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Yeah the designer I believe has updated the file for that. If I’m brutally honest, this build has been dragging on for 3 years now and I just wanna get it done [emoji1787]

Yeah, that first cut on the kit was nerve wracking. I feel much more confident now, until I got to the helmet and I was terrified again of making an irreversable blunder. It appears to have survived and the paint is drying now.

It's certainly a bit more difficult, but not impossible -- so far there hasn't been anything where we didn't manage to get up on our own and we've done a lot of fun stuff: I think I'll call this "they said it was impossible" Honestly though: if you're reading this and thinking "Oh, that sounds fun!" please try it with another person who can help you, in case you get stuck halfway through. It took me one try to sit down and get up. One try to lie down and get up. But four tries and a cramp in my foot to kneel in armor Also, just because it works for me and my friends doesn't mean other people won't end up with cracks in their armors. Maybe I'll take the time to write a "how to" in the future for sitting and kneeling in armor, but even then depending on the armor, fit and build you can still end up with cracks.

Thanks, both of you. @gmrhodes13 -- I am pleased to say the DN kit comes with TFA style clips. The inner legs and biceps are curved overlap TLJ style, though. I shall address those. The chestplate side cuts are also TFA. The forearms I cam make TFA with the wastage on the parts and some scrap. @Sly11 -- thanks for the lead on the gaskets. I'll ping him tonight and update my order with Teresa. The cape is deductive reasoning, the text of the novel, and conversations with Del. Phasma is a Captain. Cardinal is a Captain. The TFA Visual Dictionary points out Phasma's cape as a "traditional First Order command cape". Del gave Cardinal a cape in the book, since he's a Captain, too, and intended it to be identical to Phasma's, including which shoulder it is worn off of. Several times, he is absently tapping his sidearm, and it is a visible tic, not hidden by the cape hanging off the other shoulder, as the mirrored cover art shows. And I will protest in the strongest terms the decision on "red FOTK boots" to match the action figure. Hasbro has gotten at least as much wrong as right over the years Their Black Series "gaming greats" Force Unleashed blue Senate Guard, for instance, is a repaint of the Black Series Kir Kanos, complete with the wildly inaccurate Crimson Empire style armor. The Black Series Prototype Boba Fett is a repaint of the Black Series ESB Boba, down to the non-Prototype-suit flamethrower and other inaccuracies. And so on. Now, in this case, the figure contradicts the primary source -- the text of the book. We don't have to see it to know what "polished plastoid" does and does not mean. I will, reluctantly, get a pair of red FOTK boots from Gio to get approved. But I will tell you now, I will be wearing my black boots with red armor plates at every event I can. On to pictures now...

Info as far as I've seen on the forum @Sly11 I have spoken with the LMO's and they are ok with this to go ahead. There are a few things they would like to see in your thread with regards to research. 1. TFA helmet is what the LMO's are leaning towards as this is a TFA era character that was gone before TLJ (yeah I know Hasbro used the TLJ helmet, but it's a conversation you and I can have) 2. They would like to see research from cross-referencing as cardinal has a description in the book and now the action figure that should take care of any parts that are different from the standard Storm troopers. @Sly11 Helmet: LMO's have stated it needs to be TFA. Also Toys are only used as a basic reference, this character has a book that places it in a time frame. Who knows what the next LMO's will want or change, it seems to change yearly so at this stage this costume is being built based on discussions had and the book detail and original images. The black series Cardinal toy is a lazy effort to simply use the latest molds they had of the standard trooper simply done in red plastic, but it is interesting that they produced the galaxies edge Black series helmet as TLJ @Sly11 Shawn, may I ask what it was about the boots the LMO's had issue with? I think you mentioned either the cape or the gloves as well. @CrookKnight I have everything done other than the color of the boots & gloves. Also, I cannot afford the cape yet…so I am on hold for a while.

TFA era so TFA helmet was the last discussion I had with the LMO's, that was a little while ago now though. Pretty sure it was standard TFA kit, boots and the addition of the cape, but I cant recall the cape specific details. I will need to refer back to those communications which I shall do after work today. I'll also get those details for rubber gaskets.

In case you hadn't run across these, they are a couple of TFA accuracy builds (you probably have seen them, but just in case) And accuracy updates in @ukswrath's build thread

I think there is a big difference between the thoughts of someone who writes a book compared to what we know and see onscreen or what we think it should be in this case based on FOTK. Phasma made modifications to her armor we know this and I'm pretty sure it is mentioned what she takes a copy of but I've not listened to the book in a while (I hate reading, LOVE audio books LOL). To me Cardinal was based on a regular FOTK (prior to Phasma being around). I don't think there is mention of a cape in the book, so this may have been added after she knew about Cardinal but I may be wrong, it may have been in the archives who really knows. There's also some differences between concept art and what's realisticly made, may as also through in what a costume designer interprets and what it should really be, take Rogue One armor, should be orignal trilogy style, not what we see. Same as using FOTK parts take the gloves and boots on the Rogue One, shouldn't happen but that's the costume department I guess. There has to be some compromise with a few things when you don't have full references, really should Cardinal go ahead as a CRL, I think yes but I'd base it on the FOTK with a cape similar to Phasma if not exactly the same and FOTK style boots. Phasma is not your normal sized trooper so boots may not have been available in her size, or she wanted more protection hence the boot covers, again who knows. The black series helmet is wrong according to timeline, should be a TFA version for Cardinal but I believe the LMO's were in agreement to allow the TLJ helmet. AT the end of the day it's the LMO's who make the final decisions on any costume and they go one what reference material there is as well as some interpretation of what a costume should have. No doubt Andrew will have better information as he is the one speaking to the LMO's, from memory I think standard FOTK boots in red had been agreed.

Cod is definitely different to the TFA, you can make out two lines/ridges with the TLJ and they are a little wider, also wrap around under the crown jewels (cod) Forearms TFA TLJ/TROS This is a good thread to read through, has a lot of the TLJ/TROS details Some (if not all) clips were different TLJ TD pipe is a separate piece and has the control panel and top recess cut out. TFA it's molded. TFA Here you can see the separation on the chest stops at the top ridge so its not a complete cut TFA gallery is here https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/gallery/category/27-tfa-tk-reference/ Here's a good reference of the TFA closure of the bicep, recess (butt join) TLJ/TROS curved overlap Thigh overlap TFA (with tape in this image) Thigh curve overlap TLJ/TROS Shins they used velcro Also on spat clip. Note the extra notch of material under the clip Personally I think you will have to keep the inner seams as they are there on screen references

I nearly spit out my tea. lol But really... when I walk into the garage and it smells of curing E6000, it reminds me of the time that @Scimitar and I built my armor in a week long sprint. Happy memories.

So finally kicking off the build of my ATA ANH stunt kit. My plan is to build this to Centurion level specs. I'm planning to build this over the winter, so it's not a rush project. And I like to take my time and get it right the first time. So here is the kit unboxed. Everything looks great. Helmet kit. I'm going to start the with the helmet. Here are some close ups. The front is gorgeous! The back is a little bumpy towards the sides, but from what I have read, that is expected. Some more

Mandatory Information: Armor Maker: AM Helmet Maker: AM Blaster Maker: Praetorian Blasters Name: Mark Gogliano TKID: 42134 Forum Name: TK-42134 Garrison: Central California Garrison 501st Record Link: 501st Legion - Vader's Fist (Currently shows older TK) Optional Information: Height/Weight: 6’2”/220 Boot Maker: Imperial Boots Belt Maker: Imperial Issue Hand Guards: Joseph Pedigo Helmet Electronics: Ukswrath's Specialty Neck Seal: Darmans Props Holster: Darmans Props Full Body Front Full Body Back Full Left Full Right Right Side Detail Left Side Detail Action Photo Ab Plate Close Up Cod and Butt Plate Connection Inner Strapping Wrist Openings Helmet Front Helmet Back Helmet Left Helmet Right Lense Color Neck Seal Thermal Detonator Front Thermal Detonator Back Holster Connection Ammo Belt Back Boots Rubber Gloves Blaster Right Side Blaster Left Side Blaster D Ring Ammo Knee Rivet Inside Ab Plate Rivet Detail Ammo Knee Rivet Inside Ammo Knee Rivet Outside Ammo Rivet Outside Sniper Knee Right Detail Sniper Knee Left Detail Han Snap

Quick bit of test fitting

Hi everyone, I'm slowly working on trimming my RS ESB kit but I'm a bit confused as to how the thigh armour is going to line up at the back correctly. I'm 6'0 and have slim thighs so I'm having to really chop a lot off. As you can see it doesn't look right. How do I overcome this, particularly on the right thigh?

Thanks for everyone’s input. This will help going forward. Cheers!

Getting down isn't the problem, it's just not that pretty getting up

Well, I layed down on a bench, beach chairs and swings, stuff slightly above the ground. It's easier than laying down on the ground. EDIT: just because I don't prefer to do so, doesn't mean it's impossible to lie down on the ground -- TK-71384 is famous for posing that way Yeah, RS armor is super sturdy -- my friend group (Chaos Division Fireteam) and I have done basically everything in those armors: Playing soccer, falling down, laying down, sitting down, running around, climbing stuff and so on... you think it, we've probably done it. Shout-out to my TK-sister @Swoby who's even more adventurous than I would ever dare If you're curious about my shenanigans, there's either my Troop Log or my Instagram ( @lucamorgi ) -- gotta recommend the second, there's way more shenanigans

Haha - Luca is definitely very active in his RS armor, whose thinness has an added benefit of flexibility. Always climbing on things and pulling stunts in his kit. Find him on IG if you wanna see the action!!

Also, YOU LAID DOWN IN YOUR ARMOR?!?!?!?! I can sit (barely) but laying down seems like plastic-suicide.

Thank you, Sir Honestly, it's not just natural weathering-- there's a fair ton of artificial weathering with advice by @T-Jay, I clean certain types of weathering and it's wonderful to see the progress and know where certain marks came from... beautiful, gotta love some weathering! Not sure if I want to clean it for my application Glad you could be converted to the weathered side of the FISD, I hope you enjoy your stay -- oh, and thank you for your kind words, I'm happy you enjoyed the read-through!

As an OCD trooper who cleans his armor after every troop and polishes it about every 3 troops... your natural weathering is a thing of beauty!!! I love it. And though it's probably best to give it a cleaning before Centurion application, it'll re-weather itself quickly, I guarantee. Maybe even better... natural weathering in layers is far more real after all than just one go at dirtying. With my recent HWT project, I've discovered the joy of wearing weathered armor. It has so much character and I get so many complements! It'll be hard to go back to being Death Star Clean™ after enjoying the dirty side. I may never be that clean again. PS - loved finding your build thread! I never saw it before.

Exactly they aren't centered , far from back, near to top.

looking good Chris, additionally, I would suggest to trim a little more the edges to match better the corners. and consider carefully the rivets positioning and the not perfect curved ends as well. Some references

I also use some padding inside my thighs, but just at the knee to keep them from getting in the way of the shins. That sniper knee can get annoying hiding under the thigh... On the chance that you're simply asking HOW to trim the thighs, you're very close. You have the bottoms lined up, which is correct. The tops simply fold over like you have them and then you trim them together evenly at the top to get the proper angle. This was my own leg fitting. Note the extreme overlap. We already trimmed the thigh tops a bit so that they weren't digging into my butt and I could actually achieve a proper thigh fitting. Don't worry about trimming off some pointy parts at the top before you can get a fitting. So you overlap them, tape them, and mark a center line. Then you snip off one side followed by the other and install the cover strips. USE A STRAIGHT EDGE to make a perfect line from your boot seam to your butt. This was my basic approval rear photo. Note that my cover strips are perfectly straight. However, the line should intersect the center of the knee. Mine is offset. This is okay, but not ideal. SO! Try to get your straight edge lined up at the boot seam, knee center, and thigh center. I hope this helped at least somewhat... the legs are tricky and it's very very nice to have help from an experienced trooper who built them before.

Welcome to FISD Jim, Looking nice build, remember to check and re-check the crl, reference images , others wips and "measure twice , cut and glue just once" . Let us know for further assistance,

I'm very slim myself and face a few difficulties with my armor due to that, so I might be able to help at least a bit. First of all: it's more than okay to work with padding and not have the armor as close to your body as possible. I know everyone says otherwise, but it's just gonna look weird if the proportions don't work for a TK. So try a bit of a looser fit with padding first and work yourself down from the broader measurements, if you find that looks better. Especially as that helps avoid the second problem: the thighs not looking similar. If you cut your thighs the way they are right now, you'll be left with a shorter thigh in the back on the right than on the left. Currently something I'm still having issues with regarding my Centurion approval, as I got told they have to have a symmetrical curve in the back. Honestly, that is only possible with slim thighs if you either add a shim to the right thigh or cut off more on the left one. Especially if you're taller, even shorter thighs might look a bit too short. Same hight in the back Do I have a good solution outside of this rant that's been a pain for six months now? Not really. Try bigger thighs to avoid extra work, improvise with padding and remember that you can always take away more if you're not happy, but adding material because you don't like the TK-stickfigure look is gonna be a lot more challenging than adding padding everywhere. I personally have padding at the top of my thigh for a good front-back gap to my body that's fairly unnoticeable and I've got padding at the bottom of my thighs for a good lineup with my shins. Here's a picture from my most recent troop, where I've added in the lines of my body. If you position your padding correctly and have the thigh in a realistic position, most gaps are easily hidden due to the dropboxes, the holster or simply the first impression matching what people want to see. Hope this helps at least a bit and good luck

Congratulations Trooper!

Congratulations trooper, Welcome to the ranks!

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Amazing how we get in a building spree and forget to take more photos Looking good so far, looking forward to seeing more

Nice build thread Justin, well done so far.

More info from my discussions with the LMO's the black series figure is to be used at an absolute minimum, and in fact they did come back to me and state for the boots only. So to me this is standard FO TK boots in red, no plates. It is also assumed that all TK's have Thermal detonators so you should certainly make sure you have one. The cape is actually the only contentious issue now I have put all the info back together. You mentioned something about a reference book? do you have an image showing the cape with the trim? If so it could be on the table for sure. Also don't forget if in the future anything new comes to light or they make him a live action character, then the CRL would be 100% updated to reflect what is seen on screen. You could then revamp your costume if you so desired to remain the CRL model as if you are the first to complete the costume, you will be the one at the top of the CRL Summary Armour: TFA includes correct parts like forearms etc etc specially for Centurion level. Would be great to have a Centurion spec model for the CRL Helmet: TFA Boots: red no plating. Thermal Det: TFA version. Neck Seal: no issue centurion it just needs to be 11 ribs and shiny so Teresa's is perfect. Gaskets: Fabric at basic and EI, rubber at centurion Cape: post any additional image references you have so I can supply the LMO team for further discussion and review. I spoke with them today and they have requested this. EI and Centurion: all Standard TFA should come across easily to Cardinal perhaps with some additional items in the future. We only know what we know now. I think you are lucky with this one as the CRL is pretty much written aside the colour upgrades, Cape, weapon colour etc, Use the TFA CRL and once you are close to completion we shall discuss the photos we need etc. LMO sign off at the end and happy days we get another CRL at long last.

Thanks Glen. Also the rubber gaskets are available through Thorsson and associates Workshop. This guy does some amazing props and costumes and he also does the rubber gaskets. I inquired a while a go but he usually take around 4 weeks with his workload to get them cast up then he ships them out. Pricing looked reasonable too back then but you will need to check You can message him through his FB page and he will give you price and time frame, but I believe some of our members have used him. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100061258101660

Like I mentioned over PM, it's gonna be weird seeing you in a FO kit, but I'm looking forward to this project and guide!

Hello Adam. Yes, it's just a suggestion. Well, as you well know, not everything we ask for is included in the CRL ("we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions"). The "base" armor is what it is, and this is how it is reviewed... Anyway, the ear/screw alignment will not be a mandatory requirement for Centurion, unless the helmet looks really bad. It is included in the reviews as our protocol requires us to have some consistency, and ask all troopers for the same things (although sometimes we forget something). Soooo...Your HWT looks awesome, and you do not need to relocate the ear screws for L3. But if you think you can fix it, go ahead!

For me it's the smell of cutting or sanding ABS. I love the smell of trimming ABS in the mornings... Most of my build has occurred between the hours of 10:00pm-2:00am, or 4:00am-7:00am. Although recently I had a couple stay-up-until 4:00am nights, and one all-nighter too. On that infamous night I almost cut off a knuckle with a slipped xacto knife. Great job wearing those gloves! Looking forward to seeing your progress and completion on your MTK kit. Also what E-11 blaster did you end up getting?

Me, two months after getting my first TK

Every 501st Interaction right now: For those curious what I'm talking about: The Census™ is completed once a year to make sure all your data is up to date and to show that you've trooped at least once during the last year