BigJasoni

The best way to achieve the consistent stitch length is to use the industrial straight stitch machine, but the double, or every a triple needle, makes things go so much faster. The only thing you need to ensure is that there’s proper spacing between the needles which should be approximately 6mm. I have seen dual needle setups for industrials, but they’re typically off-brand contraptions that require several parts. However, there are actual multi needle machines available, but they start at around $2700, and unless you own a business that needs one, that’s probably not a worthwhile investment for the average hobbyist. Plus… I could buy a couple more sets of armor for that price. If you want to make your own ribbed fabric, go for it. The recommendation is to use a matte lame’ fabric backed with headliner material. I might post a picture of some here later, or maybe even a tutorial/ build thread. Good luck

Yes. The conversation started because I ordered soft parts for my Deathtrooper, but didn’t want the kidney seal because I ordered a rubber one. When I realized the rubber seals won’t pass Specialist review in the Spec Ops Detachment, I reached back out to Dave and he talked me through the construction. However, he did this knowing that I have an industrial sewing machine. You can do ribbed stitching using a home machine, but it either takes a steady hand, or an advanced machine. On the plus side, with a home machine, you can use a double needle and that’s a huge asset. I can walk you through the process, but if you want to talk to someone who’s done some awesome work using a home machine, reach out to @Cricket. Her Shoretrooper shirt was phenomenal and definitely worth checking out.

Did I refer her to you? I can’t remember, but I bought a Shoretrooper seal from her a couple years ago and it’s great. I try to send people that way as much as possible. Nice selection.

Lol. Yeah, sorry about this guys. I’ve been extremely busy with work for a while. It’s probably time to get cracking on this again.

Personally I feel that the Keep Trooping body suit is as good as it gets. I’ve been trooping in mine all year and the ribs are individually stitched. The Darkside Closet shirt I posted isn’t individually stitched. You can reach out to Mike to see if he is doing them differently now, but he has a long wait list. The other option is Sheev’s Emporium. I haven’t seen Dave list a Stormtrooper specific shirt, but he does a phenomenal job with the stitch work and would probably work with you on it. He also taught me how to do this stitching, but I haven’t made a shirt using the technique yet. I hope this helps.

James, I didn’t see this a couple days ago because I was torturing myself in another ultramarathon, but you know I’m always more than happy to help. First, I’m glad to see you took the CF Filament advice. Again, yes it is a PLA compound, but the 20% Carbon Fiber changes the entire dynamic and structure. Everything I’ve ever had an issue with regarding PLA is erased with this stuff and I’ve stress tested it excessively including in all that heat we had this year. Also, here’s a little secret for everyone as to why I’m a fan… The office I used to work for was sending components made from this stuff out to Iraq and Afghanistan, so I’ve got full confidence in its ability to handle a few 501st troops. So, starting with the helmet, sand it down moving from 80-220 grit first. You’ll see it start to smooth out after a round of 110 grit, but if you really want to cut your finishing time, get some fingernail files/ emery boards and just go to town. https://a.co/d/54Oe92A The filament will take on a gray, almost cloudy color, then you’ll be ready for filler primer. Here’s a 000 head I’m working on: Once there, I now hit it with a coat of Upol Expert Sandable Primer which you can grab at Autozone for about the same price as Rustoleum Filler Sandable. This stuff dries fast and almost creates a shell over the part. Once dried, it feels like hardened resin. It’s been hiding under our noses all these years. This is how one of my FOTK buckets looked after sanding + one coat of Upol. But, I’m sure you didn’t post this for 3d print instructions, so let’s get back to the bucket. Rubber trim is easy to find and looks great on the neck ring: https://a.co/d/epvrCqt For the lenses, I would encourage you to grab a set from Paul Prentice. You can use the buck Nico provided in the files to form your own, but Paul’s are cheap and he already did the work for you. Shipping was quick enough from the UK. While you’re at it, ask him for some metal shoulder bridges. I’m not a fan of Nico’s Hovi Mics, mostly because I wanted a real steel screen in there. They work, but there’s more accurate files out there. I stole @TheRascalKing’s idea a couple years ago and now spray the interior of every helmet with bed liner. This helps with darkening everything as well as filling the gritty inside of the dome. I think Justin was doing it to add a little stiffness to ABS helmets, but it’s been a huge benefit in 3d printing. Thanks Justin. Anyways, I’ll be watching this with great interest and I’m sure we’ll be at another troop together soon. Hit me up with any questions and I can’t wait until you get the armor.

Gabriel, Nico's helmet is a treat, but saving plastic really isn't an option with it. However, there are a few tricks you can use to minimize supports and things like that. Unfortunately, I didn't take a lot of pictures of the helmet on the bed, but I'll share with you what I have. All supports are set at 4mm with 60 degree overhang. Chin: Supports around the perimeter and under the hovi mic recesses. Ears: Supports under the bottom with a raft (raft not pictured). These almost seemed to defy gravity, but I printed it low and slow so there wasn't any shifting. Face: Plenty of supports needed no matter how you situate it. I printed the face twice in different orientations and this is what worked best: Here's the other way I tried. It used less supports, but was more prone to bad layers: Rear Dome. This printed the best out of everything: Dome. Support the perimeter because it's angled, but no supports necessary under the dome: Here's the chin post print. Since I used Carbon Fiber PLA, it was very easy to sand and not susceptible to heat warping: Here's the chin after sanding and one layer of SEM Filler Primer. No spot and glaze putty or anything else necessary. Rear Dome. Remember how I said this printed the best? Here's the result on the bed: Very smooth. As I stated, the face was the most difficult part. Plus, I started to get some stringing that I think was actually due to my nozzle getting worn out. CF Filament is great, but you have to change brass nozzles frequently. I primarily use hardened steel or stainless now. But in the end, the face sanded smooth: Hope this helps

Definitely looks like another modified E-10. This one appears to be the same basic concept of the extended barrel SMG with an HK-416 stock, M.H.R. 1943 M43 scope and a few similar accessories. However, I'm having a difficult time determining if they're utilizing another Sterling SMG for the base of the blaster or if they went with something else. I robbed this pic from another thread, but am curious if there's anything else showing this blaster in full frame?

Shiv, Thanks for the interest in 3d printable kits. I've posted quite a bit on the forum about this topic and unfortunately my news isn't ever promising. However, since I've talked about it rather frequently and you can search around for what I've written, I'll just hit the wave tops here. First, just check out what I wrote a couple weeks ago regarding OT armor: 1. Yes, it's 2023 and three years ago we heard that both Paul and Nico were designing 3D TK armor; by now we should have seen something materialize. However, I've spoken with both of them multiple times over the last three years and unfortunately, it doesn't look like either is interested in moving forward with this project. 2. CG Trader will get your feet wet, but a lot of these models have horrible design features and even the ones that appear the most accurate aren't. Team this up with 3D modelers who don't seem to understand costumes in general, what you get are 3D prints that are better suited for making sixth scale action figures rather than something that meets legion specifications without heavy modification. What I mean by this is that the majority of the models I've downloaded and tested have excruciatingly rough meshes and shell thicknesses of up to 1/4" that can't simply be altered through slicing software. If you go through my 3D build thread, go to the part where I discuss the thighs and shins. No person deserves that kind of punishment. 3. The 3D models available on CG Trader were mostly developed utilizing Mesh Mapping which doesn't account for certain discrepancies, or intricacies of the screen used design. The intentional eye bump is a good example of this. Mesh mapping will capture and correct images, then build it into a 3d model. Unless the designer is intimately familiar with the costume, they're not going to correct what the computer did for them. 4. This lack of knowledge of the costumes is a big reason why we get a lot of designers who blow you off when you offer a suggestion. My designer made almost every change I asked for and they've continued to update the kit since. But, the design changes that would have been much more technical went unchanged i.e. totally redesigning the chest, cod, butt, legs. Ultimately, I had to make a ton of changes after the fact and I failed to annotate all of them. 3D printing does have its place in the world of TKs though. I've used this technology extensively in my most recent build and I would challenge anyone to tell me what parts of this kit are printed and which are fiberglass. Here I am two weeks ago: Lol. I'm just doing a little pre-troop adjustment, but when finished correctly 3D prints are great. So, where does that leave us? Currently, there's no accurate file sets out there and our trusted modelers appear to have 0 desire to make TK armor. The amount of work required to get something printed, finished and approved far surpasses buying a kit from our reputable dealers. If you're interested in supplementing an existing kit with 3d pieces, there's options out there, but accuracy will cost you some money. Paul won't piece out his kit if you only wanted the legs for example and others out there are all kinds of messed up. I'm not going to talk badly about anyone's 3D kits, but look closely at what they're showing and you'll start noticing huge issues. Finally, because of this lack of good 3D files, I've started designing my own, but they're a ways off and I'm already loaded with other projects. Regardless, Here's a pic of the abdominal armor I'm developing and I'll be doing the chest and back next. I'm not Mesh Mapping, this is all from the ground up.

James, I just opened my Denuo Novo box for the first time in a long time today. I'll get to work.

The TPU/ Framilon/ Shock Cord is what gives the parts flex. The strapping keeps the shoulder bell from flopping around too much, but can also support the bicep if the cordage breaks.

It's coming together Logan. Nice job!

I guess I could have quoted Justin in my previous post. My build thread is loooooooooooooong overdue for an update, so I'll make sure to include this in the thread once I get back on it. You will find example of this on the Pathfinders forum, but here's Paul's picture from his own site: This pic even shows the white elastic strapping we've seen pop up on screen a couple times:

Daniel, The "shock cord" used on set was a simple cord made of Framilon. However, if you search the Interweb for Framilon, all you're going to come up with is framilon tape, which is an polyurethane elastic material used in the manufacture of light garments. With that said, Framilon is 100% Thermoplastic Polyurethane, also known as TPU in the 3D printing world. However, if you want to go the "shock cord" route, your armor needs to be set up for it. To my knowledge, this isn't an option on any kits unless you do something custom. Here's a pic of my left shoulder armor with the bicep suspended by the TPU. As you can see, the top of the biceps have the screen accurate "J hooks" and both pieces are equipped with the appropriate mounting points. This armor is from the MrPaulShoretrooperBuild kit and both are SLA printed from a mix of ABS like and Flexible resin. If you have access to a 3D printer, you can print off the anchor blocks; just shoot me a PM and I'll help you get a hold of some. For the J hooks, you'll just have to cut these yourself. This is the option I had to do with my ICAT driver/ Mudtrooper costume and it works great: In my opinion, this is the absolute best way to secure your armor, but unless you do some custom work, you'll likely be better off going with Velcro and elastic. Regardless, the big takeaway here is hanging your bicep armor from the shoulder bells and keeping your biceps flexible. The word "flexible" is used in the CRL to denote how the clam shells move freely, allowing the biceps to open and close as you move. My Muddy biceps for example are one piece and feel like plastic coffins. Having the flexible material holding the biceps closed allows me to flex and move without any fear of breakage or extreme limited mobility. If you're not printing anything in TPU, just get yourself a small 1/2 kg. roll, but don't skimp on it. I've used cheap filament in the past and it breaks easily. I hope this helps

Awesome post Justin. I was actually just looking at this bucket earlier today. I'm sure their armor is up next. Maybe then...

Glen, Thanks for posting these pics. I've been looking at every image I can find of the rear thighs and I believe the reason why these coverstraps are not centrally located and have weird overhangs is a result of the individual trooper's thigh size. As an example, please see the below pictures of my unfinished Jimmiroquai thighs: In this picture, you can see how I split the rear along the coverstrip to allow the overlapping of the rear thigh. I believe @11b30b4 and @TheRascalKing did the same thing with theirs. I then took a little extra time to file down and sand the edges of the non cover strip side to ensure that when closed, it mimics the images seen in the shows and at Celebration. However, with the show, the one thing we can't account for is the amount of movement the actors were engaging in that may have caused some slippage, nor can we account for the unknown variable; the diameter of their thighs. We can tell that the mannequin's frame was quite small. In the above picture, I'm attempting to hold the thigh in a manner that simulates the size of my thigh. When the thigh is somewhat relaxed, or if a person has thiccer thighs, the strip is centered and everything is more aligned. So, with that said, and per the reference images, the rear cover strip looks as if it should sit roughly 1.5 cm lower and to the left (or right for the opposite thigh) of where it currently sits. This narrows the "slope" between the bottom trim and the cover strip, and when closed, emulates the asymmetrical appearance. My only concern about all this is that similar to other items on this costume, such as the kidney plate discrepancies, we don't know if it was deliberate, or incidental. My thought is that the cover strips were meant to be centered, but the movement and thigh size of the actors caused the asymmetry. Now, regarding the straps: I 100% agree that there are two straps on the newer costumes. In Adam Savage's Tested video that showed the Kenobi and Andor 501st Clone Troopers, they highlighted these straps and emphasized that they are now using two straps vice the one strap previously used on TKs. Fast forward to 6:49 for a look at these straps. For the clones, they went back to the ribbed fabric covers: I'll post these in my build thread once I get back to it, but here's the straps I'm using on my thighs. More to come later: So what we need to decide is if the ROTK requires two straps, or save the two strap requirement for New Generation CRLs. The more I look at everything, the more I believe that the ROTK and New Generation (Mandalorian S2, Kenobi, Andor) are totally different costumes. Notice that I don't mention Mandalorian S1, which appears to be retread costumes from Rogue One. Lastly, one final nugget of information from the Adam Savage video that I immediately held onto is the fact that these costumes are made of vacuum CAST (not vacuum formed) urethane. To me, this is enormous and answers a ton of questions we've had. Now... if only someone... never mind.

YEEEEESSSSSS!!! Another ROTK/ Anthology/ New Generation Build thread. Alright Adam, there's tons to unpack here, but let's get to a few of the big ones. Nico Bucket vs. Jim's Bucket: I'm a little tossed here. I think we all agree that Jim's helmet is a nicely modified BS helmet, but Nico's was designed from the ground up and he didn't miss very many details. Jim's helmet is great and I'm finishing mine up right now, but it needs a few modifications to get it up to EIB or Centurion level. For Jim's helmet, you'll have to add the eye bump and even though it isn't listed as a requirement for any level certification, the inside corners of the eyes are very pointy. This only requires slight modification, but it was enough to bug me. The rest of the helmet is awesome and my only gripe is that the neck opening has a built-in trim that precludes you from using separate rubber trim if you want. Again, rubber trim isn't required, but it's one of those little things that really set the helmet apart if you do it. Nico's helmet is beautiful if finished correctly. Initially I wasn't even considering doing one, but after printing a Mando and Shoretrooper helmet with Carbon Fiber filament, I couldn't pass on the opportunity to do a TK. You already pointed out Nico's separate tears and traps which are totally accurate, but we've already seen the props department pivot with how these parts are done. In the Anthology movies and the Mandalorian series, the separate details were adhered to a black backing and glued onto the bucket's tear and trap recesses. However, it Kenobi, we've seen behind-the-scene photos of TKs holding their buckets clearly showing that the tears and traps were cut out and backed with black fabric for additional airflow. Honestly, I'm more of a glue them on kind of guy because cutting those out is a nightmare. Next Nico's bucket has all the EIB/ Centurion details added in. Some will argue whether the eye bump is there and that's the point. That asymmetry was so minute on the buckets that you really need to study it to see it. Additionally, Nico's has separate ears, brow and chin piece which are all clearly noticeable in the references, and it's intended to be finished with rubber neck trim. If you grab a set of Paul Prentice's eye lenses, or form some yourself using Nico's buck, you're all set. Here's a gripe though: Nico's Hovi Mics are ugly. Get an accurate set and use those instead. If you just want to get your bucket on, add the little details to Jim's, paint it and throw it on, but if you want something that's as close to accurate as possible, finish Nico's. Belt Boxes: I'm really happy to see people printing these off. Again, Jim's boxes meet all the requirements, but I was really after those crisp edges and the accurate detail on top of the middle box. The Fast/ Tenacious mix is great and still serves as my primary resin, but I'm now leaning more towards Siraya Tech Blu for small pieces like this. Blu is advertised as an "impact resistant" and so far I'm finding it to be more durable than the aforementioned mix. However, if you need any kind of flexibility in your prints, I still reach for the Fast/ Tenacious combo. Here's a new belt I just put together a few days ago Another cool thing about the Fast/ Tenacious and Blu resin is that you can drill a pilot hole in them and use screws to attach them directly to the belt. The last time I did this with PETG, the plastic stripped out a little bit which lead me to fasten them another way. But, with that said, here's one of the cooler things you can do with this resin: M3 Heat Set Inserts. This really opens the door for tons of possibilities. If you want to grab some, you can get them here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D683Q26 What Am I Building: Almost endless possibilities. Of course, the CRL already exists for the ROTK, so yes, you can move from there. However, if you do decide to move forward with one of the many New Generation variants, we've started discussing the CRL here: Personally, I think the Mapuzo trooper is perfect and exactly what I want out of a TK. The artillery trooper is pretty awesome, but other than the Hot Toys collectible, the accessory references are lacking; this is the same for the incinerator trooper. The paint scheme for both is obvious and apparent in the shows, but I wish we saw more of their packs and weapons. Overall, if you're just going for shiny white, just be aware that there's a few different paint elements on these as compared to the ROTK, i.e. end caps on the TD. Ultimately, I wish you happy trails and a smooth build. Hit me up any time you have any questions, and I really look forward to seeing this come together. Oh yeah... I'll be posting my new kidney plate in the 3D repository soon. Mwaaaaaahaaaahaaaa...

Shiri, You're looking good so far. Keep asking plenty of questions and posting plenty of pictures; you'll get all the help you need here. I'm definitely taking notes before I start my own kit.

Good catch on the SE-14R Glen. Those are the details from the Rogue One Deathtrooper blasters, so I guess it makes sense. The Spec Ops CRL calls this a "small silver or gray circuit card pattern," which reminds me that I need to find or make one for my blaster. Regarding those cutouts... who knows. I would figure it's some sort of stunt item that didn't get filled in post production. What's interesting is that immediately after K2SO throws him, the cutouts seem to disappear. My guess is that this is likely the part of the armor that cables passed through to attach to a stunt harness for the lifting sequence. That's total speculation on my part, but the other TKs that get thwacked by this unfortunate guy don't have the same cutouts. Here he is getting thrown. It's blurry, but the cut outs seem to be gone. Here's the second trooper that gets blasted by the ragdoll. And here they are when they first walk in the room.

Well, apparently he was waiting on me to give the green light before sharing, which I thought I had done. However, we just made another change that’ll make assembly a lot easier, so give me a couple days and I’ll post a few things in the 3d repository. Also… anyone looking for a new SE-14R? We’re currently developing/ test printing OT and Rogue One/ New Generation versions that are looking phenomenal. Sorry for hijacking the thread. I’ll start a new one in the 3d forum when these are officially ready.

I just checked Chris’s Thingiverse page and it doesn’t look like he’s posted this one yet. We did make a couple last minute changes, but everything should be set now. I have additional pics available on the Star Wars Blaster Build Group on FB. I’ll check with him and see what he’s doing with the files and then let you know.

Terry, I do a lot of 3D printing and have found that a good CA glue works best. Actually, I know this post is from a different detachment forum, but our very own @11b30b4, did an excellent analysis on this subject back in 2020. Check out page 2 for his breakdown of different bonding techniques: http://forum.501stpathfinders.com/index.php?/topic/21220-11b30b4-shoretrooper-wip-mr-pauls-3d-print-files/page/2/ So, a couple items from personal experience: I would need to know what type filament you're using for this print. PLA has to be finished much differently than PETG, ABS, or even Carbon Fiber PLA. You can plastic weld the pieces with a soldering iron, but if you're working with PLA, you won't be able to sand down those weld marks cleanly. Next, I'd like to know what printer you're using. This doesn't seem like a factor in determining how to glue pieces, but it helps to know how big your print surface is, and in turn, the pieces are that you're gluing. With blasters, you really want to print some parts in one piece, i.e. the barrel, but this requires a very tall print surface. Since the barrel has cooling holes, there's not much surface to glue which causes a lot of weak seams that break at the slightest bump. If you can get away with printing this in one piece, or coming up with an alternative barrel, that helps. Just my two cents, but I did want to leave you with these two pictures. The first is the F-11D Barrel with Integrated T-tracks printed in CF PLA. This is a good example because the one-piece barrel along with the T-tracks created a cery solid piece that didn't require soldering or gluing. Next is a very raw print of the E-10 variant from Andor. Again, I printed the long barrel in one piece in order to avoid splicing anything together and it's pretty solid.

Welcome aboard Terry. You can't go wrong if your goal is to make kids smile. Keep us all updated.

Lee, You look great! Welcome aboard!

This is the exact issue I had with the thighs. However, rather than scale the armor on the entire axis, I actually sliced the file into three different sections, printed each at a different scale, then spliced them together. This required me to fill the gaps with resin, back it with fiberglass, and sand like h3!!. When I was working with the legs, I also realized that Akira's walls are designed to be extremely thick. I decreased the shell thickness in some areas, but ultimately the wall thickness is too much to provide any sort of flex or give in some of the most stressed areas. I may have mentioned it my build thread, but I printed those thighs four times. Steve, you've worked real hard on this kit and I'd encourage you to submit your pictures. Again, anything I tell you now will be geared towards higher level approval, which would require significant restructuring. Your kit currently looks better than some of the ones I've seen approved for ROTK. I know I warned you not to go down this road, but you did an outstanding job disregarding my warnings.