FN1313

I had someone submit this costume for approval a few months ago. There’s definitely enough work to make it approvable it’s almost better to just go buy from a new vendor. Unfortunately they don’t offer returns or refunds, so I highly recommend buyer beware with them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Usually I start any small areas with a small drill bit and create (if possible) two or more connect the dot drilling areas a bit inside of where the actual edges of the openings should be. (Example being red dots) Next I get a needle file, usually starting with a round one and I “connect the dots so to say. (Example being yellow lines) This will then open up a small hole area for you to do the progressive needle file work. I will switch to a flat edge or rectangular one when I approach sharp edges to give them that sharp angle and not a curved angle. It’s a bit of manual labor and may make your arm hurt, but at the least it’s plastic in small areas and not a nightmare of a fiberglass/resin helmet with large areas. Also note if you feel you are pushing too hard with the drill and don’t want to damage anything you can start drilling in reverse to make the initial drill entry and then turn it forward to drill through. I’ve never had issues with drilling through plastic, but just be mindful. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I do believe you want to find the center line and then mark equal distances to the sides on both pieces that would indicate the cover strip. This way when you cut you are only cutting what is necessary beyond the middle line so that you can use the cover strip to line up along that middle line. ^Not exactly that. I highly recommend checking out this build thread. Ukswrath does an excellent job detailing how. Ukswrath's AM 1.0 build https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=44557&share_tid=31920&url=https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?/topic/31920-Ukswrath%27s-AM-1%2E0-build&share_type=t&link_source=app Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I can't blame you. In this costuming world, trustworthy vendors are a dime a dozen sometimes. Nothing wrong with supporting those few who continue to show trustworthy capacity.

Dave is definitely busy right now he’s got a heavy wave of stormtroopers he’s finishing up at this moment, so he may not be the fastest response. Walt’s kits are also really nice. I can’t say anything wrong about any of the options. At the end of the day it just comes down to what works best.

So exciting! Can’t wait for updates.

Good to know. Just knowing what I’d look for as a GML it would have stuck out like when comparing to references.

Super excited for these to start coming through as well. Part of me wishes I still kept my order in, but then again I’d have not been a 501st member for 6-7 years longer. Can’t wait for more FOs to be hanging around!

For further information. I’m 5’10’ 220lbs and have rather toned thighs and calves from years of Marching Band/Drum Corps etc. So even though most armors fit my upper body fine, my legs have always been the nightmare. That’s why I chose to go with Dave’s Darkside Depot and his AM armor. He’s a little more generous in the plastic so I’ve heard. I have a build thread you could follow and I will try to post some plastic size pictures when I get the BBB in the mail soon. I hope this will give you an idea then of how his armor might compare. For additional reference I have size 26 inch thighs and size 17 inch calves. (Rounded up)

The biggest reason I am modeling our command information after FISD. The supportability.

I’ve got a Dave’s Darkside AM armor in order. Heard he tends to make his armor so it can be trimmed for larger troopers as well. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

BBB coming! Mine is in Orlando last checked. I too got some good cut resistant gloves. So much more to cut in this than my scout. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sad to hear. I will admit, I hate saying no to a submission, but we want accuracy. The hard thing is support for builders outside of detachment. We have some decent folks here that I hope we can really make the garrison even better than ever now. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Only thing I’d recommend is don’t paint the white bet between the teeth in the corners at that point where there’s no cut out area it’s just grey. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Waves are pretty quick. I'm also on this next wave.

Oh man, I forgot about the most necessary costume build step, convincing the wife about the use of her spaces.

Yep, also led to some changes in how our new command team is working to make membership and costuming assistance more widely useful. I'm excited for some of the plans we've got going.

De lo que puedo ver, hay algunos partes que no se parecen aprobable en su estado actual. Quizas pueda poner el hombro al rueda y hacer que son aprobable, pero sera mucho trabajo. Los que han respondieron anteriormente tienen muchas ayudas que son de beneficio por su progresso en llegar al punto de aprobacion. Igual todos de nosotros aqui estamos por qualquier pregunta que tiene.

That's good to know. Even still, it's wise to know that if someone else builds, whether 501st or not it doesn't always guarantee approval, especially with the pre assembled FOTK and adjustments we already have noted.

I echo using KeepTrooping for your boots. They've been consistently accurate, high quality, and very good with their service. You'll want to verify when they do a wave though as they don't just have orders available at every moment.

We decided on approving the costume with a condition that they’d work with myself and a local tk expert to shim and fix the strips in a couple of weeks, Thanks for the info. I agree on what was provided.

Also, holy Tapatalk Batman. I wish I had known more about using this back when I first started. So much easier to respond and be on top of things this way than from my computer all the time. I’ve even talked to my garrison about finding out about getting on a forum platform that supports it to make GML and website usage much easier. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

The thing here is comparing Disney Parks FOTKs to Screen accurate FOTKs, Even the Kylo at the parks isn’t fully Screen accurate. The parks make their costumes to be wearable by many individuals and they don’t claim Screen accuracy as the 501st does. They just provide a fun atmosphere. Yes it’s better for ease, I for sure understand the issues with the yoke being one piece, but the other thing to remember is most of the armor in movies recently is urethane for flexibility and mobility. This is why they can go no seam no problem. That being said, I say no modifications to CRL just because vendors don’t meet the CRL standard. The accuracy is set forth by screen references that have been heavily scrutinized and as for now they stand as they are. Maybe some time in the future we get a new movie or show with a different version or so that will allow amendments to this, but for now the only arguments for the seam allowance are from a cartoon completely different character, a theme park, and a vendor. None of which are screen accurate or are a completely different screen version. I wish the seam was on screen costumes, because that was the most crackable part of the armor and I hated the repairs, but knowing it wasn’t I knew that it was a requirement that I needed to maintain with my armor. Honestly it also gives me pride knowing the armor I had was higher quality in accuracy than even Disney’s. The last thing I would also say is I don’t really see a true purpose to a “Disney Parks CRL” other than accommodating a single vendor style. The 501st aims for Screen Accuracy, not theme park accuracy, or some other type of accuracy. We aim for the source and that’s what makes our costumes really stand out. Sure seeing a Stormtrooper in general is cool, but there truly is a difference when the detail is accurate. I know we are talking about a seam, but if you give a mouse a cookie… Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Progress is looking good. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Now I haven’t had to fix cracks in plastic armor yet, but I know with Fiberglass one recommendation was to take a small drill bit a little wider than the end of the crack and drill a hole there that then spreads the crack into a hole that isn’t going to crack further because of what it does to surface area. Then you support and fill with fiberglass and resin. Would it be of any added benefit for preventing further cracking to do the same drill technique? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk