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Hi! My name is Emma! I'm a long time Star Wars fan, cosplay fan, and overall hobby enthusiast. I'm a senior in college now, and I tried to start this project 4 whole years ago, way back in high school. I gave up- it was too difficult, it wasn't perfect. But I'm back with some free summer time because of COVID-19 and a determination to get as much done as possible to follow through on my dream to join the 501st. My build thread is here: I ask a lot of questions. Given, I still do a ton of research, but this isn't my strong suit. It's a big learning curve for me. I'm trying my best and any and all help is always always always appreciated. I'm on my own right now because there are no armor parties happening any time soon, but I'm excited and nerding out. Come follow this journey with me

the sanding never ends

Hi Shane, I have been searching in the forum about the front cover strips and the wide ridge. If I can make a suggestion, what if you use 25 or 30 mm front cover and 25 mm back cove strip? This would give you a better look and I have seen this in a Level 2 approved Armor . like this one This one has a 20mm I think and the ridge is less covered. Cheers

I've seen a few people how have scaled down the chest and needed a new return edge make a plug, a wooden piece cut to the curve of the chest and held it behind then use more heat and mold to it. The problem with heating ABS is that it can revert to it's natural state the more heat you use, especially when not using a mold. Using a small block of wood to hold on the other side too is a good idea to help push onto the mold Here is Christine's build she modified a few pieces so may be worth a look A couple of examples

Yes, the mock cover strip above does not run the full length of the forearm because it was just a piece of scrap I picked up. Waiting on my new exacto knife to come in before I cut any real outer cover strips (which will be the proper length). Thank you for lessening my worry!

I believe the original hovi’s were white/off-white and painted black, and what you see is the paint wearing off as mentioned. I think rewording the CRLs as some kits come with black and others white hovis, to avoid confusion, maybe?

A dirty variant would be neat! As for TDs being optional because some TKs lacked them, IMO, I view those like Mr.-no-stripes or Mr.-upside-down-bicep. Production goofs.

I think we just need to disagree. There were a lot of wardrobe flubs in ANH that if they had done it again would not have been missed. IOC also doesn't allow flubs in their CRLs, and I don't think we should either. The hallmark of a TK is uniformity, whereas every TD was unique.

Ideally the cover strips should be the same on the biceps and forearms. If you are having an issue and need more room, there is an alternative. You can add an extra wide interior cover strip for the strength, and have a minimal overlap of the outside one on the edges. You will need to add some extra E-6000 (shown in blue) at the join to help hold the outside one on.

Good afternoon everybody! Last Tuesday was my BBB Day! So first things first I did an inspection of all the goods and unfortunately the bucket didn't make it so well. so after talking to Jimi, gonna get another one sent this way. I continued on to washing all of the armor. After drying I stowed everything. Thought this would be a good time to test the undersuit. I feel slightly exposed. Had to do some work stuff the last few days. But today Is started to work with the armor proper. and I'm currently plastidipping the inside. to coat the extra fiberglass fibers. I think that's all for now! Can't wait do get this bad boy done! Edit: Fixed pictures.

These have a flat sole with no ridges. It really depends on what the current DL's say, just because someone has been approved with the others in the past does not automatically mean they will be approved again, as mentioned the CRL does state Flat sole with a short heel. Perhaps contact @justjoseph63 or @shashachu for clarification as they are our current DL's.

Sivvan Women's Comfort Long Sleeve T-Shirt/Underscrub Tee https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KY7HALU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rJc1Eb4QN2PXA CompressionZ High Waisted Women's Leggings - Compression Pants for Yoga Running Gym & Everyday Fitness https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015QOIGCI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_qKc1EbDBTSA3D These should work pretty good for you and they are pretty affordable. Man there are a lot more options for women than there are for men!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Emma. I think you will not have a problem with number 1 and 2. I don't really like number 3, because that turtle neck can be too much when putting your Neck Seal, Especially when the sun starts to heat up...According to the CRL, the only requirement is:"Black non-textured material, either one-piece or two-piece construction with no visible zippers or logos". Regards.

You have the link to the original listing? Also, as long as the armor meets the requirements and fits you well, it should be approvable. I would recommend checking out the Spec Ops detachment forums, as shadow troopers are their domain, so they would be able to help you more. http://specops501st.com/forum/

What that means is that the handle of the blaster and T-tracks on the front shouldn't be weathered. This is because on the original blasters both those parts were not metal. The handle was plastic, I believe, and the t tracks rubber or plastic. All in all, nice build!

Those are awesome - always a great prop to have.

Hey all, for transparency we've made a couple minor CRL wording corrections, these will not effect any approvals. All OTTK armor related CRLs for Basic and L2 were updated. What used to state "Aerators/Hovi mic tips" now state "Aerators/Hovi-MIX tips" All FOTK armor related CRLs excluding Phasma for Basic and L2 were updated. What used to state "The right outside thigh (to the wearer) includes a base for a holster", now states "The right outside thigh to the wearer includes a base for a holster (holster must be present)". Level 2 "Holster must functional"

I'm with you 100% on the holsters, but if we are going to split up the costumes I think that it depends on which one the trooper is going for. I have combed through a ton of images from each type, and I can only find one trooper sporting a holster on Endor. That could be an optional item for that CRL, but for the Death Star it seems that having one was the norm for the most part and should indeed be a requirement. Endor Death star/Cloud city For the reasons I mentioned in my last post here, I think TDs requirements should remain as they are for both types of costumes.

I saw the post: "time to STEP UP" first 1000 EIB before the end of the year, and decided I need to shoot for this! I've been working on my armor, I'll need to order Imperial Boots, and possibly refine my Rubies blaster. I plan on posting armor pics tomorrow, but for tonight, wanted to post the blaster work. based on what I read, I think this blaster will comply? I just need to remove painted "metal scratches and weathering" from the T-tracks and handle? Here's the progression: screw holes filed Barrel holes drilled Paint D-ring and power cylinders Rivets added weathering and distress added Hengstler counter number, scope sight and D-ring details Power cylinders and wire details It's been a fun project, and I hope it will work for trooping until I can upgrade.

Reason the original tips were white is because many were cast in resin from the original plumbing pieces, and yes, then painted black. What i do think is the mesh should either be black or unpainted for uniformity, choose one and go with it rather than movie or production errors.

Last update of the night! I trimmed the chest plate with scissors and a Dremel. Left a lot of return edge on the bottom (not sure if I can take more off, or if I'll be using that edge for part of assembly- may trim more if I find the bottom edge isn't useful) and little to none on the sides and top to prevent cracking and stress. Lastly taped the back plate and chest plate on just to see how they fit by default: I'm nervous about getting these pieces to fit height wise, but there's plenty of resources out there about short TK's. I'm even more nervous about having this all fit width-wise. I'm on the heavier side for my height, so it's an added challenge. We will have to see how the kidney and ab plate connects when I trim those next. Wait until we get to the thighs... The plan is: The WTF kidney/butt comes attached. Because I am using the bracket system to assemble the torso I will have to use heat to form new return edges on the top of the butt and bottom of the kidney where the cut will be made. That will be interesting.. For now I also glued the inner cover strip to the outer forearm for the right arm. I'm letting the left arm glue joint finish curing before putting any stress on it by joining the backside. That's a wrap for tonight!

Thank you! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Excess armor on each side of the cover strip is expectable however, you want the cover strips to run the full length of the armor sections, EXCEPT for the lower thighs (front and back), and shins upper (back only).

Great topic for a 2020 CRL update thread. Can one of you staff move the discussion there so we can start work on it. This goes beyond a simple wording update in my opinion. I've unlocked the thread

Good luck on your application Andreas

Never too late. Looking forward to your build

If you did a 40 mm cover strip on the front, it would match the armor, and then you could use a 40mm cover strip in the back, and leave some space in the armor of you need it.

Looking good Emma

Great call on the cloth technique @TKSpartan! That's made cleanup a lot simpler, and there's no risk of gouging/ scratching the armor with a blade or ABS. I was getting all set to water bath my thighs today but I realized I need some input from you guys first. I'm trying to make my thighs as large in circumference as possible to fit my legs without requiring shims. I currently have left the size as-cut per the Anovos cut-lines, so the return edge in the front is around 40mm. Below you can see how I've glued the fronts, with an unglued 20mm cover strip for reference. I've already glued inner cover strips for the front, planning on leaving the 40mm return edge while still using the standard 20mm front cover strip on the thigh. I know this will look abnormal instead of trimming the return edge to 20mm, but it seemed better than shimming the backs of the thighs (I've run out of long, scrap ABS). What are people's thoughts? Does anyone have any experience/ reference images of leaving a large front thigh return edge? My inner cover strips are only about 15mm wide, so I can't really use them to create a shim in the back- I'd have to order a sheet of ABS and tear apart my current setup.

+1 - an Endor variant it long overdue.

No time to work on armor this week- maybe tomorrow though? I'm taking a break from sewing cloth masks right now to share this super cool thing that arrived today!!! Behold! Fabric for gaskets!!! I was hesitant to plan on making somewhat accurate undergarments for my son's FOTK because of all the ribbing that I would have to sew. Last week somehow I ended up down a rabbit hole of fabric research online, and I found exactly what I was looking for! I don't know if it would pass for 501st approval, but heck, it'll work for Galactic Academy for sure! (I know this because Cameron was approved in his battle buddy FOTK with plain black compression garments.) It was on sale when I bought it, but it's kind of pricey now at $30/yard. https://www.joann.com/cosplay-ribbed-pleather-fabric-black/16228017.html Look for a coupon for it; Joann usually has coupons available to knock down the price. That said, I probably still would have bought it if only so that I could avoid sewing ribs!

Here is my take: The only few that were missing TD's were on Endor. Even then they were the minority. I agree that they were probably removed for those who's stunts required it so that they didn't fall on it, but since 99% were shown in the film wearing them they should stay standard and have the correct ROTJ plate. If someone chooses to wear their armor without one after approval that is up to them.

The position of lower ear screws is not an exact science, and the placement of the existing ones is fine, so just switch em' out and you will be golden. Try to make the heads sit as flush with the helmet as possible, though.

I have the pack pretty much assembled! I have a troop here in a few hours so I'm going to wear it to try it out. If the pack isn't comfy due to strap placement or whatever, I'll be able to ditch it nearby without any issues. First I bought some nylon straps: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H1D15LZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I then used a regular backpack strap to get a rough idea of how long I needed it and where to put the buckle. After cutting and melting/sealing the ends, I put super glue on about 1" of the strap and folded it over and clamped it. I then used an old soldering iron to burn a hole in the strap for a 1/4"-20 bolt. The straps were then attached to the tank with washers and nylock nuts. I used the mounting position of the straps from a couple other builds but I think the top strap needs to go up and inwards a hair but we will see after I do some trooping. Easy enough to change in any case. I then tried it on. Granted its without armor so I'm not sure how its going to actually sit. After deeming it "good enough" I took a black paint pen and covered up some of the exposed unpainted screws. It needs more touchup and weathering, but for the purpose of having a complete pack to take on a test troop I'm super happy with how its looking. ...keep in mind that this is my "rough draft" pack that I'm planning on giving to a friend. My revised parts, strap locations, improved assembly methods, etc. will all go into a second, more refined pack that I plan on keeping. I'll do a build on it as well and use those photos on my Thingiverse after I release the files. I have other projects and work and real life to take care of, but I suspect files will be available very soon for anyone else wanting to use my parts!

Excellent job. The helmet alignment is looking really good. [emoji1303] As you mentioned, there’s quite a bit of excess left on the ears that could be removed. These are only approximate... Side by side with RS’ original; Keep up the good work. :-)

need to cover a lot of pinholes on the thighs fill sand prime and repeat until its good

added some fiber glass sheet to repair come cracks on the chest made it strong might do it to the thighs since there are some soft areas as well

I got my nylon straps in the mail to make the shoulder straps. I also noticed I forgot to cover the hole on the top of the oil can from where I cut the drain spout off of. I just whipped up a simple plate that will just screw or rivet over the hole. Should look spacey enough. Looks pretty good IMO. I did a sloppy job hacking the oil spout off so this covers it nicely. The shine and screw heads will get painted/weathered when I get to that phase, of course.

Welcome Bud!

Perfect!!!.We all hope to see you with your EIB application soon!!!

I think the distinction lies between the those stationed on Cloud city and those poor souls stationed on Endor. No dirt/soil to stain while serving on a floating city, but tons of Ewok scat to wade through takes a toll on the color of the soles.

The last post reminded me I need to update my shopping list. I'm happy to say that as of today, the armor has been ordered from WTF. As follows: Helmet: Dave's Darkside Depot (ANH Stunt helmet, will be modified) Armor: WTF ROTJ armor Shoulder bells: Dave's Darkside Depot (ordered with helmet) Handplates: Dan Laws Undersuit: scuba diving suit off some diving website I bought years ago - in hand Gloves: Joseph Boots: TK Boots - in hand Balaclava: Military surplus - in hand Neckseal: Darman - in hand Pauldron: Will be Katara8 after the armor is completely finished

This image shows some beat up helmets from the show, so they could either be for troopers or pikes. But either way, that don't look like black series (although I could be wrong, as I haven't extensively studying those). So, definitely Rogue One style helmets used. They would definitely have used the RO style armor because that's what they've got on hand. My guess would be that for the ANH helmets, they got them from Anovos, because the details are so sharp, and also because Disney has deals with Anovos already.

ALL armor worn by studio actors on the show was Rogue One/Anthology style armor. The majority wore R1/Anthology style helmets as well, but notably (and as pictured above), the TKs in service to "The Client" appear to be wearing ANH style helmets, possibly modified Anovos. Pike helmets appear to be modified Black Series. The other exception was 33 members of the Legion, who were mixed in with Moff Gideon's posse (not just the background ) and wore their own armor - mostly ANH but a few ESB, and in this scene only. Technically at this point in the continuity, any of those suits could be canon, as TKs are wearing whatever is leftover/available. I doubt strongly we'll ever see ROTJ or even true OT era suits in an LFL production again - Anthology suits are more comfortable and look better on film.