justjoseph63

Actually, the S-trim should pretty much stay in on it's own, Ben. I'm not sure if E-6000 would adhere to rubber, but you could try it of course. I put my join underneath the vocoder in the front to make it less visible, and since buckets are often handled from the back it prevents it from coming off.

Thanks for not only clarifying that, Shawn, but for helping me make my point!

The present standards will be in place for at least the foreseeable future. Are there discrepancies? In a word, yes, but as they say "you have to start somewhere". The pack as it is as close as the game as the average builder can get without having access to a 3D printer for the large pieces. For instance, we are aware of the opening under the handle, but finding a base without one is a no-go. Sandies have the luxury of purchasing specific parts in either resin or other materials that are available from many sources, which is why they can afford to be picky about their packs. They also have actual screen caps to reference from. As HWTs we do not have that option, and rely on relatively lo-res game images and everyday items for our packs, so a certain amount of liberty is given. I am sure in the future someone will come up with a 3D printed pack that matches the game more accurately, but it will probably be expensive (close to $500.00) which would make it out of the reach of most Troopers. In it's present incarnation, becoming a Heavy Weapons Trooper is more within the means of most, and can be realized for less than $175.00 or so (excluding BFGs) which includes the pack, leather ammo pouches and pauldron. As you mentioned, some were going over the top with added greeblies, lights, video monitors etc., which is one of the main reasons we had to set some standards. While not perfect, they help to ensure continuity and give Troopers another costume option without breaking the bank. As for the antennas, I am up in the air on that one. Will the average person (non 501st) notice? I think not. Even though I thought it looked cool, I removed mine after the new CRL came out, as well as changing my MP40 packs from canvas to leather. Those who have not made the changes have been "grandfathered in", and if they want to use the antenna I have no problem with that.

Great job on that armor, Francisco! One thing I noticed are that you should raise your ABS belt in the front. The top of it should touch the bottom of the ab button panel (or even overlap it a bit), which is an easy fix. Not sure if this will be an issue, but you have 10 tube stripes on the right side, and 12 on the left. SUPER nice job on those ab/kidney connections!!!! For Centurion (which I hope you will be aiming for after EIB) you will need to bring the shoulder bells in to where they touch or are very close to the shoulder straps and move the drop boxes out to where the outside edge is lined up with the outside of the ABS belt. Both easy fixes! Lastly you are missing some required photos: 1. Interior strapping 2. Full front, arms at side. 3. Full back, arms at side 4. Helmet (front) 5. Helmet (back) 6. Hovi-tip detail 7. Right side (arms raised) 8. Cod attachment (You already have the butt attachment photo). 9. Neck seal 10. Action shot Here is a link to the EIB photo checklist: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/22604-expert-infantry-application-photo-checklist/ You should get those photos added, and then the DOs (Deployment Officers) can get your approval started. Best of luck, and I look forward seeing you at EIB, and then onto Centurion!

If I could make one suggestion, Tom, it would be to remove all the return edges on the wrists and upper thighs before gluing. Even if you are not aiming for EIB or Centurion, it does make it a lot more comfortable, especially the tops of the thighs. (No chafing in the groin area). If you are (hopefully) aiming for levels 2 and 3, the return edges on the wrists would need to be removed anyway, and doing this later could make them too loose on your wrist. Looking forward to watching your build progress!!

I certainly hope so. My AM armor is built like a tank. The only downside to AM was that they did not offer replacement pieces, as the whole kit was pulled at one time. Hopefully when someone takes over production with their bucks they will use a smaller vac-form to offer these as needed.

Many thanks for the info., Brad! "My local Auto Paint supply shop will make spray cans in any colour..." - GREAT idea! " I'll let you know what colour I come up with". - Much appreciated. " You can also see the 3D waves in the sidewall of the cylinder". - I actually like the look of those.... gives it a bit of character. The XTC 3D comes in 6 and 24 oz. sizes.. how much do you think it will take for the whole build? Is the gray color on the cylinders in the above photos primer or the XTC?

How about something along these lines this just to keep things simple: 1. OHWT (Original HWT) 2. HWT BF2 3. HWT M2 (HWT Battlefront Magma 2)

I know a guy who makes those...

Try this tutorial, Edward: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/tutorials/article/48-posting-images-in-threads-2015/ I used to use Photobucket, but due to LOOOOOONG wait times to edit/download pics I switched to imgure. Much easier and lightning fast!

Those do looks a bit large, Adam. In theory the top should come to the edge of the knuckles, but unfortunately, trimming them down would remove the return edge.

Keep those photos coming, Brad! I get mine this Friday, and will be following your build. I have a few questions if I may.. 1. What color are you using for the vertical cylinders? 2. What areas did you need to use filler in? 3 Could you post a few close-up pics of the cylinders and the edges of the backplate? (below) Thanks!! ------------

I used to use Photobucket, but it was taking up to 10 minutes (or more) to download/edit pics. I switched to imgur (imgur.com), which is REALLY easy to set up, edit and post photos with, and very fast!

I had the same problem with my bucket riding too high, giving me a "bobble-head" effect. I reduced the thickness of the padding in the top from 1 inch to 1/4 inch... problem solved. In my Hero bucket I left it out entirely, as my head doesn't touch the top anyway. For the lenses, I made a paper template of the existing eye openings, taped them to the green plastic and used tin snips to cut out individual ones. Leave an extra 1/4 inch or so around the edges, though. I used black Sugru to attach them, and have had no problems. https://sugru.com/about

As with all armors. they will be custom tailored to you during your build. Anovos should be fine, and lots of Troopers around your size have gone all the way to Centurion level with it. Here is one that is actually your same measurements: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/41200-tk-10737-requesting-hwt-centurion-status-anovos-approved/

Another method is the one that I used when I had the same problem. I used a 1 inch thick piece of chair cushion foam (purchased from a fabric store) and cut it into a 1 x 1 x 8 inch strip. I glued a piece of one inch Velcro (the fuzzy side) on the long side of it, and the other ("hook" side) onto the inside of my calf pieces, right along the interior cover strip. Problem solved. I used Velcro because I can remove the foam for cleaning when it gets.. well, let's just say "ripe" from sweat.

Contributing photos and information is always welcome, Bradley! While there are certainly more than a few variations on the HWT, the current CRL was based on the original Battlefront game. There are differences even within the above examples, i.e. some are not wearing a shoulder MP40 ammo pack or pauldron and the one in the screen cap has no drop boxes. Setting up and revamping the existing CRL was quite a task, (believe me), but for the sake of continuity we have to set a standard. It all comes down to uniformity... Hopefully we will see you joining the ranks as a HWT soon! (hint hint)

AWESOME... and I want one! Where did you find this? Sales link?

Looking great so far, and glad to see you are using inside cover strips. Be sure to save enough material for the calves, though, as these will get the most stress from opening and closing them. Glad to see that that you are doing lots of measuring before cutting... you can always take a little more off if needed, but putting it back, well.. that's a different animal. Keep up the great work, and looking forward to seeing your progress!!

Some excellent advice from Tom there, Olmo. The old saying "If it looks too good to be true, it probably isn't" definitely applies here. If you are in search of a Halloween costume it's fine, but if you are (hopefully) looking to join the 501st, steer clear of it. As he mentioned, the Getting Started section will be the place to do your research for a quality set of armor. The two you should especially check out are these: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/ http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/19329-where-what-and-whom-to-avoid-when-buying/

WOW! Looks awesome!!! Considering ditching my Doopydoos resin for one of these bad boys!

I had a lot of trouble with my thigh pieces until I bought one of Pencap's garter systems (Link below). Now it takes about 5 seconds each to attach them, I know they will never, ever slip, and have them on both my sets. This is the way I now get suited up: 1. Put on the nylon/Velcro belt. (Cinch it tight enough to be comfortable but not loose). 2. Pull on the left (or right) thigh piece, pull the strap through the front of the belt, raise it to the desired height, and attach it back to the thigh using the built in Velcro. 5 seconds. Done. 3. Repeat with other thigh. 4. Put on the calves, leaving the backs OPEN. 5. Slide on my boots. 6. Close the calves. Pencap's thigh garter system: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/29991-thigh-garter-system/?hl=%2Bthigh+%2Bgarter+%2Bsystem

Only a Staff member can delete a thread, but because of the garbled information and lack of photos I am assuming it was the first one that you posted at 11:08 p.m. so that is the one I deleted. Congrats on starting your official TK build thread! Be sure to ask any questions you may have, take your time, and remember the old saying.. measure twice, cut once.

If possible, some close-up photos of the back/chest plate connections would help. How close are they together in the pics above? You can reduce the kidney/back gap some by extending the distance with the shoulder bridge.

Assuming you used E-6000, you can also put them in the freezer (if they fit). This will stiffen up the glue, then you can carefully use a thin razor knife underneath the cover strips to pry them off.