sharkbait

I actually like anime, and the style doesn't bother me. I would say I like the more "mainstream" animes, though (Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist, Escaflowne, Helsing, Outlaw Star, Witch Hunter Robin). Maybe because I've never seen those characters in anything but anime style, but here we have live action, semi-realistic computer generated animation, etc. I also didn't much like the style of the Clone Wars movie that much, but I still like it better than this. I guess if it's not the animation I used to watch on Saturday mornings when I was a kid then it's this newfangled stuff and y'all can get off my lawn.

I think FX, too. Helmet is wonky, chest plate has that "space boobs" look, the ab buttons look a lot like those I've seen on our OG guys still rocking the FX armor.

Easy Basic pass! Very nice job. I guess there are shims- I honestly can't see them in the photos, so great job there! The only thing I notice right off the bat for EIB/Centurion would be the overlap of the back/kidney, which should be an easy fix. Helmet looks clean, shoulders bells fit right, gaps look pretty good. Probably something I've missed, but definitely on that road. Putting a foam piece or a folded up wash cloth behind the shin will keep the sniper plate from tucking under the thigh when you move. Very, very common issue- just about every TK I've ever talked to or seen photos of has that issue (myself included).

I can't get past the animation style. It just looks... terrible, honestly. And those weird proportions bother me. Cartoon proportions, fine, but Clone Wars did a great job and it was animated. Also, the story line from what I've heard is more geared toward kids (nothing wrong with that, but I am in fact 32 and not 10 anymore).

Congratulations and welcome! "If Only You Knew"- so accurate!

I didn't even know there was a file for the helmet. Neat! How is it going to be to sand it smooth for chroming, though? Most 3D prints I've seen have pretty significant ribbing.

RT Mod or AM. They're both good for 6' and above, and larger body types. AM especially- they have two sizes, their regular and their large. You might very well end up with shims in areas regardless, but at least those will get you as close as possible. Just don't do RS Props (armor is well made, but made for 6' max, really more like 5' 10'' and pretty thin/slim) or Anovos (I just don't recommend Anovos period, but especially not for larger troopers).

Okay, I think I've totally lost it now- I swore I saw a post referencing 850 Armor Works a couple of hours ago, but now I can't find it for the life of me. Are they vetted? Issues? If so, what? I've got a potential new FOTK guy asking. They said only $500 for a kit, which seems suspiciously cheap, but maybe that's no helmet or something. Nevermind! I tracked it down.

Quite honestly just toss the Anovos supplied and start over. Black nylon webbing, Tandy Line 10 snaps and E6000 (and some patience) and you'll be good to go. You can salvage your industrial strength velco, though. With our Central California heat the sticky back will melt, plus it's just not up to our repetitive stress use. Reinforce the sticky back with E6000 and let cure for the full 48 hours. I use a nylon strip with Tandy snaps connections on my shoulder bell to bicep connections, and have never had an issue. You'll likely need to replace the elastic in the bell to shoulder bridge connection with some stronger-strength stuff than what Anovos hands out. You can get nylon webbing at fabric stores, onlinefabricstore.com, fabric.com, etc., and Tandy snaps at tandyleather.com, and E6000 nearly everywhere.

Congrats and welcome! Another success story of Troopers Helping Troopers!

"This will be a great addition to your costume and can be submitted for approval by the 501st Legion. Each regions GML will make the final decision." Well... at least he doesn't say it's "approvable" or "approved" by the 501st. While correct, his caveat of each GML making the final decision sounds like a great cop-out- hey I told you it was up to the GML! when this junky piece doesn't get approved. I personally think it's pretty shady for an actual 501st member to even hint that this thing would be good for a 501st costume, v. cosplay or just a costume. However I don't see anything technically wrong or Legion rule-breaking in the listing, just in a pretty shady gray area. I also think the markup is pretty high considering it's likely a rubies painted and lightly weathered- I find Rubies routinely for about $20/each. But that's my two cents and they're not worth much in the grand scheme of things.

FX helmet must be replaced for all new approvals, as you know, and it can't be used to reach Centurion (L3). Otherwise, I don't think it's a bad kit necessarily, but it's got some odd stuff that dates it, from what I've seen. The ab plate, buttons specifically, may not be up to snuff anymore- but I'm not positive as ti's been a while since I've seen an FX kit up close. Otherwise, I don't see anything in the CRL that would actively exclude it. Just check the CRLs and the parts carefully.

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/forum/19-request-expert-infantryman-status/ then Start New Topic in the upper right? Are you having issues posting anywhere else, or just that thread?

I wondered about that! I couldn't see the back of them on the inside either, so I thought they weren't there. I admit that did seem odd since you have so many other Centurion details, but they're so simple they're easy to forget. Another way to help with the thighs is to trim up the backs of the bottom so they don't grab/pinch behind the knee. Take small half-moon shaped pieces off and gradually make larger until more comfortable. That obviously won't help the top pinches, but it does make a world of difference when walking a lot, like in parades and stuff. Pulling the torso up just a bit should also help with that. If more is needed, I'd say just trim a slight bit off the tops of the thighs, since there's no return edge there anyway. You appear to be very close to a great fit, so it would be just minimal modifications. And to be fair, we're never done with our mods and our repairs- every costume is always in some state of needing repair or modification.

Yes, Hyperfirms are a rubberized material. They're damn near indestructible and allow for high-quality details. I have an ESB E-11 and a DLT-19 from HFx Productions/Lewis/Slavefive and they're great. His B-Grades are hardly distinguishable from his A-Grades, so you can snag a deal that way. Highly recommended. You just need to add a D-Ring for higher levels of approval. https://www.facebook.com/HFx-Productions-1669859386576227/

Easy basic pass, EIB looks pretty good once you tighten up the shoulder bells and the belt box elastic. For Centurion, you'll need the ab/kidney rivets. There's a lot more to that one, but with the pictures above, you seem well on your way there, at least! Are your thighs comfortable? They look really close to the cod- easy way to get nasty armor bites when walking.

Nice build! Welcome to the ranks! As far as Centurion goes, I can't tell from the pictures- do you have the six rivets on the ab/kidney?

I paid about $700 shipped for my AM 2.0 kit, about four years ago (I want to say it was $650 for the kit and $30 - $50 for shipping, US to US). It included all hard parts (including parts for ANH, ESB and Sandies), as is typical for most. (I think RS commissions come with just about everything). As to the cost of soft parts... I didn't keep great records of it, because I just lumped it all together with tools, supplies and electronics; and I've used most of the supplies and tools over and over again for other builds and stuff around the house.

I've had good luck fixing cracks with ABS paste and an extra small piece of ABS backing to add more thickness. Using a ceramic or non-plastic bowl, pour acetone (100% like from a hardware store- nail polish remover won't be strong enough) over small trimmings of matching ABS pieces. You'll need more than you think- let sit, and stir occasionally. If you add too much, it evaporates quickly, if you add too little, just add more. For this fix you'll want it quite runny, and a Popsicle stick works great for spreading. Spread it on the back of the piece first to get your technique down, then repeat the same on the front. Glue another small piece of ABS on the back to strengthen the area. Once the front is dry, sand down to remove any blemishes from the paste. I would also echo trimming the return edge down a little bit more- it will help in the long run. Do you have a bigger photo of the shins?

I'm following that one, too!

For eBay, it looks pretty impressive. I agree I think it's one of Jimmi's older kits- so it's more likely than not fiberglass, and therefore heavy. His new ones are fiberglass, too, but they have been lightened. There is a significant cracking/break in the shoulder/back/yoke area, which would concern me. I personally don't think it fits the model that great (biceps are way too big and awkward). Those gaskets look suspect. For the price, I'd go with someone here, someone definitely vetted. And you would know 100% what you're getting, vs. gambling with your hard-earned credits.

Author Larry Correia wrote a hilarious blog post about it, because he too is apparently now a Russian Troll. (He wrote the Monster Hunters International series and multiple other fantasy novels; highly recommend MHI- hilarious and fun reads!) I lost it at the picture of himself "thirty seconds after [he] read that nonsense." http://monsterhunternation.com/2018/10/02/my-russian-bot-review-of-the-last-jedi/

ABS is the way to go. Durable, easy to trim, lighter weight, keeps its shine, etc.

I would advise to always be little leery of "501st Approved" because nothing is 501st approved out of the box, as approved not only the details and accuracy, but that it fits you as the individual wearer. Now if they have some caveat about "eligible for 501st," or "approvable by 501st," or the like, then you're in safer territory. I've just personally seen too many listing and sites with "501st Approved armor!" and it is no where near basic, let alone EIB or Centurion. This is not to say there aren't vetted armor makers that indicate 501st approved or similar language- as mentioned above, RS Props commissions are quite good and I have seen several that were approved out of the box. They all have needed tweaking later to really be the best fit, as armor is really tough to fit with just measurements and not the person physically there. To me- if they're not on the vetted list here on Whitearmor, then stay away, it's not worth the chance for the money we shell out for these things. As far as Scouts go, I'd recommend Studio Creations or Walt's Trooper Factory (WTF)- Facebook and studiocreations.com. I have a WTF Shadow Scout and it's great, and I was originally going to go with Studio Creations until I found a deal on a WTF kit someone was offloading. But definitely check out http://www.501stpathfinders.com/ for Scout details and assistance. (or https://specops501st.com/ if you're interested in the Shadow Scout).

Nice! Yes, I have a resin TD (pretty light but still feels sturdy, for resin, I'm impressed and intrigued). The forearms are two parts. (The four bits next to each other just above the fingers). I realized when looking at other KB builds that the kit has undergone several revisions. Makes it hard to follow other build threads but good that they're paying attention.