justjoseph63

While we can't be 100% certain at this point, if it can be proven that this is FN it should certainly be a case of "Buyer beware", and some more research would be in order for sure. BUT, keep in mind that this person is selling 30 of these kits as one package, which I imagine will end up being individually sold on ebay or the like at some point. While all armorers have unique little nuances in their designs, as seen below this one has it's share as well, and to be honest, I'm not a fan of this kit. Depending on the GML it might be fine for Basic approval and maybe even EI with some work, but not for Centurion if that is what someone is aiming for. Here are a few items that would need some updating for screen accuracy: The ab plate button covers are integrated and not separate pieces. The buttons themselves are not integrated into the design and are separate (like SDS and Maker of Things). The small button plate is way too tall. Reference 1. Separate cod. Not a big deal but should be part of the ab-plate. 2. Oddly shaped ridges on lower thigh rears. 3. Overlap design on all limb joins, not cover strips. 1. 2. 3 1. Zero return edges on limb pieces, posterior plate and kidney. Not ideal for those that like a thicker look to their armor, and could cause kidney/posterior plate overlaps 2. Large center button on TD is convex, not concave. Again, not the biggest of issues, but the buttons look more square than rectangular. Length needs to be reduced (easily done). 1. 2. Reference

I always glue/attach the inside cover strips first, and suggest making them wider than the outsides. The reason being is that there is a lot of strain on those seams from opening the calves when suiting up and that will add some extra strength to the join. Another tip is to sand down all surfaces to be glued with heavy grit sandpaper, which gives the glue a better surface to adhere to (be sure to clean them thoroughly after sanding). Be careful on the outside ridges when sanding as to not scratch your armor.

You can definitely go black with the interior as many of us do. It can be a bit tricky, as you will need to mask off any openings (eyes, frown etc.). Many of use Plasti Dip spray, which is a rubber-type sealant. It stinks like crazy for a day or two but then goes away 100%. No matter what type of product you use, be sure to sand down and thoroughly clean the interior beforehand so that the product has a good surface to adhere to and wear a mask or respirator. Overspray can be removed with a NON acetone paint thinner or sometimes even rubbing alcohol. I have a set of extra large black rubber (flock lined) gloves if you want to see if they fit better. If interested just let me know via PM and I will send them to you (no charge).

Overall not a bad fit at all, but there is some tweaking that could sharpen things up for you. One of the first things I would think about is removing the padding from the inside of your bucket (or at least going with a thinner type). It should ideally ride much lower, and this should give you a better field of vision. Having it seated lower would prevent anyone from seeing the inside as well. One thing to consider is the strapping. In a perfect world each side should be pretty close to symmetrical. Raising the right bicep a bit and lowering the forearm would help. As for the thighs, it has to be considered that not all troopers are the same size so allowances should be made. The left side should come up a bit to match the right, but as you can see from the reference images below the gaps are not unprecedented, To keep the posterior plate from riding up, our resident expert on this is Glen @gmrhodes13 so I'll let him show you his awesome method of preventing this. The gloves you are wearing are the rubber type, which is required for Level 3 (perfect). The hand guards that are attached are the flexible type and look to be glued on. Perfect for Level 3 as well.

It looks as if you should be fine here, Terry. Nice job!

Exactly. This should be written in stone (or at least carbonite) somewhere.

Hopefully you can get those separated fairly easily, Terry. It looks as if you may have trimmed a bit too much off of the outside pieces (but let's hope not). Note how the outsides are normally higher: Once you get them apart you will be able to tell better, and If that is the case don't sweat it too much or let it get you down. I've seen far worse setbacks, and I'm sure Dave can get you sorted out with some new ones if needed.

GREAT start. James! I think you could use a few more clamps, though..

Nice work, Jonathan... looks like you are moving along quite nicely!! Excellent job on the tops of the forearms. Just enough (but not too much) of the return edges, which will give them that thicker appearance but not cut into your arms. I noticed that the edges of the cover strips are a little ragged, but it's not that big of a deal since the shoulder bells will cover a lot of it. Your left one has a smooth edge which is spot-on. For the remaining cover strips, I would suggest using a sanding block*** with some 180 grit paper using long strokes to give them a clean straight edge, Smart move by wearing gloves during fitting! A few things to keep in mind: 1. The wrist opening should be just wide enough to get your hand through and leave a little extra room for the glove. 2. Remember that since the hand guards are glued to the glove you will have to put the gloves on after you suit up and tuck them in. It looks like you have the Nomex gloves, and hopefully they are the ones with the longer wrists, which keeps them from popping out during a troop. 3. The forearm should be tapered as much as possible but still allow for comfort/mobility at both ends. My personal rule of thumb is if I can fit 2 or 3 fingers in between the armor and my wrist/upper arm I am good to go. 4. The openings on all your pieces should be sanded super smooth (220 grit or higher) to prevent snags. Trust me, lol. *** A small piece of scrap FLAT wood will do nicely.. just wrap the paper around it. The foam type sanding blocks are great for curved areas, but not really so good for flat ones. Looking forward to seeing your next steps!!

It's best to take off a bit at a time until you reach the desired size/shape of the eyes and teeth. When in doubt, post up a few photos and we can help get you exactly where you need to be!

"@justjoseph63 hopefully will be impressed with the lack of return edge on the wrist! Man, this AM armor really is for the bigger guys! So much extra to cut off". Impressed I am! Looking awesome, Terry. One thing to consider is taking a bit more off of this area: The reason I mention that is because we spend a lot of time with our arms bent while holding a blaster. If it's even a little tight in that area it will start to chafe/cut into your actual bicep. Ouch.

I get the feeling that this build is going to turn out spectacular, Chris! Many folks just forge ahead when they have an issue without asking any questions, and many times they have issues when it comes to approval. You are doing all the right things by asking lots of questions and posting photos, sir, and for that I commend you! Keep up the great work, keep those questions and pics rolling in as well as that positive attitude and before long you will be sporting a fantastic set of armor!

Looks AWESOME, Chris! Not sure how far along you are with the lower parts, but when you get the chance could you post up a photo similar to this?:

Looking good, sir! You can use the excess from the sides for interior cover strips, but glue those in before the outside ones. Nice to see that you removed most of the return edge.. looks perfect!

Nice work, Luciana! If you follow the "guidelines" when trimming you will have a lot of return edges. On some parts that is fine (and expected) but in some other areas more can be taken off. Example: On your bicep tops, removing the excess return edge (as shown) will help prevent them from digging into your arms during a troop, which can get mighty uncomfortable. Reference image You don't have to remove all of it. Some folks like the thicker look, but as seen in the reference image it's actually screen accurate to cut it down. If you decide to reduce/remove it, it's VERY important to do it before final fitting/gluing. If you glue everything together and then find it cuts into you, after taking off any excess you will find that the opening will be too large. This applies to many other areas as well, and I have a thread here that can help. Keep up the great work, and be sure to post lots more photos!

Congrats on your BBB day, Jonathan! Here is a copy of a post I just made this morning on another AM build thread which you may find useful: I know you aren't quite at that point yet, but I wanted to give you a heads-up on something.. The ABS that Dave uses has a UV resistant layer on the outside, meaning that the chances of it yellowing are next to zero (I have a set that is going on 8 years with no discoloration). The reason I bring this up is because it can affect your cover strips. Note that one side will have a smooth, glossy finish and the other has a similar but ever-so slightly scuffed finish (hold it up next to a light to see the surface). The shiny side is the one with the UV protective layer and should face outward, so keep this in mind when sizing/gluing.

I know you aren't quite at that point yet, but I wanted to give you a heads-up on something.. The ABS that Dave uses has a UV resistant layer on the outside, meaning that the chances of it yellowing are next to zero (I have a set that is going on 8 years with no discoloration). The reason I bring this up is because it can affect your cover strips. Note that one side will have a smooth, glossy finish and the other has a similar but ever-so slightly scuffed finish (hold it up next to a light to see the surface). The shiny side is the one with the UV protective layer and should face outward, so keep this in mind when sizing/gluing. If you have any questions, just let me know!

Hey all.. First, apologies for my unexpected leave of absence. In addition to a couple of health items that needed to be sorted out and my internet going down for a time I am back. I have lots of catching up to do, so please bear with me! (I really did miss you all)! I'm now ready for service and anxious to dive into the deep end to keep this party going!

Exactly. If you are not familiar with using one you can end up with a molten mess. ABS actually melts at 200 degrees (93 Celsius) , and some heat guns can reach 1400 (760 C.)

I need to use something for my Anovos Hero armor and was thinking about the retrobright. One thing I read a while back was that it helps to wrap a single layer of clear cling-film around each piece before putting it out in the sun to keep the mixture from drying out. Makes sense, but has anyone tried this?

Another thing you might consider is to ask that members here send him one of their personal trading cards. Most of us have them and I'll bet many (myself included) would be happy to mail him one. Might lift his spirits to be able to open the envelopes and collect them. We have over 200 Garrisons/Squads/outposts worldwide, so you never know how many he would receive (or from where)! As Stormtroopers we have a tough plastic shell, but when it comes to kids that are ill we are all soft on the inside. I think I can speak for us all when I say that we wish your grandson (and your family) all the best on this difficult journey.

You are going to be pleasantly surprised by how much thicker the ABS he uses is as compared to some other makers (especially the bucket). I'm building one of his helmets now for a display piece, and though I normally use ABS scissors, for this one I found that a quality pair of tin snips makes life much easier. Trust me. I noticed a while back that although Dave makes his Hovi-tips out of cast aluminum rather than resin that there was no "nipple" inside like the originals. I made a few that look very close, made some molds, cast a ton of them in white resin and sent them to him so you should have received a set with your kit. You may want to paint them, but once the screen is in you really can't tell a difference in the color. I believe I drilled out the bottoms slightly to accommodate the screw heads/tiny washer so they can lay flat on the base, but you may have to take a little more out. To attach them, I used super glue gel with an accelerator instead of regular CA glue. More control and a lower viscosity so it wouldn't seep out through the screw opening.

When you do get the pieces for the sniper knee, Scott, I would suggest posting up a "mini" build thread. RS tends to not align the sniper knee ideally, but we can help get it where it needs to be. This would be beneficial for others as well!

RS has an outstanding reputation for customer service, so you should have no issues getting any parts you need from them.

Hi Scott, Sorry for the delay in responding to your thread but I am truly sorry to feel that you will not be continuing on to Level 3. Being a commission build we realize that you have no control over most of the items listed in your review. If you look at past reviews for troopers with commission builds from this particular maker you will see the exact same issues are present. As is stated in the "Getting Started..." section: COMMISSION BUILDS Please be aware before purchasing a "commission build" (assembled by any of our vetted sellers listed below) or a completed costume sold by reputable members, does not mean an automatic pass at our higher levels of approval. As with all costumes, the armor will be under the same level of scrutiny as one you assemble yourself. It must fit well and follow correctly the requirements as set out in the current CRL. Please also bare in mind, you could be requested to make modifications and corrections when applying for Expert Infantry and Centurion levels where additional reference materials are used over and above what is written in said CRL's. Some example are sniper plate positioning, rivet placement and the finer details scrutinized at Centurion. Let me add that (contrary to popular belief) we in the D.O. office are not here (nor enjoy) pointing out issues. It's also important to note that we are not the RPF (Replica Prop Forum). Unlike the MEPD who insist that higher levels mimic a particular trooper, we are aiming for the "Ideal" trooper.,, (think fresh out of the Academy). We are well aware that there were lots of differences in the armor seen in ANH... no stripes, bad fitting parts etc. However, the CRLs are there for one reason. Continuity. Any changes/updates are voted on by the members before being implemented, and when new updates are suggested they must be backed with proof of what was seen on the majority of the TKs seen in the film(s)/ As has been quoted and is seen in all reviews, we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions. As D.O.s, we have studied literally hundreds (if not thousands) of references. All can be found here on the FISD or sites like starwarshelmets.com, but often folks may miss them. The only time we use that caveat is when we note something that was indeed screen accurate and seen on the majority of the TKs seen in the film(s). It's also important to note that after being completed (but before posting), all submissions for higher levels are peer-reviewed by the entire D.O. staff prior to final approval. We are not perfect, and this allows for a second and third set of eyes. Even then we occasionally miss things because we are, after all, human. "When you look at the CRLs, the only thing I am missing for Centurion is I need to fix the 45 degree angles my belt. "However, the other items come down to people’s personal preference and the certain reference pictures selected". Not exactly. For instance, some of the other items noted are not personal preferences or marked as "ideally" in the CRL but are stated quite clearly with no ambiguity: Drop boxes are vertically aligned with the end of the ammo belt with minimal gap between belt and box. Canvas belt must be firm / sturdy in appearance. No creasing or sagging Lower thigh ridge joins (front and rear) shall butt-up flush against each other. Any gaps must be backed with ABS or filled as not to be noticeable. Lastly, when we do note an issue we do our very best to offer advice on how to get it ready for the next level but that is up to the trooper. Will the general public notice these small details when posing for a pic with a "real" TK? Not at all! In the end it's all about about getting out there in your shiny white armor, having fun and putting smiles on faces!