shashachu

Belt position looks great. I put a couple small strips of Velcro in addition to the snaps to keep it from sagging during troops.

Congrats!

Yup - these ones from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EL938E6/ You can see the final setup here: Actually on my last troop of the year my fans stopped working, and I realized one of the solder points on the switch had broken. But they lasted a dozen troops over the year until they had to be repaired, so I was reasonably happy with that. Re: fan on top of your head, that sounds delightful, but my helmet has to sit right on the top of my head, otherwise I can't see out of it, so I don't have any room for a fan on top. As I'm sure you're realizing, you'll be continuously tweaking your armor.

This is awesome. Electronics is a huge blind spot for me and I've always wanted to learn. I did manage to make the fans myself but that's about the extent of my abilities. How many fans are you planning on using? I use the standard 2 fan setup (mounted at the edge of the frown and pointing up at the eyes) and I haven't (yet) found myself wishing I had more. There are at least a few guys in my garrison who don't use fans at all, which seems like madness.

Congrats!

Great work, Eric!

Hi Fernando, thank you for your EI submission, and thanks for the quick fix for the TD screws. CRL and EIB Application Requirements: All required submission photos have been posted, and I am very pleased to announce your armor displays all the necessary elements to qualify for ANH Stunt Expert Infantry. On behalf of the entire D.O. staff, congratulations!  Other-Armor Fit/Assembly: In this section we review observations made by your fellow troopers and ourselves. Some observations may lead to suggestions to improve the overall look of your armor. Starting with the helmet, just a few nitpicks to really improve the look. As was mentioned by your fellow troopers, the brow is a bit low. While the screen-used helmet brow position was a bit all over the place, the Stunt helmets tended to have a bit more white showing above the eyes. Next, there's quite a bit of white showing at the tops of your teeth, so you might consider extending the gray paint. Finally, it might just be the photo, but your left side tube stripes appear to be a bit lower than the right. Both sets should be about a pencil width away from the cheek. Reference Image: Continuing on the helmet, the paint on the traps seems a bit small, so you might consider extending it more to the edges of the plastic. Reference Image: Additionally, the Stunt helmets generally had the ears positioned a bit more slanted than you have yours, following the edge of the trap, while yours are positioned more vertically: Reference Image: This is certainly one of the more difficult corrections to make. Continuing down, as others have pointed out, your forearms appear to be a bit high: As you can see, there is little/no gap between your bicep and forearm, and a significant gap at the wrists. Sliding the forearms down if possible would improve the look as well as improve your mobility. Additionally, it's probably just a dressing/photo issue, but your left forearm looks a bit large in this photo. Finally, just to get a clean look, it's nice to align the coverstrips vertically: Reference Image: As others mentioned, it improves the look of your armor to have the tops of the ab and kidney aligned. It is likely just a dressing issue: Reference Image: I also wanted to point out that the tops of your thighs are touching and even slightly overlapping the cod/butt in some places: There's such a significant gap at the knees, that I'm wondering if slightly dropping your thighs might fix it. This should also improve your mobility and prevent painful pinches. Reference Image: Very nice painting job on the ab buttons. This is a very small detail, but if you like, you could adjust the paint so that it does not reach the edge of the buttons: Reference Image: Moving along, as has been pointed out, we suggest that you remove the white paint from the cod and posterior snaps: Reference Image (sorry it's so small): Finally reaching the lower limbs, this is likely another dressing issue, but your calf coverstrips are a bit misaligned, especially the right one. Reference Image: Centurion Suggestions:In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos are requested that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustment etc. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all we can from what is seen but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. The CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. Your shoulder bells show a gap at the top. It should be a simple strapping adjustment to bring them into place. Reference Image: For the left side ab/kidney rivets, the CRL says: Rivets are equally spaced along the depth of the armor and about 10mm from the edge. It could just be the photo, but I would double check how far the ab rivets are from the edge of the ab plate; they look to be a bit far. Reference Image: Moving the rivets would involve filling the holes with ABS paste, but I have the utmost confidence in you and your armor building skills. And that's it! Congrats again from all of us! Now get out there and make The Empire proud!

Fantastic! I was just about to reply that we don't recommend nylon screws for durability reasons, but that if they were painted black and looked correct, that would be fine since the CRL does not specify that they have to be metal. Thanks again for the updated photos - I'll be with you soon.

I will check with the other DOs and let you know. Thank you!

Hi Fernando, Thanks for the extra photos. Unfortunately as @gmrhodes13 pointed out, your TD screws will need to be replaced. Yours are close, but note in the reference photo that he posted above, the top of the screw is flattened, not rounded like yours. I believe that @justjoseph63 has TD screws available, but if you need help locating some, let me know OPTIONAL Level two certification (if applicable): Clips shall be attached with slotted, pan head style screws, and be black (two per clip). Since you will be replacing the screws, if it is possible to slightly reposition the clip to get rid of this gap between the clip and the TD end cap at the same time, that'd be a nice touch. Thermal detonator belt clips are positioned with little to no gap between the clips and the end caps. Finally, could you please add photos of your left side ab/kidney connection (with no belt - you don't have to wear the armor) so that I can see the rivets? Sorry I missed that the first time. Thanks for your patience.

Hi Fernando, thanks for your submission! I'll be working on your application. Your fellow troopers have already made some good suggestions. Could you also post the following additional photos just so I can see some of the details better? * Close-up of the thigh ammo pack rivet (inside and out) * Clear side view of the sniper knee * Close-up of the thermal detonator screws * Close-up of boots * Close-up of belt/holster attachment Thanks!

Awesome progress on your build! Re the forearms, are you planning on trimming off a notch? If so, something you could also consider is taking apart the forearms and aligning the tops more, and trimming them even on the wrist end, since you don't want any return edge on the wrist end anyway. I don't have an ATA kit so I don't know how well it would actually work.

Hey Daniel, welcome back and thank you for your Centuriom application. Thank you also for making several of the suggested corrections and for providing updated photos. CRL and Centurion Application Requirements: All required submission photos appear to be present. Fantastic job on your build. On behalf of the FISD Deployment team I'd like to welcome you to Centurion. Congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly: In this area we discuss any areas still needing some improvement. Though they will not hold you back from Centurion, Centurion is the elite level of accuracy and what we suggest here will help you reach that. First, great job on the vocoder repaint! It does look like you might still have some paint smudges left, so just a quick pass with a cotton swab and some paint thinner could clean that up: Next, this is almost certainly just a dressing issue, but I thought I'd point out that in one of your updated photos, your ab plate is peeking out from under your chest, so I'd just double check that the strapping there is tight enough to keep everything in place. Reference Image: Another small thing I'd point out is that now that your belt has been given a haircut, you might want to trim the corners of your plastic belt just a touch in order to align them with the canvas. Reference Image: Moving along, I apologize for not pointing this out during your EIB application, but we noticed that the thigh ammo rivet is a bit bumpy. It could just be excess paint, but the original rivets were smooth head single cap rivets so it'd really make things look clean if that fastener was either sanded smooth or replaced: Reference Image Finally, just for completeness, I'll mention again that the corners of your TD clips should be square not round. (I know you said you would get to that; I just thought I'd mention it for the benefit of those who might be viewing your application in the future.) Reference Image: And that's it! Congrats again, Daniel, and get out there and make the Empire proud!

How close are the chest and back tabs to each other (area in rectangle)? I've been staring at your photos for a while trying to figure out what to do with your chest plate positioning, and I'm wondering if actually it might help to drop your whole chest plate a touch: Then it should 'hang' from your shoulders a big more vertically, and I think that will help it sit against your ab plate more closely. Does that make sense? And actually looking back at this post in October, the chest plate seems to sit a bit more snugly against the ab in that fitting; do you recall what you did back then?

Hi Daniel! Thanks so much for your patience, and for making the adjustments suggested in your EIB application. Could you include the following photos: closeups of your boots, as well as closeups of the front and backs of your shoulder bridges. Thanks!

Congrats

Congrats!

Sorry, I noticed the pics are a bit wonky on mobile; fixing. - Done.

Hi Daniel, thanks for your submission and your patience as we reviewed your photos! CRL and EIB Application Requirements: All required submission photos have been posted, and I am very pleased to announce your armor displays all the necessary elements to qualify for ANH Stunt Expert Infantry. On behalf of Tony, Dan, Joseph and myself, congratulations!  Other-Armor Fit/Assembly: In this section we review observations made by your fellow troopers and ourselves. Some observations may lead to suggestions to improve the overall look of your armor. Not much to add beyond what's already been posted. Beautiful job on your build! Starting with your helmet, the left trap paint (or decal?) looks a bit cracked/wrinkled - is that just a reflection? If not, that might be an area worth cleaning up. Reference Image Continuing with the helmet paint job (which is, overall, very nice) one nit I'd point out is that the paint on the vocoder seems quite thick and shows some runs. It would really make the helmet look cleaner if that was touched up. Reference Image Moving along, as has been pointed out, the return edge on the bottom of your chest is a bit thick, and could be trimmed. That would also help it sit flush against your ab plate. Reference Image: As your fellow troopers have also already pointed out, you could adjust the strapping between your biceps and forearms so that the gaps on your arms are even. Reference Image: Moving down to your belt, as Joseph already mentioned, the canvas could use a haircut. Reference Image And another small item worth mentioning is that it looks like plastic of your belt wants to pull away a bit from the canvas. This might be corrected with a bit of heat bending of the plastic, or perhaps different/stronger fasteners connecting the plastic to the canvas. Reference Image: Rounding out the belt area, it's not a huge deal but if you want to go for ultimate screen accuracy, the ends of the TD clips should be squared off, not rounded. Reference Image Continuing on, I'm not sure if this is the overlap you mentioned in your application, but in some of your photos, your butt plate is overlapping your right thigh. You might be able to adjust the strapping, or trim one or both of the butt plate and top the thigh. This would also be a particularly painful area for armor bites. Reference Image: Moving down to your lower limbs, the sniper knee looks like it might be tucked under the thigh armor. Some foam on the back of the thigh and/or the front of the shin should help it stay properly positioned. Reference Image Centurion Suggestions:In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos are requested that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustment etc. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all we can from what is seen but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. On the forearms, the CRL states: No return edge on the inside of the front of the forearm is allowed. It could just be the photo, but it looks like you could have a bit of return edge left, so I'd double check both forearms. Should be a simple fix. Reference Image For the shoulder bells, the CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. Your front gap looks great, but there's a bigger gap in the back. It could be a dressing issue, or you may be able to trim some return edge off the bottom of the shoulder bells to bring them in closer. And that's it! Congrats again, Daniel, and see you at Centurion!

Hi Daniel, thanks for your submission! We'll be with you shortly.

Congrats!!

Hi Paul, I'll only comment once as to not further hijack Rodney's thread. Also, I didn't see what you'd previously posted so I'll just respond to what's written now. Not everyone knows that despite a single person posting the review, all EIB and Centurion reviews are actually a collaboration amongst all DOs, and everyone needs to sign off on an approval before it's posted. Everything that was in my post was OKed by the others, and in fact I had a couple suggestions that Tony asked me to remove due to them not actually being consistent across armors. That all said, I will be the first to admit that I'm far from an expert on Stormtrooper armor (especially Hero armor), I just have a desire to give back to this community and a willingness to learn. Those particular suggestions on the helmet were based on my own observations and also from looking back at suggestions I'd seen in previous EIB/Centurion reviews. As I'm sure you know, what we know about armor is constantly evolving, and I was just suggesting something that I thought would improve the look of the armor based on my own knowledge. If that was incorrect, so be it, and I can only try to improve next time. None of these suggestions are ever meant to be an attack on the armor or builder. At the end of the day, we're all here for the same reason - our love of Star Wars and these cool plastic spacemen. I'm happy to discuss more over PM - like I said, I know I have a lot to learn still. Cheers, Sha Sha

Hi Rodney, Thank you for making all of the suggested changes so quickly! CRL and EIB Application Requirements: All required submission photos have been posted, and I am very pleased to announce your armor displays all the necessary elements to qualify for ANH Hero Expert Infantry. On behalf of Tony, Dan, Joseph and myself, congratulations!  Other-Armor Fit/Assembly: In this section we review observations made by your fellow troopers and ourselves. Some observations may lead to suggestions to improve the overall look of your armor. Beautiful job with your build - just a few suggestions to help you look your best. Starting with the helmet, your vocoder paint could be fixed up to create a bit more definition in the shape: Reference Image Finally, the brow trim, particularly on the left side, looks a bit short. Reference Image Getting into the *really* nitty gritty, the black rank bar is painted just a tad wide: Reference Image Moving along, as others have suggested, you could drop your forearms to even up the black gaps on the arms. You should be able to accomplish this by slightly lengthening the strapping between the bicep and forearm. Reference Image The ab/kidney rivets could also use a bit of touch up paint: The ab button plate shape/size is perfect, but the paint on the buttons themselves is a tad large: Reference Image As you can see, ideally the paint doesn't *quite* cover the entire ab button. Continuing down, your butt plate pops out a bit from under the kidney, but it should stay under the kidney. Reference Image You should be able to fix this with a strapping adjustment. Centurion Suggestions:In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos are requested that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustment etc. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Per the L3 requirements: Drop boxes are vertically aligned with the end of the ammo belt with minimal gap between belt and box. Yours are close, but not quite aligned with the end of the plastic belt. Most folks put a dab of E6000 or CA glue to keep the belt box elastic in place. Reference Image As for the shoulder bells, the L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. Your front gap looks great, but the rear is a bit large. It could just be a dressing issue, or you may be able to trim off some of the lower return edge from your shoulder bells to bring them in closer. Reference Image That's it for now! Congrats again, and we hope to see you at Centurion! Note: since I'm new at this, Dan aka @CableGuy is going to press all the buttons to make your status official, but you may consider yourself approved.

No worries! Appreciate your patience.

Aaallllmost there! If you could include a photo of the inside of the thigh ammo belt rivet, that should be the last thing we need - just to show the type of rivet connection. Thanks for your patience. Here is the pic from my EIB application for reference: