justjoseph63

New content/photos added (***EXAMPLE 2).

Hi again, Jamie, and thank you for your application for Centurion! As I said before, I really appreciate you taking the time to get on those issues so fast! Now let's get to the good part! CRL and Centurion Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Centurion! On behalf of the DO team and myself, congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we discuss areas that could benefit from additional improvement. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions. You have done a brilliant job on this build, brother, and we only have a few suggestions that we feel would really make this awesome set of armor look it's best! As was suggested before, taking a Sharpie or a paint pen to those stripes would make them a bit more uniform in appearance. Reference images Your canvas belt could use a haircut, lol. Having the odd stray thread is no big deal, but 30 seconds with a pair of scissors would tidy up those edges nicely and make it look a lot better!! Reference image Lastly, we are recommending that you reduce the gap between the tops of your thighs and cod area by slightly rotating them in. Although there were certainly disparities in this area seen in the film, for the majority the gaps are smaller. This would also allow your front cover strips to line up a tad better. Reference images I realize in doing this that the backs may ride up too high, but you can safely cut those down. Doing that would definitely make them more comfortable when walking, and as seen below also screen accurate. Reference images Now it's time to get out there and make both the UKG and the Lord Vader proud as it's newest Centurion level TK! Side note: Now that you are representing the Empire in an elite status, Jamie, I genuinely hope you will continue to spend time here on the FISD to share your build expertise and help those on their own white armor journey! "Troopers helping Troopers" (and future Troopers)!!

Looks MUCH better, thanks. Sanding that area down with some high-grit (600+) sandpaper and polishing it would smooth it out even more. Be with ya' shortly!

I wonder what the deal is with the over sized caps on most of those? Strange stuff indeed.

Looks like this TKC bucket was designed with a WAY over sized protruding cap to keep rain/sun off the lenses. All are definitely more than a bit odd looking.

Hi Jamie! My sincere apologies for not picking this up before, but I just noticed something that will affect your L3 approval. It may just be me, but do you have a repair/patch under the lower right hand side? (See arrow). As seen in the second close-up, it appears to have edges and something ( a rivet?) holding it in place and sort of stands out. It also looks pretty noticeable in your profile pic (#3). Patches are fine (hundreds of us have them) and don't need to be 100% perfect, but they need to blend in with the surrounding area.

Always fantastic to see one of your builds, Ardeshir, and this one is no exception!! Although there should be no major issues for EI, unfortunately there are a few items that will affect you when you get ready for Centurion with this armor (which I am sure you will do)!! 1. All the ear screws will need to be replaced. The top two on both sides have a slight dome (first two photos) and the bottom ones are pan-head style. If you compare them to your other bucket (third photo) which has the required flat-head screws you will see the difference. 2, The thigh ammo pack is misaligned on the sides (blue lines)... there should be an equal distance between the rivets and the ridge corners. I am suggesting that you split the difference on both sides (green line). Reference images Just some food for thought while you get ready for level 3, brother. One of us will be with your shortly for this submission!!

I personally don't have an issue with the vocoder, as it is pretty close to many of the Stunt ones seen onscreen: References

Looks like someone has been BUSY! I appreciate you taking the time to jump on those suggestions (was kind of hoping you would have worked on the tube stripes, though..). I'll be with ya' shortly, brother. Thanks!

Hi David, and thank you for your application! Before we can proceed, some more photos will be needed, (No need to suit up for these)! 1. Close up of the cod showing the rivet. 2. Close-up of TD showing the screws. 3. Close-up of left side ab/kidney connection showing rivets/rivet placement. 4. Interior strapping 5. Wrist openings. 6. Abdomen details, with close-ups (including side views) of the ab-button plates. 7. Bucket close-up- Left side. 8. Rear view of belt. As soon as the photos posted we can move ahead with your submission, sir... THANKS!!

Hi Fred, and really nice overall build on this AP armor! There are a few issues which may cause a snag for basic approval, but nothing insurmountable I assure you. Actually, with a few tweaks here and there I can see you taking this to at least Expert Infantry level! A lot of the items listed below (and some that Q listed) are simple strapping issues, which are much easier to work with than you think. In addition to what Q has mentioned. here are my personal observations/suggestions: 1. Your biceps are riding pretty low and could stand to come up around 3 (maybe 4) cm. Just tightening up the strapping should do the trick and will prevent them from peeking out from under your shoulder bells. 2. Since raising the biceps would increase the gap between those and the forearms, you should raise them as well. Again, a simple strapping issue. Note the blue lines below... everything should look pretty even and symmetrical. 3. You can safely drop the thighs a bit as well, especially the left one as it is riding under the cod. Just make sure the tops are even. 4. Your left calf is riding very high, causing it to ride over your boot. *** The right one is also doing the same thing in another shot so I am recommending that you lower them. This will obviously create a wider gap between the bottoms of the thighs and the tops, but you should be fine for approval with that. Also, there are black stripes on the backs, which will need to be painted/dyed white. Easy fix! *** Something that I have seen done that may help this issue is to create a stirrup in each boot. This is done by gluing some elastic inside the bottom part of the calf (thick green line) and actually running it under your feet before putting on your boots. This keeps them pulled down snug. Hope this helps, and always feel free to ask any questions or for more advice. I have faith that you can jump on these suggestions and you will have that TK designation sooner than you think!

Excellent advice from Paul, and definitely worth a try. It looks likes this is a kit from DA props, so worse case scenario you may want to contact Andy there and see about getting a replacement face plate. It would definitely save you a ton of work!

1. For basic approval you should be fine with those side gaps. 2. Yes, due to your height those gaps should be fine. 3. That should be fine, but I would highly suggest putting a snap in the center as well, which will keep the belt from sagging in the front. Note that ideally the top of the ABS belt should sit at or just above the ab-button plate(s) as seen below:

I watched it for 10 minutes, and I have to say I admire his endurance. Must have done 500 reps in that time without a break.

Thanks for sharing the pics, Caleb! I still can't get over what an amazing job you did on this.

Great to hear, and that's what we are here for! One afternoon should be all you will need to get things ship-shape, Christopher. As I mentioned, if you need any assistance with the hot-water bath process, just PM me.

Looking sharp, Dave! Amazing work on this armor, sir, and you are SO close to living the white armor dream! Great to see that you have the top of your ABS belt positioned right, but (and don't hate me) I noticed that your brow is riding quite high and I think I know why. If you look at the eye position in the second photo, the front is facing down and sits low in comparison to the ridge on the cap. It seems that you positioned the bottom of the face plate a little too far in, giving the side profiles a horseshoe shape and causing the eyes to look downward. (It does give it a cool menacing look, though)! Not to add to your workload, but I would seriously consider bringing the jaw (tube) out a bit and/or raising the top of the face plate, as this may affect approval. It should be pretty straightforward for a quick afternoon project, as there is no glue involved... just the re-positioning of hardware. Note how the eye tops in the reference images below closely line up with the ridge on the sides of the cap and how the angle juts out in the front. Looks like you are headed for Centurion, sir, and judging by your mad build skills so far this should be a piece of cake! Like the Home Depot motto: "You can do it, we can help".

You can do this, Rob! If you need any help, just ask!

Hi Jamie, and thank you for your Expert Infantry application! In the following review I will be going over a few items pertaining to your current submission, as well as those that will be required for Centurion level should you choose to apply. (Trust me, with this brilliant set of RWA armor 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 myself and the entire D.O.Team, 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. Let me preface this by saying that your paint job on this bucket is phenomenal! Nice tight lines and lots of attention to details... two enthusiastic thumbs up! I also certainly appreciate the fact that you have gone above and beyond in correcting the issues mentioned in your other thread. This shows that you have serious dedication, and we have taken notice! There are a few issues, but none are deal breakers for level 3, per se... just honest suggestions to make this armor look it's best. The first is the placement of your ears. In a perfect world all the ear screws should line up with the angle of the rear of the trap right above them. If you feel ambitious, you could move the bottoms back a bit and still not expose the existing holes. Reference images Next up, your tube stripes look a bit longer than usual. It may be the photo, but as mentioned in the CRLs "The fall of the tube tops ideally lean toward the front" as shown with the green one below. The edges are also a bit blurry, and should be sharper. Reference images This is more of a comfort issue, but you may want to think about spending 30 seconds with a Dremel tool and remove the sharp point on the thigh. This way it won't poke into you while walking or snag on your under suit. 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. I noticed that after your initial photos that you removed the return edges from the bottoms of your shoulder bells. HUZZAH! While this allows them to ride much closer to your biceps, the gaps between those and your chest/back plate should be more evened out in the front and back. Although the wrist opening shown below on the left is absolute textbook, the one pictured on the right could use 5 seconds with a Dremel to remove the last remnants of the return edges in the hump. Yeah, it's a small thing, but for level 3 it's the Devil in the details. Reference image Your left ab/kidney connection is perfect in the photo from your other thread (photo 1), but the ones from this thread (photos 2 and 3) show small gaps. These will need to disappear for level 3, which I'm sure is just a matter of tightening your belt! Reference images The CRL for level 3 states that the canvas belt "...must be firm/sturdy in appearance. No creasing or sagging". I recommend tightening it up to eliminate the creases. Reference images Lastly, a super easy fix, sir. Again, as per the CRL, the edges of the drop boxes need to line up with the outside edges of the ABS ammo belt. As Glen mentioned, a dab of E-6000 on the inside straps should do the trick! Reference images As I mentioned before, you did a spectacular job on this build, Jamie! Just a few small issues to deal with, and then I expect to see your Centurion submission VERY soon! Until then, get out there and make the UKG proud as it's newest EIB recipient!

Hi Christopher, and thank you for your Expert Infantry application! In the following review I will be going over a few items pertaining to your current submission, as well as those that will be required for Centurion level should you choose to apply (). Always great to see a well built set of RS armor, sir, and this is one you should be proud of! 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 myself and the entire D.O.Team, 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. First, thanks for all the additional photos... so without further ado, let's get going! As has been mentioned, you have 2 ear bumps on one side and 3 on the other. Of course there were disparities on at least one bucket in the film, but I believe most had 3 on each side as seen below. I know RS has that wonky short left ear bar (part of it's charm) but we are asking that you add one more stripe there to even them out. Simplest fix ever! Reference images You did a FANTASTIC job eliminating the ab/kidney gaps by tightening them up, but it has made your posterior plate jut out quite a bit and it is no longer aligned with the kidney. Tightening up the strapping at that connection may help. Not a deal breaker for L3, but we'd really like to see it closer. 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. Your brow extends a little too far past the back of the traps on both sides and needs to be trimmed back a bit. This is another incredibly easy fix... 2 minutes of careful trimming with an Exacto knife and you will be good to go, brother! Reference images There is an issue with the gaps between your shoulder bells and chest/back plates. Even though some of the Troopers in ESB had some pretty uneven/wide ones, we are asking that yours be brought in at the back and evened out in the front for a much better overall appearance. Even though you trimmed off the return edges on the bottoms of the bells (DANG I'm proud of you for doing that) which normally allows them to sit closer to the biceps, yours seem to be pinched in at the bottoms (see red line below as an example) which is not allowing that (yellow areas above right). In the first pic below it appears that they are so tight that it is digging in below your undersuit. Not to worry, though! There is a fairly easy fix for this.. a hot water bath. I won't go into the entire process here, but if you PM me I will explain how to to do it step by step. It should take all of 10 minutes (or less) to get the problem solved. Reference images Even though it is VERY close, we are asking that you raise your ABS belt a bit. As per the CRL, it needs to "... sit at or just above the bottom of the central and vertical abdomen button panels". Even raising it 1 cm would make a big difference. Reference images Lastly, for level 3 the sides of the drop boxes will need to align with the outside edges of the ABS belt. A dab of E-6000 on the inside of the straps should do the trick. EASY fix! Reference images That's it, brother. Again, welcome to the ranks of EI, and I look forward to seeing your Centurion application soon!!

I would leave the metal parts of the rivets attached to the pauldron and just paint them black. Easy fix!

Hi Derek, and congrats on your achievement.. ALWAYS great to see another HWT in the ranks! As Daniel mentioned, I have a suggestion that will work to lower that ammo pack. I see that it is attached with snaps directly to your pauldron, which is causing it to ride high. I suggest adding a small loop of black nylon with 2 snaps (important) as seen below to the left strap of your pack. No need for sewing.. CA (super) glue should hold it just fine. Doing this will both bring it down and straighten it out at the same time. You can attach the nylon loop through either the upper of lower straps in the back of the ammo pack, Also, doing this will make it easier to look to your left, as presently it looks like the pack may be hindering that. Daniel and I have discussed the fact that the snaps on your pauldron will be exposed, but both agree that it will not hold you up from reaching Centurion. We do suggest that you paint them black so they don't stand out as much. P.S. If you see Gary sr., Gary jr. or Randy around please give em' my best!

Almost there, Andrew.. so close! Get those photos in as soon as you get the chance, brother.

No vendor that I am aware of sells pre-shimmed kidney plates, Christian. A lot of it depends in how much extra ABS you need to add, It may seem like a pain in the posterior plate to do, but shimming the kidney is not an insurmountable obstacle. Here is a thread that may help: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/47793-kidney-plate-shimming-help-needed/page/3/?tab=comments#comment-671771

I just finished a tutorial which addresses armor bite, and it can be found here: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/48166-return-edges-101-ottk/?tab=comments#comment-670906 It's kind of a long read, but I hope it helps!