justjoseph63

It will also help if you sign up and introduce yourself at the Carolina Garrison site (link here). There are always a ton of events up in NC to attend once you have your kit approved.

If you are looking to join the 501st Legion and get it approved after completion (so you can get out and troop with others), I highly suggest using one of the vendors on that list. Yes, there are sellers on ebay and such, but most of those are just glorified Halloween costumes, nowhere near screen accurate and not approvable in most cases. Is this an inexpensive hobby? Not by a long shot, but you are definitely in the right place, though! There are other sites (FB, etc.) that discuss this subject, but we are "Stormtrooper Central"... the TRUE home of shiny white armor! With us, you have hundreds of folks who have been-there-done-that and are more than happy to answer any questions and offer solid advice from beginning to end, so never be shy about asking us about anything. It's what we do!

Welcome, Andrew! When you say "discuss the kits" are you looking for an armorer/supplier? We have a list of vetted (tried and true) suppliers which can be found here. If you have any questions about a particular seller (or anything else for that matter) we are more than happy to help in any way we can, so ask away!

OK, so Dave got right back to me and yes, he did take over from Shawn and does make both HWT and TD packs. You can email him at [email protected] for details. I can vouch for the high quality and top-notch customer service he provides.

I believe Shawn sold sold his business to Dave (AM/Daves Darkside Depot). I just texted Dave to confirm this and ask if he now makes them and will let you know.

Nice job, James! That looks as if it may be about as close as you can get, but that's up to you. Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect. I was looking at your bucket pics, and before you attach the lenses it will look much better if you even out the sides of the eyes a bit more. I wouldn't suggest a Dremel tool for this. A much easier method is to wrap some sandpaper (120 grit or so) around a pencil (or better yet a marker) and use it to sand down those areas. Should take about 10 minutes or so and will give you a much better look. Keep those pictures rolling in if you have any questions, especially before cutting or gluing.

Looking good so far, James! The underside doesn't have to be perfectly flat (no one sees that anyway) but can you add a photo of the back and posterior plate together? That will give us/you a better idea of how much more work needs to be done. Keep up the great work, sir. You can do this, and we can help!

WAY TO GO, Jacob! Always awesome to have a fellow HWT reach Level 2. Next up, Centurion!

That is awesome to hear, Tim! They are known for outstanding customer service, and I look forward to seeing the results!

Accessories are normally cool, and a welcome addition to most costumes. but I gotta' say I'm not a big fan of the "visor". IMO the curves on the top give it a "sad" appearance, and the shoulders remind me of an NFL football player. I am also wondering what the additions are on the gloves (opposite side of the hand guards) and why they added flat-ended forefinger tips. Hmmm.

It wasn't the alignment, lol, I was pointing out the lack of return edges.

OK, I'll say it... WOW! One of the best submissions I've seen in a long time, Jacob, and you should be proud! Don't think I didn't notice the lack of return edges (DANG I'm proud of ya'!) and the fact that you have the sight on the T-21 (a lot of folks forget about this). Modesty forbids me to comment on the macrobinoculars, though... One of us will be with you shortly brother, so hang in there.

Here is a link that with some info: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/35371-eib-and-centurion-what-do-these-terms-mean/

Welcome, Bobby, and GREAT to hear that you pulled the trigger on ordering your RS armor! While you "hurry up and wait" for BBB to arrive, I would suggest a few things: 1. Get all your build supplies lined up and on hand. Nothing worse that having to stop in the middle to order or buy something. Link here. 2. Once your kit arrives, start a build thread. Trust me on this one. Does it take extra time? Yep, but there you can ask all the questions you like (no matter how small), and add photos. Lots of them. Adding pics is especially important when you have an issue. 3. Hopefully you will be aiming for Expert Infantry and then Centurion levels after Basic 501st approval, and this is MUCH easier to do during your build rather than after, and not as difficult as you may think! I have a thread here which will answer a lot of questions as well as show you what we look for when approving those. 4. Most importantly.. take....... your....... time. I 'm sure you want to get it done so you can get out and troop, but rushing leads to mistakes. Consider it a marathon, not a sprint, and you will have one awesome looking set of armor when you are done. We are here to help every step of the way, all you you have to do is ask.

A big congrats on your THIRD EI award, Brett! I have every faith that you will jump on these fixes, and I expect to see your Centurion submission soon!

Perfect, Tim. You can definitely trim down the rear of the tops. I would take it off about a centimeter or two at first, and if you need to take more, do it in increments. The only small issue is that you still have a good amount of the return edge on the sides of the thigh tops and some in the rear. When you trim off that return edge, the opening will be larger, but hopefully it will not be noticeable. You should be able to fit about 4 fingers comfortably between the thigh piece and your leg. Anything larger and it will look odd, but in a worse-case scenario we can help with that as well. Let's cross that bridge when if we come to it! Photos from your EI submission

As noted, you have a few issues there, Jay. But also know that we are here to help every step of the way, so never be shy about asking for advice on how to deal with any (or all) of them. We are at yours service, sir.

Now there's a term I haven't heard in a long, long, time, lol. I do miss ol' Del boy... Glad Rich is helping you out on this, Colin. He is AWESOME!

It's a bit difficult to see the entire scope of the issue without seeing how much of an overlap you have on the posterior plate, and a photo would certainly help a lot. Keep in mind that the distance from the top of the thigh in front and the cod can vary as seen in the first pic, but it sounds like you may have a common issue with that infernal clicking noise coming from the rear of the thigh tops hitting the posterior plate in the back. (I had the same issue). The thing to think about is comfort. As seen in the last 3 photos you can certainly trim down the backs of those thigh tops to compensate without it affecting Centurion approval. Before doing that, it may sound odd but as I mentioned, if you could post up a photo of the overlap issue in that area we can definitely steer you in the right direction and pinpoint where you can/should trim.

Another thing you can do to give you a little more flexibility on the plate (and get it closer to the calf) is to remove the return edges from the area shown. Note in the reference image how little is there is and how close to the bumps it is cut. GREAT detailed photos, by the way, and keep the questions coming!

Hi Brett, and thanks for submitting this awesome looking set of armor! One of us will be with you shortly, but in the mean time we need a couple of things, brother. As per the CRL for ESB level 2 the insides of the Hovi tips needs to be white. Easy fix! It could very well be the camera angle, but can you add a close-up pic of the teeth? Just as in ANH, the paint cannot leave the teeth area. Last up, although I'm sure they are correct gray and blue, the lighting is making all of the ab buttons look really dark. Can you shed some light (literally, lol) on this? Thanks!!!!

I am more than happy to issue you a certificate, Michael, but unfortunately the signatures from that time frame are no longer available on the program I use to generate them. Andrew would be the D.L. and you can choose from anyone on the present D.O. staff. Please PM me with your preference. Thanks!

Hi Glen, and thank you for your application for TKC 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 for the 8th time! 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. As mentioned in your EI submission, nothing to go over. Well done, sir... well done indeed!

Welcome, Mike! Which version of Capt. Phasma are you going for, TFA (link) or TLJ (link) ? The costumes look more or less the same overall, but there are quite a few distinct differences, and the CRLs are going to be updated in the near future so I would keep an eye out for any changes. If you have any questions, always feel free to post up or PM any of us on the D.O. staff... we are here to help!

Hi Glen, and thank you for your application for TKC Expert Infantry. CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to award your 8th EI approval. On behalf of the entire DO staff, 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. All is just as it should be, so nothing to see here. Centurion Requirements In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos may be requested in the future that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustments. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items to pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all that we can from what is seen, but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. Now ready for your Centurion submission, so fire when ready!