MaskedVengeance

Welcome Gaz! I remember seeing your other post, but don’t recall if I commented, so here I am. You’re definitely in the right place for bringing your Stormtrooper to life, and we’ll walk along the way with you and answer any questions you may have! Be sure to post a lot of photos when you create your WIP thread! If you haven’t already made it there, the “Getting Started - Read This First” is a great place to start! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Everything looks great, and level 3 approvable. I think you’ll find that most of us will have been subject to slight slip-ups by the time our builds are complete, so that knick is definitely not a problem. Consider it battle-damage. Your armor will be subject to much worse once you’re out trooping in it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hold on to your butts. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The three-button panel is for Sandtrooper builds, so you need not worry about it. Some kits come with it, along with the different knee plate as well. You may consider keeping it in case you decide to convert worn-out armor to a Sandie. As for connecting the cod and posterior, there is a black strap which will need to span the gap and connect the two pieces. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Greetings Liam! I'm not really familiar with international purchase options, but here in the United States several popular options would be a neck seal from Darman and a belt from Kittell (Imperial Issue). Be sure to check out all the build resources in the Getting Started forum section as well as build threads for reference. I put together a compilation of TK resources for my own build which might be helpful for you as well, and also here is a list of sources for soft parts. Good luck with your build!

Welcome, Kodii! You’re definitely in the right place for building your first Stormtrooper kit, and we’ll all be here to help you on your journey. I’m sure you’ve already seen the excellent posts in the “Getting Started” and “Tutorials” forums, but if you haven’t find those areas yet, definitely check them out. I’m looking forward to following along with you in your progress! By the way, Southwest CO and Utah are some of my favorite places. Growing up we used to camp or backpack in CO every summer, and the national parks there are awesome! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m glad my build has been helpful to you! I’m sure you’d see it eventually, but today my build went on an indefinite hold. However, I’m considering continuing to post references and procedures I would have followed were I able to continue the build (like what-if posts). At the very least, I’m sticking around to hopefully help other builders continue their own journeys. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Congrats on BBB day! Definitely very exciting though also a bit overwhelming. Your Bells looks good, and I believe most other pieces, but I need to look at them more closely on a computer later. Biceps can definitely be a good starting point since much of them ends up being hidden under the bells. Onward! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The swoop that was initially mentioned by Joseph is in reference to the rounded portion on the inner forearms. The return edges can be removed there so the armor doesn’t bite when you bend your elbow. The bulges (overextended ridges) on the biceps should be cut to create a continuous smooth-flowing line between the inner and outer pieces. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You did an excellent job, Emma! You can’t even tell in that last photo! And as Glen said, you could also use ABS paste to hide some ripples. The learning process through this will also be very valuable to you as you progress. Keep it up! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Somebody previously proclaimed “Mom of the Year,” but I think “First Lady of the Legion” might also be applicable! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Tim - I believe you need to have a minimum number of forum posts to gain account posting access to the For Sale section. It’s likely something like 5-10 posts, but I’m not entirely sure. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looking good, Caleb! EIB coming your way soon!

You're so close, Steve! Let's see some white paint in those hovi tips and the other photos, and you'll be in the first 1,000. You got this!

Congrats, Laura! I know it was a long journey for you to EI, and the accomplishment is super exciting! Knock out those minor adjustments mentioned by Joseph and you'll be all set for Centurion! BTW, that capped armor is blinding me! Awesome shine!

Greetings Troopers! I know a great many builders use this awesome thread for guidance while assembling helmets, and since I love printed resources, I created a PDF document of Terry's tutorial. When viewed on a computer, and possibly other devices, the Table of Contents is clickable and scrolls the document straight to the selected topic. I've also compiled several other threads in this same fashion, and that post can be found in the Getting Started forum. I hope this can be helpful to anybody who stumbles across it!

Looks like submissions are up increasing [edit], and I'm bowing out on the running, so that's a slot for somebody else! Congrats to the newest EI troopers, and to those aspiring, keep up the great work!

Glen and Joseph have you covered here, mate. Trim the returns a bit more, shave the forearm scoop, and chop off that bicep bulge.

July 10, 2020 Part 3 of 3 I dreamed a dream. It is with great sadness that I must announce an indefinite hold on my dream to become a Stormtrooper. For financial reasons related to COVID-19 it appears I must sell my ATA armor (ABS only) in its current state. I'm hoping to get what I paid for it (around $540 plus shipping), but I'm wondering if the value of the kit would actually depreciate, or appreciate, due to the work I've already done on it? I'd like to assume it would become more valuable, in the same fashion that fully-trimmed kits are more expensive than untrimmed. For a detailed look at what state the ABS is in, see all my previous posts in this tread, as all my trimming has been photo-documented, and everything is in the exact state as shown in my images. To-date no pieces have been cut for sizing purposes, so the armor will still fit any trooper who would otherwise fit in a new just out-of-the-box ATA kit. Special thanks to @zv288bot, @Cricket, @TheRascalKing, @TKSpartan, and @justjoseph63, who have been with me on this journey since day one. These past eight months have been an amazing adventure, and I would never have made it this far without you. Thanks as well to Terrell (@SuperTrooper) for graciously dealing with my 39-message email string during the ordering process, as well as additional help and encouragement from @wook1138, @T-Jay, @ukswrath, @gmrhodes13, @Frank75139, @husky68, @Daetrin, @Sly11, @CableGuy, @Blast 'Em!, and also @magni and @CrookKnight from my HWT build. Hopefully all these tags aren't inappropriate—I simply want to express my gratitude and apologize for what feels like failing you all and not being able to finish what I started. This not goodbye. (I'm sticking around to put my gained TK knowledge to use helping other new builders pursue their dreams) I'll be back. (Someday. I'm keeping my soft parts for the long haul) Save the Dream. MV | Art by one of my students|

OP (MV) Post #28: Part 2 of 3 Making Magnet Sachets Per Joseph's Magnet 101 recommendation, I purchased 20 of the N40 7/8" x 1/8" disc magnets (roughly 22mm) for general armor application, and made sachets (credit goes to @Cricket) for them to protect them and the armor, and for ease of use (something to grab on to). I used simple 100% cotton purchased on Amazon (I'm still avoiding in-store shopping) by the yard, and got one yard each of two colors to differentiate polarity pairs. Below is a description of my process. These are the materials I used, which included a borrowed pair (from my mother) of pinking shears which previously belonged to my grandmother, and possibly either of my great-grandmothers before that. I bet none of them would have ever dreamed their sewing supplies would be used to build a Stormtrooper. The purpose of pinking shears is to created back-and-forth jagged cuts in fabric, which supposedly helps combat fraying. I'll need to take the word of more-experienced individuals on that, and clearly my skills at using the shears are lacking. I then measured out 8 inch (20 cm) squares and marked them with small pieces of painters tape, which would serve as markers to guide my cuts. Though I'd never used pinking shears before, or even really ever cut any fabric, I guessed that I'd need to hold the fabric with tension in order to get clean cuts, and I was right. I didn't have a long open table available, so I had to make do with clamping portions of the fabric then readjusting after several small cuts. I decided to wrap the spacer rings that came packaged with the magnets for two reasons: 1) To add to some, and perhaps structure, to each sachet end, and 2) To keep from losing them for possible future use. The plastic rings were set on top of the magnets where the extra fabric is bunched and tied off with zip ties. You can see the height difference between sachets with the spacer inside, and one pair of sachets which do not have spacers due to each set of 10 magnets only having 9 spacers (this left me two short). In case I find areas in which 7/8 inch (22mm) diameter magnets are too wide for proper application, such as the inside of some arm pieces, I may also make several sachets with smaller N52 12mm x 3mm disc magnets. If I do that, I will make sure to match the cloth color polarity pairs with the larger sachets in case I need to use them in conjunction with each other.

Disclaimer: This will be the first of THREE posts which I will be submitting in quick succession. The first two posts are updates which I drafted at the beginning of the week and initially wanted to split apart for linking purposes, and the last post is a most recent development which impacts everything. OP (MV) Post #27 I'm back, for the time-being. We're not out of the woods yet, but time away from the build has been healthy for my family, and special thanks to @CableGuy, @TKSpartan, @ukswrath, @Cricket, and @Chemi for the well-wishes. I've just recently made some progress, and in this post I will provide updates on the following: Butt-joint rough (excess plastic) trimming on leg and arm pieces Ab and kidney side connection trimming + Chest Plate Close trimming of returns on chest, ab, back, and posterior Drop box sanding continuation Frown mesh foam outline Paint color and finish Recent supply acquisitions, including Trooperbay and Ukswrath items, and others Raw un-trimmed original ATA ABS hand guards (not to be used in this build) Review of questions asked Extra fun and smiles Making magnet sachets (post #2) Leg Trimming: Butt-joint rough excess plastic In a previous post I showed my rough trimming of the return edges on my leg pieces, and in this installment I'm documenting rough trimming the excess (non-smooth) ABS from the surfaces which will eventually be butt-joined. Basically I simply cut where the broken-off tip of my xacto blade is pointing in the first photo below. I'm leaving the entirety of the flat surface intact since I'm not ready for fitment trimming yet, and cutting off this excess will also make my fitting process easier. I'm using the score and snap method for this trimming, since I like straight lines, even if they will eventually be hidden by cover strips. Here are some pre-cut shots of my ruler placement. I used my most flexible thin metal ruler and strong clamps to try to keep the ruler as flush with the armor as possible. I probably could have put a third clamp in the middle of the run, and cut around it, but elected not to for ease-of-access. Because I chose not to use a third clamp in the middle, plus the fact that the armor is rounded, and the clamp arms were in the way, the portion I was cutting was not able to lay flat on the table, and was instead raised. To keep the armor flush with the ruler, and provide support underneath, I used my gloved hand. If I had readily had a piece of smooth wood or a book I didn't mind risking cutting, I could have likely used that instead. The next two images show my hand support and a resulting cut after the ruler was removed. I typically utilized three or four scoring cuts with the ruler in place, followed by two cuts after removal of the ruler. Keep in mind that, since there was not a solid support underneath the armor as I was cutting, each run with the xacto knife was pretty shallow. Since score and snapping is typically utilized for flat pieces of ABS, I knew I'd need to make extra deep cuts at the raised lips at either end of the armor pieces in order to get them to snap easily. I made extra deep cuts at all the ends, and in some cases even completely cut through the plastic where a strong and thick bend was sure to provide resistance to snapping. Here are before and after shots on one of the inner thigh pieces. Note that there is still plenty of width on all the raised surfaces which will still need to be trimmed down for sizing and butt-joining. The width on each side ranges from 18-27mm, and most are in the 20-23mm range. Eventually they will be cut down to 7.5-12.5mm for standard width cover strip application. Remember, this is simply ROUGH trimming of the butt-joint surfaces, which will need additional reduction after fitment. I used this same technique on all my thigh, calf, forearm, and bicep pieces. Once I get to my fitment stage I will determine how many more mm of plastic I need to trim off all the pieces, then likely use this same score and snap method. I know, it's really not necessary since it will be hidden by a cover strip, but hey, I like straight lines. Additional photos of this process are shown below. Note on Calves: For now I only trimmed the excess of the FRONT of the calves; the backs of them remain untrimmed to maximize sizing options. Additional trimming will still be required on the front in order to fit a standard 20mm cover strip on it. When cutting, I needed to place my ruler on and cut from the OUTSIDE of the pieces due to limiting curvature on the inside, which I describe a bit more in the next Ab and Kidney section. Because I situated the ruler on the outside, I was able to place the piece to be cut off right on the table to provide a nice flat surface for cutting, rather than having to support it with my hand as done when trimming the thighs. Ab and Kidney Side Connection Trimming + Chest Plate In the same way that I cut the excess ABS off of my limb pieces, I'm using the score and snap technique for trimming the side connection edges of both the ab and kidney pieces. This is the area on the side where the two pieces will come together with hopefully a "seamless"... seam. I really want these lines to be as straight as possible, and based on an approximation when I pressed both pieces against my body, I will need every mm of plastic I can keep. Therefore, I'm trimming only the non-smooth excess. I currently weigh 192.4 lbs (87.27 kg), with a measurement of 38 inches (96.5 cm) around the largest part of my waist/belly, and I think it's going to be a perfect fit. When I get back into cycling and lose some weight it will hopefully be even more comfortable. As for the cutting process, since I wanted these lines to be completely straight from the start (since no further trimming will occur), I needed to have use a straight edge for the entire length of the piece, meaning that I would need to place the ruler on the OUTSIDE of the armor. Previously I had always scored on the inside of armor pieces such as cover strips and the thighs. Since my metal ruler would be on the visible part of the armor, I elected to use my cork-backed ruler, which meant the metal surface would be a bit raised, further requiring extra care to maintain a straight line. I, therefore, took extra caution in making my initial score lines very shallow with extremely light pressing of my xacto blade. It's VERY true what they say, that light pressure stays on course and heavy pressure has the tendency to waver. Once I had a good score line, I used my lexan scissors to trim either end where the return edges were then proceeded with the back-and-forth bending to snap off the excess strip. I'm pretty pleased with my results on both side of the kidney, and the last two photos below show the before and after states of the piece. I followed the exact same process as the kidney for the large ab piece, and below are a couple before and after photos. I also took this opportunity to trim the excess off the lower side edges of the chest plate, and followed the same procedure as with the ab and kidney pieces. Note: I do realize that there is still an extensive amount of return on the arm openings of the chest pieces, which will eventually be eliminated. Close Trimming of Torso Return Edges In a previous post I showed images of my rough trimming of the return edges on my torso pieces, and I've now completed further trimming which will hopefully put me at or pretty close to the final cuts, with sanding still to come, of course. I also barely touched the bottom of the back plate, and expect to do more trimming in that area, as well as the similar top and bottom returns on the kidney piece and posterior. Here are photos of my recent pre and post trim work; if you see areas which I definitely need further work on, don't assume I have such plans, so call them out! =) The posterior is an interesting section of my ATA kit which differs from other kids such as RS, etc. There are virtually no return edges other than a small ridge so I've been a bit at a loss for what do do. I suspect the lack of returns will maximize the flexibility of the piece, and perhaps help alleviate cracking, but I do wish it would match the screen armor a bit more. I don't suppose it'd be worth taking a heat sealing iron to, would it? I did my best to match the angled lines seen on most kits, despite them not being very distinct on this ATA piece. Drop Box Sanding Continuation I continued the sanding process on my drop boxes and followed the dimensions shown on Billhag's diagram below. Roughly 15mm depth for the outer drop boxes, and 12mm for the inner (or however much to make them flush). I started with 60 grit sandpaper then moved up to 120, with a plan to eventually finish with 220. Since I planned to progress through various grits, I made sure to not go to far with each stage. For example, with the 60 grit I only sanded the outer boxes to about 16-17mm, knowing that I would continue to shave off additional material with the 120 and 220 paper. I know this may seem obvious, but I'm including this point for future readers who may not have ever worked with sandpaper. While sanding I also stopped to visually spot check all four sides of each pieces about every 5-10 seconds to ensure I wasn't pressuring one side or corner too much and creating a slanted grade. To combat inadvertently over-pressuring one side I periodically rotated the piece in my hand, since I suspected that I was naturally pushing down unequally with my index finger. If I noticed any slanted sanding I would counter it with a little extra pressure on the high area for several seconds. I will likely finish off the 220 grit sanding when I have more armor pieces to do the same with, to minimize my sanding sessions, so as of now I ended at 120. Frown Mesh Foam Outline I've seen something similar to this technique on many builds in the past, but I don't currently have the energy or time to scour back through all my saved resources to find links to examples. My plan is to frame the frown mesh with black craft foam, for both a cleaner look and more surface area for attachment adhesion, and here is an outline of my planned (though not yet implemented) process, along with a Billgram which depicts the basic process. First I will use some wax or parchment paper set inside the helmet faceplate to draw a rough outline of where I wanted to mesh and foam frame to be. Then I will up the lines with a large sharpie marker and set the template on top of the foam sheet. Using a metal ruler and an xacto knife, I'll then cut into the template and foam. With the first slice I will not be concerned with going all the way through the foam, as the most important thing will be to simply create guide lines/channels which my blade can follow upon removal of the template. I'm not sure yet exactly how to adhere all this to the helmet, but I figure trusty ol' E-6000 set along the foam frame will do just fine. Below is also a photo of the 6mm (thickness) craft foam I'll be using. Paint Colors & Finish Let's talk about paint colors, and specifically, FRENCH BLUE, and the finish type on the vocoder and hovi tips. It appears that over time there has been a shift in thought regarding what the appropriate shade of blue for the ab buttons and tube stripes. There has been extensive research documented and lively discussion (see two links below), and I believe I have every option I would need, but I'm just curious if any of you intentionally and preferably use anything other than French Blue on your TK builds. The first photo below shows an early version of Billhag's paint sheet which indicated that refers to Midnight Blue as being the original color and French Blue as a recently-conceived color. The second photo indicates a shift to Mediterranean Blue. The last of the three photos is an update by Chris (@themaninthesuitcase) which he documented in 2016 (thread), which as I understand it, is the current standard and represents a shift back to French Blue. Am I understanding this history correctly? BOTH OLD VERSIONS (first two photos below) CURRENT VERSION (single photo below) Here are the enamel blues that I have which were all available on Trooperbay and were mentioned in the color discussion threads linked above. Note that the Humbrol paints in cans in the first photo are all enamels from TB, while the French blue bottle in the second photo is acrylic from ebay. Should I go ahead and use the enamel Mediterranean blue or the acrylic French Blue? Or should I continue to search for Humbrol or Testors enamel French Blue? Above you'll also see some of the greys, white, and blacks that I have for my TK build (I actually have many more for my HWT build and blaster weathering). I've seen several Troopers, including @CableGuy, paint either the vocoder or hovi tips with a non-gloss black, and I am interested in the idea of the resulting contrast to the rest of the shiny helmet. Would using a flat black paint cause me any difficulties when applying for EI and Centurion status? I know that many images of screen-used helmet appear to show glossy black vocoders and the different finishes were briefly discussed here. Additional Supplies In the past month I received additional supplies and accessories shown below, and I also photographed some items which I simply hadn't previously posted. If you're interested in purchase links to some of the newest items, I included them two posts prior to this one, linked here (scroll to the bottom of that long post). First up shown below are Trooperbay masking templates in two styles—standard (the first one), and hand-painted (the second and third). I think I will go hand-painted style for the tube-stripes for a more authentic look, and to match the tears and traps. Below we have sugru from Joseph, and acetone from Walmart, mineral spirits from Amazon, and some spray paint. The Model Master 1923 Gunship Grey (Hobby Lobby) is for my TD tube which is white (leftover from my HWT build), and I completely forget what the Testors Aircraft Grey is for—maybe nothing in this build. Haha. And then at the bottom we have small paint brushes that I had on-hand before even starting my build. EDIT: Later in my build I discovered that Model Master 1923 Gunship Gray is too dark for the Thermal Detonator, and more appropriate sprays are Testors 1237 Semi-Gloss Primer or Testors 1238 Gloss Gray. I'm hoping to use the screw thread covers shown below on my ear screws, since they'll be pretty close to my head inside my helmet. I may also need to cut the screws to shorten them anyway, and subsequently may cut the black covers as well. I ordered a 50 pack, and therefore have quite a few extras, so if you'd like to try a set of six for yourself send me a PM with your mailing address (US only, please) and I'll throw some in the mail for you. Finally, here are some items from Tony (Ukswrath), including Thermal Detonator clips (etsy) and hovi tip screen mesh, which just arrived yesterday. I came to the conclusion that the mesh I received from ATA was actually adequate since it has the same number of screen gaps as Tony's (9-10 depending on the trimming), but I figured it wouldn't hurt to have an extra set in case I mess up my originals during installation. Note that I accidentally left out the TD pan head screws in the first photo, so I show them in their own image at the end. Also, Ukswrath decals and a patch to represent! ATA ABS Hand Guards (untrimmed) Due to the fact that I'm NOT using these plastic hand guards for this build, I completely forgot to photograph them as part of my documentation of all the ATA pieces in their new, untrimmed state. So here they are. Perhaps I'll use them as back-up someday, but I do already have an extra set of Joseph's flexible guards. Questions Review In case any of my questions were lost due to the length of this post, here they are again, along with a couple additional ones. Is there any reason to attempt to create small return edges on my posterior piece? Don't judge, Joseph ;-) Is French Blue really the only option for buttons and tube stripes, or do any of you have any other preferences? Should I use the acrylic French Blue that I have, or one of the other enamel blues? Or continue searing for Humbrol or Testors enamel French Blue? Will my higher level approval be affected if I were to paint my vocoder and hovi tips in matte black? Does the side profile of my sniper knee plate in my earlier post look ok, or should I make the curve a more distinct angle? It seems that most versions I see have a sharper angle. Is there a limit to the amount of time I should leave armor with E-6000 applied in boiling water so as not to compromise adhesion? I thinking of arms with cover strip(s) attached. Extra Extra Finally, for some extra fun and smiles. Since my last update we had both Father's Day and then my Birthday last week, and below are some cards which my wife made with my baby girls hand-prints, and a drawing from my young nephew. Not so sure about those rebel sympathizers, but that last one is on-point. Also, some Birthday socks.

There could be lots of variables when it comes to delivery time from IB. I ordered my 421s back in December and they arrived in less than two weeks, and I live in Georgia. Keep in mind that IB's wave system could impact their shipping timing, as they likely ship by purchase order/queue. With all the COVID precautions you might also expect their operation to be running a bit slower, and the same goes for the international shipping/customs process. In reality, I would plan on a month if I were you, for right now.

Great to see another HWT build! I agree that having the back plate box fit within the indent on your pack should be helpful. As for the width of the straps, there are a couple schools of though. Some go for wider padded straps (think like a nice backpack), but to me those look a little out of place with the whole kit. The other option is a more narrow (1" or 2.5cm) strap which you could slip into the gap between your shoulder bridges and bells. This would hide the straps more, and also have them resting on your actual shoulders, versus on top of your armor bridges or bells. I myself am hoping to integrate a mix of Eric's 3D parts with my plastic containers and photo box. And finally, in regards to the pauldron, I think you'll just need to wait and see what the actual orange color is once it arrives. Photos can sometimes be deceiving, but initially the one you linked to appears a bit light. Keep up the great work, and don't let @justjoseph63 pressure you too hard into weathering your armor. Or perhaps give in and use the washable makeup method. Haha.

Glad to hear the E-11 review was helpful in your blaster decision; @kman deserved a lot of credit as well. I think you'll really like the Hellhounds E-11, and at some point down the road hopefully more troopers will carry them!

I, too, want to make surprise appearances at my little nephews’ birthday parties. Hopefully I’ll finish my build before they get too old, since I’m basically on an indefinite hold. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk