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11.) 08/12/2023

Only nose bumps for Vader's favorite chumps! Please welcome for the second time, TK 89400 to the Stormtrooper Hall of Fame, July 2023! @revlimiter Troop log can be found here. Congrats on 70 troops Adam! Many more to come! With Unquestioned Loyalty Jonatan Östling TK-23592 "Nairy" Curator Hall Of Fame

I'm on a good one and may bust this out into its own thread, but the next two are for once you're ready to glue. I'm sure there's another supply list thread out there but some of these are specific, and the links are current. If you are a first time builder, I STRONGLY recommend you use E6000 glue and utilize interior cover strips first during your build. CA glue has its time and place, and pros who can get it right on the first time often swear by it, but E6000 is the correct choice for this armor. The downside is that it does take time to dry and therefore you need to clamp your pieces together firmly for best results. Spring Clamps FASTPRO Nylon Plastic Spring Clamps, 4 sizes - $18.99 USD on Prime for a 12 pack at time of post Spring clamps are awesome and easy to use for the first half of your build when you're gluing in your underside cover strips, and for the ends of your joined pieces. It's nice to haver several and a few different sizes to suit your needs. Magnets N52 Neodymium Rare Earth Magnet Discs, 18x3mm - $65.00 USD with free shipping on eBay for 50 at time of post Clamps are cool, but will only get you so far once you start joining complete pieces together. To help clamp your coverstrips tight, I recommend N52 rare earth magnets, and have found that the 18x3mm are usually the perfect size and strength for armor building. The link above is the cheapest I've been able to find for the VERY SPECIFIC magnets that I like to use, but these are simply the best I've found. But BE WARNED - these magnets can and will jump over a foot to come together, and can shatter and throw sharp pieces that can and will cut you. Many times, I have also been pinched and caused blood blisters or other skin injury. These things are powerful and brittle, and DO NOT MESS AROUND. Always place them very intentionally, and I like to test and alternate the polarities while placing them in a line - that way they are always pushing AWAY from each other, and not tempted to pull together and stack. Remove them after 24 hours just as carefully. I sometimes double up for areas that need a little extra persuasion, and always scuff the surface I'm gluing with sandpaper or an emory board for maximum mechanical adhesion. As for how many you need - I've found that once I'm done trimming, my build is often only limited by how many pieces I can have simultaneously gluing, which is limited by how many clamps and magnets I have. So buy as many as you can reasonably afford - I recommend 50, as you undoubtedly will lose a few to cracking.

Looking good, Christian! I'm sure you're be cleared in no time! Here is a helpful thread for smoothing out print lines on your blaster:

"I am the law"

Alright, I'll join the fun in case any of these haven't already been said or linked. I've learned a lot over the years and there's a few that I can't believe I ever lived without. I'll try to rank them by necessity in hindsight, though not necessarily the order in which I discovered or acquired them. Always try to search and see if you have a local hobby store you can support first when searching for supplies, but otherwise, I've included Amazon or direct links to a lot of these. Some may be regional, but will at least give you an idea of what to search for in a marketplace available to you. I'll try to add more if I get bored, but these are all products I have purchased and really gotten a lot of utility out of. We'll start with trimming, but I do love editing posts to improve them. A Respirator or Dust Mask (at minimum) So one thing many of the tools below have in common is that they love to make a lot of dust, so I would be remiss if I did not include a link to some PPE. I recommend the highest quality you can afford - remember, you're not just avoiding breathing in the dust that is created when you sand ABS, but also the vapors that are created as it heats up. I wear a half respirator whenever I am sanding or messing with chemicals or ABS. I've had cancer once, I don't need it again, thank you. Protect your lungs, wear a mask. 3M Rugged Comfort Quick Latch Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator 6502QL - $29.99 USD on Prime at time of post and 3M P100 Respirator Cartridge/Filter 60926, 1 Pair - $35.49 USD on Prime at time of post A Dremel/Rotary Tool Even a cheap one is worth its weight in gold if you accompany it with a nice variety of bits to spin up. There is a wide range of rotary tools, with the Dremel brand being among the more popular (though I myself currently use a Milwaukee M12 Rotary), in a variety of speed capabilities, battery-operated and corded options (I like cordless), and prices, but this is an essential tool for any maker. This USB rechargeable cordless starter kit is perfect if you don't have one, but upgrading to one with more juice or in your swappable battery family is worthwhile. Dremel Lite 7760 N/10 4V Li-Ion Cordless Rotary Tool Variable Speed Multi-Purpose Rotary Tool Kit - $64.00 USD on Prime at time of post Abrasive Flap Wheel Sanders (80 Grit) - $7.89 USD on Prime for a 10-pack at time of post A rotary is only as good as what you spin up with it, and these are by far my favorite tool for final trimming armor after rough cutting with lexan shears and/or the belt sander. Because of their size, you can get nice clean lines and curves, and variable cut with the amount of pressure you apply. I've started using these way more than the traditional drum sander as shown above. Just make sure you're wearing a respirator. Emory Boards / Sanding Sticks These were a game-changer. So obvious, but I saw Adam Savage using these in a Tested video and I haven't really used sandpaper much since. There might be a better link out there, but these ones hold up well and have two medium grits (180/240) to choose from. I often use them to dress the edges of my TK kits (in addition to the Shaviv tool Caleb linked above) so they're smooth and don't cause armor bite or wear on my undersuit. ZMOI Professional Nail Files (180/240) - $7.99 USD on Prime for a 12 pack at time of post A Belt Sander A belt sander is so helpful for creating smooth, straight lines... so key in TK assembly. Most of your armor pieces join at flat lines or have gentle curves that a basic belt sander can trim handily. I use this thing for a ton of other projects too. When it finally wears out, I'll invest in a nicer one - it's worth it. Harbor Freight - CENTRAL MACHINERY 4 in. x 36 in. Belt and 6 in. Disc Sander - $84.97 USD online at time of post (always check their website/flyers for in-store coupons!)

Good Evening. Dear Sirs and Madams Officers, I am requesting for an EIB status with my armour with my best knowledge and conscience. Trooper Information: Name: Christian Langen "Chrischi" Height / weight: 181 cm / 86 kg FISD User name: TK21698 Legion ID: TK-21698 Garrison: German Garrison: https://501st.de/ Squad: Coastal Hammer (NSQ): https://www.501st.com/members/squadroster.php?squadId=127 501st profile: https://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=36627 Mandatory Information: Armor Maker: Troopermaster England, UK Helmet Maker: Troopermaster Blaster Maker: 3DPOGO Boot Maker: Keep Trooping (421 Classic WHITE) Canvas belt supplier: Troopermaster Hand guard supplier: Troopermaster Holster Maker: Troopermaster Neckseal supplier: Troopermaster Getting every part of the armor from Troopermaster. Full Body: Armor Details: Helmet: Accessories:

Those are fantastic! Thanks so much @TKSpartan

Appreciate the positive response. And that does make sense. I get the feeling there is the CRL definition, but then there are also the observations made by those judging the costumes. You are right it's challenging to try and make alterations on a finished helmet. I did try to move it back, but I would then have to reshape the edge of the bucket a bit. I may come back to it once I am complete with everything else. Thanks again!

Thank you sir. One of us will be with you asap.

Well, it's been a long time since my last update. Sorry Glen... I contacted Blasterfactory about my lost magazine catch piece, and they graciously sent me one for free! Awesome company!!! I also contacted BlastFX and had some very good back and forth with the owner. Basically, the best solution for my fire selector problem was to send the entire system back to him for update of some components that would allow me to use the Blasterfactory rotary switch. That is going in the mail today and hopefully I'll have it back in a couple weeks. The bane of my existence!

That's awesome! Thanks!!! I appreciate you always jumping in!!! Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

The armor is not quite complete yet, because I still need to attach the lower leg and kneecap armor to the strapping, but I am at the point where I can do an almost full test fitting! I just did so, and I am absolutely amazed at how great my armor looks on me!!! Here's another bathroom mirror selfie to show how far I have progressed (and you all get a partial face reveal as an added bonus). Just remember, the full costume is not complete until I also put on my makeup and wig! The arm strapping has just a bit more slack in it than planned, but fortunately, that does not adversely affect how the arm armor sits on me! The belt was difficult to properly fit, and the accessories did not help things. Nevertheless, I was able to get the belt to sit in a decent position. Another problem with the belt is some paint transfer has occurred from the black belt on to the white armor. I'll have to correct this before the con, and it appears the clear coat on the belt was not as sufficient as I thought (I probably missed spots, resulting in the paint transfer). Seeing myself in the armor I have worked so hard on is absolutely fantastic! Now, on to attaching the remaining pieces to the strapping.

Not one with the same power source that I'm aware. Many use the Icomm and Aker behind the chest and run the mic up to your head, use a separate power source for your fans. I know some have added a lot of electronics to the helmet but it can be very tight on space if you include and aker and icomm in there I do like using seperate power sources as they run longer that way, no worries about running out at a long day convention, but each to their own.

That was also one of our favorite lines of the video discussed in staff chat. @jsilvius - You see that meme?

"Forever cooler than your friends". Love it! I'm going to tell mine the same thing. Bart

LOL - ok fair point! I will look at the build threads more!

It's not "things for your build area", but "made my life 100% easier", so I'll still comment A build thread and/or an Attaché. I only started my FISD journey once I was halfway done and had to rework almost everything later on. Having these from the beginning would have saved me a lot of work and time. Once I did join I started a build thread where I got tons of amazing feedback and my Attaché helped me with anything I ever needed help with. Made my build 100% easier. Thank you to all who commented on my build thread and to my Attaché Tino, you're the best!

Cooling down for a while, Chaos Division style! Please welcome TK 66744 to the Stormtrooper Hall of Fame, June 2023! @Morgi Troop log can be found here. Congrats on the badge! Many more to come! With Unquestioned Loyalty Jonatan Östling TK-23592 "Nairy" Curator Hall Of Fame