Morgi's ANH Stunt Build (first build)

**Morgi[Staff]** · July 11, 2021

Hello and welcome to this build thread!

Since I've already mostly assembled my RS kit, this thread probably won't get too long, but as it is my first build I will appreciate any advice that you can give me -- even if that advice consists of "take this entire thing and now rebuild it" (which I don't think will happen, but who knows).

One thing to keep in mind when giving me tips, is that I'm building this on the floor of my childhood bedroom, which A) isn't ideal and B] probably tells you that I don't have access to a dremel or similar advanced tools. (scissors might be more work, but I've managed so far)

My BBB day was around the end of May (actually, there were three boxes, the last of which arrived at the end of June) and I've been using YouTube tutorials from Richie Stormtrooper and RS Propmasters, as well as several posts on this site as guidelines for my build.

Since I build most things already, my plan was to just share my current progress with you and hope for feedback.

The armor

As I mentioned, the armor build is mostly completed, but I still want to re-work several things (smaller return edges, screws + paint and get rid of some of the glue). For now I'm using the original strapping system, but I was planning on changing that once I get around to ordering some press studs (is that the right name? I'm German and the technical terms are easily mixed up)

Here are some pictures:

(I apologise for the bad quality)

http://imgur.com/a/XfIPw2d

http://imgur.com/a/xJAYtJQ

http://imgur.com/a/RgjmssE

http://imgur.com/a/AwAQwKK

So much for the Torso (minus ammo belt). As I said, it's not completely done yet, but it's mostly done.

Then there's the arms:

http://imgur.com/iH6fUze

http://imgur.com/a/Zjkpi8o

I'm very happy with those.

I've also got the thighs done:

http://imgur.com/a/AgZDNeY

http://imgur.com/a/vBF52tJ

They still need that small ABS piece to cover the gap in the back.

The shins are where I've still got a bit of a problem, because I can't get them to close in the back the way I want them to, nor can I get the knee plate to align right. Any help is appreciated!

http://imgur.com/a/EXuR50R

http://imgur.com/a/mMYE1fv

I've heard that using velcro in the back works, but I fear that there would be too much pressure on the velcro to hold it closed.

http://imgur.com/a/Hdhdasu

I'm sure you can see my problem here. I can't get it to align right. Therefore I was thinking about taking away the millimetre of return edge that I have at the bottom, so that there would be more plastic that I can glue together... What do you think?

I won't share a picture of the ammo belt for now, because I'm still waiting on the holster.

The last piece of body armor left is therefore the thermal detonator:

http://imgur.com/a/Tu81eeY

I'm currently working on the helmet:

http://imgur.com/a/q1AC5mk

http://imgur.com/a/ZLg3178

Please just ignore the mess in the background-

As you can see I've trimmed them down and was planning on putting them together later today.

Please let me know what you think and what I need to work on, as well as any ideas for the shins.

If you require any other pictures, please let me know! (I hope these pictures will show up, I'm new to imgur)

Thank you for reading all of this!

**gmrhodes13[Staff]** · July 11, 2021

Welcome, if you use the "direct link" option with the image tags ie: .jpg, .jpeg, .png you will find your images will show in the thread. How to for adding images

Looks like you could take a touch more out of the teeth area, a little top and bottom, you can just see some ridge before the gums.

Some of my favorite go to's for helmet assembly:

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/14806-how-to-assembling-ata-abs-helmet-1/

Also for ear fitting

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/29238-my-helmet-ear-tutorial/

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/41250-ear-trimming-made-easy/

Brow height

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y200/ukswrath1/DO/Screen%20Reference/gallery_14191_25_57708.jpg

Teeth

Angle of ears

And if you need more references there is our gallery area or Star Wars Helmets

If you have any scrap ABS you could make some ABS paste to fill the openings in the bottom of the thigh ridges, also add some white paint to the thigh ammo strip rivets.

Front views

Back views

Looks like the sniper plate could use a little work, many of us use E6000 glue as it is very forgiving but also very strong, minimum drying time is 24 hours, but I normally leave a few days for anything which is under strain. A lot of clamps, tape and magnets can help keep it in place while drying. Some references:

Here was my RS sniper plate attachment

Really depends how your back shins are closing, make sure you are wearing boots as that will make a difference, you may need to tighten the hook elastic or even do a hot water bah to help both sides to meet and lay flatter

Be good to see some images with your wearing so we can give you some more feedback, especially for you snins.

Looking forward to seeing the progress.

**Morgi[Staff]** · July 12, 2021

vor 14 Stunden schrieb gmrhodes13:

Welcome, if you use the "direct link" option with the image tags ie: .jpg, .jpeg, .png you will find your images will show in the thread. How to for adding images

Looks like you could take a touch more out of the teeth area, a little top and bottom, you can just see some ridge before the gums.

Some of my favorite go to's for helmet assembly:

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/14806-how-to-assembling-ata-abs-helmet-1/

Also for ear fitting

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/29238-my-helmet-ear-tutorial/

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/41250-ear-trimming-made-easy/

Brow height

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y200/ukswrath1/DO/Screen%20Reference/gallery_14191_25_57708.jpg

Teeth

Angle of ears

And if you need more references there is our gallery area or Star Wars Helmets

If you have any scrap ABS you could make some ABS paste to fill the openings in the bottom of the thigh ridges, also add some white paint to the thigh ammo strip rivets.

Front views



Back views



Looks like the sniper plate could use a little work, many of us use E6000 glue as it is very forgiving but also very strong, minimum drying time is 24 hours, but I normally leave a few days for anything which is under strain. A lot of clamps, tape and magnets can help keep it in place while drying. Some references:

Here was my RS sniper plate attachment



Really depends how your back shins are closing, make sure you are wearing boots as that will make a difference, you may need to tighten the hook elastic or even do a hot water bah to help both sides to meet and lay flatter



Be good to see some images with your wearing so we can give you some more feedback, especially for you snins.

Looking forward to seeing the progress.

Oh wow, that's a lot of info, thank you so much!

I'll keep the trick for the images in mind, thank you for sharing that!

I'll try to take a bit more out from the teeth...

ABS paste? I'm gonna have to look that up, but that does sound good. And, yeah, someday I'll convince myself to finally open the white paint that's waiting for me

Okay, I'll get the sniper plate off, gather my glue, clamps, magnets and tape and then put the entire thing together again before putting it into the garage for some time. I hope that will work out!

I hadn't heard of a hot water bath before, I'll make sure to keep that in mind, that sounds like a good idea.

I'll get some pictures of me wearing it done once the temperature has cooled down enough that I can bear the thought of wearing the undersuit...

Again, thank you so much for your advice, this was very helpful!

**Morgi[Staff]** · July 13, 2021

Am 11.7.2021 um 23:22 schrieb gmrhodes13:

Looks like you could take a touch more out of the teeth area, a little top and bottom, you can just see some ridge before the gums.

I finally got around to building a bit more of my helmet and reworked the teeth a bit:

I also assembled front and back+cap and attached the left ear, although I'm not 100% happy with the fit (it looked better before I put the screws on).

Are these kinds of gaps okay, or should I rework them a bit more?

I would love to know whether I need to rework anything, before I repeat the mistake on the right side.

In other news, I've re-glued the sniper plate and hope that I'll get to see a more satisfying result tomorrow, compared to the look before.

**gmrhodes13[Staff]** · July 13, 2021

Looking much better, nice work.

Screen helmets had way bigger gaps so you are fine as you are, some go a little further for the no gap look but it's not a requirement.

DaveMANH08.jpg.ff2d41e3be8f622ab2fae5250b0d57d3.jpg DaveMANH06.jpg.64f62513c32e87bd67a6433a6f2a0b5b.jpg

**Morgi[Staff]** · July 14, 2021

Got the second ear done after hours of adjustment... Again, those gaps looked different once I screwed it on.

Also, is it just me, or is the right ear (left in the picture) thinner than the other? I hope that isn't a problem, even when it comes to reaching EI or Centurion....

As you can spot the end of the back in the gap, I was wondering, whether there's anything that I could use to fill the gap.

And one picture of the back

I've also reliefed my sniper plate of the clamps and magnets, and I got to say that it looks way better now, so thank you, gmrhodes13!

(well, aside from the bit of dirt that I have to rub off)

It is a bit bend where the clamps were, but nothing huge. At least nothing that's immediately noticeable.

If everything goes according to plan, I should get some press studs soon to rework part of my strapping and hopefully close the gap between my torso and kidney plate, making it closer to screen-accuracy and Centurion requirements.

Before I do that, I'll probably get the S-trim around the bottom of the helmet done today or tomorrow and maybe the rest of the build itself, so that I'll only have to wait for my tube stripes template to arrive before I can start painting the helmet.

**gmrhodes13[Staff]** · July 14, 2021

Nice work, you could remove some material from the inside curve of the sniper plate:

"For a more screen accurate look, it is suggested that the top of the rear ridge of the sniper plate be aligned with the top ridge of the calf. Also note that the sides are angled rather than curved."

**Morgi[Staff]** · July 15, 2021

vor 14 Stunden schrieb gmrhodes13:

Nice work, you could remove some material from the inside curve of the sniper plate:

"For a more screen accurate look, it is suggested that the top of the rear ridge of the sniper plate be aligned with the top ridge of the calf. Also note that the sides are angled rather than curved."

Thanks for letting me know!

Here's the updated sniper plate:

This is cut the way you marked the plastic, however, I couldn't help but notice how the reference pictures seemed to suggest a cut more like the one that I marked in with a pencil. Should I leave it like this, or should I trim down to the pencil line?

Helmet-wise I've added the S-trim around the bottom:

(I'll have to trim the screws down before I poke my eye out)

What I noticed with the S-trim was how it didn't quite fit here, so maybe I'll have to trim a bit more around the bottom to make the S-trim overlap the ear a bit better:

I also managed to get the hovi tips inserted:

This means that I'll have to do the painting next, if I don't want to risk any paint getting on the lens. Therefore I'll be going to buy some brushes later today. Depending on how much I get myself to delay the paint job, it might take me a few days to get to the point that I can post another update on the helmet. Since I've had so much fun seeing everything come together though, that update might as well happen tomorrow

I've also been thinking about getting a blaster, because I have heard that I will need one for anything beyond basic approval, so that's something I've been thinking about as well.

Edited July 15, 2021 by Morgi

**CallMeMrTibbles[501st]** · July 16, 2021

Looking good Morgi.
Loving that you're not afraid to ask questions, and describe each step.

**CallMeMrTibbles[501st]** · July 16, 2021

Definitely recommend referring to the requirements for EIB and Centurion, even at this stage. With how thorough you're being you're going to be well on the way for the advanced levels, and it's far easier to build with those levels in mind from the start, than to make changes later.

With that in mind, I did notice one area that isn't a requirement, but will definitely make your life easier later.

RS Propmasters build as per the original suits, which means only having one strap on the right hand side of the torso (from the visible 'Han snap' on the ab section to the kidney plate). This sometimes leaves a gap at the bottom of that seam that the belt can struggle to hold shut on its own.

What I've seen in a lot/most builds (including my own) is to have a second strap at the bottom of this seam to help keep the gap closed. At higher levels there is a requirement that this gap is minimal.

Here's a pic of my internal strapping and you can see the lower strap. Be aware that the fixings for both ends of this lower strap are hidden and not visible from the outside. Any questions just ask.

**CallMeMrTibbles[501st]** · July 16, 2021

(Sorry for another post)

Here's a couple of diagrams showing strapping. (Looking from the inside of the armour)

And here's some popper tabs I made up for my build using short lengths of nylon webbing. You need enough material around the popper so that it is held securely and doesn't pull free. These are then glued to the inside of your armour using e6000, or something similar.

**Morgi[Staff]** · July 16, 2021

vor 34 Minuten schrieb CallMeMrTibbles:

What I've seen in a lot/most builds (including my own) is to have a second strap at the bottom of this seam to help keep the gap closed. At higher levels there is a requirement that this gap is minimal.

That sounds like a good idea. I'll have to post a photo of me wearing the suit with the belt, so that I can get a feedback on whether that's necessary and how I should go about fixing the issue... If I need that snap, I'll definitely refer to your picture!

So, here's what it looks like (just put on the undersuit and the armor in this weather, I'm dying of heat, lol):

It's probably even more recognisable on the other side, but it closes rather well with the belt - too well, to the point that it rather overlaps if I tighten the belt:

You can't even see the rivets on the front anymore if I tighten the belt as much as possible.

Any ideas on how to solve this, other than not tightening the belt as much? Or is this still okay? (I've got a feeling it isn't)

Regarding the snaps, I'll definitely use E6000, but I was just wondering which material you would recommend for the snaps, because I've seen both your nylon webbing and ABS pieces being used. I gotta admit that ABS would be a bit easier, because I've still got a bit lying around from my cover strips material, but I'd guess that nylon webbing or a similar material might be easier to attach to the armor.

vor 59 Minuten schrieb CallMeMrTibbles:

Looking good Morgi.
Loving that you're not afraid to ask questions, and describe each step.

Thanks! Glad to hear that you think it's going well so far!

I'm sure that without all my questions, this would not look as good, because I've gotten a lot of help from you guys!

I've also managed to get those brushes and started painting the grey. I've used Humbrol's number 5 for those grey parts. It took me a spare piece of ABS and some trial and error to figure out how to paint the helmet. Let me tell you a secret: I hate working with brushes, because I just can get the same level of control that I manage with literally everything else. I'd like to think that I did just fine tho.

Here's the first layer of grey:

(yes, I used wooden toothpicks. Those things saved me a lot of effort and worry by holding the U-trim away from the paint)

As you can see, the paint was still not very even and I wasn't really satisfied with it, so I let it dry overnight and used this morning to put on a second layer of paint.

The picture from the front is now missing the toothpicks because the paint already had two hours to dry and it seemed dry enough to not get smudged too badly. (or at all)

I gotta admit that I'm very nervous about those black lines though, so I'll be using tape for that one and not just free-handing it the way I did with all of the grey. As of now, I'll probably start with the first layer of black today and I've gotta see whether I finish with the black today or tomorrow. Since my tube-stribes template hasn't arrived yet, it might take a while to fully finish the painting tho.

(wow, that was a long update...)

**CallMeMrTibbles[501st]** · July 16, 2021

Morgi, I'm.very impressed with your painting! First time I've seen someone paint with toothpicks, and I wasn't sure it was going to work, but you've done a great job. Good luck with the rest.

For the popper tabs, you can use either abs or webbing. Both are commonly used, so it's just personal preference. Some glues can react when they come into contact with metal, so be careful where you apply the glue to avoid metal parts (the reaction creates heat which can warp armour). Not sure if that applies to the original e6000; we struggle to get that in the UK, so I used gorilla glue clear contact adhesive.

From the pics you certainly don't seem to have a problem with gaps. As you've said, it's more the opposite. I'm not sure if 'too much' overlap is a clearance issue, but I have a feeling it might be. I've seen posts where people stick some foam padding to the inside of their armour to make it sit right (I have my own padding so didn't need that ). Given that, it may be that you don't need to install the second strap, and your belt will do all the securing you need. The only way to tell is by kitting up. Just remember to always kit up wearing your under suit, as anything else may affect how your armour fits.

Your going great, and I'm looking forward to seeing your clearance pics

**Morgi[Staff]** · July 16, 2021

vor 10 Minuten schrieb CallMeMrTibbles:

Morgi, I'm.very impressed with your painting! First time I've seen someone paint with toothpicks, and I wasn't sure it was going to work, but you've done a great job. Good luck with the rest.

Impressed-? I'm surprised, since at least to me it seems very obviously hand-painted with all those little details that I just want to get a bit better than they currently are. And, well, let's see if the rest of my painjob manages to impress you as well. Regarding the toothpicks: I only used them as a help, the main paint job was still done with a brush. But, yeah, I love using toothpicks for whatever reason. Those things are super useful for the weirdest stuff and always get underestimated

vor 11 Minuten schrieb CallMeMrTibbles:

For the popper tabs, you can use either abs or webbing. Both are commonly used, so it's just personal preference. Some glues can react when they come into contact with metal, so be careful where you apply the glue to avoid metal parts (the reaction creates heat which can warp armour). Not sure if that applies to the original e6000; we struggle to get that in the UK, so I used gorilla glue clear contact adhesive.

Good to know! I think I'll stick to ABS then once I get around to re-working my strapping... And thank you for the information about metal! I do not know whether that's the case for E6000, but if it is, I don't want to be the one to find out by putting it on the metal

vor 14 Minuten schrieb CallMeMrTibbles:

I'm not sure if 'too much' overlap is a clearance issue, but I have a feeling it might be. I've seen posts where people stick some foam padding to the inside of their armour to make it sit right (I have my own padding so didn't need that ).

Padding? Yeah, I might have to look into that. The thought did cross my mind before when I was putting on my armor for the first time, but I had somehow forgotten about it until now. Then again, it is more noticable when you're looking for that overlap than when you're exited to wear your armor.

vor 16 Minuten schrieb CallMeMrTibbles:

Your going great, and I'm looking forward to seeing your clearance pics

I look forward to taking them! This is literally a childhood dream come true and I can't wait to finally join the 501st properly... Only waiting on a few shipments now, as well as those last details that I'm working on at the moment.

Oh- regarding those details, I recently noticed how many of my screws are sticking out a bit further than I would like to. I've heard that "countersinking" (?) might help, but I don't know what exactly that is, nor how to do it... Is there a tutorial on how to deal with those screws somewhere on here or would anyone be willing to supply an explanation on what I should do? I feel it would really improve the overall look and feel of the armor if I could get that done. Thanks in advance!

**CallMeMrTibbles[501st]** · July 16, 2021

Oh- regarding those details, I recently noticed how many of my screws are sticking out a bit further than I would like to. I've heard that "countersinking" (?) might help, but I don't know what exactly that is, nor how to do it... Is there a tutorial on how to deal with those screws somewhere on here or would anyone be willing to supply an explanation on what I should do? I feel it would really improve the overall look and feel of the armor if I could get that done. Thanks in advance!

Countersinking involves making the sides of a hole angled to allow certain types of screw head sit flush with the surface.

You can VERY carefully use a drill bit, but that comes with the risk that if it catches it can tear and ruin your plastic.

Less risk is a proper countersinking tool.

These are available on the net and at most hardware/tool stores. You can use one much bigger than the hole you are working on, just be very careful not to go too deep. You only want to go deep enough that the screw head sits flush, and no deeper. Take it SLOW, and don't apply too much pressure! Doing it by hand (rather than using a drill) is good because you have more control.

Be patient and you'll be absolutely fine

**gmrhodes13[Staff]** · July 16, 2021

Using by hand is the best way to control the bit, moving forwards and backwards with a small amount of pressure.

**Morgi[Staff]** · July 17, 2021

vor 19 Stunden schrieb CallMeMrTibbles:

Countersinking involves making the sides of a hole angled to allow certain types of screw head sit flush with the surface.

You can VERY carefully use a drill bit, but that comes with the risk that if it catches it can tear and ruin your plastic.

Less risk is a proper countersinking tool.

These are available on the net and at most hardware/tool stores. You can use one much bigger than the hole you are working on, just be very careful not to go too deep. You only want to go deep enough that the screw head sits flush, and no deeper. Take it SLOW, and don't apply too much pressure! Doing it by hand (rather than using a drill) is good because you have more control.

Be patient and you'll be absolutely fine

vor 15 Stunden schrieb gmrhodes13:

Using by hand is the best way to control the bit, moving forwards and backwards with a small amount of pressure.

Thank you both! I'll have to revisit the local hardware store next week to look for those tools!

Until then, I've almost finished my paint job (aside from the tube stribes, where I'm still waiting on the template... Which might take a few more days to arrive).

The grey is finished and with the help of some tape and my trusty toothpicks I've gotten some of the black done:

To:

Once I've uploaded this update, I'll go sit down and put those black stripes on as well.

I'm not sure what my next update will be about. Maybe I'll insert the lens, chin strap and foam into the helmet. Maybe I'll start working on that padding. Maybe I'll rework part of my strapping system (although, maybe I should wait for the padding to do that). I will do some small "repairs" today as well, which will include neatening the paint and finally inputting a proper rivet into the crotch (I mangled the last one and ignored the issue for a while). Maybe I'll trim down the screws inside the helmet.

Now that I'm getting closer to finishing the build, I find that there are many small details that I want to sort out whilst waiting on those last few items that I need to fully finish the build, so I'm not even sure what else I might be doing over the next few days. I only know that I will try to get at least one thing done per day for now, until there's nothing left to do.

**Morgi[Staff]** · July 18, 2021

Am 17.7.2021 um 13:57 schrieb Morgi:

I'm not sure what my next update will be about. Maybe I'll insert the lens, chin strap and foam into the helmet. Maybe I'll start working on that padding. Maybe I'll rework part of my strapping system (although, maybe I should wait for the padding to do that). I will do some small "repairs" today as well, which will include neatening the paint and finally inputting a proper rivet into the crotch (I mangled the last one and ignored the issue for a while). Maybe I'll trim down the screws inside the helmet.

Sooooo, grand plans, not much done over the last 24 hours. I did NOT do the helmet interior, nor did I add the crotch rivet.

However, I did manage to add those black stripes.

I roughly marked out where I would like my stripes to be, using tape and a pencil, then went over it with the paint itself.

However, the paint job wasn't quite as neat as I would've liked it to be (this one looked the worst, so I picked it out), which meant that I got to put on some additional grey paint to cover the black. Once that was done, it was still undeniably hand painted, but looking a lot better. Here's the finished result:

Is there anything I should re-work? If so, please tell me before I put my paint away and forget where I put it

The other thing that was mentioned before was the unfortunate overlap of the ab and kidney plate:

As you can see, with the belt closed, the sides overlap. Which meant that I needed padding. Given that I still had about a square metre of black foam with a thickness of about 5mm, I decided to cut myself my own padding:

However, I soon noticed that even with several centimetres of foam, it barely touched my body, never mind helped me get enough padding to make sure those plates align.

Given that the padding in the middle did not work due to me being way too thin, I thought that maybe padding closer to the overlap would work better, pushing the ABS where I needed it to be pushed away from my body:

(sorry for the bad quality, it was nearing midnight at this point and in the bodysuit I was overly warm and in general I was very tired at this point, meaning that I totally ignored things such as light quality)

This brought me better results:

Like this you can actually see the upper rivet. Still not good enough, but very much better, so I decided to let it be for now and finally go to sleep.

Maybe I'll continue to work on it this afternoon.

Since I'm currently also contemplating my Strapping system, I'm not sure whether I'll leave it to the rivets to hold that connection, especially since they could leave a possible gap the way they are now:

Given my previous experience with that gap, I'm fairly sure that it'll turn out to be a non-issue, but a reworked strapping in that area might carry benefits anyways. Again, I'm thinking about it.

I haven't really gotten anything new onto my to-do list, but even that might change sooner or later, so again, I'm not 100% sure what I'll do today. Probably I'll continue with the padding, maybe I'll finally bring up the courage to do the lens. I have planned on calling a member of the 501st later today (not gonna say who, in case they don't want it mentioned) and maybe together we will find a few more things that I should work on, even if that call will be more about trooping in general.

If any of the people reading this have further ideas on what to improve/work on, please let me know so I can do my best to get this armor as accurate as possible before I move in a few weeks (because I'm not sure how much work I can get done in the new place). If you need any other angles or pictures, please let me know!

**T-Jay[TK]** · July 19, 2021

No worries Luca, you are on a good way.

Hope our phone call yesterday helped you with a few things and to get an overview of the 501st Legion and trooping on events.

Just sent you some PMs with additional info to consider.

You can contact me anytime.

**Morgi[Staff]** · July 19, 2021

vor 8 Stunden schrieb T-Jay:

No worries Luca, you are on a good way.

Hope our phone call yesterday helped you with a few things and to get an overview of the 501st Legion and trooping on events.

Just sent you some PMs with additional info to consider.

You can contact me anytime.

Glad to hear that! And thanks a lot for the phone call yesterday -- it was a great help to the point that I actually continued working on the helmet yesterday evening!

I added the entire RS included interior of the helmet, so my helmet is only missing the tube stripes (along with the template) by now.

I really like this picture because you can see the green in the eyes and the gaps in the teeth beautifully.

I think I might have to cut out a nose area in the future and maybe I'll even rework the eyes entirely at one point, but right now I'm very happy with this very simple set-up.

One of the things that Tino (T-Jay) suggested was to work on the Hovi Tips a bit more to make them look more realistic and like the paint wore off rather than the thick off-white line that the tips from RS had. He suggested that I use wax around the tips and then paint it over with black and I got to say that I'm fairly happy with the result. To compare:

The one at the bottom looks more realistic and less cartoonish than the original version. Maybe I'll whether them a bit further to get more white around the tips, if that's needed, but as of now, I've got a off-white Hovi tip, painted black, with some wear and tear at the tips:

A (slightly blurry due to the camera quality) close up.

If some slight and really simple weathering can improve the look of the armor this much, then I'll probably do some more in the future -- just some small things like this that genuinely help it look so much more like a "real" Stormtrooper.

With Tino (T-Jay)'s help, I've also decided on a transport box and that I will re-work most of my strapping to make it easier to wear and work with.

This means, that I'll probably spend the evening mapping out how I want my new strapping system to be and what I need to do to achieve it.

**Morgi[Staff]** · July 21, 2021

My transport box actually arrived, alongside my Holster, making it the fastest delivery of this build.

My new holster is the one by Darman and whilst it first seems heavier and bigger than expected, it looks good once I secured it to the belt:

Only a short update today, because I spend the majority of my time reworking my strapping, which takes a lot of time but doesn't allow too many opportunities for pictures as of now. Once I get it done, I will post a picture.

**Morgi[Staff]** · July 24, 2021

Once again, it took me a while because my strapping is taking most of my time, but there are a few other things that I did as well.

I cut my sniper plate once more, this time to make the sides that angular cut instead of the one I had made before, because it seemed more accurate and better looking to me.

Probably not quite noticeable, I cut out a mouth part of the lens because if it were to slide down a bit, it could be noticeable in the frown. Then I reworked my helmet padding, using the one that RS supplied in a way that they probably did not intend me to use it. There's still an empty space at the top, because I want to try out several thicknesses of padding once I wear my armor to figure out what looks and feels best.

And I hand-countersank the ear screws (a vast improvement looks-wise). Please ignore the pencil line, I hope to get rid of all of them soon enough.

In (probably) one or two days I should have finished my new strapping, so I can share pictures of that and hopefully even of me in the whole armor, so that you can give me advice regarding the fit and where I need to improve things.

Edited July 24, 2021 by Morgi

**CallMeMrTibbles[501st]** · July 24, 2021

Great progress!

Looking forward to more posts :popcorn:

**T-Jay[TK]** · July 26, 2021

On 7/24/2021 at 10:01 PM, Morgi said:

(...) There's still an empty space at the top, because I want to try out several thicknesses of padding once I wear my armor to figure out what looks and feels best. (...)

Very good. Many troopers use the standard foam padding and end up with the helmet sitting too high above the shoulders.

By trying different thicknesses you will be able to lower your helmet as much as possible.

As a side effect, this will also improve your vision through the helmet eyes - especially on short distances right in front of you. Try it.

**Morgi[Staff]** · July 26, 2021

Am 24.7.2021 um 22:01 schrieb Morgi:

In (probably) one or two days I should have finished my new strapping, so I can share pictures of that and hopefully even of me in the whole armor, so that you can give me advice regarding the fit and where I need to improve things.

I did it. I've got a mix of the original strapping and snaps now and used the time as well to countersink all the screws that I used for the original strapping. I then went on to paint the screws and rivers white and inserted the crotch rivet. Aside from the missing tube stripes, I'm fairly sure that my armor is at a level where I could submit it for basic approval. I will wait until I've moved out and gotten situated in my new job to take the proper pictures, so that might take another month or longer, but I intend to spend the next week and a bit before I move to finish up the last details.

Here's what the armor looks like when I wear it:

What I noticed upon seeing these picture for the first time was how the left and right thigh seem misaligned with the left being higher than the right. I am unsure as for whether I should pull the right thigh up, the left one down or a mix of both. Given the fact that the left thigh seems to clash with the butt plate, that one will probably need to be lowered.

Another thing that seemed a bit off to me were the forearms. They both seem to be too high up and could stand to be lowered so that one can't see as much glove around the wrist and lower forearm area.

It might just be my personal opinion, but I think I need something to semi-permanently hold the shoulder elastics in place because they tend to hang in the middle of my shoulder bridge. Maybe something on the back plate that I can open and close via velcro?

Other end of the torso: the butt plate. I'm fairly sure it needs more curvature and that you shouldn't be able to see those snaps that easily. Also, it sometimes seemed as if it would almost slip into the thighs, which does not sound good to me.

Another thing that I need to do something about are those small gaps at the back of my thighs. Either I fill them up, or I cut them out via mobility cuts. Currently I'm leaning towards the latter because some kind of "being able to move my legs" would be pretty neat.

Oh, and I need to tuck in my belt for the thighs better, because that is not supposed to be in front of the armor

Regarding the overlap between my ab and kidney plate, Tino (T-Jay) suggested simply putting the ab over the kidney plate instead of the other way round. It actually worked out better than I expected, even if it took me half an eternity trying to lay that belt over the correctly aligned plates.

Maybe I'll work on something that will help me in this aspect even further, but unless this constitutes a problem with getting the armor approved, I can work with it as is.

vor 2 Stunden schrieb T-Jay:

Very good. Many troopers use the standard foam padding and end up with the helmet sitting too high above the shoulders.

By trying different thicknesses you will be able to lower your helmet as much as possible.

As a side effect, this will also improve your vision through the helmet eyes - especially on short distances right in front of you. Try it.

Helmet wise, the pictures above were taken without any additional padding. Just looking at them, I feel as if thick padding might do more harm than good. Thin padding might work, but I'm unsure if that would not lift the helmet up too high. The way I wore it in the pictures I had the lens in a way that I could view things as easily as possible and whilst more padding might allow for more movement of the head,I'm not sure whether that's the way to go.

Am 24.7.2021 um 23:30 schrieb CallMeMrTibbles:

Great progress!

Looking forward to more posts

Thanks!

There probably won't be too many posts now, because as you can see above there aren't many things left for me to do by myself. What I need now is all kinds of suggestions as for what I should improve and what looks good the way it is. If anyone is interested in any further details or needs more pictures of anything I will do my best to supply that, of course!

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