justjoseph63

If it were me, I would trim off some more of the top of the biceps. Any edges you can remove that may cut into you will help, and they are covered by the shoulder bells and not seen anyway, This thread may help: link

The single cap rivets are actually perfect (and screen accurate) as long as the head size (diameter) is about 8 mm.

CONGRATS to Alexander Schwaninger (azoroes) TK 22504, our latest addition to the rank of Expert Infantry! Almost down to single digits now, folks...

Hi Alex, and thank you for your application and the additional photos and fixes. AWESOME work on those updated tube stripes, by the way! CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry! On behalf of the DO team and myself, 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. Let's start from the top, sir. Your brow trim sits a little too far back on the left side, and is a bit short on the right. I suggest just moving it around (as shown) and you will be good to go! Reference images Another quick paint issue is seen on the vocoder. The lines on the bottom ridges needs to come up, and they should be symmetrical, crisp and clean. Reference images Your posterior plate is riding pretty far out and really should be brought in to where the rear aligns with the back plate. Some strapping adjustments should take care of this, but if you need another route we can provide some alternatives. Reference images For a better screen accurate look and comfort standpoint, we suggest that you trim down the tops of your thighs in the rear. You may be experiencing the sharp points at the seam poking into you, or that they make a clicking noise while you walk. Both these can be eliminated with a reduction in the height and will give you much better overall look. Reference images Just a side note here, but we suggest that you remove the excess E-6000 that seeped out from underneath the sniper plate. Should take all of 5 minutes, and will give you a better look. Although technically flexible as required by the CRL, we are suggesting that you change out your hand plates. Both the left and the right should be symmetrical in design. The arc on the bottom of the left one is good, but the right one is way different, and the edges are pretty ragged looking. It's these small details that can make the difference between a average looking TK and a GREAT looking TK! Reference images The Hengstler counter on your E-11 is sitting a little too far back and is mounted at an angle. We suggest moving it forward and leveling it out. Reference images 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. The paint on the edges of the frown need to come out to a point, as seen in the reference images. Easy fix! Reference images Although not specifically mentioned in the CRL, one of the items that will need some tweaking is the shoulder bell connection. The tops should touch (or be very close to) the shoulder bridge as seen in the reference images. The left one is very close, but the right one needs to be raised about half an inch. This is an all-too-common issue we see (but easy to fix). As per the CRL for Level 3, the outside edges of the drop boxes must align with the outside edge of the ABS belt. Some E-6000 behind the strap in the rear should remedy this easily. Reference images This is going to be a tough one. As required in the CRL for Centurion, the 45 degree corners on the ends of the ABS ammo belt must meet up with the edges of the cloth belt. Unfortunately, it looks as if you have trimmed the ends of the belt a bit short and gave them too much of an angle, so it will need to be changed out, sad to say. Reference images Overall a great job on removing the return edges on the wrist opening, but the area inside the "hump" will also need to be removed. 5 minutes with a Dremel or file and you are golden! Reference images Last up, it appears that you have some silver paint on the T-tracks of your E-11 which needs to be removed. The original T-tracks were made of plastic, so no "weathering" should be present. Another easy fix! Reference images And there you have it, brother. You have some work ahead of you, but after the way you jumped on the previous requested fixes and did such a fantastic job on them I feel completely confident that you can do the same for the ones above. Looking forward to seeing your submission for Centurion soon!

Unfortunately a normal rivet may not do, Ueli. The head needs to be flat or convex and be about 8 mm in diameter. Since you have more than a dozen TKs in the Swiss Garrison, I would advise getting in touch with one or more of them to find out what source they used for theirs.

I gotta' say that was my favorite memory of Celebration Orlando. It was like Mario Andretti and his pit crew, lol, and I have been wanting to see the video!

This is one EPIC build, Chuck! Your attention to detail is phenomenal, and I appreciate the fact that you have gone the extra mile by posting all the comments and photos. Outstanding work, sir, and I can't wait to see the end result!

Looks MUCH better, JR. That will definitely pass for Basic and EI approval, but if you are (hopefully) aiming for Centurion the rest will need to be removed then sanded smooth. Reference images

A motley crew indeed, lol.

What part of the Sunshine state do you live in, Shawn? I used to be in the Florida Garrison (Makaze Squad) and know of a few folks in various locations that may be able to help you out.

The pleasure was all mine, Jason. It was nice to work on armor again!

I thought so, but wanted to make sure. Interior cover strips can be pretty much any color, as they are not seen.. it's the exterior ones that count! At this point (before you do the forearm fitting) I would recommend removing all the return edges from the wrist opening (including the "hump" area).

Can I ask who you ordered this kit from?

Welcome to the true home of shiny white armor, Michael! Great to hear that you pulled the trigger, ordered your RS kit and are aiming for Centurion, and we look forward to helping you in any way we can. While waiting, I suggest getting all of your supplies in order ahead of time, as well as researching some of the build threads already here. When Big Brown Box day finally arrives, I also highly recommend starting your own build thread where you can post photos of your progress and ask all the questions you may will have. I have some tutorials below that will help, and I look forward to seeing your progress!

"I still don't know what "V Style" is and google image search isn't helpful. Can you provide an example please"? This refers to the shape of the screw head, Ueli. What you have now are "V-head" (image 1) which are not permitted. Ideally, they should be "Pan-head" (image 2) but round head screws (image 3) are acceptable. The top must be slotted (top, image 4) and not Philips (bottom). Hope this helps! 1 2 3 4

Looks MUCH better, Alex! We will be with ya' shortly, so hang in there...

Looking GREAT, Joe... excellent work on the ear gaps and teeth! It may be the photo angle, but the top of the right eye opening looks to have a "sleepy" appearance (pic 1) to it as opposed to the left one, so you may want to think about trimming that a bit. In a perfect world, the brow trim should end at the rear of the trap, but since there are lots of inconsistencies in the screen used ones (pics 2-4) you are good. The height you have it at is spot-on. The Hovi-tips look fine. Again, there was a lot of wonkiness in the originals (part of their charm) so I personally would leave them as is. But, is that silver paint on the rims? If so, they should actually be white. 1. 2. 3. 4. Keep up the fantastic job, and keep the photos and questions coming!

Amen!

It's not ignorance, Avery, it's just that there is a ton of information here and wading through it takes time. You did the absolute right thing by asking about this seller, and Glen added some excellent reference material to go over so that you can make an informed decision. But, know that we don't just put armorers on any particular list (good or bad) without a reason. The ones in our "vetted" section have a solid, tried-and-true reputation of delivering a high quality product at a fair price, great communication with the buyer and maintaining good business practices. In the end the choice is yours, but always feel free to ask if you have any more questions.

Hi again, Alex! Thanks for fixing your TD clips and adding the extra requested photos, sir, but we do have 2 issues before we can complete your request. After discussing the matter with several of the Staff members: 1. We are asking that you remove the Gaffer tape from your biceps. Although this particular use of it (on the biceps) was seen on at least one trooper in the film, on the vast majority it was not present. While it is screen accurate to a degree, the FISD (and 501st) are about "standard" armor and not exact costume prop replication. While some other Detachments (like the MEPD) may require these small details as seen on a particular trooper in the film(s) for higher levels, we at the FISD are about the "ideal" overall look and do not permit Gaffer tape on EI and Centurion submissions. Reference images If you choose to add the tape back after your approval(s) that is up to you, but note that it will eventually need to be replaced over and over, depending on how much you troop. One suggestion (even if you use the tape in the future) is to add a strap/snaps to connect the shoulder bell/bicep to help keep it in place. 2. While we appreciate that your tube stripes are hand painted and the placement is ideal, the shapes will need to be more consistent with those seen onscreen. Note in the reference photos that each stripe is almost identical to the others and much more uniform. This can be achieved by either using a template (as seen here) or decals (seen here). This is going to take a little work on your part, but we have the confidence that you can do this and if we can be of any help, just ask! Reference images We look forward to seeing the updated photos so that we can get that EI badge under your name!

WOW! Outstanding work on this, Glen! Present (and future) HWTs looking to build one of these bad-boys are gonna' be mighty grateful!

Glad to have you here, Jake! Andrew gave you the best link to get started, and there is a ton of information here, but don't let it intimidate you. If there is anything you can't find or you have any questions at all (no matter how small), please don't hesitate to ask... it's what we are here for!

Hi David! As mentioned, we are more than happy to help get you to EI (and above)! You can post the photos in your thread here and we can offer any suggestions (if needed) that you may need. I would suggest looking over the links below that will help. You are also welcome to PM any of us on the D.O. staff with any specific questions/concerns. 1. Visual checklist- https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/49232-anh-stunt-expert-infantry-visual-checklist-2020/ 2. Photo checklist- https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/49703-ei-photo-checklist-updated-version-2020/ 3. Quick CRL reference- https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/48335-quick-crl-reference-guide-for-your-ot-build-pics-notes-tips/

Hi Joe! As mentioned, starting your own build thread is a very wise move, and always ask and post up a photo before cutting if you have any doubts! I have a few tutorials under my avatar below that may help, especially these two: Return edges- https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/48166-return-edges-101-ottk/?tab=comments#comment-670906 Quick CRL reference guide- https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/48335-quick-crl-reference-guide-for-your-ot-build-pics-notes-tips/

Hi Alex, and thank you for your submission for EI! One of us will be with you shortly, sir, but before we can move along we need one quick (easy) fix and one additional photo. As per the CRL for Level 2, the TD clips are positioned "...with little to no gap between the clips and end caps". The left one is OK, but the one on the right needs to be moved out to match it. Please add a photo of your hand guards side by side as well. As soon as you get that moved, please post up the photos and we can get started!