OddViking327

Blaster continued to completion: I have made more progress on the blaster, and just completed it. Some things need to be glued, like the T-tracks and other smaller details, but some of the stronger connections are different. The kit uses M3 and M4 allen fasteners in many places (similar to the muzzle ones) that make it feel much more secure. There are also lots of nice design features, where if you assemble it in the correct order, there are holes to aid in assembly. Things like the grip (which has a rubber band for the trigger that I thought would eventually wear out but be glued in a way to be inaccessible) actually all sort of lock together, and once the bolts secure it to the upper body keep it all closed but it can be removed later: Other modifications: On the counter, I painted the raised numbers white (sort of dry brushed the high points), and added my window with a minimal amount of E6000 (do not use CA glue on any clear lenses, as it usually fogs them in a permanent way). It gets bolted on as well.: The folding stock all went together well, and while it is a little floppy on the long side arms (which I may later reinforce with a strip of aluminum or stainless steel on the backside), when it is closed up, it looks really good. The one issue was I couldn't get the rod to "clip" to the protrusion below the muzzle. It just didn't fit quite right which may have been the finishing and paint, or a slight alignment issue. The last thing I wanted was for it to detach when I was holding it, so as a failsafe I drilled out the rod recess, and added a small flat magnet. I screwed in two very tine steel screws to the muzzle protrusion (painted black after this), and now it is held firm by the magnets: The spring was fairly brightly coated, and it was distracting, so I gave it a quick brushing of black acrylic to make it look more like the blaster props. The spring is still quite strong, and sliding back the bolt all the way would be challenging, but I can slide it back an inch or so and let it snap closed with a satisfying sound that shouldn't break the blaster: So I got it all assembled, and painted the remaining screws, and it was complete and new looking: But... I wanted a minimal amount of weathering. I know many can get carried away, and I have a few other costumes where I had to walk it back, and paint it back to black in a lot of spots because it was too weathered. So I hit it in a few spots that would get abrasion going in and out of the holster (muzzle, flash guards, scope, folding stock, front sight, butt cap, and a few other spots. None on the handle or the t-tracks or the back part of the counter, and gold on the scope and the front part of the counter. I love how it turned out: Some of the features of this kit, the sliding bolt, the folding stock, and the removable magazine (held in with magnets, though I had to add a thin flat rectangle of plastic in the magazine slot to keep it from rattling, and to keep the fit more snug): So it is complete. Total time over a few weeks was about 14 hours. My review of the Imperial Arms 3D E-11 Blaster (Version 3) kit: Pros: It turned out looking really good. Most parts that should move do move (like the butt cap strap holder). A lot of care and attention has been put into the model so that it assembles really well and in some clever ways, and lines up everywhere. The print lines are very fine, so it needs less finishing work than some other models, but still, in my mind for a blaster to work best, it needs to be so smooth that no lines are visible, so it still needs that high level of finishing work. Many bolts are actual bolts, I only drilled out and replaced ones on the scope, the side of the handle, and on the Hengstler. Some pieces are engineered to be stronger, like the front sight and the front muzzle, by going through slots to the barrel for additional strength. The maker Imperial Arms 3D is usually fairly responsive over Instagram Chat, and on previous builds as well as this one, he plans to update the future kits based on feedback. He already is planning to take out the left side muzzle flash guard and to model and add the bayonet lug. Cons: While I love the folding stock and that care was made to make it look like the thickness of the original, the side strips are pretty floppy as a 3D print. I don't think any trooper actually uses the folding stock, so it isn't an issue with trooping, but I feel like that piece is likely to fail at some point if my kit were to play with it (he shouldn't, but he will). The missing bayonet lug, and the flash guard (that are being updated) need to be there to look more accurate, and also it needs the bolt in the very bottom of the handle. It comes with a flat disk and a target circle for the scope, but nothing for the smaller front hole. Because it already comes with so much hardware, I would just include the bolts for the scope and un-model the printed ones (as well as on the Hegstler and the handle side). It came with the curled wires for the power cells, but they seemed too short to work, and his examples on his site appeared to have longer cords. I was on the fence about using them as many ANH blasters don't have them, and I like it without. The instructions were fairly good, but the pages got shuffled and weren't numbered, and there are a few key parts that must be done in order or else you can't access the bolt locations (I was also missing a page, but he shared it with me by message). The bolt sprint is very strong, and I imagined sliding it back and letting it snap, but it probably would damage the gun if that happened. 3D prints are all fairly delicate, and this blaster shouldn't be dropped, where other blasters that are metal or rubber probably are sturdier (but cost more, or have less detail). Modifications I made to the kit: - Used XTC 3D to fill all print lines - Used Filler Primer and Bondo to further fill some print lines - Made my own Bayonet Lug that was missing - Because of the lug, did not use the 7th T-track rail - Filled in the redundant left side muzzle flash guard slot - Filled and sanded the joint where the barrel gets attached. - drilled out the barrel a bit deeper at the muzzle to appear black - All of the M4 bolts in the kit didn't quite self-thread into the printed holes for them, I had to pre-drill them larger (I believe a 9/64" bit) which made them work great. - drilled out scope screws to replace with real screws - drilled out handle screw to replace with real screw - drilled out Hengstler screw to replace with real screw - On the scope, replaced plastic disk with a plastic lens I had, as well as a small one for the front of the scope - Added a glass cover for the counter numbers - Cut off round details on the rear site, replaced with more perfect plastic circles - Cut notches with a triangular file in the rear sight - Added "knurled" texture to the front sights - Used Bondo to eliminate seams in the scope once assembled - Added a second small rubber band to the trigger - replaced Phillips head bolts (on one spot that thread into the rod on the folding stock) with hex bolts that I had - Added a magnet and screws to the connection for the folding stock - added a strip of plastic to the magazine slot to make it fit better - Added a 5mm LED bulb for the detail on the end of the magazine (kit came with a bolt instead) - replaced the Phillips head screws for the magnets in the magazine with slotted screws - Painted the spring to darken shine - Painted several of the long tube Chicago screws ( on the folding stock) to darken the bright shine

@T-Jay Ooh, sorry I missed this, I finished it all yesterday, so that repair would be difficult. The keyhole is only on that one side, see the post below, the lug side is fine. I can maybe see if I can fix it, but it is all clear coated now, making a modification like that more difficult. It is not a rotated barrel, as the front sight array fits in slots on top. Can you send a reference pic, I can pass it along to the maker?

Thanks @gmrhodes13 , I just posted for access. Blaster continued to completion: I have made more progress on the blaster, and just completed it. Some things need to be glued, like the T-tracks and other smaller details, but some of the stronger connections are different. The kit uses M3 and M4 allen fasteners in many places (similar to the muzzle ones) that make it feel much more secure. There are also lots of nice design features, where if you assemble it in the correct order, there are holes to aid in assembly. Things like the grip (which has a rubber band for the trigger that I thought would eventually wear out but be glued in a way to be inaccessible) actually all sort of lock together, and once the bolts secure it to the upper body keep it all closed but it can be removed later: Other modifications: On the counter, I painted the raised numbers white (sort of dry brushed the high points), and added my window with a minimal amount of E6000 (do not use CA glue on any clear lenses, as it usually fogs them in a permanent way). It gets bolted on as well.: The folding stock all went together well, and while it is a little floppy on the long side arms (which I may later reinforce with a strip of aluminum or stainless steel on the backside), when it is closed up, it looks really good. The one issue was I couldn't get the rod to "clip" to the protrusion below the muzzle. It just didn't fit quite right which may have been the finishing and paint, or a slight alignment issue. The last thing I wanted was for it to detach when I was holding it, so as a failsafe I drilled out the rod recess, and added a small flat magnet. I screwed in two very tine steel screws to the muzzle protrusion (painted black after this), and now it is held firm by the magnets: The spring was fairly brightly coated, and it was distracting, so I gave it a quick brushing of black acrylic to make it look more like the blaster props. The spring is still quite strong, and sliding back the bolt all the way would be challenging, but I can slide it back an inch or so and let it snap closed with a satisfying sound that shouldn't break the blaster: So I got it all assembled, and painted the remaining screws, and it was complete and new looking: But... I wanted a minimal amount of weathering. I know many can get carried away, and I have a few other costumes where I had to walk it back, and paint it back to black in a lot of spots because it was too weathered. So I hit it in a few spots that would get abrasion going in and out of the holster (muzzle, flash guards, scope, folding stock, front sight, butt cap, and a few other spots. None on the handle or the t-tracks or the back part of the counter, and gold on the scope and the front part of the counter. I love how it turned out: Some of the features of this kit, the sliding bolt, the folding stock, and the removable magazine (held in with magnets, though I had to add a thin flat rectangle of plastic in the magazine slot to keep it from rattling, and to keep the fit more snug): So it is complete. Total time over a few weeks was about 14 hours. My review of the Imperial Arms 3D E-11 Blaster (Version 3) kit: Pros: It turned out looking really good. Most parts that should move do move (like the butt cap strap holder). A lot of care and attention has been put into the model so that it assembles really well and in some clever ways, and lines up everywhere. The print lines are very fine, so it needs less finishing work than some other models, but still, in my mind for a blaster to work best, it needs to be so smooth that no lines are visible, so it still needs that high level of finishing work. Many bolts are actual bolts, I only drilled out and replaced ones on the scope, the side of the handle, and on the Hengstler. Some pieces are engineered to be stronger, like the front sight and the front muzzle, by going through slots to the barrel for additional strength. The maker Imperial Arms 3D is usually fairly responsive over Instagram Chat, and on previous builds as well as this one, he plans to update the future kits based on feedback. He already is planning to take out the left side muzzle flash guard and to model and add the bayonet lug. Cons: While I love the folding stock and that care was made to make it look like the thickness of the original, the side strips are pretty floppy as a 3D print. I don't think any trooper actually uses the folding stock, so it isn't an issue with trooping, but I feel like that piece is likely to fail at some point if my kit were to play with it (he shouldn't, but he will). The missing bayonet lug, and the flash guard (that are being updated) need to be there to look more accurate, and also it needs the bolt in the very bottom of the handle. It comes with a flat disk and a target circle for the scope, but nothing for the smaller front hole. Because it already comes with so much hardware, I would just include the bolts for the scope and un-model the printed ones (as well as on the Hegstler and the handle side). It came with the curled wires for the power cells, but they seemed too short to work, and his examples on his site appeared to have longer cords. I was on the fence about using them as many ANH blasters don't have them, and I like it without. The instructions were fairly good, but the pages got shuffled and weren't numbered, and there are a few key parts that must be done in order or else you can't access the bolt locations (I was also missing a page, but he shared it with me by message). The bolt sprint is very strong, and I imagined sliding it back and letting it snap, but it probably would damage the gun if that happened. 3D prints are all fairly delicate, and this blaster shouldn't be dropped, where other blasters that are metal or rubber probably are sturdier (but cost more, or have less detail). Modifications I made to the kit: - Used XTC 3D to fill all print lines - Used Filler Primer and Bondo to further fill some print lines - Made my own Bayonet Lug that was missing - Because of the lug, did not use the 7th T-track rail - Filled in the redundant left side muzzle flash guard slot - Filled and sanded the joint where the barrel gets attached. - drilled out the barrel a bit deeper at the muzzle to appear black - All of the M4 bolts in the kit didn't quite self-thread into the printed holes for them, I had to pre-drill them larger (I believe a 9/64" bit) which made them work great. - drilled out scope screws to replace with real screws - drilled out handle screw to replace with real screw - drilled out Hengstler screw to replace with real screw - On the scope, replaced plastic disk with a plastic lens I had, as well as a small one for the front of the scope - Added a glass cover for the counter numbers - Cut off round details on the rear site, replaced with more perfect plastic circles - Cut notches with a triangular file in the rear sight - Added "knurled" texture to the front sights - Used Bondo to eliminate seams in the scope once assembled - Added a second small rubber band to the trigger - replaced Phillips head bolts (on one spot that thread into the rod on the folding stock) with hex bolts that I had - Added a magnet and screws to the connection for the folding stock - added a strip of plastic to the magazine slot to make it fit better - Added a 5mm LED bulb for the detail on the end of the magazine (kit came with a bolt instead) - replaced the Phillips head screws for the magnets in the magazine with slotted screws - Painted the spring to darken shine - Painted several of the long tube Chicago screws ( on the folding stock) to darken the bright shine

TK-25622 just approved with my ANH Stunt. Requesting access: https://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=31203 Thanks!

Quick update: My ANH Stunt Stormtrooper was just approved by my GML. Now to take photos for EIB and Centurion!

Just put on a layer of satin black. This is my favorite part, when you can really see all of your hard work pay off. Always nice when it is painting time to have a few days of hot, but not too hot, dry windy days. I did notice when putting a piece out yesterday to dry after washing dust, that it started to warp a little in the sun, so I am trying to get my painting done before the sun beam cuts through my painting area in the afternoon. [Note: It is still "glossy" being wet.]

Just put on a layer of satin black. This is my favorite part, when you can really see all of your hard work pay off. Always nice when it is painting time to have a few days of hot, but not too hot, dry windy days. I did notice when putting a piece out yesterday to dry after washing dust, that it started to warp a little in the sun, so I am trying to get my painting done before the sun beam cuts through my painting area in the afternoon. [Note: It is still "glossy" being wet.]

Blaster continued: This kit does have some nice details, and many of the fasteners are functional or real, but not all of them. I usually modify most kits, replacing any printed "screws" with real ones, or any other round details I can swap out. Like on the rear sight, I sanded off the round detail, and sliced two pieces of a wall anchor to glue on for that perfect round shape. I also added in that 5mm LED for the domed detail on the end of the magazine. Reading the threads on here, I also added the rear sight notches, and added the knurled texture to the front sights. I used epoxy putty, the first time I laid it on and rolled the tool, and it rolled it off the piece. Second attempt worked, I put the putty on, waited five minutes, and then tried the knurled texture. Success! The parts all primed, I moved to assemble some pieces before black painting. Parts that were smooth and nice already got standard flat black primer, Parts that needed a final smoothing got filler primer (grey). Some nice things I discovered about this Imperial Arms 3D kit: In the upper right, you can see some of the things like the flash guard and the sights actually go through a slot, and down to the barrel, for strength (flash guard piece marked in magenta). Many parts use functional fasteners, aesthetic on the muzzle end here, but many pieces like the handle and the scope rail, and the magazine all get "bolted on" which should make for a stronger prop than one that is all glued: A note on filler primer. It works well as it is as a matte surface, but to get an even nicer surface, you can use fine steel wool to quickly rub the rough surface off (30 seconds), and the "burnish" it with a dry paper towel (30 seconds) and it literally shines. I have used this to prep a master for casting, but now I do it on everything if a shiny surface is what I am after. Painting and gluing more today, so I should have this in my holster by Halloween!

Blaster continued: This kit does have some nice details, and many of the fasteners are functional or real, but not all of them. I usually modify most kits, replacing any printed "screws" with real ones, or any other round details I can swap out. Like on the rear sight, I sanded off the round detail, and sliced two pieces of a wall anchor to glue on for that perfect round shape. I also added in that 5mm LED for the domed detail on the end of the magazine. Reading the threads on here, I also added the rear sight notches, and added the knurled texture to the front sights. I used epoxy putty, the first time I laid it on and rolled the tool, and it rolled it off the piece. Second attempt worked, I put the putty on, waited five minutes, and then tried the knurled texture. Success! The parts all primed, I moved to assemble some pieces before black painting. Parts that were smooth and nice already got standard flat black primer, Parts that needed a final smoothing got filler primer (grey). Some nice things I discovered about this Imperial Arms 3D kit: In the upper right, you can see some of the things like the flash guard and the sights actually go through a slot, and down to the barrel, for strength (flash guard piece marked in magenta). Many parts use functional fasteners, aesthetic on the muzzle end here, but many pieces like the handle and the scope rail, and the magazine all get "bolted on" which should make for a stronger prop than one that is all glued: A note on filler primer. It works well as it is as a matte surface, but to get an even nicer surface, you can use fine steel wool to quickly rub the rough surface off (30 seconds), and the "burnish" it with a dry paper towel (30 seconds) and it literally shines. I have used this to prep a master for casting, but now I do it on everything if a shiny surface is what I am after. Painting and gluing more today, so I should have this in my holster by Halloween!

The final piece: the E-11 blaster. [This thread duplicates the blaster part of my build thread over in the ANH stunt armor section] UPDATE May 2021: Imperial Arms 3D just released their V4 blaster today, which, based on this feedback on my build, has addressed all of the placement and accuracy issues (keyhole, knurled sights, some missing screw spots, and most notably, the scope and hengstler counter locations). Imperial Arms V4 E-11 blaster I submitted for basic approval already, without the blaster, as I wanted to get the ball rolling, and the blaster isn't required. But of course, I can't wait to have it for trooping. For my clone, I used a really nice 3D printed kit from Imperial Arms 3D. I know many scoff at 3D parts, but I have experience finishing them, and as his kit looked really nice (his new Version 3 of the E-11) I was curious to see how it would work. His prints are very finely textured. It has a metal spring, sliding bolt, folding stock, and magazine that comes out with magnets. In the past too, he was responsive over Instagram and has adapted the clone blaster based on my feedback. I already have found two minor accuracy improvements, so I will see if he can add those to future kits. He does offer "finished kits" but I don't know for certain if they would be as finished as 501st people like. I prefer to complete it myself, and swap out printed screws for the real ones, and other modifications. Here is what the full kit looks like (so many pieces!): Instead of my usual dance with coat after coat of Bondo glazing putty and filler primer, I am trying a new product, XTC 3D. It is a sort of two part epoxy like mix that you brush on, and it "self-levels" on the prints. It is sandable, but doesn't need as much as other processes do. Once I figured out the best application process, it actually is going to be my new go-to method of finishing a 3D print. The key is to mix very little, 5 ml of the one, and 2.5 ml of the other part. You have about five minutes of good glazing time where it really spreads out nicely. After that, it begins to thicken, and while it is good for filling the backs of parts, or less-detailed areas, it no longer will nicely level out. I found it also works best when the side up is all you do, so to do a "box" shape like the magazine takes about four passes. In about two hours, it is cured, and you can do another side. Here is what it looks like when it is working perfectly: All told, I have probably mixed about ten "batches" and done light coats on parts, second coats on some, and third coats on trickier surfaces like the t-tracks that need to be really smooth. It sounds like a lot, but I just do one or two passes a day, and it is ready to go in a few days. Adjustments to his model: I found so far two inaccurate little pieces, for some reason he has a second muzzle flash guard on the other side. I used epoxy putty to fill that slot, and will sand it smooth. The other is the kit is missing the bayonet lug. I thought maybe I had lost it, but looking at his site and the pictures of finished blasters, they are all missing it. So I decided it was simple enough a piece, I would just find a dowel that fit in the hole, and cut my own. Once coated with filler primer, it looks like a metal part: Finally, I plan to hit my old drawer of antique flat head screws and bolts to replace any printed ones, including those five on the front of the scope. Also, while the kit comes with a flat disk of clear plexiglass for the scope lens, I wanted a more domed one. One benefit of having a 6-year old boy is that a lot of toys have lenses or little magnifiers, so I save all of them for things like this. Two worked, and I had to grind them down a little, but the fit nicely now. Also, by coincidence, there was this shard of plastic that found my foot a few days ago, and it is slightly curved, perfect for the Hengstler window. Cut down and set it, it should work well. His print has raised numbers, so I will paint those white, and then glue the window on top:

The final piece: the E-11 blaster. [I will duplicate this part as a new posting in the ANH E-11 build section] I submitted for basic approval already, without the blaster, as I wanted to get the ball rolling, and the blaster isn't required. But of course, I can't wait to have it for trooping. For my clone, I used a really nice 3D printed kit from Imperial Arms 3D. I know many scoff at 3D parts, but I have experience finishing them, and as his kit looked really nice (his new Version 3 of the E-11) I was curious to see how it would work. His prints are very finely textured. It has a metal spring, sliding bolt, folding stock, and magazine that comes out with magnets. In the past too, he was responsive over Instagram and has adapted the clone blaster based on my feedback. I already have found two minor accuracy improvements, so I will see if he can add those to future kits. He does offer "finished kits" but I don't know for certain if they would be as finished as 501st people like. I prefer to complete it myself, and swap out printed screws for the real ones, and other modifications. Here is what the full kit looks like (so many pieces!): Instead of my usual dance with coat after coat of Bondo glazing putty and filler primer, I am trying a new product, XTC 3D. It is a sort of two part epoxy like mix that you brush on, and it "self-levels" on the prints. It is sandable, but doesn't need as much as other processes do. Once I figured out the best application process, it actually is going to be my new go-to method of finishing a 3D print. The key is to mix very little, 5 ml of the one, and 2.5 ml of the other part. You have about five minutes of good glazing time where it really spreads out nicely. After that, it begins to thicken, and while it is good for filling the backs of parts, or less-detailed areas, it no longer will nicely level out. I found it also works best when the side up is all you do, so to do a "box" shape like the magazine takes about four passes. In about two hours, it is cured, and you can do another side. Here is what it looks like when it is working perfectly: All told, I have probably mixed about ten "batches" and done light coats on parts, second coats on some, and third coats on trickier surfaces like the t-tracks that need to be really smooth. It sounds like a lot, but I just do one or two passes a day, and it is ready to go in a few days. Adjustments to his model: I found so far two inaccurate little pieces, for some reason he has a second muzzle flash guard on the other side. I used epoxy putty to fill that slot, and will sand it smooth. The other is the kit is missing the bayonet lug. I thought maybe I had lost it, but looking at his site and the pictures of finished blasters, they are all missing it. So I decided it was simple enough a piece, I would just find a dowel that fit in the hole, and cut my own. Once coated with filler primer, it looks like a metal part: Finally, I plan to hit my old drawer of antique flat head screws and bolts to replace any printed ones, including those five on the front of the scope. Also, while the kit comes with a flat disk of clear plexiglass for the scope lens, I wanted a more domed one. One benefit of having a 6-year old boy is that a lot of toys have lenses or little magnifiers, so I save all of them for things like this. Two worked, and I had to grind them down a little, but the fit nicely now. Also, by coincidence, there was this shard of plastic that found my foot a few days ago, and it is slightly curved, perfect for the Hengstler window. Cut down and set it, it should work well. His print has raised numbers, so I will paint those white, and then glue the window on top:

I got up once again at 5:30am, and suited up, set up some lights in the driveway, and took some turnaround pics. Submitted to my GML for basic approval today, wish me luck!

I am just about to start this build (a V3 Imperial Arms 3D E-11), the last part of my kit, so I will update you all with how it turns out. It has a lot of actual bolts and metal parts, and is so disassembled that it should make sanding the individual ones easier. I will be using XTC 3D for the first time to try and speed it up.

Trying it all on to test-fit: I realized excitedly, that once I mounted one more thing, the whole set would be ready to test-fit this morning! Because of my arm length, I ended up mounting the biceps to the shoulder with elastic and velcro (adjustable), and will be removing the bicep hooks. I tried it all on, and it fits really well, and all of the gaps I was keeping tight ended up staying tight (shoulder gaps, thigh to cod gaps (Note: some Mirror photos, I flipped some of them back to correct, but ab buttons and holster might appear "backwards"): The back plate lower edge had been heated and shaped so it stays close in, and the arm gaps all look good to me too: I am one happy trooper! I have my blaster to complete, but as it is not required for basic approval, I may be taking approval photos soon!

Flexible hand plates: I glued the flexible hand plates, and used a piece of wooden shingle inside to keep the gloves stretched for glueing. The instructions mention keeping pressure with books, but I thought a few books AND a 55 pound anvil would do the trick. It seemed to adhere well: Shoulder bridge Keeper loops: These 1/4" white elastic keepers that go over the backs of the shoulder bridges seem like a thing that will need replacing at some point, so rather than glue them on, I opted to hand sew them to my shoulder elastic. First I made a complete loop, and then tacked the sides to the straps. This way, if they do end up stretching out, it will be very easy to remove and replace them:

@gmrhodes13 It would be tricky to trim that part of the belt now, because I had used that height to line up with the button plates. If I were to trim it, it would sit below them. In several builds they had measurements of the width, and mine seemed to be consistent with those. At this point, I would prefer it lined up with the button plates rather than drill out and move the snaps.

Okay, I shifted the side rivets on the belt over (actually just removed the cap on the existing ones, and then drilled one that could fit under the cover, and the cover would still conceal the previous hole). Looks great, and keeps the sides of the belt even more flush on my sides: I took some time to finish the helmet, I had been waiting to remove the ears one more time, to install one of @ukswrath's SHA environmental systems (the mic goes under the ear bumps on each side), and the speaker system that comes with speaker Hovi tips, an amp, mic, and an iCOM box. I also added a pair of fans, powered off of a thin (but tall) dual USB power pack with two in-line switches that turned out to be larger than they looked. I have a larger head, and there was a LOT to fit in there. But I put a stripe of 2" white fuzzy velcro around the back, and kept re-arranging and moving things until they finally fit. An hour of cord management later, and it all works! Finalizing the arms. I may end up not using the bicep hooks, as they don't quite keep the bicep in the right spot. I will opt for elastic between the bicep and shoulder to keep the ridges lined up. I have longer arms, even for my height. Usually arm span and height are close, but my height is 72.5" (or 184cm), arm span is 75" (190.5cm). This is going to give me larger gaps on the arms somewhere, either at the elbow, or at the wrist. I just glued in the elastic connectors, sort of splitting the difference between the two pics here: I will try it all on again tomorrow, hopefully it was glued as intended, and looks great. I also finished my thermal detonator, and mounted the holster I got from Darman's Props, so the last things are the think white elastic that keeps the shoulder bridges down (mine fit great without though!), gluing the rubber hand plates (pictured above are the plastic for basic approval and fitting), and the whole blaster project (3D printed by Imperial Arms 3D, I have lots of 3D finishing experience) that I need to start. Final stretch, as long as it all works well enough in the fitting tomorrow. I have been getting up at 5:30 am for weeks and weeks to get some shop time around my two young kids, I look forward to sleeping in soon.

@gmrhodes13 thanks, the plastic isn't as tight to the belt as I would like, so that may fix it. I drilled where there was an impression mark on the kit. I will cut the covers, and see where I can place an additional one closer to the edge, and cover both with the plastic cover. I have mounted the shoulder bridges, shaped the back to fit them better, and sewn on my shoulder snap, and more work on the helmet electronics. It's all coming together.

Okay, I shifted my boxes over, and then tightened the elastic to raise them to be closer to the belt: On my shoulders, I am doing the slight curved edge (rather than straight), to match the originals, and to help close the black gap between the shoulder and chest & back plates: Soon I am attaching the elastic between my arm pieces, and I plan to use the more movie-accurate alignment that @CableGuy has found (based on the RS suit, and screen captures) that does not align to the cover strips as builders usually do. You can see in the RS gallery a spot where it is folded over, and clearly shows the mounting locations as not aligning those strips. He has a full video showing his findings, but this is what it looks like: Video link: Cable Guy's arm alignment

Thanks, that should be easy to adjust with my mounting. That's exactly the sort of nudge that is pretty difficult with glued down elastic.

Belt boxes: I took another tip from A.J.'s build, and cut some scraps of oak to glue inside, for weight, but also for another reason. Everyone glues these, which is what I will also eventually do once in their approved position, but for now, I wanted to have a more adjustable system until I am satisfied. So First I ground the inner box edges until it would fit nicely in the outer, and then clamped and glued the oak inside with E6000. Once cured overnight, I then glued the boxes closed with even more E6000. The oak was not as deep as the gap, which is fine, but I wanted it to be mounted to the inside face, so that I could drill into it and then mount the elastic with short fat wood screws. Because I don't want any protruding screw head bumping into the armor, or pushing them out in any way, I ground the heads more flat on a belt sander. One was ground too much, causing it to strip out when screwing it in, so you do need to leave enough of the phillips slot. Then, fit the elastic, screwed it into the backs of the boxes, and before gluing the straps to the belt, for now, they are stitched to the edge of it (a curved needle makes this easier/ possible). So they hang in the "right" location, depending on your judge. Some want it flush to the outside edge, some to the cut corner, it appears. My temporary method will allow me to adjust them without pulling any glue. I can tighten them up by removing the screws, and moving the back strap holes. I can clip the threads and scoot it over. Once it is good, I will E6000 it all in place, with the screws then serving as failsafes. Let me know if any of you have more insight as to the best spot.

Okay, I trimmed down the knee a little, and it feels better (not completely away from the knee, but the calf is too fitted to get it forward completely with padding). I will see how it goes with some walking once I have it all on: Neck seal: I bought a nice neck seal from Imperial Boots, the ribbed section is soft leather. It looked good, but was a little loose on my neck, causing it to bow out on the sides a little. The easy fix was to hand-sew a second 1" strip of velcro next to the existing one, allowing it to close tighter. Now it fits better, yet still soft enough to easily move my head around without it feeling tight: I used A.J.'s "hinge closure" method for the left side of the ab. I love learning new tricks, and clamping a block of wood behind the closure and drilling through it in-place was a great solution (main holes were pre-drilled, and then taped the two sides together lined up, drilling was just through the "hinge"). He used some caps to cover his split rivets (to keep them from possibly catching on the under suit, they are quite sharp). I didn't have those, but just did a quick sanding pass with a Dremel, and then squeezed a little white E-6000 around those sharp corners to give them a little rubbery cover: I am getting closer to done, hopefully by Halloween to attend my little 6-year-old as Vader. Here is what is done on the build: - Helmet [all but Hovi tips and sound system] - Thighs and thigh strapping - Shins - Ab section - Butt and Cod - Belt - Neck seal - Biceps - Forearms - Hand-painted button plates ...and lots of partially complete bits on the rest Total: 45 hours so far Left to do: - helmet interior electronics (UKSwrath speaker system, SHA environmental system), USB fans I am throwing together - Thermal Detonator - Gloves and hand plates (both styles, regular with Nomex, and flexible with chem gloves for Centurion) - Mount Shoulder bridges and elastic - Shoulder bells - Mount Holster - Glue button plates - Belt Boxes mounted - Arm strapping - Reinforce inside edges and corners (just a few places I see cracks on the originals, but open to suggestions from people as to where) - Fill and sand, and glue, and build my blaster (ImperialArms3D new V3 E-11 blaster kit) - Final fitting and adjustments

@gmrhodes13 I did add some velcro-in padding on one side to help center it, and now there really is no room left in the armor for more padding in front. I guess I fit it too well. In any case, I will trim a bit and see what it feels like. It is tolerable as it is, but will get annoying, and that is what I want to see if I can fix.

So the sniper plate works, but it does bite a little into the knee. It is not the most comfortable. Now I know, "not-the-most-comfortable" is the name of the armor game, and I am good with that. I padded one edge to pop it out and over, but it still rests on my knee cap. I was wondering if I could trim the knee plate back, on the pencil line in the picture below, and still have it look correct? What do you all think? Those few millimeters would mean a lot for comfort:

Following up on my shin armor, I added the 25mm cover strips once it was all finished. Because the seam needs to click flush, the excess E-6000 glue needs to be removed from the inside along the cover strip (by lightly cutting with a blade, and then scraping and sometimes pulling it off in long, glorious strips when it works). So far, especially with my snap failsafe, they seem very secure. I had to pad the front of the inside to try and push that sniper plate further out from my knee, and so that top magnet is more strained and needs the snap on that side to maintain closure: