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knee plate came out pretty decent, finishing up the accessories to the legs… now just to add closure fasteners to the back…. spent the morning fitting the shoulders and biceps with snaps and elastic strapping…

Yes, I always have to be very careful, and it still make me nervous

Fantastic job. Using a heat gun can be daunting but you made it look so easy

FOREARMS ASSEMBLY Reference Images I used a Heat Gun (carefully and make a test first with a scrap abs piece) and two wood pieces to mark the section I need to fold in. Applied the heat gun for about 5 seconds to avoid melting and make pressure with my hand to shape the piece. The finished return edge is not perfect but it'll go inside glued to the cover. Additional Trimming Wrist Boxes and Greblies Decided for the ABS Squares method. Used Epoxi Glue Greeblies A few heat therapy. about 20 seconds and bend with a piece of round wood or some heat resistant piece or mould. Must be careful to avoid the piece to crack. You could apply more heat if necessary . Return to Index

Many thanks for your comments and suggestions. Really appreciate any help and advice.

Moved the button - it's been there for 2 years and I didn't have the means to move it. Now I do and it wasn't so bad. The ABS paste definitely needs to be applied in layers. One big glob yielded bubbles and dark spot.... which I had to paint. I actually used drywall patch to fill up some of it.. A few more hours of dry and sand might have made it completely smooth... but overall I'm happy with it

Hi Everyone. Welcome to my The Force Awakens Stormtrooper KB Props Kit Building Thread. Hope the following process can be useful in some manner to those that are in the same position I was when started this build. INDEX TRIMMING TRIMMING ARMS AND SHOULDER BELLS TRIMMING LEGS SECTION THERMAL DETONATOR BASEPALTE AND BELT BOXES GENEARL DETAILS TRIMMING SHOULDER BELLS ASSEMBLY BICEPS ASSEMBLY BACK/CHEST SECTION ASSEMBLY CLIP GREEBLIES POSITION FOREARMS ASSEMBLY AB SECTION ASSEMBLY SHOULDER BELLS SUPPORT BRACKETS ASSEMBLY AB BOXES TRIMMING AND ASSEMBLY AB BELT , BOXES AND POUCHES ASSEMBLY SHOULDER BELLS BICEPS FOREARMS ASSEMBLY COD AND POSTERIOR ARMOR ASSEMBLY THIGHS ASSEMBLY PISTOL HOLSTER ASSEMBLY SHINS AND KNEE PLATES ASSEMBLY THERMAL DETONATOR ASSEMBLY SPATS ASSEMBLY LEFT SHIN VERTICAL BOXES FINAL RESULT AND APPROVAL BBB DAY BBB Day for a new project. Received the kit since February but I have been collecting soft parts and others. Honestly, I feel exactly like the first day I opened my ANH TK kit on February 2019. "What to do with such tons of plastic? Where do I start ? Updated photo of the KB Kit after trimming most pieces and pre assembled biceps and chest/back section. Here is the List of what I have: 1- Armor Kit KB PROPS (photo above) 2-Helmet Anovos Standar Line Helmet 3- Undersuit: Stormtrooper Undersuit 4- Neck Seal, Gaskets and Harness from Geeky Pink's 5- Gloves from Endor Finders 6- Belt- Pouches from TrooperBay 7- Shoulder Bells Support Bracket from UkswrathsSpeciality 8- Leather Boots. Made to size from a Local Shoemaker. JR Boots. 9- Blaster 3D printed and Resin molded I guess (purchased to a fellow garrison member) What a crazy puzzle I have here !! Since I only have weekends to work on this build I think It's going to be some kind of a stop motion build. Thanks in advance for all the incoming help and tips Troopers !!!

I actually started about 2 weeks ago, and have been making some good progress on my ATA Armor. I'm hoping for at least EIB and possibly Centurion, but we'll see how it goes. Big Brown Box: Helmet Assembly: The Layout: Finished Forearms: Shoulder Bells and Biceps: Thighs: That's it so far, I'm working on the shins right now. Next is the Torso and then all the greebles that I haven't put on yet, ammo boxes, sniper knee, the belt and so on.

Great work, they came out nicely

Looking good

Hi Scott, welcome to FISD and congrats for your BBB day and great advances with your ESB TK and your plan to go for higher levels !! . The initial stage is the best time to view the finish line and to plan how to achieve it. With this in mind I would like to make a couple of suggestion to your helmet build. 1- CRL states : Frown is painted black and does not leave the teeth area. In yours, there is a little excess of blac paint that can be removed easily with a toothpick and non acetone remover. 2- CRL States for L2: Ideally, the tube stripes are positioned approximately a pencil width from the side of the cheek. Fall of tube stripe tops ideally lean toward the front. As you can see your Tube Strips a a bit far from the cheeks and the fall of them is on the contrary. Fortunately, for ESB the tube strips are decals, so it's easier to just to take it off and relocate it in the correct position and fall. 3- Finally: Your rigth Hovi Mic tip is a little lower than the left one. In my experience it's just a simple turn the tip a little more to adjust. Here some reference images. Keep up the great work !!

Great job Joe

Hello there! My name is Natalie and I live in the central coast of Australia. I’ve just been approved for my ANH stunt TK kit! I’m so excited to start trooping with you guys! TK 12197 reporting for duty

Hey Jacob My Kb kit also had the 2 pieces and If you wan’t you can see what I did here: disclaimer that KB might have updated the molds but maybe you will find something usefull

Nice work, came out great

Thank you!

Hello and welcome to the forum Many of us use an online fee image host for photos, upload then copy the "direct link" straight into your post, here is a tutorial. The images you have are from the visual dictionaries, various issues, well before Rogue One was ever envisioned, it's an artists impression of the inside of the helmet not true to screen accuracy, we have a member who created 3d files for those pieces. The blueprint is another artists impression so both could be very different. Here are a few other versions of that particular image. One from a members build The versions of vents cut out would only be for Rogue One, Mandalorian, Solo Stormtroopers, all others (RS included) use decals/stickers. You can add what ever you want (space permitted) inside the helmets, some use hearing assist, wifi/bluetooth mic, fans and so on as long as it doesn't change the outside appearance. If you head over to the RPF you will find a lot of "reveal" helmet versions there Here is another

I came up with a V tab bracket system which helps pull in the butt plate. With a heat gun (or oven) you bend strips of ABS plastic into the shape of a V, only glue the butt plate side and the other remains free to allow movement when you bend. Just helps stop the butt plate from pushing back from the back plate.

Back when I was building my TK and doing my Blaster build prior the release of Rogue One I converted an Airsoft for ANH approval but it’s certainly not for the faint of heart!;

Looks pretty good to me, you could go further if you want but screen helmets had bigger gaps. Adding a step to the top of the ear helps them come in closer. How to here You can countersink the screws slightly for a nice flat appearance. Nice work

Here you go

Hi Ron! Nice to see MidSouth represented here; I'm just a little south of you outside Chattanooga. As for your DLT-19 question, Justin is right that Praetorian has been unresponsive. If you're looking for a rubber DLT, and have the credits, you might try @Hellhounds via his Instagram Page (linked). He has a DLT in the works, though it isn't complete yet. If you'd like to see an example of his work, below you'll find a link to my photo review of his rubber E-11, and I compare various aspects of it to Praetorian and Hyperfirm, the previous old guard of rubber blasters. Daniel (Hellhounds) makes an amazing product, though they're not cheap, and also take a while to build. But he is certainly dedicated to his craft, which is why it takes so long, and you'd not be disappointed with one of his blasters. FYI Daniel has since updated certain components of his E-11s for more accuracy, including the clearing strip in the bolt and additional greeblies around the magazine.

I added the interior covers strips to my shins. I also evened out the front ankle side so there are no points on both. I will need to do the same to the back but will do that after I put on the front cover strips. I decided which shin will be left and right. I removed a little more from the left one and think it fits better. I also removed a bit more from my left thigh and will do another tape up test fit after the front cover strips are on the shins. Question: If it all fits well, should I add the rear cover strips to everything or is it worth leaving those off until the whole kit is complete if anything needs to be adjusted? Only reason I would like to do them now is to save time. Since it takes 24hours to dry I could have those drying while starting to work on the torso pieces. Pics: Both shins interior covers strips drying Left Shin Right Shin Thanks, M

Hello! I'm almost at this point with my build. I have almost everything to star testing, but i have some doubts. Im using the same components as you are in this picture, do you need to solder any resistors? If yes, which one and where? Thanks

Introduction: When I first became interested in having a Stormtrooper costume years ago, I quickly found out that most troopers use resin blasters. There's nothing wrong with that at all, some troopers have made their resin blasters look incredibly realistic. However I just always wanted a blaster made from steel like the real thing. I know some people will say using a real Sterling to troop with is way too heavy and just plain impractical, and they may be right especially here in Canada. We have some pretty strict gun laws up here north of the border, Sterlings are on the prohibited firearms list but It's perfectly legal to own a deactivated one if you have about $2,500 to spare . Then there are massive legal issues around carrying and concealing, displaying and especially pointing it in public, you can be arrested for threatening the public among other charges, no joke! And if it were to be used in a crime it is treated like any other violent firearm offence, same goes for airsoft guns, paintball guns or anything else made to appear like a real gun. Having said that it's all about common sense, being in a proper setting at an organized event with other troopers in the 501st is fine, I recently seen many E11s downtown Toronto at comicon 2016 and there were no issues whatsoever, mind you these are replicas of a fictional weapon from a popular sci-fi movie franchise. However realistic firearm "replicas" are completely illegal to sell, buy or make in Canada unless they were owned before 1998 or are replicas of antique firearms dated prior to 1898 I believe, so no Sterling replicas available for us canucks. Another problem I have with a real deactivated Sterling is that the magazine and bolt are welded in place meaning the bolt can't be cocked and the magazine can't be removed, In some cases the trigger is even disabled. There are also serious laws against altering deactivated firearms like cutting the magazine down for instance as it could be seen as an attempt to re-activate it. "Chopped up" Sterlings are much cheaper than deactivated Sterlings and the magazine and bolt do not have to be welded in place, also the magazine can be cut down like any other parts. The only problem with using all original steel parts and a steel pipe is that it tends to be too heavy for trooping, also in Canada this may be legally considered a replica or re-activation which could mean trouble. I do want my blaster to be as functional and realistic as possible; I want to be able to pull the charging handle on the bolt, Yes I want the folding stock to function, I want to be able to pull the trigger, I want to be able to move the selector switch position, I want to be able to remove the magazine using the proper mag release button and put it back again, I want to be able to look through a real magnified scope, and I want to be able to push a functional reset button on the counter. So basically no static parts whatsoever, I want all moving parts to actually function. The only function I don't want is the ability to fire any projectiles. With all these laws and things considered I decided to use an airsoft gun or at least parts of an airsoft gun as the base for my blaster build, I believe it will be a great balance between functionality and realism. Some parts are much more inaccurate than others but I plan to correct those first and foremost. It's definitely not the easiest way of going about this but I like a bit of a challenge and I see troopers trying all kinds of different types of blaster builds now. So I figured I would try and use this Airsoft Sterling to build an ANH E-11 to 501st standards. I like this Airsoft gun because it is steel which I really wanted however it is made from slightly thinner steel than a real Sterling sub-machine gun needs to be made from. This is actually a really good thing for my purposes because it will greatly help save on weight for trooping while still being made of steel. I'm not the first person to do an E-11 conversion with an airsoft gun, other members of this forum and the RPF have done it before. However most of them did it to keep the airsoft functionality, that is not my intention here as my blaster wont fire any projectiles. My goal with this blaster build is to make it as screen accurate to ANH as possible. (UPDATE: These Airsoft Sterlings were actually used by the prop department in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, so I bought a second airsoft gun and I will be converting that one to a R1 E-11 Blaster) Here is all of the things I've collected since Christmas, Santa was very good to me. I managed to get the Beta Project Sterling AEG on a boxing day sale for a good price! There's also some other packages I received since then, your typical ANH E-11 parts; real M38 Scope, real Hengstler 400 Counter, accurate T-track, accurate parts for my Power Cylinders, also some real parts from a chopped up Sterling SMG MK4 L2A3. Genuine Parts for ANH E-11; Real 1942 M38 Telescope from Felix with brand new replacement lenses from Twnbrother, T-Track from Marv, Real Hengstler 400 Counters (small eagle and big eagle), Completion Set from T-Jay, Various parts for Power Cylinder build. Here are all the genuine parts I acquired from a real chopped up Sterling; Polymer Grip, Steel Grip Base cut from Sterling receiver, Trigger Group and Retaining Pin complete with Trigger, Original Guard, and Selector Switch, Rear End Cap complete with D-Ring, and an original main Recoil Spring. Rather than taking pictures of the Airsoft gun as it comes out of the box myself I figured I'd just use these studio shots from a professional photographer instead, They all look the same out of the box anyways and to be completely honest I didn't even bother to take a single picture of the gun before I started disassembling it. This will do it more justice and give you a better idea of it's factory state anyways, so here is the Beta Project Sterling AEG, it's actually a pretty close representation of a real Sterling MK4 L2A3 however it does have it's inaccuracies which we will discuss in detail. This is probably the most inaccurate part of the entire gun, the dreaded grip. What can I say, It looks really fake. Especially when compared next to the real thing, the shape of the airsoft grip is just all wrong. It's big, wide and square due to the motor housed inside of it, the real Sterling grip is smaller, slimmer, rounded and very ergonomically correct. Also the markings on the grip are somewhat inaccurate and the knurling pattern isn't quite right either. The trigger group on the airsoft or rather the "gearbox" is much taller, wider and bull nosed in the front at the top where as the real trigger group is angled, smaller and slimmer, this size difference is due to the gears housed inside the gearbox. The selector switch size is wrong and the engravings are in the wrong order, also the trigger group retaining pin or "retaining screw" in the case of the airsoft is inaccurate. Fixing all of this will be one of my first modifications to the gun. The next most inaccurate part is probably the rear end cap, not as fake as the grip but again considerably inaccurate. The airsoft version is pretty big and bulky where as the the real thing is slim and tapered towards the front of the gun with rounded back corners at the bottom. This airsoft end cap also sits too far back in the wrong position. The D-ring meets Centurion approval however it is actually slightly smaller than the real thing. My next modification will be replacing the airsoft End Cap & D-ring with the real thing. The muzzle cap is fairly close to the real thing however the center hole is too small, it does not have a rolled edge and it does not have the diamond cross-hatch knurling pattern on the hex bolts. I will also correct these inaccuracies. There are other small inaccuracies such as the bayonet lug and sight guard which I will discuss and correct later, however these here are the main ones that are most noticeable. When I got this gun home it wasn't long before I started disassembling it, I'm an avid paintball player and I don't play airsoft so I had no problems ripping this thing apart and gutting it almost immediately. Having said that this type of mod is not exactly for the faint of heart or those with a small budget, this airsoft gun isn't exactly cheap. But I don't even play airsoft nor do I ever plan on it, this thing has never fired a single airsoft BB and it never will after I'm done with it. No projectiles of any kind whatsoever, this is strictly going to be a prop replica for display and costuming purposes. Below is a detailed exploded view shown on the back of the included instructions that I used to disassemble the gun. Here's a complete disassembly of everything. I bought this gun during a Boxing Day sale and I have also sold all the airsoft parts that I don't need for about half of what I paid for the gun, this makes the project much more affordable. Once the gun is taken apart it quickly becomes apparent that most of the gun's heavy weight comes from the motor and gearbox inside the grip and the main firing piston above it which is actually pretty small but heavy. Without all these components this blaster will be significantly lighter than any functional Airsoft conversion. Receiver Tube gutted of all airsoft internals, Star Wars Battlefront poster in the background. The steel pipe this is made from is not quite as thick as a real Sterling sub-machine gun so it will weigh less, this is a good thing and important for the purpose of trooping. Here is a comparison of the Real Sterling grip (left) and the Airsoft Grip (right). Notice the size difference, notice how jagged and square the airsoft grip is compared to the real thing which more smooth and rounded. notice the markings and even the knurling pattern. Here are comparison photos of the grips mounted on the guns. Airsoft (Top), Real Sterling (Bottom) And the other side. Airsoft (Top), Real Sterling (Bottom) And here's a comparison of the real Sterling Trigger Group (left) and the Airsoft Gearbox (right). Notice how much taller and "bull-nosed" the airsoft gearbox is compared to the Sterling trigger group, notice the difference in the selector switch also the engravings are in the wrong order. The Sterling trigger group is real steel where as the Airsoft gearbox is die-cast metal, however the rest of the Airsoft gun is made of steel. The Airsoft gearbox weighs much more than the real Sterling trigger group so this will help keep the weight down. Here's a comparison of the real Sterling Rear End Cap (left) and the Airsoft Rear End Cap (right). Notice the shape at the bottom and the size of the D-ring. Look the profile shots and you'll see the real end cap is tapered towards the front of the gun where as the airsoft one is not, the taper on the back of the cap is there however it is much too large. Also the bottom back corners near the folding stock notches should be rounded but the airsoft is not. Again the Airsoft end cap actually weights more than the real Sterling end cap so this will help keep the weight down. This weight difference is due to the bulkiness of the Airsoft version, also inside the Airsoft end cap there is a built-in spring with a big retaining bolt and washer so these extra parts that add to the weight as well. A real Sterling uses the main recoil spring inside the receiver to hold the rear end cap in position and lock the folding stock when extended. Notice the taper towards the front on top, and the rounded bottom back corners. Here's a comparison photo of the Rear End Caps mounted on the guns. Airsoft (Top), Real Sterling (Bottom) Here's a comparison of a Real Sterling Muzzle cast (left) and the Airsoft Muzzle Cap (right). Once the inner barrel and barrel sleeve were removed the muzzle cap's center hole is now the correct size so that was easy enough to fix, however the outer edge still needs to be rolled, and the hex bolts need to be replaced with the correct diamond cross-hatch knurling pattern. Here are comparison photos of the Muzzle Caps mounted on the guns. Airsoft (Top), Real Sterling (Bottom) Here is a comparison of a real Sterling Folding Stock (top) and the Airsoft Folding Stock (bottom). A fairly close copy of the original however there are a few inaccuracies. First the shape of the arches bend outwards on the real Sterling where as the arches bend inwards on the Airsoft, I'm not sure how they missed this one to be honest because it just doesn't look right to me at all. Second a real Sterling Folding Stock has a small block with rounded corners at the base of the "Y" on the end of the rod. This block is completely absent on the Airsoft Folding Stock. Also the bolts that mount the folding stock to the receiver on a real Sterling are smooth dome head carriage bolts, the Airsoft stock uses slotted head mounting bolts. I will be correcting all these inaccuracies. The Airsoft folding stock weighs less than a real Sterling folding stock due to the thickness of the steel it's made from, this will help keep weight down. First thing's first; Let's cut down this magazine to kick this off and actually get this build started. To remove the magazine internals just push the retaining pin out and everything slides right out. I will be discarding all internals to make room for electronic components, most likely a battery in this case. There are Instructional videos online from others who wanted to cut this magazine down and keep the airsoft functionality. Using the FSID E-11 Blaster Reference I first drew a line and taped it off, then I cut the magazine down using a hand saw. The steel these magazines are made from is slightly thinner than the real thing so it's lighter and we removed the internals so this will also help reduce weight. Using a small file and needle nose pliers I shaped the new open end into two side tabs for the magazine end cap to slide back onto. Here is a comparison photo of a real Sterling magazine (top) and my Airsoft magazine (bottom). I still need to put the little round button in the magazine end cap but it has the accurate engraving of the word "OFF" with an arrow pointing forward. This Airsoft magazine even has the correct model, caliber, and patent number engravings on the back side so it looks pretty accurate. And that concludes the introduction to this Airsoft Conversion I hope you enjoyed it so far, please stay tuned for future chapter updates to my blaster build and feel free to comment or critique my work. First I plan on making this gun as accurate to a real Sterling as possible using the FSID E-11 Blaster Reference, then I will be adding the items required to convert it to an E-11, then I will be repainting it, then finally I will be adding electronics for light and sound. My Blaster Build chapters or "Episodes" will be updated in the following order; Episode I - The Fake Grip Menace Removing the Airsoft grip and gear box and replacing it with the real Sterling grip section, trigger group, and polymer grip. Episode II - Attack of the Caps Removing the Airsoft rear end cap and replacing it with the real Sterling rear end cap, and correcting inaccuracies with muzzle cap. Episode III - Revenge of the Sights, & Stock Correcting inaccuracies with front sight guard, rear sight guard, and folding stock. Episode IV - A New Scope, & Counter Installing real 1942 M.H.R. Co. M38 Telescope, and real Hengstler 400 series Counter w/ correct vintage Eagle logo & correct vintage Metal socket cover. Episode V - The Empire Strikes T-Track Installing T-Track along the receiver holes and correcting inaccurate bayonet lug. Building & installing all metal Power Cylinders with real vintage capacitors and resistors. Episode VI - Return of the Paint Job Painting the accurate "wrinkle" finish on the gun receiver, and flat black on the Hengstler Counter and Power Cylinders. Episode VII - The Blastercore Awakens Installing a Blastercore 5.0 circuit board to enhance functionality. (and possibly other electronics) to be continued...