justjoseph63

Congrats, Fox! A very good question there, as I will be building a mannequin to display in my man-cave. Do you have the mannequin yet?

PM sent!

Looks MUCH better, Michael! Did you end up just having to tighten the belt a bit or did you have to tighten the strapping as well? Excellent job on trimming that large ab-button plate! I know these particular screw heads are normally covered by the chest plate and not seen, but I would make sure the heads of all the ones that can be seen are painted white.

If you are planning to trim down the sides of the kidney, you will lose the rivets on the left. If you need replacements, just let me know and I'll send you some (no charge). What part of Florida do you live in? The reason I ask is that I know folks in several Squads here that may be able to help you on a one-on-one basis (in person).

Welcome to the FISD, Philip! Tim has a thread (link below) that will explain every step in detail. Hope this helps! https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/30456-how-to-join-the-501st-legion-as-an-imperial-stormtrooper-tk/

Hi Code! Based on what I can see, it looks as if this armor is a bit too large for your frame and will more than likely need some adjustments. Not all troopers are the same build of course, but as stated in the CRL for Basic approval: Requirements for all 501st costumes are proportional to the wearer in scale, fit and size. In photo 1, it appears that your posterior plate is sitting pretty far away from your... well... posterior. I realize that you (as I do) have a slender frame, but the armor should be more "form fitting" as seen in the reference images. This photo surprises me the most. A general rule of thumb is that you should just be able to slide your hand in between the top of the thigh armor and your leg (give or take a bit), and it looks as if the circumference is way too large. The shoulder bells are riding kinda' high and sitting out pretty far away from the chest plate, and I believe this is due to the strapping. Without a picture I can't be sure, but I'm thinking that the bell strap is glued too far down below the top edge (yellow arrow) causing it to ride up. Gluing it all the way to the top should eliminate both issues. This will also help to hide the tops of the biceps, but those could (should) be raised as well. Note in the reference image how far they sit under the bell. We are here to help every step of the way with any specific adjustments you need to do, Code, so not to worry! Will it take some work on your part? Yep, but we are here to guide you and make sure you end up with a spectacular set of armor! I would concentrate on one area at a time, and posting up some photos wearing the complete set before you start would help immensely. Let's do this!

Once the glue dries, if you could take a few side pics and post them up it will be much easier to give you a more precise answer, but from what I can see it looks great!

SUPER nice work on those teeth, Will!

We see the helmet tilting issue a lot, Gerald, and I am honestly thinking (from personal experience) that it is due to the padding in the top. Not all noggins are the same, but in this case I think it is lifting the bucket too high, which is causing you to have to tilt it forward just to be able to see. As seen in the third image below the helmet should be more or less level. Note how the one in the reference image sits much lower to the torso. I know you have electronics in the top, but it may be a matter of removing the padding, configuring your layout and mounting them into the cheek areas on the side(s).

Nice job on those pics, Will! Bear with us while we get started, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks!

I think I may have figured out the issue, Will. It seems your pics are enormous (3024 x 4032)! I just tried to do some editing on the front view, and it was taking imgur over 5 minutes to download this one photo. Yikes... I've never seen this happen. I suggest not only reducing the size, but cropping them as you go (as seen in the second image). 4042 is way too large, so I would reduce the height to about 1200 or so after cropping. As seen in the first image, just left click on the right side of the number, back it out and then type in 1200. If this doesn't work, we will figure something else out, so not to worry. Suggested

Hi Will, and thanks for your submission! If you need help with the photos just let me know via PM.

Just as Glen said, don't worry about re-shaping anything yet. Although AM is made to accommodate larger troopers, it can be successfully cut down to fit almost anyone without any heat involved. I am 5'10 155 lbs. and my AM armor fits perfectly! If I could make a few comments, they would be: 1. Research- While you "hurry up and wait" for Big Brown Box day, look over some of the tons of build threads we have here. 2. Start getting your supplies in order- It's better to have everything in place beforehand. Trust me. I have a link here that will help. 3. Order your boots- Having these on-hand will make it MUCH easier when you get to the point of sizing the calf armor. I suggest Imperial Boots (link here), which is what most of us wear. They only make them in "waves" (once a month) so order early, and I recommend ordering a size bigger than what you normally wear. You will want the ones seen here. Having your undersuit on hand will help immensely when fitting your armor. 4. When BBB day arrives, I cannot suggest strongly enough to start your own build thread. That way, you can ask all the questions you like in one place and post up lots of photos of your progress and any issues you have. 5. Lastly- Take... your... time on your build, and if you have an issue always ask before cutting or gluing. We are here to help every step of the way, Jonathan, so never be shy about hitting us for assistance. It's what we do best!

Before one of us get's going on your approval, we need you to take care of one item for us, Michael. As per the CRL for Level 2, Any gap between the abdomen and kidney armor is no more than 1/2" (12.5mm) wide . I have been in contact with Justin, and he is going to help you with this as well as any items that you need to get that Centurion badge under your name! Speaking of which, I'm jumping the gun a bit but for Level 3 one fairly easy thing that will need to be done is trim down the edges of your large ab-button plate. As stated in the CRL: Plate does not overlap the edges of this area and shall show a definite straight cut edge around all sides Suggested Reference image It doesn't have to be a perfect rectangle of course, but needs to be reduced in size (in the reference image, note the gap between the edges of the plate and the edges of the raised area below it). Getting it off may be a bit tricky, but it can be done. Once you get the ab/kidney gap worked out, please post up an updated pic so we can get the ball rolling!

Hi Michael. and thank you for your submission! One of us will be with you as soon as we can, so hang in there, sir.

I have commented on threads that are MUCH older, lol. It never hurts to keep people aware of issues like this!

It's sad to see what lengths some unscrupulous re-casters will go to to take advantage of someone else's hard work. He even states this in his ebay listing: "This suit of armor was cast from a set of armor I own". Yeah, one you bought and copied, but at least he's honest. His pulls are terrible (I can say this because I bought one years ago). Soft lines, oversized bucket, well... the list goes on. In his defense (if built correctly) it does make a somewhat fairly good Halloween costume.. that is is you don't mind the "bobble-head" look.

I know the ones in central Florida hold theirs around the same time every year. It's usually in May.

I would suggest contacting Imperial Boots directly and ask their advice. The next "wave" of orders from them runs from Aug. 5-12, and the person you want to contact is Vincent. You can get in touch with him at [email protected]. Hope this helps!

I agree that SW only events would be awesome, but they are very few and far between on a large scale like Celebration. Many public libraries here in the U.S. hold a "Star Wars day" (and the library staff really gets into it... seriously). I have attended 5 or 6 of these and they are a lot of fun! At most (if not all) cosplay cons the 501st has a large presence where we usually have a booth and lots of props and costumed characters.

That is always great to hear, Marek. Helping Troopers (or future Troopers) is what we do best! One thing I always like to suggest is that those who have learned from this site is to "pay it forward" and stay as active as you can here to help those with questions. You don't need to be an armor expert (although you are fast becoming one), and often it's a matter of just sharing your thoughts or experience on a subject or even if it's just to say "Hello and welcome to the FISD" to a first-time poster. That can mean a lot to someone venturing into this realm for the first time.

I wonder if this one is available as a poster.

Hi Marek, and thank you for your EIB application for ANH Stunt! CRL and EIB Application Requirements: All required photos have been submitted, and on behalf of the entire D.O. staff we are pleased to welcome you to the rank of Expert Infantry. Congratulations, sir! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly; In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. Some observations may lead to suggestions to improve the overall look of your armor. Please note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions. Overall a super nice build job on this build, brother, and thanks you for posting up those requested photos and the quick fixes! Below are a few items that will not affect Level 3 approval but we feel would make this armor look even better! Let's get started, mi amigo... 1. We noticed that your bucket is riding a bit high. Not all noggins are made the same- and our field of vision while wearing a helmet is limited at best, so as long as you can see clearly it is fine, but if your eyes are at a level lower than the yellow line below it may be a good idea to remove or reduce any padding you have in the top to help you see better! Reference images The strapping that connects your biceps/forearms is pretty noticeable. I think the return edges on the bottom of the biceps is causing this by pushing it out, so you may want to move it toward the front to some degree (closer to the front cover strip) to make it less apparent. Reference image 2 quick items here- Ideally end of the canvas belt is hidden behind the TD, and a quick trim would give you a more screen accurate appearance. Also, when suiting up, ask the person helping you to make sure your TD is pushed all the way down. Reference images You mentioned that you were going out on your first troop soon, and you may notice that after a while that the tops of the right thigh (front and back) are (were) poking into you while you walked. These points can also potentially snag on your under suit. From a comfort standpoint, I would recommend rounding those out. Trust me on this one. Reference images The angle on your sniper knee plate should be a little sharper. BUT, if you decide to do this (wink wink, nudge nudge) don't make the corner a sharp one. Reference images Centurion Requirements; In this section we prepare you for Centurion. Because Centurion photos show more detail than EIB, items pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here and additional photos may be required. We try to point out all that we can from what we see, but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. First, don't be alarmed by all the issues below! Most are fairly simple things to deal with, and I honestly think it will take no more than an hour or two of your time to get them sorted. As you know, Centurion level is all about the small details. As stated above, some items below may not be listed in the CRL, but for a more screen accurate appearance we also rely on screen captures and official images for approval at Level 3. As stated in the CRL for Level 2, "Ideally the tube stripes are positioned approximately a pencil width from the side of the cheek" (which is right at ¼ inch). Although not stated as a requirement, we have traditionally insisted on this for Centurion. If you are willing to remove them for Level 3, I have an extra set of decals I am happy to send you for free (I'll even pay postage).. just let me know. You did a fantastic job on removing the extra paint from the teeth, so now it's time to use those skills to remove the extra paint on the bottom of your lower blue button on the large ab plate. Reference images This could be a tricky one depending on how you attached it, but the return edges need to be completely removed from the sides of the small ab-button plate. It should sit flat on the raised area it is mounted to. Reference images A little extra cover strip on top of the bicep is fine, but for a much better look the top of the right front should be taken down. 30 seconds with a Dremel and you are golden! Spot-on! Reference images The outside of your right drop box is in perfect alignment with the end of your ABS belt as required, but the left one looks like it needs some E-6000 behind the strap to hold it in place. EASY fix! Reference images Close... SO close! 100% of the return edge has to be removed. Dremel (or file) time! Reference image We need you to decrease the ab/kidney gap on the left side. This could be as simple as tightening your belt! (It doesn't have to be 100% closed, btw). Last up, bottom of the cover strip on your right calf is ideal, but we are requesting that you trim the left one to match. An EASY 20 second fix with your Dremel or Lexan scissors. And that's it, brother. It's obvious that you put a lot of pride into this build.. and it shows! We are here for you if you need any help.. I have 100% confidence that you can jump on these items and sincerely hope to see that Centurion submission soon. Now get out there and show off that armor as the newest EI in the Cloud City Garrison!

WOW that was quick! Excellent job, sir. Working on your submission now, so bear with me. Thanks!!