justjoseph63

Well, the 3D weapon build bug has bitten and next up on the agenda is an ROTJ E-11. I found the best version I can (link here) but it will need definitely need quite a few modifications. Most I can do myself or order the parts (like a textured grip), BUT... The U channels on the barrel are not the correct design and have more of a square shape like this: This is probably a VERY tall order, but to stay true to the originals I am looking for a source for actual U shaped ones. As seen in the first pic, some were almost a semi-circle (1) but most had the taller sides (2). Metal would be preferred, but 3D printed ones would work. Any help in sourcing these or any other more screen accurate parts would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance!

ASK THE D.O.s For those of you who have a particular issue (or issues) before or after submitting for Expert Infantry / Centurion level approval, in order to get you an answer faster you can now privately contact the entire Deployment Officer team at one time! Questions about fitting, repairs, CRL standards/requirements or anything pertaining to reaching Levels 2 and 3 are not only welcomed, but encouraged. Keep in mind that no question is too small, and that your queries will only be seen by the D.O. Staff. We are here to help in any way we can, so please feel free to send us a message by clicking on this link: @Deployment Officer Team and we will get back to you A.S.A.P.!

ASK THE D.O.s For those of you who have a particular issue (or issues) before or after submitting for Expert Infantry / Centurion level approval, in order to get you an answer faster you can now privately contact the entire Deployment Officer team at one time! Questions about fitting, repairs, CRL standards/requirements or anything pertaining to reaching Levels 2 and 3 are not only welcomed, but encouraged. Keep in mind that no question is too small, and that your queries will only be seen by the D.O. Staff. We are here to help in any way we can, so please feel free to send us a message by clicking on this link: @Deployment Officer Team and we will get back to you A.S.A.P.!

Hi Eli! Purchasing a set of quality armor can be an expensive undertaking. Even a used set can often run $800.00 or more, and it needs to be fitted to the wearer, plus there is the cost of boots, under-suit, etc. My advice would be to head over to the Galactic Academy (link here), which is part of the 501st Legion and a safe place for Star Wars fans under 18 to get lots of info. about costuming Since you still have a lot of growing to do I wouldn't sink a lot of money on anything right now as you will outgrow it, but you can start saving up, future Stormtrooper!

For accuracy, I would get them from Tony @ukswrath. I know you are in the UK, but they can be sent in a regular envelope and the extra postage would only be about 65 cents. Here is a link to his sales thread:

It will be difficult to tell how the left shin will sit compared to the thigh until you get the sniper plate glued to it, but right now it looks pretty darned good! Right now they sit perfectly on the boots, so depending on how the thigh length is you may be in good shape. You have some "wiggle room" in the gap. In looking at the top, you have a little bit more of the ridge on the inside than the outside (blue arrows). No the biggest of deals by any means, but don't trim any more off of that area. The cover strip should sit in the center. The bottoms are a tiny bit flared out (see yellow arrow in the first pic above), but when you pull them together they should be fine. The rear edges should ideally be parallel. If you have the room, I would suggest trimming the outside piece (second photo) to achieve that. It would also bring in the bottoms a bit Keep up the great work, sir, and keep those photos coming!

Looking nice, sir! I noticed that your bucket is riding a bit high, and I'm thinking that you have padding in the top. Removing that would bring the helmet down and significantly increase your field of vision. Trust me. If you can raise the bells it would give you a better overall look. As for the forearms, I would split the difference on the length- (raise the left one a tad and lower the right a bit. SUPER job on adjusting the TD clips. If I could offer one suggestion, it would be to change the direction of the bend on the bottoms. If they face outward they can scratch your armor where the metal meets the plastic. Facing the bend the other way as shown would prevent this. The Velcro on the back like you have it is always a great idea to prevent scratches as well. Note how bottom bends face away from the wearer.

The blue tube stripes can vary in number from 9 to 16 per side, so you should have plenty of room!

Welcome to the FISD, Chris! Tons of information here to look at, but don't let it confuse you. Here are a few threads I would suggest to get you started, but always feel free to ask all the questions you need to. we are here to help! 1. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/ 2. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/30456-how-to-join-the-501st-legion-as-an-imperial-stormtrooper-tk/

WAY TO GO, TK 70921! I think this calls for the Happy Dance! Next up, Expert infantry!

Excellent work on these suggestions, Jeff! I admire the fact that you are taking on these items, and your attention to details is to be applauded! You are absolutely correct when you said that very few commission builds are perfect right out of the box. Fitting armor from afar is a lot different than in person! I (honestly) hate to add to your list, and it will not affect you for Basic or even Expert Infantry but the button covers on the ABS belt will need to be reduced if when you apply for Centurion. As seen in the reference images, they lie flat against the belt and have no raised edges. I had to make the same exact change for my first build, and it's really not that difficult. Just (carefully) use a razor knife to pry them up, trim down the sides and glue em' back on. Should take you all of 10 - 15 minutes. Reference images Centurion approved AM belt Just keep doing what you are doing, keep up the great attitude and we will get you there, sir.

Welcome to the 501st and the FISD, Ben! Every Garrison has their own traditions and such, but the basics remain the same. I have a thread here that will give you some pointers:

You can definitely remove some of the return edge around the sides (yellow line) for comfort, but If possible I would keep what you have in the rear of the kidney. The more you have on the outside of the bracket bolts the less chance there is that the return edge will crack

Hi, Dan, and thank you for your application for ANH Stunt EI! 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! 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 armour. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions. Super nice job on this WTF armor, brother! Just a few items to go over in this area to give you a better overall look. Your bucket is riding pretty high, and I suspect it's a padding issue. You may have more than you need in the top and it's not allowing it to sit lower. Reference images In the first pic below I noticed that you seem to be looking down. When the helmet is sitting too high it forces you to tilt it forward just to be able to see in front of you clearly. I had the same exact issue, and after I removed the padding in the top I had MUCH better vision. Reference images The ear angle on your left is almost perfect, but the one on the right is at a skewed angle. Ideally, the screws should line up with the angle at the rear of the trap above them. We know there were wonky aspects to many of the original buckets, but to make them more symmetrical/screen accurate we are suggesting that you shift the bottom of the right ear back at least a bit. Reference images 2 quick items on your tube stripes.. The first being is that you have accidentally put them on backward. Not the biggest deal in the world, and we see this often, but as per the CRL and seen in the reference images the tops in the front section should lean forward. Also, the last stripe nearest the vocoder on each side (red arrow) overlap the crease in front of them and should be removed. Reference images (Note the gaps) We always want you to look your best, so when suiting up just ask the person who puts your TD on to make sure the clips are securely all the way down on the belt. 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 As it says in the CRL for Level 2 "Ideally the tube stripes are positioned a pencil width from the side of the cheek" so no problem for EI. But, for Level 3 we have to ask you to move the ones on the right closer to match the left side. Due to the fact that you have the issues from the first section, we are suggesting that you replace them. Being decals, they are easy to remove, and I'm sure Walt can supply you with a new set. Once you get them, the whole process should take less than 5 minutes! Reference images Awesome paint job on that vocoder, brother.. nice crisp lines, but we need you to grab your brush and extend the paint on the two ribs (shown below) just a bit. Another quick and easy fix! As stated in the CRL, ear screws need to be countersunk/flush. The left one is textbook, but the right one needs to come in a bit. This should be a fairly easy and fast fix! Reference images As you are aware, the large ab-button panel must have at least a small flat edge around it. We see this a lot, and it's honestly not to difficult to remedy in your case. Walt is a great guy, and I'm sure he would be happy to hook you up with a new plate. As Glen mentioned, you can also add an ABS plate behind it, touch up the edges with some ABS paste and sand/polish it. If you want to go that route I will send you a flat ABS plate for free, just PM me. Reference images The 45° angle on the ends of the ABS belt must meet up with the outside edges of the cloth belt. You have a big advantage over some with this issue, as you just need to take a little off the ends. Should take you less than 5 minutes! Reference images And that's it! You have a few items to deal with to get that Centurion badge under your name, but we honestly hope you give it a go. In looking at the suggestions/requirements above, once you have the large button plate and tube stripes in hand taking care of all of those issues should take you less than an hour in total. We are here to help in any way we can, so always feel free to hit us up if you need assistance. After seeing what an fantastic job you did on your build I have every confidence that you can do this, sir, and I look forward to seeing that L3 submission soon!

Anything by George Formby would be nice.

Looks like our designs are definitely different, Rich. I used the 12 mm on mine because that was the maximum size I could fit, but yours looks to have a larger opening in the button area so you may be able to use larger (15 mm) sizes! COOL!

Welcome, Gerald! If it were me, I would go with AP. They make a great kit, and since the abdomen and kidney plates have built in extensions you shouldn't need to worry about adding shims to the sides of those pieces. Once you order your kit, I would suggest getting all your build supplies ready for Big Brown Box day. Having everything you will need on-hand will save you lots of time.. trust me. I have some tutorial links under my avatar below that will help. When you are ready to start, I highly suggest starting your own build thread here. That way, you can ask all the questions you want as well as post up lots of photos. Posting photos is especially important when/if you have an issue. Know that we are here to help every step of the way, and never be shy about hitting us up if you need assistance. It's what we do best!

Hi again, Dan! Can you do us a favor and post up a clear, close up pic of your large ab-button panel? The sun is shining directly on it and the details on the sides can't be clearly seen THANKS!!

SUPER nice job on this WTF armor, Dan! One of us will be with ya' shortly, so hang in there!

Looking good, sir! One small thing to think about is the height of the tab ends. In an ideal world they should be the same level to make sure that the shoulder bridges conform to the arches. If the back tabs sit higher you may have issues getting the bridges to lie flat against them. The back plate looks to be positioned well, but if you do end up needing to raise the chest plate you can trim off some of the opening so that it doesn't cut into your neck. Do this in small increments until you get a comfortable fit.

That may be a tall order, Richard. What you will be looking for is a latching (not momentary) push button switch, square, with a total width of 12 cm (each) and a height of 6 mm. You will need 2 gray and one red.

Those look like they are made from silicone to me, Alikh... but I may be mistaken. If they are, no type of normal adhesive will stick to them. You may want to contact AP to be sure, and hopefully they have a suggestion. Regular clear silicone sealant (like you would use for a tub or shower) will adhere to the guards, but not to the rubber gloves. The ones that I sell have heavy duty "duck cloth" attached to the backs to give E-6000 something to firmly adhere to. BUT, the product I use to attach the cloth backing isn't cheap. I pay about $36.00 for a 3 oz. tube, which does about 4 pairs of guards. If you try to use clear silicone to attach a cloth backing, it will soak through the cloth and the E-6000 will not bond. Trust me, I've tried. They offer a .05 oz. tube for around $12.50, but that's not really enough to work for 2 guards. Here is a link for some more info. Your armor is looking great so far... and AWESOME to see that you removed so many of the return edges on the arm pieces! As Glen said, it's always best to be wearing your boots before trimming/fitting the calves, even if you have to wait until you get them this will ensure a correct fit. I know you haven't got to that point yet, but when attaching the shoulder bells try to make sure that the tops/bottoms sit evenly (and a bit lower). This will also allow the black elastic 1" strap to have a better position to hold the bells tighter to the bicep. Keep up the fantastic work, and keep those questions and photos coming!

Thanks! I wish I had known about Bondo paste, XTC epoxy and PETG printing before I did my DLT-19 a few years ago. It would have taken 5-6 hours instead of 40!

A hint when doing a hot water bath is to have some damp dish towels handy. When you pull the piece(s) out of the water they are going to be HOT, so having a few towels to handle them with will protect your hands while shaping them.