justjoseph63

Hi Victoria, and thanks for your submission! As Glen mentioned, we need the photos he listed as well as a few more things before we can get started. 1. Close-up photo of the frown. 2. Close-up photo of the tube stripes. 3. Interior strapping pics, especially the side ab/kidney and back/kidney/posterior plate connections. 4. Close-up photo(s) of hand plates/gloves and how they are connected. 5. Close-up of thigh ammo pack/connection (both sides). As per the CRL for Expert Infantry level: The frown mesh must be of the wide type and the rims painted white. Holster is worn on the right side. Thanks, and we look forward to seeing the photos!

Just a quick heads-up.. I realize that you still have some trimming/sanding to do, but be careful to round out any sharp angles to prevent stress cracks, which is especially important on areas like the calves which flex a lot from being put on: The same goes for the posterior plate corners.

Try this site: https://www.costume.com/p/stormtrooper-white-helmet-kids-766168/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIssWWpb_I7QIVAm-GCh3J4AOqEAQYBSABEgJ9vvD_BwE

Sounds great! As with your other builds, you know that it should be considered a marathon rather than a sprint.. Take your time, post up LOTS of photos (hint hint) and ask lots of questions. We are here for ya' every step of the way, Greg.

Looking SHARP, JR! A few tweaks and then after Basic approval you will be ready for EI and then Centurion. GREAT job on this armor!

Hi Kayden, and thank you for your application for Expert Infantry! CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to EI! 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. Thanks for all the updates and new photos, Kayden. Below are some areas that will tighten up your look and make that set of armor even more screen accurate so we hope they are ones you can work on. The paint details on the vocoder could use some definition with a few touch-ups. A filbert style brush will help with the top parts. Reference images Your biceps look even, and it may very well be the angle you are standing at but the forearms appear to be at different heights. The left bicep/forearm top gaps should be the same as the right side, which is a simple strapping issue and could be the cause. Most of the time we see too much of a gap between the back plate/shoulder bells, but yours are actually a little too close. Being as you have an excess, trimming them down is an easy fix. The one on the left actually seems to be under the back plate. (The shoulder bell tops/shoulder bridge connections are perfect, though.. no gaps)! Reference images In a perfect world, the ends of the TD clips are squared off, and the screws are mounted closer to the ends. Reference image The posterior plate is overlapping the kidney plate at the rear and needs to be repositioned. I think the strap in the center is the key here as it looks a bit loose (second photo), allowing the center to ride over. Tightening this up could very well take care of that. Reference images I know they can be a pain, but you gotta' stop kicking those mouse droids! LOL 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 As you are aware, for Centurion level we go into a lot more details and look at things more closely. You have some issues below that will need to be corrected before we can get that badge under your name but we feel confident that you can do it. Although you removed the excess paint ask requested, you went a bit overboard on the right side. The paint needs to be symmetrical all the way across. You can either do the same thing on the left or raise them a tiny bit on the right, but we are hoping you will also even out the paint on the tops, as the ones on the right look a bit ragged compared to the ones on the left. Reference image As per the CRL for Level 3, the ear screws "...shall be slotted, flat topped, countersunk.***..". Usually Anovos uses the correct ones on the top and center and the incorrect ones on the bottom for some strange reason,. but these all appear to be of the Pan-head style and will need to be replaced. Reference images ***Example Although not specifically mentioned in the CRLs, we can find no references that show the shoulder straps extending over the edges of the O II plate. This is a SUPER easy fix and just requires a razor knife, Lexan scissors or tin snips and 30 seconds of your time! As required for Level 3, the ABS belt must sit "...at or above the bottom of the central and vertical ab button panels". We suggest above, as seen in the reference images. Reference images Sadly, the rivets on your ab/kidney connection will have to be moved and the holes filled with ABS paste. As seen in the references, the bottom one is placed above the crease (yellow arrow) on the ab-plate and they are spaced out evenly from there. The top ones are close enough, so they are fine. Reference images A small amount of overlap on the canvas belt is fine, but we need you take it back 3 or for inches. Ideally the end should sit behind or just to the side of the TD. Reference images This is going to be a tough one. As stated in the CRL the sniper knee plate "..must be aligned with the ridges on the shin". We realize that some armor kits make this difficult to do because of the way they are designed and we allow for that in certain instances, but with the Anovos kit this is entirely possible with some work. (I have included 2 examples of Anovos knee plates to give you an idea of how nice they can turn out). We don't expect perfection, but they need to be a lot closer. Anovos sniper knee examples Reference images Last up is your blaster. As the requirement states, it is "Based on real or replica Sterling machine gun..." so it should have the basic components of one as seen in the films. Most are present, but there are a few items missing. 1. No bayonet lug. 2. Hengstler counter needs to be raised and brought forward a tad. 3. The charging (cocking) lever and cocking channel opening are not present. It doesn't need to be hollow in this area and a spring is not required, but it cannot be missing entirely. 4. No flash guard at the front of the muzzle. And that's it. Hopefully you can address these issues and we will be seeing your submission for Centurion soon! If we can be of any help. just ask..

If you are using imgur, you can rotate them using the center button at the top of the editing screen: It's part of my tutorial here. Since you are aiming for Centurion right out of the box () this thread will help you with the small details we look for when approving at higher levels. Remember, the more photos you post up the better, especially when you have an issue. This is your build thread, so we encourage you to ask as many questions as you like, but when in doubt always ask before cutting/gluing. Trust me on that one, and I look forward to seeing your progress!

Awww shucks... I'm blushing now. Thanks for the kind words, Caleb. Much appreciated, brother. "Here's to many more........ removed return edges"! Am I that obvious? LOL.

Working on it right now... hang in there!

The good thing is that you can adjust the length of the elastic loops. If they are too loose you can make them longer or the reverse. The ones at the top of the chest/ab connection should have enough play in them to move around and not affect mobility (bending over).

First, welcome to the ranks, Craig! The above quote from you is exactly what we love to see here... giving back. We all started this journey having a million questions, but once many complete it they fade away. Having those who have not only "been there, done that" but are willing to share their knowledge here are the very backbone of the FISD. As a bonus, the camaraderie here is unbelievable. I've made friends from all over the world and trooped with many of them. I get the Children's hospital thing completely. I have done those, and they are among the most rewarding of all. Just seeing a kid's face light up makes it all worth it. You have a quality set of armor there, so now that you have your official TK number it's time we start working on getting that Expert Infantry badge under your name (hint hint). If you need any help, you know where to go, lol. You are also more than welcome to PM me if I can be of any help, and I look forward to seeing you around the boards! Not sure what part of the Carolina Garrison you live in, but hopefully once this pandemic is under control we can meet up at a troop!

The first thing you will need to decide is which costume you want to go with. ANH Stunt, ANH Hero, ESB, ROTJ, FO, etc.. So many acronyms to choose from lol! After that, you choose your armorer. Going with one of the "vetted" sellers (located here) is your best bet. Trust me. Tim has a great step-by-step guide here. As for building it yourself or having it commissioned, both have their pros and cons: Build it yourself- I won't lie, it's a lot of work. But, you have the advantage of custom tailoring it more to your size. I always suggest starting a build thread here where you can post lots of photos and ask all the questions you want to! Plus, if you do have an issue down the road you can fix it yourself. It's quite rewarding actually, and even if you don't have a background (most of us didn't) in this sort of thing you have an entire Detachment ready and willing to help. Commission build- It saves you the vast majority of the work of course, but on occasion some of the pieces may not fit correctly or the way you like and have to either be taken apart and re-done or replaced. Soft goods- You will need boots, and under suit, holster, canvas belt, neck seal etc. Some armorers supply some of these but most don't so you will need to check with whoever you choose. I have a thread here which will help. Just know that all your questions are welcome (and encouraged) here on the FISD. With our help, you'll be a shiny white spaceman before you know it!

Welcome to the true home of shiny white armor, Dylan! Lots to learn before you dive in, so research will be your best friend. The amount of info. here can look (and is) quite staggering, but we are here to guide you all the way. Always, always feel free to ask any and all questions you may have... it's what we're here for!

The angle is much better and you did an awesome job on the paint touch-ups, but you still have quite a bit of glue around the join (E-6000 is runny stuff, lol). To remove it, just carefully score the edges along the side of the sniper plate with a razor, and then use your thumb to rub off the excess. I know this is a small item in the "big picture", but it will give you a much better look! Looks like you missed the screw heads on your brackets...

With the ab/kidney connection, for Expert Infantry the gap cannot exceed half an inch in width. For Centurion no gap can be present as seen below: Once you get to the point of fitting (and before trimming) use blue painter's tape to hold them together temporarily and post up some pics of what you have and we can advise from there.

Oops. Sorry about that, Colin! All done now sir!

Being the highest level of approval, Centurion requires a lot more attention to detail but you are almost there! As Glen mentioned, the paint in a few areas needs a bit of touching up which should take you all of 15 to 20 minutes in total. Looking forward to seeing the final pics so we can get you approved! White Gray Black (all TD screws) Solid black (CRL requirement.

The belt is perfect, so I'd leave that alone. Now that the boxes are in the correct position, just dab some glue behind the rear of the straps and you are good to go. To answer a LOT of your questions about the bracket system Tony (ukswrath) has in my opinion the best, most detailed tutorial you can find here on the FISD. Link. It is just one small part of his incredibly detailed build located here.

Your 45 degree angles are spot-on and it looks like you are in fine shape.. You may want to think about removing the drop-box elastic and starting over... not as difficult as you may think. Since the elastic is not seen in the back you can get creative, and they don't have to be on a loop around the canvas belt. On my second build I had this issue and I just glued (E-6000) a strip of elastic to the back of the box and then directly to the canvas belt in the proper position. Done deal. A few more suggestions: I would take at least this much off. Leaving this much on may cause the bottom of the chest to stick out. A few reference images As I mentioned, some troopers like the thicker look of partially removed return edges, no biggie, but some more trimming would be in order in my humble opinion.

Nice work on those fixes, Alex, and you are almost there! As Glen mentioned, we need the extra photos so we can move along, brother. Thanks! Close up of the sniper plate, front and both sides Close up of the thigh ammo strip connectors/rivets, inside and outside Close up of your side ab/kidney rivets Ear bottom screws Full side photos arms up Close up of the detonator scews/clips Helmet S trim Helmet lens color Full right side of blaster Blaster D ring One thing I would look at as well is the rear of your right shoulder bell. Although fronts line up perfectly, the right one is definitely longer in the back. Raisin it just a hair and maybe trimming the bottom as shown would give you a much more symmetrical (and screen accurate) look.

Perfect work on the angles on the ends of the ABS belt meeting the canvas one, but the outside edges of the drop boxes should be aligned with the outside edges of the ABS belt. This is not a requirement for Basic approval, but is you are (hopefully) aiming for Centurion level it will be and is screen accurate. Some E-6000 glue behind the straps will keep it in place. Speaking of E-6000, I noticed that you mention CA glue a lot. Yes, it dries instantly, but I honestly do not suggest using this. The reasons being: 1. It can run (drip). If it gets on your armor in a place where you don't want it, it has to be sanded down and re-polished. Not an easy task. 2. If you make a mistake when attaching something it is unforgiving. I have seen more that one instance where the pieces involved had to actually be replaced. 3. It can become brittle over time, causing the join to fail. Using E-6000 is pretty much the tried and true method. It takes time (12+ hours) to cure and has to be clamped during the process**, but does not get brittle and can be removed if needed, even if it seeps outside the join. Trust me on this one. ** This is what the neodymium (rare earth) magnets are used for.

ABS is normally heated to around 176 (Fahrenheit) for molding (like TK armor) and melts at about 370. Heat guns can reach temperatures of 1200 degrees, just shy of what it takes to melt aluminum. Not a chance I suggest taking unless you are well versed in how to use one. Hot water baths are much more forgiving, but since water boils at 212 it still pays to be very, very careful and work in small increments. Once a piece is warped it's next to impossible to fix, so as mentioned above using scraps to practice with will serve you well.

I would leave about 1/4 inch on the bottom of the chest plate if you are going with the strapping system, a bit more if you use the brackets. You can (and should) leave the same amount (at least 1/4 inch) on the top of the chest. bottom of the back, top/bottom of the kidney and top of the posterior (butt) plate. Below is what I personally consider the perfect trim job.

I know you are still in the refining stage, but a set of needle files (about 4 bucks at Lowe's- link here) followed by some sanding will do wonders for the teeth openings.

Yeah, those biceps will need to be reduced in circumference. Cutting down equally on both sides (front and rear) in small increments until you get a good fit... not too loose, not too tight. Pic 2 shows a suggestion I just offered in another build thread. Note the overlap and suggested cut line. Although it's a personal preference, I am not a fan of return edges in most areas for various reasons, and this (link here) thread may help explain. This is what I strongly suggest on the ab-button plate trimming: Reference image