TheRascalKing

I mean, I don't know why we don't just request @ChrisThePropGuy's feedback! Not meaning to speak ill of him or his otherwise excellent work, so let's see if we're misunderstanding something or if perhaps he can update the file?

Hey Tom - it looks like you're good to go and have been granted appropriate access! Linking to your Legion profile is just to ensure that your suit has been officially approved by your local GML, so welcome aboard.

It was explained over here in your original thread that there is no such thing as "501st approved" files or armor. It all depends on how they are assembled and fit - including Chris'. And I'm unsure what you mean by "work with originals to produce?"

We'll do our best to help whenever you have questions, but be aware that it's very likely that the time and expense of printing an ANH suit will be far more than purchasing a vacuformed ABS kit, and still yield an inferior product. We try to replicate both the accurate processes AND materials around here, so all print lines would need to be removed so we can't tell it's been printed and it appears accurate to the films, which is a tall order. Holy bondo, Batman. As mentioned, there is no "step" ridge under the cover strip for biceps like there sort of is on the forearms, so those will need to be removed from your file or sanded flat, then with a coverstrip added on top, or the two halves overlapped to simulate one (less accurate).

I appreciate it, Bender. It was a way more difficult build than any of my ANH style, but worth it! I wore it for like 2 troops and unfortunately cracked my chest plate when bending over to pick something up, so I need to do some repairs and upgrades to get it back online and to L3. I'll get around to it and have it out trooping this year.

https://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=34593 Can always be found here: https://www.501st.com/holocron/member/search

Hey Jan - some great questions and I'm happy to help. You'll find several of those answers (and pictures) specifically on page 6 of my thread! I did need to trim the top of the thighs significantly, and I split them down the back and overlapped the pieces as well, to size them down. I also cut a decent amount off of the cod, posterior, and from the top of the barrel. Unfortunately, I didn't figure out the necessity for most of this until after I had started paint, but would definitely recommend doing temporary strapping (or masking it off) and test fitting thoroughly before final paint. While my strapping is in no way screen accurate, it's very functional and pretty comfortable. Most of the stuff I would do differently has to do with paint - the big things I'd say to be aware of are that you want to try not to sand the raw fiberglass, since it opens up tiny bubbles/pinholes. Do a thorough wash with a scuff pad and soap, add any extra resin you want to do, and then use a decent coat of flexible primer, sanding only into that. I also would not use a separate clear coat again for the whole armor. On my FOTK (other thread in my link, where I also address some of those issues I learned) I'll still be using a 2K (2 part) paint, but a gloss white. It should make it easier to spray, and to repair, while still looking good. Happy to answer any other questions you have and good luck!

Huge congrats, Jessie! I'm happy to have been able to help and I'll have a Centurion rocker patch coming your way to be worn with pride - you've earned it!

I've had multiple that have submitted for EIB, received what felt like insurmountable criticism and not return. It's not the DO team's fault persay, and in fact, they have done a great job reaching out to folks to try to touch base, but it's another problem inherent with the system. Convincing people to submit for criticism is one thing, convincing them to change the armor they worked so hard on, and were approved with... especially, previously when some of the asks were not noted in the CRL... has been a challenge. I often help prep my mentees' threads even, sending them all of the photos we took and the template to fill out... still doesn't happen sometimes. You can lead a horse to water, but... Like with the coins mentioned, one idea would be to have EIB and Centurion patches/rockers always available for purchase once earned, kinda like the coins. It's a little more immediate gratification for going through the wringer, though someone would have to be in charge of this (I'd volunteer). And/or some type of patch or coin for armorers, like with Attache's to help motivate people. Since EIB photos are next to impossible to take alone, I think having active and motivated armorers is key - it's usually best to have someone else who KNOWS the CRLs and requirements expected (an ARMORER) to be the one who adjusts/checks you and takes your photos (it's why you see my fence in submissions somewhat frequently). It's been slow for in person mentoring due to COVID, but things are starting to turn around so it's a great time to revisit these programs, imo. If we have more Armorers, even moreso than Attaches, we should see more EIB and Centurion submissions follow.

Hey John, you'll find that the Search function may also be very valuable for common questions as you get started.

Hey John - You'll want to ensure you're posting in the right section, as your question does not fall under "Forum Help & Support", so please jump over to the below links to research some threads for that costume, keeping in mind the below. There are tons of resources available on this site, so let us know when you have specific questions and we'll do our best to help, without reinventing the wheel. Good luck! https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/38-getting-started-read-this-first/ https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/39-stormtrooper-commander/

A huge congrats to Andrew! It's always an honor to even be nominated, and perhaps I'll find some other way to contribute to the detachment, but I'm happy to do so under @Sly11's continued outstanding leadership!

Okay okay, I'm overdue for an update, and even then I don't have TOO much for you... but quite a few photos I might as well share! A big part of why things are moving slow is that I keep chasing small cracks in the armor. Just in general, kind of all over. I'm doing my very best to address any that are large or in highly noticeable areas like these on the chest plate (which is now otherwise veryvery smooth) but I think I'm just going to have to accept them. They're almost entirely superficial, as they are only in the very top layer of the gel coat/resin and the piece is structurally sound... or it could be the primer that was used before I got the armor. I try not to ever sand down to the fiberglass directly, as it opens up tiny pinholes/air bubbles, so there is mystery primer under there from the previous paint job that may be cracking. If I were to start over completely, I would just do like a red scotch bright scuff with soapy water on the raw parts as received from Jim, then hit them with a decently thick couple coats of a flexible primer, flexible filler where needed, then a white primer, a white 2K gloss topcoat, and done. Most parts honestly don't ever need to be sanded above 200 either, maybe just the chest and back for maximum shine. Doing my best to balance between my desire for a perfect finish and actually getting this done. If anyone has suggestions for how to best address these type of cracks, I'm all ears! Despite those issues in general, I'm plugging along and a little over half of the parts (ignore those R1TK thighs) are in the final stages of white primer and nearly ready for final 2K topcoat. Once I have enough little pieces, I'll crack one of the ($30!) cans of 2K gloss white and spray them to test, before committing to the rest of the whole suit. Can't decide if I'll do it in my garage again (huge mess, lots of prep), in the yard (risk of bugs/dust), or maybe I'll buy one of those little popup painting tents. Decisions, decisions... You'll also notice in the background there that I've taken to wearing a full on moon suit while working on this thing... especially for stuff like this next bit. I always wear a respirator and gloves, but was getting sanding dust and fiberglass all over my arms and clothes. The suit helps significantly, but without being too hot since it's cloth in the back. I was also getting all kinds of bumps and ingrown hairs on my forearms - likely from the dust/paint mist blocking pores. Anyways, would recommend. Was this next bit a good idea? I don't know. Did I try anyways? Yup. I wanted to add the shoulder bell support tabs to my back yoke, and figured modifying a set of Tony's aluminum tabs might work... still yet to be seen, but I'm optimistic. I started by marking both sides as symmetrically as I could, then drilling some holes through the side. Then I got out the rotary tool and a grinding bit and just went to town. I smoothed the oval holes out some with an emery board (such an underrated shop tool - go buy a variety pack, trust me) and bent the brackets little by little until the tab would poke through and the bracket would sit pretty flush inside the yoke. I did need to grind off the little upright sections on the corners of the bracket, and grind a bit of the fiberglass out, as it just barely sits in there. I want to do a little bit more tinkering and planning as to how I want to actually glue these in (thinking just a medium coat of 2-ton epoxy on the glass and bracket, then a piece of aluminum foil on top, and then clamp it with slide clamps overnight. It makes me nervous so I haven't committed yet, but I made some progress. I don't think I'm going to run the shoulder bell connecting straps THROUGH the yoke though - probably not worth messing with more holes. Anyways, it'll look something like that when done! Okay, moving on to more metal bits, and also some serious accuracy updates - including this metal holster from @R2Dan! So, loooooooong story short, I find myself with a bunch of FOTK bits from various makers and of various quality levels and thought I would just share a comparison of some of the stuff that's floating around out there. The stuff on the far left is what I received along with the original armor I bought off of @Dynamic1 , that he got from Jim a while back. The clips aren't the worst, but aren't accurate, and the holster top plate is metal but body is one piece of resin. It at least had the more accurate hardware. The middle holster/clip is from (what was billed as) a 'complete FOTK' kit by a Garrison mate but honestly ended up being more of an Anovos/KB spare parts bin (and I'll likely be parting it out for sale later). The holster is 4 metal layers, but is slightly undersized, too thin (maybe with a resin block) and had incorrect hardware. It also came with the middle clips, which were pretty inaccurate, but at least were a high quality resin print and I liked that they were curved. And on the right is the R2Dan holster I recently got from @Harbinger. To my knowledge, it is the most accurate and high quality available, and you can see the difference from the other two when compared. It also came with a bag of all of the accurate hardware, including the bearing. It is 3 metal layers and included an angled resin block and the metal bracket to add to the side of my F-11D (more on that below). Pretty stoked on it, and it is what I'll be using. You'll also notice the significantly more accurate V1 of the FOTK greeblie clip that I've been working with @MrPoopie to model and very likely provide to the community. Here is a comparison of the 3 different clips: A comparison of our V1 (bottom) to a screen used TFA clip (top): And a preview of the V2 with a few additional updates pending as well before a final test print: I've got a whole thread over here if this type of thing interests you, but the point is that I'm shooting for maximum accuracy in as many little details as possible! I couldn't find an accurate clip that was available and easily accessible... so I'm doing my best to help make one! Okay, moving on to soft goods - we do have some problems to address there. The pants are RATHER snug, which isn't a problem since the shiny shorts on top should be too, but the center of the knee gaskets (and snap for attaching the knee armor) ended up sitting about 2" below my actual knee cap (that I'm pointing at). Especially when I add the stirrups (visible on the other leg) to help keep them tucked into my boots, it looks like the gaskets will need to be cut and reattached higher up with 2" cut off the pant leg. Not the end of the world, but I'm going to let my tailor sort it out when they're taking the suit in at a couple other areas too. I'm going to continue to invest the time and money to have these tailored to fit perfect, since I believe they'll be my most comfortable option when dialed in... but I'm also strongly considering picking up a set of gaskets from Eadu Armory to try out as well - at their current price point, it might be worth it, and @equuspolo spoke very highly of his. And I daresay that guy knows a thing or two about FOTKs at this point I also grabbed a new set of Jimmiroquai-specific decals from @TrooperBay while I was at it, and I'm going to try some of this self-adhesive white felt to pad some areas that will potentially rub, instead of the EVA foam I tried with the ROTK with mixed results. Another little goodie that came in that spare parts pin was this decent 3D-printed SE-44C. It needs better hardware, some sanding, a respray, and its muzzle repaired, but I think it's salvageable and will look plenty good holstered. Speaking of blasters, figured I'd share some additional pics of my newer one. I do love metal bits. Is it Centurion approvable? Nope, and I don't plan or have the ability to add lights to it. But is it sturdy and will it look darn good for trooping? Oh yea. We'll deal with Centurion if we decide to go there. I think that's all I have for now as far as FOTK updates! But what else have I been up to, you ask...? I did almost completely finish the SE-14R I've been working on for MONTHS, and am generally pretty pleased with it! Just a couple finishing touches left. I also helped a friend Charles build an entire shadowtrooper kit (my 2nd) and join the club if I haven't shared! We'll probably get him over here in white armor at some point too... I also built myself a new PC recently (I've got C2-B5 in there in case anything breaks...) and when it lights up, the " O II " in black and white from the liquid cooling pump and RAM looks oddly familiar, but I can't quite place it... And finally, another reminder to myself and everyone else to not stress about your armor projects and to get out and have some fun when you can! I was fortunate enough to make it out to Batuu (West) over the weekend with several of my Legion/FISD brothers for the first time in two years (after getting my booster recently and as COVID numbers finally start to decline) and I snagged this nice little shot as the sun was going down. Stay safe out there everyone and I'll have more updates in the future!

*removed

In short, no. And weathering would not be the issue. As it is sold in its "E-11" configuration from S&T, the accessories are pretty wildly inaccurate (note the incorrect T-tracks, scope, Hengstler, and power cylinders), and should not be used if adhering to 501st standards and CRLs is your goal, as it would not be approved at any level. The BASE model is the correct one used, but only in Rogue One/new generation properties, and it also varies significantly from the actual Sterling machine gun used in the Original Trilogy (note the squared off handle to accommodate the motor assembly, and oversize end cap for battery access, among other things). You could absolutely modify a base model with the 'proper' accessories and use it for a Rogue One trooper, but in general, most cons don't allow, and common sense would dictate, not having a blaster actually capable of firing projectiles while trooping. Plus, honestly, it's freakin heavy, even gutted. I would look elsewhere for a number of reasons. Also, if an admin can move this to the proper area somewhere over here, that might be helpful. If you'd like to learn more about the Rogue One blaster, there's a great thread over here!

Aaaaaaand since you brought it up, I went back and added a couple pictures of kits installed in people's suits! Hopefully they help, though I can't take credit for the other diagrams, as noted. We'll see what the future holds for RascalSnaps but it's always nice to get positive feedback!

This^. Clamp the webbing, not the snap I also scuff up the plastic underneath to promote mechanical adhesion, if you aren't already.

I agree that looks better but I was impatient and cut mine at a 90° angle and a little shorter since I believe I saw that most often.

Necropost, but @Deployment Officer Team, is this accurate today?

Stumbled across this, but easily one of the cleanest AP builds I've seen - good on ya and that Centurion is well-earned!

Imperial Boots is now making a Rogue One style undersuit based on some leaked set photos that is a little more accurate than those other two options and looks really good.... downside is it's a centerzip onesie so a little harder to pee in. So there's that. But another great option to look into.

Back again... If the same person is approved twice at the Expert Infantry level for two separate suits, with the same Armorer assisting both times... Does that same person count as two wins? Are we counting suits or troopers?

One of the former HyperFirm guys (not THAT one) is still making quality rubber blasters, but as "Hellhounds Props" now. He has a deep backlog of orders after taking unexpected time off for his mental health over the summer but should have blasters available again in the new year. Let me know if you want to be added to his interest list - I've been helping out with outreach and orders.

Oh I just saw the most recent comment, above mine... but yup, from the grave, oops. Still true. 2/3 of those are done by now!

"Hello everyone, my name is Nate and I am an addict!" "Hello Nate..." You are among your people hahaha