kamikaze

1) The mic is actually up at the top with the iComm/Aker under the padding, the output speakers are inside the hovi tips. The mic does not need to be at your mouth, a powered condensor mic is plenty powerful enough to pic up all your input up top under padding and you even want to cover the mic some to make it the right sensitivity not to pick up feedback from the speakers which are so close to it. 2) Charging the Aker or replacing batteries in the boxes up top is very quick and simple. I just remove the padding but that takes like 30 seconds to do/undo. It's all just Velcro'ed in so it's quite fast to get access to or put back.

Quick update for anyone following/interested in this thread. I came across this awesome alternative to the standard plastic convoluted wire tubing: TechFlex F6 Woven Wrap 5/16" 10' Wiring Split Wire Covering https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C1NZLGC Side by side comparison to your standard tubing which I used initially: The neat thing about this is twofold. First it is a woven wrap so it looks much cleaner and the overlap mechanism on it hides wires much more thoroughly. Second, it's much softer than plastic if it presses against your skin. It is also a little bit more flexible so I ended up easily folding it around my inner padding to downplay the wire runs from the switchbox up to the top even more. Here's the updated inside look with that added:

Sweet! Thanks so much, very happy to get the EIB badge and will certainly push forward for Centurion!!! I understand the wrist issue, while great for range of motion I admit that from a cannon perspective it can be an issue and will replace the forearms with a new pair cut to screen specs. Interestingly enough, I also was contemplating removing some of the return edge on the chest since as you see it is quite thick (too thick imho). I also think I can do the same for the ab and back plates, it could also result in a more comfortable fit. As for the hovi tips, the speaker used inside them is black. Seems like I need to find one that is white instead. I see your kits have white speakers, since I just need to swap out the tips with my system do you sell those separately by chance?

Oh for sure, I didn't interpret it as a knock I just thought it was funny I never actually put it on in hindsight, or even turn the electronics on to demonstrate the sound either. And absolutely, making this work meant making the positioning and offsets of all electronics/padding/etc work with my specific head. And that's a good point to make because anyone trying to do a build like this will need to keep in mind that your positioning will likely differ a bit. There are smaller 12V box options (ones that don't need 8x AA), you can reduce the size of the iComm by removing it's box, so on and so forth. That said, I think most should be able to do this type of thing with their helmets with the right trial/error and planning. I was lead to believe the RSP helmets run smaller than most so if that's true than other helmets may actually be easier to pull this off.

In retrospect, I never did put the helmet on in the video to prove I can also get my head in lol. But yes, of course I can. Even better is that it is a perfect fit. The offset the electronics and padding creates at the top is exactly at the height I need to have my head aligned in there right so my eyes are perfectly lateral to the socket centerpoints. Moreover, the four additional helmet padding I placed near my cheeks and ears causes a very snug fit, it isn't floating or going anywhere as I move my head around. Also, the depth the junction box creates actually rests against my chin gently creating a four point lock system. Anyway, I'm certainly a happy camper it all worked out and thought maybe all this demonstrated work could help others in their endeavors to create something similar.

Hi folks! I've had lots of people ask about various details regarding how I did my helmet interior. So, I thought it may be wise to just summarize it all so others may learn things or try to replicate some/all aspects of what I did. My goal was to have all my electronics systems embedded inside my helmet, with individually switchable systems, whilst all being very clean and hidden along with a blacked out look. No problem right? For reference, this is what the interior looks like. Note that inside there I have 3 battery banks, four fans, a powered condensed microphone, the iComm unit and an Aker amplifier, all attached to a switchbox: Ok so I quickly found out that it would take quite a wall of text to summarize how to do this build, so I decided to throw a video together to summarize it all instead! https://youtu.be/eYeUpAHOSHM The basic gist is this: 1) Black out your bucket as you desire, I used 1/4" thick neoprene to line it. 2) Create a junction box by leveraging your hovi bolts onto a custom backplate which your switch box also get screwed into. 3) Refine your project box so it has the right size and number of switches for your application (I have 3 subsystems, others may have more or less). 4) For every one of your systems make a custom harness where the electronics run through your switch to its power source, ensure that the switch is the only mechanism to turn it on (so if the electronics had their own switch keep it stuck in the on position and let the switch you use at the project box be the one that controls it). 5) Using high quality velcro, mount all your electronics up at the top, and/or your fans at the bottom. 6) Route all of your wires that need to run from your electronics down to the switchbox in a clean loop, and everything else tied down neatly at the top. Use tubing to wrap the wiring with the least amount of wire and tubing required. 7) Add velcro to the bottoms of your electronics at top and add black padding to hide it all and make a comfortable fit. 8) Use any extra helmet padding as necessary to ensure you have a solid and snug fit. 9) Optional step: You may want to do this at the start but have your eye lenses done up in a manner that will work well with the clean look of your interior (see my other howto to check out how I did mine). Here are some helpful detail shots that highlight some of what I was referring to within the video. One shows all the bare electronics before any lining or hiding was performed at the top. Another shows a detail of the swicthbox at the bottom to show how the hovi bolts and the project switch box mount into the backplate. Here are some links to the more unique or non common materials I used: Project box: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002BBQNM Flip switches: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JT7D0G Neoprene lining: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00488DB10 Helmet padding: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A4TNQ8A 12V fans: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015S5XFJE 12V battery box: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VE7HBMS All right folks, enjoy and I hope this helps you with your own helmet builds. Post any questions or your own interiors!

Hi folks! So I've had several questions regarding how I did my helmet lenses and so I thought I'd put a little guide up for anyone that may be interested in the process I used for their own builds. I think it came out rather slick with a neat end look while being solid and easily replaceable. Here is a shot of what this technique looks like when completed from the inside: Materials: Sugru moldable rubber Shade 3 flexible welding visor - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00209I0UG M3x20mm screws and acorn nuts Index cards Pencil Xacto knife Micro ruler Scissors 220 grit sandpaper Drill Dremel and/or belt sander Vise Thin black heat shrink tubing Step 1: Create eye socket templates I don't have a picture of this first step but you see me using mine in later steps. So all you do here is take an index card, ho ld it flush over the eye opening inside the helmet then with a pencil trace the opening from the outside. Make sure it is centered on the index card because you are now going to extend it for overlap margin. With the socket outline traced on the card, using a ruler measure half an inch out from the outline and place a mark, do this many times tracing around the outline so you're basically making the original socket outline half an inch larger on all sides. Then simply draw a new line around this outer outline and cut the template out with a scissor. Make sure you label what eye socket each label pertains to, and store these for future needs even after this project is done in case you want to cut new replacement lenses, switch out colors, etc. Step 2: Shape a rubber mounting surface In this next step you are creating a rubber mounting surface that the lenses will bolt onto and create a flush connection to the eye sockets. Take your Sugru (I used like 5-6 packets per socket) and create a nice think outline around the whole inside of the socket. You'll want to ensure that the rubber around the socket's plastic mold is slightly taller so when you rest a lens onto it is sitting flush on the rubber bed. You have a lot of time to work with the rubber before it starts to set so take your time and get the outline right. Important last step here, after you're happy with the rubber mount take an index card (or two to make it thicker), lay it against the rubber outline and press down lightly to ensure that you have an even surface all around to avoid having an uneven mounting surface outline. Step 3: Cut your mounting bolts I used five bolts per lens, you may want less or more but found that to be a happy place for getting the connection tight. Ok so here you are going to take your M3x20mm (you don't need to use this specific bolt size, can be M4, M2, whatever, just something you're happy with size wise) and cut them so you have a set that will have even height protruding upwards from where you will be mounting them. The gist is you will be adding these bolts to the rubber mold you created in step 2 with more rubber, but first you need to look at where each bolt is going to rest and measure how far over the rubber they are sitting uncut. Since the topography of the helmet here varies, some bolts will be extending quite far, others not so much, and you want an even extension from all bolts. I wanted about 8mm of extension to bolt into so I held a screw in the place it will be mounted, measured how far above the rubber it sticks out to calculate how much I needed to cut (so if it stuck out 13mm I cut 5mm off). Keep track of where these screws are going to be mounted since you measured it for that spot! As I was measuring and cutting, I placed them on my templates at the spot they will be mounted. To cut them down I just put a nut on the screw exposing the amount after the nut equaling how much needed trimmed, then put it on a vise and dremeled that excess off. You may find a cutting solution that works better for you, but I found that easy. Careful handling these little bolts after cutting them, they will be very hot! NOTE: Never cut metal bolts that are already mounted in your helmet, besides making a mess their heat will likely melt the plastic creating a huge problem. Step 4: Mount your bolts Now that you have your rubber mounting surface and your bolts cut for specific locations around the surface, it's time to attach the bolts. Using Sugru again put a nice wad on the bottom of the bolts, then just mold them to the mount at the correct locations where they were measured. Get the attachment between the mount and the bolt nice and tight, use more Sugru liberally and work it in. The one thing to be careful of is to not have any Sugru on the bolt that goes over the height of your mounting rubber from step 2, otherwise the lens will stop bolting in too high and not rest on the flush surface you created. However, being rubber this stuff can very easily be trimmed with a Xacto knife, so you can just snip any excess off to keep your base mount surface flush. After you've finished mounting all your bolts, you may want to double check you didn't get rubber smudges on your helmet and clean it off well, don't worry if you do, it will remove without much effort. Clean your hands thoroughly as well! Now that you have your cool rubber mount with sized bolts, you need to let that rubber set for 24 hours. Step 5: Add mounting points to your templates After you've allowed your rubber to set overnight, you'll be taking your two socket templates and marking where the bolts you mounted relate to it. Simply press the template down onto the bolts to make impressions on the paper where the bolt tips are, then punch through those holes with a pencil. Afterwards, place the paper template into the actual bolts to ensure that all the bolts align right with your template and your template rests nicely into the mounting surface you've created. This is a preview of what your lens will look like when you cut them to the template shape and drill the holes! Step 6: Cut and shape the welding lenses I used a shade 3 welding lens which is flexible and fairly easy to cut, after looking around and trying a few options I found the one linked above in the materials list to be the best for this project. Ok so what you're going to do now is rest your templates onto the lens stock, trace the outline lightly with your Xacto knife (just enough so you can see where you need to cut), then cut out each shape with your scissors. Your cut lens will be a little rough, so curve it more naturally by (carefully) running it down a belt sander or Dremel tool. You just want to make the shape of the lens natural and curve to make the template and avoid any sharp points (your eyes don't like sharp points). After that, take some sandpaper and sand the edges all down nicely so they are nice and smooth. For the last step, place your paper template back onto the cut lens, then with the Xacto knife mark where each hold is going to go. Take your drill and open up each hole, making them plenty big enough for the bolts to go through with some room for flex, but not too large that your acorn nut won't compress down against it. Note that while doing all this, be careful not to scratch the lens surface by a stray cut or tool. Step 7: Mount your lenses Ok almost there! Here you simply need to push the lenses down through the bolts and screw in your acorn nuts to secure the lenses down into place. You may need to bend the lens a bit to get the fit to work, here is where making those holes a little bigger than needed helps. Whatever you do, try to not allow the tops of your bolts to scratch your lens. To hide any excess exposed bolt shaft I cut very small pieces of black heat shrink tube and put them on the bolts then put the acorn nuts back on and screwed down tightly. Conclusion: Ok so this may not be the easiest method of creating and mounting lenses, but the end result is pretty nice (in my opinion), and I like the effect having the acorn bolts gives. You have a well sealed lens over your sockets without any gaps by virtue of the rubber mounting surface and bolts securing them into place. The lenses themselves aren't flimsy and are high quality, plus easily cleaned with mineral spirits if heavily soiled, or just your standard glass wipes. Another plus is you can easily replace them just just unbolting them! I hope this guide helps anyone interested in this type of technique, cheers!

Ok so the switchbox was crafted using a generic project box that I trimmed down on the beltsander to be 15mm deep and then I mounted the basic switches at the bottom into three holes I cut out. There are four holes at the top where the wire tubes lead out of, two of the tubes are for the fans, one going left and one right. The other two go up top along each side to switch the other systems. Here's a close up of the actual junction to get a better idea of what it looks like: You'll notice the project box itself is mounted onto a backplate which I crafted from a 28ga steel sheet (and painted black), and has two mounting holes for the hovi tip ends to screw into which was the key to the whole setup. Having the hovis screw into that steel plate meant I had a nice secure flat surface to then mount the box onto making everything very solid. This is the project box I used (the AS size): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002BBQNM These are the switches I went with: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JT7D0G

So, after lots of experimentation, I found the best solution to be wrapping my powered mic with cotton and then burying it at the top of the helmet under padding. Voice activation is seamless without needing PTT and I get zero squeal with the insulation. It did take some decent trial and error to find the right amount of padding and placement, but the end result is awesome. Just something to think about after having gone through that ordeal myself.

LOL! Ok, let's break this down. You're looking at a very ugly before photo that shows all the raw electronics exposed and versus a final finished form after everything is cleanly loomed and mounted. First and foremost, yes, the whole helmet is lined with vertical 1/4" strips of neoprene versus just painting it all black or rubberizing it or whatnot. It gives it a more comfortable thermal finish in my perspective. So at the bottom you see a custom switch box controlling the three powered subsystems: (1) 1.5V powered condenser mic; (2) 7.5V powered icomm/aker amplifier speakers; (3) 12.0V fan system, as well as mounting the external speakers that are housed within the hovi tips mounted onto it. I stuck the fans at the base of the helmet with velcro, I can reposition them as necessary but they currently blow air in from the outside bottom directed inwards towards my nose for the mostpart which I find very helpful. At the top, over my head, I put nearly everything else. You see the three physical power sources (1.5V, 7.5V, and 12.0V... all as rechargeable banks). Up top I mounted the iComm unit with the Aker amp and the 7.5V rail battery bank, the microphone and it's 1.5V rail battery bank, and the 12V fan rail battery bank. Sure, it's a heck of a lot of electronics but putting it all into the helmet is a neat thing and the final finish makes it all look seamless and hidden, you wouldn't know that all of this is embedded in the helmet without this discussion. That is where I find the before/after photo quite interesting. Would you have any idea of what all was embedded in this bucket without that before photo? Probably not, and it gives you a good idea of what all is actually hidden inside it.

Since practically everything else on our armor is very strictly tied to the CRL, it seems like our only expression of individual personality can be found within our helmets (literally and figuratively). Whereas for all intensive purposes most of our armor is identical from person to person, it's rare to find any two interiors the same which I think is a neat little factoid. Since we're all sharing, here's my final look: Everything is buried either at the top or at my switch junction box at the chin. This is a shot before I loomed it all up with everything exposed:

What video file? When I ordered my RSP kit they said they didn't have any documentation or video to help in assembly but noted the extensive online community as being the resource to help put it together. Granted, this was last December so maybe they now have something? Either way, I found this to be helpful, yet opted afterwards to setup a snap system instead so I can take all the armor apart in pieces rather than having the torso altogether. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thvjiwh3ldM This is part 7 where he gets into mounting the brackets and later talks about the strapping, the reference was helpful and hopefully may aide you some too.

I lost track of how much time it took to paint the whole thing, but a whole lot more than 40. Though for the white, it was a lot of priming, then color coating, with a clear coat follow up and paint sealant. Not airbrushed but sprayed in the garage setup as a cleanroom. Start to finish that was about a two month ordeal for me, and I don't think I'd repeat that. I ended up stripping off the clear coat enamel as it was problematic under stress so just have a final color top coat.... thankfully that means I can recoat the whole set in one day now for touch ups or refurbishment. Like you, as you wear and tear the armor you'll notice some nicks on the paint layers where two pieces meet and rub under movement. Anyway, great job and good luck getting it wrapped up for Rogue One!

Looking very nice!! If I could convince my wife to wear a suit of armor I'd build her one of these sets in a heartbeat, instead she's opted to go the sith route wearing robes and a mask. Anyway, as far as the painting, is this spray based? Either way, serious kudos to painting a whole set of armor, I know how painful and tedious that is (I painted my whole TK to give it a showroom look). Good luck getting it all wrapped up!

Hey folks - so quick question. Is the recommended way to wear your neck seal with the bib tucked inside the undersuit or hanging on top of it? If I do the latter, sometimes it ends up looking quite messy with a lot of excess fabric just hanging out after some time moving around. Here's what I'm referring to, see how it's starting to bunch up at the back plate and shoulder bridges?

Thanks! Ok so I got a small project box that had the right width/height for the area but was too deep to use for an already tight fitting helmet. I trimmed it down on the belt sander so it is just 15mm deep, and mounted it onto a 28ga steel plate piece I crafted (and painted black) which has internal mounting holes for the hovi tip screws (which are also my speakers). It all came together to make a perfect unit securing the hovi tips and switch box solid at the chin while still being able to fit my head in there with everything else mounted inside it. The 1/4" thick neoprene padding I used to line the whole helmet makes the already small RSP bucket that much more tight, it was quite a fun project to find a solution to get all these electronics mounted and wired seamlessly in that thing and still look clean! My chin actually gently rests against the top half of the box which actually makes the helmet more snug and secure. The bucket really grabs my head solid, I added a couple black ACH/MICH army pads near my cheeks/ears on each side (which aren't in the picture) that created a perfect final fit in the end. This is the project box I used (the AS size): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002BBQNM These are the switches I went with: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JT7D0G

Name: Derrick Meade 501st ID: TK-11778 FISD Handle: Kamikaze Garrison: Old Line Garrison 501st Status: http://501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=22817 Height: 5' 10" Weight:190bs Armor Maker: RS Propmasters Helmet Maker: RS Propmasters Hand Plates: RS Propmasters Blaster Type: OzLogos E-11 Canvas Belt: Trooperbay Neck Seal Maker: Trooperbay Boots Maker: TK Boots Holster Maker: Darman's Props Electronics: Custom rig with Aker/Icomm/Mic/Fans Front Arms At Side Back Arms At Side Left Arms Raised Right Arms Raised Left Side Detail Right Side Detail Action Shot Interior Strapping Butt/Kidney Not Fixed Left Alignments Right Alignments Back/Chest Connection Shoulder Bridge Back Shoulder Bridge Front Cod/Butt Connection Abdomen Details Belt/Boxes/Holster Front BeltBoxes//Hoster Back Thermal Detonator Back Thigh Pack Left Thigh Pack Right Knee Plate Left Knee Plate Right Forearm Wrists Helmet Front Helmet Back Helmet Right Helmet Right Angle Helmet Left Helmet Left Angle Helmet Electronics Helmet Interior S Trim Lens Color Hovi Tip Detail Frown Mesh Detail Neck Seal Hand Plates Blaster Left Blaster Right Blaster Top Thank you for your consideration! Now after all this hard work, this trooper needs to get some food....

TK-11778 Requesting 501st access http://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=22817

I'd hope that trimming the tops of thighs such that you can actually kneel or walk up/down stairs comfortable is ok. Likewise, trimming the forearms so you can actually holster your blaster, or take your helmet off, etc. Before I trimmed out the wrists some on the forearms I literally couldn't put my helmet on myself there was not enough inward motion allowed by the hand, or bending the elbow inwards too for that matter (hence my tinman reference). I've seen some builds where the top points of the thigh sit so high and with all that return edge I really wonder much range of motion there is in their legs, outside of light walking strides. Anyway, just my own personal observation after struggling with perfecting range of motion myself lately.

Interestingly enough, I've done the exact things you're proposing here, plus also trimming the inner side of forearms where the wrist bends inwards. Sure, everyone's different, but I'm 5'10 and 190, and for me not doing these types of cuts and refinements made me feel like I was the rusty tinman. Now, I haven't yet submitted my set and gotten EIB or Centurion but will be surprised (and disappointed) if this excludes eligibility. I've been doing final armor fittings the past several weeks and have been doing all this to the pieces in order to get the range of motion, mobility, and comfort I'd deem acceptable and to make a look that looks super fitted. TL;DR: In the same boat, doing the same things, hoping for the same answer (being ok to do).

Well folks, it happened to me, and I've heard of it happening to others too.... one of my shoulder bridges snapped while my wife was getting me suited up for some fitment tests. She's helped put the armor on several times so she knows what she was doing, but somehow when she lifted it slightly to put the snap in bam! Sadly she was horrified and in shock over the whole thing but I told her not to worry and this kind of stuff will happen lol. So here's the sad picture: Right, so I had to think that there was some way this area can be reinforced considering how much stress it gets both during the initial put on and during trooping. First thing's first though, the part had to be carefully glued back into place solid: Next I created a couple roughly 2x7 strips that mimmicked the size and shape of the bridges, slightly more narrow obviously. I cut a square so the snap plate would be exposed through it, then created several reinforcement strips out of steel and CA glued them on. This is what it looks like and it has some solid strength: Then simply glued both of the reinforcement plates to the backs of the bridges: Next off to the garage to repaint the bridges after sanding them down and isolating them from the rest of the chest (my whole armor is already painted so matching color wasn't an issue): The final result for the backside: And the grand finale, the top of the bridge which was snapped in half, now there is no way you could tell and it is VERY strong. I can lift up the whole chest by it alone and wiggle without any give (not that I'd recommend doing that lol): Well, just thought I'd post this little bit of fix I implemented in case anyone may find it useful someday. Hopefully though, not many will be in a position to need the info, however, I do think doing a preventative reinforcement of the area at the onset may actually just be a good idea to begin with.

I had similar concerns before I started out. Note that I played around a while with test pieces to see what the characteristics would end up looking/feeling like. Surprisingly, you can flex a piece a decent amount before the hardened enamel clear coat cracks, much more than you'd bend a piece under any normal circumstances unless you're trying to break it. As far as the primer bonding to plastic, I specifically used Rust-Oleum #249088 because it was advertised to bond to plastics. That being said, the bond requires a 7 day cure and I ensured the surface was very clean and lightly scuffed over with 2000 grit to ensure adhesion. Anyway, here is the belt bending at a decent angle, way more than what it would be worn at. I could have probably gone much more on it but why risk a finished piece just for illustration.

Roger that. You, me, and I'm sure many others too. I'll have many troops in it through Q4 this year which should be a good test, and will certainly post updates to my impressions after it has been given thorough exposure. Can't wait to report back with pros/cons (hopefully not many if any of the latter).

No not yet, the legs and helmet are still curing from their clear coats. It will take another week for that but afterwards it will be all done and can start trooping in this... after doing the submissions and getting approval on it first of course.

Oh for sure, sadly it's not a question of if it will happen but when. Which was one of the whole driving points of wanting to do this in the first place, when it occurs in theory it should be easier to address... just like bodywork, isolate, sand, blend and recoat. Whereas what good options do you have if your plastic is bare and it gets a scratch?