shashachu

Welcome, Matt! (I'm from the GGG and am the one who suggested you start this thread.) Looks like you're making good progress! If you haven't noticed already, you're very limited in the size and number of photos you can upload directly to the forum, so we suggest you host your photos elsewhere (eg imgur or similar) and embed links instead. And if you haven't already, definitely peruse the other build threads here to get guidance and inspiration from folks who have already completed their builds or are farther along. Looking forward to seeing your progress!

I remember feeling really hot in my armor in the beginning but now I feel super comfortable. I do think I felt nervous, and also I wasn't as good at getting dressed so I would get hot wrestling my armor. Helmet fans will help a little, and I only used the rubber gloves for my Centurion photos (otherwise I use Gorilla Grip gloves from Home Depot.) You could go with something like a cooling vest but I have heard those don't actually stay cool long, and I assume it'll add some weird bulk. Instead I think as you get more comfortable in your armor you'll feel cooler, and it's more about being smart while trooping and not pushing yourself. Stay in the shade/cooler areas, take breaks, and stay hydrated. Our handlers are great and will also check on you. In the end it's hard to avoid being uncomfortable some of the time, but the fun of trooping outweighs it.

Congratulations!! Looking forward to trooping with you.

When I build I tend to lean very heavily into the idea of making things modifiable and replaceable which is why I use the screws, but I probably could have just glued the green plastic in and been fine.

I use Chicago screws embedded in milliput (epoxy putty) for the lenses and electrical tape for the frown screen. Both have held up for 7 years. But tbh nobody will ever see the inside of your helmet so there's probably lots of different methods.

I'm no longer a DO but I would not approve that at L2/L3 as-is. Completely fine for basic, though.

thanks! I am planning on printing part of my armor (back and chest) because the one that came with my KB kit it took big for me. Mostly I'm worried about warping in heat, so trying to decide between PLA+ and PETG.

hi @funkster! Question (which I might have missed in the thread) - what filament did you use for your armor? And how is it holding up 2 years on?

thank you so much!

thanks! I agree with the logic, but just wanted to ask before I made the cuts.

No problem! Here is what I'm referring to: Note that straight cut vs the CRL image I also found this image which has the same forearm mod: So it's not just Finn but I've seen people refer to it as the Finn mod. I was looking through old build threads and did see @equuspolo has the mod on his TFA build.

For future reference for painting helmet, one tip I got from another thread about areas that have to be outlined in black is to first paint the black down, then paint the gray over it once it's dried. It's much easier than trying to paint a tiny thin pinstripe of black:

Hi all, I'll update my build thread later, but my enthusiasm for the FOTK has been revived with the acquisition of a 3D printer so I can print some custom-sized parts. One question I had: as a detachment, what's our stance on the 'Finn cut' for TFA forearms for a regular TFA FOTK? I know the general advice is to ask your GML, but my GML usually asks me when he has questions about FISD costumes, so I thought I'd go straight to the source. If a garrison GML came to you with a member wanting to get approved with forearms with the Finn cut, what would your response be?

Great work! Agree on the teeth trimming - what helped me during my build was focusing less on trimming out the empty spaces and more on shaping the teeth, if that makes sense. Once I thought about it that way, it became a lot clearer how much to trim out.

Hi Hanson, The belt position shouldn't block basic, but it will not pass Centurion. If you are planning on submitting later for higher level approval, I highly recommend you make the fix now, for a couple reasons: 1) You already have momentum going with your build which will likely wane once approved (if you're like me), 2) The will probably want to just get out and troop once you are finally approved, and the last thing you'll want to do is rip up your belt and make it un-troopable while you fix it. I actually made the exact same mistake when I assembled my belt and ended up disassembling and reassembling it. You'll see there's extra holes in the canvas, but it's all covered so nobody knows it's there but me. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/42868-sha-shas-wtf-anh-stunt-build-complete/#comment-576083