justjoseph63

GREAT question, Brendan! Due to the slight curves on the limb pieces, getting the cover strips 100% flush is just not going to happen in many cases so nothing to be concerned about. As long as you have the inside cover strips you should have no issues.

Nice job on this so far, Daniel! You have been given some great advice so far, but if I could add a couple of things to cosider: The cod seems to be a bit long and probably could use at least an inch or so taken off the top. This would be a good start in giving you the space between it and tops of the thighs. As it looks now with the cod so close to/overlapping the tops of the thighs you would more than likely have difficulty walking as they would be constantly rubbing together. Note in the 2 reference images how much of a gap there is on all sides of the cod (and the distance between the tops of the thighs and the belt), so for comfort, mobility and closer screen accuracy trimming the tops may be an option. Here is a close up of Justin's @TheRascalKing Jimmi build where he got it spot-on. Larger photos of the complete look can be found here. Keep plugging away, sir, and keep those photos and questions rolling in. Looking forward to seeing your progress!

Welcome, Josh! Most (if not all) of the kits sold by our vetted armorers (link here) can be cut down to fit danged near any size. Even the ones designed for larger troopers can be made to fit perfectly. I am 5" 11 150 lbs. and I use AM armor which is one of those made for larger troopers. Here is a link to see set of WTF armor on someone who is 6" /150 lbs. We are here to help every step of the way, so never be shy about asking questions!

That is GREAT that you are headed for level 3, Timothy! I have a tutorial here that will help. One thing I recommend is starting with a smaller drill bit and working your way up to the size you need to remove them. It is actually pretty easy, just take your time.

I purchase this type on Amazon and 2 yards (2 meters) should be more than enough. Just be sure to double over the ends about half an inch, which will reinforce them and keep the snaps from pulling out. I also suggest gluing/clamping the folded part.

I would also highly suggest moving to the snap system, Rodney. Better yet, as Andrew mentioned I would go with the double-snap method. Yeah, it's extra work but well worth every minute it takes to make and attach them. Trust me. Here is a perfect example of double snaps from @Adianu's build (thank you, Sherry)! The part of the snap that is secured (I suggest E-6000) to your armor is Nylon, while the strap itself is elastic (for mobility). I have a thread here which may help. To keep the screen accurate look you can actually just remove the wires (no one sees them anyway) and keep the screws in place.

From what I have observed, Stunt buckets normally had the brow sitting in a higher position above the eyes. Many (if not most) of the Hero versions had the brow sitting lower. Although the brow height is not specifically listed in the CRL at this time, keep in mind that the D.O.s also use official reference images (photos) when reviewing a costume, and depending on how the final product looks they may ask you to raise it slightly. If you want to change the brow height and it is sitting tight against the front rim of the cap (pushed all the way up), the only way to raise the brow is to reposition the face plate down a bit. It's entirely up to you of course, but doing this would also help the bottom line of the "tube" to line up better (blue arrow) and give you a nicer fit for the S-trim. In the reference image, note how the bottom of the tube lines up perfectly while the top does not.

I wouldn't trim anything off of the shoulder tabs of the chest plate. In your previous photo (first pic below) it sat in a lower position on the ab, but the way you have it now it rides a little high.

I think you are on the right track with your cuts, Jonathan. If I could make a few suggestions they would be: I see that your backplate is over-riding your kidney (1). Not by much and certainly not the biggest of deals unless you are (hopefully) aiming for Centurion. The back plate can have a minimal overlap for that, but you may be able to get rid of it altogether. Note how the angle of the arc in the screen used back is less severe than your is at the moment and the tabs on it are kinda' stubby. Removing some of the length on those tabs (in increments) will help it ride higher When you have your arms raised it's almost perfect (yellow arrow). One of the nuances of AM armor is that the bottom corners (orange arrow) tend to overlap more than the flat ridge between them. @A.J. Hamler has a fantastic tutorial on how to effectively take care of those (link here). "Are the snaps on the posterior meant to be functional or just for aesthetic? If so, where do the snaps connect to"? The 1" black elastic strap that connects the cod to the posterior plate tab should be connected to one of the snaps (your choice) Here are some detail pics from @WillJ's AM armor Centurion approval thread that will help. Note the length of the tab and the placement of the snaps. You can also see that the bottom of the back plate sits in a great position (blue), the corners have been trimmed and that the back of the neck sits pretty high (ideally in my opinion).

Glen is spot on about using the white paint before the blue. I have a tutorial here that may help.

Nice work, Kody! A couple of things if I may.. It looks like you have trimmed the top and sides of your sniper plate, but I would suggest removing 100% of the return edge on the bottom which will allow it to sit flush with the top of the calf. It could very well be the camera angle, but your TD (including the panel itself) looks a little long and the end caps seem a bit wide. If this is the case, as long as you have not glued them it's an easy fix! As stated in the CRL for Basic approval: Screen used reference As one our vetted armorers Walt makes an awesome kit no doubt, but one thing that I noticed with his is that the raised button panel is more ROTJ than ANH for some reason. ROTJ style While in the past this style has been approved at all levels for ANH, there are those who have opted to replace them with more screen accurate ones. Keep up the great work and keep those photos rolling in!

Way to go Sean!

Looking sharp, Dan! Seriously GREAT job on this build, brother.. always a pleasure seeing someone who has gone above and beyond with tons of details. Well done! If I could offer up a suggestion (not a big deal, btw) it would be: Your bucket seems to be riding a bit high, and I think padding may be the issue. If you can see clearly, no biggie, but if you find yourself tilting your helmet forward to see better you may want to either remove or reduce the padding in the top. I had this issue, so now I only have pads on the sides/rear so that it sits much lower and my bucket moves when I turn my head. Note how the bottom of the helmets sit lower and cover the neck opening in front. Just a heads-up here.. the D.O.s may ask you to raise your TD and bring it in closer. Ideally the top of the cannister should be lined up with the top of the canvas belt (see reference pics) and the top of the clips should be barely visible from the rear. The TD from your last submission (3rd pic below) looks great! Note how the bend in clips on the screen used TD (4th pic) don't even reach the height of the top of the cannister. Other than that, I think you have it nailed. Again, dynamite job in this armor, Dan, and I'm sure you will have that next approval soon!

Those posting the negative comments online obviously have no idea what we represent. If they would bother to dig a little deeper into our organization, they would find that we have raised over $360,000.00 for the "Make-A-Wish" foundation and many, many thousands more for local charities. We spend crazy amounts of money building our costume(s) and then drive countless miles to appear (for free) at the events we attend on our own time. Remember, we only show up when we are invited, and this includes children's hospitals, police community events, parades, etc. We are asked back to these events year after year for a reason. Yes, we are the "bad guys", but what kid wouldn't want to meet a "real life" Stormtrooper who gives them a high-five? We don't do this for notoriety. We do it because we care. Yeah, it's fun to dress up as your favorite SW character, but when you see a giant ear-to-ear smile on a kid (or adult) at a troop it makes all the time (and money) you spent building that costume worthwhile. "Bad guys doing good". Side note: I have been on more troops than I can count, and I have noticed that the vast majority of those wanting photos with members of the 501st (especially TKs) FAR outweighs those wanting a pic with a Jedi. No offense to you Rebel Legion types, lol.

Regular Velcro is fine for many things, but I swear by the Industrial Strength type. You need to let it adhere to the surfaces for 24 hours or so before joining it, but it almost takes an act of Congress (or Parliament in your case, lol) to remove it once the bond is set. You can get a meter (WAY more than you will need) on Amazon UK for less than 6 pounds. Link here.

I would definitely trim down the tab, Jonathan. (Trust me). The example has more squared corners, but for comfort I suggest rounding them out a bit. Either way shown below is acceptable for Centurion. Suggested Example

You have obviously put a great deal of work into this armor and paid attention to details, Sean, and I can definitely see a Centurion badge in your future! The D.O.s will go over any issues for Level 3 in your review, but if you want to get a jump on it one that will need to be addressed is the position of your ABS belt. As per the CRL for Centurion level: The top of the ABS ammo belt should sit at or just above the bottom of the central and vertical abdomen button panels It is usually held in place with snaps attached to the ab plate, which can be hard to adjust. An alternative to moving the snaps would be to use industrial strength Velcro AWESOME job on that blaster, by the way! As an E-11 enthusiast I was well impressed with all the details. Well done! Also, I know one D.O. (@Chemi) who will be very pleased with the position of your Han snap, lol. Perfect!

Overall a really sharp looking job on this armor, Sean! A couple of things may hold you back, but both are pretty straightforward to correct. As per the CRL for Basic approval, the paint on the teeth "does not leave the teeth area". Some (non acetone) paint remover and a toothpick will take care of that. Should take 10-15 minutes. Reference images For the TD, the white control panel (raised ribs) must face the rear, and yours is sitting pretty high. The clips should barely be seen (or not at all). One way to do this is to remove the TD, roll it back to the ideal position, cut off the ends, re-drill the holes and re-mount it. Again, 10-15 minutes or so and you will be golden. Reference image The D.O.s will need photos with your arms raised on the left side, showing the drop-box alignment and canvas belt details. You have a little work in front of you, but after seeing what a great job you did on this build these items should be a breeze! If you have any questions or need help we are here, so just ask. Looking forward to seeing the results!

Hi Sean! First, best of luck on your approval! You will need quite a few additional photos of your armor as well as your blaster. I have a thread (link here) that will show what is required. Looking forward to seeing them!

GREAT start to your build thread, Brad! Posting lots of detailed photos like you have here is the best (and fastest) way to get advice. I would definitely leave some return edges on the top/bottom of the kidney and top of the butt plate to keep them from over-riding each other. Other areas will be up to you, but I have a thread here which may help. AM makes a fantastic set of armor, but one issue that you may want to consider is that the bottom sides of the back plate often need a little extra work to keep them from overlapping the top of the kidney. Not a big deal for Basic or even Expert Infantry approval, but if you are (hopefully) aiming for Centurion it's something that may need to be addressed. A.J. has an awesome tutorial here that will help if you need it. Keep the questions and photos rolling in!

Oh yeah! Probably my favorite piece of merch ever. I used my Centurion approval # for the rear instead of my EI#, though. I don't get the chance to wear it much here in Florida, but this baby will be coming with me to Alaska in September.

Trimming the ears has always been the bain of most when building a bucket, but I think you nailed it, Chris! Super nice alignment on those ear screws, btw. I see no issues on the gaps, but there are a couple of items worth noting: The brow trim should ideally sit above the tops of the ears. Raising it just a bit may allow you to get the tops even closer (not that they need to be). Hopefully you haven't glued the trim in place, as it will make it MUCH easier to paint the traps or apply the decals (if you are using those). The screw heads look to have the correct diameter and will definitely get passed at both Basic and Expert Infantry level, but note that for Centurion (which I hope you will be aiming for) the dome shaped ones you currently have will need to be switched out for the V-shaped flat top style (last image below). If you have an ACE hardware nearby they sell these individually, but many other chains stores that sell hardware (like Lowe's) carry them as well. Keep up the great work!!

UPDATE: In case you haven't figured it out yet, this topic is an April fool's joke! Many thanks to the rascals who are behind the idea for this post- @Morgi (Luca), @MaskedVengeance (Caleb) and co-conspirator @revlimiter (Adam). Also a big shout out to those TKs (listed above in Justin's @TheRascalKing )post that had to endure relaxing in that hot tub, lol. Our apologies, but all submissions for LBT EI approval are indefinitely on hold (much to the relief of our D.O. staff).

Per the date of posting, I though this was an April Fool's thing, lol. Turns out I was (more than happily) mistaken. AWESOME graphics, and now that I have one it is now my new challenge coin. THANKS!

Even though some areas have not hit the 80 degree (or higher) mark yet, summer is outdoor trooping time! While many of us are old pros at this, those who have not participated in an outdoor troop on a hot/humid day should be aware of one word: Hydration. While most of the public will be wearing shorts and T-shirts, we are sporting a full body suit and are 95% covered with plastic... not exactly the perfect scenario to stay cool in the mid-day sun. Keeping your body properly hydrated is the key to successfully making it through your troop. Having cooling fans in your bucket certainly helps, but here are some pointers to stay safe (and upright, lol). THE DAY BEFORE Water- Plain and simple. To get your body ready, increase your consumption (in moderation) the day before. This will help hydrate you at the cellular level. A slow/steady intake the morning of and during the event will ensure that you make it through with no issues. The best way to tell if you are good to go is if your urine is clear . THE DAY OF Again, water. Drink as much as you feel comfortable drinking before and during. IMPORTANT: The sun is hot, you are sweating like a snowball on Tatooine so you decide to take a break. You take off your bucket and chug a big bottle of ice cold water. Bad idea. When your body is overheating, quickly drinking a big frosty container any beverage (even blue milk) constricts your blood vessels and can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, esophageal spasms (chest pains/cramping), shock and worse. Take a few sips at a time over the course of your break(s). SPORTS DRINKS If you are going to in the heat for several hours, adding a product that contains carbs, potassium, sodium and amino acids will help, but don't use them instead of water. Save those for afterward. COFFEE/TEA/SODA No need to skip your morning coffee/tea (or in my case Mountain Dew) in moderation, but be aware that caffeine is a diuretic, and too much can actually cause dehydration. IF YOU FEEL TOO HOT If you feel dizzy or need a break, it's nothing to be ashamed of so don't be a hero. Inform a handler immediately to escort you back to the break area. If one is not close by, don't wait, just go. If you feel really bad, have the person trooping closest to you to escort you back and stay with you. Even if in armor, sit down and drink small sips of cool (not ice cold) water. Call for medical help if you feel nauseated or dizzy. I have seen my share of troopers go down from the Florida heat. Not a pretty sight, so please be safe!