sharkbait

Welcome! Good luck with your EIB/Centurion! Check out the current EIB/Centurion threads, especially the approved ones- they're a great resource. Already with multiple costumes, I like it!

I have AM 2.0, and got to Centurion. I did replace the back plate with an RT-Mod, because at the time the CRL indicated the AM back plate was to be replaced with a more accurate version, but to my knowledge, the current AM is fine as-is. I do know the AM 2.0 chest is fine, but AM 1.0 would need to be replaced. If you're getting a new kit direct from them, it will be the current version, so no need to worry about 1.0. Differences are subtle: helmet has black frown, decals not hand-painted or hand-painted-look decals on the helmet (you can get the decals off Trooperbay.com). Lenses are flat smoke or green (I personally prefer smoke to go with the black frown). Holster is black looped and on the right (Darman makes excellent holsters, I have four of them, and will add more as I get more blasters). Hand guards are the Snowie hand guards, and attached either with a black elastic strap or the sewing pattern (there's a tutorial on that on here). You can do black chemical gloves with the elastic strap attachment, or you can do silk gloves with the sewing attachment. I cheat a little in that I have the chemical gloves, but I also have a spare pair of Nomex for long troops or summer troops, and the elastic band attachment means I can swap out. (Silk are harder to wash, and in hot weather like we get around here, chemical gloves collect sweat like nobody's business). The E-11 is a parred down version of ANH, no ammo counter, no cord, maybe something else, but basically it's a ANH with some stuff removed (I have a Hyperfirm, so I didn't have to think, just ordered an ESB version- Lewis/Slave5 makes great Hyperfirms, and his b-grades are almost indistinguishable from his a-grades). Pretty sure I got them all... sometimes when I rattle them off I forget one or two little details. They're all mostly little details. There's a handful of ESB Centurion threads, I'd check those out, those should make things pretty clear as to what you're shooting for. To my knowledge, most all TK armors come with the parts to be either ANH, ESB or Sandie. I know AM does, because mine did. The only one I wouldn't be sure about on that would be Anovos- I've not heard of anyone doing ESB with Anovos. I've seen a handful of people selling their extra parts for Sandies that came with their kits, so it's also possible to grab the conversion pieces on the forums, just keep an eye out. I'd just indicate when ordering what you're planning to do, to make sure you at the very least get that kit set up/extras. I would also vouch for AM- I love mine. I troop a lot, and fairly hard, and it's held up great over the last two years. It's a nice thickness and has good bend to it. Glad to see another aiming for Centurion! Good luck! Ask any questions you come across- it makes life so much easier, and then your Centurion will be in the bag.

Here's a link of one place to find the leather dye: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HQ53QA8/ Boots are a little harder, I find they come in waves. Searching for "Jodpur Boots" should get you in the vicinity, though. Just keep an eye on the quality and where the seams are- there's a lot of subtle differences that may or may not work for our purposes. I have a spare set of black ones in case I can't secure a new set of white ones when my current (original) ones bite the dust, now that TK Boots is out .

That is one fine-looking TK you have there! I believe basic approval is in the bag, and the minor tweaks listed above if you're interested in EIB/Centurion. (Why not?!)

RT Mod and AM are the two biggest. I'm 5' 11'' and not small. My first choice was RT, but long story short I ended up with AM. AM does, or at least used to, make two different sizes- normal, which was already big, and large, which is even bigger. You might trim a ton in some areas, but you'll be perfect in others. I trimmed a lot off my forearms, but little off my thighs, for example. I can't for the life of me find the tutorial now, but there was one for working with the thigh armor on women. Basically, our thighs are bigger on top and smaller on the bottom, vs. men's are generally straight. So, when you cut your pieces to size, you don't do a straight line, but instead make a V cut, to account for this. It's subtle and not noticeable once completed, but it very much helps in the fitting and overall look when you're done. You do notice when it's complete it just looks off if the thighs are too big on the bottom. I want to say it was a LadyInWhite tutorial, it seems like something she'd do. If I manage to find it I'll edit this post with a link.

My experience was he was very busy and would get back to you, but sometimes things slip through the cracks. His armor is superb and worth the wait, however. I don't advocate bugging anyone, but after a month or more I think it's perfectly fine to drop another email and say "Just following up, I'm still interested."

Shoulder bridges are a weak point in all armors, but I've noticed Anovos tends to crack and break much quicker than other armors. They are just a known stress point, and I'm not sure there's an real getting around it. I bought a back up set early just in case, but for now am using ABS pieces as backing for support and ABS paste to cement it in place and fill in.

I personally like painted, but it's a personal choice. I think it helps with hiding any electronics, cords, fans, etc., and adds a layer of darkness and mystery to the helmet when viewed from a kid's point of view- straight up. I used Rustoleum 2x in glossy black. The 2x line bonds great with plastic and does't require a ton of priming first, i'ts my go-to rattle can brand.

I personally love kjmagnetics. I've gotten all my rare earth magnets from them. You'll want to tape them up with tabs for easy pulling apart right when you get them. Because it you drop one then they will fly together and it will be really hard to get them apart again. Also, they're so strong they can shatter themselves. I used only N42 strength, and they've never led me astray yet. Expensive, but worth it. Just don't blank and forget they have to be used in pairs, so ten sounds like a lot, but it's only five pairs. Don't pull a me, haha.

I didn't use elastic on my TK, the way I did my snap plates the chest and back just rest in place, but I did it on my in-progress Shadow Scout. I just put the armor on, after I'd done the shoulder connections, and measured with the actual elastic. Elastic is also fairly cheap, so you can cut one test piece and check it out, before you do the second one. For whatever reason, I found it easier to use the actual elastic rather than a tape measure, I don't know why.

ABS paste is your best friend for repairs! You need it thin enough to spread but thick enough to not just drip all over the place. Let dry sand smooth. For full holes like these rather than patches, putting a ABS strip to back it would likely make your life a whole lot easier. I'm curious to see progress pics, as well!

Mine always stay in the changing room, because I don't much extra room, let alone accessible room, in my armor. Handlers. Is there a good, on-top-of things handler that you trust that could hang on to them for you? If they need to be on your physical person, then do you have any extra room in your thighs? I've seen guys make a pocket inside and stash trading cards, it could probably work for an epi-pen and phone, they're not overly large. Alternatively, you could also make a pocket in your chest plate, back plate in the recessed OII, or in the side at the ab/kidney connection.

I'd also recommend sewing a small elastic loop on the arms to go around your thumb as a way to keep the sleeves from ridding up. Also the same as stirrups on the pants. Compression suits tend to ride up in general, and I have that problem with just about all clothing (the perils of being long-bodied). Your gloves and boots will cover the stirrups completely so they don't affect the appearance. I'd also recommend at least two sets of under suit, depending on how much you intend to troop. It keeps you from being forced to wash it constantly. You will get hot and sweaty even in winter and those things can get ripe fast. Putting on an already-wet undersuit is no fun.

Check before you do this, but don't you cut that straight tab off the cod on that particular armor? I didn't use that model, but I sort of remember seeing that in a tutorial somewhere. Like I said, double check that before you do any cutting. But that should help there. I left very minimal return edge on my butt plate and cod, just a fraction to give it a bit of depth. I removed it entirely from my thighs and shins. Also bottom of forearms (for Centurion, but also comfort), and mostly from the top. Same with biceps- just a tiny bit to give the illusion of depth. I also did half-moon cuts in the backs of my thighs so I could bend my knees to walk without constant armor pinches. I still have to be careful when going up or down stairs, but normal walking isn't an issue anymore. Work incrementally, taking a little off at a time, and do one side first, then use the cut off pieces as a template for the other side to match it. That was probably the single deciding factor in comfort, for me. Alternatively, if your armor is just too snug, it will vastly limit your already limited mobility and will pinch and be uncomfortable no matter what you do. You will be stiffer at first, too, and then once you get more comfortable with the costume and how you wear it, you'll be only normal-limited.

When I get to wet sanding, I'm already at the point where I'm using a super-fine sandpaper. I take a seat and put a bucket of water next to me and rinse the sandpaper off fairly regularly, probably less of an issue with heavier grit as it won't get clogged as fast and loose its effectiveness. Let the sandpaper do the work, that's it's job, and I personally like longer strokes, but I think it depends on what you're working on. When I sanded down the edges of armor so it wouldn't poke, I used short, fast strokes, when I sanded down the mold-line on my TIE helmet mohawk, I used longer strokes. Novus, Can-Do, and Plexus (all similar, but Can-Do and Plexus are heavier on polish and less on fill in, and only one step) are for polishing and buffing out fine scratches, so you'll use them later on down the road for upkeep and repairs to keep up that awesome paint job you've done. Novus, to my knowledge, will buff out slightly deeper scratches than Can-Do and Plexus, but I've not used it, while I have used the others, so I'm not 100% on that.

E6000 is the way to go. Just use it in a well-ventilated area, and let your parts dry in well-ventilated area, too. It will take a while for the smell to go away (bigger issue when using on your bucket than the rest of the armor). Even though I feel fairly confident with ABS armor building, I still use it, rather than the CA Glue or ABS cement, because it allow for wiggle room and is forgiving of errors. I have only used Bondo once, and it is not an experience I want to have again. I thought E6000 smelled bad. Granted, we weren't building armor, we were working on a large-scale prop piece, but because none of us had ever really used it before, we ended up making so much more work for ourselves and it added hours onto an already intensive project. It has it's place, but based on my own experience I would say it's not for beginners, unless you just have no other choice. It is a filler, not a glue, as well, and has to be sanded, dremeled, or power-sanded down, and the powdery dust that it turns into smells just as bad as the liquid version. You need a decent filtering mask and eye protection.

RT-Mod is fantastic. My second suit (when my first finally bites the dust) will be (hopefully) an RT-Mod. It was my first choice originally, but then long story short, it didn't work out and I snagged an extra AM 2.0, which I'm also very happy with. But a friend's got an RT-Mod and it's still my top choice.

I'd say a super light dive skin (skin, or even sun protection only- not one of the 2mm or higher ones, you'll end up roasting). They're available at amazon, dive shops, dive shops online ---------- etc.), and often go on clearance and/or sale.

I would measure, exhale and measure again, and then if between sizes, go up one. I forgot I planned to put my hair under mine (I have just past shoulder length hair), and didn't measure with my hair. So, don't do that. Luckily, it just made it a tiny bit snugger than I'd generally prefer, but I can totally wear it. It should be fitted, but like everyone else has said, don't feel like you're choking or getting totally claustrophobic. (I don't like things tight around my neck so I cheated a little on my TIE flghtsuit and added some to the measurements. You can't tell when I'm wearing it anyway).

Mine has a minimal bib (which I prefer, it's from Trooperbay.com), and I tuck in into my undershirt. But, honestly, I don't think it would matter if I didn't, because it's completely covered by the armor and doesn't move much once velcroed closed in the back.

This is really more of a suggestion for later, but it looks like your sniper plate might end up wanting to go under your thigh- a very common problem. Mostly it just looks odd in pictures (we notice, patrons don't), and I worry about snapping it off or cracking. Sometimes when you walk it will catch and make you stumble or your gait odd (again, patrons don't notice, but our relative comfort while wearing armor is paramount). Our solution is to bundle up a cheap washcloth (like from the dollar store), wrap it up in white duct tape, and tape it into the front of the shin at the top, to punch it out just that little bit. This doesn't affect approval- it's just a looks thing, and for me at least, it eased my mind with necessary stress on the armor. I can dig up a picture of my fix if you're interested- might make more sense in photos than words.

I did my ESB TK build to Centurion with no build experience whatsoever, and as my first 501st costume. Like others have said, there's no way that would have ever been possible without this website, and it's members. While hands-on in person help is fantastic, it can be done with just this website. In addition to the build threads, and what types of armor/where to find them, I highly recommend checking out the EIB and Centurion request threads- especially the approved ones. Even if you don't go for EIB or Centurion, building towards those standards will more likely than not get you in the clear for basic 501st approval, which it itself is of course nothing to scoff at. Biggest advice? Take it slow, try not to look too far ahead in the build, because it can get overwhelming and feel impossible and then nothing will happen. Baby steps. Once you figure out how to size parts to yourself, and how to glue the pieces together, it's a lot of repeating that process for other parts (ie, you size and glue your biceps, now repeat that process for the forearms, thighs, and half of that process for the shins). It's a marathon, not a race, and in the end, you'll be happier and have a better quality suit that will hold up if you take your time. If you run into specific problems, and can't work them out with build, EIB/Centurion threads, or the CRL, ask! We've all likely been in the same boat and can offer advice and photos of our own completed armor, or how we did something. There's many ways to do something, and you just have to find what works best for you. I also recommend starting with simpler parts, and leaving the helmet until last. It will build up your confidence to tackle the harder parts. Best of luck!

Very informative! Spot on, as well. So much of our builds are what's your comfort zone, and what level outside of that are you willing to push yourself, because you will have to push yourself at some point during your build. My biggest advise would be to ask questions. Ask your local TKs, your local GML, ask here- someone has likely run into the same problem you have, and we all started at square one at some point.

"40 - Super coarse for doing an Alderaan on whatever you are working on," I needed that today, thank you! Filing this away for when I get to this point on my Phasma. Gotta start out so shiny she blinds you! Your illustrations are great, too- very informative. Thank you!

Good job on the ears! I had a hell of a time on those suckers... There's a few minor differences between ESB and ANH, mostly in the helmet, like the teeth, which you've already got down. Decals on the helmet instead of hand painted, and no hand-painted look decals. Snowie hand guards. The holster is on the right with black loops. E-11 is more "stripped down". My original mike tips were speakers, and they attached via a screw through the back of the tip and into the helmet. It's held since 15' and counting, so I'd recommend it. As far as sizing, it's much the same between sizes, just trimming more or less depending on how large/small you need to make it. There's a bunch of build threads with shim tutorials, if you're in need of shims, too. For much of the build, you can reference ANH build threads, because so much is the same, just be careful of the little details.