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While I'm waiting to get started on another armour I figured I'd try something to help me relax. No idea how this is going to go!

Hello! After months of lurking around without an account, just absorbing all the information that I could find about Stormtroopers and building the armor, I've finally decided to get an account to unlock those last hidden posts. A bit of info about myself? Well, I just turned 18, but have wanted to join the 501st as a Stormtrooper ever since I was twelve. I'm from Germany. Currently I'm working on the finishing touches for my Stormtrooper armor (it's still missing some paint and I definitely need to rework the strapping for more comfort), waiting on the last soft parts to finally arrive and just started working on the helmet. I look forward to finishing the armor and joining all of you properly in the 501st!

May be this can help. It's a tip I think I saw somewhere here in the forum and made my own version. With Anovos Hovi mic tips I have removed the mesh with a knife, screwdriver and plier I have used a marker cap and a rubber hammer

Ha, ha. Yes, by moving to NRW and getting basic approval, you will definitely join the same Garrison Squad. Being one of two Imperial Attachès in that Squad, it is my pleasure to help you getting in contact with our local community. For some events there are ways to attend even without an official membership. For example as a handler. A simple way to learn a lot. Feel free to drop me a PM here to discuss any further things. Would love to help, because that's what we are here for. As for the higher levels, I just wanted to make sure you are aware, because if you plan to reach these, it is far easier to build straight to these standards, than to later change your suit.

Sounds good. I guess I will buy the 30 gal case once my armor arrives and simply test if it fits. If it doesn't I can simply return it, but I am confident. Big thanks for the helpful comments guys, you're awesome!

Black done 23 more colors to go!

Welcome, if you use the "direct link" option with the image tags ie: .jpg, .jpeg, .png you will find your images will show in the thread. How to for adding images Looks like you could take a touch more out of the teeth area, a little top and bottom, you can just see some ridge before the gums. Some of my favorite go to's for helmet assembly: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/14806-how-to-assembling-ata-abs-helmet-1/ Also for ear fitting https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/29238-my-helmet-ear-tutorial/ https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/41250-ear-trimming-made-easy/ Brow height http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y200/ukswrath1/DO/Screen%20Reference/gallery_14191_25_57708.jpg Teeth Angle of ears And if you need more references there is our gallery area or Star Wars Helmets If you have any scrap ABS you could make some ABS paste to fill the openings in the bottom of the thigh ridges, also add some white paint to the thigh ammo strip rivets. Front views Back views Looks like the sniper plate could use a little work, many of us use E6000 glue as it is very forgiving but also very strong, minimum drying time is 24 hours, but I normally leave a few days for anything which is under strain. A lot of clamps, tape and magnets can help keep it in place while drying. Some references: Here was my RS sniper plate attachment Really depends how your back shins are closing, make sure you are wearing boots as that will make a difference, you may need to tighten the hook elastic or even do a hot water bah to help both sides to meet and lay flatter Be good to see some images with your wearing so we can give you some more feedback, especially for you snins. Looking forward to seeing the progress.

DISCLAIMER While there are some really good threads on this subject here on the FISD, I just wanted to highlight a few areas with some more detailed images. As many of you know, I am not a computer savvy guy, so I designed this for those who are in the same boat I am. Now, on with the show.... Whether you are just starting a build thread or just have a technical question, posting a photo is vital for getting solid advice here on the FISD. A verbal description is one thing, but a picture really is worth a thousand words. You will also need to post photos if you are applying for Expert Infantry/Centurion levels. In order to do this, you will need an image hosting server. For the following I am using imgur (imgur.com). This is a free service, and allows you to crop, re-size, rotate, post and store your photos. It may be a bit confusing at first, but I promise that once you get the hang of it you will be a pro in no time! NOTE For the purposes of this tutorial, we will use as an example that you have a question about the center of your ab-plate section. Instead of posting a photo of the entire costume, you can (and should) crop and re-size it to show a close-up. Assuming you have installed imgur and the photo(s) are downloaded on your PC or laptop in the Pictures section. To add a photo to your imgur Gallery: 1. On your imgur home page, click on your name at the top right (Step 1). This will give you a drop-down menu. Click on Images (Step 2). This will bring you to your Gallery (library/storage area). Go to the task bar at the bottom of the screen and click the New Post button. In the next window you can either just drop image directly to the drop images here box or select Choose Photo to browse your PC and select the images you want to upload. Finally go to Step 1 and 2 to acces your gallery to see the images you uploaded. The photo is now part of your Gallery... time to Edit! 1. Scroll over the image you wish to edit. You will see a pencil symbol and a trashcan. Click on the pencil, which will highlight the image in a green box . Click on the Edit tab on the top right. To crop/re-size: 1. Click on the Crop/Resize button. 2. Using your mouse, create a box around the area to be saved. 3. Hit Apply. To change the size, go to the numbers on the top right of the page. 4. I normally just use the one on the right (399 in this case) but you can use either. Click on the box and back out the number, then add your own to reduce or enlarge the image. 5. Hit Save. VERY IMPORTANT! The edited image is automatically changed and added to your Gallery. To Rotate your image: 1. 1. Scroll over the image you wish to edit. You will see a pencil symbol and a trashcan. Click on the pencil, which will highlight the image in a green box . Click on the Edit tab on the top right. 2. Click the Rotate tab. IMPORTANT: You may have to reduce the size first in order to get the entire image on the screen and successfully save it. 3. It will give you 4 choices like this: 3. Click on the one you want and hit SAVE. NOTE: You cannot Crop/Resize until you have saved it. O.K. time to post it up! In your Gallery, LEFT click on the center area of the pic you wish to post, which will bring you to the area as seen below. 1. LEFT click on Copy next to Direct Link. 2. Paste into your post or thread. DONE DEAL! Posting using a mobile device (phone): *** ***Special shout-outs to Glen (gmrhodes13) and Colin (OddViking327) for the following info. !! From Glen: After adding the imgur app., upload to Imgur then click on the image, then hold thumb on the image, it will open an options page then select copy link, on left, then post into your thread. Doing it this way will give you a link with the image tag, ie: jpg or png and so on. From Colin: Use the phone app to upload to Imgur right from your phone (set it to private and you can post them here, but they won't be searchable in their feed, and you don't have to title them). On each image on the Imgur in your Gallery, click it, and copy the BBCode tab *** and paste it into your post. It won't show while writing your post, but will show after you hit "Submit Reply". Super easy. And if people want to see a bigger version, clicking on it takes them to it. *** IMPORTANT!! Once you have attached a photo into a post or thread, do NOT delete or edit it in your Gallery. If you do so, it will disappear from your post. If you have any questions or issues, please feel free to ask on this thread.

Well this is not something I would have thought that I would need to consider; however, recent experience has caused me to investigate this issue, here is what I have learned. When I started my ROTK build, the only supplier of ROTK gloves that I knew of was Imperial Boots (IB). IB calls these gloves Anthology Trooper Gloves (ATG) and they sell them for $69.90 plus shipping from the Philippines. I just checked their web site and they have reduced the price to $59.90 plus shipping. https://www.imperialboots.com/product/anthology-trooper-glove-shore-trooper/ So I purchased a set of the ATGs along with the T-7 boots for my ROTK build. When I received the gloves I tried them on to test the fit and the wrist immediately separated from the gloves in several areas. Additionally, the side seam separated as well. I assumed that I may have received a bad pair that were not stitched properly and decided to not contact IB about the issue since I had a sewing machine and I did not want to wait for the extended shipping from the Philippines. I re-stitched the gloves and did not give it another thought. I put the gloves on several times since then for application pictures and test fitting of the armor as I built it. My first troop in my ROTK was at DragonCon 2018. This was 4 months after I purchased the gloves. During the 3 hours I wore my kit, I observed that the gloves seams along the thumb had separated. I detailed all of this in my ROTK build here on FISD. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/44463-11b30b4’s-rotk-build/ In this picture you can see the re-stitched wrist (Yellow Circle), the freying of the elastic wrist from contact with Velcro (Red Cricle) I assume, and the separated seam on the thumb. So after DragonCon I first did a search to see if the gloves that they used for the screen version was a modified off-the-shelf glove. I was unable to discover any existing gloves that match what was used for the movie; however, I did find another manufacturer who sells a ROTK glove. The company is Endor Finders (EF) and they are located in the USA. EF sells a Rogue One Trooper Glove for $55.00 plus shipping. So I ordered a set and received them. https://www.endorfinders.com/costume-accessories/rogue-one-trooper-gloves Shortly after I ordered the glove from EF, I contacted IB about the issues I have had with the ATG gloves. After a few back and forth e-mails, IB sent me a new pair of the ATG gloves. I won’t say it was a painless experience but they did replace the gloves so there is that. I have held off doing this comparison until I received the replacement ATG gloves and now that I have them, it is now time to do this. At first look both gloves look almost identical. Honestly, I expected the gloves from EF to be the exact same as what IB sells. Once I got the EF gloves I quickly noticed the differences. As you can see the cuff on the EF gloves is longer although both gloves are the same size. The EF gloves fit a bit tighter but that is because they are lined on the inside while the IB gloves are not lined. Here is the palm and back of the IB glove. And this is the EF palm and back. A side by side of EF (left) and IB (right) Inside lining of the EF (Left) and no liner on the IB glove (Right). Inside the EF glove. Inside the IB glove. Wrist of the EF glove. Wrist of the IB glove. The EF glove with armor. The IB glove with armor. My observations: 1. The ribbed fabric used by each manufacturer is different. So I looked at some reference pictures from SW celebration. In this picture the glove fabric looks like the grid fabric used by EF. However, in these pictures, the fabric looks more like the ribbed fabric used by IB. So I am at a loss to determine which is correct. I suppose that both could be correct. 2. The wrist on the EF glove is fabric and not elastic. The fabric on the IB glove is elastic. 3. The EF glove is lined and fits like an Isotoner while the IB gloves are unlined and fit like Mechanix gloves. 4. The stitching quality appears to be better in the RF gloves while even the new IB gloves are poorly stitched. 5. The Velcor patches on the back of the EF gloves are opposite (One soft and one hard) while the Velcro patches on the back of the IB gloves are both soft. 6. The leather on both gloves looks to of similar type and quality and screen accurate. Conclusion: The EF glove seems to be a better product and is sold for a few dollars less than the IB glove. I have not trooped the EF glove as of yet, so my opinion may change once I get more experience with them but I doubt it. I hope that some of you find this information helpful. Happy trooping.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it!

SHOULDER BELLS SUPPORT BRACKETS ASSEMBLY Return to Index

Here's another thread may be usefule

Welcome to EIB ranks Trooper!!

Thank you @TKSpartan..! …got the bridges trimmed and glued; gonna give ‘em a solid 24 hours for the E-6000 to cure and hoping for a preliminary full suit-up very soon

Great to have you in the " club" Tim . Centurian wont be far off ....

sampling new mesh for the tips. this #14 mesh seems good, but has some #16 driving to compare to soon. will have to sort out how to bend it to fit once I choose the size. also glued the flexible hand plates to the gloves! and I used a round shipping tube to give them a solid slightly curved surface from inside, to avoid fingers causing wrinkles...

I'd be concerned that wouldn't be tall enough for the clamshell and thighs. I've seen guys make the Husky 25gal work with TKs though (no helmet), so maybe...

Just if anyone was curious, I removed the liners from my Endor Finders gloves the other day, as they were hot and difficult to get on and off (especially when sweaty). It was pretty easy to turn them inside out and cut along the wrist, then at the end of each finger tip, to remove the liner. You can see that the material is pretty shaggy, and I am glad I removed them. I'm starting to get a small hole at the wrist that I'll probably need to repair as a result of my mod, but still worth it for hot weather, imo.

Hi Joe, you're doing a great work with your armor! . about the shoulder bridges, you can trim the the larger rib just to the edge, screen used armors had the larger tab in the front and none in the back. Reference Images

Perhaps if I try the Vanish whilst trying to protect the area around the rivets? Sent from The Empire

Oh wow, that's a lot of info, thank you so much! I'll keep the trick for the images in mind, thank you for sharing that! I'll try to take a bit more out from the teeth... ABS paste? I'm gonna have to look that up, but that does sound good. And, yeah, someday I'll convince myself to finally open the white paint that's waiting for me Okay, I'll get the sniper plate off, gather my glue, clamps, magnets and tape and then put the entire thing together again before putting it into the garage for some time. I hope that will work out! I hadn't heard of a hot water bath before, I'll make sure to keep that in mind, that sounds like a good idea. I'll get some pictures of me wearing it done once the temperature has cooled down enough that I can bear the thought of wearing the undersuit... Again, thank you so much for your advice, this was very helpful!

Hi and thanks for the warm welcome! Ohhh, even more posts! I sure like the sound of that and will make sure to keep that in mind! I'm aware of them and would like to at least reach Expert Infantry, if not Centurion. For now though my main goal is just to complete the build and get into the 501st. I've never actually met a single person who's in the 501st in real life, so the answer to that is (sadly) no. Since I will move in less than a month, there won't be any time to meet the local folks either before I'm gone. I do hope to get to know some once I'm in Nordrhein-Westfalen -- and in the 501st. And looking at your profile, the chances of us meeting are actually fairly high! Maybe you could help me get in contact with the people in NRW, because I'm not at all sure about how to do that...?

Hi Luca, seems like you already have your build running and got some help from others here. Once you have your basic approval and TK ID, request 501st access to this site here to unlock even more hidden posts. Are you aware of the optional higher levels and do you aim for these as well? Did you have a chance to get in contact or meet with local 501st people in your area? By the way, what area do you come from? Maybe we meet on a troop one day.

Hallo Luca, willkommen an Bord! Viel Erfolg beim basteln!

Cool, painting is not my strong suit but it enjoy and looking forward for your progress

Fantastic job Tim, welcome to EIB

I think an armor build would be easier than that You have more patience than I, good luck

Welcome to the FISD Adam! You've been given some great advice so I'll just say. Aim Centurion Good Luck Future Trooper!

I know your excited to get started. Definitely take your time. Because rushing through may cause a mistake that can set you back and use more money and time. start build thread here and you can get tons of help and insight. Good luck cant wait to see a thread and see what its looking like.

Went to armor party yesterday got to do my first test fitting. My other arm shoulder bell to shoulder strap was too tight so would pull and un snap so I have to make it a little longer. I would also like to lower the cod/ab piece just a little more. Trim my neck line in a little more also.

Right? I decided I’m going to prime, sand, and fill the parts I know fit. I will wait to tackle the thigh issue later. I have motivation back and I want to put it to good use as there’s are a lot of work to be done. I ordered my gaskets from the amazing geeky pink last month. The only other piece I need to order is my belt and I’m working on getting in better shape so that I can fit into all my costumes more comfortably.

Hello Alan , Welcome to the FISD!!! Good luck on your build, and remember, we are here to help!!!

Hi Paul. If they fit you correctly and have no more space to allow trimming, you can leave them as it, they should be ok.

Welcome, Alan, and know that you are definitely in the right place! I have trooped in AM armor for many years and couldn't be happier with quality. Being in the Orlando area you will eventually be joining the Makaze Squad. Some of the advantages of being in this area are: 1. A GREAT group of 501st addicts. 2. TONS of trooping opportunities (the last year I was in that squad we had over 250 events to choose from in the greater Orlando area)! 3. You have some of the best folks in the Legion on a local basis that can help you with your armor build. My very good friend Gary Collins (jr.) is a genius when it comes to all things shiny white armor and often holds some epic armor parties. Link here to see what this entails. Tell him "Joseph sent ya". If you need contact info. just PM me.

Welcome to the FISD! Best of luck with your build.

Hello and welcome aboard, looking forward to seeing your build When in doubt check out the reference Galleries Also remember measure twice and cut once, if you don't know something just ask, there's always someone not too far away ready to help. Good luck

Hi Alan, congratulations for your BBB day and be sure most of us had been in your seat before !! We encourage you to aim for the high levels just from start, it well deserves the work. You can open a build thread according to the version you want to Build : ANH Stunt ESB TK ROTJ TK Post tons of photos and when in doubt ask questions before any cut or mod. "Measure twice, cut and glue just once" We are here to help.

Hi Alan, The way you've described how you got here is almost exactly the same as my journey, and reading others posts its the same as many others. Pretty much everyone here can identify with you, I'm sure. And you're definitely in the right place. You'll be hard pushed to find a more knowledgeable and supportive lot than right here, I can testify to that. Good luck with your build. If you have any questions, however weird or silly you think they are, post here. We've all been there, and you'll always get help. Rich

Welcome to the FISD, Alan. Yeah, the first few cuts are terrifying - but it does get easier. lol. Going slow and cautious is a good approach, but keep in mind that most mistakes can be fixed. A great way to get advice from the community is to start a build thread and post lots of pictures. Good luck on your build! https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/80-anh-build-threads/

The double snap method will serve you well for keeping your armor from coming apart during a troop (trust me), but it probably won't help with any cracking issues. I really haven't seen any issues with RS cracking, as it is pretty thick, but the key is to keep an eye out on any potential areas when un-suiting after a troop. If you see any starting to form, you can easily reinforce them before they spread. Even after 50+ troops in my AM armor I have had no issues, but I had to do a few repairs on my Anovos armor due to the ABS being thinner but with some strategic repairs/reinforcements they came out great.

Congratulations Trooper, Welcome to the ranks!

Almost there with this blaster. Scope rail and counter bracket needs a quick coat of paint and the power cylinders need a touch of weathering. Work will begin on the second blaster soon after this.

At the encouragement of @ukswrath, here is a post I originally made a year and a half ago on the Anovos FB build group, which is handy for all makes of armor, not just Anovos. ABS Paste?!?! WTF is THAT? I've seen variations of this question over and over. So perhaps this will be helpful. ABS paste is homemade glue for your ABS plastic. It literally melts and reforms the plastic into a solid piece, so it's more like welding than gluing. But as the warning phrase "it literally melts..." foreshadows, you should be careful. Making couldn't be easier. Get a GLASS jar. Don't be that person who makes it in a plastic cup. You know... the one that puts plastic melting stuff into a plastic cup. You've met that guy. Don't be that guy. All you need is a jar, some ABS scrap, and some construction grade acetone. Nail polish remover is NOT strong enough, even though it has "some" acetone in it. Pick up a bottle at Home Depot or the like. (For people in other countries, like the UK, where Acetone is not readily available... you have my sympathies) For containers, I feel a glass baby food jar is ideal. It's just the perfect size (unless you doing something epic!), stupid cheap (if you don't already have one somewhere), and easy to work with. I'm going to assume baby food jar, so if you choose a 2 quart mason jar, scale as needed. In general, ABS paste is practically free, other than the price of a tiny bit of Acetone and maybe a buck for a jar of baby food, if you don't have a suitable container already, since your source material is scrap from your own build. (never toss that armor scrap!) A NOTE ABOUT FUMES: Pure Acetone is nasty stuff. You really don't want to be breathing Acetone fumes. A whiff here and there likely won't cause lasting harm, unless you have existing pulmonary issues, but still, do your best to avoid breathing a lot of the stuff. At a minimum, you can end up with a NASTY headache. At worse, you can actually cause damage to your lungs. Use your own level of protection that feels best for you... some want to wear a full respirator (with a volatile organic cartridge), others, like myself, are content to work outdoors and minimize breathing it. (Once the jar is capped, it should be fine to bring indoors.) FILL the jar with the tiniest scraps if ABS you can get. I literally used the curly-que and powdered scrap from under my belt sander, after all my rough cuts, in addition to cutting up a few pieces of scrap into 1/4" square pieces, with scissors. And now the magic. Add approx 1 teaspoon of Acetone (and remember, I'm assuming a baby-food size jar... scale accordingly if you're trying to go big and make enough for your entire squad to build with!). Cap the jar, wait 15-20 min (or more, no worries) and then check on it. Poke it with a stir stick. (You can literally use a stick. Although IMO, a wooden coffee stir stick (free at Starbucks!) is ideal, and Popsicle sticks have their proponents, too, as does the toothpick crew, for detail work.) If you literally do not have a stick, a strong piece of scrap you don't care about will do, just be careful where you set it afterwards. But poke at it. Get an idea where it's going. Then add about 1 tsp more Acetone. Re-cap it again, wait 15-20 min, then check again, and this time, stir it a little more seriously. Note the consistency. You'll probably want to add some more, perhaps 1 more tsp, perhaps less? You may be starting to get a feel for it by now. Let sit for a good 1/2 hr, then check and stir AGAIN. We're going slow. Slow is good. Watch some TV or read a book. You have better things to do than watch ABS melt in super slow motion. At this point, you SHOULD be close to ready to go. If not, I recommend letting it sit overnight before checking it again. (in fact, that's not a bad idea in general, but it's not strictly necessary) Only add more Acetone if you still really think it's too thick and clumpy in the morning, after stirring it some more. Repeat until you reach that magic mayonnaise moment. Correct consistency is *roughly* mayo-like. I'd say somewhere between Elmer's glue (a little too runny?) and Toothpaste (perhaps a little too thick). Too runny = bad. Remember the "melting plastic" part? You don't want that running down your armor. Too thick and you may get air pockets. Shoot for the Goldilocks zone. ) When you're ready, apply with a stick. Let it dry (duration depends on thickness... maybe 20 min, maybe overnight?) and sand it down. Repeat until pretty. Relatively small amounts (read: the small patches that ABS paste is generally best for) should be relatively safe to use indoors, just be aware of the fumes. Larger projects (or sensitive spouses... not that it smells too different from the nail salon, in my mind) are probably best to work on outdoors. The beauty of using the same plastic your armor is made from, to make paste, is you get a dead-on 100% perfect color match. No painting needed! (note: The level of polish/sheen will not be the same, but the color itself will be a match. ABS paste isn't really good for large area applications... and trying to do that will likely end up causing warping from too much acetone anyway) (2nd note: ABS paste is not as strong as the original plastic. It's not actually a glue, even if it looks like one. For connections needing a very strong join, use CA glue, as usual.) (pre-sanding... but note that color match to the Anovos armor!) The paste doesn't really go bad, but eventually it'll harden and you'll need to add more Acetone. Keep it capped, and it'll last longer, of course... you can dry it out quite fast if you leave the cap off for more than a few hours. Future batches you can probably go faster (read: add more acetone, sooner), but I recommend the slow approach when you're starting out, until you have a good feel for it. Good luck!

A quick tutorial on how I modified the mesh on my Anovos hovi mic tips for a more accurate 'coarser weave' mesh. First pried the edge of the mesh with a small flat head screwdriver to loosen the glue and ripped the old mesh out The outer casing of the mic tip is two parts glued together, there was so little glue holding the second mic tip together it came apart in my hands, no problem though as its easy to glue back latter and actually helped in forming the new mesh. The 'sacrificial' sive bought from a euro store (pound store/dollar store), cost 1.50 euro, the mesh is easy to pull away from the frame as they are so cheaply put together! Using the bottom area of the mic tip as a template I marked, with a permanent marker (sharpie) a circle but added about 5/7mm extra around the edge Next use an old scissors to cut out the mesh, word of warning:, if you don't have an old scissors then don't let the wife see you using her good kitchen ones! Next step is to 'form' the mesh into the correct shape using something round and the correct diameter as a 'former', the closest thing I could find was a AA battery, it was slightly small though so I wrapped some masking tape around it until I found the optimum diameter, I then just used my fingers to press the mesh into shape around the end of the battery, having the 'split' mic tip helped as I used this to check the fit by inserting it from the inside out, its not necessary though to do this! mesh formed ready for fitting, you can see the old 'finer weave' mesh on the left Next carefully fit the mesh and superglue into place, if the glue spreads out a bit into the mesh don't worry, it can be carefully poked out of the unwanted areas of the mesh with a cocktail stick or a pin when its dried. Job finished and ready to be refitted back onto the lid, Additionally I changed the anovos screws for heavier ones as they weren't 'grabbing' the tips very well and in danger of possible falling off some day, if you do this though you will have to carefully widen the holes in the back of the tip with a suitable drill bit, this should be done and test fitted before fitting the new mesh in case you did as I did and drilled all the way through the white plug to the front, it was an easy fix though with a dab of abs paste applied with a cocktail stick. Also I reinforced the inside of the lid where the screws go though by glueing two round disks of abs and redrilling the holes. Job done! Hope this helps anyone doing this mod