TheRascalKing

Well done, congrats! Trooping is what it's really all about

There is a ton of nuance to stormtrooper armor, and when you have seen firsthand and built enough of it, you definitely identify makers you like and ones you don't, based on whatever criteria you set - lineage, accuracy, quality, thickness or color of the material, the material itself, the fit for your size/frame, customer service of the maker, price and shipping.... the list goes on and on and some prioritize some characteristics over others. That said, the Jedi Robe/Stormtrooper Store armor falls short of other offerings in almost every category measured, other than price, from my direct experience. The pulls are inconsistent, inaccurate, and thin. The armor is recast and the makers are not involved in and give nothing back to this community. Of the 1,133 individuals who have received Expert Infantry Approval (L2) for the accuracy of their armor, I don't believe a single one utilized Jedi Robe/Stormtrooper Store armor that I could find record of (and I maintain a spreadsheet of this data). The data below doesn't lie, and most troopers would be well advised to pick from any of the other makers currently available. Ironic that you mention them, but the Denuo Novo (formerly Anovos, same molds) armor is generally held to be one of the best on the market currently and the majority of us that are selected to work regularly with LFL for their appearance requests wear it (/Anovos). ANH Stormtrooper armor should be "warped" in certain spots, as the originals were hand sculpted, though the Anovos/DN has been "cleaned up" digitally and the surface imperfections aren't present as on say, an RS kit, which I describe as "accurate to a fault". The single piece lower back (kidney/posterior) and overlap construction may be easier to build but are also inaccurate to ANH and pretty significant errors, not benefits (unless you're building ROTJ). People are welcome to make their own decisions, and your experience may vary, but those who have knowledge and experience in this hobby, purchase from other vendors and try to guide others to quality makers, like (most of) the ones below. *Chart updated to just show ANH Stunt and data for the last 10 years, which seems more relevant

Troopers helping troopers is what we're about here! Plenty of SoCal troopers in here could tell you stories about buying armor from Dale back in the day but I'm glad I saw this and could assist haha I'm happy to see his work continuing on through Dave, and you'll find that the AM armor is a great improvement over FX in many ways. I recently finished a kit for another 3-digit trooper and it came out great, so it's still an excellent choice if you want that vibe!

(answering your PMs here instead) I'm not 100% sure the story of how far he goes back with FX, but I think that's who we're both talking about. He's on Facebook but otherwise, even from the limited experience I had with him (I've purchased armor in the sketchy parking lot behind the McDonalds by Disneyland - IFYKYK), he's a very private person and I don't think he'd appreciate me giving out his contact info unfortunately. He has stepped away from making armor, but over time, from my understanding FX morphed and became AM (Armor Masters). AM 4.5 armor is a much more refined fan sculpt and still available today through Dave's Darkside Depot (also on Facebook) - the molds or at least the distribution rights were transferred to Dave C. in Florida a few years back. If you're interested in that armor (thick and bright white), I would hit up Dave and not Dale. Any FX armor you find is likely to be yellow and brittle from age and they are no longer approvable with the Club due to their accuracy, but they absolutely hold a significant place in stormtrooper costuming history. Good luck!

I haven't been around quite that long but actually live in Placentia, CA and know a thing or two about stormtroopers. You talking about Dale or Victor M. maybe?

*311th Signal Command Christmas Party - Tustin, CA - Sun. 12/8/24 (POC #7) I try to serve as the Club Point of Contact ("POC") and organize at least one event a year, and this Christmas party for military families was a quick and easy way to spread some holiday cheer!

*HPE Disney+ "Skeleton Crew" Launch Event - Disneyland, Anaheim, CA - Mon. 12/2/2024 Not a troop, but I was very fortunate to be invited to the world premiere event for the new Disney+ Star Wars show, Skeleton Crew, held at the Disneyland Park. It was fantastic meeting most of the cast, crew, and Star Wars 'royalty', and we were treated to a screening of the first three episodes in the historic theater in Tomorrowland, next to Space Mountain - which was used for the first time in many years. I really enjoyed the show (Goonies but make it Star Wars!) and am excited for more!

97. HPE 92nd Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade - Hollywood, CA - Sun. 12/1/24 (ANH-S TK #67, FTE #76) Photo by Zak D with an an edit by @KC Grim, remaining photos are from Sebastian C. My Garrison mate who originally found this very kindly gifted me my own little pen light, so I can now share that the maker is "BioWorld" if it's helpful in anyone's search who wants one. They're out of production, but I found another one of these if anyone is looking! https://www.ebay.com/itm/175392961626

Agreed and will note for the troopers who help me take the final photos. I do intend to release the visor files and a downloadable template for the pauldron for free to the Detachment once the CRL is live.

Finally found time to put the whole costume on and get some decent photos shot by @KC Grim. Please let me know any additional feedback you have before proceeding. I plan to add some light weathering to match reference before submitting final photos for the CRL, but want to ensure everything else looks good in advance. Thank you!

Hey @Dubfunkstar, this sub forum is where files are shared - maybe an Admin can move your ISO post to another forum?

Thank you @Doggydoc and @Deployment Officer Team! Permission granted.

Thank you. Now that it's "done" and more thoroughly photographed, I'm going to try to update my build thread further so it can be of help to others. Lots of trial and error in this suit but I'm happy enough with the end result. I still have some upgrades planned, and my TLJ submission won't be far behind this, though the Denuo Novo forearms have some well known quirks that give me pause for concern. I'll feel much better providing guidance to others once my suit is certified at L2, though I currently have no intention of pursuing L3 due to the rubber gasket requirement.

Mandatory Information Costume = Stormtrooper, The Force Awakens Costume CRL Link = https://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:TK_-_First_Order Name = Justin R. TKID = 61490 Forum Name = TheRascalKing Legion Profile = https://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=26076 Garrison/Squad = Southern California Garrison, Orange County Squad Armor = Denuo Novo Helmet = Anovos, Standard TFA Optional Information Height = 5ft 11in, or 180cm Weight = 175lbs, or 80kg Neckseal & Gaskets = Sheev's Emporium Forearms, Cod, & Belt Boxes = Imperial Surplus, TFA Belt Pouches = Denuo Novo and Trooperbay Holster = Dantooine Props (functional) Hand Plates = Dantooine Props Gloves = Endor Finders Undersuit shorts = Geeky Pink's Boots = Imperial Boots Blaster = Branfuhr Studios F11-D, TFA Armor Photos Helmet Off (unadjusted) Front / Back Right Side Left Side Action Pose Detail Photos Helmet Neckseal Chest Plate Back/Yoke Thermal Detonator Shoulder Gaskets Shoulder Bells Biceps Forearms Gloves/Handplates Abdomen Section Codpiece Posterior armor Belt Thighs Knee Gaskets & Plates Shins Spats Boots Optional Accessories F-11D Blaster Thank you for your consideration, @Deployment Officer Team! Huge thanks (and Armorer credit should they desire) is due to @equuspolo for the hands on assist with adjustments and to @KC Grim for taking my full armor photos.

Sand it. Most chemicals that remove paint aren't kind to plastic.