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The reason I asked about seeing the bottoms is that I was wondering why they didn't sit closer to the biceps. The return edges are mostly off (), but the curvature may be doing it. The one on the left below is pinched in, and the one on the right has a flat side which may be pushing them out, giving you that larger gap. If this is the case they may need a hot water bath to round them out (not as difficult as you may think). Reference image # 2 shows the way they should ideally fit The bells really should be the same height. This is an issue I've not personally seen before, and may need to be addressed at some point. The bottoms can be trimmed down as much as needed and do not a need a return edge at all as seen in reference image #1. The inner drop box can stick out a little in the back, but shouldn't go out farther than the one seen below in pic 3. Reference images 1 2 3

S-Trim attached! I saw most people don't use glue, just pressure fit it which I did. I also put the seam at the front

My bad, didn't see this was Hero. Sorry.

CRL ANH HERO "Ear bars have three bumps only, not four." "Ears shall have two screws per side, one above the ear bar and one at the base of the helmet."

Spent 50 minutes cutting out some more vents! The Dremel made quick work of them. The rear traps are so easy since they're long enough that the disc fully fits in it! I'll probably finish the vents tmrw, and maybe drill (?) the teeth out.

It's a valuable tip you've got to hung parts that are ready to be primed. Whenever I see someone painting something that isn't hung-up, it drives me absolutely crazy! How are you supposed to evenly paint the whole piece in one go, and make sure to reach all the areas, and don't get dust lifted from the ground, and...... Huuuh.... I could go on for hours. Personally when I don't have a suspending point, such as a hole, or something similar, the way I do it now is to bondo directly the wire to the inside of the part. You basically need to grind it with a dremel when comes the time to remove it, but the good thing is that it allows to suspend heavy parts as well. I remember one time, having finished to lay the final coat of gloss white to something that was quite heavy, leave the area, only to hear a loud thud minutes later. I went to see and found out the part on ground with a huge crack running its surface. It had been suspended for a couple of days (priming and white paint) and its weight had finally managed to break the tape that was holding the wire to the part. Needless to say that was quite the bummer!

If you've followed any of my prior build threads, you know how I can get hung up on things looking just right. Even if it's something that no one else will notice. Itty bitty details. This build is no different. <sigh> After priming the chest plate, I noticed that while it looked smooth overall, it still looked veeery slightly lumpy at the seams- especially when the light would hit it just right. The chest plate is such an important piece of this armor that any lumps will really make it look bad (at least to me). So I sanded things down as much as I could without destroying the integrity of the part, but there were still lumps at the seams. Time to bust out the Bondo (and make sure you're wearing a decent respirator when working with it- even outside. The stuff is noxious.)! I'm using Bondo High Bond filler to fill in the low spots and make things smooth all over. The stuff cures and is ready for sanding in a crazy fast 15 minutes! Here is the chest plate after one layer of Bondo and some sanding: There are two colors of blue on there because I had to mix up two batches, and I ended up adding a little more hardener to the second batch. Let's just say that I don't recommend working with this on a warm day. It was 85 degrees outside in the shade where I was working on it, and I ended up having less than 5 minutes work time with the Bondo. I was leisurely smoothing it all on when BAM!- it all hardened up on me in an instant. I thought I would have more work time, but nooooo... gah! As a result, I my application didn't go on as smooth as I'd hoped. Thankfully, it was ready to sand just as quickly, and sanded incredibly easily as well. Once done, I realized that I needed to even things out just a bit more with some more filler. This morning was a much cooler 65 degrees, so I knew I'd have a little more time to smooth the Bondo on just as I wanted it. I was right! With just one small batch, I was able to apply another thin layer of Bondo with plenty of time to spare. I had to wait a little longer for it to be ready for sanding, but that wasn't a big deal. I used 150 grit to knock down the high spots, and 400 to feather the edges in and smooth things all over. It is soooooo smooth now! And yeah, I know I have to do some extra cleanup in the holes and ridges. This is an easy task with a small Dremel bit, and it'll get taken care of next. There are also small pin holes that will get filled with spot putty before the next application of filler primer. And I think it's kind of cool to see the "behind the scenes" of 3D printed parts. You can't tell from the front that this chest plate is comprised of 5 separate prints!

As we continue to improve our support for the FOTK we've comprised a list of all the Hard & Soft goods vendors to help you with your build. We will continue to monitor and update the list as needed. Just a reminder the FISD does not endorse any particular vendor, nor is responsible for any transaction between you and the vendor. Please do your research before purchasing. Armor/Helmet: Jimmiroquai - Origin PHILIPPINES: Kits are partially assembled/fully trimmed lightweight fiberglass (ready for rigging and painting). No issues with quality or service reported. Contact for delivery times/price details. FB Link Here, Email Here or send a private message @jimmiroquai Imperial Surplus (Kevin Weir) - Origin USA: Kits are made of ABS and require trimming and assembly. Armour kit is vac-formed with ABS and cast detail parts and decals are included with the kit. Quality has been solid, communication and service good. Kits ship out in 4 weeks or less Link Here WTF - Origin USA: TFA and TLJ new kit awaiting member feed back and reviews for quality etc. Kit made of ABS with some resin parts. Link Here Denuo Novo - Origin USA: Purchase Anovos and are now supplying kits are made of ABS and will need to be trimmed and assembled. Website Link Here KB PROPS Unavailable Origin USA: Kits are made of ABS and will need to be trimmed and assembled. No issues with quality or service reported. Contact for delivery times/price details. Link Here, Email Here Armoryshop Props - Origin RUSSIA: Supplies a range of First Order Armour and Specialised 3Dprinted Helmets Link Here No longer Listed 850 - Origin USA: Kits are made of ABS and will need to be trimmed and assembled. No issues with quality or service reported. Contact for delivery times/price details. Link Here No longer Available Anovos- Offers a "Pre-order" FO kit at this time, but due to legal issues and extended (1 year plus) wait times is no longer recommended or available Soft goods vendors: Soft goods assorted (Soulart) - Origin CANADA: Neck seals, Harnesses, Shiny biker shorts, First Order gaskets, Phasma capes. Link Here Soft goods assorted (Imperial Gaskets) - Origin USA: Rubber gaskets, Pauldrons and Waist belts. FB contact Soft goods Rubber gaskets (Thorsson Associates Workshop) - Origin USA: Link Here Email: [email protected] FB: https://www.facebook.com/Thorsson-Associates-Workshop-112076042142986 Soft goods assorted (Trooper Bay) - Origin USA: Link Here Under Suit - Stormtrooperundersuit Link Here link not working Gaskets - Sheev's Emporium - Link Here (Facebook sales page) Belt - Trooperbay Origin USA: Link Here ?Belt - Belts of the First Order (JAFO)- Origin AUSTRALIA: Link Here Boots - Keep Trooping (formerly Imperial Boots) Origin CHINA: Link Here Crow Props Origin Ecuador South America: Link Here Gloves - Keep Trooping (formerly Imperial Boots) Origin CHINA: Link Here Endor Finders Origin USA: Link Here Trooperbay Origin USA: Link Here Neck Seal - The Dark Side Closet Link Here (Facebook sales page) Sheev's Emporium - Link Here (Facebook sales page) Suspension - Awaiting vendor Waist belt pouches - Trooperbay Origin USA: Link here Hardware vendors: Holster - R2Dan. Origin GERMANY: Other hard accessories available by application. V2 Link Here Hand Plates - As above Shoulder bell supports- (Accuracy upgrade) - ukswrath Origin USA: Link Here Waist belt center box base (Accuracy upgrade) (Empire 3D) - Origin AUSTRALIA Link Here Machined metal components - Justin Morrison Origin UK: Parts for Blaster rifle and pistol mounting, Resin holsters and other greeblies, machined metal components and more. Email Here FB links https://www.facebook.com/groups/1654472361474254/user/802819468 https://www.facebook.com/kingleezard Helmet Lens - OPLE props Origin GERMANY: Link Here Accessories: Pauldron - Denuo Novo (No stock currently) Pauldron - Trooperbay Link Here Riot Shield - Awaiting vendor Tactical Vest - Awaiting vendor 3D files: 3D print files TLJ helmet (Sano) Sanotized Creations - Link Here 3D print files F11D (The5thHorseman) - Link Here 3D print files SE-44C (The5thHorseman) - Link Here Holster 3D files: 3D print files Holster (TheRascalKing) - Link Here Commission builders: Crooknight - [email protected] dbetters - [email protected] Building Guides/Thread,Tutorials & How To: Please refer to Building guides ... Weapons: General - Link Here F11D - Branfurh Studios (Etsy shop) Link Here Executioner Laser Axe - Armory Shop (Facebook sales page) Link Here / Etsy shop Link Here 3D print blaster kits - The Imperial Factory - ( Facebook sales page) Link Here Email Link Here Electroprod - (Empire 3D) - Email here. Link Here Picatinny rails: Purchase: F-11D/E-11 Picatinny Rails - (justloseph63) - Link (purchase) F-11D/E-11 Picatinny Rails - (evike.com) - Link (purchase) F-11D/E-11 Picatinny Rails - (m416gelblaster) - Link (purchase) Free 3D files: F-11D Picatinny Rails - (themaninthesuitcase) - Link 3D files E-11 Picatinny Rails - (TK14082) -Link Part of Rogue One 3D files Tactical Vest 3D files - Tactical Vest Slider Buckle Link Please refer to Vendors weapons list for up to date links/info

Hey troopers, Today, I’d like to run through some tips on ways to make a troopable replica Stunt TK helmet. The aim of my build was to make a helmet that looks closer to those seen in ANH back in ‘77, rather than how those helmets look now, over 40 years later. As we all know, the helmets on screen were used and abused by the actors/stunt team and this is clearly evident in ANH. Highlighted below, the helmets showed signs of cracked paint and usage markings. For those that don’t know, the original Stunt helmets were not white ABS (as many helmets are sold today). They were made of a khaki coloured material called HDPE. This was primed and then spray painted to get the final white appearance. This is why the helmets, when studied in closeups, have chips in the white paint showing the khaki plastic below. According to a trusted source, the process went something like this; 1. HDPE helmet primed oxide red 2. White primer added 3. Ears attached (unpainted) and helmet sprayed gloss white So, if one is looking for the closest appearance to screen used stunt helmets, the helmet has to be spray painted. This leaves a couple of options; Option 1; find a good quality HDPE helmet and follow the original methods Option 2; purchase an ABS helmet and fake the HDPE part For this project, I chose option two. Firstly, creating a “replica” helmet means studying the original helmets, such as how they were constructed and how they were finished. I’ve posted various threads about helmet alignment, brow heights, tubestripes and vocoders (which I’ll link at the end) as all of these elements help create a helmet that shouts ANH. For this build, I used a Troopermaster Stunt kit, 1.5mm ABS (not acrylic capped). After a rough trim, I could use magnets to hold the faceplate and back & cal together to start working on alignment. (More info on alignment https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/48293-anh-helmet-alignment/) At every stage, I use a free smartphone app to compare my progress with movie screen shots. (FISD gallery: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/gallery/) With the basics of alignment in place, the helmet can be fixed together. Let’s take a second to look at the eyes. As below, the screen used helmets appear to have had the eye sockets cut out with a sharp knife. Unlike many “idealised” builds, they were not finely tuned with sand paper or Dremels - they had nice, sharp cut lines. Once the construction is done, the undercoat that will give the appearance of the khaki HDPE plastic can be applied. I was recommended Rust-oleum Painter’s Touch Fossil. Now, whilst the original Stunt HDPE helmet were primed oxide red, I haven’t used that part of the process - this is because, in this build, the Fossil colour acts as the primer. So, for this build the process would be; 1. Helmet sprayed Fossil green 2. Apply liquid mask 3. Ears added and helmet primed white* 4. Gloss white 5. Clear lacquer applied IMPORTANT STEP To give the appearance of paint chips later on, time to apply liquid mask. This was applied with a paint brush to areas where the screen used helmets showed chips or weathering. As below, you can see that the liquid mask has been carefully applied. This dries to a latex finish and is removed after the gloss coat has cured later in the process. White primer; * to get the masking fluid correctly applied around the ears, the ear caps had to be added before the white primer, otherwise, creating the screen used look around the ear caps wouldn’t be possible. Gloss white; Helmet now ready for hand painted details. :-) So, now the helmet is shiny white, spray painted just like the originals, we can move on to the hand painted details. As always, I used screen shots throughout to be as accurate as possible. Videos part 7 through 10 cover the helmet detail painting; Hand painted details More details on the vocoder can be found here: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/48252-anh-tk-vocoder-examples/ For the tubestripes, I followed the process used by Troopermaster. Essentially, using masking tape (set 15mm apart), starting approximately a pencil width from the cheek, then using a curved template (made from offcuts of ABS) to mark the pencil lines. Each stripe should be approximately 3mm thick. Note the angle of the front few stripes - more details on that here; https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/44755-tube-stripes-anh-stunt-dave-m/ With the tubestripes complete, some gentle weathering can be applied. I used an off cut of rubber s-trim to mark the helmet, then used damp newspaper to give it a slightly used look. And there we are - a helmet built using original construction methods, painting processes similar to the originals, and hand painted details, with realistic weathering. The completed helmet can be seen here; Also, the build can be seen throughout this playlist of videos; Thanks for stopping by. Any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Best wishes Dan

Thank you. doing that now. Images uploading. I'll post them here in just a moment

I would take him up on the offer to help^^^^^^ Welcome and great to see you future trooper! Ask questions, we are here to help!

Welcome to the FISD !! It took me a long time to leap as well. I currently hold my basic approval. There is a lot of good info and great people here !! Good Luck with your build. Hope to see some build pics when your ready!!

Congratulation trooper, welcome to Centurion

Congratulations Ted nice build

Thank You TKSpartan I'm going to be ordering my kit soon so I am sure I will be asking questions and the TK ANH I had built by RS will be a good model to look at

Looking SHARP, Daniel! We will be with ya' shortly, sir.

I found it easier if you seperate the two halves, but I'm sure you knew that!

For lvl 2 you need the ears to have three screws and four bumps. You might be able to buy some new ears and swap them out. Best of luck.

You got it!!!! Good luck Daniel...

Thank You Chemi for your reply My fellow Brother and Sisters on white armor are great Troopers and know will there to help if need it

If I don't have rubbing alcohol available, would any cleaning wipe work? I've got a sanding sponge I'm going to try to use to rough up the inside like you suggested. I've got a respirator thankfully. Once I'm done, do I leave it out in the garage (no ac / heat) or take it inside to let it cure there, and how long does curing typically take before you'd feel safe installing components? I want to figure out how I'm attaching my visor next.

I've fallen behind on my updates, so this will be a longer recap of Tuesday and Wednesday's progress. Shins! I started with trimming the fronts of my shins down to create a 20mm ridge for the cover strips to lay upon. At the ankle, I marked how far I'd need to trim inward to create my intended taper, drew a straight line with my ruler, and made my cut. Then, I clamped the two ends together, mimicking the final overlap, and I used the edge of the armor to trace my second cut-line. I found this resulted in a more seamless butt joint than tracing a line with the ruler twice. Here's the result pre-gluing my cover strip Plastic peeled back, cover strip ridges all sanded (110 grit) and ready to go. Clamped, magnets applied, and taped down. I then completed the same steps on the other shin. Back to the biceps. I knew I would have to create some more space in this piece, so some shimming was in order. I didn't want to go too wide, otherwise my cover strip would look too big. I settled on expanding the cover strip from 15mm to 25mm, and I would use a 15mm wide shim (I used the original cover strip). I started by creating an inner cover strip to help bridge this new 15mm gap. I sanded all pieces and glued the "used to be the 15mm cover strip but now is my shim" to the inner cover strip, allowing this to sit for 10 min so that it wouldn't move too much. You can see my new outer cover strip on the right. Gluing everything together. Magnet setup and final taping. The next day I applied the outer cover strip. Back to the shins! I cut up some scrap pieces to use as the inner cover strips, reinforcing this joint that will be repeatedly stressed each time I don and doff my calves. I chose thinner, more flexible scrap pieces for these strips. All faces were sanded, E6000 was applied, then clamps and magnets. Both shins were left to dry. And lastly, I jumped over to the forearms. After cutting the back joint edges to capture my intended taper, I found that this piece still had a gap in the middle that made me uneasy. So I started with an inner cover strip, which will make application of the outer strip a lot easier. At this point, it was 11:30pm and I had used 40 N52 and 12 N40 magnets, so I called it a day. I'm going to finish off my biceps and forearms (I need to shim both remaining pieces), and I'll come back to the back of my calves later (going to try Cricket's magnetic shin approach). I also will be leaving my thighs until I have my shins and torso ready- I want to make sure everything measures correctly before I cut there.

I ordered mine about 6 months ago and I'm in the middle of building it. Their response to email is slow or absent. Be persistent until you hear back.

OK Daniel, I think I know what went wrong. This issue really piqued my interest, so I actually spoke to a chemist at Eclectic products as well as the person who is in charge of packaging design there and got some really interesting information. The product you show in the photo is legitimate, but as Chris mentioned there is an export issue. Unlike Asia, Australia and most other countries, the EU does not allow solvent based products such as regular E-6000 to be imported, so they came up with E-6000 Plus. It is actually is a completely different technology/formulation and is solvent free, but I was told it should work fine on ABS with no issues if used correctly. BUT, with it's unique properties it does not cure at the same rate as regular E-6000. To use it effectively, you will need to look at the technical data (2 pages, a quick read) from Eclectic products located here. Side note: All the people I spoke to at Eclectic products are well aware that we love their product!

OK, it's time for me to get off my butt and do this... Gathering intel. Need to see what I should fix and what I can ignore (for now).

Down to 36. Congratulations to our newest EI, darthcue. Way to go Ted!!

Now updated to match current CRL requirement. Visual guides updated by TK-50297 Wingnut65 Printable PDF below 14 ROTJ L3.pdf

Now updated to match current requirements. Visual guides updated by TK-50297 Wingnut65 Printable PDF below 08 ESB L2 EIB - Ver 002.2020.pdf

Weather was beautiful for outdoor sanding yesterday, and I really made good use of it. I used the tip that Lou suggested about having a fan nearby while sanding, and it really made a difference! I was still quite dusty by the end of the session, but far less than I typically would have been. And the fan kept me cool, so that was a nice bonus as well! Here is the result of 2.5 hours of sanding, using 120, 220, and 400 grits with my Mouse sander. I don't have the belt or ab boxes in the shot, but I can assure you that they also got the sanding treatment. I will be doing some additional filling in of low areas on the chest and ab plates, namely at the mid-seam areas. I want these to be completely smooth, and I can still see a little dip below the seams. Another layer of Apoxie Paste should take care of things. Oh, and even though I remembered PPE for my lungs (P100 respirator), and my eyes (goggles), I totally forgot PPE for my arms. I haven't been out in the sun in months, and I am paying for it today. My left forearm is now two-tone pink. Gah! Don't be like me; if you're wearing a short sleeved shirt, wear sunblock when working outside!

Hello Everyone Just wanted to know if there's any specific measurements for the tube stripes? Apart from the pencil width spacing from the cheek, I can't find anything else. Are there any exact measurement details regarding:- The length and height of the stripes across the cheek The spacing in-between each stipe The length and height of each individual stripe I want to prevent the tube stripes from looking too thick/thin or too close/far apart from each other. Any info would be great, thanks.

As Mario mentioned, assuming you are doing a Stunt (or Hero) build, you can either use a template or decals. The decals are easier, but either is acceptable all the way to Centurion level. Depending on who you got your kit from, one of these type should have been included, but if not, they are available from Trooperbay. Painting templates- https://trooperbay.com/trooper-tube-stripe-masking-templates Decals- https://trooperbay.com/standard-tube-stripes Just remember when using the templates that there is a left and a right one. The tops should lean toward the front:

Hi C, welcome to FISD. A-Tube stripes are medium blue, numbering between 9 and 16 per side with the curve bends extending backwards. B- Ideally, the tube stripes are positioned approximately a pencil width from the side of the cheek C- They should be roughly 2.5mm to 3mm thick. 9-13 count per cheek You can apply tube strips decals to the helmet also (they are acceptable for every level). Here a couple of reference photos Hope this can help. cheers