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Thank you very much Mario!! One step closer and looks like I've got some work to do. I will make a new thread about making the necessary adjustments and ask my questions there. For now I will enjoy my new EI status. Thanks, M

Well hello Mark. I just saw your post on the ECG forums and here you are on the FISD. As you can see the folks here have started you on the right path. Like my buddy Dan has mentioned, the best thing to do now while you are waiting is research. I know Dan probably won’t mention it but there are a lot of great videos on YouTube from this guy named CableGuy. Check it out. Also some other informative videos can be located on trooperbay.com. Research is key at this point. Time to study up.

Hey trooper, From those photos, it looks like you might have the decals on the opposite cheeks. See here: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/44755-tube-stripes-anh-stunt-dave-m/ You’re correct about a pencil width from the cheek. Where you have them looks pretty good. Regarding how many there are, if you don’t quite have enough room, simply don’t apply one or two from the back of the decal. Between 9 and 16 stripes is acceptable. [emoji16]

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Can't really speak about it as there are NDA restrictions, information will be coming in due course

Looks so much better. Thanks again, everyone here. This remaster also has texturing on the mic pieces and mouth mesh. A lot of stuff I learned the first time around I corrected with this.

Matthew Landes 66007 EIB Letter Mario Thank you! My pleasure, and CONGRATS! Here is the link: https://www.whitearmor.net/eib/certificates/66007-eib.png

Thanks Chemi! M

Thanks Glen! M

Thanks very much for the suggestion! That definitely gives me more of an idea for where to start.

https://www.loctiteproducts.com/en/products/fix/super-glue/loctite_plasticsbondingsystem.html This is what I used and I think it's what you're after. I picked mine up at the local Ace Hardware. The silicone and rubber are extremely bonded on my own gloves.

So not much progress, but I did finish trimming the left bicep and attached my first cover strip! More to come.

Looking good, Chris! On your shoulder straps, it looks like you could use a bit more trimming. The fronts should "ideally" be squared off, but this will not affect approval at any level, it's just one step closer to screen accuracy. Depending on your height, you can also remove the large tab in the rear (as long as you leave enough to go over the back plate tabs). Keep those photos and questions coming!

Hi Mark, Personally, I’d probably just use this time to do more research. Check some other AP builds, visit starwarshelmets.com and check out the original trilogy Stormtroopers, watch some build tutorials etc. All of this will help you with a better build. Although you’ve ordered AP, this series of videos from RS is worth a watch. Very informative and discusses details of the original suits throughout. You won’t be able to follow all of it as the AP armour will be a little different, but, the overall process is pretty good to watch.

When in doubt head to the Gallery Sections, you'll find a lot of references there This thread is full of tips and how to's A great helmet tutorial, even thought not WTF helmet builds are similar, take note of the step in the ears for better fitting

So this is where I’m at so far on my build. Finally found tapatalk to help me upload pics. Huge help. Looking forward to the next step in my TK evolution Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Smaller pieces would no doubt be easier to transport but things like arm and leg pieces you will need your undersuit for fitting and sizing, a relatively easy one would be the detonator, perhaps also cod, butt plate, abdomen.

Thank you, chaps. Much appreciated.

Way to go, Matt! If we can be of any help with any of the issues, just let us know!

As someone who had made more than a few 3D weapons/props, I can add that how much time you spend smoothing it out depends on the material you use to actually print the parts. My first build years ago was a DLT-19 made from PLA. Over 25 hours or so of sanding/filling.. and LOTS of those tiny "threads" that can be a pain to get rid of. Resin prints are pricier (but VERY smooth) so I normally have them done in PETG as I find it much easier to sand/fill. There are many items available to help get rid of print lines, but after initial sanding my "go-to" items are Bondo Glazing and Spot putty for the deeper lines and Rust-oleum Filler Primer before final sanding . Both are available at any auto parts store. If you want a durable "glass like" finish you can use XTC-3D epoxy filler (it takes some practice, though). One thing that is important to do is smooth all the pieces before gluing them. Once assembled, it can be next to impossible to get into all the tiny crevices. Trust me. I have a thread on smoothing out lines using these products (link here) which can help. It was for an ESB E-11 (seen below) but shows the basics and can be applied to any 3D weapon or prop.

Hey Gerald, Excellent job on the helmet! I’d say you’ve really covered the key defining features of a stunt helmet. Regarding the belt covers, I’d go for nice, clean, sharp edges. Essentially, removing all of the edge curve… Original screen used belt (from gallery): Suggestion (approx):

Congratulations Matt!!!

Congrats

Congrats Matt! Well done!

Congratulations and welcome to the EI ranks trooper

Congratulations Matt! Welcome to EIB!!

Hi Matt, 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 armor. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions. I followed your build thread Matt and let me say that you did an awesome work with your armor and that's what have you here , just the first step to your goal. Let's start from top . Your right ear bump shape looks pretty good , while the left one is a bit rounded at one side. It's just matter of a painting session to improve this detail Reference Images Your Vocoder paint looks pretty ragged and we suggest to add this item to the painting session too. Reference Images Looking closely at you Ab buttons panel it appears to have a little return edge in the top right corner (red line) that could be trimmed to get it flat and you could give a more accurate shape to the little one by trimming a little more. Reference Images As seen on screen , you could move the Ab belt down a bit to the top of the Butt plate . Reference Images Even thought it is not mentioned in the CRL, the Thermal detonator's metal clips should be squared (not rounded), on the control panel side. Reference Image This is a very small detail, but the rivet holding your knee ammo pack is a bit close to the edge compared to the on-screen armor. If you're up for it, we're suggesting you move it in. This would require filling the old hole with ABS paste. Reference Images *************************************************** 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. CRL L3: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. This looks like a simple strapping issue. shortening the shoulder strap and a bit could reduce the gap. Another trick here is to remove the Shoulder Bell's return edge to allow them to sit close the chest armor. Reference Images Next, your forearms, The biceps and forearms armor seems very large compared to your arm size. We absolutely welcome troopers of all different body types, but we do expect that for our highest level of approval, the armor is sized appropriately to the wearer's body. In order to size down the biceps and forearms, you'd need to carefully remove the cover strips, trim back the pieces some, and re-glue them. A hot water bath may also be helpful in re-shaping the curve. As per the CRL, all costumes are "...proportional to the wearer in scale, fit and size". Reference Images CRL L3: No return edge on the inside of the front of the forearm is allowed. Looking at your wrists, there is a remaining little return edge. Just a little sanding job. Reference Images CRL L3: Back plate shall have no, or minimal overlap of the kidney plate. Continuing on, your back plate is a little overlapping the kidney. You might consider shortening the elastic connecting the chest and back just a tad, another option would be to bend bend the corners with a hot water bath or heat gun (with care) or even placing very thin foam at your shoulders so the back piece sits a touch higher. Reference Image CRL L3: Ideally there no gap between the abdomen and kidney armor. Abdominal and Kidney Plate align horizontally at top There is a pretty good sized gap at the tops of the ab/kidney connection on both sides, even with the arms down (pic 2). we think that some double straps would take care of that for a much better "ideal" look. Reference Images Please take a look to This tutorial . It can help as well. CRL L3: Drop boxes are vertically aligned with the end of the ammo belt with minimal gap between belt and box. This is a common issue and an easy one to fix. Moving them outward and then applying a dab of E-6000 on the rear of the strap will take care of this and keep it from wandering. Moving on, we have your thermal detonator belt clips. there is a noticeable gaps between the clips and the end caps and they will need to be relocated. Since the caps and control panel appear to have a little return edge, you can trim them down and move the clips sideways so they the gap get closed. If it was me, I would use a fine sharp knife or cutter to make the "surgery" . CRL L3: The blaster may have minor weathering or base metal exposure Finally Matt, we havo your blaster scope. A little weathering is fine and dandy (and expected) but that is WAY too much "brass" color showing. Time to break out the spray paint! That's all Matt. We are sure you're going to take the next step with those fixes and continue to the next level. Remember we are here to Help. Congratulations once again.

Definitely positive criticism and something I'd noticed. I had the banana bend... hmm, at some point. And I don't think I took a photo of it. It was created naturally by putting those M19 bolts in the opposite order I have them now. The large/long bolt needed to move to the back, I think. That bolt placement sucked the front end down and gave it the rail a proper bow out.

Move the shoulder bell snap further towards the front, this allows the shoulder bell to come in at the front when you have moved your arms as there is more tension on the front. ATA shoulder bells are not as wide as most makers, a trick when taking your photos is to have someone on standby to check your gaps and a little tweak or two may be needed, do the same the the rear photos too Comparison of my ATA's and with RS ATA ATA RS RS

Actually that is just the light playing tricks, that’s a photo of an original bicep and those have no ridges at all.

Congratulations trooper and welcome to the EI ranks

Now, if there’s a consistency among owners of AM armor it’s that they love their armor and consider it the best around. However, AM owners admit that the armor does have a couple quirks and the bottom edge of the Back Plate is one of them. For some armor, the bottom edge of the Back Plate has a nice, flat return edge that mates flat on the top edge of the Kidney Plate. AM armor is different: That bottom edge isn't anywhere near flat, and the outer tips bend down and out like little "wings." The end result is that no matter what you do, those wings will overlap the Kidney, which is a no-no in general, and a roadblock to attaining Centurion. This detail from the back photo from my EIB submission shows the problem: Notice in the above photo that the actual bottom of the Back Plate is right on top of the Kidney where it's supposed to be (red arrow), but those wings overhang at the sides (green arrows). What's worse, with those wings overhanging they tend to pull the Back Plate out and down over the Kidney pretty much every time you move. Here's a look at it from the side with the armor on my worktable. How bad the overlap is varies from Trooper to Trooper, depending on body characteristics. If your upper back/shoulders arch out at an angle, it's a bit easier to get the bottom of the Back Plate to rest atop the Kidney. In the photo below, I'm holding the Back Plate out at an angle, and you can see that it almost works. If your back arches out, great, but even if the Back Plate is resting in the right place along its width at this angle, good luck getting it to stay there -- your strapping is likely pull the Back Plate down over the Kidney every time you bend forward. I had brought up this issue way back during my build and got a number of suggestions, most of which dealt with heating those wings and bending them up to make them level. But I could tell that heating and bending would really warp the side edges of the Back Plate because of the amount of return edge I'd retained there, so I balked on heating. I corresponded with JustJoseph -- who also has AM armor and knows exactly what this issue is like -- and he agreed that just trying to reshape them with heat could badly mis-shape the side edges, and suggested that the only real way around it is to start cutting off return edges to reshape those pesky wings. Again, I put it off because I wanted those edges to stay (my shoulder blades tend to push the Back Plate out, creating gaps at the side that I wanted to minimize with as much return edge as possible). You may feel the same way, but if you want to reach Centurion level those edges have to be dealt with. After giving it a lot of thought, I determined that a combination of return-edge trimming and heat would be the best way to go and that’s the fix that worked for me. I started by outlining the cuts I planned to make, and here you can see my proposed cut on the sides... ... and, rotating the Back Plate, you can see how that proposed cut moves along the outer tips of the bottom. My proposed cut line ends short of the center of the Back Plate, leaving most of the return edge along the bottom/center in place. It took a while to pencil in these cut lines, as I kept redoing them to ensure I started with the minimum amount needed -- I didn't want to cut too much. I wanted to do this in extreme baby steps: Do some cuts, then do some heat and see what I got. Then trim some more and heat some more, and check it out. By the way, remember that last photo above. You'll see it again a bit later. So, first I used Lexan scissors to cut off most of the waste up to my lines. After that, I used a cutter drum on my drill press to shave the Back Plate smoothly down to my lines. Don’t have a drill press? A sanding drum in a Dremel-type rotary tool won’t be as fast, but it'll get the job done. Then, I heated those trimmed wings up using a hair dryer and did some bending, starting with the right side wing. In the photo above, you can see the result after several cycles of trim/heat, trim/heat, trim/heat. I was indeed taking it slow. Satisfied that I had the right side as good as I could get it, I did the same trim/heat, trim/heat, trim/heat routine on the left wing. OK, both sides are looking pretty good, and you can see how the bottom edge is now more or less straight across with no corner wings dipping down. Lastly, I heated both sides a bit more to curve the outer edges inward to more closely match the curve of the top of the Kidney to help the Back Plate rest more firmly in place. This whole process may take several hours, but it’s best to go slowly. You don’t want to trim any more than you have too or, worse, ruin the Back Plate and have to buy another one and start over. Hey, remember earlier when I said you'd see that photo of my proposed cut lines again? Well, here's that same photo, but I've superimposed red lines where I ended up making my actual final trims. Yeah, I ended up taking a lot of plastic off, and as time-consuming as it was it was worth it when I reassembled all the straps and hung the torso on my mannequin to see how it came together. As they say, your mileage may vary -- you may not need to take off as much; you may need to take off more. The amount I cut and reshaped ended up looking like this: That's about as perfect as I think it can be. I still don't like the way the AM armor isn't flat along that bottom edge -- that bottom return edge is angled, not flat. I may address that somewhere down the road and you may want to, as well. But this fix will eliminate the issue with the overhanging Back Plate. A.J.