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Hey troopers, A little look at the original suits and how the bicep and forearms were attached and aligned. Plus, a look at shoulder trimming. Check out the short video for more discussion on this. :-) As per the below video, the common misconception is that the bicep and forearm coverstrips align at the front. This video shows how the original bicep and forearms were attached and how this affected the position of the two pieces. Here’s some supporting images; *armour accuracy dependant. **as always, all screen used suits were slightly different as they were hand made

Thanks for the feedback. Since the medium size fits best, I'll probably go with that. Great tip about the cotton gloves by the way, I do have a pair that can easily fit inside the medium, so that's good.

If the design was legitimately purchased (as it was in this case) but required some modifications to reach the particular needs of the person who paid for it, in my opinion I see no issue here. The "watermark" was not removed, so any future castings would be instantly recognizable, and I do not believe this trooper is out to recast them or make a profit from selling them in the future. He has simply taken the time and expense to alter your design slightly to better fit his goal. As one who has made many a silicone mold, it's not easy (or inexpensive). The fact that he has done this does not reflect badly on your design, but instead shows his desire to ensure that his end result is what he needs to make his armor look it's best.

I don’t like PLA. I make props so I have the supplies available to make castings in the material of my preference. Like I said, I left the watermarks in so it would be impossible for me to get away with anything shady. I’m being open and honest and my build illustrates that. I do agree that some, perhaps even many, people are unethical. That is a shame but if you knew me personally you would know I would never sell anything based on someone else’s work without permission and without compensation. My reputation is worth more than the few bucks I could make selling these. So rest assured, you’ll not see these on anyone else’s kit. Since you bring it up, should anyone ever express any interest, YOU would have the final say in that. Period. And you would get set the amount of compensation you wanted for each sale. But that assumes there would be interest and frankly, I assume I am the only one who prefers the heavier resin over PLA.

So, you got a set of ROTK vacuum formed armor and you are not impressed with the level of detail for the hand guards… Not to worry, I got you covered. If you are not familiar with a product called Sentra, Sentra is a brand name for PVC foam board. This is not craft foam, it is rigid like a PVC plastic pipe; however, it is also a thermal forming plastic. This means you can heat it with a heat gun and shape it. There are numerous videos on YouTube on how to work with Sentra. In addition to being a 501 member, I am also a member of the Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club (MMCC) and we use Sentra extensively in making Mandalorian armor. There are a lot of other bands of PVC foam board and it is available at most plastic supply stores as well as thicker version at most Home Depots and Lowes but this thickness is normally ¾” thick and too thick for use as armor. I recommend 3mm (1/8”) for this application. Here is a 12” x 12” x 1/8” thick PVC board available on Amazon for $6.99, this is more than enough to make the hand guards. https://www.amazon.com/Expanded-PVC-Sheet-Lightweight-Displays/dp/B079NWDW8F/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=3mm+pvc+foam+board&qid=1597343357&sr=8-3 I have made a template for this tutorial that is scaled and will print out properly on an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper., look for the template as a pdf attached to this thread. Other things you will need: · Xacto knife · Ruler · 220 grit sandpaper · CA glue (Super glue) · Glazing putty or Bondo · Primer paint · White Gloss spray paint or whatever you used on your TK If you have any of these other things, it will make the process easier: · Band saw · Belt Sander · Foredom or a Dremel with a 1/8” (#194) carving bit Let’s look at some reference images of the ROTK handguard. And these are some images of my Jimmiroquai ROTK handguards. Things to note are the curves where the hand guard conform to the back of the hand. There is a sharp angle portion between the index finger and thumb knuckles. First you will need to print out the template and cut out the parts. You can just cut out one top and one bottom section if you want and just mirror them on the Sentra. Once you have the templates, make sure they will fit your hand, make any alterations on the template as needed. Next, trace the templates on the Sentra with a pencil. Now you can cut the Sentra in half and tape the two haves together to render two of both parts (the main part and the top part. Once the parts are taped together, cut the two parts out with a band saw or use the ruler and Xacto knife. You should now have 4 parts. I transfer the bend line and alignment lines to all parts. Note that the top part is oversized. This is because you will need that extra material when you bend the parts. Next, sand the top parts. Once they are glued on to the main part, it will be harder to sand the sides of the top part. Next, use a hot air gun or hair dryer to heat up the main part along the bend line. Be careful to not overheat and cause the Sentra to curl, shrink, or burn. Wearing some work gloves and using a spare board and a flat surface, bend the Sentra on the line at about a 30-40 degree angle. Next, apply CA glue to the underside of the top part and align it on the main part and clamp or tape it in place. Note, because we have not bent the top part it will protrude over the angled section on the main part. Next, remove the clamps and tape and gently heat the handguard along the back edge on the top and bottom then gently curve this section to the handguard conform to the back side of the hand. Next, gently heat the top part that overhangs the angled section and using a spare board, bend the top part to conform to the main angled part and hold in place till it is cooled and set. Next, gently pry the two angled parts open enough for you to apply some CA glue then clamp and let cure. Next, trim the top part so that it matches the main part then sand the handguards with the 220 grit sandpaper. I choose to round all the sharp angles since the screen used had guards are rounded. Next, using the Foredom or Dremel, carefully hollow out your indention on the font of the handguard. Since this part is not 6mm thick, just shoot for center and only go about 1/8” deep. If you don’t have either a Foredom or Dremel, it is possible to do this with a 1/8” drill bit and an Xacto knife but it will be difficult to make it look good. Just take your time. Next, use the sandpaper and Xacto knife to clean up the indention. Next, use the glazing putty or Bondo to fill anything that needs filling such as the separation between the main part and the top part or any imperfections you may have caused with the clamps or tools. Next, lightly sand and blend the filler then prime the hand guards. Next paint the handguards. Once they are cured, you can apply Velcro to the back side and mount them on your gloves. I hope you found this tutorial helpful. ROTK handguards.pdf

I applied a bit more putty than I expected to the barrel, but hopefully this helps me get a smooth gloss white on the first try! And then...I played with velcro to secure the shoulder straps to the chest and back! I split my 2" velcro in half, put soft on the straps, hard on the plates, and then added extra velcro straps for strength. It looks great and holds perfectly! The chest plate looks a little high, but I think that's mostly the camera angle (it looked fine to me), but I can shift it down 0.5-1" next time. I tried getting a pic from the side, but it was difficult and didn't turn out. The plates are level across the bottom! And the gap is reasonable, but we'll see once I fit it with the barrel...

It's been a few days since my last update, but the work continues. I end up staying up late at night working on my armor after the Mrs. turns in and am too exhausted to post anything when I am done for the night. Here's what I've been up to... Regarding the thighs, I cut very little from the top per Mario's suggestion and used a heat sealing iron to round out the top for a small return edge. Once this was done, I also trimmed a bit more of the return edge so as just to have the slight finish curve at top. Heat sealing iron I purchased through Walmart.com for less than $30. This baby works wonders. Thighs cut with mark for return. Result of using the sealing iron on the edge. Then, it was a happy Monday as these items arrived! Ok, back to the build... Here's a shot after torso strapping was added. Thigh strapping had not yet been done. Here are some shots of the strapping. I used the hinge method on the left side and the slot connection on the right side of the kidney/ab connection to keep things in line. I've seen this on a few builds, but I followed AJ's 2.0 build thread for implementation. Added snaps and cod rivet. Finished thigh strips and added ammo belt Added sniper knee Here I have my thighs strapped and am working on getting the strapping started for the arms and shoulder bells. I had to trim about 1/2" off the bell and created a very slight curve, but I can stand to take a little bit off the top again and make a bit more defined curve. The forearms right a little high on my wrists, but I almost prefer this rather than having a larger gap between the bicep and forearm. Any suggestions on that are appreciated. Also, I get pinched a bit between the cod and the thigh if I don't walk carefully. Can the edges of the cod piece be trimmed back slightly to alleviate this?

Welcome aboard, Joe, Excellent answers above, so I won’t delve too much into that. Personally, I’d recommend a couple of things. 1: look at screen used suits (screen grabs) to get a feel of how the originals were. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/gallery/ 2: look at other builds here on FISD with AM kits (Dave’s Darkside Depot). This is because, as with many replica armours, AM is a little different to the originals so it’s a good idea to see how others have built and made the most of their armour. Before you start cutting, carry on as you are - asking questions and doing you research. You’re on the right path, trooper. :-)

Wow! Thanks so much for the quick and detailed response! I really appreciate it! Big help to know I don't have to be an artist to assemble this!

The good thing is, you don't need to be too artistic to make a stormtrooper. Just perseverance and patience, and asking any questions you have so that you are sure of what you're going to do. 1. (A) The cover strip shouldn't go past the edge of the armor on any pieces. For the biceps and forearms, the cover strip just goes from edge to edge. For the Thighs, the cover strip goes from the top edge to above the raised area at the bottom of the thigh. The shins cover strips go from top to bottom on the front, and from under the raised area to the bottom on the back (only the outer half of the shin, so that it can still open). (B) It's not really expected that the cover strips will sit perfectly flush to the armor after glueing, and from most angles the tiny gaps will be unnoticeable. So unless you are really peeved by these gaps, or they are abnormally large, then you should be fine to leave them be. 2. The inside part of the armor is known as the return edge, and it's where the armor cuts in in the moulding process. Some people leave a bit of return edge on their armor for a sense of thickness, but others take it off for comfort. In the case of the biceps and forearms, you can take out the return edge at the top of the biceps and elbow, and this is perfectly fine. 3. Same thing for return edge on the thighs. You can partially or completely remove it if you need to. Also, for the back of the knee, do you mean cutting into the raised area of the armor? This was done on certain screen used armor, to allow for more mobility, and it's allowed here. As long as the cuts don't extend past the raised area of the armor. Check references for this, and measure twice before you cut, because it's always harder to put back plastic. 4. Yessir. 5. This depends on how your armor is assembled, and what strapping method you use. The main factor is how tall you are. If you're a bit shorter, you don't want the chest plate choking you out, so it'll be lower over the ab. If you're taller, it'll be stretched out a bit to accommodate the height. And if you use the original strapping method, it'll be fairly standard for how much it overlaps, but you can still change it from there. 6. For this, you can check the Sandtrooper CRL to see what they require for approval, or ask over on the MEPD forums. But yes, I'm pretty sure that for anything past basic approval as a Sandtrooper, you can't have the hard plastic shoulder bridges. 7. Velcro is good, but some people may not prefer it for rigorous movement. As for elastic and Velcro, this is about the only way to strap up armor using Velcro. Without elastic, nothing will stretch and flex and you move, so you will be fine will standing still, but will not be able to move and probably disconnect velcro. So elastic is the best thing to strap, as it supports the armor, and gives you the lenience to move easier. People have also used a combination of snaps and velcro sewed on to elastic for their armor, just for extra security. 8. The main thing with the side of the ab and kidney plates is not having a gap. So if you're a bit smaller and overlap a bit, this is better than having a small gap. So unless I'm wrong, avoid a gap, or ask your gml.

Okay great, thanks for the reply guys. Here is a picture of the AP screw (the ones for the TD are already painted black, this one is from the helmet packet, but they are exactly the same). I remember Justjoseph63 you already mentioned that they would be good to go because the requirements for the dome screws were dropped last year, but I just wanted to triple check. I guess when I eventually make a start on the TD, that last thing I want to do is screw the clips on, glue the end caps in place and receive a comment that the screws need replacing for L3. But since you think they are acceptable for L3, then that's good enough for me.

Beautiful work

Welcome to the FISD Paul Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk

I saw that one too. I actually really liked their helmet and was originally going to buy that file. The only issue I had was they didn't seem willing to work with me on correcting a few small things. That's not a huge issue though, I'm just some random dude hitting them up asking them to change something they probably worked pretty hard on. They have some awesome models in their store; the b-wing helmet is phenomenal, but their prices were a little steep. Jeff, I love the 300x300x400 build volume, but I'm already looking at picking up a CR-10 Max or a CR-10 S5 around Christmas. As much as I love this printer, I love the idea of printing out my ab armor without slicing it into 4 parts even more. What's cool though, is right now I have a Mando helmet (my next build) printing off in one piece, and next week I'll be printing off a Phase 2 Clone helmet for my Commander Bly build. The clone helmets are huge, but still fit on the build plate. For the second part of your post, when I saw that the ammo boxes are supposed to be separate, I also caught the detail on the top of the two boxes. I reached out to my favorite designer again (akira-yuming) and they shot this over to me in less than a hour. I can't recommend them enough. So, progress slowed a little after the great helmet debacle of 2020. But, I was able to find an accurate vocoder and have started working with the designer of my helmet file on a few minor changes. The helmet I posted earlier is probably going to find a new life as a Jeddah Sandtrooper. So, as much as it pained me to do so... It's back to urban camouflage. However, now that I've grown used to these long 2-3 day prints, printing a new helmet doesn't phase me too much. Especially now that I understand how to do it in one piece. I needed to get going on this project, so I printed the chest armor off in a few different pieces. While I felt this made the most sense, I really don't like "welding" the pieces back together. Additionally, filling the seam isn't much fun. If you look down in the lower left corner of my print bed, I created some alignment pins to help me get this thing perfect, but I ended up tossing them. Also, if you look closely, you can see that I have the entire chest printing in one shot here. I have the right side sitting directly behind the left. I think this was a 48-60 hour print. For this print, I should have kept the chest together, and just cut off the sides. This would have allowed me to fit it at a 45 on my print bed. While the print worked out, a person should not situate big prints like I did. The Y axis is the most "jerky." I think I got lucky, especially since I'm printing at 180mm/sec. This would have been a better slice. Also, when you separate shells, this automatically separates the shoulder strap slots. I totally forgot to take a picture of the chest armor covered with Bondo, so here's a sub: Really, it was almost identical to this. As always, I sprayed the chest with my favorite gold paint, which seemed to work perfect on the seam, but for some reason, I kept getting these small cracks, no matter what I did. If you look at the bottom right where I sanded through the paint, and directly in the center, you can see what I'm talking about. Then, I remembered a video by Nikko Industries https://youtu.be/PcAd0kxbI4I where he discussed using Alex Flex spackling on flexible filament (TPU). Unfortunately, neither HD or Lowes had any, but on a whim I put some Alex Flex caulk on the cracks and it worked like a miracle. I also got the side "extenders" (not sure what they're called) sprayed in gold. On these, I didn't use Bondo. This was sort of a trial to see how the filler primer would work at getting out the print lines. I would only advise doing this on flat surfaces that aren't as highly visible, but in the end, they turned out great. Yes, I got a "booger" up by the pectoral, but the cracks were immediately eliminated. Really happy how this turned out. Here's the chest and extenders together: I think it's good, when I can see the reflection of my basement in the pic. Finally, since I mentioned it earlier, here's Mando just getting started. I needed to do something since I'm done printing my TK armor. Also, I threw on a mirror for the print bed. I heard great things, but I didn't want to try anything new until I was done printing out everything else. Take care!

Finished my tk today, so I'll do my approval pics the next day, maybe I'll catch up

But it’s like a roll of toilet paper... it speeds up as you get closer to the end!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Spectacular build Scott.

Wow, just wow! What a great build.