justjoseph63

Couldn't have said it better, Eric! I have trooped many times with the fine folks in the GA Garrison (as recently as a few weeks ago) and you won't find a nicer group of people.. (well, except for here at the FISD, of course).

Welcome to the FISD, Jonathan! Lots of great info. given so far, and know that we are here to assist you every step of the way so never be shy about asking us anything. I know what you mean about the OCD thing.. believe me. It took me 3 months to build my first set of armor, but as someone very wise reminded me way back when "It's a marathon, not a sprint". Purchasing a set of commissioned armor is fine and dandy for many, but often there are little nuances that need to be fixed/adjusted. We can help, of course. Building your own takes time and patience, but in the end you will have a custom tailored costume that fits you to a tee. Plus, if there are ever any issues you know how to fix/repair them! Best of luck on your white armor journey!

Looking good so far, Nick! Fantastic to know that you are aiming for Centurion, and we are here to help every step of the way, sir. You are doing the perfect thing by posting up photos and asking questions, so keep it up! If I could make a few suggestions, they would be: It could be the angle, but it looks like you may need to remove a bit more from the eye openings. Note the ridges (blue arrows). If you could post up a direct front pic that would be great! When painting the teeth, remember not to carry the paint too high or low. When trimming the ABS belt ends, make sure that the outer edge of the canvas one meets up with the lower edge of the 45° angle. Last up, can you post up a pic of the TD as it would be seen when wearing the belt? Again, it may be the angle of the photo and the reason I ask is because the CRL for Centurion was recently changed to "The raised rib section faces the rear..." and yours looks a tad high. Not the biggest of deals, and if it needs adjusting we can give you some suggestions! When in doubt about anything, it's always best to ask before cutting, drilling or gluing. We are at your disposal, sir... keep those questions and photos coming and we will make sure you have a top-notch looking set of armor!

I speak with Dave on a regular basis, and he has had issues sourcing ABS. At first he was an agent for AM, but he ended up purchasing the whole operation from Dale (the original owner) years ago and pulls everything himself. I've heard nothing but 100% positive comments on both his communication and armor. Yep.. all by his own hand. He does a lot of commission builds as well.

Looks like they have gone back to ANH holsters- What looks like a baton is a side view.. as they walk it shows it's width. It's fantastic to see OT troopers, but did anyone notice the cover strips? They look pretty darned thick to me. Among other things it looks like they are using thick soled boots as well... more like FOTK style. And so it begins... the birth of another CRL.

EXCELLENT work on that paint job, brother! Looking forward to having another HWT in the ranks, but If I could make a couple of suggestions they would be: 1. As per the CRL, ideally the slant on the front of the tube stripes should face forward and they should be about a "pencil width" from the cheek as well as of a similar shape/size. 2. Can you post up side views of the ear position(s)? In a perfect world the screw heads should line up with the rear angle of the trap.

Hi Dan, and thank you for your submission for ANH Stunt Centurion! CRL and CENTURION 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 Centurion # 510. Congratulations! 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. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions. First, I appreciate your patience, brother. Mostly, though, GREAT job on those fixes from your EI submssion! If I could add one final suggestion it would be to try to get a better arc on your shoulder straps with a hot water bath. Doing this would allow them to ride closer to the back plate so they won't protrude out as much, put less strain on the thin elastic strap and allow you to remove the large tabs on the rear sections (the large tabs were not present in the films). Reference images Again, a big CONGRATS sir, so now it's time to get out and show off that armor as the Midwest Garrison's newest Centurion!

This is a conundrum of sorts, Garrett. The original ones definitely look to have 5 lobes (points) and appear to be 5 point Torx screws, very similar to the ones you showed. BUT, those are Pentalobe (security) screws because of the small post in the center and didn't come into use until many years after ESB. I used the 6 point Torx type as I could not find the 5 point version in the right size. If you do, please let me know! In the grand scheme of things, I highly doubt anyone will notice either version, lol. Torx Pentalobe

I don't want to derail John's build thread, and I would love nothing more than to see one of the sets you designed get approved, but I would appreciate the chance to go over a few concerns with you. Nothing too crazy, lol, but I would like to PM you this evening if that's OK. Thanks!!

Hi Dan, and thanks for following up on this! Not a lot going on in the D.O. dept. right now so I will get working on this ASAP.

Be aware that there have been some recent CRL updates to certain items: Thermal Detonator- ANH Stunt/Hero and ESB (Basic 501st approval) The raised ribbed section of the white control panel faces the rear, with the round washer detail closest to the right end cap. Vertical (straight) sections of clips do not extend past the bottom of the canvas belt. End caps shall be approximately 20 mm in width. Thigh ridges- ANH Stunt/Hero and ESB (Centurion) 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. Any mobility cuts on the back do not extend beyond the top of the raised ridges. Large ab button plate- ANH, ESB and ROTJ (Centurion) The large Ab plate detail shall be a separate piece attached to the raised center mounting area. Plate does not overlap the edges of this area and should show a definite straight cut edge around all sides. Ear placement- ANH and ESB (Centurion) Ideally, placement of ears (and screws) should closely follow the rear angle of trap above them. ESB hand plates (Centurion) Curve at front of hand plates shall be positioned to sit directly over the knuckles. If silk or satin gloves are worn, the hand plates have the correct visible stitching with a 5 point/star pattern, equally spread out with 2 on each side and 1 in the middle front, double stitched with 2 holes at each point and sewn to the glove at each one using black thread E-11 blaster - (Centurion) T-tracks and grip shall be black with no silver/metallic weathering allowed.

When adding padding to the interior, it's important to figure out how much (if any) you want in the top. Many times we see troopers with pads that are too thick, causing the helmet to sit too high (as seen in the first image below). Our field of vision is not the best to begin with, and you may find yourself constantly tilting the bucket forward just to be able to see. Not just inconvenient, but potentially dangerous- as you can trip. Note in the second photo how low it sits on the chest plate . If I could suggest one more thing it would be to use pads that are removable. Even if you have a fan system (recommended) it gets hot, so during a troop we sweat. Sometimes a LOT. Being able to take them out and wash them as needed will prevent a smelly bucket.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but just in looking over some of the ab-plate details alone you may have some issues. I may be mistaken, and it could very well be the image supplied on the site but both ab-button panels may be too different for even Basic approval. Some GMLs could very well pass this as is, but some may scrutinize it more. 1. The right indented vertical panel looks awfully deep, and the rectangle inside it should ideally have rounded edges (not squared) and should sit higher (in line with the second button from the top). 2. The raised area that the large button plate sits on looks to be a separate piece instead of being molded into the chest plate. 3. The small ab-button plate appears to be set too deep, and the top gray button on it should be aligned with the top gray button the large one. Again, I don't mean to rain on your parade but these are just few things that jump out at me. Would the general public notice these crazy small details? Never, lol, but it's just a heads-up, and hopefully you may be able to alter the 3D designs before printing them if you want a set of armor that more closely matches those seen onscreen. Although the site states that "You will not find a more accurate set of files" (which may be true) it does in no way guarantee 501st approval.

Some excellent advice/information from Justin there, John. To elaborate a bit, a few other things you need to take into consideration are: 1. Accuracy- If you are just looking for armor to wear at cons and such this is not so important, but if you are hopefully looking to join the Legion there are lots of details that must be screen accurate (or very close). I am not sure where you got the files, but note that the end product must meet these requirements. Either way we we are here to help! 2. Flexibility- Certain parts of the costume must be able to bend during normal use in order not to crack. This is especially important on the parts like the lower leg (calf) pieces and exterior "ammo" belt as they must flex quite a bit when putting them on. Unless you have a 3D printer that can print large items, pieces like the chest, ab plate etc. will have to be printed in pieces and be joined together. Bondo type products (at least those I am aware of) dry rigid, do not flex and will crack under even the slightest pressure. 3. Sanding- All parts of the exterior must be sanded not just somewhat smooth, but perfectly smooth. Considering there are lots of small ridges/crevices/angles, even with fillers/filling primers you could be looking at weeks or even months of sanding. 4. Painting- Not the biggest of deals as there are a lot of high quality products out there, but if (when) you should have any scratches/cracks these cannot be buffed out in many cases like ABS can and will need re-painting. Please don't think I am trying to dissuade you from continuing with your build, sir. 3D printing is perfect for many items like weapons, accessories and maybe even a helmet, but I'm not so sure it's practical for a complete set of armor that is intended to be worn. As Justin mentioned, getting a kit from one of our vetted armorers will not only save you an insane amount of work, but you will know that they are durable, flexible, and have met the criteria for 501st approval (when assembled correctly, of course)!

Despite extensive searching the only size I have been able to source is the 7mm, which is what I have used for years.

You have brought up a very good point, Daniel. Here is my personal take on this: Finding exact measurements on particular screen used armor parts has always been a challenge. The best references that I know of are the ones from the original set that RS owns, where they used measuring calipers for many parts. Unfortunately one of the only items that do not show a measurement are the ear screws. BUT... I think it's safe to assume that the screws that the prop makers used for the ears were the same type used for the bracket system. Different lengths of course, but the same head diameter. Am I positive on this? Not at all, but it would make sense in my opinion. Below is a photo showing the exact measurement (5mm) of one of the bracket screws on screen used armor. You also have to consider that it may be difficult (if not impossible) for builders (or even armorers) to source the exact hardware sizes used 45 years ago.. especially in the U.S. where we haven't fully embraced the metric system. While the 5mm head diameter would be fine for approval imo, the 6mm or 7mm (6/32) are also acceptable at all levels.

Welcome to the forums, Rob! Always happy to help, so never be shy about asking questions, sir.

Thanks, Bryan.. I couldn't have done it without your awesome kit!

Tandy line 24 snaps like these. I would suggest getting around 50 sets, especially if you are doing the "double-snap" version (highly recommended) as seen above. I really don't suggest using Velcro at all, but if you have to be sure to go with the industrial strength type.

Looks AWESOME, Garrett! As you mentioned, there are a few places where some more glazing putty is needed, but it turned out fantastic! Depending on how detailed you want to get on your next build, one thing I would suggest is to go to Ace hardware (there are several in the Portland area) and pick up a few odds and ends. The cool thing about Ace is that they sell specialty screws (thousands more choices than Lowe's or Home Depot) and you can purchase them individually! I would go for a star-head screw in the side greeb For the muzzle they have the hex-head bolts (hundreds of sizes) and Carriage bolts to attach the folding stock (which you should be receiving tomorrow).

Unless you remove the lenses first I would avoid superglue, Ben. The reason being is that the fumes will adhere to the surface of them and permanently cloud them up. The cracks are so small I honestly think some white Sugru pushed into them with all the excess wiped off may do the trick. If it doesn't look right to you, it can be removed with a dental pick before it dries.

Welcome to the FISD, Andrew! Be sure to ask us if there is anything you need help with.. it's what we do best! Where are you located in Florida? I know folks from several different Squads there that may be able to help on a local level if you require assistance. Best of luck on your white armor journey!

Exactly! You get what you pay for. Cheap snaps just don't last (trust me on that one) and Velcro loses it's connectivity over time. I always use the Tandy line 24 snaps.

Yeah, I've never seen a crack in that area before. I would go with Glen's suggestion of painting it using enamel paint and a very thin artist's brush. It may take a coat or two, but you should be in good shape after that.

RS makes a great kit, but no armor maker is automatically approved. For Basic 501st approval the armor must be built correctly as per the CRL (info. on the TK Commander link here) fit you correctly in scale and size.