JSchmit

Also, what is the Velcro used for?

Thank you! I do have a few other quick questions. Is there a specific type or brand you if elastic you order from AliExpress? I just want to make sure I order the right item. Also, is there a specific brand of snap you use? I've tried two. I tried Tandy first, and I found that they didn't fit together very well which resulted in an insecure connection. I then tried Fasnap, which work well throughout the majority of my armor kit. The only issue is that the connection is too tough, which makes it very difficult for the person helping me to fasten. This is also the cause of the eventual pull through.

What brand of snaps and elastic do you use? The reason I switched to the sewing snap was because the snaps I was using were too difficult to fasten and I fasten when I was putting my shoulder pieces on. Because of this, the snap on the white elastic would often get ripped out of the piece and I'd have to replace it.

Hello, everyone! It's been a bit since I've posted on the forums. In the time since I last posted, I had my ANH TK Stunt armor approved by my local GML and have been actively trooping. In the process of using my costume, I've run into a few functional issues that I'm trying to solve. Below is a picture from a recent troop: The first issue I'd like to bring up is my shoulder bells. This has been a recurring issue since I was assembling my armer. This is mostly personal preference, but I feel the shoulder bells look better riding closer to the chest piece. I currently have a sewing snap connected from the top of the shoulder to the white elastic under my shoulder bridges, pictured below: The issue I'm running into is the snap's accessibility. If I make the elastic pieces too short, it makes it very difficult for whomever is assisting me in putting these pieces on. Even with the elastic straps double-sided, the shoulder pieces end up drifting away from the chest piece. The other issue I'd like some advice on is my thigh pieces. As I walk in my armor, the thigh pieces shift and become out of alignment with the shins. This becomes most prevalent with my left thigh, as eventually the piece shifts and the bottom clashes with the sniper knee as I walk. The bottom of the thigh and the sniper knee begin to audibly click as I walk, and eventually the thigh piece shifts to the point where my left leg locks as the top of the knee meets the thigh bottom. I'm wondering if it might be a good idea to place pieces of foam in the interior of the thigh pieces in order to restrict lateral movement. Any advice to any of these issues would be greatly appreciated!

Are the blasters on this list approvable at all levels? I'm looking at the Imperial Arms 3-D model because it's currently available, but I see it has an orange cap on the barrel. I just want to make sure that's ok.

TK-15412 requesting access. https://www.501st.com/members/displaymember.php?userID=37258&costumeID=124

Hey, everyone! I've haven't posted in awhile after I submitted pictures to my local GML, and I'm pleased to announce that they were approved! I'd like to thank you all for your help and guidance! I still have to submit for expanded access on FISD with my TK number. Once I get more active in the organization, I plan to submit for higher approval levels. I do have one quick question, though. What are my options for an E-11? Are there any recommended vendors or anywhere else I can go through?

I picked up some suspenders and foam for the shin and thigh pieces. This seemed to help with my placement issues. Note that in the pictures below, the foam for the bottom of the thigh had fallen out of place, causing the thigh to slightly fall in front of the knee. That issue should be fixed after that gets put back into place. I hope that these are better quality pictures: As always, any feedback is appreciated as I prepare for the process of GML approval!

I do have a quick question, come to think of it. What's the best way to raise the belt now that snaps have been set on the codpiece and belt. I know I've got a way to go before I start thinking about L3, but I just wanted to get an idea.

Thanks for that feedback! I only noticed the issues with the thighs after the picture was taken. I might try some suspenders to set the pieces better. I'll work on those suggestions and get some better pictures taken for reference.

Hey, everyone! I got all the pieces assembled, so I put everything together for an initial fitting. I had my sister take some pictures of me around our family farm: \ There are a few things I can think of that I need to do (foam behind the sniper knee) and one thing I noticed is that I'm still having issues getting the thigh pieces to stay stationary even with the internal strapping. If anyone has any feedback on this issue or any thing else in the pictures above, please let me know!

Thanks for that input! I'll definitely add some foam behind the sniper knee. I've been having issues with the thigh piece coming down over it. Would you happen to have an image of the sniper knee with the foam applied for a visual guide?

So I worked the abdomen and kidney pieces up and checked the fitting. This is the end result: To me, the fitting looks close to a few of the troopers in the screen references, but most have the thighs closer to the codpiece. The only way I can think of would be to redo the process of adding a shim to the back of the thighs, which is something I hope to avoid. Based on this, what would you say my best option would be?

My thigh pieces have a some room to move up in their current state. I would just need the internal strapping system to make them stay in place. And when you say move the ab and kidneys upwards, do you mean to adjust the strapping or physically adjust them farther up when I'm wearing it?

Does anyone have any feedback on this? I'd like to know if the thighs or shins should be adjusted first before i make any permanent changes.

I made some mobility cuts along the bottoms of the thighs and the tops of the shins: I tested the pieces, and the cuts definitely helped mobility, but movement still felt a bit limited. Based off this fitting, what would help mobility more, adjusting the tops of the thighs or the bottom of the shins? It looks to me like the thighs might need to come up a bit. If that is the case, will this trim line maintain the piece's original shape:

Hey, everyone! What seems like a long, long time ago, I started the process of adding shims to the back of my thigh pieces. I think I finally got a point where I'm comfortable with how the pieces look and fit on my leg. This is the back of the thighs after adding plastic and painting. The paint doesn't completely blend with the pre-existing plastic, but I think you have to be pretty close to the back of the thigh to notice it. Here is the updated fitting now that the shims have been added: In the picture, the right thigh fell downward towards the leg a bit, but it has room to move up with strapping. My plan now is to fill in the gaps in the thighs, make the mobility cuts, and see if the tops need to be cut down at all before adding the internal strapping system. I just wanted to post this first in case anyone had any feedback.

How do I determine which is the correct shade of paint to match the armor? Would that involve mixing other shades of white to what I already have?

I went ahead and painted the discolored part of the added plastic, and the color didn't quite blend in. Does anyone know what I can do to make the color blend in more?

Hey everyone! I've been gone for a week or so, so I've only been able to get a few odds and ends done. I continued to sand and polish the shims. Despite working on this for awhile, the plastic that was added come out a bit discolored despite the plastic being smooth and flush with the existing pieces: Does anyone have a solution for this? The only thing I though of was to touch it up with white gloss paint.

Thanks for the feedback! I do plan to fill in the gaps in the lower ridge. I purchased some Sugru and plan to use Joseph's method in filling them in. I plan to do that when I'm done with the shims.

Hey everyone, It's been a bit since I've posted, so I wanted to provide an update as to where I'm at. I've been hard at work applying the shims to the backs of my thighs. After a bit of trial and error and even having to start from scratch, this is what I've got so far: After following some instructions on the forum, I applied ABS paste to the gaps between the original plastic and the shim pieces. After drying, I sanded it down with 80 grit sandpaper and incrementally worked my way up to 2000 grit, beginning wet sanding at 1000 grit. I decided apply some ABS paste on some air pockets I discovered in the sanding process. Once dry, I'll start the process over again by starting at 80 grit and working up. This has been a pretty long process, and while it's come a long way since I started, I still think I have a ways to go before it's as flush as I would like it to be. As always, any advice or words of encouragement are appreciated!

Thank you for that feedback! I also have an email out to my local garrison's GML, so hopefully he is also in agreement. If he gives it the ok, that's the method I'll go with

Thank you, Chemi! I appreciate you looking into it. I made a few adjustments to the fitting of the thigh piece so I could better illustrate the issue I'm working with. This is the thigh piece with the triangular gap and the angular ridge: I then adjusted the bottom tape to simulate how the piece would look if it were completely level. In this case, the two sides between the gap where the plastic is added is parallel: Personally, I prefer the look where the bottom is more snug to the top of my knee and the ridge is angular, but it's all contingent on what is garrison approvable. As always, I appreciate any input!

Awesome, thank you for that quick response! I looks forward to hearing from the Deployment Officer Team about the issue as well. And I haven't added shims yet, so it wouldn't moving the bottom out so that the piece is level is still an option. I guess my biggest question is what takes priority, making sure that the back ridges are level or that the piece fits my leg correctly?