Chaos

I'll read thru what your GML sent you and provide any feedback that I can. Keeping in mind GMLs are the final word and their interpretations of a CRL can vary from GML to GML. That's why we see some kits get approved and others don't. Give me a day or two. You can start working on the helmet. Wet sanding and filling the imperfections first. Also let me know what paint brands and type you are using. Some paints have a bad reaction to each other.

you might as well go with Jim's armor kit as well, its an unfinished kit so it will have to be built, but its easy to work with and if you give Jim your sizes, he has several sizing options to work with. Word of Advice. If you do look to go with a finished kit that someone is selling ask to see photos of each piece just like the CRL shows, this way you can get an idea of what (if anything) will have to be modified to meet the CRL.

@Fatalslink Mike Oh one more thought. If you ever have to repaint your kit, (Like I just did last year) think about painting everything as it looks new, and then use an acrylic water base light grey in an airbrush or dry brush and then use a dry clean rag to wipe away the excess. This way if you want to look like you just stepped out of the Imperial Armory or you were conducting a VIP escort, you can simply use warm water and a soapy rag to clean off the "dirt and grime" and go full blow shiny.

@Fatalslink Mike, yeah that's my fault the CRL greeblies look like that. When our model was submitting photos it was missed in the "lookie loooos." The CRL rewrite was done and we were working on the 2 versions, fortunately the Front and back full body photo for Version 2 is correct. Sometimes its best to go with what the words say. Thank you for catching that. We will make sure we change on the next update. Nice job of duplicating what you saw by the way. @nanotek Mark I guess I have one more thing to change on the CRL

@Fatalslink Mike, Looking good Brother! I think you will be good to go this time. One thing that I have to point out (and I am probably nick picking way too deep, but that's how I roll thanks to my occupation) that might be noticed by the GML, but maybe not. The left forearm "rocket" greeblies are not really painted correctly. As they are now, they look (thinking real world here) like they are made from a silver metal, then painted black, and now they have been scuffed in battle etc., so that the paint have been worn off to expose the silver metal underneath. To meet the CRL, they are Metallic black or weathered silver colored cylindrical detailed parts shall be evident on the left forearm. So achieve this, they should either be painted completely Metallic Black (which is referencing the Tamiya TS40 color) or they are painted a silver color and then washed over with a thinned out black to give the appearance of being oxidized. This might help.

https://forum.specops501st.com/topic/8414-questions-regarding-recess-and-highlight-painting/?do=findComment&comment=102835

@Fatalslink Mike the parts do not have to be from the same kit. I mentioned that because you had said it's a PAD kit same files as the CRL model and alluding to the fact that just because its a certain kit doesn't make it anymore approvalable than any others. There is a good thread on the painting of the recesses I commented on some where. A trooper had painted every single recess which was incorrect. I'll see if I can find it.

@Fatalslink Mike, I don't think it's fair to say that you have pissed anyone off. Sounds to me like your GML is being thorough. I have been sent links from GMLs asking for advice about submissions. One said the kit was a PAD when in fact it was a combination of 850, PAD, and KB kits. It's not unusual for GMLs, if they can't see a kit in person, to ask for more detailed photos. With that being said, after looking at your photos, I would ask for pretty much the same photos. An indirect bright light will help not only with the details but also with being able to see whether the paint scheme from the CRL is accurate. I commend your GML for being thorough, I've seen some approvals that not only fail the 10 foot rule but also fail way out to the next county. Stick with it and best of luck! I

That is always a good thing for 3D prints. Honestly it's nice that 3D is lighter than fiberglass resin suits, and looks much better than ABS pulled suits, but layering 3D PLA with fiberglass and resin will save you hours on repairs down the road, pay particular attention to the areas that flex the most, like the shoulder extensions front and back, side extensions of the chest and upper back, and also the abdomen side corners, and the biceps. You did an amazing job on your kit, wear it proudly! LOL and Yes ... wranglers are important, I had to give my daughter and wife a two hour block of instruction on how to help and what to look for.... they were NOT impressed.

@Fatalslink Looking good brother! You should have no issues getting approved. Some things to note for future reference to help the overall appearance and most of them are just fitment or assembly issues that we all have had and will continue to have unless we double check everything after we suit up: 1. Lower abdomen area, Make sure that all the spacing in this area is centered and equally spaced out. Because there is so much going on in this area when something is off centered it is obvious. 2. Belt: Your belt is the right height in the back with the alignment of the lower back plate and the posterior plate. The belt should be level, you can achieve this by pulling up your abdomen armor piece, which if the center top of your belt is velcro attached to the bottom center of your abdomen armor, should bring the belt up in the front to level it out with the back. As long as you have 2 or more of the horizontal ribs showing you are good. 3. Keep an eye on your forearms. They have a tendency to rotate and become asymmetrical from each other. Adding a piece of foam rubber inside them to create a pressure friction spot can help. To check if they are in the right position, if you hold your arms straight out with palms down, the ladder details face straight out to the sides, then if you bring your arms straight down then rotate your palms and forearms inward to your thighs, the ladders should face about 45" to the rear. While we are talking about the forearm ladder detail, they are not supposed to be painted, any coloring to them should be a result of slightly weathering. Also, is this a used kit? Looks like you have some stress cracks on the upper back armor just above the backpack section, you can re-enforce the area with a plastic epoxy weld and sand and repaint. Let us know when you get approved! ?

PlastiDip or Flex Seal in a can. That's how I am going to do mine. Then just sew the vertical pen slot seams.

Nice work!

Awesome!

Kevin makes an ABS with resin/3D greeblies. His kit has some inaccuracies in it but it is CRL Level 1 Basic approvable. Matt Leigh has one for sale over in the FB Death Trooper Build Group. Andrew at The Plastic Arms Dealer makes a very accurate fiberglass resin kit. PAD's kits are a little heavier than KB's and you are working with fiberglass instead of ABS plastic. Either kit would be easy to complete as long as you did your research and followed other's WIP threads here in the forums. Jim Tripon out of the Philippines also makes a fiberglass resin kit, which is what my kit is. I have been trooping in it since Jul 2017 and it has held up very good. I have had to make a few modifications to it over the years to bring it up to the CRL Level 2 requirements, but that was a choice I made. Jim's kit is CRL Level 1 Basic approvable as well after fitting and assembly. Jim also I believe is the only maker that can still produce the undersuit as well. What a shame about Denis and The Armory Shop Props. Hopefully his country and Ukraine's situation will change and his Team can get back to business as usual.

Yes, Jim Tripon is Jimmi I have used his undersuit/gaskets with my Jimmi DT armor since July 2017 and it is still in very good shape. @jimmiroquai

The Neuro-Saav Macromotion (NSM) Monitor is optional, so whether you are going for the Version 1 or Version 2, if it is permanently attached it will not be an issue for Level 1 approval. I really like Denis' kit, ASP does a great job on their unfinished and finished kits. Its unfortunate they have been affected by current events. If you run into issues with ASP and fulfilling your order, there is a PAD (Plastic Arms Dealer) kit for sale by one of our Troopers. It has some preliminary work done on it. Andrew uses Tom's files and he was the first DT so the kits from PAD are top notch as well. Best of luck with your quest for a kit.

@Tiderion Let me try to clarify, in my post I made a statement: "However, there was a time when the Tamiya Metallic Black TS40 was not available, so to give the armor that screen look of different lighting effects, it was determined that a matte black would give the same effect. This enable builders to meet CRL requirements and it also eliminated people from choosing just any "Metallic Black" paint and using something that totally didn't look right." This was done so that as the CRL was updated, previous builders kits would still be Level 1 compliant. Even now if a builder does not have Tamiya TS40 and it is not available they can use a matte black to achieve the same effect that the Tamiya metallic black TS40 provides. The reference to the Color Scheme for those individuals is to provide them with where the asymmetrical painting is to be done if they only can use matte. If they use a metallic black it will be the Tamiya TS40. The Color Scheme is the preferred color painting colors and their locations, the Scheme says Metallic Dark Grey because that is indeed what the Tamiya Metallic Black TS40 is: The CRL lists what may be used: matte black or metallic black. So, if you use matte black; the Color Scheme tells you where it must be located, if you use metallic black; the Color Scheme list what color is preferred (Tamiya TS40) and where it must be located. You can say as well as the rest of us that BOTH sources are the "source of truth." I hope that helps clarify the "why, what, and where."

So this piece of leather-not nylon, if I had to guess, is correctly identified as not nylon, however since there is no perimeter stitching around it and only a vertical stitch line that divides the pen slots its difficult to justify that it is a piece of leather as well. It almost looks like it is a rubberized/plastic piece placed across the top edge of the pen pocket and folded over and adhered to the fabric some how, then the pocket piece of cloth is sewn to the flight suit sleeve and a vertical stitch(es) made to divide the pen pockets. This piece is likely designed to protect the top edges of the pen pockets from being worn out by the clips on the side of a pen or code cylinder. Just my thoughts since I do wear flight suits all the time and always have pens in my pockets.

Ok here is the intent of the coloring and weathering: (and I was sure it was rather obvious) Coloring, if an item lists a specific coloring in the grooves/recesses that means it must be that color, it is says "may" then if you choose to color the grooves/recess they can be painted either color. Keep in mind that if you are going for Level 2, and the CRL says use the Color Scheme Galley, then all the recesses/groves must match. You can leave everything painted gloss black and be perfectly legal per the CRL except where it lists an asymmetrical panel color scheme IAW the Color Scheme Gallery. However, there was a time when the Tamiya Metallic Black TS40 was not available, so to give the armor that screen look of different lighting effects, it was determined that a matte black would give the same effect. This enable builders to meet CRL requirements and it also eliminated people from choosing just any "Metallic Black" paint and using something that totally didn't look right. Don't over think the process, if the item refers to the Color Scheme Gallery then use that. If it says "may be matte or metallic black" and you don't have the Tamiya, then you can use matte and you will be IAW CRL requirements. I happen to like the look of the matte black in my recesses and grooves over the dark gray, or matte silver, or metallic black, but that is just my preference. However I did paint IAW the Color Scheme Gallery when applicable. Just make sure if you do paint the recesses they have to be consistent across the whole armor. Now weathering, this is touchy subject with me, and we intentionally mentioned it in the CRL: "may be slightly weathered to produce a worn look. The weathering must be uniform across all costume parts. If weathered, a light gray or white tint paint wash, or dry brush technique, or powder dusting may be used to create the oxidized or dirty effect. More information can be found in the Gallery Weathering Guide." I have seen people weather their armor so much that I thought I was looking at a Sand Trooper that had been banged up by a Banta against an outcropping of rocks. In the movie you will see the DTs "dirty after a battle" and later on they will be all clean and shiny. They are Elite Operators so they will always take care of their equipment more so than a normal grunt. To create my weathering I used a light gray craft acrylic paint, watered down and applied to the areas I wanted to have a little "dusting" with an airbrush, you can get the same effect with just a soft bristled 2 inch craft brush. When you apply the paint let it dry, then using a dry soft cloth wipe and buff away the paint from the smooth surfaces, this will leave the "dust" in the corners and crevices. If not enough comes off with the dry cloth you can always slightly dampen the cloth with water and wipe the armor down. I prefer the acrylic craft paint because if I decide to wear my armor to an event where I feel the DT would be cleaned up and looking pristine, I can take soap and water and completely remove all the "weathering" then Boom! I'm back to looking like I just walked out of the factory with a fresh coat of paint. I hope this helps answer your questions. Just remember to not over think the paint and weathering.

Congrats! Welcome to the DT Elite!

They are a lot closer than the first ones. The heel stitching is good, the sole to uppers stitching will need to be darkened to blend in better with the sole. The toe should be acceptable as long as the lace cover goes down far enough to give the same appearance as the Jared/Talib toe. The CRL says the boot is a "capped" toe, though the toe is not actually a capped toe per se, but because the lace re-enforcement stitching extends down the tongue opening to the sole, it gives the Jared/Talib toe the appearance of being "capped." My best suggestion would to get with your GML and show him/her the boot and see what the answer would be. We can sit here and say all day long that an item is questionable as CRL approvable but then a GML interprets the CRL slightly different and approves an item. The CRL is a guide for GMLs to determine if a costume has the appearance of being what we see in the movies, TV, or comics. Level 1 501st approval is up to the GML's interpretation and they should be asked if they would approve something. The above boots won't meet CRL Level 2 standard but possibly Level 1. Let us know what your GML says.

It depends what the issues are; were they manufacturing defects, painting defects, damage created during shipping. Everyone that I know that has a PAD completed kit may have had to touch up paint jobs due to shipping damage but were pleased with PAD's product. Maybe more of a detailed explanation would assist in answering your question.

I'll repost again here. Honestly there are quite a few details that are incorrect with those files, The back piece is missing a couple CRL required details, the TD is not correct. There are no abdomen pieces or upper front chest details shown, so I couldn't tell you if there are any issues there. To be honest it would be worth your time and money to purchase Tom Campbell's files. You can find him at TDK Props. If you are going to 3D print your files, and are shorter than 5'8"-5'9" you might want to look into getting The Armored Garage's Armorsmith Designer software. It allows you to scale each piece based upon your body measurements. This is how Denis at Armory Shop Props scales his customers builds. Get Tom Campbell's files, they are just a little more than the CG files but the money you would save by getting the cheaper set, will be spent upgrading and making the necessary corrections to be CRL compliant. You will probably spent even more than what it would cost you to buy Tom's files and the Armorsmith software. FYSA I am one of the Detachment Deathtrooper CRL advisors and I have seen many members get frustrated and spend more time and money when they try to go cheaper on their DT builds. This build is complicated and can me pricey if done correctly. The main reason is there are very few suppliers right now due to the low supply of materials. Best of luck on your build. We are always here to assist.