides should also be white. To get the most realistic look, I’d suggest painting the insides white, too, not just the rims. If you want to be EVEN more accurate, paint them completely white. Then, paint only the outsides and rim black (leave insides white). Then, gently weather the black away on the rim to reveal small amounts of white. (Light sanding). :-)

Well with the COVID-19, most of our April troops have been cancelled. I did try on the armor and it fit perfectly. I have lost almost 18 pounds and we keep it going. I think just limiting myself to one main meal and consuming a lot less sugar has helped. I hope to troop in May when all this pandemic has passed. Thank you to my fellow TK brothers and sisters for the support.

Unless he made new molds you can' t make hero helmet with ATA kit without major rework which would involve sanding, resculpt, putty and full repaint, unless you have correct hero ears, hero smooth back/cap, correct 6 hole frown and grey bubble lenses, his helmet as lineage from stunt helmet but I assume you knew that, if you wanted a hero you should have gone the TM route. Mark (AP)

Added my name to the list. With all the nerds in our natural habitat (indoors), this should be green lit by the legion (fingers crossed)

At some point in your OT build you will be using rivets. It may just be for attaching the thigh ammo pack for Basic, the cod tab for EI or all those plus the ab/kidney ones for Centurion. It's honestly pretty easy to attach both kinds of these using basic tools you probably have on hand: A flat-head screwdriver (preferably large), a drill with the correct size bits and a hammer. Removing them will require a thin bladed flat head screwdriver, some heavy-duty pliers and perhaps a drill. Safety gloves and goggles are recommended. For this tutorial I will be using scrap ABS. Now, let's get to it! Split (bifurcated) Rivets Assuming you are (hopefully) aiming for Centurion, you will need 9 (with washers) 6 for the left ab/kidney connection 1 for the lower cod tab 2 for the thigh ammo pack (if not using cap rivets) Head diameter should be 5/16" (8mm). Shank should be 3/8" (9.25mm) long BEFORE YOU START: Make sure you have a very hard surface to hammer on, and I suggest laying down a piece of heavy cloth on top of it so you don't scratch your armor. 1. Carefully mark your hole placement(s). Using a 9/64" bit (about 4mm) drill out the hole 2. Insert rivet, dome side out. Hole will be snug 3. Turn over piece, insert washer onto rivet shank 4. Using the thin end of the screwdriver, insert it into the split and gently hammer it down 5. Continue moving the screwdriver farther up toward the thick part, hammering at each increment to open up the "legs" 6. Use the shaft of the screwdriver to get the widest opening possible. At this point you should be able to 7. use the hammer to flatten it out completely 1 2 3 4 = 5 6 7 = DONE! Single Cap Rivets Single cap (one domed end) rivets were used in the original films to attach the thigh ammo pack to the bottom of the right thigh. Although not a requirement at any level, many like to use them for screen accuracy You will need 2 sets (top and bottom), one for each side Head diameter should be 5/16" (8mm) Again, you will need a hard surface (like the edge of a workbench) to hammer on Reference photo for placement IMPORTANT! Make sure the back edges of the ammo pack tabs are equal distance from the corners of the rear of the ridges on each side! 1. Carefully mark your hole placements. Drill holes. 2. Insert bottom (facing inside). 3. Shank should be facing outward. 4. Place cap on shank. 5. Gently give a few good taps with a hammer until it is set. Cap will flatten out. 1 2 3 4 5 DONE! REMOVING RIVETS Spit type: 1. Using a thin bladed screwdriver, CAREFULLY pry up each side the "legs". POINT SCREWDRIVER AWAY FROM YOU WHEN DOING THIS!!! 2. Using a set of heavy duty pliers, pinch the legs together until they meet 3. Washer will now slide off and rivet can be easily removed 1 2 3 Cap Rivets These are a bit trickier than removing the split type, so take your time to avoid damaging your armor. Safety gloves and goggles are suggested. 1. Using a pair of pliers, grip the cap part (this avoids it spinning). 2. Using a drill bit at least as wide as the shaft of the rivet, CAREFULLY drill through the bottom (base) from the back 3. Once the drill has penetrated the entire rivet, it can be easily removed. 1 2 3 If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, post up here.

Help Medical Professionals in the fight against Covid-19! When a hospital in Brescia, Italy ran out of life-saving respirator valves, local 3D printing stepped in to help! [BBC] [3D Printing Media Network] According to Twitter, the hospital's ICU supplier was not happy and refused to supply the blueprints. [source] As a preventative measure of the same situation happening in your local area, there is now crowdsource project where people can volunteer about their 3D printers and to assist in designing other necessary medical supplies if needed. I know a lot of people here have 3D printers or are design expertise. Please consider joining Project Open Air, where you commit to volunteering the usage of your 3D Printer in case the respirator shortfall hits your local hospital. Google Document where people list what they have However, do wait until you are called upon, since some printers and materials are not suitable for medical useage. However, every little bit helps (testing models, etc). Mods LMK if this is not appropriate.. I originally wanted to post in the 3D printer area but I don't know it well enough.

Great question, the shades of white will undoubtedly differ between manufacturers so buying 2-3 cans of over the counter should result in something close. The other option would be to take a section of armor to a local automotive autobody supply retailer and have it matched. They should be able to tell what make, model & manufacturer of vehicle it closely resembles. After that go to Autozone.com or similar and buy "Perfect Match" by Dupli-color. https://www.autozone.com/searchresult?searchText=perfect%20match&vehicleSetFromSearch=false&keywords=perfect%20match

400 grit is used before professional primer/paint. If you plan on more than one coating this would apply to rattle can as well. That said, spot test first

Those thighs are looking good. Definitely the hardest part of this kit. Absolutely no guide lines for trimming whatsoever. I swear I trimmed and sanded for hours on end just trying to get them shaped decently. Keep up the good work. Sent from my iPhone using The Force

For transparency, we've had recent complaints from individual/s that are members of the FB group in question that it continues to actively discourage members from promoting or referring others to the FISD, a 501st legion detachment. This could be perceived as a form of hostility. The FISD command staff does not discourage its membership from visiting other social media outlets so it expects the same respect in return

Hey congrats!

great idea !!

Only a few bits go; - Sniper knee - Second shin and closure - shoulder straps - armour V clips as mentioned above. However, I've got a question about the shoulder connecting straps. Mine seem way too long. Is this a common problem? I'm 5'8 and not thin or anything, they just seem to go way too far down the back. Should I be extending the distance between the front chest and back plates? I've used velcro for now just to get an idea of the end result, rather then gluing and realising I've totally destroyed things [emoji4]

Congratulations!!!!!!!

Congratulations William, great news.

OP (MV) Post #14 Well, it's been a crazy two weeks since my last post, to say the least. Local schools have closed and the College (University) I work at has transitioned to distance online learning for the remainder of the term. It's hard to know if these changes to life due to COVID-19 will result in me having more time to work on my build, or less, but either way I've been attempting to collect the last couple of supplies needed for the project so I can minimize shopping in the near future. Social distancing. Weird times. With both my builds (my HWT being the other), I've been posting photos of my collected supplies for two reasons. One, to enable experienced builders to provide feedback on the items, and two, so that future buildings can have a visual representation (along with purchase links) of the exact items they may need to purchase themselves. First up, gloves and lexan scissors. The 3M chemical gloves came from Lowes, while the straight and curved scissors were from Amazon. Has anybody had any experience with the MPI Maxx Products curved scissors? They were supposed to be the Excel brand, but the seller shipped me these instead, so I'm wondering if I should give them a go or return them. I've also just received my 8oz E-11 holster and neck seal from Darman today, and will have photos of those up by the weekend. 120 magnets, yes you heard that right, are also in-hand. Joseph recommended at least ten (10) large discs on his supply list and Magnets 101 thread, so I got 20 of them plus 50-packs of the smaller ones recommended by Christine (Cricket) for her shin closure design. I also have needle files, mineral spirits, and acetone in the mail. @justjoseph63 - Can you send me a purchase link to the "Sandblaster Pro Flexible silicone sanding sheets from 3M" which you recommend on your Supply List? I'm not sure if what I'm finding is correct; perhaps it's no longer sold any more. Stay safe and healthy, friends.

Open hostility to the 501st Legion is simply not the case. The 1000+ members of the group you are referring to are either members of the 501st, or striving to be members, and actively supported by group members to reach their goal. In addition, many members of the group are on 501st leadership teams. Passion for the 501st is strong, as is support for any costuming group members wish to subscribe to. The photo gallery referred to has been shared with other detachment teams and none have raised the concerns listed here. In light of the fears expressed and to save any further confusion I have removed access to the galleries. If you there any further concerns please do reach out to me via PM. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

The simple method is to either use Testers white paint and a paint brush or I like to use a white paint stick, pen or marker. You can buy them both just about anywhere. They're quick, inexpensive and very simple to use.

Thank you! I used your threads, they were very helpful!

I've added my name to the printer list. I'll help if they need me!

I have had both the Jim kit and the 850 AW kit. some of the things I have noticed between the two are: Jim's Kit- Fairly accurate in size of parts and overall look. You will need to trim it most likely It must be painted, so sanding and priming The fiberglass will eventually crack at stress points. This can be fixed and a lot of the stress can be relived depending on how you assemble it. Jims helmet is a cast of a modded BS helmet. 850 AW kit- No helmet Overall look is good but most parts (boxes on belt, OII on back and abdomen details are undersized. Most detail parts are cast and will need sanding and clean-up. Because all the cover strips and detail parts are cast, you will need to paint whole kit You will need to trim it most likely There are a few helmet options: Order one from Jim Mod a BS (lots of work) Order one from Headshot Props Buy the 3D files from Nico Henderson on FB (probably the most accurate). Hope this helps.

Yes, the armours appear to be of OT lineage. Possibly even from ANH lineage judging by this picture where the butt plate appears separate from the kidney plate. Also the chestplate looks way different from the awful FX-inspired R1 chestplate. (BTW, it seems they put the kidney plate upside down! The notch seems to be facing upwards instead of downwards) The top view of the abdomen is very much different from what a R1 armour looks like (not perfectly rounded, two pieces assembly w/ seams at sides, no opening at the back, ...) Also the arms are strapped in a perfect OT style, with no gap whatsoever between biceps and forearms. And like Andy said, the shoulder straps are OT style and the backplate doesn't have any slots where they would fit in like R1 does. I'd say the only odd thing is the detonator in the first pic. In the end it could be that those armours were created using 3D scans taken directly from the LFL archives... Basically the way it should have been in the first place for R1. But that's enough ranting from my part already!

Interesting the bucket is R1 but the armour isn't.... look at those shoulder straps!

Looks like built in thigh garter slots too.

Fixed...I'm sorry for the inconvenience...Regards...

I’m a personal trainer and Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor so if anyone what’s any advice on ways to train or eat I’m more than happy to try and help. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Go Go Go Trooper !! Do it for You, Do it for the Empire. looking forward for your progress !!

Go for it David, good to see some are still finding value in this old thread. You have the support of the detachment right behind you. Keep us updated on your progress.

I weighed 198 when I built and completed my ROTJ TK. On 2/1, I tried on the costume and it would not fit. I weighed 220 and so I am in process of losing those twenty pounds. I have started tennis again, cut out sugar (sodas) and cut my main meal to one a day. I am hoping to fit into the armor by this Saturday and I will update with my current weight then. Thanks and I hope to get back on track.

I wouldn´t use an exacto to make the mobility cuts, a dremel would be my go-to. Not really except making sure it won´t go past the ridges. To make it more comfortable (if not cutting for mobility) and also stronger is to leave a couple of mm of the edge and glue som strips of abs on the inside and sand it smooth. That way even if there´s contact it won´t hurt and you can be more foreceful when climbing those stairs without damaging the armor. All within reason of course

The biceps seem loose on you just add some foam padding so they are snug and stay in place. Mark (AP)

Great mate!! My ABC of building an Armor is usually : 1- Trimming and sanding all pieces 2- Taping Biceps, forearms , thighs and shins with painters tape to adjust size. (trimming again where necessary) 3- Cutting and gluing cover strips 4- Snaps 5 -Straps, pre assembly 6- 1st try with inner black clothes 7- Final Adjustment I would suggest to check out the ATA building threads to take and idea of what to expect and see what questions have been answered already and the following return edges post that can be so useful. Here is an ATA building thread that you can check. Good luck and looking forward for your advances. Cheers