TheRascalKing

Thought I would share a new set of shoulder straps that I made for @TattooedStormtrooper, who was having issues with his shoulder bells pulling away from this shoulder bridges due to the lateral stretch allowed by the type of elastic I was using. I'm always keeping an open ear for ways to improve my kits, so when he researched and recommended a new brand of elastic with a firmer flex for me to try out, I jumped at the chance with the below as the result. With the RascalSnaps system, these took seconds to swap into his suit with the existing anchors and are a significant upgrade. You'll notice the double Line-24 snap connections at each corner, the integrated Centurion elastic tie-downs so they never get lost, and the hand-sewn snaps to the nylon web shoulder drops. These things barely sag at ALL now and these are probably the nicest ones I've made yet. I immediately ordered a bunch from the same company and will be switching my kits over to this type of elastic at some (but not all) connecting points, as the stretch is firm and quality is excellent. I also ordered some black 1" of the same kind and will likely use that instead of nylon for most kits, as a little stretch at the shoulder will allow for better range of motion. Anyways, thought I'd share. I'm still only making these kits on demand primarily for local members who troop frequently, but feedback has been great for years at this point. Feel free to emulate my system if it helps!

Hey all, I wanted to get a discussion going around a proposal that I've heard being floated in various FOTK-building Facebook groups and see if there was support to warrant consideration of amending the current base-level CRLs. In short, I propose that the current text for the First Order Stormtrooper costume CRLs (TFA and TLJ) be amended to ALLOW for visible seams at the shoulder and sides of the barrel at the BASIC level ONLY. Okay but... I fully recognize that this would be an slight step backwards in terms of the overall accuracy of these CRLs. As seen in the films that these CRLs are based upon, the studio suits did not have visible seams in these areas. Correct. Acknowledged. I don't need to post screen shots to this point. However, there is precedent that seams were present in these areas in SOME existing Star Wars canon, and I believe that the sacrifice in accuracy at the Basic level only would be worth allowing for greater acceptance and approval of these costumes. In the Star Wars Resistance show (which again, I acknowledge would be a separate and distinct CRL overall, as there are substantive differences from the movie realistic costumes), it can be seen that a seam was INTENTIONALLY added at the shoulder and sides in the renderings for their First Order Stormtroopers. It would have been one less line to not do that, but it was done so purposefully and consistently. The shoulder and side seams are often areas of significant stress and strain as the armor is flexed open to take it on/off - which is also why the Disney Parks have adopted a similar system to allow for greater comfort and ease of dressing for their Galaxy's Edge cast members, as seen below. While again, these are not the same as production suits, at the Basic level, I think it makes sense from a practical and ergonomic standpoint. The movie suits that we are seeking to emulate were made of a thick and extremely durable and flexible (likely urethane) material that was formed with tooling and materials that far exceed what will likely be possible at the hobby/cosplay level any time soon, so I believe there should be some ability to make up for the limitations of the ABS suits we are trying to use to replicate. Concessions to accuracy are made in several existing Legion CRLs for comfort and to allow for a great range of body types, and I propose it be considered in this case as well. To smooth these seams necessitates either the precise and arduous task of using ABS slurry to fill and blend the seams, then sanding and buffing back to an indistinguishable high gloss - a specialized skill that most new or even experienced builders have not mastered - or to use body filler and paint the area or entire set of armor, as was required with previous makers due to the type of construction. These suits shouldn't NEED to be painted, and these skills present a significant challenge to most builders, resulting in the FOTK being a rare site at troops in my Garrison and an extremely limited numbers of a submission for L2 and 3. At the end of the day, I guess my point is... is this really a big deal? I don't think it is. SHOULD those seams be filled? Yea, totally. But is it worth mentioning at the Basic level when it stands to be a potential blocker to membership for many new members, may help extend the service life of the armor for more troops, and overall doesn't make a significant difference to the appearance of the suit? Naw, I don't think so. Most fans are going to the see the (Denuo Novo press photo) Stormtrooper below and just think "holy heck, a stormtrooper!" and never notice those seams. I'd like to give the opportunity to more members and fans alike to have that experience, instead of potentially furthering the image of elitism and snobbery that the Clubs unfortunately sometimes project due to our high standards. I would propose that the CRL text be amended, as below (or similar): Back/Yoke The back plate contains a “O II” design, and the O is black in color. There are no visible seams on the back/yoke. The yoke portion extends over the wearer's shoulders and curves under the armpits. OPTIONAL Level two certification (if applicable): There are no visible seams on the back/yoke. OPTIONAL Level three certification (if applicable): A support tab extending from the outside top arch of the yoke shall be present. The support tab should be of a sturdy material, white in color. Abdomen Section The abdomen section must wrap around the wearer's body without a visible seam. The abdomen has 7 boxes attached that match the order and placement shown against the armor. The large box has a small black recessed square on the lower left to the wearer. The second box to the right of the wearer has a small black recessed rectangle near the top. OPTIONAL Level two certification (if applicable): The boxes should sit against the abdominal plate with minimal to no gaps. The abdomen section must wrap around the wearer's body without a visible seam. OPTIONAL Level three certification (if applicable): The seams between the abdominal armor and the 7 boxes should not be filled. I'm curious to hear feedback from our membership, though keep in mind that this change would largely not affect those of us who are regulars here on the forums, or any submissions to the DOs for L2 or L3. This would be a local Garrison/Outpost GML-level change that could potentially bolster our membership and make this costume significantly more accessible. Let me know your thoughts and thank you for reading!

I mentioned this to @Oztrooper a while back and I believe he remarked that this is actually accurate - ears were paint and don't need to match the decals exactly. You can kind of see it in this shot that the ears are a little darker, if it isn't just the light. I wouldn't trip on it and the DOs didn't at Centurion when I applied. http://www.starwarshelmets.com/2009/molloesb8.jpg

Not in the CRL = should not be nitpicked by your GML at basic unless it's pretty flagrant, IMO. Having it kicked up is much better for actual wear and well within canon. It's their call at the end of the day, but I disagree. Send them your reference.

If it's the Denuo Novo kit that others have received this year that is for sale there (as it was previously with Anovos), it absolutely should be with the same work invested. If you're referring to the suits that Disney Cast Members wear in Galaxy's Edge, that would not be approvable as there are substantive departures from the movie suits made for comfort/fitting and ease of wearing. Some further previous discussion here:

I gotta side with Ardeshir on this one guys. For two major reasons. For one, he has presented clear, legible, publicly-accessible screen grabs of production-made assets from the films that show that there was variation present. I'm a big fan of the word "ideally" in CRLs these days. We should give people a clear standard to build to that's outlined in our CRLs. Yea, that D-ring is probably "ideally" white for TLJ. Cool. But we also know that black ones appeared in the movie. Therefor, I'm a proponent of making either allowable at any level. Black, or ideally white. For number two... any guesses how many people have submitted for and received the Centurion award for FOTK armor in the last FIVE YEARS, other than Ardeshir...? Three. The answer is three total. In five years. Glen was the last one before that and it's only gotten harder since. To Ardeshir's point, what are we really looking to accomplish here if we make the rules so stringent that no one even tries anymore? I think this argument is indicative of a larger problem, particularly with the FOTK CRLs. I know and respect that the team has put a lot of work into researching, but has this process actually improved for our members as a result...? And I say this not as reflection on any of the DOs, who again, are phenomenal and only enforcing the CRLs as currently written. And, idk, maybe I'm just tired, but actual rubber gaskets are dumb at any level too. /$0.02

This initiative has my full support and I hope to see its creation come to fruition sooner than later. As the largest Detachment in the Legion, frankly it surprises me that this has not happened sooner, and I hope it will go a long way in combating the mentality that stormtrooper building is a 'boys club'. While stormtrooper costumes aren't always as conducive to the shape of many women, having a resource that our female identifying members can turn to to receive relevant help in a respectful manner should have great value. I hope this initiative helps bring more women into the Detachment and helps make them feel more comfortable being here. Big thanks to @Soulart for spearheading, and please let us know how we can support you. Ps., my wife is a Jawa and their fireteam is just named after a bug, so let's not get hung up on the name to the point that it stops progress. I'd suggest just another cool, white-colored animal for our white armor, but most live in the snow... "Valkyries" alone/in general is awesome and I'm surprised it's not taken already! /$0.02

YUSSSSSSSS.

I did not have positive results with Plastidip to seal my fiberglass and would not recommend it. I just brushed a couple of thin coats of flexible resin on all the inside surfaces and it went much better. I also would finish all trimming before doing so, so you can get the edges as well. Just gotta wear gloves and long sleeves or a bunny suit, and a respirator 100% of the time.

To my knowledge, it's an M5 dome-head hex bolt.

God Help Us All...

This also makes me VERY happy to see.

https://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=34768 Here's the link you'd need for approval, Michael. Check that original post, but I hope that helps!

SOLD for £46,875 for the suit + £13,750 for the blaster = £60,625 or ~$69,994.90 USD New record...

Some interesting insight from Mark on this podcast...

Thermal Detonator Accuracy Update I received my new thermal detonator from my printer utilizing Jesse M's files, and am stoked on it. It is significantly lighter than the included solid resin TD, and more accurate for TLJ. The carriage has been printed in one piece on a large format resin machine by @fabricatorandfiends and the tube was done in PLA filament with a relatively low infill by @supershipley . How does it compare to the dimensions of the included TD? With a spraypaint cap added for mockup... close. Very very close. Prep work began on the printed TD carriage, as even with resin there were several visible print lines and dimples from supports that just wouldn't do. Most areas weren't too bad, but some needed significant work with primer, glazing putty, and lots of sanding to get nice and level. Back in primer... And in final Behr Gloss White: The tube was part of a small run by @supershipley: And after some primer filler and wet sanding to rid it of visible print lines: And finally, in Rustoleum matte black primer: And finally, the whole 3D-printed TLJ thermal detonator, fully assembled with a bit of VHB to hold the tube in.

Locking, as we do not allow general "Want to buy" threads, per the first rule in the For Sale section. Also, this post does not qualify as "Forum Help or Support". Please see the "Getting Started" forum for additional information and help.

We can do better than close enough! This has been completed and added to our Greeblie Pack! The thigh holster riser and Denuo-Novo specific TLJ arm rails were also added.

It's going somewhere...

Okay, I think there's enough in here to unlock and unhide this thread and have some value. I ended up heavily restructuring but have at least the Denuo Novo trimming instruction photos linked for everything and should be adding my own photos of additional trimmed pieces this week, as well as assembly posts as I work my way down the arms. I threw out my back this week and have been very busy at work, so it's slow going, but hopefully even so far this helps someone or stimulates some discussion. Troopers helping troopers and all that!

Shoulder Lip Assembly After scuffing the contact surfaces, I applied E6000 and multiple n52 neodymium magnets from the center out. I went a little overboard, but want tight, clean lines and strong bonds at all of my joints, so getting good and somewhat even clamping pressure is key. I positioned them so that just the raised "lip" portion stuck out - about 15mm or so if I remember. I found the center of both pieces with a fabric measuring tape and did my best to align them consistently. Here is a finished shoulder bell. Screen Reference The shoulder bell sits on a support tab that can also be seen here, and will be addressed over here(link).

Quick update! I'm just about done rough trimming with lexan shears and am moving on to the final trim with the rotary tool w/ 80grit flappy wheel and edge sanding mostly with fine Emory boards for all pieces. The ab and belt boxes, knees, spats, handguards, posterior, and cod are about done and ready for paint prep! The kit has pretty straightforward cut lines in most places but a few spots I've waited on to ensure I have them totally accurate when I final trim and sand. I'm hoping to only need to use the body filler for the sides of the ab and the shoulders. The rest of the joins, if prepared correctly, should be able to overlap and be glued with ease.

And so it begins, as so many journeys do, with a Big Brown Box on the porch, out of nowhere... So let's get into this! What's supposed to be in the box? More later, but I started very rough trimming off the obviously unused excess plastic before I threw it back in the box. Thus far, I am VERY impressed with the quality of the pulls. My hand hurts from the shears though, so I'll get back on it later this week! Soft goods not really pictured since I'll likely only be using the belt. I also placed my order with Imperial Surplus today, so I should have a complete set of spare forearms, a TFA cod, and a separate thigh holster riser, among a few other goodies, on their way in a few weeks. I also added some prices and links to my first post so people know what I'm using, if curious. I'm getting excited for this build!

KB Props TLJ Helmet Project