justjoseph63

It couldn't hurt, and that is actually a very good idea, James. I like the way you plan on making that inner shim wider... excellent! If you haven't cut them to width yet, you can (and probably should) make the outside cover strips about 5mm wider than normal. It will not affect approval at any level, and will give you a little more surface area to work with.

It had better be! lol

Way to go, Ardeshir! You have a few small issues, but I'm sure you can get these done quickly and I expect to see that Level 3 submission soon!

I think removing some of the sides on the bottoms would allow them to sit farther down. If you decide to do this, do it in small increments just until you get them to where you want. Ideally, the very bottom of the ear should be under the S-trim, but as long as it's close you are good to go. Heaven knows the originals were not perfect! Your ear alignment is perfect as it is, so keep that blue line in the 4th photo in mind when making alterations. Don't worry if there are some gaps around the ears in certain places, just get them as close as you feel comfortable with. Here are some screen caps to give you examples. Note how thin the lower portions are, which allows them to sit lower on the tube. The last 2 are ESB ears, but they are still the same.

I can see a few small issues which are easily fixed. Can you post up another one without the circle and showing more of a side/rear view of the ears?

No worries, sir, take your time!

Since you have a slender build, let's hold off on the padding for now as I don't think you'll need it. If you could post some pics of the sides (left and right) of the center sections as seen below (arms raised) it would help judge how much will need to be removed.

As you said, the kidney could definitely come up a lot more, to where it touches the bottom of the back plate. The back plate also seems to be sitting a bit low, and could stand to be raised an inch or so (third photo). I would trim off the tabs on the chest plate as well as shown. I would seriously consider trimming off the return edges as seen in the second pic (at least in the shoulder area)., I can see (blue arrow) that they are digging into your shoulder, which will get mighty uncomfortable. As seen in the second photo as well, at some point you will need to trim the sides of the kidney. In a perfect world there is no gap on either side, and overlap on the right side is minimal at best.

You have pretty good sized gaps in the second photo, so it looks like you will need that room. The way they are pinched together in the first photo will probably not be comfortable, and while walking it may cause the Velcro to come loose (if you are planning on using that as the method to keep them closed). A way around this is to put cover strips behind the openings on each side. Doing this will give you more surface area to glue the outside cover strip to, as well as more surface area to attach the Velcro. The second pic shows that the outside cover strip would cover all the gaps. Since you are aiming for Centurion () the large space on the ridges cannot be there, so you could trim them down (mobility cut). Just make sure not to go past the bottom of the ridge (red arrows).

AWESOME to hear that you are shooting for Centurion, Thomas! It's really not that much more actual work, but the devil is in the details. The Quick CRL guide link I gave you will answer a lot of questions about the differences, and those details are what Deployment Officers look for when approving armor at higher levels.

I have some tutorials here and here that may help as well, but as Tony mentioned the pieces are cut to fit your body. As I recommend to all new builders, start a thread in this area so that you can post photos and ask all the questions you want to. If in doubt, always ask before cutting or gluing!

Forgot to add, try not to use CA (super) glue if possible. As mentioned, if it gets on your armor it's danged near impossible to get off without a lot of work. E-6000 really is the way to go, but be careful if you order from ebay... there are certain online retailer (including Europe) that are selling FAKE E-6000. The genuine product is clearly marked Made in the USA, and has a batch number on each tube. They do not sell to distributors in Asia, so if you try to save a few bucks by ordering from a seller there it is not the real stuff. If you have any doubts, you can contact the manufacturer at www.eclecticproducts.com, and they will let you know where to get it. The fake stuff is garbage and will not hold up.

If you look below my signature (the images at the bottom of this post) you will see links to a few tutorials I have. A few of these may come in handy, especially the Quick CRL reference Guide. This will show you in detail the differences between Basic approval and the higher levels. The actual CRL (Costume Reference Library) will also be a big help, which is located here. The higher levels of EI and Centurion are actually not that hard to reach if you want to aim for screen accuracy but they do require a little more attention to detail. These details are much easier to do during the build rather than after, but are not requirements. In a worse-case scenario, @A.J. Hamler has an awesome tutorial on how to do that located here. His armor is AM, but it would certainly work for you! As for the back plate/kidney connection, I would hold off on that for now until you get to the actual strapping attachment. Let's see how it fits first, as you may have no issues after all. In a worse-case scenario, @A.J. Hamler has an awesome tutorial on how to do that located here. His armor is AM, but it would certainly work for you! The same goes for bending the kidney. I am not a fan of return edges on most armor parts, but that one is important to a degree, as it keeps the kidney from sliding over (or under) the bottom of the back plate.

Looking great so far, Thomas! Nice to see you are using interior cover strips, which will add strength to the joins. These are especially important for the shin (calf) pieces, which get a lot of use from opening and closing them while suiting up. Keep the photos coming, and if I could make a recommendation it would be that when in doubt, ask before cutting or gluing.

Incredibly happy to see that the photos have been restored on this epic thread, Tony... well done!

Looking SHARP, Jonathan! If I could suggest one thing, it would be to trim down the points at the top of the biceps. Not a deal breaker for Basic, but it would definitely help make them more comfortable.

Welcome, Thomas (and Dad)! You should have no issues getting the armor approved. One thing I would suggest is starting a build thread here, that way you can post up photos and questions (as many as you like) all in one place. We are here to help every step of the way, so never be afraid to ask us anything you need to.

MUCH better!!

Getting close, Jonas! SO close! Fantastic progress, sir. ABS belt placement is spot-on, but I am wondering about the bicep/forearm strapping. In the older photo, you had it pretty much nailed, but in the new photos it looks like you have raised them a bit. The left side still looks great, but the right one seems to ride a little higher, causing a gap between the wrist and the top of the hand plate. At this pace, you are going to be approved sooner than you think, but my goal is to see you approved at EI and then Centurion!

Welcome to the home of shiny white armor, Jude! Lots of great information has been provided, but as mentioned above know that we are here to help every step of the way. There is a ton of information here on the FISD to look through, so research will be necessary, but we will offer any guidance and support you require. (It's what we do)! ALWAYS feel free to ask any and all questions you may have (no matter how small), and best of luck on your TK journey!

Gotta' say Ardeshir that you did an AWESOME job not only with this armor, but toning down that weathering made a world of difference...DANG I'm proud of ya', brother!!! The work you did on that DLT-19 is among the most impressive I've seen (especially for a 3D print). Being a fellow detail freak, I was glad to see that you added the wire on the T-tracks (most people miss that) and the paint work on the butt-stock is outstanding! I predict you will have no worries reaching EI, and I look forward to your Level 3 submission on this soon after so that we can add another HWT Centurion to the ranks. If I could suggest one thing, it would be to add some light weathering to the pauldron. GREAT JOB!

This is WAY cool, Eric.. GREAT idea!

Well, with only a little more than thirteen thousand posts here you are getting pretty darned close!

If you are looking for someone to build an incredible set of armor that you have purchased from someone else, Tony @ukswrath is a LEGEND here!

There area few vetted vendors who can build your armor sets for you, including AP and RS props (which may have the fastest turnaround). I would suggest contacting them and explaining your situation and perhaps they can put a "rush" on them. I heard that Dave at AM also builds armor, but again, you should check with him first. Another thing you should consider is that pre-assembled kits are bespoke, and you would need the necessary measurements for those who would be wearing them. Otherwise, they may not fit correctly. Even the difference of a few inches here or there can make a difference, as pieces like the limbs (forearms/biceps- thighs/calves) are pre-assembled and not easy to adjust. There are also other items to consider in your budget... Under-suits, neck seals, gloves, etc. will be required. This list may help. Whatever vendor you use, we are here to help at all stages so always feel free to ask any and all questions you have.