kman

What's the question on the kidney shims? I shimmed mine... it's pretty simple, as long as you have the large pieces of scrap left over from your rough armor cut. Otherwise, color matching is going to be an issue. Details on my method are in my build thread, linked in my sig. (and note that I did it twice, as I wasn't happy the first time, but you'd be well-served to read both).

The original screen-used snaps were standard nickel/chrome. That's what you're going to want to use, unless you're talking about the Shadow trooper, perhaps. Standard white armor needs to be silver-toned. Take a look at EIB and Centurion submissions, and you definitely won't see any non-silver snaps.

Congrats! That's a great picture! And here is where you request 501st and full FISD access: Detachment status updates are done in bulk a few times be year, so don't worry if it says Pending for a while in your profile on the 501st site. That only matters once Legion elections come up, in early 2020. (see also the first post in this thread:

The angle cuts were accurate, but the way you have it now should be fine, too. For sanding the ABS paste, I'd start with, say, 200, and work your way up. Make sure you have enough built-up material to remove, since 200 will remove stuff pretty readily, but you want to get a feel for it. It's not unusual to need multiple passes of sanding and re-building. Can't help you on the paint. I haven't compared personally, but the photos I've seen, I have yet to see anything off-the-shelf truly match Anovos. Only the custom mix stuff.

I think you're referring to Field Marshall's aluminum kits, which he sells on eBay (as "vmusicstore"). Only one I'm aware of, on eBay. Freaking AMAZING. I so wish I had the budget for one!

Any idea where those pics came from?

Looking great!

Just eyeball the contours. No two commercial vendors makes an identical holster. They're all fine. No need to worry about millimeters of difference. Do a mockup in cardboard to make sure you're in the right ballpark, and you're in business!

It's a real shame they're out of business. Imperial Boots is the biggest game in town, now. Good boots... but I miss TK Boots. They were slightly better, IMO. But many Chelsea boots will be just fine, once painted white. Your GML can answer, if there's any question. And they're the one who needs to approve them, so definitely the place to ask.

I personally think an e11 look naked without the power cylinders. I'd just stick some cheap printed ones on, until you can get proper metal replicas. Sanded and painted up, it shouldn't be an obvious difference. You've spent a lot of time and effort making it as accurate as possible, why stop at something like this?

Leather conditioner will usually soften a leather holster. Just don't go overboard and soak it in the stuff. Just a bit, on an unsealed part of the holster, to give some elasticity back to the leather. Cram in a firm bottle of some sort to put some strain on the leather, and put the holster (with bottle) in the direct sun to warm the leather. That will help it slowly and naturally stretch to a relaxed position, accommodating the bottle, and later, your blaster.. Of course, in the Winter, in many climates it's hard to find a suitable warm sunny location (even in central California, if you're both from there?), but hopefully some warmer weather will be coming soon.

I feel your pain! I'm in the exact same boat you are. Finding the time to erase those seams is really the one thing standing between me and my long-neglected Centurion application. Fortunately, finding Acetone in California is not a problem. Home Depot has a can of more than you'll need in 5 years for just a few dollars. I wrote a primer on ABS paste some time ago, which may come in handy for you, if you haven't used it before (note I also have Anovos armor): I look forward to seeing your progress!

OP, are you asking if submitting cover strips that measure 2cm is ok, instead of 20mm? They are one and the same. That's like asking if 2 feet of fabric is acceptable for someone who requested 24 inches of fabric. It's the same. As was noted above, though, no one will be measuring your cover strips to the nearest millimeter. The Canon measurements are provided so you know what to shoot for as a general rule, but they're not right in every situation. (really big people may need to bump up the size a little, for instance, to make it look more balanced)

For what it's worth, I usually holster my E11 off and on throughout a given troop, depending on how I'm feeling at the moment, what I'm doing, etc. So do most people I know. (Obviously there are troops where the blaster stays in your hands the whole time, but there are plenty of instances where holstering your blaster is perfectly normal) Just an aside, really, nothing to do with the main thrust of your query.

Wow. I guess it's canon, but that should officially be known as the "sad pistol" for a HEAVY weapons trooper! LOL

Are you referring to the Droid Builder's Club? The Mouse Droid Builders are actually an offshoot of the larger original group, although there are forums for both now. http://astromech.net/

Are you sure you need to make this mod? How tall are you? Looking at the photo you posted, you might be able to pull the chest down an inch, instead of hacking apart your ab and kidney armor just to add an inch there.

This is the method I use as well. The issue isn't a stabbing motion, it's sharp metal against soft plastic. Even if you're careful putting it on and off (and no one ever assists with this... which is quite common), just wearing the belt and moving around is going to mark up your plastic. The soft side Velcro is an extremely easy way to help reduce the damage (doesn't eliminate it entirely). It's not visible at all once you're wearing it.

The issues Praetorian had were simply that the owner got a contract job out of state, and had to move there for work. He made arrangements to get all then-existing orders out, still, but there were some delays. As I understand it, he has put a hold on accepting new orders until July, when his contract is up and he returns home to his workshop. At that point, he'll resume accepting orders normally. It's hard for anyone trying to get something RIGHT NOW, but Praetorian should be a good resource once they're up and running again. The loss of a good vendor like Hyperfirm is indeed rough, in the short term. There is a company in the UK called Shear Tech that also makes good rubber E11s. Very active troopers. You'll pay a little extra for shipping from the UK (for those of us in the US), but that's a solid option for anyone who really needs something in a shorter time window.

HFx Productions (the company that made Hyperfirm) is indeed closed down. There is a new company that makes very similar blasters, with even better detail, but their shop is closed until July, last I heard, as the owner is working a job in another state for a time. Praetorian Blasters is that company, and you can reach them via their Facebook page, but again, you're not going to be able to get anything from them in the short term. Blasters are not technically required for approval (although I know everyone wants one). Depending on what you're looking for, there are certainly options, though. There are a number of places that will 3D print models for you, as well. There are full metal kits (which might be heavy for trooping), and resin kits such as DoopyDoos (I'm not a fan of trooping with resin due it's fragility, but there are people who use them anyway).

Yes. HyperFirm (aka HFx Productions) no longer exists.

My printer is down at the moment else I'd volunteer, but @themaninthesuitcase has a good setup as well. I can give it a go once my printer is back up, though.

If you're interested in Sandtrooper, I'd agree that posting both here and at MEPD is the way to go. 98% of the build is the same, right up until time for weathering. There are a few minor differences (knee plate, shoulder straps, and hard guards), otherwise, the construction basics of a standard TK and a Sandy are the same. If you're going for higher level approvals, there are some minor positioning details for the helmet construction that you probably want to look into as well. But considering how many Sandys started here, as long as you make it clear in your build thread that that is what you're headed for, you'll find plenty of experienced sandtroopers here. (as you've already seen in this thread!)