TheRascalKing

Armor itself looks good, but you should take a look through something like our EIB Honor gallery for some dressing tips to get you looking your best! It also definitely helps to have an additional person take your photos and help adjust you and measure/mark stuff. As mentioned, the big one that sticks out is that the chest needs to cover the ab panel, which looks like it needs to be raised significantly. I also see a LOT of return edge left on, so you'll likely want to remove and smooth much of it. The more you wear it, you'll identify the pinch points to address first, but the inside of the thigh and back of the knee are most common. Hope that helps! Armor is looking good, it's just time to dial it in (Also, please combine photos in one post, not multiple - you can press return and paste in additional links - thank you!)

Extremely kind and well-written words. Thank you, brother. Just our small contribution towards accessible accuracy and I'll pass your post on to mrpoopie as well. I'll also add a second to the nomination for Chris while I'm here. Very exciting work being done and the end product is already better quality than a lot of older/sketchier armor I've seen around! Whether or not his files are made public for free, he's put incredible work into pushing this subset of the hobby forward and documented so much of it for our collective benefit. Definitely a 3D Contribution by definition and worthy of recognition in my opinion!

Woooooo! Yea, people are getting them in hand today. Someone post hella pics. Admittedly I'm most interested in the new TD and the greeblies!

Way ahead of you for next time

Good feedback, thank you! Michael assembled his suit with E6000 so it shouldn't be too bad to remove and trim the panel, and we'll watch for those gaps and retake photos ensuring they're tighter or replace strapping as needed. The new green screen wall is just for you two and will be even better utilized next time, @justjoseph63 and @gmrhodes13, but the fence isn't going anywhere either Is there ANYTHING else the team can see that may need fixing for Centurion? Ideally we'll retake the photos once and then be able to use them for a successful L3 submission as well...

I've been using these, painted black, for a bit of cleaner look with the same effect, if it helps! I epoxy the posterior side in place and they've worked well. You'll find you have less cracking edges and a significantly better range of movement and better fitting suit if you ditch the brackets though.... Being able to have your chest plate overlap your ab when you lean forward alone is worth it. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07793L26V

Take the control panel off and move it to cover your holes - those pipes are hard to find in the proper diameter in the US. Easy to square off the ends of the clip as well. (Pro tip - don't glue your end caps on if they'll stay with their own pressure - I keep my bin/car key and some individual packs of Advil pain reliever in there for long troops!)

Okay good - you're off to a good start then. I'll try to compile a list in my new thread of the paint colors I used (American brands though, but I'll try to link like a hi-fi sample or Pantone, though I don't think we've isolated the colors like we have the OTs) and some suggested brands or styles of product to look at. I had to figure a lot of this stuff out the hard way, but no reason for you to have to... I'll just get to it when I have time! Nico's are amazing files and Paul Prentice's finished helmet is one of the relatively few fan-made ROTK helmets out there that I'd say look better than Jim's, surely. Credit where due - it's a beautiful build. I'll try to link pics when I have a chance if you haven't seen it. I lost some sharpness on the corners on my helmet while sanding it smooth, but I was admittedly rather inefficient as I was learning to work with these materials. Learn from my mistakes. I'll try to clarify as many as I can. And yes, it's made of fiberglass and based on a highly modified Black Series, I'd wager.

Have you spoke to Jay Tiepilot, or joined his TIE Pilot Research Group? That's probably your best bet!

Thank you! Check back later, but I'm in the process of pairing my thread down to just the stuff that's relevant to the helmet in its own new thread - I've got the pictures mostly copied over but will fill in some descriptions. I'll include all the steps I took, but I guess at a high level of "is this necessary"? - Adding resin for strength? Optional, highly recommended - Exterior priming and sanding? Necessary - Interior paint and prep? Optional - Cutting the teeth out? Necessary Cutting the tube stripes out? Optional, highly recommended - Adding the asymmetrical eye 'squint'? Optional - Final exterior white paint? Necessary 2K Clear? Optional - Painting the traps, tears, teeth, ears, brow trim, and neck trim details? Necessary - Assembly, including the mic tips, lens, interior padding, frown mesh, vocoder, and tube stripe backing? Necessary - Adding fans/mic/electronics? Optional, highly recommended for trooping Idk, hopefully between that and the thread, it will point you in the right direction. There aren't a ton of these helmets that are out there and finished to a high level, and everyone has a different technique, but you learn as you go. Take your time. Be patient. Most of these steps are EXTREMELY linear and you can't skip around, so you really need to plan ahead as you build. Feel free to post questions on your build thread and I'll try to pop in from time to time and help. Best of luck!

****WORK IN PROGRESS**** (relevant photos have mostly been moved over but I'll flesh out more descriptions/info as I can) Hey all - mostly for @RINZLERz but also in case it helps anyone else, I'm going back and compiling just the HELMET build portion of my Jimmiroquai Rogue One TK into one, more straightforward thread/post. There's a lot of info in my main build thread, and if you're just working on painting and assembling an ROTK helmet (of almost any make), this may be more user friendly. I'll still start at the very beginning, but I hope it helps! I organized a group buy of Rogue One style Stormtroopers from Jim "Jimmiroquai" Tripon in the Philippines in 2019 (to save shipping), with Big Brown Box Day not long after! My fiberglass helmet, as received, in all its glory: One of the better reference shots of a studio helmet, and what we're aiming for here: The first thing I did was reinforce the interior of the helmet, as I felt there were thin spots and that the helmet would not withstand almost any type of impact. My guess is that Jim leaves his fiberglass unsealed on the back to allow for flex, or for the end user to apply additional resin as they see fit, but I definitely wanted to. I gave Fibreglast 1110 vinylester resin a go with very positive results. Any in her very first coat of (actually light grey) sandable filler primer! I always recommend using different colors of primer when prepping, as it will allow you to more easily see high and low spots when you've sanded from one color to another. I think this actually still ended up being a good approximation of the products I used to prime and paint the helmet - could you do it with less? Probably. But I wanted this to be perfectly smooth and glossy, and it is. I also prepped and painted the interior black, which I do on all my helmets. Note that this is entirely optional, and that the studio helmets were not painted inside. I just prefer it. It also was an opportunity to address any final spots that looked thin or any big high/lows in the interior with a quick rough grit scuff. Primed, filled a few spots, and lightly sanded: And finished with truck bedliner spray. You can also see where I began cutting out the tube stripes. I chose to cut the tube stripes, but not the traps or tears, as on the real helmets, they weren't cut and backed - they were a separate piece added on top. Most helmets I've seen with them cut don't look as good, and its very fine detail work. I'd skip it, but the cheeks really should be properly recessed in my opinion, as it's a hallmark of the helmet, as opposed to the OT helmets. I drew the edges with a sharp pencil, drilled a hole at either end of the recess, then used a tiny cutting wheel on my dremel to connect them (BE CAREFUL), and finally jeweler's files to get all of the edges as square and uniform as I could. Just so it's noted, I was sanding in between each coat of primer to level out any high and low spots or to address any pinholes or imperfections. I would take it with me and wet sand in the shower for a few minutes like every day for a couple of months, no joke. But here she is in her first coat of flat white: Next up was masking off the helmet to do the gray details on the tears, traps, ears, and frown. I taped all around each of them, then covered the helmet with a garbage bag, cutting holes for the areas I wanted color on, then taping around them. I did about 4 light coats, 5-10min apart of RustOleum Painter's Touch 2x Satin Granite gray. I haven't been the best about documenting, but you can see the masking underneath after I removed the plastic bag. I actually got very little overspray and didn't need to do much cleanup. It's worth it to take the time to mask properly! And finally with all the masking removed! It was a LOT! I went in with my awl again and lightly scraped off any overspray - the 2K clear is hard and smooth enough that the awl would remove the gray paint, but not noticeably scratch the white. I then went around with a Q-tip and some polish to clean anything left up. This let me get even smoother, cleaner lines than I probably could have achieved with masking alone. Again, in hindsight... using a white tape on a white helmet probably wasn't best. The frown was hardest to mask, but cleaned up pretty well too! Next I tried to go in and do the black outlines with a fine marker, which worked okay at first, but when I touched them several HOURS later, still smudged... I gave it overnight to dry, but it was still wet the next day. Upon closer inspection, the pens I was using were water based and probably not bonding to the paint and drying properly. I ended up just wiping as much of the black outlines off as possible, and ordered myself an Extra Fine Oil-Based Sharpie that should arrive this weekend, then I'll give it another go. Next up was the neck seal trim. Didn't take photos, but same deal - masked with the Tamiya, some thicker masking tape, then a plastic garbage bag and a piece of adhesive foam sheet to block the head hole, similar to when I did the white paint. Again, cleaned up with the awl and polish for a respectably smooth line. I used RustOleum Painter's Touch 2X Flat Black for this to simulate rubber and am pleased. I used the same flat black and masking technique - this time with some spare newspaper instead of the plastic bag - to do the brow trim. Once I removed the masking, I went ahead and installed the blacked-out mic tips from Ukswrath (after painting the interior stem, nut, and washer with some flat black) - they look great! Of course, I'm sort of a perfectionist and took the time to make sure they were straight, as was the mesh in them (it was a pain). I set the helmet in such a way that it would stay in place overnight, then used some Gorilla Glue to attach the vocoder as well. I ended up having to heat it with some HOT water and bend it slightly to get it to connect at the top, and at the bottom near the neck seal - it previously had about a 1/4" gap. I also used my Dremel to rough the surface up slightly where it contacts to give it a better physical bond (hopefully if it ever comes off, it doesn't take a bunch of my clear coat with it......). That dried very securely, and brings us to where I'm currently at... all done with paint and just a few items left to assemble! I'll be finishing any final cleanup around the frown tonight, then using some strips of black 3M VHB tape to attach my frown mesh, and some velcro to install the lens (I like it easily removable for cleaning). I'll likely use the VHB to secure some fabric under the tube stripe vents as well. I also added some "airsoft helmet"-style padding from Amazon, but haven't dialed the fit in just yet (pics when I do) - it's a pretty room-y helmet.

Exciting stuff, Chris! Thank you for all of the time and effort put into these, and I for one would like to see a 3D Contributor Award next to your name!

Read the thread in my signature in its entirety haha My trials and tribulations with my Jimmi kit were decently well-documented, so I hope they give some guidance. And feel free to post any questions and we'll do our best to help!

At least they're responding.......

As usual, Joseph nailed it and hopefully made this easy to watch out for! I've been noodling with an RS-commissioned suit to get it ready for EIB over here, and ran into those exact issues, as well as needing to: - replace the helmet lens material and liner (the acetate sheet and starfish are accurate, but not ideal for trooping) - add mesh behind the frown - modify the plastic belt as above and replace the frayed canvas belt with one from Imperial Issue (holy heck their rivets are hard to remove and they use CA glue everywhere) - remove all of the brackets in favor of snap-based strapping (return edges are thin and not reinforced) I also prefer to build my armor with inner coverstrip reinforcements everywhere, which is extra challenging to do after the fact. We always recommend building your own, but those mods aren't more than a couple hours work if you decide to pursue higher approvals. Most GMLs will approve them at Basic out of the box if it fits you well though. Once you have it in hand, let us know what you need help with!

Aw geez, I haven't seen them side by side like that yet, but the difference really jumps out at you when you do. Definitely can't recommend their helmet in good conscience upon seeing that. Bummer, but thanks for the comparison! Seeing the armor side by side above hopefully helps too.

850 is decent in my opinion. I don't think their armor looks quite accurate or quite as good as Jim's kit personally due to the sculpt and limits of the ABS pulls, but they are readily available at not a bad overall price point. I've seen guys with successful builds in here for sure. 850 makes a one-piece cast helmet that Jason addressed above and I wouldn't recommend. Despite being white ABS, keep in mind that the entire suit will still still need to be painted. Jim's fiberglass kit is solidly the most accurate out there in its proportions, and the details are captured nicely. Fiberglass is a unique material to work with and prepare for paint, but the armor comes mostly 'finished' and requires minimal trimming to fit before paint and strapping. His one-piece fiberglass helmet is excellent, if a bit thin, and is probably the nicest I've seen after Nico Henderson's 3D file (finished appropriately). Here's my Jimmi kit on top, with an 850 kit finished in house by a customer below for comparison. These are the only two makers of full ROTK armor that I'm aware of. Neither of these are Rogue One style, and neither look approvable under any CRL - Etsy and eBay are dangerous, so definitely tread cautiously there. The big giveaway to look for if you still want to go Rogue One are the straight, indented or cut out tube stripes on the "cheeks" of the helmet, as opposed to the Original Trilogy style that were curved and painted on (or often stickers these days). That said, you'll find that there are considerably less quality options for Rogue One as opposed to A New Hope, as the movie is newer and not many vendors are really making parts for it. ANH Stunt would definitely be easier as a first build for the amount of available resources alone, but we're here to support whichever direction you go! Just some additional thoughts to help you decide!

Definitely reach out to Imperial Sands, and definitely post some pics of the kit! Who is the maker and what work remains? You're going to be on a TIGHT deadline...

Most of this stuff is essentially "boutique" if you will, as it's almost all hand-built to order - there really isn't a commercially-available helmet that is worth the price that I'm aware of. Most of the time we're talking commissioning someone (even if it's the armor maker) to assemble it for you if you want an accurate, approvable helmet. There are a few makers that I know offer this, like AM and RS, but then you're kind of committing to that armor as well, since mixing and matching shades of white ABS usually doesn't go well (hence why I wouldn't suggest an Anovos off eBay either... plus, man they're getting rarer and rarer). Check out the list Q linked and reach out to some makers, as well as maybe checking if your local unit of the club has an Armorer or Attache who may be able to help. Unsure what your definition of 'crazy prices' is, but this is not a cheap hobby and most finished helmets probably start around $300+USD and go up pending options/accuracy/quality/shipping - but you can do a lot better than that Cybercraft for that price.

I figured by the look of it! RS is... Accurate to a fault is how I'd describe it. Their stuff is often pretty wonky, but... yea, so was the screen used stuff - as bad or worse. I was just working on a buddy's RS helmet and the way they cut their back caps by the screws in order to fit the mask portion is unreal. Looks totally janky and there's a HUGE gap where the tube stripes end... but when you put the ears over it, it somehow miraculously looks fine. There's definitely some adjustment that doesn't happen until the final 3rd bolt in the bottom of the ear too. I'll try to have my buddy send pics of how his is cut (was assembled by RS in house) if it might help. I'll try to report back shortly!

A little gap is better than the chalking dude! It's usually solved by changing the position of the ear (usually by moving the ear down and the bottom of the ear back) and then redrilling the screw holes. If needed, reshaping the ear curves with a file may be necessary for the best fit. It's all just patience and trial and error. Adjust a little at a time. But yea, definitely remove the gunk but don't lose hope - armor is almost never ruined. It's always best to ask a silly question than make a silly mistake though, and we're here to help (along with the wealth of knowledge preserved in these threads and galleries)! Can I ask who the maker of the helmet is? RS? And if you post some additional pics, we can provide additional feedback! More angles!

There's no such thing as "approved", only "approvable", which Cybercraft's helmet is definitely not. They do not have permission to bill their helmets as approved, or to use our logo, and it is has been brought to the attention of Legion leadership. There are lots of little details that make the New Generation helmets different from the Original Trilogy, so check out the Rogue One CRL and compare to the helmet: https://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:TK_rogue_one But anyways, seek out Nico Henderson's 3D print files for the most accurate helmet currently available. I am not aware of anyone selling them as completed/painted helmets, but you may be able to commission one out. Another option is Jimmiroquai out of the Philippines, who makes a very nice one-piece fiberglass helmet but again, only as a raw pull. 850 Armor Works I believe also offers a resin cast helmet, but it's... okay. And finally, on the low end, the Hasbro Black Series stormtrooper helmet is based on the Rogue One design and the dimensions are actually all pretty darn good. It can be modified to be even more accurate and approvable with some work. Those are all of the reputable ones that I'm aware of at the moment! Hopefully some of those names can help jumpstart your research - and the more research you do, the happier you will be with your final purchase. If you have any additional questions, ask away!

I get the whole "troop as approved" vibe, but also... I want to be as comfortable as I can be while still effectively portraying the character I'm there to troop as. In my opinion, the general public neither knows nor cares that rubber gloves are 'accurate'... they're just stoked to see a real-life Stormtrooper! Props to the folks that make it work with liners and all, but I wear these as they are the thinnest, coolest black gloves I have been able to find. The long wrist cuff helps keep it tucked into your armor, the grip on the palm isn't noticeable, but helps you grip your blaster, and it's nice to be able to use a phone with the touchscreen reactive fingers to help guests take photos if needed! I've seen guys take the rubber gloves off and literally POUR out sweat, and that's not my vibe. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZY5G3ZC/ Typically on troops, my head and my hands are my two hottest parts (especially if there is a decent breeze, and followed by my lower back) so I obviously use fans in my bucket to help in that zone... and I use specific gloves to help with my hands. Ensure you remove the tags and connectors (easy, but possibly necessitating resewing the seam) and wash them first to ensure no leftover dye stains your armor, but I sure do like these gloves. The Nomex aren't terrible, but still pretty heavy, and I don't like (or need) the leather strip present on most. I use the ABS handguards supplied with my Anovos kit, but use a 1" elastic band around my palm, and then a thinner, 1/4" band around my wrist (admittedly a hair tie) to keep the plate snug when I bend my wrist. I'll snap some pics when I can, but just presenting another viewpoint. My rubber gloves and flexible handguards come out for photo sessions, but not for trooping in the Southern California sun...