TheRascalKing

Yes trimming isn't bad at all. I just have been using a Dremel cut off wheel. I added extra resin to the inside of my suit but you don't have to. And yes, the entire suit needs to be primed, sanded, and painted. It is more of an off-white gel coat from the mold and has plenty of surface imperfections to fix, pending how anal you are. Yep, keep researching and asking questions man. Know what you're getting into either way.

Jimmi's fiberglass suit requires MUCH less modification and assembly than the 850AW suit, if you have no costuming experience. It was my first fiberglass suit too and is coming along fine. Jimmi's material is also much closer to the screen used materials - R1 suits are not made of ABS like the OT ones. Jimmi does not offer an ABS option. Correct - a Black Series would require modification for approval. Jimmi offers a standalone fiberglass helmet that is a very cleaned up cast of the BS from my understanding. It should not need any mods for approval. The whole kit just needs mild trimming to fit, paint, and assembly with Velcro/strapping. Let us know if you have a more questions we can help with.

Absolutely. Well, my official answer is to check your Garrison rules - for example, ours is supposed to be cleared with an SL, GML, or at least POC depending on what type of CRL variation you're talking about. Wanna wear binders? Just make sure the POC doesn't care. A pauldron or like seasonal decor like a Santa hat? Maybe clear it with an SL. Wearing a whole costume before having it officially approved and added to your profile? A GML needs to give you permission. Different black gloves? I honestly don't even ask. As long as the gloves you wear are all black and don't detract from the costume, almost no one is ever going to care. Some events that are higher profile (think sporting events where you might be on TV, etc.) are strictly CRL enforced. Most... aren't - and your comfort is more important. I wear my chemical gloves for Centurion photos and HPEs and I wear a pair of light Amazon running gloves for everything else. Official answers may vary. And if you're going to get R1 gloves, get Endor Finders

Was delightfully mischievous in my youth and was called a rascal (at best) often, so I kinda just owned it and it became a nickname. When this song came out, it cemented that as my username on pretty much everything since I started using computers.

I highly recommend a hardware kit from @justjoseph63 (it's the right amount of all the hardest to find accurate stuff, cheap) and almost everything else you can get from Tandy. Or generic Amazon stuff if you're like me and don't like that they have their logo on everything now.

Pretty much, at present. Or heavily modify an ANH suit yourself and hope for basic approval. Both suits have their positives and negatives but I much prefer my Jimmi suit personally.

I'm not a prolific collector by any means, but I've snagged a few in my 2ish years in the Legion and FISD.

HA! You have no idea how many times things like that have happened (it's worse trying to keep everyone straight between IRL in/out of costume, FB, and on forums hahaha). So far I'm thinking about trying to shave/file down the brow trim on the Jimmi, but maybe a DO will have something to say if it's necessary or not...

Fascinating thread and excellent info! Funny this was bumped recently, as I just posted a somewhat relevant pondering on the FISD FB group, but about R1/Anthology style helmets and the brow height/thickness. If you get bored, @CableGuy, or if anyone else has knowledge/reference material to drop regarding R1/Anthology helmet brows, I sure would love to hear it! ---------------- Centurion Anovos ANH-S on the left, Hasbro Black Series (being modified) in the middle, and a Jimmiroquai fiberglass helmet on the right. If you (especially DO's @shashachu and @justjoseph63) have thoughts on which is most correct or needs to be modified for Centurion approval, post up!

Gotcha - most of us are using X suspenders to hold our barrels up, so I was curious if you were gonna double up or what haha Strapping is more similar to FO's on these builds than ANH it seems like, so it's been interesting to figure out. Keep up the good work!

Big weekend for progress on the kit - took several steps forward (and a few back), but it's coming along! The big step was finally adding additional resin to the backsides of all the armor. This kit is my first time working with fiberglass or resin, so it was a learning experience forsure. After prepping the inside of the panels by scuffing with 100grit sandpaper, as previously mentioned, I went with FibreGlast 1110 vinylester resin, which is catalyzed by a mix of 1.25% MEKP. I bought a quart of the stuff along with their basic mixing kit that included several gloves, measuring and mixing cups, and stir sticks, and I ordered several extra cheap chip brushes. I did a test run to ensure that the resin would bond to the existing fiberglass matting/resin and would remain flexible, while adding strength (it did, though I must not have added enough MEKP or mixed properly, as it took a looooong time to fully harden). For the first full batch, I used a syringe I had laying around (for refilling fountain pens, not anything nefarious haha) to precisely measure out the proper amount of MEKP and mixed it into 300ml of resin, then stirred (trying not to mix in bubbles), and transferred to another cup to work out of. It turns from a light pink to a light brown when properly mixed, I learned. You can also use what resin is left in your cup as a gauge for how cured the rest of the resin is. Using the chip brushes, I applied a thin layer of resin to all of the inside armor surfaces (except the arms... I'll do a final 100ml batch for those and any other pieces later). I definitely mixed up too much the first time - 200ml is all I could probably use before it started setting up and became the consistency of like Jell-O instead of maple syrup like it was. I ended up tossing about 100ml of hardened resin in the cup, but live and learn. I mixed up another 100ml and used that to do a second coat on higher-stress areas like the shoulder tabs, chest armor neck line, and posterior armor. If it isn't obvious already, wear gloves, cheap clothes you don't mind ruining, and for god's sake, PPE in the form of a ventilator. I already have lymphoma, I don't need lung cancer too. While I was at it, I did a little repair on one of the belt boxes - it had a super thin spot in the wall that had already cracked, so I mixed up more of that flexible bumper filler and added some in to ensure it was strong, then a little more resin. The whole adding resin adventure turned out supersuper well over all and I would definitely recommend what I did to others. It helped add strength to all of the panels as well as "sealing" the open fibers that were super itchy and rough, but maintained a firm flex. You can see the smoother, glossier finish on the below shot. Next up, I sprayed all the insides of the panels with a flat white for good measure. (Ended up waiting on the thighs, as I wanted to split them and add a little more resin before painting the inside. Also, I just so happened to run out of the rattle can I was using after spraying everything else). I split the back of the thighs later in the day using my Dremel cut off wheel, then a 60grit sanding block to smooth my cut lines out. I'm a slimmer guy, so it'll be nice to overlap these and size em down a bit. I'll add a little extra resin where I chopped them when I coat the arms. After cleaning up any stray resin droplets (what I get for not masking anything) on the front sides of the armor, I sprayed several panels with flat white primer as well. I also sprayed the helmet after giving it a quick wet sand with 400grit and allowing it to dry fully. I'm going to have my pro paint guy paint it for me, but I figured it wouldn't hurt - and it came out surprisingly smooth. Aaaaaand here's several of the main panels, with both sides successfully in flat white 2X primer. I'm pretty darn pleased with how things are going so far, but there's lots more work to be done! Next up is more wet sanding, then a couple final coats of high gloss white! Doing my final chemotherapy infusion this Friday the 13th, so likely no progress until the weekend after, but we'll see how I'm feeling!

All good - just wanted to make sure you were aware of the gaskets/ribbed areas. What you have will work for L1 but will need to be closer to what I posted for any higher level approvals. Are you going to use suspenders to hold your barrel up as well?

My dude, it's not just a neck seal like ANH... It's a whole undersuit if you do it right. Here's a photo of mine on a mannequin from Jimmiroquai. Lotta late 90's industrial goth club vibes happening: Mesh makes it cooler and I wear a moisture wicking t-shirt underneath, but you get the idea. Jim's undersuit was excellent and only needed to be taken in a bit for me. The only people I know making them are Jimmiroquai, maybe Darkside Closet, and maybe Geeky Pinks. Ask around and let us all know!

Hey @justjoseph63 - not for public sale just yet, just starting a support thread for some local guys and in case I DO end up opening runs to FISD members. So no prices or ordering info just yet. If I reach that point again (maybe this summer after finishing my cancer treatment) and am actively selling these, I will absolutely start a new thread in the correct place with all that in mind. Thanks for looking out, but please disregard this thread for now

Not at this time. Rogue One/Anthology and FOTK kits are likely in the future once I'm feeling better.

More sanding, more primer... Don't mind the Rubies Rebels E-11 conversion - it's for a friend. And has been giving me all kinds of trouble with its seam-filling and paint. Almost done tho. I also have two Jawa builds that I'm wrapping up and are heading out for friends. More time to focus on this! Also filled the oval slot on the back left shoulder, left the round one (I don't plan on relocating the shoulder bridge tabs at this time). Used a 2-part flexible body filler meant for bumpers, then a thin skin of the Dynatron 650 spot putty. After another coat of filler primer, it's pretty much gone. Makeshift paint booth did its job, except when a piece of cardboard fell off the fence and marred some wet paint on the chest piece... Sigh... I'll fill and fix it again. More sanding in the coming days and then spraying a bunch of panel's backsides flat white, then front sides their first coat of Rust-Oleum Gloss White.

Yeabuddy. Check out Rogue Repro on the Faceballs for a great rear zipper closure. Jeff also has a cool strapping tutorial up to give you good ideas. Keep at it, enjoying following your build as I progress with mine!

Very much yes. The shape is different as well as the center ridge. They are also symmetrical (no swoop). The biceps are also different - they were not entirely closed and again are effectively symmetrical (meaning the general shape, as well as no thumbprint) though the way that they open/overlap does imply a left and right.

Hey Matt, welcome! The more "Chrome-Dome"s we have, the better!

R1 belt has two small rectangles in the middle, then two wider rectangles with a raised ridge on the top rear, then two essentially square boxes next (working from the center out). It looks like 850 intends you to nest the boxes inside of one another like the belt drop boxes you posted, then attach them to the plastic belt. So two each, a slightly larger and a slightly smaller box. Yes. Then angle the edges.

Absolutely agreed and understood. I hope I didn't sound too critical of anyone or anything and I would be very happy to help in whatever capacity I can to perfect the CRL when the time and reference material is right!

Oh don't worry, I'll have a suggestion or two based on the Anthology kits we saw in The Mandalorian once the rest of the world is able to have seen the show legally in March. I was told no changes would be made without specific canon reference material, but that it was too early to share caps from the show. Plus with that one, I know what they're TRYING to make clear (that R1 is different from ANH and not interchangeable), but there are some carryovers from the other TK CRLs that are either straight up wrong or misleading. Hopefully an overhaul can be done to include Solo and The Mandalorian suits under one "Anthology Stormtrooper" CRL.

CRL is a little misleading - the arms should look symmetrical when assembled (ie, no left thumbprint or shoulder bell swoop), but there IS a left and right, at least for Jim's kit. It's all about the overlap and how they open. Same with the shins - I know traditionally that the longer bottom shin edge is worn on the inside for ANH shins, so I assume the case is the same for R1 when in doubt. So the one you posted shouldddd in theory be the left with the sniper knee attached. Unfamiliar with 850's kit, but that's how I'd build it at least.

I was under the impression that when viewed from the front or the side, the overlap should not be visible. So the panel that rests on TOP of the overlap should be the outside panel when assembled.

Me: "Nice! These panels look really smooth!" My inner OCD: "PRIME AND SAND THEM ANYWAYS." Panels after block sanding to 600: ... Me: Also this. Was rewatching episode eight of a spiffy tv show and noticed this notch cut in the side of the barrel of a screen used Anthology suit. Going to try to emulate this cut with mine. Sorry for the bad quality, but you get the idea.