justjoseph63

Hi Marek, and THANKS for your submission... (awesome photos, by the way)! Great job overall on this build, sir, but there are 2 things we need ya' to take care of before we can move on with the approval process. Nothing too crazy, lol, and we can help! First up, as stated in the CRL for Basic approval: Frown is painted gray and does not leave the teeth area. It looks like you have repainted the teeth (Anovos always has a lot of overspray from the factory) and it looks good overall but just needs to be tightened up a bit in a few places. Some non acetone paint thinner on a Q-tip or toothpick will help you get rid of the excess paint as seen below. Should take all of 10 minutes! Reference images Second up are the screws on your TD. For EI and above the screws cannot be the Philips head type and must be the slotted type. Clips shall be attached with slotted type, flat or dome top style screws Ideally "pan-head" screws are used. If there is an ACE hardware store near you these can be purchased individually (Lowe's / Home Depot do not sell them). If you like, I can shoot you a set no charge if you pay postage.. just PM me in interested. Reference image Also, while we wait can you post up a close-up of the area seen below? THANKS! As soon as you get these taken care of we can move forward, and I look forward to seeing the updated photos!

Nothing we can't handle, sir. From what I can see here everything looks to be spot-on: It will help a lot to post up a few pics showing front and rear views (larger than these, of course) to show the spacing, and close ups of any areas you have questions/issues with. Even though I work at Lowe's, I will borrow the slogan from our main competitor-

My first set of armor (before I knew better) was MOT. While waiting for my AM kit to arrive I built it anyway for the experience. Ended up listing it on ebay as a "Halloween costume" and it sold in 3 days for exactly what I paid for it. I would suggest sticking with one of the makers on our Vetted seller list. Quality products/quality service.

I think it's time we help you put a door in that wall, Paul! What areas are you having issues with?

Yep, those are split rivets, Rodney. To find the correct size in most stores (Lowe's, Home Depot) etc. is VERY rare. I order them 400 at a time from the manufacturer, but I don't think you'll need quite that many, lol. Many ACE hardware stores carry them and allow you to purchase them individually, though. There is an ACE in Lima (link here) and one in North Lima (link here). BUT, be sure you are getting the correct size! This is what you need: Hope this helps!

Truly a work of art, Adam. You have my interest piqued with the chip on top of the socket, though... I really think you may be on to something there. Can I ask what it is and where you got it? I would like to include it in the sets I sell (and add one to my own as well of course)!

This is what we do here, Chris.. as our mottos states we are "Troopers helping Troopers" (and future troopers, of course)! We want everyone who takes the time to log into our site to feel welcome and not afraid to ask questions. As many as you like! We were all in your position once, and yes, there is a ton of information here. Sometimes it can seem a bit overwhelming, but we are ready willing and able to guide you through it. When it comes to an issue that you may have with your build, we never offer advice without a solution, and you are always welcome to contact any of us in the Deployment Office for specifics. We are here for ya', sir.

Couple of quick things, Chris. I know it's a pain, but the stripes really should be the "pencil width" from the cheek all the way back. Don't despair, though! It took me several tries as well. As for the ear screw depth, you nailed it, and the alignment of the screws with the rear of the traps above them is SUPER nice! But... (don't hate me for this) the decals on the traps above the ears looks to be sitting too high. The entire decal should sit within the raised ridges around it. It should be pretty easy to peel them off (start from the bottom) and then re-apply a bit lower. The first pic below is an AP bucket using the same exact decals as you did, so I would aim for that look. Reference images You are doing the perfect thing by asking lots of questions and posting all the photos. Keep it up, and know that we all had issues.. it can get frustrating at times I know, but you have an awesome "can-do" attitude so I expect great things from you!

What I do to reinforce that area and others is to double** over the elastic about an inch over the area that you will be inserting the rivet in. I then use CA glue (and lots of it) to fasten the overlap together. The superglue dries quite hard, and should hold the snap without it tearing through. ** You can even triple it if you want to. Hints: When gluing the elastic, be aware that it will seep through the elastic. If it doesn't, you're not using enough. I use wax paper to cover it while clamping it during the curing process.. usually just 5 minutes or so. To make the hole for the rivet, use a soldering iron. Trust me on this one. It will stink something fierce so don't breathe it in but it will seal the edges and give you a nice round hole with no frayed edges or stray fibers. If you can't find a local source for the rivets, I can shoot you some (no charge) if you pay the postage. If interested, just PM me.

Welcome to the FISD, Will, and nice set of armor! I don't see anything major that will prevent you from Basic approval, but as Glen mentioned some larger pics would really help, and especially some close-ups of your helmet. Looking forward to seeing those!

I came across this a while back which might help. I would try exhaust all possibilities before painting, as that would entail a lot of work. GREAT job on that TD!! One thing I would suggest is to add some 1 inch wide Velcro as seen below. On the back part of the clip to help keep it from scratching your armor and on the inside to help keep it securely on. Believe it or not, on several occasion I have seen fans try to remove them.

Please set you blaster for stun only when your lunch eventually arrives. That BLT (Bantha lettuce and tomato) isn't worth all the paperwork if you don't.

I'm not sure what you mean by "Hero" Sterling, Peter, but excellent point on the scope rail! As far as I can tell, both types (metal rail/"filled" rail) were seen in ESB with pretty much equal screen time. If one with a "filled" rail (Pugman type) came up for approval at Centurion level I don't think I would have an issue passing it as long as it did not have the D-ring (or mount), had the correct M19 scope, no front disc on the muzzle and the correct greeblies** **Before I get a ton of PMs or comments on this, please note that the vast majority (Snowies excluded) of E-11s had the those strange greebs on the sides and scope rail. Even though this is not specifically mentioned in the CRL, since they were on the majority of the weapons we would insist that they be present.

That reference photo (in my opinion) is not a screen used prop. It's just too darned "unscathed". Yes there is some weathering, but that appears to be paint. I did not use this as a reference when building mine (seen below before weathering) because of the D-ring mount and muzzle front.

Excellent work on that sniper knee placement, Gerald! That can be a pain in the posterior armor to get right, but it looks like you managed it in fine style. If I could suggest one small thing, it would be to round out the area seen below. Sharp angles can lead to splits/cracks..

Looks spot-on, Nick.. nice job! Can I ask a favor? This may seem strange, but can you post up a pic of the bottom?

Looking good! I would leave a bit more on the top edge as seen below, at least for now. Also, don't make the corner a sharp angle, but more of a slightly rounded one. Sharp angles are where cracks start.

Your talent never ceases to amaze me, Adam! I think you have discovered the perfect transport for the binocs, and I'm sure Paul will be appreciative of the job you did. Well done, brother!

I would definitely go with Imperial Boots for footwear. Info. on those in my thread that Glen provided the link for above. Amazon has a 2 piece black compression suit for about 26 bucks (link here). Hope this helps!

Building the kit yourself will save you a LOT of money, Dimitri, and those extra funds can be used to purchase all the things you will need. I have a list here that will help, but you may be able to check with the German Garrison site to see if there are suppliers there as well.

Welcome to the forums, G! Choosing an armorer is the first big step. We have a list of "vetted" (tried and true) sellers which can be found here. Yes, you can of course find armor kits on ebay and the like, but many (if not most) times they are re-cast sellers and many are not screen accurate enough for 501st approval. We have a thread here which explains it in a a bit more detail. We are a very friendly bunch and always eager to help, so never be shy about asking any questions you may have. Best of luck on your white armor journey!

I like your spirit, Arvin! As for "If the DO's would be OK with that..", of course! In many (if not most) cases, commission armor always needs a few small tweaks here and there.. that's to be expected, so not to worry. Once you get your armor on for the first time, I would suggest walking around the inside of your house for a bit. This will give you an idea of what areas may need some attention or alterations for comfort as well as getting used to your new range of motion. I also advise wearing your helmet while doing this. The reason for that is because your field of vision will be a fraction of what it normally is, so be careful and take your time. After you get a few troops under your belt it will be second nature. Just know that we are here to help in any way we can so never be shy about asking for assistance for Basic or above. It's what we do best!

As far as I am aware, RS doesn't delineate between different types (Basic/Centurion) of commission builds. While they certainly aim for Centurion level, we more often than not have issues of some sort for those aiming for Level 3. When approving armor at higher levels, we consider not only the CRLs for that costume, but we reference official screen caps and images as well. Some of the issues we see regularly are: Ab/kidney rivets not placed correctly- Too far from the edge and not spaced properly. They can be moved, but not an easy task, and this is a blocker for Centurion. Commission set RS set (screen used) Lucasfilm archives set They tend to put the ammo pack rivets WAY too close to the corner. Current RS placement Reference image The canvas belt. The square buttons are way too far toward the end, the canvas belt in this particular trooper's kit is not attached correctly, and is way too wide to meet the 45 degree angle requirement. Not to worry, though, Arvin. You should have no issues for Basic, but if you are (hopefully) aiming for higher levels we are here to help!

Definitely one of the first kits Dale M. did from back in the late 90's... the timeline is spot-on. Lots of "inconsistencies" to the original armor, but it was one of the best you could purchase 20 years ago. Although Dale was never designated as an "official" TK (he was more of a "behind the scenes guy") he eventually took his designs to the next level of screen accuracy.

Glad to see you back at this, Mark, and even more glad that you are feeling better! As for the top/bottom alignment of the thighs, that is not a biggie. Trust me. What I would do is to trim the top(s), eliminating some (or all) of the return edges. Those sharp angles can get mighty uncomfortable when walking, and you take the risk of snagging your under suit. The same is true for the tops of the biceps. You are doing the perfect thing by posting up lots of detailed pics, but when in (even the slightest) doubt, always take a few moments to post up more with any issues before gluing. Side note: You are going to be VERY happy you took the time and effort to go with the "double snap" system. Keep up the great work!