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7mm was just the head size not the thread, head size can vary from 5-7mm depending on what is available TM reference: M3.5 x 25mm Supertrooper: 4/40 flat machine screws ATA: 4/40 flat machine screws A few threads on thread sizing:

Note: it is not a requirement only a suggestion so don't stress if you can't align the ears this way, some screen used helmets did not align perfectly The "ideal" ear placement is as seen below, where the screws line up with the rear angle of the trap right above it. Because some armorers design their helmets differently or send them pre-assembled this is not always possible to achieve, but it is suggested that you try to get as close as you can. Note: Top ear screws should ideally be located directly below the rear of the trap.

Here are some comparison shots, there is definitely some perspective vs orthographic issues when doing a comparison like this, but I think it shows well the differences. I'm definitely surprised at the outcomes but I want to see what y'all think @BigJasoni @TKModder421 @gmrhodes13

Troop #27 - 20 July 2024 - RAF Henlow Summer Ball Bit of a fun location for this one, an active RAF base. Being a secure site we had to get the blasters inspected which was taken a bit more seriously than at a convention! We were looked after very well getting a the sports pavilion to our selves for changing. The Ball was great, lots of people in No1 uniform, gowns and tux's having a great time. We did the usual patrolling of the event for photo opportunities. There was one attendee who joined when the sterling was still the the active service weapon and seeing us using them took him back. After initially showing him them up close we let have have a hold of one for a photo and he was impressed how accurate they were. Sadly the base is supposed to be closing, but I am hearing conflicting info from other sources so hopefully we will get another opportunity next year. TK-63827 - Mark Mulcaster DS-19777 - Karen Angel TK-10911 - Chris Pearson

Hello everyone! Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Mark and I am currently in the process of working on an ANH TK kit from Dave's Darkside Depot. This is my first ever "hard" costume build and I am slowly working my way through it. Right now the main goal is just basic approval, but if I find myself trooping more and more in it I may eventually attempt to bring it up to a top tier status. A little background: (long winded, skip to next post if your only interested in build) I originally became a fan of Star Wars through my Dad's VHS set of the Original Trilogy bought back in the late 80's. I watched those tapes to death, but they still maintain a place of honor on my bookshelf. I grew up with X-wings and Tie Fighters hung on strings in my room and every gift wrapping paper tube I could find immediately became a lightsaber. Then one day I was watching the Rose Bowl parade and to my surprise a small sea of white appeared on the screen. Stormtroopers! Lots of them, marching in the parade! And per the commentators, these were not actors but normal people in costumes THEY built. Little kid me thought it was so cool! Well time went by and in focusing on school, then college, then making a living, I just sorta forgot all about it. Fast forward to about 3 years ago. I had been living in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for a while and was in that post-pandemic slump everyone seemed to go through. I was in a go nowhere job, didn't really have any friends, and was spending way too much time sitting alone at home. One evening I was playing Battlefront 2 and that parade popped back into my head. I wondered if that group still existed and if there were any of them here in Texas. Google led me to this group called the 501st Legion and not only did they still exist, but they were now a charity organization? So I get to play in white armor, and also put some good back into the world? Sign me up! I contacted the 501st and they redirected me to my local Garrison, who then invited me to come visit the clubs at an expo that weekend. I spent a day talking to Tie Pilots, being chased by Jawas, and rescuing Mandalorians from overly chatty con-goers. Standing around with all these icons of my childhood, I knew I needed to be a part of this! I immediately began the plans to build MY Stormtrooper, but then...I was stolen! Out of the corner of my eye I saw a group of Jedi having a lightsaber fight. Remembering my cardboard tube lightsabers of old, I walked over to see what was going on. I hit it off with some of them and a few months later I am a costume approved member of Saber Guild! I have since then been a mainstay of our kids shows, performed fully choreographed saber fights in front of a stadium of people, and even have built a good deal of the props that decorate our show space. But out of the corner of my eye, I would always see that white armor walking around, and I knew it was only a matter of time. So after two years of swinging glowsticks, I have decided it is time to return to what brought me here in the first place.....a Stormtrooper! So that brings us to today. I am still an active member of Saber Guild, and that will probably remain my main club. I really enjoy performing for a crowd and entertaining kids with our "Padawan training". But I also want the ability to occasionally step out of the "Temple", put on a bucket, and play some "bad cop". Through the build videos put out by Dave, following AJ Hamler's build book, and talking with TKs at troops I have been able to make some progress on things. However, I have gotten to the point now where I think I need help from other builders to make sure I don't get too over my head. I would like to get input on what I have done so far so I can make corrections now versus finding out a borked something up at submission. I will try and upload build details and pictures as much as I can, however, between work, my side job, and Saber Guild troops, time is somewhat limited. The current goal is to have the costume done with basic approval by the end of the year. Before I end, I just want to send a quick shout out to Dave and AJ Hamler. Hamler's build write up is such an excellent resource to learn from and presents a lot of good ideas I would not have thought of as a first timer. And Dave, his kit and communication are excellent! I can't wait to get this built and be able to wear this AM set proudly! So, thank you for coming to my TED talk, and lets get into the build!

You guys all rock thank you very much for the information! I will be tackling the ears tomorrow ! Will post more then!

I am glad you are happy with your progress, because you should be! This looks great so far! I think Keep Trooping says you can expect up to 2 waves (2 months) to get your order. However, I received my boots after about 1 month. Mind you, I am a shock trooper, so I ordered different boots than you (red boots of the shock trooper versus the white boots for the ANH TK). As for feedback, I will leave most of that to others here who have built an ANH Stunt. However, one thing that catches my eye are your belt boxes. Are you planning on submitting this for Centurion? If so, the outer edges of your belt boxes will need to be aligned with the edges of the plastic belt face (the CRL notes that as a Centurion requirement). I should not go too much further with feedback at this point, but others should be here soon to provide feedback!

Well... It has certainly been a while. As it often does, life has gotten in the way of my personal projects, and I have only really had time to complete orders, school work, etc. Thankfully, with it being summer, I have been able to chug away at this kit, and it is in a good place currently. Unfortunately, I haven't really taken any photos of the work that went on since last post, but I will post the ones I have in the hopes of receiving some feedback. While working on the kit, it was evident that I was going to need larger pieces, as I mentioned in my initial post. I ordered some lengthened shins and forearms from Walt, and after a few months, they finally arrived. I sewed together a boat load of elastic and velcro for strapping, and kitted up. Here are the photos: All things considered, Im pretty happy with the way things are looking. I have boots on order from Keep Trooping, I ordered them on the 19th, which was the final day of this wave. From anyone else's experience, how long can I expect to wait for them? Just curious. Im hoping for a bit of feedback if anyone is willing to help. The angle of the photos could be better, next time I will ask to get them more straight on. To my knowledge, all the pieces seem to be on ok. The belt is a bit bunched in the back, and Im feeling that maybe some of the black gaps are a bit too big? Im not sure. I can lower the butt plate to close the gap between the thighs and posterior armor. Im a tad worried about the shoulders, as I don't think I can get them to sit any closer to the chest. Are gaps allowed at all in the back, whether that be between the chest and kidney or kidney and posterior? Any guidance is welcome! Thank you guys!

@Doggydoc, @JBar yeah, I feel like I shouldn't be picking at the ears much longer, since I'm bound to overdo it. So I'll leave it as-is and hopefully it will be approved. @JBar, @gmrhodes13 I figured out that I was not using my screw gauge properly, and for this kit (WTF), it's #4-40 screws. I don't see anything larger than that in the kit provided. Those screws and the S-Trim (original was too short) were supposed to ship last weekend, but didn't. But now I can just go buy some. I might just get ones that are all about 1" long. The ones in the kit would of course need to be snipped, but I'd rather not do that at risk of messing up the threading. I have a nice, snug countersink on the ears, and I'll paint everything later in 1-2 sessions. I'll also have to get some screws for the bottoms of the ears. Any guidelines about exactly where they go, or just eyeball from references?

For Level 3, all ear screws must be "..slotted, flat-topped, countersunk and painted white". Note: The recommended screw head size is #6/32 (7mm), with a length between 3/4" to 1" (17 to 25mm).

Every little bit adds up in the end

@anhsu Hi Dylan. Your request has been added to the queue. We will let you know if we need anything else.

I recently put together my Walt kit. Man was the helmet stressful but as others have said, go little by little. From what I’m seeing everything looks fine and you haven’t cut too much. Here’s how I did it. Line up the ear screw holes so they make a straight line from the traps. Trace that out and just make sure you have enough plastic overlap for the screws to pass through both plates. Also keep in mind those helmet won’t look symmetrical from the top down. It’s part of the old school TK charm I can get a better picture when i’m home tomorrow but here’s the underside of my bucket. It was tricky finding a balance between comfort and not cutting too much. Just keep going little by little and see what works. I personally trimmed out the bottom area last once everything else fits together since a lot can change by the time you screw the ears in