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shashachu

Imperial Attaché[TK]
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Everything posted by shashachu

  1. Hello José! I'm very sorry for not seeing this earlier, but we'll need you to make one more correction for Centurion. Your 'Han' snap needs to be moved closer to the corner of your ab. We don't require a precise measurement, but this is an area where we'd like troopers to more closely match the reference photos, and yours is too far in. You'll need to drill out the snap, move it, and fill the old hole with ABS paste. Reference Image: You're almost there, my friend, and I have total confidence in you. Please let us know if you need anything from us.
  2. Hello Rob! Thanks for your application! We'll need you to make a few corrections before we can proceed with your application. First, you'll need to replace and paint your thermal detonator screws. The L2 CRL states: Clips shall be attached with slotted type, flat or dome top style screws, and be black (two per clip). V head screws are not permitted. So almost any slotted screw will work except a v-head. You'll also want to use black screws, or just use a bit of black paint on them. Reference Image: Next, as @SirFalconian said, you'll need to close up that ab/kidney gap a bit. Any gap between the abdomen and kidney armor is no more than 1/2" (12.5mm) wide. Besides being careful when dressing, you can try tightening your belt, and many troopers have good success connecting the left side rivets with nylon instead of elastic. In the meantime, we'll also need some additional photos: * Helmet right side * Close up of hovi tips/vocoder * Close up of shoulder strap connection * Close up of ab buttons * Interior strapping * Sniper knee front, left, and right * Close up of cod and butt connection to show presence of rivet + 2 snaps * Belt interior * Closeup of inside and outside of thigh ammo pack rivet * Rear of blaster (to show D-ring) Thanks!
  3. Hi Ivan, Thanks for your application! I apologize for the delay in your review; sometimes real time gets in the way. Thanks also for the quick fixes. Let's get started! CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of the DO team and myself, many 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. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions Starting from the top, this is totally a matter of personal preference but I'd consider trimming just a bit more out of your helmet eyes. While there's nothing wrong with the way you have them trimmed now, your trooper does have a bit of a sleepy look. Reference Images: Next up, your biceps are pretty uneven, with your left one sitting quite a bit lower than the right. Not only will raising your left bicep give you a bit better arm mobility, but it will also keep your left forearm from running into your handguard. Reference Image: Moving along, we're suggesting you touch up the white paint on your left side ab/kidney rivets. While the scratches probably do actually better match screen-used armor, we tend to lean a bit more towards that idealized 'fresh off the Death Star' look. Reference Image: On the opposite side, your 'Han snap' is sitting a bit low. It's not so off that we'd block for Centurion, but if you're looking for ultimate screen accuracy, you could replace the snap and fill the old hole with ABS paste. Reference Image: Finally, just a dressing issue. When you're getting suited up, it really takes the look of your armor to the next level to have your cover strips aligned. So when you're at your next troop, just have a handler give you a once-over to make sure things are lined up. Reference Image: Centurion Requirements In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos may be requested in the future that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustments. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items to pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all that we can from what is seen, but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. The L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. Your shoulder bell gap is quite wide, especially in the front. You're a bigger trooper so it can be hard to minimize the gap, but some tips include tightening the strapping connecting the shoulder bells, and making sure all the lower return edge of the shoulder bells is trimmed back. You may also want to consider rotating the bells forward so at least the front/rear gap is even. Reference Image: Moving to the rear, the L3 CRL states: Back plate shall have no, or minimal overlap of the kidney plate. The 'wings' of your back plate are overlapping the kidney a decent amount. I actually think that a bit of heat bending to point them out may do the trick. We also noticed that the strapping in the center of the back/kidney connection looks longer, so tightening that may position the back in a better place. Reference Image: Moving along, great job with getting that gap down for your EIB approval; glad the nylon strapping did the trick. For Centurion, however, there should be no gap. Ideally there no gap between the abdomen and kidney armor. Abdominal and Kidney Plate align horizontally at top. A single visible seam line is present. It may again just be a matter of dressing, but you'll need to eliminate that last bit of gap if you apply for Centurion. At worst, you may need to shim your armor some, but just note that for Centurion the shim must be seamless, so you'll have to fill the seam with ABS paste and sand it smooth. Reference Images: Finally, a couple issues with your belt. The L3 CRL states: The top of the ABS ammo belt should sit at or just above the bottom of the central and vertical abdomen button panels. Note in the reference images that the plastic of the belt should touch or even slightly overlap the last ab button. Next, the L3 CRL states: Canvas belt must be firm / sturdy in appearance. No creasing or sagging  Your belt seems to be creasing/sagging at the holster connection. I don't have personal experience with Trooperbay belts so I'm not sure if that area is a little thin, or maybe if you just need to flatten out that area? Worst case you may need to replace the canvas belt for Centurion. Reference Image: And that's it! Great job on your build, and congrats again on reaching EIB. We hope to see your Centurion application soon, but until then, get out there and make The Empire proud!
  4. Hi Matthew, Thanks for your patience as we reviewed your application. CRL and Centurion Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Centurion! On behalf of the DO team and myself, many congratulations! Other-Armor Fit/Assembly In this area we discuss areas that could benefit from additional improvement. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions Your belt is still looking a bit loose, and in these photos, slightly off-kilter. Again, probably mostly a dressing issue, but next time you're at a troop, have a handler make sure the belt is nice and snug. And as was pointed out by your fellow troopers, the belt is a bit long, especially if you were to tighten it more. Reference Image: Finally, great job on recentering the sniper knee. It's still a bit crooked, so if you're finding yourself with nothing to do on a rainy, day, you could give it another go. I know from past applications, that the AP armor is particularly challenging in this area. And that's it! Congrats again on reaching Centurion - now get out there and troop!
  5. Hola José! I love how happy you look in your photos. *Great* job with fixing the teeth on your helmet. A couple small issues before we continue with your Centurion application. First, the L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. Your shoulder bell gap in the EIB application photos actually looks a lot smaller so it might just be the way you are holding your arms, but the rear photo is showing a pretty big gap: Can you post new photos from the front and back showing minimal shoulder bell gap? Reference Images: . Next, your belt is still a little low. The L3 CRL states: The top of the ABS ammo belt should sit at or just above the bottom of the central and vertical abdomen button panels. If you look at the reference photos, you'll see that the top of the plastic belt should be touching or even slightly overlapping the bottom ab button. . On my own kit, I added a little velcro to my belt to keep it from sagging. You're almost there! Just a couple small fixes. Let me know if you have any questions.
  6. Thanks Ivan! I'll be with you ASAP. Pass on our thanks to your daughter for helping you out, too!
  7. Paint looks great - thanks for the fix. I'll keep an eye out for the other fix. Great work!
  8. Hi Ivan, The first of photos (the ones Q replied to) I agree look good on the top but I agree there's a bit of paint on the gums on the lower middle teeth. (Apologies for the rough photo; I'm on my phone) Let me know if you're still not sure and I can try to clarify. My intention is definitely not to frustrate you - we're just trying to help you look your best! Hope this helps.
  9. Hi Ivan! Thanks so much for your EIB application. There are a couple corrections needed before we move forward with your application. First, your frown paint needs to be cleaned up a bit, as the CRL says Frown is painted gray and does not leave the teeth area. It seems to just be on the upper teeth, but the paint shouldn't be on the 'gum' area. Reference Images As you can see, you can even err on the side of underpainting the teeth. A few minutes with some mineral spirits or paint thinner and a toothpick or cotton swab should do the trick. Next, regarding the ab/kidney gap, the L2 CRL states: Any gap between the abdomen and kidney armor is no more than 1/2" (12.5mm) wide. I think you're very close and it seems to vary a bit from photo to photo, but your ab/kidney gap appears to be too wide, especially on the left. Reference Images: It may just be a matter of tightening the belt or being more careful during dressing (that may be what you meant by missing a snap), but it also appears that your ab and kidney are attached with elastic instead of nylon. Swapping to a nylon strap, maybe even just at the top, should help keep the ab/kidney gap to a minimum. Just a couple small corrections and then we can proceed. Let us know if we can be of assistance! -Sha Sha
  10. DO IT DO IT
  11. Loving this thread! Sorry about the crappy comments on imgur... And re elastic etc, Joanne's usually has a pretty good selection of sizes and colors.
  12. Hi Matthew, Thanks for your application! You have a very clean build and you have clearly done your research. CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of the DO team and myself, many 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. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions Starting from the top, a couple suggestions for your helmet. First, although there was a fair bit of variation on brow height, Stunt TKs tended to have a slightly higher brow than yours is, while Hero brows were lower. So we're suggesting you scoot up the brow just a touch to get that classic Stunt look. Reference Images: Next, as was pointed out by your fellow troopers, your vocoder could use some cleanup. We're not asking for perfection, but just a few minutes with some paint and mineral spirits could really improve the look. Next, it looks like your right side ab/kidney closure could be closed up more tightly. You could try tightening the strapping, or perhaps a little heat bending to help the kidney wrap around your body a bit better. Reference Image: Additionally, it looks like your canvas belt is a bit loose. Note that if you do tighten it, that may leave the end of your belt peeking out from behind the Thermal Detonator; if that's the case, we'd also recommend shortening the canvas belt. Reference Images: Finally, it looks like your shins are riding a bit high. I see that you're on the taller side, so you don't want to pull them down so low that you create a big gap between your thighs and shins, but if the problem is that they ride up as you walk around, you can consider adding a stirrup to the inside, or adding a bit of velcro to your boot. Reference Images: Centurion Requirements In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos may be requested in the future that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustments. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items to pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all that we can from what is seen, but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. Again starting from the top, the L3 CRL states for the helmet screws: Ear screws shall be slotted, flat topped, countersunk and painted white. Your upper screws look great, but your lower one is sticking out a bit. Maybe just a couple turns, or you can use a deburring tool or drill bit to countersink the screw hole so that the screw head sits more flush. Reference Image: Next, your shoulder bells. The L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. From the front things look pretty good, but there's still a gap at the top of your left shoulder, and I also pointed out an area where your undersuit is peaking out, breaking up the clean lines of the armor. From the back there's a bigger gap, so you should do your best to minimize that. Finally, I noticed that you have quite a bit of lower return edge on your shoulder bells, so removing all of it will help your shoulder bells sit closer to the chest and back. Reference Images: Next, this is definitely just a dressing area, but the L3 CRL states: Abdominal and Kidney Plate align horizontally at top Yours are misaligned in most of the photos, so just be sure to get those straightened out when you take your Centurion photos. Next, your ab button plate is *super* clean, but unfortunately will need to be adjusted for Centurion. The L3 CRL states: Ab button paint shall not extend beyond the bottom of the actual raised button. Reference Image: If you take a look at the reference photo, the paint stops just short of the edge of the plastic button. Next, an issue with your belt. The L3 CRL states: Drop boxes are vertically aligned with the end of the ammo belt with minimal gap between belt and box. This may just be perspective in the photo, but it looks like your drop boxes are not quite aligned to the ends of the plastic part of the belt. Adding a drop of glue to the white elastic holding them on usually keeps them from wandering. Reference Image: Finally, we will need you to adjust your sniper knee position before applying for Centurion. The ridges are very well aligned, but unfortunately that's left the knee very far off center. Although this isn't something that's explicitly stated in the CRL text, we do consider images when doing our armor reviews. Looking back at other AP applications, it does seem like this kit is particularly difficult to get the sniper knee in place, but we do know it's possible to get closer overall alignment. Careful clamping and gluing should do the trick. Reference Images: And that's it! Although there are a few adjustments needed for Centurion, most of them are relatively minor, so we hope to see your application soon. In the meantime, get out there and make the Empire proud!
  13. Hi @mlarsen! Sorry for the delay. Could you please post a well-lit photo of the hovi tips? We're trying to tell if the insides are white, per the L2 requirement: Correct 'Hovi mic' aerator tips are present. Screens used shall be of a wide type mesh, with the rim of the mic and the inside white or painted white Thank you! You're almost there.
  14. Hi Matthew! Thanks for your application - we'll be with you soon. And thank you as always to @TKSpartan for making our jobs easier.
  15. I'd be a little careful about using webbing for any place that's going to need to move around. The inflexibility of the webbing can actually make the snaps pop, or even worse crack your armor due to the lack of stretch. On my own kit the only place I have webbing is the left side ab/kidney. When you start to try your armor on, try moving your arms and legs, giving high fives, bending down etc and see how much your armor needs to move.
  16. Hi! I have both a KB and 850 kit and am doing the world's slowest FOTK build. I am planning on using the 850 back and chest/yoke, but KB everything else because the 850 kit is so much smaller in the chest and back. However, the pulls are very bad. There are large dents and warping in the back piece, and I will need to sand down and Bondo the whole thing smooth. 850 *should* be approvable, but in my opinion it's very much a 'you get what you pay for' situation, as the kit is MUCH cheaper than any alternative, but requires a lot of work. Please post pics - I'm really interested to see them.
  17. Do your best to see if you can even out the butt plate or bring in the strapping at all (e.g. it looks better on the left side than the right) but no, it shouldn't be an issue for approval. I actually have an extra ABS butt plate from an 850 kit that I'd be happy to send you for the cost of shipping if you want to try that out as well. I've never seen it in comparison to a Jimmi kit so no idea if it is bigger or smaller.
  18. Great news, Andre! One of the DO team will start on your application soon.
  19. Hi Brian, Thanks for the quick turnaround with the helmet paint fixes! CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of the DO team and myself, many 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. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions. You and I have something in common, which is that we fall outside the ideal height range (5' 10" - 5' 11") for Stormtroopers. I'm on the other end of the spectrum, but I sympathize with the difficulty of working with an armor that isn't really built for you. I'm happy to say that overall you've done a fantastic job fitting the armor to you, we just have a few suggestions to help you look your best. First, as you might have seen from other EIB reviews, Anovos helmets tend to be assembled with their ears placed more vertically, while ideally they should be tilted to match the edge of the trap. This is merely a suggestion, but if you're feeling brave, it's something that would really bring your helmet to the next level of screen accuracy. Reference Images: Next, another relatively minor paint issue on your helmet. Your vocoder paint is a little soft, and a few minutes with some mineral spirits and paint to sharpen up the definition of the vocoder would really improve the look. Reference Image: Moving on to the torso area, you have a very minor overlap between your back and kidney. Since the L3 CRL states that a 'minimal' overlap is allowed, it won't be a Centurion blocker, but it'd give you a nice sleek look if you were able to address that. You could try adjusting strapping, or perhaps adding a piece of thin foam at the top of the back shoulder tabs to help it sit just a touch higher. Reference Image: Next, it looks like your canvas belt it a bit long. We're suggesting you trim it so it doesn't extend beyond the end of the TD. Reference Image: Continuing on, although gaps are inevitable in a trooper your height, for the gaps that do exist, it makes for a cleaner look to at least have them evened out. From the front, the gap between your torso and the tops of your thighs is quite large, while the gap between your thighs and shins is very small. So you could consider raising your thighs just a touch, as long as it doesn't make the rear gap between your thighs and calves too large. Reference Images: We finish out the suggestions with a couple minor dressing issues. First, your TD is sitting high: Reference Image: Next, your left calf isn't quite closed properly: The next time you get suited up for a troop, just have a handler take a look at these couple issues in case Lord Vader decides to make a surprise inspection. Centurion Requirements In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos may be requested in the future that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustments. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items to pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all that we can from what is seen, but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. Starting with the helmet, the L3 CRL states: Ear screws shall be slotted, flat topped, countersunk and painted white. The left lower ear screw is sitting just a bit proud. This should be a simple fix to use a deburring tool or larger drill bit to make the countersink hole and screw that screw in. Reference Image: Next the L3 CRL states: There should be a minimal gap between the shoulder armor and the chest/back plates. From the front your shoulder bells look pretty good, but from the back there's a pretty significant gap. You can try tightening the strapping holding the bell on, and you can also trim all the lower return edge from the bells to make them sit more closely to the chest. Reference Image: Next, the L3 CRL states: The top of the ABS ammo belt should sit at or just above the bottom of the central and vertical abdomen button panels. Your belt is sitting just a touch too low, as the top of the ABS belt should be touching or even slightly overlapping the lower ab button. On my own kit I added two thin strips of velcro to my belt and ab to ensure it doesn't sag. Reference Images: Continuing on with the belt, your dropboxes are slightly out of alignment. The L3 CRL states: Drop boxes are vertically aligned with the end of the ammo belt with minimal gap between belt and box. Usually adding a drop of glue to the elastic holding the drop boxes on is enough to keep them from wandering. Reference Image: Next, the L3 CRL states: Ideally there no gap between the abdomen and kidney armor. Yours are very close; simply tightening the belt a bit should do it. Reference Image: And that's it! There are a few small fixes needed for Centurion, but I have total confidence in your ability to get there; you clearly did your research when building your armor and I know you have the skill to get there. But in the meantime, congratulations and welcome to EIB!
  20. Hi Mario, Thanks for your application and for the quick fixes with the thermal detonator. Now let's get on with your review! CRL and EIB Application Requirements All required photos are now in and, after review, we are pleased to welcome you to Expert Infantry rank. On behalf of the DO team and myself, many congratulations! And thank you for being my first TK Commander approval! Note that in this review I will do my best to use reference from the game, given that game footage is limited, I will sometimes use reference from other movies or other TK Commander costumes. 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. Note that we consider both text (CRL) and pictures (screen caps/reference images) when reviewing submissions. First, overall the armor fits you very well, but your right forearm is visibly larger than your left. It's a very common issue with ATA armor. As it's not excessively large we won't make it a blocker, but it would really improve the look if you were able to size it down to match the left. Reference Image: Next, just a dressing issue, but next time you get suited up for a troop, just be sure to align the cover strips of your leg armor. Again, a small detail but one that really cleans up your look. Reference Image: Centurion Requirements In this section we prepare you for Centurion. More photos may be requested in the future that allow us to make better decisions on possible adjustments. If there are any areas of concern they will be discussed here. Because Centurion photos show much more detail than EIB, items to pertaining to Centurion might be seen there and not here. We try to point out all that we can from what is seen, but the final accuracy is the responsibility of the trooper. Starting from the top, a couple issues with your helmet will need to be addressed on your helmet for Centurion: The L3 CRL states: Blue stripe continues over brow trim Your brow stripe is missing the blue paint, but this should be easily fixed with a few minutes of painting. Reference Image: Next, it appears your hovi tips are missing the white paint on the interior and rims. Although this isn't specified in the CRL text, it's clearly shown in screenshots. Reference Image: Moving on to the back plate, the L3 CRL states: Back plate shall have no, or minimal overlap of the kidney plate. Your back plate is overlapping the kidney on the right. It might be a simple strapping change, but you could also consider heat bending the corner of the back plate to make it wrap around your body more closely. Reference Image: Moving along, the L3 CRL states: The left vertical row of ab plate buttons contain five buttons (fifth button must align one button higher than the top button of the larger button plate). Your vertical button plate is not sitting high enough, so you'll need to adjust or replace it before applying for Centurion. Reference Image: Next, the L3 CRL states: Hand guards shall be latex or latex-like, painted white, affixed to rubber gloves. Yours are ABS, so you'll need to obtain latex ones before applying to Centurion. There are a few folks in the merch section of the forum who sell them. Reference Image: Finally, regarding the lightsaber the L3 CRL states: The hilt shall be made to reference Starkiller's lightsaber (as seen in The Force Unleashed). If the lightsaber has a blade, it may be one of the color blades used in the video game, The Force Unleashed. The choice of blade colors are: Black, Blue, Green, Gold, Purple, Red and Yellow. Yours is Graflex-style, so you'll need to obtain a new lightsaber hilt before applying for Centurion. Reference Image: And that's it! Congratulations again - so cool to see a video game armor brought to life so beautifully. Although there is some work to do before Centurion, we hope to see your application soon. Now get out there and make the Empire proud!
  21. Awesome! Thanks for clarifying.
  22. Mario, great job on the fixes to the TD! But I've very sorry - as I mentioned the TK Commander CRL is new to me and there is another correction I didn't notice before that will need to be made for EIB. The CRL says: Gloves shall be rubber or rubber like chemical gloves in black. Yours appear to be cloth, so they will need to be replaced before you can be approved. Again, I apologize for not seeing this sooner. Thank you! EDIT: After some discussion with the other DOs, could you just post clearer photos of your existing gloves? They might be passable as-is, it's just not clear from the current set of photos. Thank you!!
  23. Congrats and welcome to the ranks! Just a few small adjustments for Centurion.
  24. Great job with the cleanup, and good tip about the Humbrol paint! My parents are in town this weekend so I probably won't be able to do your review this weekend, but I'll be with you soon. Thanks for the quick fix!
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