shashachu

Hi! I have both a KB and 850 kit and am doing the world's slowest FOTK build. I am planning on using the 850 back and chest/yoke, but KB everything else because the 850 kit is so much smaller in the chest and back. However, the pulls are very bad. There are large dents and warping in the back piece, and I will need to sand down and Bondo the whole thing smooth. 850 *should* be approvable, but in my opinion it's very much a 'you get what you pay for' situation, as the kit is MUCH cheaper than any alternative, but requires a lot of work. Please post pics - I'm really interested to see them.

Do your best to see if you can even out the butt plate or bring in the strapping at all (e.g. it looks better on the left side than the right) but no, it shouldn't be an issue for approval. I actually have an extra ABS butt plate from an 850 kit that I'd be happy to send you for the cost of shipping if you want to try that out as well. I've never seen it in comparison to a Jimmi kit so no idea if it is bigger or smaller.

Great news, Andre! One of the DO team will start on your application soon.

Hi Brian, Thanks for the quick turnaround with the helmet paint fixes! CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of the DO team and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. 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. You and I have something in common, which is that we fall outside the ideal height range (5' 10" - 5' 11") for Stormtroopers. I'm on the other end of the spectrum, but I sympathize with the difficulty of working with an armor that isn't really built for you. I'm happy to say that overall you've done a fantastic job fitting the armor to you, we just have a few suggestions to help you look your best. First, as you might have seen from other EIB reviews, Anovos helmets tend to be assembled with their ears placed more vertically, while ideally they should be tilted to match the edge of the trap. This is merely a suggestion, but if you're feeling brave, it's something that would really bring your helmet to the next level of screen accuracy. Reference Images: Next, another relatively minor paint issue on your helmet. Your vocoder paint is a little soft, and a few minutes with some mineral spirits and paint to sharpen up the definition of the vocoder would really improve the look. Reference Image: Moving on to the torso area, you have a very minor overlap between your back and kidney. Since the L3 CRL states that a 'minimal' overlap is allowed, it won't be a Centurion blocker, but it'd give you a nice sleek look if you were able to address that. You could try adjusting strapping, or perhaps adding a piece of thin foam at the top of the back shoulder tabs to help it sit just a touch higher. Reference Image: Next, it looks like your canvas belt it a bit long. We're suggesting you trim it so it doesn't extend beyond the end of the TD. Reference Image: Continuing on, although gaps are inevitable in a trooper your height, for the gaps that do exist, it makes for a cleaner look to at least have them evened out. From the front, the gap between your torso and the tops of your thighs is quite large, while the gap between your thighs and shins is very small. So you could consider raising your thighs just a touch, as long as it doesn't make the rear gap between your thighs and calves too large. Reference Images: We finish out the suggestions with a couple minor dressing issues. First, your TD is sitting high: Reference Image: Next, your left calf isn't quite closed properly: The next time you get suited up for a troop, just have a handler take a look at these couple issues in case Lord Vader decides to make a surprise inspection. 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. Starting with the helmet, the L3 CRL states: Ear screws shall be slotted, flat topped, countersunk and painted white. The left lower ear screw is sitting just a bit proud. This should be a simple fix to use a deburring tool or larger drill bit to make the countersink hole and screw that screw in. Reference Image: Next the L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. From the front your shoulder bells look pretty good, but from the back there's a pretty significant gap. You can try tightening the strapping holding the bell on, and you can also trim all the lower return edge from the bells to make them sit more closely to the chest. Reference Image: Next, the L3 CRL states: The top of the ABS ammo belt should sit at or just above the bottom of the central and vertical abdomen button panels. Your belt is sitting just a touch too low, as the top of the ABS belt should be touching or even slightly overlapping the lower ab button. On my own kit I added two thin strips of velcro to my belt and ab to ensure it doesn't sag. Reference Images: Continuing on with the belt, your dropboxes are slightly out of alignment. The L3 CRL states: Drop boxes are vertically aligned with the end of the ammo belt with minimal gap between belt and box. Usually adding a drop of glue to the elastic holding the drop boxes on is enough to keep them from wandering. Reference Image: Next, the L3 CRL states: Ideally there no gap between the abdomen and kidney armor. Yours are very close; simply tightening the belt a bit should do it. Reference Image: And that's it! There are a few small fixes needed for Centurion, but I have total confidence in your ability to get there; you clearly did your research when building your armor and I know you have the skill to get there. But in the meantime, congratulations and welcome to EIB!

Hi Mario, Thanks for your application and for the quick fixes with the thermal detonator. Now let's get on with your review! CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of the DO team and myself, many congratulations! And thank you for being my first TK Commander approval! Note that in this review I will do my best to use reference from the game, given that game footage is limited, I will sometimes use reference from other movies or other TK Commander costumes. Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. 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, overall the armor fits you very well, but your right forearm is visibly larger than your left. It's a very common issue with ATA armor. As it's not excessively large we won't make it a blocker, but it would really improve the look if you were able to size it down to match the left. Reference Image: Next, just a dressing issue, but next time you get suited up for a troop, just be sure to align the cover strips of your leg armor. Again, a small detail but one that really cleans up your look. Reference Image: 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. Starting from the top, a couple issues with your helmet will need to be addressed on your helmet for Centurion: The L3 CRL states: Blue stripe continues over brow trim Your brow stripe is missing the blue paint, but this should be easily fixed with a few minutes of painting. Reference Image: Next, it appears your hovi tips are missing the white paint on the interior and rims. Although this isn't specified in the CRL text, it's clearly shown in screenshots. Reference Image: Moving on to the back plate, the L3 CRL states: Back plate shall have no, or minimal overlap of the kidney plate. Your back plate is overlapping the kidney on the right. It might be a simple strapping change, but you could also consider heat bending the corner of the back plate to make it wrap around your body more closely. Reference Image: Moving along, the L3 CRL states: The left vertical row of ab plate buttons contain five buttons (fifth button must align one button higher than the top button of the larger button plate). Your vertical button plate is not sitting high enough, so you'll need to adjust or replace it before applying for Centurion. Reference Image: Next, the L3 CRL states: Hand guards shall be latex or latex-like, painted white, affixed to rubber gloves. Yours are ABS, so you'll need to obtain latex ones before applying to Centurion. There are a few folks in the merch section of the forum who sell them. Reference Image: Finally, regarding the lightsaber the L3 CRL states: The hilt shall be made to reference Starkiller's lightsaber (as seen in The Force Unleashed). If the lightsaber has a blade, it may be one of the color blades used in the video game, The Force Unleashed. The choice of blade colors are: Black, Blue, Green, Gold, Purple, Red and Yellow. Yours is Graflex-style, so you'll need to obtain a new lightsaber hilt before applying for Centurion. Reference Image: And that's it! Congratulations again - so cool to see a video game armor brought to life so beautifully. Although there is some work to do before Centurion, we hope to see your application soon. Now get out there and make the Empire proud!

Awesome! Thanks for clarifying.

Mario, great job on the fixes to the TD! But I've very sorry - as I mentioned the TK Commander CRL is new to me and there is another correction I didn't notice before that will need to be made for EIB. The CRL says: Gloves shall be rubber or rubber like chemical gloves in black. Yours appear to be cloth, so they will need to be replaced before you can be approved. Again, I apologize for not seeing this sooner. Thank you! EDIT: After some discussion with the other DOs, could you just post clearer photos of your existing gloves? They might be passable as-is, it's just not clear from the current set of photos. Thank you!!

Congrats and welcome to the ranks! Just a few small adjustments for Centurion.

Great job with the cleanup, and good tip about the Humbrol paint! My parents are in town this weekend so I probably won't be able to do your review this weekend, but I'll be with you soon. Thanks for the quick fix!

Hi @jodi! Just checking in to see if we can be of assistance or if you have any additional questions. We will be here when you're ready!

Hi Brian! Thanks for your application! I'll be handling your review. Like TKSpartan said, you will need to clean up the overspray on the teeth before we can proceed, as well as add the white paint to the rims and insides of your hovi tips. Reference Image: When you take a look at the reference images, you'll see that when it comes to the frown paint, you should err on the side of underpainting. You could try white paint as you said, or a q-tip and/or toothpick dipped in some paint thinner or mineral spirits to clean up the extra should do the trick as well. Reference Image: Finally, could you provide photos of the insides of your shoulder bells just so I can confirm the black elastic is there? I presume that due to the length of your arms the black is just not showing against your undersuit, but since it's a basic requirement, I just want to ensure it's present. Please reach out if you have any questions!

Hi Fabio, Great to see your Centurion application! Really great job on all the fixes. They're subtle but your armor fits you so much better now. 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, many 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 We have nothing to add beyond what was already mentioned in your EIB review. Congratulations again; you clearly put a lot of pride into your armor and it really shows. Welcome to Centurion!

Hi José, Thanks for your application! You have a really nice ESB build. CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of the DO team and myself, many congratulations! Note that for ESB reviews, while we do our best to use only ESB reference images, since ESB suits are mostly reused ANH suits, we will sometimes use ANH armor as reference. Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. 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, your ab plate is a bit large, and overhanging the edge of the panel it's sitting on top of. We're suggesting to trim it back a bit. Reference Image: Next, your butt plate is sticking out some. This is a very common problem, so we're suggesting that you add/adjust the strapping. Ideally it should sit right below the kidney plate. Reference Image: Next, there is quite a large gap between at the top of your thighs. Although we'd ideally like to see as little black as possible, for the gaps that are there, it cleans up the look to have them even., so we're recommending that you raise your thighs to reduce the upper gap, even though that will cause a bit of black to show between the thighs and shins. Reference Image: Finally, great job on aligning your sniper knee. In order to go for that extra bit of screen accuracy, we're recommending you trim the return edge back a bit. Reference Image Finally, a small detail. Your ammo pack rivet is a bit too close to the edge of your ammo pack compared to the screen-used suits. If you'd like to go the extra mile, you could move it in some. You would have to fill the old hole with ABS paste. Reference Image: 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. First, while overall your helmet looks great, the teeth are unfortunately overtrimmed. Before applying for Centurion, we're asking you to fill in the extra space with ABS paste. Reference Image: Also, the black rank bar paint is very thin on your ear bumps. This should be a simple fix - just paint the bars slightly wider. Reference Image: Continuing on to the shoulders, the L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. Your shoulder bell gap actually looks quite good, but there's still some gap at the top of the bells. You should tighten the strapping holding the shoulder bells on, as well as make sure to trim all the lower return edge off the bells so they sit closer to the chest. It may also just be a matter of relaxing your posture for the photos. Reference Images: Concluding with the belt, the L3 CRL states: The top of the ABS ammo belt should sit at or just above the bottom of the central and vertical abdomen button panels. Yours is sitting just a touch too low. On my own kit, I added two small strips of velcro to the belt to ensure it doesn't sag in the front. Reference Image: And that's it! I have full confidence in your ability to make the Centurion fixes, so I hope to see your application there soon. Now get out there and make Lord Vader proud!

Hi Mario! Thank you so much for your application. You will be my very first TK Commander review! Unfortunately before we can proceed, you will need to make some corrections with your Thermal Detonator. The L2 CRL states: Thermal detonator belt clips are positioned with little to no gap between the clips and the end caps. As you can see, with your TD, there are visible gaps between the clips and the end caps, so yours will need to be repositioned. While you're modifying the clips, I'd also suggest you adjust the positioning of your TD, as it is sitting very low on your belt; normally they sit at about the same level as the belt. Reference Image: Can you also include these additional photos: * Closeup of shoulder straps (front and back) * Closeup of your hand plates * Closeup of belt * Closeup of boots * Interior strapping Thank you! -Sha Sha

Hi Robyn, Thanks for your application and for the quick turnaround correcting snaps and frown paint! CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of the DO team and myself, many congratulations! You have a really lovely build. Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. 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 Starting from the top, some suggestions with your helmet. First, the trap paint looks a bit small for the space. Extending it out a bit so it's closer to the edges of the plastic will really improve the look. Reference Images: Next, as you might have seen pointed out in other applications, the ear alignment of the Stunt helmets tended to be a bit tilted, following the line of the trap, while yours are sitting more vertically. It's a somewhat difficult correction, but if you're going for the ultimate Stunt look, you might consider tackling repositioning the ears. Reference Images: Continuing on, when we look at TK armor, ideally there are minimal black gaps between the armor pieces. Of course everyone's body is different, so when there are gaps, it really elevates the look to have those gap be even. As you can see, the gap between your bicep and forearm is quite a bit smaller than the gap between the forearm and wrist. If you're able to drop the forearms a bit, or even both your biceps and forearms, it will help you look your best. Reference Images: Moving on to the ab buttons, great job on a clean paint job. However, the paint is a touch too large. Looking at the reference images, you can see that the ab paint tends to be a bit smaller than the plastic buttons. Note for those following along: in the new CRL which applies to applications submitted after Sept 1, this is a Centurion requirement. Reference Image: Finishing with the lower limbs, a couple more small issues. First, the rivet holding on your thigh ammo pack is a bit close to the edge of the ammo pack compared to the screen-used armor. Reference Image: And to really get that sleek ANH look, you could trim your sniper knee so that it's a bit more angular to match the screen-used suits. 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. First, your shoulder armor. The L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. From the back, your shoulder bells look perfect, but from the front there's still a bit of a gap, especially at the top of the bells. You can try shortening the strapping holding the bells on, and be sure to trim all the lower return edge off of the shoulder bells to get them to sit as close to your chest armor as possible. It may even just be a matter of relaxing your posture in the photos. Reference Images: Moving on to your torso area, you'll need to make a few corrections. The L3 CRL states: Ideally there no gap between the abdomen and kidney armor. Abdominal and Kidney Plate align horizontally at top. In some of your photos, there is a bit of a gap on your right side. I'm confident it should just be a matter of tightening the belt when getting dressed. Reference Image: Continuing with your belt, the L3 CRL states: Drop boxes are vertically aligned with the end of the ammo belt with minimal gap between belt and box. The top of the ABS ammo belt should sit at or just above the bottom of the central and vertical abdomen button panels. Your belt boxes are very close to the edges of your belt, and probably just require a drop of glue on the elastic to make sure they stay in place. Your belt is also sitting just a bit too low. On my own kit, I added two small strips of velcro to keep the belt from sagging. Reference Images: . And that's it! Congratulations again on EIB, and we hope to see you at Centurion very soon!

Hi Jesús, Great to see your Centurion application! Thank you for making all of the required changes from your EIB approval, and I really appreciate your patience. 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, many 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 We have nothing more to add beyond what was already pointed out in your EIB application. Congratulations again! Great to see an ESB Centurion. Now get out their and make the Empire proud!

Looks great, José! I'll be with you soon.

Looks great! We'll be with you soon.

No problem! We'll be here when you're ready.

Hi Robyn! Thanks for your submission, and thanks for the snap paint cleanup! I'll be doing your EIB review. As @TKSpartan pointed out, your frown paint needs some slight cleanup before we can proceed: It should just be a few minutes with some mineral spirits/paint thinner and a cotton swab or toothpick. If anything, err on the side of underpainting them. Once that's corrected, we can proceed with your application. -Sha Sha

@gmrhodes13 is correct - some troopers just show the blaster/pistol connected while holding up the thigh armor. You can do the same with the closeups of the ab section sides. Here are a few previous TFA applications for your reference: https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/45952-tk-99665-requesting-tfa-eib-status-kb-approved/ https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/43748-tk12111-requesting-tfa-eib-status-anovos-approved/ https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/45668-tk-8136-requesting-tfa-eib-status-anovos-859/

Hi Ardeshir, I thought we'd see you here! Really glad to see your Centurion application. Let's get started! 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, many congratulations! Really nice job on all of the fixes from your EIB application. I agree that the helmet looks a lot nicer with the thicker tube stripes. 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. We have nothing more to add beyond the small dressing issues pointed out in your EIB application. Beautiful job on your armor. Congrats again, and welcome to Centurion!

Hi Jodi! In addition to the photos @gmrhodes13 noted, please include photos of: - your boots, so that we can confirm they are the FOTK style with the side zip - Helmet close ups (front/left/right/back) For the arms raised photos, please include both full body and closeups of the abdomen sides. Very excited to see a FOTK submission!

Hi @MGKG! Just checking in again to see if there's anything we can assist you with.

766. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/47639-tk-25280-requesting-esb-eib-status-afp/ Posted by TxuTxi 28//7-19 Hi Jesús! Thanks for your application and for the updated photos with the corrected side gaps. They look great now! CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of the DO team and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. 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. Just a note for your review: I will do my best to use ESB armor as reference images, but occasionally I do use ANH armor since ESB was mostly re-used ANH armor, and there are a lot fewer ESB references available. Starting from the top, some of your helmet decals are a bit creased. It would really help you look your best if you were able to replace them with new smoothed-out decals. Reference Image: Next, your teeth gaps are quite a bit larger than the screen-used helmets. It would not be easy, but if you filled them in some with ABS paste, it would really help your helmet match the screen-used ones. Reference Images: Continuing on to the Thermal Detonator, ideally the screws sit closer to the end of the clips. This would involve replacing the clips and is not a big deal, but it's worth mentioning. Reference Image: Next, your thigh armor seems a bit low. Ideally we want to minimize the amount of black showing, but if there is black showing, it looks cleaner if the gaps are even. You have no gap at the knees but quite a large gap at the top of your thighs. If you are able to, we're recommending you raise your thighs a bit. That will also keep your sniper knee from getting caught behind the thigh armor. Reference Image: Finally, your butt place is popping out a bit. Ideally it should sit right under the kidney plate, so we're recommending that you try adjusting the strapping in that area to get it to sit properly. Reference Image: 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. Starting from the top, the paint on your ear bumps is quite thing, so we'd like you to make it wider to match the screen-used armor. Although this isn't specifically stated in the CRL, the references images are clear and it should be a simple fix. Reference Images: Moving on to the shoulder armor, the L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. Yours look quite good, but there is still some gap, especially at the top of the bells. You can tighten the strapping holding the bells on, and also be sure to trim all the return edge off the bottom of the bells to bring them as close to the chest and back as possible. Reference Image: It's not totally clear, but it appears your forearms still have a bit of return edge on the wrist side. Per the L3 CRL: No return edge on the inside of the front of the forearm is allowed. It should be a simple fix - just a few minutes with some scissors to clean up the edges. Reference Images: Next, a couple fixes will need to be made in the ab/kidney area. Ideally there no gap between the abdomen and kidney armor. Abdominal and Kidney Plate align horizontally at top. Rivets are equally spaced along the depth of the armor and about 10mm from the edge. The heads are rounded or domed. Note: Paperclip brads are not considered to have a domed head. Rivets are painted white. This is almost certainly just a dressing issue, but the tops of the ab and kidney will need to be aligned, and the top pair of ab/kidney rivets will need to be painted white. Reference Images: And that's it! Congratulations on your EIB approval, and we'll see you at Centurion! Now get out there and make us proud!