justjoseph63

Welcome to the true home of shiny white armor, Shane! As has been mentioned, a build thread is a wise decision. There are some great ones here to follow, but having your own allows you to ask as many questions as you like as well as post up photos of your progress and any issues you may come across. We LOVE photos, a picture really is worth a thousand words, especially when you have a problem. There is a LOT of information here, but don't let it confuse you. We are here to help every step of the way, so always feel free to ask if there is anything you need help finding!

It's about time, Jonas, lol! One of us will be with your shortly sir!

Absolute textbook work there, Martyn! Just make sure the drop box straps are secure in the back so that they don't slide.

Less than 2 weeks left to get on on this, folks!

You can get them from Trooperbay, but you can also get decals as well. Both are acceptable at all levels. Templates- https://trooperbay.com/trooper-tube-stripe-masking-templates Decals- https://trooperbay.com/standard-tube-stripes

I realize that helmets are made differently, but if it were me I would angle the face plate out a bit more and raise it a hair, as it appears the eyes are looking down. The blue line on the left shows that the area where the bottom of the cheek ends currently lines up toward the back of the trap, while on the reference image it lines up more toward the front. This would also raise the cheek angles. In looking at the reference image, note how the tops of the eyes line up with the ridge on the cap, giving the appearance of looking forward.

You da' MAN, Cody! Thanks!

Thanks for the updated photos, Cody, and great job on the fixes! Your EI submission has been completed except for one item that needs to be addressed, which is a requirement for that level. As per the CRL for Basic approval, "Cover strip(s) must end at the top of the lower ridge in front and back". It's all about the details, sir, and 2 minutes with a Dremel or razor knife can take care if this!

Hi Thomas! First, let me say congrats on receiving your armor... but don't stress out! It looks as if you may have a bit more trimming to do, but you did the absolute correct thing in asking first before moving along! There will be a certain amount of overlap of the back and face plates, as you will need an area to attach the rivets that hold them together. Since the overlap is not seen from the outside and does not affect approval this is normally covered by the ears. My suggestion would be to use blue painter's tape to hold together for the time being until you get the ears trimmed and in place which will cover the seams. Ideally, the center of the top(round) part of the ears should be positioned directly below the rear angle of the traps above them, as seen in the reference photos below. Please also note that the ear screws follow that line. Please keep the photos coming, and ALWAYS feel free to ask any questions. It's what we are here for!

Fantastic job on this armor, Daniel, and I see no issues that should hold you back from Basic approval. With a few tweaks I can definitely see this headed for Expert Infantry level if you choose to do so! AWESOME job on the cover strip alignment, as well as the bicep/forearm and thigh gaps! No a huge issue by any means, but if you feel up to it and want to go the extra mile I would suggest re-positioning your right ear if feasible. Ideally, the center of the top of the ear sits directly below the rear angle of the trap, and the screws line up with that line as well (just as you have on the left side). The brow trim should also end at that line. Not a biggie, but just food for thought... NICE! Reference image Again, if you have the time, some white paint could be added to the inside and rims of the Hovi-tips for a closer screen accurate look. Reference image Bets of luck with your submission, and let us know when you get approved!

Look on the bright side... now you have the time to get to Centurion before your first troop! This thread will give you a head start.

Although I am not familiar with yellowing on RS armor, many troopers who have had that problem have used Trooperbay's ArmorWhite gel with success. My AM armor is ABS, and despite dozens of troops in the Florida sun it has never had any discoloration issues.

Looking great so far, Robert, and fantastic to see that you started a build thread! Doing this will honestly help a lot, believe me. If you are ever unsure of anything (even a little bit) always ask first before moving ahead. This takes some extra time of course, but it will save you having to re-do anything. It's also important to post as many photos as you can (a picture really is worth a thousand words), especially if you run into an issue. Best of luck on your build, and I look forward to following your progress!

Heavy Weapons Trooper is also an option... (hint hint, wink wink).

YOU DID IT, Jonas, CONGRATULATIONS and welcome to the 501st, brother!!! You took on a huge challenge, and did it the right way by asking for advice, paying attention to details and starting this awesome ""re-build" thread. Dang I'm proud of ya'! First, you should request Legion access here on the FISD. Just go to this thread and A.C. will get you hooked up with that so you will have your TK title and number listed below your name. It will also open up new areas on the main page. After that, I hope you will consider aiming for EI level! I hope you will hang out here on the boards as often as you can and stay involved in our little community. With all that you've learned, hopefully you will consider passing on that knowledge to those who were in your shoes and help to carry on our unofficial motto: "Troopers helping Troopers" (and future Troopers)!

Although it's not specifically listed in the CRL, for Level 3 we normally require the edges to be equal distance on both sides, even if it is a bit short.

Yes, leave the shim. Working with ABS paste is really not that big of a deal, but just be sure not to overfill any areas. The less you put on, the less you have to sand off! Kalani has an awesome tutorial here that will help: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/42866-how-to-make-abs-paste/

Just split the difference, brother.... make it the same on both sides and you are golden.

Hi Steve! If I could make a few suggestions, they would be: 1. It looks as if your biceps are a lot wider than they need to be which is causing the shoulder bells to flare out, creating the large gaps between the sides of the bells and the chest/back plates. The wrist openings look pretty wide as well. Not sure if your GML will ding you on this, but it would make your armor fit and look a lot better if you could reduce the circumference on those and still have them fit comfortably. 2 issues here that may affect basic approval: 1. I see that you made a shim for the kidney, but unfortunately the 3 rivets in the front need to be attached at the rear of the chest plate, with the rear ones attached to the front of the kidney. 2. The kidney overlaps the rear of the chest plate significantly. They should meet up in the center.

Holy smoke that was fast, Jonas! WOW! Awesome job on those issues, brother. Awesome job indeed!

I've been waiting for this day! All the hard work has really paid off, sir, and you did a fantastic job on this armor. If I could add my 2 credit's worth it would be: 1. It may be the photo, but are your shoulder straps sitting evenly on the top of the chest plate? If not, your GML may mention this. 2. Your left one is perfect, but the right rear calf closure is a bit askew. Should be just a simple dressing issue. 3. At some point you may want to bring the paint at the ends of the frown up and out a bit. Not a biggie, but something to consider. 1. 2. 3. Reference images Best of luck on your submission, and I'm looking forward to seeing that official TK# under your name soon!!

G'day, Tyrone, and thank you for your EI submission! In the following review I will be going over items pertaining to your current submission, as well as those that will be required for Centurion level should you choose to apply. (And I think you should)! CRL and EIB Application Requirements: All required submission photos have been posted and I am very pleased to announce your armor displays all the necessary elements to qualify for ANH Stunt Expert Infantry. On behalf of Sha Sha and myself, Congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly: In this section we review observations made by your fellow troopers and ourselves. 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. Alright, brother, you obviously spent some SERIOUS time on this armor, and it shows! Some of the items listed may take a bit of work, but I have every faith that you can take care of these issues so that we can get a Centurion badge under your name soon! We are recommending that the brow be raised a bit. Although Hero buckets had a brow that sat lower, for the most part Stunt bucket brows generally sat higher. EASY fix! Reference images Although not a necessity, if you want to go for a little more screen accuracy (and since you have the extra length) you can trim off the large tabs on the back of the shoulder bridges. Reference images You absolutely nailed the edges of the large one, but the small ab-button plate could stand to be trimmed down a tiny bit. Remember, it's all about the details! Reference images The right one is perfect, but a noticeable dressing issue is the top of your left calf alignment in the rear. Simplest fix ever! Reference image 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 those for Expert Infantry, 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. Just a few things to go over here, Tyrone.. As per the CRL, the tube stripes on both sides should be "..positioned approximately a pencil width from the side of the cheek". Yours are sitting pretty low and need to be raised a bit. Reference image They may very well be present, but in your photos I could not see the thin white elastic bands holding the shoulder straps down. These are required for Level 3, and are another crazy easy fix! Again, you are incredibly close on this one but the gap between the ab and kidney need to be closed up. Reference images For L3 the ABS belt will need to come up a cm or so. It should at least touch the bottom button(s) but can over-ride them a bit as seen in the reference photos. Reference images And last up, you are missing the flash guard from your E-11. This is actually a pretty easy repair! Just bend a piece of scrap ABS into a semi circle, trim/sand it down and CA glue it on. Before gluing it to the barrel, I would sand down the area around the hole for better adhesion. After the glue dries, hit it with a coat of paint and you are good to go! Reference image And that's it! We hope you will take these issues to heart and hopefully get that Centurion submission in as soon as you get the chance. Now get out there, express your obvious esprit de corps and make the Redback Garrison proud as their newest EIB recipient!

Hi Tyrone, Your review is complete, but there is a bit of confusion that needs to be cleared up before I can add the badge to your profile. In your initial post at the top your screen name is listed as Tythephantom, and there is no 501st access: Did you change your screen name to tythetrooper? Please edit your initial post with the correct info. and then I can post your badge. Thanks!

For the barrel reduction I would go with the closest to 3" that you can find, as using 2.5" may make the end product look a bit off. It may take me a few days, but I can get the blue wire for you (no charge), just shoot me your shipping info. via PM