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I’ve been… busy. Mostly printing. Mostly sanding. Mostly reprinting things I had already convinced myself were finished, and realizing in writing this post, that statement couldn't be farther from the truth. A few updates ago I proudly declared in true Michael Scott fashion, “I declare, the models are finished!” which turned out to be… wildly optimistic. Unfortunately for me—but hopefully beneficial for anyone building these down the road—I’ve continued refining nearly every piece. I have a bad habit of seeing something that’s 90% right and immediately convincing myself it needs to become 95%... or close to 99%. The biggest revision this time around was the back insert. Yep, same one I've been chasing since May. After digging through some additional reference photos, I realized the recess/cavity was a bit too deep. The “II” details should sit nearly flush with the surrounding lip, while the five horizontal ribs protrude just slightly beyond them. It isn’t a dramatic change, but it’s one of those little details that kept bothering me every time I looked at it. So naturally, with the back armor now nearly ready for its base coat (minus a few touch-ups here and there), it was time to move back to the absolute bane of my existence… The thighs. Surprisingly, the actual design wasn’t the problem this time, printing it was. My first test prints in PLA fit and functioned exactly how I’d hoped, which was an enormous relief after everything these parts have put me through. Then ABS decided to remind me that overhangs actually require proper supports. Who would’ve thought? Thankfully, after tweaking a few settings and giving the printer another shot, everything came together exactly as intended. (Ugh… vertical photos throwing off my groove.) One of my bigger regrets earlier in this build was spending the time to fabricate a belt out of HDPE. It worked, and truthfully, I'm still actually quite proud of it if I were going in a slightly different approach. But somewhere along the way, this project quietly evolved into asking myself a different question: “How much of this suit can I actually 3D print?” So… naturally… I modeled the belt too. And in typical fashion, I repeated this step exactly five times until I got the results I needed. Using the behind-the-scenes Andor photos from the FISD gallery as my primary reference, I tried to replicate the proportions as closely as possible while still making something practical to print and assemble. I didn’t quite get enough time over the weekend to remove all of the supports, or even attempt to sand it, but here’s a look at the Blender renders along with a few close-ups of the boxes that are currently being reprinted in resin. And for reference, here’s the enhanced gallery image I based everything from. Working from a single photograph at a less-than-ideal angle makes proportions more art than science, but I think it landed surprisingly close. The only real liberty I took was making the two center boxes separate pieces. It’s entirely possible the production belts molded these as one component—or simply glued them together afterward. Without seeing the backs of the pieces, or talking with team that originally built the armor, it’s hard to know for certain, and frankly… that’s one rabbit hole I’m trying not to disappear down. With all of that out of the way, I finally lined everything up last night just to see where I actually stood. For the first time since starting this project… it finally feels like I’m building a Stormtrooper instead of a collection of individual parts. There are still a few pieces missing from this photo (the newly printed belts being one of them), but they’re all sitting elsewhere in my "workshop" (really, a glorified garage with A/C) waiting their turn. By the end of this build I’ll probably do a dedicated “Hall of Shame” update showcasing all of the failed prints, duplicates, redesigns, and abandoned parts I’ve accumulated over the last six months. Trust me… there’s a lot I’m not showing here. So, what’s left? At this point, the roadmap is actually pretty straightforward: Final primer of most of the parts and some obvious touch-up work Internal strapping and snap installation Full test fit (I'm the most excited for this) Base coat Final assembly I’m planning to tackle the internal strapping before moving fully into paint so I can verify everything fits the way I intended. I’d much rather discover a problem now than after everything has already been painted... as I'm getting a bit tired of reprinting things that are too far along. There are still a handful of pieces I’m not completely satisfied with—mainly the cod and posterior, which are leftovers from my early Akira-printing days. Those will almost certainly get revisited before I submit for approval, but they’re no longer preventing me from moving forward even if I do end up sticking with them temporarily... As I mentioned a few updates ago, I’m still very much in “go mode.” Originally, my goal was simply to have everything ready for a Halloween costume party. Now… I honestly think I might beat that deadline. Six months ago, I thought the hard part was learning how to 3D print. Turns out it was randomly deciding to learn Blender. Now that the modeling is (mostly…) behind me, it’s finally time to build the Stormtrooper I’ve been imagining since December. My soft parts should be shipping any day now, the finish line is finally in sight, and if everything continues going according to plan… I might actually be submitting for Legion approval a little sooner than I originally expected. Fingers crossed.

Not sure if I am allowed to post this but excitement is taking over. After 16+ years of trading and over 25 years in the hobby I have finally set up my own website! It is a works in progress so it will evolve over time but I’ve made a good start. All my helmets have a lineage section of what it was cast from accompanied by photos and credits. Check it out! http://castfromoriginal.co.uk Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Costume = Stormtrooper, A New Hope (Stunt) Costume CRL Link = https://crls.501st.com/fisd/stormtrooper-a-new-hope-stunt Name = Joe B. TKID = 11871 Forum Name = joebee Legion Profile = https://www.501st.com/member/11871/ "Social media consent (photos): Yes" Garrison/Squad = Northeast Remnant Garrison Armor = Imperial Surplus/MTK Helmet = Dan Laws Optional Information Height = 5' 9" Weight = 160lbs Neckseal = RS Props Holster = Self made Hand Plates = RS Props Gloves = Rubber chemical gloves Canvas Belt = Imperial Issue Boots = TK Boots Blaster = RS Props Armor Details Helmet Accessories

Outstanding

Excellent, very smart Link added to "The various types of armor and where to find them"

Thanks @joebee Added to the process line!

RS just dropped a cool new video showing his team building TK suits in time lapse. It was so fascinating, I had to slow it down. Ngl, it's been many a year since I built a TK, and these guys just make it look easy. My hat's off to these gentlemen, masters of their craft.

Yep! Damage and cuts are next on the list

A little progress. I think I went a little heavy on one of the shoulder bells simply because I didn't find the process! Any pointers/suggestions? The more zombie damage and some blood to be added ASAP.