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Greetings from RT-MOD!For the past year and a half, I have been collaborating with Pandatrooper (of Panda Props and Costumes) on the fabrication of RT-MOD armor. Not only has he helped produce armor in his own shop and delivered to my high standards, but he has has helped upgrade many of the molds and bucks to create a more accurate version of the RT-MOD armor. Many elements within the costume have been updated for more accuracy or have been improved in terms of quality, comfort or wearability. Everything is still being fan-made from scratch based on photo references, and scaled up slightly to match the proportions of the current RT-MOD armor.But the time has come for me to officially pass the torch. Going forward, Pandatrooper will be the main contact and fabricator for RT-MOD armor. There will be a new contact email and updates on the latest version of the armor and helmet will be posted soon. As well, there will be some cool upgrades we think you will like! I would like to say I could not have asked for a better, more dedicated individual and have full confidence in Pandatrooper and his skills in carrying the RT-MOD torch. I believe he has a unique skill and dedication that will show in maintaining a high level of quality, care, attention to detail and craftsmanship. Please give him some time for the transition, as well as restocking supplies and also allow him to catch up on some back orders.Keep in mind that RT-MOD has and will be made for fans and hobbyists as time allows. We all have lives and need to take care of that first.From simple beginnings in 2002 to here now in 2019 it has been my pleasure to be able to outfit the bigger trooper candidates with high quality, accurate gear and have enjoyed the fandom and camaraderie of those who partake in the hobby. I want to thank everyone in this community for their support over the years. RT-MOD would not be around without you!

Thanks Rob and thanks to everyone here. I have some big boots to fill! As Rob mentioned, we have been collaborating for a while. If you have gotten armor from RT-MOD over the last year and a half or so, I probably made your armor in my workshop. We have actually been working, planning and updating things long before that. I have been working hard on updating many pieces of the armor. I am guessing that I have upgraded probably 85% of the armor. Some improvements involved sharpening the bucks, or creating new bucks altogether in order to create more accurate (as accurate as fan made as can be) and up to date armor shapes. The vast majority of the improvements have been to align with the ANH look and what people have requested for Centurion level kits. All of the armor now feature deeper return edges, for those wanting to install strapping brackets on the torso or to create a more accurate look. An all new abdomen buck was created with separate ab button panels and button strips (they were molded in previously). All new kidney with an aligned kidney notch was made. New biceps, forearms and hand guards were made from scratch. Thighs are available in different sizes. A larger back was created for bigger troopers. The most exciting news is that the helmet now features a one piece "cap and back" as the previous helmets had separate cap and back pieces. Some bucks are still being refined to make them ready to use, but the vast majority are ready to go and have been in use for some time. Please stay tuned for updates. Thanks for your patience during this time as contact info is updated, new supplies are being ordered, plastics manufactured and shipped, work space re-organized, shipping providers updated as well as some cool new and exciting additions. As Rob mentioned, this is a part time hobby and I will try to help support builders and costumers when time allows. I have a family now and that takes priority, but I will do my best. I will be updating this thread with photos and information when it becomes available, along with detailed descriptions of all the new armor updates and improvements. Thanks for your continued support! Terry

Welcome to all the Troopers inducted to the Hall of Fame since the opening of the thread started by TK - 24127 “Holnave (evan_loh)” on 27 April 2016. Curators: TK 91091 “T K” - 27 April 2016 to 1 January 2017 TK 22700 “humperdingle” - 1 February 2017 to 2 September 2017 TK 99725 “Pyrates” - 3 October 2017 to 2022 TK 23592 "Nairy" - February 2023 to present Inductees: 2 May 2016: TK 69004 “SkulShurtugalTCG” - Jack 16 May 2016: TK 85421 “gmrhodes13” - Glen 30 May 2016: TK 4516 “SCTrooper” - Nick 20 June 2016: TK 73427 “Coastertk” - Jay 4 July 2016: TK 22700 “humperdingle” - Mark 19 July 2016: TK 29464 “KingYeti” - Ryan 1 August 2016: TK 8993 “Rich330” - Myles 15 August 2016: TK 31201 “Strength” - Paul 29 August 2016: TK 91488 “Pretzel” - Preston 19 September 2016: Troopers of the Central Garrison Tim - TK 9029, Ben - TK 76327, Rob - TK 9160, Matt - TK 32592, Jason - TK 5107, and Ryan - TK 9433 7 October 2016: TK - 11427 “Addertime” - Michael 1 November 2016: TK 85421 “gmrhodes13” - Glen 2nd Recipient Award 5 December 2016: TK 99725 “Pyrates” - Aaron 1 January 2017: TK 11479 “scottw02” - Scott 1 February 2017: TK 72410 “sorceresssupreme” - Kae 5 March 2017: TK 41274 “Yooda2004” - Jerome 1 April 2017: TK 91488 “Pretzel” - Preston 2nd Recipient Award 6 May 2017: TK 82898 “TheBlooperTrooper” - Cameron 4 June 2017: TK 99725 “Pyrates” - Aaron 2nd Recipient Award 2 July 2017: TK 23303 “Fraktilfilth” - Stuart 2 August 2017: TK 99725 “Pyrates” - Aaron 3rd Recipient Award 2 September 2017: TK 41307 “Soulart” - Teresa 4 October 2017: TK 82666 “WhiteWalker” - Mike 4 November 2017: TK 91488 “Pretzel” - Preston 3rd Recipient Award 6 December 2017: TK 83042 “SgtGarand” - Asa 3 January 2018: TK 6049 “Colin1138” - Colin 6 February 2018: TK 72313 “FencingCorvetteTrooper” - Gary 4 March 2018: TK 82666 “WhiteWalker” - Mike 2nd Recipient Award 6 April 2018: TK 92802 “Harbinger” - Brien 8 May 2018: TK 11463 “msouza” - Mike 2 June 2018: TK 85421 “gmrhodes” - Glen 3rd Recipient Award 7 July 2018: TK 55550 “Ripper” - Daniel 9 August 2018: TK 75139 “Frank75139” - Frank 8 September 2018: TK 94616 “Crayster” - Carl Ray 6 October 2018: TK 6306 “Thumpy” - Alan 7 November 2018: TK 39093 “giskard8” - Arthur 9 December 2018: TK 10911 “themaninthesuitcase” - Chris 12 January 2019: TK 82214 “DEVOLVER” - Zac 10 February 2019: TK 42775 “James Whitley” - James 8 March 2019: TK 17529 “Scimitar” - Eric 7 April 2019: TK 18131 “CoatHanger” - Lindsey 12 May 2019: TK 10401 “Cricket” - Christine 10 June 2019: TK 11469 “Sly11” - Andrew 7 July 2019: TK 62000 “scottdm62” - Scott 11 August 2019: TK 9239 “Challenger9239” - Chris 10 September 2019: TK 10466 “starsaber25” - Steve 7 October 2019: TK 91983 “ocmano” - Aaron 10 November 2019: TK 14022 “nadia_fernandez” - Nadia 8 December 2019: TK 42413 “Chopper857” - Martyn 13 January 2020: TK 23276 “zv288bot” - Jorge 9 February 2020: TK 73705 “Blaster68” - Nik 8 March 2020: TK 55559 “Fives-Niner” - Michael 12 April 2020: TK 76271 “MissionTrooper” - Andrew 12 May 2020: TK 41808 “Ruffalo” - Philip 14 June 2020: TK 19511 “Freduster” - Freddy 12 July 2020: TK 16233 “Ropie” - Eric 9 August 2020: TK 11672 “Sidius” - Cartsen 13 September 2020: TK 61490 “TheRascalKing” - Justin 12 October 2020: TK 19511 “Freduster” - Freddy 15 November 2020: TK 37423 “GoofTrooper” - Eric 14 December 2020: TK 22020 “Order and Justice” - Cam 10 January 2021: TK 98911 “Rick Starkiller” - Rick 7 February 2021: TK 22423 “LEGOeatPokemon” - Jonas 8 March 2021: TK 12399 “Firedog” - Shawn 13 April 2021: TK 20187 - Troy 11 May 2021: TK 27777 “Tarok” - Rudi 13 June 2021: TK 91632 “tat2trooper” - David 18 July 2021: TK 12879 “Daz0128” - Douglas 28 August 2021: TK 11672 “Sidius” - Carsten 29 September 2021: TK 54185 “Georgia Haywood” 3 November 2021: TK 17032 “Wompet” - Gary December 2021: TK 74259 “RickyBoyBlue” - Ricky January 2022: TK 14631 “IcyTrooper” - Ryan February 2022: TK 89400 “revlimiter” - Adam March 2022: TK 21175 “Hotel” - Jim April 2022: TK 60446 “AradunFF” - Dennis January 2023: TK 20209 "MCPOLara" - Joe February 2023: TK 96004 "Doggydoc" - Gerald March 2023: TK 12775 "Sithping" - Paul April 2023: TK 69826 "TikiTechie" - Jim May 2023: TK 88222 "tdurden" - Don June 2023: TK-66744 "Morgi" - Luca July 2023: TK-89400 "revlimiter" - Adam 2nd Recipient Award August 2023: TK-96004 "Doggydoc" - Gerald 2nd Recipient Award September 2023: TK-10351 "RCMUSTANG" - Ray October 2023: TK-81087 "HeeM_SeNsEi" - James November 2023: TK-46712 "Commander Vain" - Bob December 2023: TK-66744 "Morgi" - Luca January 2024: TK-47933 "Tilheyra" - Brian February 2024: TK-42085 "mamaking" - Helen

Nice TheSwede!!!!! I have decided to move forward with ABS tabs Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

That’s correct. There’s an ideal look to shoot for but as of now it’s only a suggestion

Hello all! Some more progress...this time on my end cap. After noticing the well that fitted the ring retainer was done too wide, in-filled it with green stuff then automotive filler putty to smooth it out. After gray primer, steel-like paint level, then finally flat black, I ended the paint job with flat clearcoat to seal in the black washing of the d-ring and the slight wear and tear effect of sanding away the black to reveal the 'steel' underneath. Ah, kinda rushed on the clear coat application...drippy at parts. Oh well! In the pictures, I compared mine with fieldmarshalls fine fine replica, great reference! It was nice sanding away Tino's d-ring to remove the gold external coating on it [emoji6] Sent from my SM-G390W using Tapatalk

Also corrected the Drop boxes on the belt. Realized I had glued the elastic near the tops of the belt, allowing to much movement. The elastic was glued, (closer to the drop box), and I changed the rivet on the overlapping box. Will post pictures tomorrow after the e600 dries. Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Measure multiple times. Doubt yourself. Look on Whitearmor a ton of times. Post on Whitearmor and ask. Go measure again. Check Whitearmor to make sure you read it right. Sweat, have anxiety attack and then cut.

At the end of my WiP I want to show you something else. This is the new place of my esb stromtrooper if I'm not on the way. -----------

Thanks Ilan

Looking good! Good luck my friend.

Well done Reitzer

Hi Aris, Welcome aboard. I’m sure many of the UK sellers would ship to you. We have some of the best kits in the world coming from the UK so it’s an amazing time to be looking at joining the world of Stormtroopers. :-) The vetted sellers that you mentioned would offer more accurate armour than TKUK. This is not me being mean, just a fact when comparing the various vendors. However, TKUK kits ARE cheap and they can be cleared for 501st use of done correctly. If you can, try joining your local 501st Garrison forum and see if there are any build threads. This might show you some of the extra work that can be required to clear this kit (specifically the 3 piece helmet). Check out the TKUK Facebook page for examples of their kits, compare with screen used and other vendors, then see if the price and quality meets your expectations. In reality, if Joe Public sees a TKUK Stormtrooper, it still looks like a Stormtrooper to most people - it just depends how far you personally want to take it. It all comes down to personal goals/budget/preference etc. :-) Hopefully you can reach out to your local Garrison and see what they suggest. Best wishes Dan

I can see how you can be addicted (in a good way). I first started out just wanting to buy a ready to wear costume. Now I’m very eager to construct my own. I already have my sights on a second costume( tie fighter pilot, and third ATAT pilot and captain Rex would be good). I’ve decided I’m going to buy my first from RWA creations I was born not far from where they are. I’ll keep you posted on how it’s going, thanks ty Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Copy that lol

I believe they are about 5 to 6mm in size. I can't remember if there was an actual measurement photo in the reference gallery. As long as they are not noticeably large (or small) you should be good.

Thanks - that's where I've been looking. Much appreciated.

Oh good, I won’t have to empty my wallet to make changes. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here’s how it looks, was ever only intended for trial fitting but stuck so well so left it

In order of completion: ESB TK, Jawa, TIE Reserve, ROTJ Crewman, Staff Officer, Shadow Scout, Gunner, ANH TIE Pilot, Warrant Officer, and Social Officer (Version 2). Total of six Detachments (FISD, Krayt, JRS, IOC, Spec Ops, and IGC). I collect Detachments like I collect patches. Someday I will have BHG and MEPD. I'd love SL but there's just not currently a costume in there I really want to do (maybe the new movies will bring something for me). In progress: Phasma, Line Officer (rank bars and hat), Admiral Daala (rank bars), Warrant Officers Versions 2 and 3 (I just have to get a chance to take photos of those two). The easiest way to rank up detachments and costumes is to look for "gimme" costumes- costumes or variants you can do based on stuff you already have in a different order or combination, or with a small, easy, and/or cheap addition (Daala I just needed silver hair clips from the Line Officer, for example). (If you have Jack boots, those do some 10+ costumes between the Legions for example). Or costumes that are dual Legion- like Krayt costumes and Boushh. It's become a running joke between three of us in the Squad- I have 10, BensID39999 has 14, and Fixer has 16. I needle them and tell them I'm catching up. Except Fixer is a machine, so there's no catching up with him (and that's just 501st- he also has a couple Rebel Legion ones and a Mando). BensID39999 has a few Rebel Legion. I have three Rebel Legion- Willrow, Jawa (dual) and Jedi.

Thanks. I spent some time as costume advisor on the MMC UK forums with my Mando and am used to following CRLs. The problem always arises in that vague area that is 'common knowledge' but which hasn't been written down.

Yes I have done a lot of research.. a lot . I mean ya that’s great. And I can modify my suit. And yes for the money I can see that lots of people prefer movie accuracy.. I get that and everyone looks awesome amazing in their suits. It’s really the only option I have as I don’t have a lot of time to do a bild.. trust me I would love to do that for myself.. and I totally agree with u get what you pay for which is what everyone is saying her .. just saying that I’m sure that they have made some changes to their problems and product.. I would love to see more pictures of comparable suits from stormtrooper store compared to AP- Anovos- RS. Ect . Thanks for the feedback much appreciated... keep on trooping

Yes I do, thank you Ukswrath!!! Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Thanks Jordan, much appreciated! It was such a fiddle and a compromise - I'm used to asymmetry in Star Wars helmets but this was quite 'special'

Ok awesome, I was just fixing to go look at it. Its one of those "over the top accurate" things then. No worries. Your looking good so far. cant wait to see the bucket finished. it was the first thing I did to get the "hard part" out of the way. and it was the most scary. I like you was "pooping" myself during the teeth. Luckily for me AM cuts the eyes for you, so I didn't have to worry about too much.

I would definitely recommend a bolt that holds the lens in. This way if anything ever happens and you need to replace them, you can just remove the bolt and replace them. Also, you don't want the lens to completely seal around the eyes, but "float" so to speak. This way there is a way for the eyes to vent and not fog so easily

Imperial Valour, you may want to message 850 Armor Works and HSP to get a time frame on when these will be available. I paid for a chest plate and ammo belt with 850 last year before DragonCon and have still not received them. When I contact them they say they are still working on the bucks. They have offered to refund me but I am fine to wait. However, I still have no idea when (if ever) I will see my parts. I do not think anyone has done a comparison between the flexible fiberglass and the ABS. I will say that I have vacuum formed Mandalorian armor in both ABS and HIPS. Comparing the three materials, the ABS seems the most resilient. In my experience, the flexible fiberglass will crack at stress points if it is flexed often (like putting it on and taking it off). Additionally, since the fiberglass must be painted, the paint can crack when flexed as well. I used automotive paint so that is not a huge issue with me but I would think that spray paint would crack when flexed. ABS vs HIPS. Originally the standard TK was formed with HIPS (I believe); however, many formers are now using ABS because of the cost. For example, a 4’x8’ sheet of 1/8” thick (.125) HIPS is $55.60, where a 4’x8’ sheet of 1/8” thick (.125) ABS is $35.20 from my supplier (Calsak Plastics). However, the ABS is not smooth on both sides. One side has a hammered finish (textured like a truck bed liner) and even if I form the armor with the smooth side up, the detail of the texture side comes through. This can be sanded but it would take a lot of work to make a TK kit with this textured stuff. Calsak can order both side smooth Abs but you must purchase a whole pallet of 100 sheets for this and that is a lot of cash. I know 850 is using the smooth both side ABS so their armor should be good to go. Another down side of the ABS is that it is mostly available in black. HIPS is glossy white and therefore no need to paint but most ABS armor will need to be painted. Using Abs for Mando armor is not an issue since we mark up most of our kits to look extensively battle worn so the texture is more of a benefit than a hindrance. The last Mando kit I built I used a combination of Abs and Sentra. Sentra is a not a vacuum forming plastic, but you can shape it with a heat gun, so for Mandalorian armor it is idea and I have been very impressed with it. Hope this helps. Ukswrath, agreed, I prefer ABS for vacuum forming.

Hey John do you have the bubble lenses in hand? If so follow the contour of the lens

Hiya, Personally, I’d say it’s all about budgets and how accurate you want your kit to be. The cheaper the suit, the less accurate it will usually* be. Some people are driven by budget so these sort of kits might be okay. Others might want to save that little bit longer and buy something more accurate. (See vetted sellers list). If it were me, I’d always compare the suit you’re looking at versus screen used. Play spot the difference. Check this against the higher end kits and see if you can warrant the higher price for the higher accuracy. Here’s a side by side of the kit you’ve linked versus screen used originals. For me, I see lots of differences in the shapes of various parts, the helmet lines and proportions etc. Some might not see the differences and like the price so would go for it. Others might look at the vetted sellers and do comparisons and prefer the more accurate kits. Each to their own. Best wishes Dan

Yep, very little has changed lol

Correct, for Centurion they have to be flexible hand guards. Look up Joseph in the sales section (top of the page I recall), he sells the hand guards

It is Ethylene Vinyl Acetate known as EVA rubber (sorry not EVE). They are craft foam sheets Hope this clarification helps

There is a raffle going on the UK, which says the winner will get a screen used Episode IX Trooper Helmet: Some User on reddit made a great comparison between the episodes: So there are some minor differences (can also be the camera angle) between the Episode 8 and 9 Helmet, but over all it seems they keept the Episode 8 Design

Thanks PatrickM - I used 3M Bondo Spot putty. It lays on like toothpaste and when you use a flat surface to push against it, it fills in the uneven surfaces beneath it. After which it dries fairly quickly and you can sand away with little effort, unlike the bulkiness of the ordinary Bondo which you have to break a sweat to sand down. Sent from my SM-G390W using Tapatalk

Welcome to the ranks buddy. You made it to the top. Told you so

Thank you Rob for all you have done over the years, same goes for Terry. Great to know RT-Mod armour will continue on and in it's new more refined state. Awesome work fellas.

Great result as always! What kind of automotive filler putty did you use? I also noticed that green stuff is not ideal for smoothening out air bubbles and stuff.

Looks great!

Great! Thank you!

Yeah that looks extremely thick. It should follow the contour of the brow ridge. Mine is ANH stunt, but a fairly consistent 9-10mm ridge. You can check out the hero helmet reference in the gallery here:

A toothpick works wonders when trying to scrape away just the right amount of paint. Easy fix.

Me too LOL

Just watch the positioning of your belt, at the moment you are covering the bottom button, should be just under

Nice work, every bit of work ends up in the end

Yes you can Reference helmet is the "set for stun"-Trooper helmet that Trooperbay based the tube stripes on.

Thank you very much Daniel and all the companions for the congratulations. I am very happy to get my second centurion, thanks for the suggestions to improve my armor. A greeting.

Greetings Troopers! I have decided to change things up. I have gone back through our field reports not only from the past month but all of our field training exercise reports. There are a lot of submissions that are still some major contenders for recognition, such as this month’s recipient. Troopers please join me in welcoming TK - 17529 Eric to The Stormtrooper Hall of Fame! Congratulations!

I’m building my AM kit now. It’s fantastic stuff. Victor Matts is the guy to contact if you want a great kit. I’m doing a detailed build thread here if you care to see how nice this armour really is. It’s very reasonably priced and comes with a couple extra parts for other versions to choose from. This is my thread. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/46165-anh-stunt-build/

I'd sell my Skyhopper for some rubber thigh pieces. Those were the lucky ones.

They are Rupes X-Cut sanding pads Should be able to get them in some of the auto detailing shops in the US I hope. As they are slightly padded and with velcro they work really well with a drill for larger flatter areas, but also by itself by hand.