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Same experience here. Simply awesome people to deal with all around.

Thanks, Joseph! I appreciate the kind words. I really enjoyed building this kit and learned a lot from so many people along the way! Honestly, I'd forgotten that you make the "Han" style hand guards and probably would've picked up a pair of those (even though in my costuming fantasy mind I'm trying to imitate Luke, LOL). But hell, I'll save a few pennies and grab some down the road just so I have them as well. I'm assuming Sha Sha will do my official review, and again, thanks so much for your time and help. It's been a really positive experience and certainly heightened my love of Star Wars (even as I scrutinize the armor of every trooper in every film I see now, ha ha). Take care!

@4Runner apologies for the delay. Job changes, house moves, COVID, etc. Haven't been able to get to my duties as quickly as usual. But you're good to go, thanks for your patience.

Hi Peter, Thanks for your application! Great job on the curvature of the shoulder straps - it's tiny details like these that really take our armors to the next level. CRL and Centurion Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Centurion! On behalf of the DO team and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we discuss areas that could benefit from additional improvement. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions We have nothing more to add here. Congratulations again on reaching Centurion, and Happy (belated) Father's Day!

I totally agree! I appreciate your attention to detail and that is a gorgeous kit - congrats!

First time making gaskets. Started with this photo. Figured it wouldn't be difficult to emulate this kind of thing on my own and save some money. Using shiny ribbed black pleather and headliner foam to add bulk. I took my measurements from the bottom circumference of the bicep. I want the gasket to fill in the space, not fit skin tight. For Cameron, it's 10 inches in there. I added three inches for seam allowances because I was sewing two pieces of fabric together first. Total piece I started with was 9x13 inches for the biceps. Attached right sides together, securing everything so it wouldn't slip while sewing. After sewing three sides, it looks like this. Clipped the corners and extra material along the seam allowance, then flipped it right side out. To finish the open end and hide the raw edge, I folded in the edges like this. Secured the folded in edges: And sewed along the outer edge to close. Next I secured strips of hook velcro to the material and sewed them on. Next, I folded the long ends together with the right sides together, lining up the edges. Sewed the edges together with a 1/2" seam allowance. This closed the bicep gasket. Laying flat, it measures 5 inches- exactly the size I need for Cameron's biceps gaskets. Finished. And seam side is clean. I had Cameron try it on with the armor pieces. The armor is currently in "scuffed" state because I'm waiting for a cooler, drier day to paint the armor with the final coat of white and 2k gloss. Hopefully I'll have time tomorrow to finish the rest of the arms and legs. I think the shoulders might take me a little longer than these simple tubes, but I know I'll get them tackled eventually!

Hi, sometimes it happens when painting in a cloudy very humid day. (I had this issue whist a E11 blaster mod). cheers.

If the snaps are that strong you may considering utilizing strapping with an internal piece of ABS for reinforcement, as linked below in Cricket's thread. It sounds like you may want to avoid putting those snaps directly into nylon webbing or they might eventually tear out when trying to disconnect armor pieces. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/41502-crickets-wtf-hero-build-even-more-tk-for-the-vertically-challenged/page/5/?tab=comments#comment-605846

Thanks for the review and approval TKSpartan! Definitely a lot of items to work on in the near future as my schedule permits. Thanks to everyone for the congrats! Cheers, Len

Hello and Welcome to FISD. My kit also from ATA. Years gone by, yellowing now.

Yes ma'am I do.

The checklist stands at: Fix weak shoulder elastic (not enough space to double up with what I currently have, so maybe order new ones or sew cloth strips or something. Maybe it's just the shoulder bells so ill look at those too) Finish the kidney shim (Let dry, sand, polish... hopefully. It should be smooth enough to polish after this next round of sanding) Add rivets/straps to kidneys and abdomen, waiting on kidney plate to be finished with shims. Paint all the rivets and screws that need paint (6 ab-kidney, helmet ears, thigh ammo box rivets, torso brackets) finish helmet. (paint, install lens, start and finish hovi mics) Talk to the GML Getting closer

I believe it's just 1" black elastic (you can just use the same width as your current loops) and you can just buy a certain length of it. Then, you cut it so it's a longer loop, and if you don't want to sew it, you can glue the ends of it with super glue

Wow, Peter... just WOW! This is one of the best submissions I've seen in a long time... a fantastic build with crisp, clear photos. You nailed it, brother! (I just wish I would have known you were going for Hero before you ordered the hand guards). GREAT job!

Sounds great! What I would suggest is to post up in the "Pre-Approval" thread here. This way, we can give you a heads-up (if needed) on any issues you may need to address so that your Basic approval should be a breeze. It may help to add that you are also looking for EI/Centurion suggestions so that we can go over those as well. Also, once you get your Basic approval you are always more than welcome to PM any of us on the D.O. staff for any specific information or questions pertaining to the higher levels. I have a thread here which can help, and I look forward to seeing your submission for Expert Infantry!

My armourer in the UKG thinks the bicep looks okay but the forearm is a bit small at the wrist, which I agree with. Going to try a larger forearm and go from there.

Awesome job! I'll be starting your review this weekend.

I thought that was the case. Just waiting to go through a few bits with my armourer and need to finish off my E-11 blaster. Then I will be putting in my application for basic. [emoji1695][emoji1303][emoji16] Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Hi there, I really want to be one of the last 30 in this FISD achievement! Do I apply for EI as soon as I can clear basic approval? Or can I clear at EI level? Cheers, Martyn (Mar2D2) [emoji1591][emoji41][emoji1591] Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

There won’t be anything wrong with being 1001 or 1057 or 1138. Based on the past year, it seems there have been around five EI approvals a month, which may speed up a bit here at the end, but we definitely still have at least a couple months to go. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congratulations Leonard and welcome to Expert Infantry.

Congratulations trooper and welcome to the EI ranks

Way to go, Leonard!!

Congratulations trooper, welcome to the ranks.

Congratulations Leonard...A few adjustments and you're ready for Centurion!!!!

Hi Leonard, and thank you for your EIB application! CRL and EIB Application Requirements: All required photos have been submitted, and on behalf of the entire D.O. staff we are pleased to welcome you to the rank of Expert Infantry. Congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly; In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. Some observations may lead to suggestions to improve the overall look of your armour. *************************************************** First of all, let me say you did some great work with the frown , the Emperor and Lord Vader will be pleased to have you in the ranks. Starting from above, the ends of your brow strap could be some trimming to align them with the rear of the traps. This is an easy fix, just be careful in trimming little by little. Reference images For a better screen accurate appearance we would suggest that, (if possible), you move the ears forward a bit. In an ideal scenario, the screws should line up with the rear line of the trap above them. Reference images There is a small issue on your left bicep/forearm. Note that the left bicep rides lower than the right one, therefore the left forearm is lower as well creating a symmetry issue. I think it is just a strapping adjustment,. Leveling up the left bicep an inch or so should do the job and you are going to look awesome. Reference image Additional to the strapping adjustment in bicep/forearm mentioned above, it looks like your left bicep is wider than his right one. this is not a deal-breaker but our duty as D.O. team is to help you to achieve your armor best. removing cover strips and trimming a bit can make the deal. Reference Image This detail is not specifically mentioned in the CRL . The small buttons plate needs to be taken back a bit. The sides should not extend over the raised ridges, but should sit inside them. This may take some work but, take for sure it makes a big difference in the overall look. Reference image I’m sure the following is just a dressing issue. The left shin cover strip is a misaligned , not a big deal, but this issue can potentially make the sniper plate to get stuck under the thigh piece . I’m sure you would like to look the best you can when in your armor. Sometimes this is due the shin is spinning a bit while walking. What I did to avoid this is just to add a small piece of Velcro inside the shin and the boot’s ankle , like the photo. Reference images Tip The angle on the top of the sniper knee plate. It's close, but for a better look we are recommending that you trim it down to closer match the reference images. This is an easy fix. References Finally in this section: Another dressing detail. It looks like your shins are a little misaligned and I would suggest to down them a bit till they sit over the boots ankle. References *************************************************** Centurion Requirements; In this section we prepare you for Centurion. Because Centurion photos show more detail than EIB, items pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here and additional photos may be required. We try to point out all that we can from what we see, but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. Starting with your helmet, it appears that we have a challenging issue here, but I’m sure it’s you can deal with it mate. The crl states the following note: The helmet is accurate in detail and proportion to official references Your helmet shows a small gap around the cap that definitely is not accurate. I believe you can beat this in an easy way by filling them with ABS paste, sanding and polishing or painting. Reference Crl: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. For L3, the tops of the shoulder bells must touch the shoulder strap. Your shoulder bells are almost fine, I think only a few adjustments are needed. You can try shortening the bells-shoulder connection straps and checking if you have removed all the lower return edge from the bottom of the bells References Continuing ahead, the L3 CRL states: The plastic shoulder straps need to be held down in the back via a white elastic band to the white fabric that connects/bridges the chest and back piece. I'm not sure if it's a light effect or camera angle there but and I can't see it, but it doesn't appears you have the elastic in place. It should be about 1/8" this is very easy fix. References Crl: The top of the ABS ammo belt should sit at or just above the bottom of the central and vertical abdomen button panels. Your ABS belt is riding a little low, and needs to sit "...just above the bottom of the ... ab button panels". Adding some Velcro behind it and an the bottom of the ab-plate should correct make the trick. Easy for you mate. References Crl: There shall be three square buttons, one centered in the middle and one on each end of the plastic ammo belt.. This is a few tiny detail but , Centurion Level is all about those details that we can see and are usually not noted by most people. Your ABS button covers are way too thick... (there should be no edges on them). Removing them is actually easy. Just CAREFULLY use a razor knife ( please be sure you’re wearing protection gloves, (I know what I’m talking about) , to cut through the glue and then pry them off , after this, you can trim down the edges and glue again. References Crl: Drop boxes are vertically aligned with the end of the ammo belt with minimal gap between belt and box. This is one a common items we see, it’s simple to fix! The outer (back) edges of the drop boxes need to align with the rear edge of the ABS ammo belt. You may have to trim off some of the strapping in the back, but some well placed E-6000 would bring those just in line! look at the photo I’ve added for you. References Tip Crl: Cut-out notches at the bottom of right and left sides of the Kidney Armor are optional. If present, each notch is approximately 22 mm tall and the back of the notch ideally is aligned with the front edges of the Posterior Armor plate.. Your kidney to posterior armor alignment is perfect , As we can see the notches on the kidney armor are present, a small trimming work would be needed to making them looks just right just in minutes. References Crl: The blaster may have minor weathering or base metal exposure however, T-tracks and grips shall have the appearance of black plastic. Finally, I noticed that the grip of you E-11 has some metal shine. This may be due to the some light reflection or weathering like Paint job , but take note that the original grips were made of plastic and therefore should have no metallic appearance, just black plastic. References Again, Congratulations Trooper and it would be an honor to review your Centurion application in a near future.

Thanks. You just need some figures and a camera. That´s the other one I took from the Biker. Of course I am. Let us see, how it looks

Congratulations Trooper! Welcome to the ranks.

Nice job Christine

Can anyone guess what I'm working on today? If you guessed a BELT, you're right! I'm using Tony's outstanding FOTK belt assembly tutorial for this. Cameron's belt is smaller overall, at just 1.5" wide instead of the typical 2" width. And it's currently looking something like this when sandwiched together. Mmmm... FOTK belt sandwich... I sewed the webbing around the female part of the quick-release buckle. Then I realized that I needed to drill a hole into the ab for a snap. My first hole on this... I've made many, many holes in armor, and for some reason, this time seemed to terrify me. Ah well, progress won't happen until holes are made. And thus, the hole was made. And a snap was set into the armor! I set the corresponding snap into the webbing of the belt as well. It fits! That's all I had time for today. Will be painting belt boxes this weekend!

After a day of convincing myself that I CAN continue to do this, I tackled getting the left thigh to fit me width-wise: shim time. I started by cutting back the backs of the thigh so that there was no overlap. Before, as you can see in some previous fitting photos, there is an overlap at the bottom but not at the top. This would make it hard to make a shim run the full length of the thigh. I was reluctant to cut the backs, but the photo is misleading- here I am not bending the thigh all the way around my leg. When I press the thigh in so it fits more snuggly (still comfortably) there was SIGNIFICANT overlap at the bottom, not captured by the photo (where in the photo, I wasn't pressing on the plastic around my leg all the way). A lot had to be cut back. Before: After: With the backs sufficiently trimmed back, I took measurements between the two halves at the top and bottom of my leg (indicated by the red lines on the picture above). I used this to draft a trapezoidal shim on the thick square of spare ABS plastic that comes with the WTF kit, whose slant height (math anyone?) was equal to the height of the leg from just above the bottom ridge to a little over the top ( I wanted some spare room to later be able to cut or dremel down and shape the top to look more accurate). I even used the score and snap method succesfully for the first time! I really wanted straight lines here because it mattered to get the measurement right, and I did it! Yay! Once the shim was cut, I used some tape just to get a rough idea of how it was going to fit- feels good! Then I started by gluing one half of the shim with an inner cover strip. The gap will later be filled with ABS paste and sanded down to blend the shim to the rest of the thigh. I will glue the other half tomorrow (which may require a bit more force to move the pieces around) and let dry. A small day for progress, but like I say, if I keep moving forward, I'm still making progress to begin with.

Progress on the armor Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Flame thrower ready for paint Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congrats @TKSpartan! I noticed the Deputy DO title above your avatar a couple weeks ago and was wondering if I had missed an announcement! Thanks so much for your continued assistance on my build thread!

Too busy to make any progress, the last couple of days, but did get my gloves in the post today. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I few pics to kick start the thread. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

With HeadShotProps, do not trust any date of shipping they give you. (From my experience) The product quality is sturdy and good, but my god, the shipping delays. I ordered a R1 TK helmet, It arrived on May 13th, 2020. I ordered it in January. The estimate was Feburary. When I asked about the helmet progress, it took around 1.5 weeks to get a response (which isn't horrible, people have lives outside this.). Every date I was told the helmet would ship was missed. Be it "2 weeks from now", "This weekend" or "on the 15th" for example. Oh, and then communication just stopped. In the end, I didn't even think I was going to get a helmet. I was completely confused when I had a package arrive for me in May. I'm glad I got what I paid for in the end, perhaps that's the accidental business practice HSP has. I was told the delays was due to a manufacturing problem with the new machines + install, then there was no excuses, just dates and missing dates. And then COVID-19 happened. I like to think it was just a load of unfortunate coincidences. I own a 850 Armorworks kit, its approve-able. You can check my build log from my profile to see all the parts I got for my costume to be. As ImperialValour said too, he has a 850 kit and is 501st approved.

Yeah, that's good feedback. I'm going to stay away. Unfortunately TK boots is done ... just selling their dwindled remaining stock and no boots in my size. I'm just doing the wait for Imperial Boots. Was hoping for something a little quicker as I'm dying to start trooping, but it's worth the wait to get it done right.

They look acceptable for approval, but I can't speak to the workmanship or comfort without actually having them in-hand. I'm automatically suspicious of vendors that use pictures of actual 501st members on their marketing/sales pages, especially uncredited and probably without the member's permission. That makes me weary of this. Why not go with a more vetted source like Imperial Boots or TK Boots? They are around that same price range.