gmrhodes13

TROS prop piece from Star Wars Show, SONN-BLAS at end

Lights on top of blaster

A little, generally from my experience people only want to help with a CRL when they are working on a costume and at this point many are holding off until an actual CRL is written so it's a catch 22 there. I also know many who know about the hold up on the neck opening and won't purchase until a decision has been made. We are focusing on one piece as many want to know if the split at the back would be allowable for basic and a definite YES/NO has not been forthcoming, although there was mention that it would be discussed and decided on. "Failing all of the above the CRL could be written to accommodate for the current issues:" great but when would that call be made. There was mention that the split may be allowable for basic hence why many are waiting for that final decision, if it's NO then everyone definitely knows they have to follow other options and no doubt can move on or continue to troop on unapproved. Personally I have painted bumpers in the past and although they have some give I doubt it would have the ability to allow the paint to stretch to get over the head, and I'm not aware of any piece of a praetorian which would need that amount of flex but I've not fully researched those. The neck opening can only be so large or it will have too much gap when fitted around the neck so the bigger the opening to get over the head the worse it is. Jim is aware of the inner lip curving upwards and made it specifically so it wouldn't cut into the neck but I'm sure he could modify that. I'll pass on those details to Jim. I don't follow anyone on Instagram so I didn't know any advice was given to him, perhaps info could be shared here, god knows people don't like sharing elsewhere, seems everyone wants to use FB and closed groups but rarely bring info to forums, hence why only a few are interested helping get a CRL written. Not too worry will leave it at that and continue on with the updates for the time being, will see what Jim comes up with.

No the helmet sits up high at the back and there is no way it will cover it. Jim has tried some experimenting with a flex material BUT at this stage there is no way to color match it

For anyone with Jim's early kits he has made some updates so if you haven't already you may want to contact him about replacements or make the modifications yourselves On to prep and paint

I'm still looking at this neck opening/slit now as I have it setup so I can view from behind and I'm not seeing there to be an improvement now moving to the top of the shoulder, there is a slant forwards with the armor and I think it's going to be noticed more than having it at the back. Here is what I have now Proposed move. If you turned sideways at all, from the front it would be noticed. \ Thoughts?

My pleasure, troopers helping troopers. I did look at the stock mod but my brain is just not up to 3D design unfortunately and I'm still new to the printing world, been an old school builder but the growing list of medical issues are putting an end to those days. I've made a few basic models but adjusting existing files are an issue and with that I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your work, will definitely help a lot of us with lower brain capacity Perfect timing though I was just about to start on printing a replacement and trying to add some updates, only managed the front recess mod, that's why I had the references handy. Don't let that real job get in the way, we are waiting with baited breath on those updates (if you share ) Cheers again

Ok so just looking at the neck slit now and I'm just trying to warrant the move to top/shoulder, I'm thinking it's going to be more noticeable. Having a look at what I have now I'm really not sure if the work will achieve a better look. The armor does slant downwards from that point so it will bee seen. Here's how mine looks now. Potential position to move to

Great work just with the circle logo again once again it comes down to what references you use, I haven't seen the sith logo as yet but I have seen the first order logo. For those that haven't noticed look at the magazine end plate too, it is longer and angled on the front Also I was looking at what it would take to make the stock removable, and if you swap the shaft from the front stock connector to the rear stock it could work. What I did notice though is to add a silver plate on the end of the stock connector it should be straight and some of it is angled as is so a cap plate won't sit on correctly. I also noticed the rear has some vents/fins

For anyone updating their 3D files to add the front red recess section on the side, most references show there is still a front corner/edge although the SDCC and LFL display almost appears not to have the corner/edge

Just a question, but aren't we trying to replicate the "look" of the costume, do we need to make it exactly how it was produced by a company with an unlimited movie/costume budget, at the end of the day we are wearing a costume which the public have pictures with, they are not interested how every piece is held together, they just see the end product. It is after all a piece with only a small area seen from the outside. This comes back to the basic approval, yes for L2 and L3 every piece could be exactly how it was first intended but for basic approval I think we are over working this.

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No I tried that, it's just larger than the neck, would not fit over the head

For me once again part of the issue comes down to color, as I've seen with other costumes it is very hard at times to get the same base colors/paints/materials in every location, (a common issue with TFA and TLJ Stormtroopers) this poses a problem with paint, although yes you could have color matched to a particular paint code but how much do I want to spend on a set of armor I'm wearing as a costume when I can just purchase an inexpensive base color. Next is matching the color to a flexible product, again it comes down to the ability to color match, not the fact that one particular manufacturer has made an item in a different material but that the material in question can be color matched easily. I'm not saying we have to allow a particular manufacturer's product just because of the way they have made it but surely the ability to color match should be kept in mind. Ideally the whole suit should be made out of a flexible material to be screen accurate BUT what prop maker will start offering those and how much would that cost. I'm still to move the split at the back of the neck to the shoulder to minimise the length and position of the slit but have an outdoor screening of TROS on Friday so have just run out of time. I also have just received my upgraded pieces from Jim, the extra details that had been noticed after more screen references were available, anyone with an early Jim kit should check in with him about those I guess at the end of the day it comes down to what should be acceptable for base approval, a slit on the rear or side of neck although "not screen accurate" does not sound like a big issue to me since the majority of the time the public see us from the front, majority of photos are also taken from the front, don't think I've even seen a rear photo of me except for approval photos. Food for thought, if decided a slit is not allowable at basic how many GML's would actually notice that and just approve it with the slit (as we see with so many other things)

Most impressive

Appears very much like it, very similar to the mountain trooper seen on some merch from Galaxy's Edge

The Art of Star Wars - TROS

Unfortunately not, was a little busy building it to take photos but I will be doing another one down the track, there are a few things I want to update since I printed this one

We don't see the internal rigging so I would suggest it not be part of the CRL.

Personally I'd think detail for the sensor would be higher level but a image for reference for base requirements

My take, (although a little biased ) I get the screen accuracy argument as I've got just a few higher level costumes but I personally don't think having a split would be too much of an issue for base acceptance, especially on the rear, I would gather quite a few GML's wouldn't even notice it and I'd bet a few will slip through. I may still move the split to on top of the shoulder BUT it would still be a noticeable split so really no point. I did speak to Jim about this some time ago but he believed having it on the rear really wouldn't be noticed by the public and wasn't too concerned. I guess the other issue would be finding a flexible section that firstly would match the color of the armor (I won't be repainting the whole kit just to match a neck section), then the second issue would be find a material that could be stretched over the head but still close around the neck nicely. I know some detachments can be lenient depending on armor supplies and what they can produce, for example FISD allows TFA cod sections for TLJ base approval as there weren't enough makers supplying them at the time the CRL was made, a correct TLJ cod is a requirement for L2. Now I did create a TLJ cod and did get L2 and L3 approval so it's not unachievable. Things may be done differently here so all good, each detachment is different. At the end of the day if a seam is not allowable then I'm not going to get all bent out of shape, I guess I'll just continue to troop in an unapproved costume and won't get a TX on my legion profile ?

I've tried a few different things so far mostly shoe based polishes and Vaseline, Dubbin appears to give the best shine with a little heat so far but not a deep gloss, will keep experimenting though

Comparing a few images of the ST-W48 blasters, quite a few different details depending on what images you look at. For instance the TROS premier display shows an angled cog on top of the magazine much like the F-11ABA, bit hard to make out on other images, was hoping the visual dictionary would show more. Sithtrooper standee shows what appears to be red lights in the end of magazine, others like the visual dictionary show red too but appears it could be paint. Magazine end cover is also angled on the front. Star tours display, SDCC display and also Battlefront shows mesh over the inset side details, visual dictionary does not have mesh. Hot Toys round detail on right front side is incorrect and a red recess section which many 3D files had missed. There are though a lot of general details between the images which should help define the models. I guess it's a case of finding more references to be 100% correct

Perhaps @nanotek this is an issue that should be discussed separately outside of a build thread in case some aren't following

I did find a very early trial fit back image, pretty ugly at that stage