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This is all in fun, as I have received several messages offering to help, but a lot of the time, this is how it feels. But that's okay, I enjoy my ability to give back to the detachment.

I received my BBB 6/10/23. It's a WTF suit. I already have my helmet, E11, and boots from my previous suit. I started trimming the forearms yesterday.

I just finished painting my TFA anovos bucket lol good timing. Almost done armor is painted; just need someone to make me a cape and my soft goods to show up...

Honestly, I think I'm speaking for a lot of us, when I say that I am so glad and thankful you're stepping up to manage all that. I'm pretty certain I couldn't do that. And you're not only doing it, but you're doing it super well. So thank you! And, yes, I'm one of those troopers

Hi Erick, Glad to read you're planning to continue the process towards Centurion Level . Due to your EIB application his 7 years old, and in order to give you the best advice upon the additional requirements to achieve your goal, we would need you to add a new set of photos so we can review the current armor state, How it fits you and in general how it looks. You can post the new photos here, into the Request TK Pre-Approval section or you could submit your Centurion Application and make the requested fixes in it. You can find the required photos HERE .

Yip that it is Whilst overseas I worked out how too and made 3 "posed display mannequins" all in a slightly different pose, in prep for the display that I have in my head lol They were free standing, self balanced, super light where they needed to be & made from paper and cost less than $30nzd each, I left 1 behind and binned the other two, figuring their cheap to make, but crieky have costs in the UK gone up since I left. when I move again?? I plan on remaking them, so might put up a how too thread if folks are interested?

A quick general overview of what I will be dealing with. I've also updated the links in first post with my DLT build so you can see functions of the BlastFX system. I received the blaster fully assembled, which may have looked interesting going through customs. I disassembled everything last year in preparation for this build. Here are all of the parts, with the BlastFX system at bottom right. Some components, like the folding stock, grip assembly, etc, will be broken down further for ease of painting and wiring installation. I'm still deciding where all the wiring will go. There is only so much length of wire, so I have to be careful about where I put everything. I can use wire extensions like I did on my DLT build, but this adds unnecessary bulkiness to some wires which could hinder the build further. I've seen a couple builds where much of the electronic circuit boards were in the mag and mag well. This allowed the rear main tube body to remain relatively empty. You could then pull back the cocking handle and bolt as I guess something to do...? As I can't see this having a purpose in the "real world" of Star Wars, I may transfer some electronics to the main tube. As long as they remain hidden when viewed through the large cocking handle groove I'd be okay with that. I'll have detailed pics and diagrams later, but here are the blast FX components and possible installed locations (clockwise from bottom of wire harness): Main control circuit board. It's hard to see, but there are two little R/B wire coming out of the unit to the left. These may have been from the vibration unit I had to steal from this kit for my DLT. Can't remember now.... In mag well or main tube below SMG bolt. Speaker main tube at back Barrel lighting strip attached to inside bottom of main body tube so it reflects upward Muzzle Flash Device Black muzzle cap Laser Possibly shining out of a small hole drilled in front of magwell Mode selector button Attached inside the Hengstler counter and activated by the original counter "reset" button Trigger switch Inside grip behind trigger. Blaster Factory includes one and this is a match, but it is already wired into the BlastFX system Rotary fire selector (single shot, auto and stun) BlasterFactory includes a rotary selectro, but from my sources it is finicky and hard to wire correctly with the BlastFX system. I'll probably just remove it. Scope display (little black square that needs to be soldered to wires) Blast FX left this disconnected for easier routing of wires into the scope. VERY smart and thankyou! Back of scope Main display (little black rectangle). Same wiring considerations as the scope Inside Hengstler counter display area Grip vibration unit (little black circle). My DLT hand one and I remember the thin wires broke at the unit. I think I had to steal the one from this kit to service the DLT. I then ordered a few more on Amazon. I'll have to attach this vibration unit to the wires to see if that is what they are for...Somehwere in grip Main battery: 3.7V 2000mAH 7.4Wh I may have an issue with this rectangular battery. It doesn't fit the mag well in a nice way, and may not leave room around it for the other pieces. Magwell or main body. TBD Charging circuit board for battery. This is an after market piece I bought online: Powerboost1000 Charger. It includes a USB charging port which I will have to incorporate into the blaster somewhere. I'm using this so I don't always have to remove the battery for charging. I'm not sure if I want to cut a USB size hole into the body of the blaster, and I don't want to disassemble the blaster to get at this USB port, so I may put the circuit board somewhere easily accessible like behind the main tube rear cap, or in the mag well behind the magazine. Magwell or main body On / Off sliding switch for power source. Small black thingy to left of the charging circuit board. This has to be somewhere easily accesable. Possibly hidden at back of magwell, or in Hengstler counter Detailed pic of the displays, included scope display magnifier and red filter, as well as a vibration unit. Battery, charging circuit board and sliding on/off switch: I actually felt real bad about taking apart a real Hengstler counter to add electronics. I debated purchasing another blaster, keeping the counter intact to replicate a screen used one, then having another with electronics for trooping. Unfortunately I can't justify that cost. The little baggie on the left is all the tiny counter parts I won't be using. There's a surprising amount of tiny springs, gears, pins and bushing in this little device. There will be more detailed shots of this and other pieces as the build continues. The magazine. I paid extra to receive a real sterling magazine that was cut down just like the movie used ones. I forgot to include the magazine "roller follower" in this shot, and there are some screws and springs missing from this shot. You'll see them later. I probably can't use any of the internal mag bits because a few of the electronics will sit in the mag and mag well because of lack of internal space in the blaster. Main body, t-tracks, muzzle cap, fake barrel and front sight. The way that Blasterfactory designed this all to go together, while retaining the external features of the Sterling perfectly, is quite ingenious. You won't be able to see the barrel as the T-tracks block most of the holes. And now the first build issue.... This is the muzzle cap that screws into the front of the barrel unit, and pictured is the muzzle flash device. Technically, the flash device will have to fit somewhere inside the muzzle cap shining out the front, but there is no way to do this right now. I was thinking I cold lose the barrel, but it is used to attach the front sight, as well as the back of barrel might be used to stop the bolt from sliding forward or rattling around. I could cut a groove into the bottom of the muzzle device to allow the muzzle flash unit to slip into, but there is an issue with this (next pic) This is the backside of the muzzle device after it is detached from the barrel. You can just see that the muzzle flash device circuit board partially covers both screws holes. This prevents the screws from passing through and screwing into the barrel unit. I can't trim the circuit board down sufficiently What I could do, and would require the same surgery is: Cut a suitable groove / slot to slip the muzzle flash unit upwards into the muzzle device. Cut the screws down by about 1/2" When it come time for assembly, I just glue (E6000) and clamp the barrel to the back of the muzzle device Glue the remaining heads of both screws into their holes. This will allow the appearance that they are gripping into the barrel. The included round rotary and trigger switches. They will be replaced by the BlastFX versions. You can juts make out a hole above the black trigger switch that will allow wires to pass through. I'll have to makes sure that the BlastFX rotary switch functions line up with the Fire /Auto / Safe marks that are on the other side of the grip. That's it for now.

awe... flattery will get you everywhere... LOL Thank you, I do appreciate the kind words.

Authentic gloves when it's cold. Authentic gloves when it's hot. Authentic gloves all the time.

B-but the aesthetic! The waterproofing! The terrible heat!

Nomex pilot gloves sir. 1 set is now 68ish troops strong. I use some junk called AnyGlove on the fingertips of mine to let me take selfies.

Using clamps, LOTs of magnets and tape during the drying process will help. It also helps to keep an eye on the seams, checking them periodically to make sure things haven't shifted out of place. I know it's a pain in the posterior plate to remove pieces once glued, but in this case I would suggest taking another stab at this one and lowering the cover strip about half an inch. The bottom of the strip should ideally touch or be very close to the top of the ridge. I would also recommend gluing in a small scrap of ABS on the inside (behind the gap) to cover it. If you want to go a step further, you can fill in the top with ABS paste (kind of a pain) or white Sugru. I have a quick tutorial here on using Sugru, and if you live in the U.S. I will send you (no charge) enough to take care of all the gaps on the front and back. Screen used thigh- front Rear You may want to trim down a bit of the return edge on the outside to match the inside after gluing the interior scrap.

Please read the first post of this thread you need to add a link to your 501st membership profile

Appreciate you

Awesome! Thanks! I’ll make sure to size them with books and undersuit. I think I’ll probably go with magnets to help close the back parts.

This is to show a few ways to modify your armor, if you're too slim for the usual size. Trimming Although this may seem like the most obvious solution, unless you're smaller than the average TK (smaller than 175cm) as well, extensive trimming might lead to weird proportions. If you decide to trim your armor, here's a few things you should look out for: For forearm armor, you should trim the back of the armor, as the front might have a raised ridge for your cover strip. Make sure to angle the cut as necessary. Leave enough room to get your hand through the wrist opening comfortably. You might need to reshape the armor with heat afterwards. With the bicep armor make sure to cut equal amounts from front and back, so that the raised armor part/thumb print remains centered. Here you should rather leave some extra space than end up with a too slim bicep as that usually ends up not looking good. Regarding the thighs, you should have the same approach as with the forearms, making sure to only take away extra material in the back. When trimming, make sure to keep the back of both thighs looking similar. The coverstrip should end up pointing at this "corner". You might need to cut off extra material at the top once you align the bottom ridges. The shins should also be trimmed solely from the back, since in the front you have a raised area for the coverstrip. Make sure to test the fit whilst wearing your boots as they might give you extra width to account for. It's better to go slow and trim bit by bit than to rush and take off too much. Although I do NOT recommend trimming the torso, if you feel the need to do so, make sure to trim equal amounts off of all plates to keep the overall balance. Once you get to a point, where any piece of the armor fits you should not trim any other torso pieces. If you've got the notches in your kidney plate, you will either need to reform them after trimming, or you cut away enough material so that you do not have any notches. At the very least for your back and your chestplate you will need to reform the return edge for an authentic look, so make sure to learn that skill beforehand with a separate piece of ABS scrap before reshaping any armor parts. For heatforming a return edge you should either have a piece of smooth wood in the correct shape to bend your armor over whilst forming or you can use a heating iron. Padding Instead of filling out your armor with body mass, you can also add padding. Usually small pads are enough, but you can also fill out your armor pieces across the full length. There are different types of padding you can use. Either store-bought or foam that you cut to the right size. Depending on what you like best and how much flexibility you want to allow your padding you can either use firm or softer padding. Ideally your padding is black to blend into your undersuit. However, should you use different colored padding you can easily use a marker to turn it darker. Should you use a marker, there's no need to color the whole piece, only what is visible by looking into the piece of armor. I prefer to attach my padding with velcro wherever possible, as that allows me to exchange and adjust padding size, thickness, and firmness for each troop. Should you gain or lose weight this will allow for an easy exchange of padding. Additionally this allows you to keep spare padding in case the one you're using rips or otherwise gets damaged. Strapping When you're too thin for your armor, it's easiest to spot the difference in mass between the armor plates, where you can spot the undersuit. Therefore you should aim to have the least amount of undersuit visible. Not only does that get you closer to an authentic look, but the armor hides your actual body mass better than your undersuit. A specific strapping that you can adjust is the shoulder strapping. By moving the chest and back closer together it'll be less likely for another to simply look through any gaps between your armor and your body. You might have to cut away from the neck area a bit more so your armor doesn't cut into your neck. Additionally you might face trouble regarding the ab-kidney connection. If you're fine with your armor overlapping (not acceptable for higher levels), you should make sure that the abplate overlaps the kidney. This way the overlap is less visible to others. Alternatively, you can opt for a rigid strapping for the connection, forcing it into position and shape without the body mass to fill it up. This can look strange when worn if you're a lot skinnier than the armor, but might work out well if it's not that noticeable. Additionally, this qualifies you for higher level approvals. I personally went for a rigid strapping that allows for adjustment. That way I can switch between Centurion level armor and what feels most comfortable to me. As you can see in the picture, the strapping consists of two slots and two ABS pieces that fit them. By making the gap in the slots the exact size as the ABS pieces it mostly stays in position when trooping. Lastly there's the buttplate to consider. Due to it's position, it's easy to see the inside of the buttplate if you're too slim. To avoid that you can either heatform the armor and adjust the curve to the rest of your armor, or you can have an additional snap from one side of your buttplate to the other, going across your body. This keeps the plate flush against your body whilst giving your entire lower torso section a better hold, as this past might slide down without the friction of your body preventing movement. V-tabs can help your buttplate stay in place as well. Paint To avoid people seeing the contrast between your undersuit size and your armor, it might be helpful to color the inside of your armor black to help your undersuit blend in. I personally haven't tried this yet, so I can't guarantee good results. Should I ever attempt this, I'll share my progress and let you know if it works as intended. Trooping You should take some time and a second person to help you adjust your strapping, padding and movements so your armor parts don't lock into each other. Especially the sniperplate can easily end up inside your thigh and cause you problems. Try out different poses that look and feel good for photos or videos. Additionally, make sure to carry some snacks with you if possible, for example by putting a pouch inside your chest plate. Many skinny people do not have many calories to burn or might end up with low blood sugar. Should that happen to you, simply eat a glucose, notify a handler or fellow Trooper and move back to the break room for some proper nutrition and some water. Here I've collected a few things that might be helpful to carry along: If you're too small and too skinny for your armor, you might want to take a look at the following threads for advice on how to downsize your armor: I hope this helped! If you've stumbled across some additional advice, please share it in the comments and I'll link your input here!

Additionally, I get to replace my gloves. Again

Awesome tip! I’ll make sure to try that out! I can definitely see how sanding the edges at a flat angle will help a lot. I snagged a bunch more magnets too so I should be also to glue the inside cover strips pretty quick. Thanks!

I ended up angling them because I tested it and the lenses may rest on my nose when the helmet is built so I'll just trim them later at the top to straighten them out on the inside. I'm happy with the result. I'd say the gap is about 3/32" and is pretty unnoticeable but I'm sure it'll help with fogging.