wingnut65

Nice work, Haui! I love the details you added to it. Nice! And the whole reactor inside, Very Nice!

Oops!! You are correct. I did read that he was taking a break and promply forgot. Disregard that suggested source!!! Now we just need to find a hardware store near a FISD member that sell in small quantities.

For the rivets alone, this is where many get ours from. He has quick turn araound time - http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/23970-fs-centurion-level-rivet-sets/ Be sure to check out what others have available in the Commissary - http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/16-ongoing-sales-project-orders/?prune_day=100&sort_by=Z-A&sort_key=last_post&topicfilter=all

when I was shopping for a TK, several vendors said they didn't make theirs in PVC anymore. All they pulled was ABS.

The no-no's mentioned are visible variations to the backpack that they are prohibiting. What you are suggesting sounds like thru alterations, would be totally hidden. Kinda like TK's adding voice amps or wallets inside their armor.

Looking better. Just as she added some more black, she needs to add a little more gray to the gray area to thin down the black border.

Trooperbay's Facebook page has this post on Friday 11/20/2015: "Hey everybody! At trooperbay it's all about the family so I am taking off all week for Thanksgiving! The site will be back on Saturday the 28th and there WILL be a sale on Cyber Monday so stay tuned and Happy Thanksgiving to you all!" So, it looks like there should be no fears that it is down, but more anticipation for a Cyber Monday Sale!

It’s Thermal Detonator Time… Researching the dimensions for the thermal detonator, I found several different variations of dimensions, but all look to be visually acceptable. I used dimensions I took from the screen used TD to cut my plastic. Only later did I find Sly11’s helpful tutorial diagram, which is slightly different, but pretty close to the other. A screen used Thermal Detonator Since the TD caps and cover were the first pieces of plastic that I cut, I wasn’t too sure what I was doing and I didn’t take any pictures. So, please forgive me. I cut my pipe so my TD will be 7-1/4” (184 mm) overall. End caps are 3/4" (19 mm) wide and the TD cover plate is 4-1/2” (114 mm) wide, which is what the screen used TD measures. While I was anxious to see what my first cuts would look like, I put some soap on the ends of the pipe and squeezed on the end caps. But, only one cap would go on until I drilled a hole in the pipe to release the air inside. I used E6000 to glue the cover plate on the pipe. End caps were not glued. TIP FOR REMOVING TD CAPS - Put the thermal detonator in a plastic grocery bag and use a nozzle to blow some air from an air compressor set on very low pressure, into the hole in the pipe. At least one cap will blow off and be safe in the bag. The first time I needed to remove the caps, I didn't use a plastic bag or the low air pressure setting and both my caps blew off and bounced around the garage. I learned! On With The Build… I got a piece of 2” gray pipe from an electrician friend of mine from church. I asked if I could buy a small piece, and he said, No, but I can have one! The 2’ long piece I received was from his scrap pile and with the looks of it, it would have been a great buried pipe, not a movie prop costume piece. This picture doesn’t show the grooves and ridges that were actually all the way around the pipe. However, I made it work! I used a radial arm saw and cut the pipe to about 7-1/8” long to account for the curved ends of the plastic caps. Then I sanded the pipe down, starting with 150 grit sandpaper and then with 400 grit. Then I pulled out my Micro-Mesh sanding/polishing kit that goes from 1500 grit down to 12000 grit in nine steps and worked its magic to obtain a shine. I promise, I will post an update discussing more on this polishing system. The ‘Black’ Screws… The slotted screws that hold the aluminum belt clips to the thermal detonator need to be black. The easy way would be to paint them, but looking at some pictures of the screen used TD’s, I think they may have used screws that were dark metal, not painted. I have encountered a similar dark metal finish while metal working in my garage when soaking hardware and metal pieces to get rust off. It is when I soak things in Ospho Surface Prep and Rust Treatment. WARNING – This is a strong chemical and caution is needed when using it. I poured a few drops of Ospho in a medicine cup and put five #6 sheet metal screws in to soak the just heads. I added one extra screw, just in case. NOTE: By choosing to use sheet metal screws, I won’t have to remove the caps to get into the TD to install washers and nuts to the back of machine screws. Either way would be acceptable. On To The Belt Clips… While the screws were soaking, I started the belt clips. I bought a piece of 1” x 1/16” x36” aluminum bar for the clips at Lowes to make the clips. I read over several times and printed out Vern’s tutorial ‘How to make Thermal Detonator’ to guide me in this critical process. (Thanks, Vern. It helped!) Here, I measured two 8-1/2” (216 mm) strap lengths and marked the screw holes at 1/2" (12 mm) and 2” (50 mm) from the end of the bar. NOTE: The holes in the aluminum are oversized, to allow the screw to go through easily and tighten down to the pipe itself. I cut the aluminum bar to have two 8-1/2” (216 mm) lengths using a jigsaw. I should have moved the cut line closer to the workbench so it didn’t bend when it completed the cut. It was easy to straighten out, but an unnecessary extra step. I put tape on the aluminum to protect it as I clamped it tightly to a smaller, 1-1/2” (40 mm) pipe, using a large C-Clamp. This is to be able to over-bend the bar to accommodate the spring back effect. With my hands, I curved the bar around the smaller pipe to create the ‘J’ shape. I used an adjustable wrench to curve the very tip of the bar to obtain the same radius where it was clamped at. Fitting it to the correct pipe looks like I achieved a successful curve! After letting the screws soak about 30 minutes (3 km) and letting them dry off, they have a dark finish that cannot be achieved easily with paint. I set these aside to let the finish fully harden, cure, or whatever it needs to do. To continue, I used some temporary #6 sheet metal screws to install the J-shaped belt clips to the TD. I installed the clips about 1/16” (1.5 mm) away from the end caps and tight to the bottom of the TD cover plate. I also drilled another air vent hole under one of the clips since I glued the cover over the first one. TIP: Install Black Screws Now - Before making the next bends, I should have considered replacing the temporary screws with the correct black screws. Read ahead to see why. I would have put a piece of tape over them to protect the finish while finishing the rest of the project. As Vern suggested, I used some scrap steel bars (his were aluminum) to clamp the belt clips so they can be bent downward. I used my hands to bend them as far as I could, and then used a pair of pliers with rubber jaw covers to crimp the aluminum tightly over the steel bar. The steel bar was 1/8” (3 mm) thick, which is perfect thickness to go over a belt. I measured 3-1/4” (83 mm) from the folded end for the next bends. Since the steel bar clamps worked well for the first bend, I clamped them to pinch just the ends of the belt clips. I did not have any leverage to bend by hand the clips directly where I wanted, I used the rubber jaw pliers to persuade them to bend correctly. Not bad for a first try at making TD belt clips! I removed the temporary screws and installed the correct, dark colored slotted screws. But… Since the belt clip is now fully bent, it was a little difficult to remove the two back ones because they were so long. So, before installing the black screws, I trimmed off some of the extra length of the two back ones. Since the holes were already threaded in the pipe by the temporary screws, it was easy to reinstall them. This also shows the 1/16” offset the clips have from the end caps. Front view of the TD. Unless you are following me and then this is the back view… On my first 501st Handling Deployment, I helped DeathMOS30 get suited up in her Magma Trooper armor. I was impressed with her TD that she had felt on the belt clips. She found out about it from another Trooper to prevent scratching the back of their armor. Awesome idea! That felt square probably the best 35₵ I’ve spent on this costume! I used E6000 to glue the felt strips to the aluminum. I think the most time consuming part of this was, well besides the procrastination thinking that I would bend the belt clips wrong, was the sanding, sanding, more sanding and then polishing the plastic pipe. Big difference, Right? My TD is now finished and ready to wear! Getting closer to the finish line… Next up, Sniper Plate and Other Small Details!

Thanks for the support, Gerard! Welcome to FISD! I'm honored you chose teh ATA for Tampa Bay for your first post! Sorry to hear that your first experiences with bucket building didn't turn out well. Before I got started on my helmet build, I watched the TrooperBay tutorial videos, multiple times. That gave me the confidence that I needed. The helmets are just plastic, which can be patched and repaired. I've seen some that ended up needing puddy and sanding to smooth out and covered with a coat of paint. I haven't seen any buckets that are not salvageable. Try getting together with your local 501st garrison or squad and talk with other stormtroopers. They would be more than willing to offer some guidance and assistance in your project. Anothe rpossibility would be to start a new thread sna post a few pix to get some advice from othes who have been there before. Good luck with your path through the World of White Armor!

I'm confused with your plan. Do you want to trim, cut and glue all the plastic pieces together and then use Velcro to assemble them all so you can wear them? Or, do you want to use Velcro to hold all the plastic pieces together so you don't have to glue them together and install the cover strips?

When a Drop Box is not just a Drop Box… I can’t help but think that the emptiness inside the two drop boxes could be used for some storage. These look like perfectly normal drop boxes, And… ...What a coincidence that the innner drop box is just the right size for our Trooper Cards. I’m sure I am not the first to have done this, but I still wanted to try it. BUT, I have not tried to use these while wearing gloves, so this may be a total waste of my time, but an engineer has to engineer things! Inside the innner drop box, I used E6000 to add a nylon strap for a hinge to the bottom edge. However, I think elastic may give a little more flexibility when opening the cover. To keep the boxes closed, I’m using four 1/4’ x 1/16” rare earth magnets. I used some scrap ABS to space the ones in the innner box so that the magnets are 1/16 from the edge of the lip. TIP: I used blue tape as a tab to be able to open the boxes when the magnets were installed. It was removed when the elastic was added. I used pieces of a plastic bag under the magnets for the cover, just to keep from glue locking the box shut. I put E6000 on the top of each magnet… … and over the nylon hinge strap… … and then just close the box and let it sit overnight for the glue to set. I trimmed pieces of thin aluminum to the width of the innner box and 2” (50 mm) tall. After spray painting them white, I used super glue to glue them to the inside drop box. The aluminum is 0.025” / 0.6 mm thick. I followed another handy Bill Hag tutorial diagram for locating the elastic and rivet I wanted my boxes to be a little tighter to the ammo belt and so my nylon loop is 125 mm long, (doubled over = 250 mm). Since the boxes will be opened, I heavily glued the elastic to the box and then installed a small rivet. I did not use a washer since I don’t want anything to scratch the trading cards. The rivet basically enlarged inside the hole I drilled. I filed off the extra aluminum, until it was almost flush with the inside of the box. I left the mandrel (ball) in the rivet to hold it in place. NOTE: IF I had not also glued the elastic, I would have used a longer rivet and a washer. Now, I just hope while trooping, that I can actually get to the drop boxes, open them up and pull out a single trading card… Next up, It’s Thermal Detonator Time!

Glad it could help, Adam. I've seen some use Velcro and others use snaps. I think it was Vern that pointed out that those two snaps on the original costumes, were actually the smaller Line 20 snaps, which are 7/16" (11 mm) diameter, instead of the larger Line 24 snaps, which are 9/16" (14 mm) diameter. In reality, since they are on the inside and will never be seen by the public, you can use what you have in stock.

I also realized that I did not mention where to install the two smaller Line 20 Snaps to the armor Ab Plate to secure the canvas belt in place. This Bill Hag tutorial diagram was very helpful locating the snaps. Use this as a guide, The top of the belt should be right at the bottom of the Ab Button Plate, or slightly over it.

Thanks, Joseph. You caught me! I forgot to mention the several coats of Scotchguard I put on the canvas belt, even before I really started to handle it with my bare hands. Even when protected, I've been scared that I will pick it up with dirty or greasy fingers. So far so good. That sounds like another good reason to make the ammo belt removable. I haven't studied the HWT requirements, yet, but I like really do like your suit!

Assembling the Belt! Researching the belt system, I found and printed out a lot of reference photos, including this very helpful Bill Hag tutorial diagram. I’ve added the colored dots to show what and where my fasteners are located. Previously, I had trimmed the corners of the plastic ammo belt, but didn’t trim it to length. The tutorial diagram above says the end is 1.5” (38 mm) from the end ammo box. The corner dimensions are intended so that the flat end section of the plastic is the same width of the canvas belt. Since I am not proficient yet with a sewing machine, I purchased my white canvas belt from TrooperBay, which is 3” wide. My angles are close to these dimensions. I started rough trimming the snap covers to the inside corner of the square mold lines, where I have a pencil mark. Then I sanded the sides so the snap covers would be right at 1” (25 mm) square. I also sanded the corners round. I want to have the flexibility to be able to remove the plastic from the canvas belt so the belt can be washed. I don’t know if I ever will need to, but just in case! I know dirt would just add to the worn look of the armor, but with my luck, I’d get a hug from a kid with a bright red fruit punch… I used threaded studs, aka Chicago Screws, to fasten the plastic belt to the canvas belt. But, the threaded studs that I had on hand were too long. They were right about 7 mm long, and I only needed them to be the thickness of the belt and plastic. The screws were already short enough. NOTE: The left screw has already been cut. The right screw is standard size I found a paint stir stick that was 3 mm thick and I drilled a hole and inserted the stud. The hole was a little small to give a tight fit. Using a hacksaw, I cut the end of the stud off. I used a tapered reamer bit to clean out the opening. Since it is aluminum, a countersink would also work. I also used 400 grid sandpaper to remove any burrs. I used epoxy and glued the stud end sticking through the face of the ammo belt, facing to the back. I used E6000 to install the cover plates over the studs. There is one stud on each end and one in the middle of the plastic ammo belt. NOTE: Wear The Canvas Belt To Locate Holes! - I located and punched a hole in the canvas belt and installed the center screw to lock the plastic ammo belt in place. From advice I’ve read here on FISD, I put on my lower armor to get the belt to fit properly. While wearing the white canvas belt over my armor with the plastic ammo belt secured only in the middle, I curved the ammo belt around my waist and had Mrs. w65 mark the locations of the two holes for the end studs. I punched those holes, inserted the screws through washers and the belt was assembled! This method of measuring will reduce stress on the plastic and canvas as the belt is worn. Holster Assembly and Mounting! My holster kit is from Darman, with everything ready to assemble. I used some research images to see how it goes together and punched the holes in the leather as needed. To mount the holster to the belt, I started out using the same threaded studs that I have, but that didn’t last long. A couple times on and off and I looked for an alternative. I thought about snaps, but the back needed to look like a rivet to be screen accurate, not a snap back. Further research and I came across our own ukswrath’s ATA TK build thread where he shows step-by-step how he installed the snaps, using rivets! This is his photo that confirmed that it can be done and convinced me to do the same! The secret is a large enough rivet on the face and drilling out the snap to take the rivet! Thanks, Tony!! Locating the holster was easy using another Bill Hag tutorial diagram. Since I am going for ANH Stunt, I only need two fasteners. Going through my hardware inventory, I found a box of 3/16” rivets. These have a much more accurate looking larger head than the smaller 1/8” rivets. Here, the snaps have already been drilled out to the fit the rivets. NOTE: This is just a staged photo to show the rivet head size. The head must go on the face of the belt with the snap on this back side. Using a hand rivet tool, I set each rivet until the stem snapped. Don’t Panic with how the back looks, Tony had a solution! Careful use of a drill took the extra aluminum off the rivet. I used tape to protect the belt during this step. I used needle nose pliers to hold the flat of the snap while I drilled on very slow speed. NOTE: Don’t grab around the sides of the snap or it could get damaged or deformed and not be able to snap!!! When I drilled down far enough, I turned the snap over and used a center punch to punch the mandrel head (the ball) out of the rivet. I drilled a little more until I was convinced that the rivet would not interfere with the function of the snap, while still maintaining enough aluminum for a secure hold. Front of the belt looks pretty convincing! (Drop box assembly will be next, so just ignore it for now.) View of back of belt! Adding the snaps to the holster will make it more convenient when packing it all away in the bin. The finished product! Yes, the drop box does have enough play to slide over to be flush with the outside edge of the ammo belt! Next up, Drop Box Secrets!

You did mention the No Return Policy, I mean, advice for the shins, but I do like the idea of softening the inside edge with the soft Velcro strip. Thanks.

I think if I can break the subjects of these posts down, I can get the updates posted more frequently.., Painting the Boots! I know I mentioned that one of the goals of this TK build is to make it as economical as possible. Since this project was never in the family budget, it would be a long wait until the twins graduate from college and the Finance Minister feels that our budget would allow for adding more hobbies. This means that I must compromise and cut a few corners. One such decision was to purchase the Bass Amsterdam Boots from Amazon Prime, first for the cost, but second for the availability. These were delivered in two days! When funding does become available, I will be purchasing the white boots from one of the vetted FISD vendors! Besides, painting black boots white is screen accurate! I ordered the boots early in the build so I had time to break them in. I ordered the size I normally wear and they were just a little big in the fit, just enough to install a pair of Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel Insoles. These are comfortable! First step was to use acetone to remove the manufacturer’s polish from the leather. I scrubbed with paper towels and scotch brite pads. When I stopped getting any black off the boots as I scrubbed, I taped up the boots, covering the trim of the soles, the bottom of the soles and the elastic panels. I probably could have painted the elastic with the same paint, but this is how several other Troopers painted theirs, followed by fabric paint for the elastic. BTW, I had to use standard masking tape to stick to the boots. The standard Imperial-Issued, Blue Adhesive tape would not hold. This is how they turned out after multiple light coats of Meltonian’s Nu-Life Color Spray. I’ve used this brand before with good success on my daughters’ dance shoes, so we’ll see how it works for TK. I believe this was about 6 coats. The newspaper in the uppers allowed me to put my hand inside so I could twist and turn them to get all the areas and seams covered. Using a bottle of Tulip’s Soft Matte White Fabric Paint, from Michaels, I painted the elastic panels and I touched up all the threads and seams that still showed some black. The shoe on the left has had about 3 coats of paint. The one on the right has the first coat. I believe it took either 3 or 4 coats of fabric paint to completely cover the elastic. Removing the tape on the soles revealed what hopefully will be an acceptable pair of TK boots! NOTE: These Bass Amsterdam boots are a little short on the height and I may need to install some straps to keep my calves down over the top of the boots. I understand that the white TK boots sold by FISD members are taller and are designed for use with TK armor. I hope my superiors will accept these for fighting the Rebels! Next up, Finally, Assembling the Belt!

Oops! Missed a Couple More Rivets! When talking about rivets, I missed installing the thigh ammo belt rivets! These are to be double cap rivets that are a little tricky to install, so I hope how I did it can help another Future Trooper with the same task… TIP: LABEL ARMOR RIGHT AND LEFT - This is also a good time to point out that where all armor pieces are worn is very critical, especially the Calves and Thighs. Use a piece of tape, a label maker, a Sharpie or just a pencil to mark each piece Right or Left! This step is where it is needed… I started the thigh ammo belt by getting it formed correctly to the bottom of the RIGHT thigh. It should have the center box centered on the cover strip. I sat on a stool next to the stove and a pot of boiling water. (I removed the pot from the burner when I was dipping the piece.) I held it in the boiling water for about 20-30 seconds and then formed and held it in place until it cooled, which was about a minute. I worked on a couple bends at a time, only holding the unbent portion in the water. I continued until it kept the shape of the thigh. I clamped the ammo belt in place and marked where to cut off the ends. I clearly noted which were the bottom corners that needed to be curved. I happen to have a can of shoe spray that has a small 2” (50 mm) diameter sitting on the workbench that worked perfectly for this radius. I used my aviation snips to trim it. I sanded the top corners to take the sharp point off. The double cap rivets used to mount the ammo belt for EIB approvals must be painted white on the outside cap. The color of the inside cap isn’t critical. I spray painted all my rivets at one time so I wouldn’t have to clean paint off the armor when I tried to paint the edges of the rivets. (They are the two in the back) With the ammo belt clamped in place, I drilled the first hole. This also helps to explain how this is tricky. There needs to be a curved anvil or rivet set on both sides of the rivet. The outside is easy, but the inside needs to go inside the lower thigh ridge. My curved snap anvil would work fine for the outside, but inside needed a tool. Since these are double cap rivets, both the anvil and the hammer sides need to be curved when hammering. I did not want to go buy a specialty tool for these to rivets if I could find something else that would work. I found a 1/4” lag bolt in the workshop that has a dimpled end that fits perfectly over the rivet head and would work perfectly to get inside the lower thigh ridge. I put some E6000 glue on the contact points to add strength to the connection. I used a block of wood as a pounding backer and the sanding block to keep the thigh sitting level. I used the side of my Imperial Attitude Adjuster to fit inside the thigh as I hammered the rivets down. A couple swift pounds and they were done! Finished rivets are installed in the upper corners and the bottom corners are rounded off. I also added glue around the front of the thigh ridge to keep it secure. It looks nice from the outside, but a little wonky on the inside. And now, back to our regularly scheduled program… Next up, Belt and Boots! edit: Or, maybe just the Boots and then the Belt!

Agreed! It took me two trips to Tandy Leather to get them all. Started with 40 and went back for 40 more. Well, then, feel free to use it. I'm still working on the finishing touches before its done. Then I have a DD pipe kit to build. I don't think I would go very far with a Hasbro Rebles Blaster dart gun...

Thanks, Joseph. Lets give it a couple days to see if anyone catches something incorrect, or inaccurate. When it is accepted to be accurate, feel free to use it to guide others on the TK Path! I just now updated the image to add Male and Female to the blue snaps so the count really is two! So, it is getting more correct!

Thanks, Jason. It is all an idea now that I hope works out. Installing the Snaps and Rivets! I am aiming for Centurion, which includes installing several rivets in screen-accurate locations. I purchased the correct split and double-cap rivets and washers from echo’s ongoing sale thread in the Imperial Commissary. For placement on the sides, I found this image to be very helpful for locating the top and bottom rivets 20 mm from the top and from the bottom ridge. For the middle ones, I just centered them between the two end ones. So, the 52 mm and 53 mm dimensions may be off a little, based on the armor product you have. NOTE: Since the back ab plate is taller than the front, the bottom right rivet must be opposite the front rivet, NOT 20 mm from the bottom of the back ab plate! Not wanting to risk getting paint on the armor, I spray painted the rivets before I installed them. (NOTE: Cod rivet does not get painted!) I used a brass washer behind the split rivets and a towel on the workbench so I don’t scratch the white paint. I uses a chisel to get the river splits to start going the way I wanted. Then, using my standard issue Imperial Attitude Adjuster, I persuaded the split ends to bend over. This was as far as I attempted to hammer the rivets down. An 8 mm socket worked perfectly for me to fold over the ends to lock the rivets in place. Using the Bill Hag sketch and justjospeph63’s photos as a guide, the snap plates were glued to the armor with E6000 and clamped overnight. I had to use three nylon snap plates for curves – two on the chest and one on the cod. This represents 56 of the 76 snaps that I used. The snap plates on the left side are spaced between the split rivets. The right side are spaced out evenly on the ab plate. For the thighs, I started with a single snap, centered on the seam, similar to how I did my biceps. But, then I realized that I wanted to use 2” elastic for the thigh support and I needed to add one more snap plate to each thigh. Elastic loops will go over a spare black leather belt. Alignment was easy by snapping it to the elastic before I glued it. Then Align, Press and Clamp! TIP: I should have had the nylon pull tab extend further at the top end, instead of at the bottom. I wasn’t even thinking that my leg will be in this when I try to reach my fingers down to unsnap the strap. I can reach the nylon, but it would have been easier if the extra inch of pull tab was on the top! The shoulder bell strap and the shoulder bridge strap are a little different… I’ve heard about Troopers needing to replace their elastic shoulder bridge strap because it stretches so much. I am going to try starting off using 2” white nylon strap, instead of elastic. The CRL only calls this “white fabric that connects/bridges the chest and back piece”, so either elastic or nylon would be acceptable. This bridge strap has female snaps at the ends facing upward for the chest and back plates, and a female snap in the middle facing down. (I had to drill out and reverse this one after my first attempt!) I’ve seen some Troopers that have this snap sewed to the bottom of the bridge strap and others use the standard round head snap. The black strap to the shoulder bell will have a standard female snap at one end for the bell, and a male snap on the other end at the bridge strap. I doubled over the ends of the white nylon before installing the snaps Strapping Summary! When I post my belt assembly, I will go over the additional snaps and connectors that I used. So far, it is: - (74) Line 24 Snaps - 9/16”(14 mm) diameter cap, 5/16”(8 mm) long post - (2) Line 20 Snaps - 7/16”(11 mm) diameter cap, 3/16”(5 mm) long post - (6) Threaded Screw Post / Chicago Screw - (7) Split Rivets UPDATE: Some of the snaps could not stay together on a few troops. I've changed a few connection points to Industrial Strength Velcro. It MUST be Industrial or it will wear out very quickly... Next up, Belt and Boots!

I agree with Darth. It would be at the bottom of my bin when I need it. Oh, the things I have to learn and look forward to when I finish my TK!

Nice work on the paint, Richard. Can't wait to see it with all the masking removed!

Kieren, it is the amount of plastic that wraps around the end of a piece of armor. On the body pieces, having a return edge will give the illusion of the piece of armor being thicker than it actually is. When reaching for Centurion level, there are some specific requirements for having or removing the return edges on the arms and leg armor. For a quick picture, here is where I was removing all the retung edge on one of my biceps. I scored on the inside mold corner and trimmed and snapped it off. If I wanted a return, the score line would be about 5-6 mm away from that mold edge. For the shoulder bells, I did leave the return edge This shows a return edge on the back plate and the top and bottom of the ab plate, but not on the sides I hope this helps

The search feature here has been known to have a few issues, from time to time. Sometimes it gives me what I am looking for and sometimes just computer code on my screen. I thought it was that it just doesn't like Internet Explorer. I've had success ever time when using Mozilla Firefox to browse and search on FISD