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My gosh. Last update was October 4th. I feel like the FISD's prodigal son. Regardless, I'm back and ready to get back to work. So a lot has happened since my last update, but honestly I've spent the majority of my time making costumes for other people. I have been trooping, but they've looked like this: While that last pic is kind of cool, and I've had a blast doing all of this, what's been absent through it all has been me in white armor. Additionally, when I received my racing shirt a couple weeks ago and posted this picture to the FISD Facebook page, I started feeling like it was time to get back on track: Thanks @jsilvius again for the awesome swag. Back in October, I was stuck in an apartment waiting for my new house, which kind of precluded me from doing any good work. At the most, I was tinkering around with things, but during that time I started doing a lot more research into the New Generation Stormtrooper armor. In doing this I started noticing things in my armor, that while it looked good, I just felt it could be improved. Trust me, it's very difficult to improve on Jimi's gear, so if I'm going to try, I better do it right... and to the Centurion standards that started this whole thing. At the time, I had printed some bicep and forearm armor, but after I got into the new house, I started experimenting with different resins and expanding my SLA printing capabilities. I spoke to a few people and learned that I could mix flexible and abs like resin. Following a lot of trial and error, I finally got it down and truly started pumping some stuff out. So, here we go: First, I made a couple adjustments to my belt boxes and got some really good sculpts printed. I'll be molding these soon and putting the resin casts out there for the community: Drop Box Mid (trapezoid) box. Of course, these are still available for download here https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/50811-rotk-ammo-boxes/ as are the reference photos. However, while the belt boxes are cool, this is what I'm most excited about: So, I've already heard the detractors saying "but it's resin. If you drop it, it's going to shatter." Lol. Remember what I was saying about ABS like and flexible resin... let me share a short video I made tonight: Yeah. Not too worried about dropping my armor. Please forgive the mess in my garage, but if you pause the video at the 31 second mark you'll see a Mando helmet I printed in the same stuff. This is a little more difficult process, but not totally out of the scope of possibilities for this build. However, I do like the helmet Jimi provided with the kit, plus I already put some hours into it, so for the time being I'm not planning on making a resin TK bucket. But I do have this on standby in case I get bored: Thanks Nico. So, that's enough show and tell, I do have plans of getting some work done this weekend, so I decided to survey what I have and start making some adjustments based off some of the stuff I've found. Since I said that I like my Jimiroquai helmet, I decided that I'd do a little work on that first. However I also realized that it's been a while since I looked at it and of course I found a couple cracks, pinholes and flaws. When I noticed this, I started looking at other pieces and found them elsewhere. It's not bad, but it is going to take a little more prep to get this all ready for paint. Also, I neglected to mention it earlier, but here's the pic of the shoulder straps I engineered when I was in the apartment: These were printed in TPU and were initially intended to just be a trial version. While the system seemed like it was going to work well, after going on a bunch of troops in my ICAT/ Mudtrooper armor, I decided that this system was better suited here: A couple weeks ago, after more reference photos started surfacing of the New Generation armor, I started modeling, molding and casting rubber straps and came up with a couple designs. First, these are the standard straps that are similar to what comes with most of our kits: However, during Celebration @TheRascalKing sent this picture to me: So, I busted out Fusion360 and got back to work. What's interesting to me is that the trapezoid appears to be separate and recessed into the chest armor. Additionally, the straps appear to be vacuum formed, but I can't confirm that. I do have access to a Vacuum forming machine, so I might try it out, but I'm not touching those trapezoid pieces with a 10 foot pole. Regardless, I just sculpted a new set that matches the screen used armor and I plan on molding and casting them next week: Also, in order to facilitate these straps, I'm going to have to cut out the rear traps which I'm not looking forward to: For reference, I want to share a picture of my ICAT back so you can see how this works: I may not emulate this exactly, but it'll be close. Ok, so on to some more screen accurate additions: I'll just touch on this real quick. Justin also sent me this picture from Celebration: Notice the recess on top of the forearm. The first thing that came to mind is the "small indent" on the front of the hand plate. While the hand plate indent was obviously added intentionally, since it's been emulated in other costumes, I'm still trying to figure this one out. Regardless, after I received this picture, I looked at my freshly printed MPSB forearms and noticed that Paul didn't miss this detail, which means it's present in the Shoretrooper armor as well: To me, that's either an intentional addition, or a flaw in the original mold. So, do we include it in the next CRL update? What are your thoughts? So here's my work for the night. When the ROTK CRL was updated back in October 2020, some of us were left wondering what the tabs on the kidney plate are. The exact verbiage in the CRL, listed under the Centurion requirements for the abdomen armor reads: The abdominal armor back cover plate has two protruding tabs along the bottom that rest inside the back hard belt. At the time, I think some of us didn't know what this meant, but around that same time, TK wardrobe malfunction pictures from Solo, Rogue One and the Mandalorian started surfacing that gave us a little more insight. Again, I went to my Shoretrooper files, pulled the kidney plate out, started fooling around with the scaling and came up with this: Even though I got everything scaled correctly, it just wasn't fitting and stuck out about a 1/4": I started fooling around with it a little and just realized that the little lip on the bottom was hitting the back armor. So, I marked my edges and started cutting: Have you ever had one of those "ah ha moments" where something just makes sense? Keep in mind that I changed the overall size of this plate to match Jimi's kit. This meant making the plate a little taller, and a little fatter. However, after I trimmed about an eighth of an inch off on both sides, the entire plate snapped perfectly into place. Honestly, I almost couldn't believe how perfect this fit. Also, after seeing how it works. the entire abdominal section just made sense to me which is still blowing my mind a little bit. A lot of the time, we make these costumes and just accept the chunkiness and general uncomfortable feeling of the gear. So, when you get something like this that just falls into place, it's like a small miracle. Currently this plate is printed in PETG, but I'll likely print it in the flexible resin I showed earlier since it matches the flexible fiberglass so well. Anyways, I'm back on this kit and will try to get more done this weekend. I'll keep you all updated and let you know if anything else jumps out at me. Thanks for viewing

Technically this is an accurate statement. The 501st Legion Clone Troopers executed Order 66 at the Jedi Temple and this is their paint scheme. I believe that's what they're referring to, but not 100% sure.

Wow am I glad to found this thread. In Feb of 2019 my wife and I started a medically supervised weight loss program run by our local hospital. I was 320lb and very unhappy. After consulting with my doctor, we set a weight loss goal of 100lbs. She told me this was very conservative and very doable in this program. She wanted me to shoot for 200lbs, but I haven't weight 200lbs since I freshmen in College, so I didn't think that was a realistic goal. By Jun of 2019 I was down 50lbs and very excited about what could happen. I saw that ATA was having an anniversary sale, and I bought 2 ANH TK kits from him, and decided it was time to join the 501st. (There is a longer story here, but I'll tell that another time). October 2019 came and I was down to 240lbs. I ran my first 5k at my son's college during the parent weekend. I came in 5th in my age group. It wasn't hard to beat the others as they walked the 5k. But I ran the whole thing and was amazed that I completed it. when we returned home I had 2 kits waiting for me. I was crazy excited. and figured my son and I would build them over Christmas break. I didn't have a clue, but I was just starting to read the forums and getting and idea. Nov and Dec I slipped a lot, We had a 10 vacation to Orlando where we did both Disney and Universal theme parks and then the holidays came. I gained about 20 lbs back and was a bit depressed, but was ready to work on my kit. My Garrison's Armorer lives near me and we spent every weekend in January together learning how to build my armor. I was back to 250lbs and fit the kit to me for my approval in Feb of 2020. I attended my first Convention as a 501st member and ran the both most of the weekend. I was so proud to wear my kit. Then Covid hit. Trooping stopped, the medical weight loss program stopped, my son's school went virtual so he has to come home. And the weight started to come back. So here I sit, June of 2022 and I'm back up to 300lbs. I hate how my armor looks on me, My second costume (my tie reserve) doesn't fit any more. So I'm miserable. Luckily the weight loss program is starting back up in July and my goal of getting to 220lbs is alive again. I don't have any pictures currently, but I'll update this post/thread later. I'm just happy to have found this thread so I can start participating and helping us all encourage one another! And hopefully by the time I lose the extra weight again, Dave's Darkside Depot (AM) or Troopermaster (TM) will have plastic again so I can order a new kit to build to at least EIB. Thanks in advance for the encouragement. I've seen some of the post and it make me thrilled to find another part of the FISD to participate with.

My last job had a fantastic gym attached to it. Almost always empty. It's where I started working out after my Crohn's diagnosis. To keep myself on track and motivated, I used an app called FitNotes. It's free and has auto backup to your gmail account. You can enter custom exercises and track things, even light stuff like PT movements or walks. I continued to use it when I quit that job and joined a public gym, then stopped when I got into crossfit classes. No need to log crossfit since the workout is on the board everyday. Anyways, I re-downloaded it, logged in, and opened it. All my workouts and saved custom exercises were in there with my last logged workout being in 2018. I've since logged 3 more. http://www.fitnotesapp.com/ No affiliation, just a user for the past many years over about 4 phones. I was beyond pleased that the app still existed and worked.

That does help, the boots really don’t fit well with the calves because of the width even with added heel strap to the calves. my thighs are setting. I was finally mobile enough yesterday to fit them last night. Really happy to tackle that job too the bottoms were a bit loose and the tops had a gap I could stick my hand down into.

The strapping all depends on your personal taste, Gerald. I personally don't attach the straps to the rivets in any way and I put snaps on them to attach them to the plates, so # 2 for me. The reason being is that I may have to replace the elastic in the future (and I have) so that way I don't have to remove the rivets to do so. The most important part of setting those rivets (as I'm sure you know) is the placement of the rivets themselves. Note on the diagram below how the measurements are taken from the center of the rivets, not the outside. Looking forward to seeing your results!

Thanks for those! The reason I asked is because of the return edges. If I could make a suggestion, it would be to smooth out the area seen below a little more. Any time you have an angle in a return edge (yellow arrow) it's best to round it out as much as you can. The return edges take the brunt of any movement, and that's normally where cracks will start. That area and the angles on the bottom of the posterior plate are where we see this happen the most, so I though I'd give you a heads-up. I know it's a small thing, but may save you some headaches in the future.

Looking good

Nice work

@revlimiter @jsilvius @Order and Justice and anyone who joins the club.

This is a timely thread bump. I didn't realize we had something like this. So... I've got Crohn's disease. Currently I'm untreated with no meds. I've been diagnosed for over 14 years and have gone from a lot of drugs and immunosupressives to a few to none. Diet and obsessive exercise had me in complete remission. I've had maybe 3 flare ups in the 14 years and was never hospitalized beyond my original episode... wherein I almost died. COVID lock down has been extremely unkind. I *loved* going to the gym. I'm a social exerciser. I don't enjoy working out on my own and have a hard time motivating myself to do it. But if others are around, perhaps in a gym environment, I do well. If I'm in a class with others doing the daily workout board (WOD) I thrive. I haven't worked out much in the past 2.5 years since lockdown. I built a decent home gym in an unused room and have all the equipment I need... just no motivation to do it. How lame is that? A lovely home gym with a rack, plates, weights, and all I need yet it just sits. And because of Crohn's, I cannot exercise in a gym. At least currently while COVID is still rampant. I'm fully immunized, but it doesn't matter a whole lot in this condition. I started building my armor when I was working out all the time. I did the forearms and biceps back in 2019. They were TIGHT. And when I took my centurion photos in 2021, they were quite loose. Arguably, they needed (and still need) to be sized down. And I was still in "good shape" when I took these pix. Healthy without symptoms. I'm not in good shape now. Crohn's has been rearing it's ugly head and my health is quite poor. I likely need meds again, or I need to actually work out, or both. I've lost about 30 lbs of muscle. I can't eat much to help maintain my weight. I'm in danger of not being able to troop and being in the hospital again. So I need this Trooper Fit Club. Or something. Anything. A kick in the posterior armor. I've done small workouts the past 2 days. I just need to keep doing things. Keep moving. Keep lifting things. I need to do something today. It's so hard to find the motivation.