CableGuy

Welcome aboard, Wayne. You’ve come to the the right place. :-) Best wishes Dan

Many congratulations, Cam. :-)

Hey trooper, Neat work so far - well done. [emoji1303] For the vocoder, I’ll like a thread I put together a while back; https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/48252-anh-tk-vocoder-examples/ As per the thread, the vast majority of ANH stunt stormtroopers has the “fuller” vocoder paint. As such, I’d consider extending your 2nd and 6th bars; Approximate example below: For the frown, recent changes to the CRL ask that frown paint does not leave the teeth area. As such, you might consider bringing the paint back a touch in certain areas. Appropriate example below; Keep up the good work. :-) Dan

Hey there troopers, More progress, and another huge nod to the finer details of the wonderful suits we know and love. [emoji7] Shoulder bridges trimmed nice and straight at the front edge, cut beyond the mould line (similar to Han’s, shown below). [emoji1303] I’ve also now got the belt attached. Just need to add the drop boxes and holster.

Welcome to the FISD forum, Robert. This thread might be helpful in your search for the best set of armour for your needs; https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/ Any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. :-) Best wishes Dan

Hey trooper, Really depends how accurate you want it to be. The toy blasters don’t look very realistic, so could detract from the overall illusion of being a “real” trooper in the eyes of the punters. If that not really your aim, the toy ones are fine. Otherwise, resin blasters, such as DoopyDoos or Quest Design are certainly much better quality. Rubber ones (like Sheartech) are also more realistic than the toy ones and are very rugged. I’ve read loads of people talking about their concerns over trooping a resin (more detailed) blaster. So far, I’ve had no issues trooping with mine. Mine is heavily modified but troops brilliantly. As with the armour, I just look after it and all is well. :-) Best wishes Dan

Hey Nadas, For a speaker system, I have both an AKER MR1505 and TRamp (https://www.facebook.com/trooperamp/). Below is my thoughts on each and a demo of each unit. As per the video, I think that the Aker is exceptionally good value and I’d highly recommend it. However, for the extra immersion, TRamp offers the clicks and static bursts. If you want them, it also has TK samples and loops built in, as well as 10s of other characters built in. For helmet fans, I started off just building my own. Simple and cheap 5v fans from China, some wire and switches, and a USB power bank. This was fine for trooping and worked really well. More recently, I upgraded to TroopaCoola. Not only are they more attractive to look at, but, the system I went for is the Digital Variable System (DVS). This means you can increase or decrease the speed of both fans to suit your requirements. Here’s my thoughts on TroopaCoola; Regarding blaster lights and sounds, my personal opinion is that it takes away the “magic” of a costumed TK. Anyone that knows me knows that I love OTTKs and like to represent them as realistically as possible. I’ve used the example of Disney World before, where the characters are “in-character”, allowing the guest to believe they are meeting the actual character. To me, that’s so much more memorable than just “a guy in a costume”, especially for the children. As such, I find that lights and sounds on an E-11 are never realistic. It comes across as more of a toy than a prop. Of course, this is just my personal opinion, and no offence is intended to those that do use light and sounds on their blaster. Best wishes Dan

Hi trooper. Nice work. [emoji1303] If I may, a simple and valuable fix would be to reduce the gap between your bicep and forearm. Just based on your pictures, I’d suggest trying the biceps an inch lower, the the forearms an inch higher. This will reduce that gap, and give your forearms some breathing room from the hand plate on your gloves. Best of luck with your EIB Application. [emoji4][emoji1303]

Hi Darren, Great choice! :-) Personally, I prefer 1.5mm ABS. It is closer the original material used, is nice and flexible for trooping, easier to cut when building the suit, and holds more detail than 2mm (as the thinner plastic forms better over the moulds). Again, my personal view is that acrylic capped is not as nice to look at. It’s very, very shiny, it’s also a different shade of white to non-capped so it’s quite easy to spot in a line of troopers. Also, as above, the details can be lost a little in acrylic capped. Here’s Ross from RWA showing off the different shades and thicknesses. Below is an example of the difference. From left to right, Standard ABS, acrylic capped ABS, Vader (lol), standard ABS (me) and a dirty boy. ;-) Hope that helps a little. :-)

Hey there trooper, If you are aiming for level 3 (Centurion), just be aware that you are not allowed Velcro closures for the rear of the thighs for L3. They must use the butt joint method. As it stands, your coverstips look quite a bit wider than the suggested average of 20mm. As below, they look quite out of proportion to the armour. I’d suggest aiming for 20mm and moving away from the Velcro idea. It’ll look much neater and be more like the originals. :-) Out of interest, what made you choose Velcro for the thigh rears?

Top job, Dave. Representing the UKG with style! :-)

Hi Darren, Excellent question. Being totally honest, both are excellent at their respective price points. I’m in the UK, also, and have trooped my RWA suit for a couple of years. It’s excellent quality, very well priced, and is better looking that many out there. As in, it’s pretty accurate. As an example, that’s me in my RWA suit just over Vader’s left shoulder; For that sort of price, you can add you boots, holster, under suit, balaclava, speaker system and blaster all for a grand or less. RWA is a great way to get into trooping. If you have more disposable income, RS is actually cast from an original suit from 1976 so, it’s more accurate. The finer details are truer to the originals than the fan-sculpted RWA kit. However, as I mentioned early on, it’s all price relative. In my opinion, depending on your budget, you can’t go wrong with either of these options. We’re bloomin lucking with our UK suppliers. :-) Best wishes Dan

Welcome aboard, Craig. You’ve had a lucky escape - you’ve managed to avoid one of the least accurate armour and helmet makers available (SDS) and gone for one of the very best. Congratulations. :-) Great to have you on board.

The drilling template is also in that link I shared. :-)

Looking good. [emoji1303] Some of those resin parts look very, very similar to DoopyDoos, so I’m sure you’ll be fine. If you haven’t already, check this out - https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/32111-fisd-e-11-blaster-reference/ It’s a ridiculously good reference guide. Really helped me with my build (in my signature). :-)

Looking great, Dave. You got this! :-)

Great post, Glen. And thanks for making this updated graphic a reality. Let’s hope it starts to catch on. Additional images; https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/48867-anh-stunt-belt-attachment-suggestion/

Yep - that original helmet is stunning. [emoji39][emoji7]

Hehe. Thank you, my friend. :-)

Hmmm. Yes - not sure how my moral compass is feeling about this one.

“All the ones...legs 11” [emoji23]

Hi there, Troopers. More work over the last few days, and we now have a sniper knee attached. I used a combination of clamps and magnets to hold this in place and, thankfully, combined with the Gorilla Glue Clear, this held really well. I spent quite a bit of time checking reference images. As I’ve posted about before, the sides should be cut straight up and down, not overly curved. Reference images; The thigh ammo pack is also ready for affixing.

I’ve got to be honest, it wouldn’t be on my list. It appears to be a 3D printed blaster and the print lines are clearly visible in certain areas. It’s also not overly accurate. Areas such as the scope rail, the front hole near the flash guard is wrong, wrong wire type near the Hengstler etc. Also, the glossy paint job wouldn’t be to my taste. The only gloss black area should be the grip. Just my thoughts, however, I’d be tempted to look elsewhere. As always, try to compare your prospective purchase with screen used examples. Best wishes Dan

Many thanks, Caleb. I’m really pleased that these sorts of posts are useful. :-)

Hey there, Troopers. So, the thighs are now sized up and the shins are nearly complete. I was able to follow the original sizes for the thighs and, as below, took inspiration from the shape and form of an original set of armour. The shins are around 15mm wider circumference around ankle compared with the original RS measurements. I believe this is due to the size of my boots at the top - a little wider than originals, by the seems of it. Original bra hook and elastics method - currently gluing in place. More to come. :-)