justjoseph63

It's terrible to laugh at this, but I literally LOL'd out loud.

I lived in the UK (Lancashire**, but don't hold that against me, lol) and I can say from experience that the humidity there is not quite what it can be in Florida at times (97% as I write this). Being an accuracy nut I would love to wear rubber gloves at all events, but emptying them every 20 minutes can get a bit tiresome. **

Using clamps, LOTs of magnets and tape during the drying process will help. It also helps to keep an eye on the seams, checking them periodically to make sure things haven't shifted out of place. I know it's a pain in the posterior plate to remove pieces once glued, but in this case I would suggest taking another stab at this one and lowering the cover strip about half an inch. The bottom of the strip should ideally touch or be very close to the top of the ridge. I would also recommend gluing in a small scrap of ABS on the inside (behind the gap) to cover it. If you want to go a step further, you can fill in the top with ABS paste (kind of a pain) or white Sugru. I have a quick tutorial here on using Sugru, and if you live in the U.S. I will send you (no charge) enough to take care of all the gaps on the front and back. Screen used thigh- front Rear You may want to trim down a bit of the return edge on the outside to match the inside after gluing the interior scrap.

Keep in mind that we all want you to get that Centurion badge under your name, Erik! The items that have been commented on are based on updates to the CRLs that have evolved over the last 7 years since you submitted for EI. These additions/changes are based on research of official screen references and material and are suggested by our members. All updates are added to polls and must be voted on/passed by the membership before being implemented. The advice you have received so far is solid and not meant in any way to hinder you from attaining Level 3, but rather to help. Not all of those who commented are "reviewers" (D.O.s) but some (like Glen) have been here for many years and know what will be expected (I was a D.O. for 6 years before my recent promotion). As I mentioned in my last post the D.O.s are permitted a certain amount of leeway when it comes to approvals. While some items listed in a review may not be specifically mentioned in the CRLs, if an item is seen on the majority of a particular costume in the films or in official references it may be required for approval. They will never ask you to do/change something without having solid evidence or has not been required in past approvals. While EI is generally considered to be fairly to reach, being our top tier of approval Centurion is a whole different ballgame and therefore more attention to detail is needed. Some items are easy and fast, some are not. (For my first L3 approval (with AM armor) I had to replace the chest, back and kidney (ugh) among other things). Again, we are here to help with any issues. I truly hope you will take these suggestions as they were intended, which is to get you up to speed and get that badge under your name! You can do this!!

GREAT to hear that you are shooting for Centurion, Erik! This is an awesome example of AM armor at it's best, but I'm sure you know that the CRLs have been updated in the last 7 years so there have been some changes for all 3 levels. A quick read over them will help get you up to speed. Also note that when reviewing a costume that the D.O.s do not depend solely on the text, but also take official visual references (screen caps, etc.) into consideration. A few things that may need to be addressed are: 1. It's kind of hard to tell, but the cloth belt may be a bit wide: The corners of the plastic ammo belt shall be trimmed at a 45 degree angle that that meets the outer edge of the cloth belt. 2. The rims of the Hovi tips should have a few dabs of white paint ("weathering"). EASY! 3. If you haven't got a set yet, flexible hand guards are required. I have those available here. Looking forward to seeing your submission, and if you have any questions just ask!

Looks like you nailed it, Rob.. awesome job! Note the space between the bottoms of the yellow lines is almost identical on both sides but the ones on your left side overlap that last tube stripe (red arrow). I would remove that one. The reason being is that it may sit under or partially under the ear and there should be a gap (even a small one). Also, you have 15 on the right and 16 on the left.

The holes in the cap (red circle) can stay just where they are, it's just a matter of drilling new ones in the faceplate underneath (orange arrow) after shifting it into the new position. Since it looks like it only needs to be rotated about a 1/4 inch or so you shouldn't have any additional holes to cover. As Glen mentioned, the ears will cover them anyway as seen in the screen used example. If you have the overlap at the bottom, a rivet at the bottom will help keep it in place while you work on the ear placement.

My mistake, Steve.. I thought you had already purchased it! If you can have an ANH E-11 3D printed you can always change it to an ESB. Yes, it takes some work, but it's well worth the time and effort. I did one a while back which can be see here. And yes, due to the fact that ESB blasters were once pretty scarce (before 3D came along) correctly built ANH ones can be substituted for Expert infantry and Centurion approval.

Thanks for the photos, Rob! I think you have the brow height spot-on. EXCELLENT! As for the side adjustment, since you haven't attached the ears yet I would shift the faceplate to the left just a tad, which should line it up perfectly. Another reason to do this is so that hopefully your bottom ear screw can be inserted through the bottom of both the face plate and cap, keeping them in place. You got the angle of the face plate set in a great position, so be sure to just realign the sides without changing that. Having equal space on both sides will help. NICE!!! Keep up the awesome job, sir! Looking forward to seeing your results!

I always use Chicago screws as well, but I add a small amount of medium duty threadlocker before tightening them. This way, I know they won't come loose over time but can still be removed if/when needed.

Quest Design makes one of the most screen-accurate ANH blasters on the market IMO, so excellent choice going with them, Steve. I wasn't even aware that QD made an ESB E-11! Although the ANH style is approvable for this costume at all levels I'm so very glad you went for the ESB version, and I am well impressed with the accuracy. They even got the "correct" scope! It could use a slight*** bit of "weathering", though. Some silver paint and a dry brush in a few areas would give it more of an authentic "battle worn" look (just none on the T-tracks or grip). Screen used ESB E-11 *** Remember, less is more, so no need to go overboard .

It could very well be the photo, but to me it seems that the cap is riding a little too high on the front of the face plate which is causing the brow to sit that far up, giving an elongated look to the overall appearance. If this is indeed the case, it's a fairly easy job to change the position by altering the location of the rivets (we can help with this). Can you post up some side-view photos? Thanks!!

Congrats on your BBB day, Steve! No issues that I can see, but once you get your thigh strapping sorted out I would highly recommend posting up photos** in our "Pre-Approval" thread (link here). This allows us to make suggestions and get you ship-shape for Basic 501st approval as well as go over any issues if necessary. More info. on this program can be found here. ** The ones you provided above are EXCELLENT... large, in-focus and showing lots of detail!! Due to the fact that commission builds are often not done "in-person" there may be a fitment issue here or there (normally just some slight tweaking), but Dave builds to Centurion level so you should be in good shape. "Hand Plates: AM commission at Dave’s Darkside Depot, I received two sets, I think one for ANH and ESB, please correct if I am wrong, I am still very new to all this". The ABS "clamshell" ones you show in the photo are the correct type used for ESB. You didn't show a pic of the other set, but if they are pentagonal shaped they are ANH. Looking forward to seeing the final product, and always feel free to ask any questions!

It's a little difficult to tell how close the the thigh is fitting on the top, but you don't want it too tight (or loose for that matter) as it's important to have space for mobility and comfort. At some troops you may be walking for hours in your armor, and if it fits too snug the return edge on the inside (see photo) can/will cut into your inside leg and cause chafing. Not a pleasant thing. Most of us like the "thick" look" that return edges provide, but in reality they were pretty scarce in many parts of OT armor. It you decide to cut down those edges on any parts, I highly recommend doing it before final fitting/gluing. I have a thread here that can help answer questions on this. Keep up the great work!

Odd fact: Just learned yesterday that although Carrie Fisher and James Earl Jones had roles in the O.T that they never actually met in person until 2014 during the taping of a "The big bang theory" episode.

Awesome progress, Jonathan! One thing I would definitely do is trim down the sides of the posterior plate as seen below.

GREAT question, Brendan! Due to the slight curves on the limb pieces, getting the cover strips 100% flush is just not going to happen in many cases so nothing to be concerned about. As long as you have the inside cover strips you should have no issues.

Nice job on this so far, Daniel! You have been given some great advice so far, but if I could add a couple of things to cosider: The cod seems to be a bit long and probably could use at least an inch or so taken off the top. This would be a good start in giving you the space between it and tops of the thighs. As it looks now with the cod so close to/overlapping the tops of the thighs you would more than likely have difficulty walking as they would be constantly rubbing together. Note in the 2 reference images how much of a gap there is on all sides of the cod (and the distance between the tops of the thighs and the belt), so for comfort, mobility and closer screen accuracy trimming the tops may be an option. Here is a close up of Justin's @TheRascalKing Jimmi build where he got it spot-on. Larger photos of the complete look can be found here. Keep plugging away, sir, and keep those photos and questions rolling in. Looking forward to seeing your progress!

Welcome, Josh! Most (if not all) of the kits sold by our vetted armorers (link here) can be cut down to fit danged near any size. Even the ones designed for larger troopers can be made to fit perfectly. I am 5" 11 150 lbs. and I use AM armor which is one of those made for larger troopers. Here is a link to see set of WTF armor on someone who is 6" /150 lbs. We are here to help every step of the way, so never be shy about asking questions!

That is GREAT that you are headed for level 3, Timothy! I have a tutorial here that will help. One thing I recommend is starting with a smaller drill bit and working your way up to the size you need to remove them. It is actually pretty easy, just take your time.

I purchase this type on Amazon and 2 yards (2 meters) should be more than enough. Just be sure to double over the ends about half an inch, which will reinforce them and keep the snaps from pulling out. I also suggest gluing/clamping the folded part.

I would also highly suggest moving to the snap system, Rodney. Better yet, as Andrew mentioned I would go with the double-snap method. Yeah, it's extra work but well worth every minute it takes to make and attach them. Trust me. Here is a perfect example of double snaps from @Adianu's build (thank you, Sherry)! The part of the snap that is secured (I suggest E-6000) to your armor is Nylon, while the strap itself is elastic (for mobility). I have a thread here which may help. To keep the screen accurate look you can actually just remove the wires (no one sees them anyway) and keep the screws in place.

From what I have observed, Stunt buckets normally had the brow sitting in a higher position above the eyes. Many (if not most) of the Hero versions had the brow sitting lower. Although the brow height is not specifically listed in the CRL at this time, keep in mind that the D.O.s also use official reference images (photos) when reviewing a costume, and depending on how the final product looks they may ask you to raise it slightly. If you want to change the brow height and it is sitting tight against the front rim of the cap (pushed all the way up), the only way to raise the brow is to reposition the face plate down a bit. It's entirely up to you of course, but doing this would also help the bottom line of the "tube" to line up better (blue arrow) and give you a nicer fit for the S-trim. In the reference image, note how the bottom of the tube lines up perfectly while the top does not.

I wouldn't trim anything off of the shoulder tabs of the chest plate. In your previous photo (first pic below) it sat in a lower position on the ab, but the way you have it now it rides a little high.

I think you are on the right track with your cuts, Jonathan. If I could make a few suggestions they would be: I see that your backplate is over-riding your kidney (1). Not by much and certainly not the biggest of deals unless you are (hopefully) aiming for Centurion. The back plate can have a minimal overlap for that, but you may be able to get rid of it altogether. Note how the angle of the arc in the screen used back is less severe than your is at the moment and the tabs on it are kinda' stubby. Removing some of the length on those tabs (in increments) will help it ride higher When you have your arms raised it's almost perfect (yellow arrow). One of the nuances of AM armor is that the bottom corners (orange arrow) tend to overlap more than the flat ridge between them. @A.J. Hamler has a fantastic tutorial on how to effectively take care of those (link here). "Are the snaps on the posterior meant to be functional or just for aesthetic? If so, where do the snaps connect to"? The 1" black elastic strap that connects the cod to the posterior plate tab should be connected to one of the snaps (your choice) Here are some detail pics from @WillJ's AM armor Centurion approval thread that will help. Note the length of the tab and the placement of the snaps. You can also see that the bottom of the back plate sits in a great position (blue), the corners have been trimmed and that the back of the neck sits pretty high (ideally in my opinion).