Scimitar

This is how I did that cover strip on that thigh (please ignore the untrimmed tops and crooked cover strip on the right thigh, this was an in-progress picture):

It looks like you're attaching your knee the way I did mine originally, focusing on centering the notches across the cover strip and lining up the side ridges, which results in a slightly crooked knee plate. Unfortunately this was not acceptable for Centurion approval, so to straighten it out you'll want to offset the knee a bit. Before: After:

Just don't use a Ball branded mason jar as the lid's rubber seal will melt from the acetone fumes, fall into your paste, and give it a nice tinge of orange. lol

Good luck Trooper! You've got this!

Vietnam shuts down during the same time for their Lunar New Year (aka Vietnamese New Year).

Ha! I plan to, just maybe with a different armor manufacturer if it comes down to it.

I'm waiting to see if it actually ships per their last estimate (shipping prior to Celebration in April). If it does not, then I will be cancelling. Of course a week after I get my refund they'll start shipping. lol

Keep it up! You'll appreciate later that you curved the plastic ammo belt when attaching it. I didn't do that the first time I built my belt and there was stress on the plastic reinforcement inside the canvas belt and quite a bit on the rivets when I snapped it to the ab. It's a small detail but it will help with the longevity of the connections. Regarding the garter belt, I think it's just fine where you have it, you want to be as comfortable as you can be. And when you're fully kitted up it won't be very visible as the ammo belt almost completely covers it up. Most of the general public won't even notice it. When it comes time I'd also recommend running the garter straps along the sides of your legs instead of the front, this allows for more flexibility and movement. You can see how the belt and straps sit in my setup below:

Eric Ripley TK-17529 Centurion Letter Dan Thanks in advance! http://www.whitearmor.net/eib/certificates/17529-centurion.png

Thank you Dan! And thank you to everyone else for the support and helping talk me down from my frustration ledge! And I'll make the change on the E-11 pronto, mine (chain link from Home Depot) was inspired by other people's build threads but it is definitely different and a detail that I had overlooked. Haha! No kidding!

Updated sniper knee shots. Thanks in advance!

Thanks Tony, I do understand. And I used other AP Centurion apps for the adjustment, this is trimmed, glued, and curing. Will retake front, left, right shots when I can take the tape/magnets off.

Hi Dan, thanks for the feedback first and foremost! But I'm a little flustered at the moment about this, when I was researching my build an item I noted as continually called out in Centurion applications was that the knee plate was not centered over the shin cover strip. The only way to get the AP knee plate centered over the coverstrip is to have it at an angle as I have it (which isn't as obvious when I'm kitted up). But the only way to mostly straighten the AP knee plate horizontally is to offset the knee's center over the coverstrip (image borrowed from Greg's (wook1138) build thread): For reference, with the knee plate centered & level and aligned to the other shin ridge, this is the resulting alignment on the left shin ridge (right when viewed from the front). The angles are obviously different and getting the ridges to align will pull that left side down no matter how much the knee plate is trimmed. So I'm feeling a bit stuck between a rock and a hard place with this but I've just removed the knee plate and am changing it to the offset position to mostly level out the knee plate. I'll post again when it's complete.

Yup! Using a template is very helpful in getting everything to line up when you go to put the snaps in the straps. At first I was punching holes though my template and then heat sealing the edges but I switched to just using the soldering iron to make the holes. That removed a step and, with the properly sized iron tip, it made the holes just the right size for the snap posts. Build is looking great! Keep up the good work!

Thanks, I had seen his mannequins before. I spent considerably less to try this one out and fortunately all was not lost as I can still use it but I guess I'm going to have pony up a bit more to have a reliable setup.

Thanks Matt! Thank you Dan! I can't wait! You'll love having one if you get one! I'm still trying to find a good full body mannequin, my first one stayed standing for about 12 hours before it tipped over in the middle of the night (likely due to flexing plastic + foot mods needed to slip the thigh armor on). Fortunately no major damage to my kit, I just had to get the Novus out for a couple of scratches. It was summarily transferred to TIE Reserve duty. But the half body mannequin I use is very stable and it looks like a 1:1 Gentle Giant bust sitting in the room. My wife wants it back at some point though. lol

Name: Eric Ripley Height: 6'0” Weight: 160 lbs FISD Forum Name: Scimitar Legion ID#: 17529 Garrison: Georgia 501st Member Page: 501st Member Page - TK-17529 EIB Application: EIB Approval Thread - #875 Armor: AP Helmet: AP Blaster: HyperFirm E-11 Boots: Imperial Boots Canvas Belt: AP Hand Plates: Rubber (AP) Electronics: Ukswrath (Hovi-tip Speakers, Hearing Assist, & Fans) Neck Seal: Darman's Props Holster: AP Build Thread: Scimitar's ANH Stunt Build - AP -------------------------------------------------------------------- The visual improvement that was suggested in my EIB approval was to correct the ab return edge to match the kidney return edge. I made sure to do that but haven't had a chance to wear my kit since then, so here's pictures on my mannequin: Something I noticed after I posted my EIB application was that I had forgotten to bend my shoulder bridges down in the back to contour better with the back plate, so here's updated photos for reference: -------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, onto the checklist! Front: Back: Left: Right: Ab Detail - Buttons: Hand Plates (Flexible): Shoulder Bridge Back: Shoulder Bridge Front: Back/Chest Connection: Thigh Pack Attachment (from right & left): Knee Plate: Drop Box Back: Cod & Butt Plate Attachment: Cod Split Rivet Inside Snap: Interior Strapping: Arm Strapping: Kidney Plate Notches: Wrist Side of Forearms: Helmet Front: Helmet Right/Left: Back: Hovi Mic Tip Detail: Lens Color (Backlit): S-Trim: Blaster Right: Blaster Left: Blaster D-Ring: Neck Seal: Thermal Detonator - Back: Holster Attachment (Front): Holster Attachment (Back): Thank you in advance!! Please let me know if anything else is needed!

I've sorely needed to update this thread, it's been a crazy month to say the least. Troop #: 9 Date: December 3, 2018 Location: Atlanta Hospice Center Event: Private Family Visit Event Charity: N/A We were asked to come visit a 17 year old girl who had beat so many odds but who was facing the end. The family was determined to celebrate every moment and had asked us to come visit her in the midst of all their activities as they are big Star Wars fans. This was definitely one of the more emotional visits I've done so far, but the family was so happy to see us (especially the dad who had no idea we were coming) and our presence seemed to bring a bit of comfort to them. It was a tough but amazing experience. --------------------------------------------------------- Troop #: 10 Date: December 7, 2018 Location: CHOA Egleston Hospital - Atlanta Event: Snapshots with Santa Event Charity: CHOA My last troop for the year was Snapshots with Santa, as always, the kids there loved us and Santa was a lot of fun himself. Each time I do an event like this I marvel at how strong these kids (and families) can be considering what they're facing. It's truly amazing. And I always hope that we make their day a little brighter, even if just for a moment.

The best source is TrooperBay: https://trooperbay.com/trooper-helmet-s-neck-trim

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I had my fans and Ukswrath hovi-speakers on for the duration of the parade, no issues and fortunately everything is still working as it should, which is a real testament to the speakers themselves as they are exposed. My electronics "boxes" are mounted to the sides of the helmet near the ears, so I think that kept them unexposed to the water that did get in. And man, was there water everywhere. I dumped quite a bit out of the helmet at the end. There was a lot of stopping and standing during the parade, so to keep myself distracted from the wind and rain I was mentally designing a vinyl/patch to represent the event. I need to sit down and put it on the computer at some point. I was joking that day that I should have worn a diving suit under the armor. Seriously though, the cold weather compression gear by Tesla works really well. But I'd only recommend it for a colder, outdoor event, anything else and you'll likely get too warm. Not sure how it would do in a rainy event, it might get pretty soggy with the additional lining.

Troop #: 7 Date: 11/25/18 Location: CHOA Egleston Hospital - Atlanta Event: CHOA Egleston Visit Event Charity: N/A After almost a month without trooping a last minute request popped up for this visit. I feel that visits such as these are why we do what we do, bringing smiles to kids (and adults) faces. Helping these amazingly strong kids to forget their reality for just a moment makes a huge difference. I was the only Garrison member with a costume able to attend, fortunately I did have a Garrison handler come too, so I mixed it up with the other group that was there. --------------------------------------------------------- Troop #: 8 Date: December 1, 2018 Location: Peachtree Street, Atlanta Event: CHOA Christmas Parade Event Charity: CHOA Charity Event It was cold. It was raining non-stop. It was windy. That didn't stop a group of around 80 members and handlers from going out and marching down Peachtree Street. And we were very well received! So many happy kids and parents calling out characters or yelling thanks for being out there. Definitely a memorable event just due to the weather. A group of us decided to remain as canon as possible (candy cane blasters were the only non-canon items as blasters were not permitted this year) and it turned out very well with the way the groups were organized in line. Some soaked folks decided to bypass the group shot: One of our members is notorious for wandering during the parade, so pre-parade we showed him what we'd do if he decided to wander off... Here I am mostly center/right screen (with the binders) on TV. .

Second the FogTech solution, worked extremely well yesterday in a very rainy parade!

Thank you sir!!

Thank you! Thanks Greg! I'll probably hit it with the heat gun since I don't particularly want to take the two pieces apart at the split riveted seam. lol Thanks Matt!! Thank you sir! Thanks a bunch!