mikedwelle94

I have a set of MonCal thighs that I'm putting together with overlaps (for my ROTJ Shock Trooper) and I'm stumped on how to join the backs together. As you can see, there's no raised edge for me to glue the other half to. Any advice on how to create that edge with a heatgun? Is there anything else I'd need to make sure I don't ruin my plastic? Thanks in advance for your answers!

My advice is to avoid it. Some kinds of helmets - like Mandalorian helmets for example, are good resin helmets. But you will be much better off with a trooper helmet made of ABS or HIPS. There are no advantages in having a trooper helmet made of resin. It will be heavier and more expensive. And if you drop it, you're S.O.L. Take a look at the recommended vendors here. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/

If you're going for total accuracy, I recommend rubber chemical (dish washing) gloves. You can find them for $5 at the hardware store. Wear cheap cotton winter gloves underneath, or you'll be bathing in sweat. An often recommended alternative to rubber gloves are "nomex flight gloves."

Troopermaster ( TM) and Cast from Original (CFO) both sell ROTJ kits. They are based overseas. TM: ---------- CFO: ----------- It would be cool to watch another ROTJ get built. I don't see enough of 'em!

Thanks for the replies, gents. I went with hot glue so that whoever gets this helmet can more easily remove the ears if they want to. A little silicone for the gaps, and it's looking pretty sweet. Paul, I will be ready to purchase your helmet kit soon. I have some people interested in the bucket.

What I'm probably gonna do is submit without the pack and the weapon for level 1, then build the pack and a DLT-19 from scratch for level 2. I don't think I'm crafty enough to build something from scratch that no one's done before And that's how it should be, but I'm pretty confident I'm at least capable of hitting level 2 after introducing TM's ROTJ helmet and kidney/butt into my build. I don't see my FX abdomen armor lasting much longer here either. A lot of the ANH pieces look the same as ROTJ. Forearms, thighs, shins, etc. Even the shoulder bells in the game look more like ANH ones: they don't have that pinched look.

I would hold off on buying a separate mic then. The I Comm might still be cool to have though. Not sure how it would hook up with whatever setup is included with your helmet, but that's a question better directed to the seller of that helmet. Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk

No problem at all sir, glad to help. As for the lack of response, I'd just give it a couple more days before trying again. It can sometimes take that long, speaking from experience. You'll get your reply - whomever you're trying to reach is more than likely just busy at the moment. Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk

I think AP will be what will work best for you. Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk

Voice booster, I Comm, that's all good. Not required for approval, but it makes you sound like a real Stormtrooper with the static bursts. And I don't know if anyone asked this yet, but what's your body type? Some armors fit certain body types better than others. Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk

I'll give it another go haha. Maybe I just need to trim them a little more. Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk

I'm at a loss here. My helmet is an MTK that I'm modifying and painting as an ROTJ style helmet, and I can't figure out how to make the ears stick. There doesn't seem be enough contact area for the glue on the rims of the ears. Any advice on an alternative method of attachment? Thanks, and happy new year! Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk

I'm currently building an Imperial Shock Trooper which is structurally identical to an ROTJ - mostly out of ANH armor (and a lot of the pieces happen to be CAP-W like yours). You need to invert the abdomen button panel, construct everything with the overlap method (no coverstrips), and take all the return edges off all the torso plates and add white rubber "u" trim to the plates. I suppose you can find a way to fuse your kidney/butt armor into one piece, but I think it would be more worth it to order a replacement from a maker of ROTJ armor. TM and CFO can hook you up with that, and the proper belt material. The belt fabric on a ROTJ costume resembles that of firehose, rather than the canvas you see on ANH troopers.

I'm using 80% ANH armor, but I've put it together with overlaps instead of cover strips, which is called for in a ROTJ costume. I'd say you can use whatever make of armor you want, as long as you build it to resemble the ROTJ look. Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk

Those boots should get you into the 501st no problem, but that extra seam on the front may block you for level 2 and 3 certification. The neck seal looks good, though the "one size fits most" line worries me a bit. For any future Stormtrooper-related purchases, I would recommend buying from the people who sell here. It's always a gamble when it comes to quality when you buy from eBay and Amazon.

It's up to you. Several of the vendors that you'll find here: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/ -- offer fully finished and wearable helmets. Read a few threads within here for a while. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/38-getting-started-read-this-first/ Feel free to ask questions

You can get them fully built, which will cost extra. Even still, helmet kits are not terribly difficult to put together. There is a wealth of information here on how to assemble helmet and armor kits. You're in the right place!

Take a look at the link I included in my response. It contains contact information for all of the recommended vendors for Stormtrooper armor.

That, my friend is a Rubies Stormtrooper. I would recommend returning it for a refund if you can, or selling it on eBay and take a bit of a loss. If you would rather keep it, it is very possible you can get meet 501st requirements with some good work. It's been done by a few folks here who own that suit. It will be easiest to convert it to a Return of the Jedi style costume, instead of one from A New Hope or Empire Strikes Back. You should direct any questions you have about the Rubies to ROTJ conversion to Toddo, who was able to attain level 2 certification (EIB) with his Rubies suit. You will need to replace the helmet for sure. If you are keeping the armor, you should go for a ROTJ style helmet to go with it. Troopermaster and sskunky both sell ROTJ helmets, either in kit form or fully built. If you can't afford those options, an ANH painted and modifed to look like an ROTJ might be passable for basic membership, but I would wait for someone else to chime in on that first. Good luck. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/

Do you have a link to the costume you bought that you could share with us? You can soak some cloth in super glue and apply it to the insides of the helmet to strengthen it.

Just sent in my application. There are a couple of things that stick out that might be cause for having to suit up again for a new set of pictures, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to get it done tonight and see what happens. Wish me luck. Front (no flash) Front (with flash) Back Left Right Mexican day on the Death Star Braiiiins.... Bucket off

TM's ROTJ will be closer to the shape and proportions of what you see in the movies and the game, so replacing this ANH based helmet will help me sleep better at night. Hopefully there's someone out there who won't mind using it for their Shock Trooper (or whatever else, I don't care what they do with it once it's out of my hands). I figure the only two weapons acceptable to apply with are the DLT-19 and the T-21. I'm considering a scratch build of the DLT later on that'll consist of insulation foam, PVC piping, styrene, and miscellaneous greeblies. Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk

The weathering on that helmet is superb! I may have to make my TM bucket look more like that once I get it! [emoji6] You should totally do the rest of the suit. There's me, and only one other guy I know of, who are doing these troopers. Like I said on IG, the ROTJ grew on me over time. The thick black frown and the squished appearance of the helmet does look fairly different from what we're all so used to seeing everywhere - but having the red stripes and the freedom to exercise creativity in weathering is worth it. Definitely more fun of a costume to put together than a clean trooper, but that's just my opinion. [emoji2] Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk

After a long, hard look at this MTK helmet, I've decided I'm gonna get it as close to done as I can.... *drum roll* ...then I'm gonna sell it. I've decided that an ANH helmet painted up as an ROTJ isn't good enough for me, so I'll be looking to get a proper ROTJ helmet kit from TM. This will of course drag out the rest of the Shock Trooper project longer than I originally intended, but I think I'll look better overall as a result of this decision. I might also swap out the FX ab plate with one from ATA or CAP-W later on, but that's not as worrisome to me right now.

I might try this instead of buying a tailored one. Thanks for the post