justjoseph63

Hi Gregory! What I would suggest is that even though your armor is already built, you can/should start your own "build" thread (link here). That way, you can ask all the questions you like in one place. Be sure to add all the photos you can.. the more the better! I have a link here which will help. Looking forward to seeing your progress!

I bought a second pair for my HWT since I troop in that armor more. If you are looking for something temporary, I suggest charcoal dust. That way you can clean it off if you want to go as a shiny white TK.

It's amazing just how much info. is included in this book... not just about TKs and our history, but about Mr. Muir's life and experience. Just finished up reading it for the third time a few weeks ago.

After many years here on the FISD I truly consider this my "happy place" and everyone here as my extended family. Just like a "real" family, some of us don't always see eye to eye on everything, but still we encourage each other, provide help when we can, share lots of laughs and revel in one another's accomplishments. We lend an ear (and the occasional shoulder) when needed and know that we have each other's backs like no other Detachment. It truly does make me proud to be a part of this group, and whether you be just starting down the path on your TK odyssey or are a seasoned vet, know that I appreciate you all and wish you the very best of what the holiday season and new year has to bring. Let's make 2023 the best year EVER on the FISD, and please help me keep crazy uncle Louie away from the Christmas punch.

Now that is one heck of a sweet find.. your diligence has paid off!

I dove into this rabbit hole head-first when I first started and haven't come up for air since, lol. I never dreamed that there was so much to learn about this crazy hobby, and I've met some of the best people I've ever known on this site. Yeah, it can definitely be addicting (like Cheez-its), and since there is just so much information here it's possible to spend hours a day (guilty) before and during your build. BUT, it can be just as (or more) gratifying to stick around and stay active after you get approved. There are always new folks beginning their TK journey, and it's nice to be able to pass on what you learned to them.

I normally leave about 1/4 inch or less on the sides of the back plate. For the bottoms I leave 1 cm (3/8") and the same on the top of the kidney.

Looks perfect, Bart!

At the end of the day that's what count's Terry. Whether it be building armor or a weapon you have to have some fun! Yeah, sometimes it can get a little frustrating, but you got some great practice in for when your next E-11 project arrives. It turned out pretty darned nice overall.. I'm not sure what the 3D print lines looked like before you started, but nice job on smoothing those out! One small thing that I noticed was that you have the U-tracks upside down. The open part should face up. The devil is in the details, so what I would suggest in the mean time is to check out some of the threads here and be sure to post up lots of photos during your build. This is especially important when you have a question or issue. Looking forward to seeing your next journey!

"At the end of the evening, Santa drove up in a dune buggy to award a very special gift to a very sweet Wish girl. Since this all happened last night, I suspect that most of her day today was spent jumping sand dunes here in Albuquerque in her new buggy". To be a part of something like this is what it's all about, folks. Thanks for sharing, brother!

The arms turned out fantastic, Bart! Yeah, the drop boxes could definitely be raised a bit and moved toward the rear.. in a perfect world they should look like the diagram below. Not to add to your list of woes, but I have 2 other easy to remedy suggestions if I may. 1. In the first pic it shows the top of your ABS belt covering the bottoms of the ab/button panels, but in the second pic it shows it sitting a little low. Not a requirement for Basic, but since the snaps that connect the cloth belt are already set, what you can do is use a piece of industrial Velcro (bottom photo). I use this same method. I borrowed Adam's pic to illustrate this. 2. In the second photo, I noticed that you have a point on the inside of the top of the forearm. This will poke into you, especially since while trooping we have our right arm bent in most of the time while carrying an E-11. I would suggest taking some sandpaper and rounding that off. Trust me. On a side note: DANG I'm glad to see what a great job you did removing all those return edges! Keep up the great work, Bart.. you are doing fine! I still say we need to start an OCD support group here. I'll be the first to sign up.. It's called the antecubital fossa, but elbow armpit sounds perfect. I am so going to steal that phrase, Adam.

Hi Luca, and thank you for your submission for ANH Stunt Centurion! CRL and CENTURION Application Requirements: All required photos have been submitted, and on behalf of the entire D.O. staff we are pleased to welcome you to the rank of CENTURION. Congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly; In this area we review observations made by your fellow troopers and the DO team. Some observations may lead to suggestions to improve the overall look of your armor, and please keep in mind that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions. Sorry for the delay, but thank you for taking care of the issues mentioned in your EI submission, brother! I see that trooping like a madman has indeed added some weathering. Not the biggest of deals of course, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention it, lol. I'm actually kind of digging the "battle worn" look, but the hand guards could use a quick coat of paint. One thing I would mention is the cracking issues. Inevitable for the most part, and it looks as if you have addressed the ones in your posterior plate. The one in the shoulder tab should probably be tackled with some scrap ABS for strength. Other than that, congrats and welcome to the ranks as the newest Centurion in the German Garrison!

I'm actually OK with a slight overlap on the right side, as it's fairly common: It's the left side that's more important IMO. I agree about RS' return edges on the sides... way too large.

Lookin' GREAT, Luca! You really did a nice job on moving those ab/kidney rivets, brother, but can you post up a detailed/close up photo of the connection? The reason I am requesting this is that since it can be a bit tricky to do, many folks give up at EI... but not you! I would like to show this as an example of what can be done when someone sets their mind to it and goes the extra mile. THANKS! Your present photo Your EI photo (super clear)!

Agreed. When trooping (especially if there are a lot of kids present.. of all ages) you will often get asked "Can I hold your gun"?** If you have a rubber blaster you don't have to worry about them dropping it. But, for display purposes I prefer a realistic looking version. ** I personally don't suggest letting anyone hold your weapon. The reason being is that you have no control over where they will point it (or at who) for a photo. I normally say "Lord Vader forbids it" or "It's against Imperial regulations" or something along those lines.

THAT's the spirit! Sort of like when I bought my first ever armor kit... on ebay. Ugh. This was before I had ever heard about the 501st or FISD, and it... was... terrible. However, I still built it which gave me a solid base of experience for when my "real" kit arrived.

Prices?

..."likely" LOL. By the way, I have a few buckets for sale: Version 1- Almost used in a local cable access show- $3,500. Version 2- Seen on the jumbo screen during the Disney Christmas parade in 2016- $8,400. Version 3- Glimpsed by Anthony Daniels at Disney (May the 4th, 2017)- $11,600. Version 4- And the big one.. photographed with "Weird Al" Yancovic- $28,900. Serious offers only, please.

I know a lot of folks like the "thicker" look that return edges provide, but in order to get the top(s) to look decent it will require removing the return edge and the top of the cover strip. Keep in mind that most screen used thighs had very little of a lip on the front and none at all in the rear. Many of us remove all the return edge for comfort and reduce the possibility of "armor bite" (pinching) and chafing. This thread may help.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Terry, but in order to modify this blaster into an ANH style one would take a LOT of work and extra parts. While it may look similar in some respects, the ROTJ is based off the Sterling Mark V, and the ANH version is the Sterling Mark 4 L2A3 so they are two different base weapons. I chalk this up to the seller not listing the type of E-11 in their etsy listing, and many new folks are not aware that the blasters were very different in each of the OT films. It has a few nice things going for it, but to be honest it would even need a lot of mods to make into a decent ROTJ E-11. sad to say. ROTJ E-11 This is my ANH E-11 for comparison.. Lots of differences. If it were me, what I would suggest is to go ahead and build this one (I have a thread here which may help) which will give you some really good experience with smoothing/sanding/gluing etc. ... and keep the pictures rolling in! I would then have a new ANH version printed. If you don't own a printer, there are many companies/individuals that can do it for you. The files I would use are Bryan's @trooper96. In addition to being free, they are in my opinion the most insanely accurate ones available. Anywhere. (Link here). Again, my apologies for the bad news but don't let it get you down. Whether it be building armor or a weapon we have all had our share of setbacks (been there, done that) so keep your spirits up and know that we are here to help with any questions you may have.

Can I ask where you got the kit (link)? If you have access to any 3D reference images of it I can give you some pointers.

As a fellow E-11 building fanatic I would like to say that I hope you post up some photos of your build!

One word of warning through, Terry.. when BBB day comes, you will tear open that box like a kid at Christmas (like most of us did) and then realize "Oh crap, I have to put this thing together", lol. Not to worry, though. In addition to research, for a dynamite looking set of armor the main key is to ask questions. Lots of questions. Many builders just forge ahead when encountering a problem and most of the time it ends up badly. Better to hit us up for guidance rather than guess. Trust me.

Adam is absolutely spot-on with that advice. Using a Dremel is the easiest way to remove the excess, but do it a little at a time until you get where you need to be. Using the sandpaper will remove any burrs and give you a nice smooth edge.

Boiling water should not affect the snaps, but what I would be concerned about is the corner as shown below in the second photo. When you bend ABS the stress has to go somewhere, and sharp angled corners (especially those with return edges) are where issues (cracks) begin. Before making any adjustments I would remove the remaining small return edge (yellow line), being sure the the corner is rounded out somewhat. I have a thread here which will give you a little more information on the subject, and looking forward to seeing the results! Example (screen used armor).