mikedwelle94

Although watching this kit become a clean TK would be cool, I'm more excited about everything else people could turn these kits into. Death Troopers, Novatrooper Medics/Elites/Sentinels, Shock Troopers, etc. Let's see some variety come out of this new bunch of troopers!

Hey Jeff, I've been having the same exact problem with my Bass boots on both of my TK costumes. Someone linked your thread to my question and I'm really excited that I'm going to make this work. This glitch with my boots/shins is the only thing holding my Death Trooper back from approval. Thank you for posting all these pictures and explanations - it's all immensely helpful.

Found it in his thread(page 5 on laptop), thank you so much for showing me that! That will be immensely helpful. I just realized I also have a bit of a return edge on the bottoms of my shins on both my TKs which I will be removing. Hopefully these methods work. Just need to apply this fix to my Death Trooper and it's DONE. My TK number is so close, I can pretty much taste it.

Yeah I'm sure they would, given their bigger size. Should've learned that lesson from my Death Trooper and gone for those instead of ATA. I would like to try something that won't cost any extra money first. I spent too much on these two trooper costumes already The urge to cut into these boots is growing ever stronger.

You're right, these boots are pretty big. I have another pair of these on my Death Trooper kit and I'm having the same problem. I can afford to replace one pair, but not two... Anyone have any advice? Could I cut into these and try to reduce the size of the opening? I figure it won't be seen since the shins will cover it up. Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk

Does the first time I needed to use the bathroom during a convention count as a horror story? It had a happy ending, but I figured out the wrong way to strap a Stormtrooper suit together.

Hey. So I had to insert this strip of ABS in the back of my left shin order for it to fit over the top of my boot. The shin armor is ATA (assembled with overlap) and the boots are Bass Amsterdams. I just need to know if this is an acceptable way for the back of it to look. Looking through all these other ROTJ threads, I haven't seen that anyone else needed to do this. Don't mind the red, this is supposed to be for an Imperial Shock Trooper which is structurally the same as ROTJ. I haven't shimmed the right shin yet, and you can see that it *just* barely doesn't close all the way over the boot. DSC03430 DSC03431 12571341_10204176788259980_590621176_n

Had the day off (after errands n' stuff) to paint. The chilly weather today didn't seem to mess with anything. Calling both shoulder bells and biceps done. One bicep is black CAP-W HIPS painted white, and the other is unpainted ATA ABS. Both shoulder bells are CAP-W HIPS. I kind of wish my whole suit was black to begin with, because sanding away some of the white paint makes for a cool weathering effect. 12596097_10204176788579988_259970465_n Also did a bang up job (in my opinion ) on this left shin armor. I think I'll finish the right shin tomorrow if I have time before class. I have no doubt I can hit level 2 certification with all this ATA and CAP-W stuff. Assembled with overlaps, I think it certainly looks the part. 12576189_10204176787419959_1908836563_n I'm really happy I'm able to get it to fit over my boot with the rear shim installed. Still not sure if the way it looks is going to be acceptable. Probably going to post in the ROTJ section about it if a ROTJ expert doesn't chime in here. 12571341_10204176788259980_590621176_n 12607369_10204176788059975_880186977_n That's all for now. My drop boxes from Trooperbay arrived recently, so I'll have that to work on. Payment has been sent to Troopermaster for his ROTJ helmet kit, which is being shipped with my kidney/butt and the correct ROTJ belt material. Should have most everything else done by the time the TM stuff arrives!

Yup, I know your situation. At least you don't live in Maine. There's like, one or two other 501st Stormtroopers in this entire state that I know of. It's quite isolated up here, with most of the NEG members being based in Massachusetts. So it would be impossible to get involved with things like armor parties unless I drive a six hour round trip, which isn't happening. ...There's more Mando Mercs here than 501st.... At least you have the forums. People here are really good about providing helpful answers to questions and they really want to see you make it in this hobby. And once people around you see what you're doing, they'll probably want to follow suit.

Ask around for some broken or B-grade parts and make a Death Trooper costume.

Cool, thanks for the clarification.

No one will know for sure how well plastic colors match up until these folks get the plastic in their hands. Also yeah, I heard that people are waiting a while for theirs. I don't think you can even order any OT TK stuff from Anovos now until some of the pre-orders have started shipping. There are other vendors with helmet kits ready to go besides Anovos. There are some good tutorials on how to put ATA helmets together.

Wait, TM has made the FOTK already?

I'll be referring to this thread when I start my DLT-19 build. Thanks for all the pictures!

Got a few things done since my last update! I sold my MTK helmet on eBay (my first eBay sale!!). So PayPal is withholding my funds until the helmet arrives and feedback is sent. Fair enough I guess. Apologies to TM for making him wait so long to ship my ROTJ armor, belt and helmet stuff..! What I still need to do with the parts I have on hand: - Spray paint right bicep white (a few of the parts I received came in black HIPS) - Add red stripe to right bicep - Trim knee ammo belt and rivet to right thigh - Add red stripe to right thigh and left thigh - Spray paint both shins + TK kneeplate red - Add rear shim to right shin - Add velcro to right boot to keep shin from popping out - Strap right shoulder bell to the right shoulder bridge I had to add a shim to the inside of my left shin so it would fit over the top of my boot, using some leftover red ABS from my old ATA Magma. Is it acceptable for the back of a ROTJ shin to look like this? I plan to do the same with my right shin if this is okay. This little glitch involving the shins and boots just so happens to be one of only two reasons why my other suit isn't 501st approved... I feel pretty motivated to make this change after seeing how well the shim worked on this set of armor. And this is what the front looks like with the shim installed. The knee plate is CAP-W (HIPS), and the shin armor is ATA (ABS). Can't wait to see how this all looks in red. And a couple more questions. Since the thermal detonator is clearly ANH/ESB and not ROTJ, would my FX control panel be acceptable? Are they still accepted on new recruits? I could purchase a replacement from ATA, but I would rather save up for DLT-19 and backpack parts.

Also, if price is the issue, it wouldn't hurt to let the vendor know. Perhaps they could work out a payment plan for you if you ask about it. We just don't want to see you make a purchase you'll regret Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk

You are essentially buying a stolen product. If you're okay with that, fine, but keep in mind that although your kit may seem like a good deal now, it may wind up costing you tons more when you find out you have to replace parts. Won't seem like such a good deal then. You've gotten some good advice, and in the end it's your call whether or not you want to follow it. Good luck with whatever choice you make. Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk

Perhaps you could look into scratch building a TK helmet with the pepakura method. I've seen files that in my opinion look better than the eFX, but lack a lot of the wonkiness of the original helmets.

Yup, same. I had mine before I knew that more accurate options were available. My intention wasn't to berate anyone who put work into theirs and make the best of what they already have. It's not a BAD helmet by any means, but those who would willingly choose it over say, an ATA or CAP-W, would puzzle me. If you like what you're wearing, keep wearing it. Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk

I made it work for the most part. Not having the ridge on the other halves left me with a few gaps between the tops and bottoms, but once I get some stronger magnets I should be able to fix them.

Good god, did you really just go there? I quietly respected everything you said up to this point, but you're crossing the line now and you need to be called out on it. Body shaming is NOT okay, and no one should be discouraged from cosplaying their favorite character due to the way they look. Let the people have their fun. I don't think the 501st, nor the cosplay community in general, would mesh well with people who hold viewpoints like yours. OP had his question answered, and somehow in the same thread RS was bashed (again) and people are being body shamed. Let's put a cap on it.

CAP-W and ATA are examples of vendors who sell A New Hope style Stormtrooper armor kits. If it's true that Corsair Kids is a recaster, then it would not be morally appropriate to purchase from them. That kind of stuff is very much frowned upon. Buying from recasters is comparable to buying stolen goods imo. If you want HIPS, buy from Scootch. I don't think he's on the list Locitus provided, but he's recommended by many folks here. Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk

HIPS. Only good vendor I know of that currently uses HIPS is CAP-W, or it could be an old ATA. The helmet ears look a little weird to me. Other than that, it looks like it can be approved for sure as a Sandtrooper if you can make it fit you. It would have to be a Sandtrooper, as it's missing the TK kneeplate and the abdomen buttons. Do you have a link with more information about this set of armor, maybe a sale post?

As someone who once had an EFX as a first helmet, I upgraded to a CAP-W and never looked back. The HIPS plastic is much lighter and more comfortable to wear than whatever the thick stuff EFX is made of. That, MTK, and ATA are all fine choices for cheap, good quality kits. Why buy an EFX and do a bunch of extra work to make it pass for basic approval, when you can just buy a quality kit for roughly the same amount of money (sometimes less)?

This talk about RS has nothing to do with OP's question about resin helmets. I don't think bashing RS is adding anything too constuctive to the discussion. I'd think you'd be more than welcome to start your own thread in which you can voice your opinions. --- Another thing about resin helmets worth mentioning, is the work it takes to finish them from their raw state. Speaking from experience, sanding and cutting resin with, say, a dremel, kicks up a LOT of toxic particles. It's messy, and you'd need a respirator for sure. ABS is much easier to work with - it's possible to do most of your work with a razor blade and some sandpaper. If you want a cheap, good quality helmet kit that's easy to work with, hit up Scootch and see if he can sell you one. He uses HIPS that requires painting, but I've found that it's easier to cut and assemble vs. ABS. A few coats of spray paint and clear coat, and no one will tell the difference. Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk