Chaos

Did you try The Plastic Arms Dealer https://www.etsy.com/shop/plasticarmsdealer/?page=2#items he was making them in a fiberglass material recently. Send him a message thru his shop

Found this goodie in my archives. Perfect motivation for my task ahead!

Ohhhhh very nice job and thank you for sharing this! So I can add you to the "Accessories" Vendor list?!

I asked Tim to start this thread, he as had access to and spoken with a couple of the actors who have worn the costume and some more photos that can help us (when we get to it) work up the Level 2 requirements. I have looked at some of the photos and have a whole new outlook on how I am going to redo my kit when I get a chance among all my other projects LOL.

Thoughts and critiques?

I shortened the rear plug and rear body section, to make it match better with the photos. It also looks like the rear stock tube might be thinner and slide into a hole that the square piece is covering up. I'll make the changes, might take a day or two as I am going to busy at work the next couple of days.

Spent some time on my day off working with the photos @gmrhodes13 provided and my Sean Field's files. I think I am getting there. Some of the small components aren't shown in the photos but they include inset screens for the fore grip with rear stock version, rear stock, magazine with a screw knob, and a few other greeblies that I didn't add to the build model. I added internal cut outs to accommodate electronics and a bright LED in the front can illuminate the side oval ports and the barrel as seen on the Star Wars Show.

In all honesty, I think if the seam is in the back and a comment about "as unnoticeable as possible" for L1 approval should suffice. We could over think this and we'd still be working on it when Episode 25 comes out.

Body paint .... no seam ?

@gmrhodes13 thanks for the close ups. I'm noticing that the mag well is different than Sean's files as well. Moving the stock tube from the front stock body to the rear stock butt is easy, I'm going to work on that today if I have time. The silver cap looks like it is square with the corners rounded and some type of hex nut. Rear vent fans .... yep, I missed those, thanks! I'll work on those as well when I get a chance. LOL some times my real job gets in the way of my hobby! I'm not sure why they would have a First Order logo as they were not technically part of the FO, so I think just the indented circle will be the way to go. I do like the Sith Trooper logo. I have not seen that anywhere but I was just playing around with the idea. Thanks again for the feedback.

Hey All, Glen @gmrhodes13 brought up some interesting points about the 3D print files that are out there that are not quite like the Photos we have been seeing of the Sith Trooper's ST-W48 blaster. I bought the files that Sean Fields made and attempted modifications to them as to be more in line with the photos we are seeing. They are the barrel, the fore grip, and the body back. On the body back one I made the indented circle on the mag well, and I also got "fancy" and put the Sith Trooper emblem instead of the indented circle just for shits and grins. (Edit- I removed the link since they are based off Sean's files.)

Hey has anyone thought about this ... TK helmets are difficult for some of us larger noggin dudes to put on so we twist it because it is an oval shape. What's to say that the neck opening be more of an oval shape and we just twist the noggin thru it? I haven't seen Jim's kit in person, Glen @gmrhodes13 does Jim's kit look like the neck opening could be oval'd enough to permit it to be twisted on?

Good day all. I plan on getting a Sith kit when I am finally back from the sand box. I was also delaying the purchase due to the CRL not being completed. I think that there have been enough photos and references placed out there by now that most makers of the kits have fine tuned their products to at least meet a basic Level 1 approval. I have seen many comments about the back split and that it is not screen accurate etc, but there are many CRLs across the Legion that say one thing, but with the dawning of Blu Ray DVDs you can find many "screen used" armor sets that don't meet the CRL but yet ... there they are in crystal clear digital Blu Ray show and tell. An example is that damn neck seal. For the longest time the zipper or velcro had to be in the back for some GMLs to approve it even thought the CRLs never really said, and really the only requirement for Level 2/3 is that it must have 11 rings. I'm sorry but if I had a neck seal with 11 rings and it was a basic requirement for approval I'd wear a neck seal with 11 rings and with my "turtle neck" I'd be passed out from asphyxiation in 5 minutes. I guess the point I am trying to make is that in my honest opinion, we develop CRLs at a basic level to assist members who don't have access to certain materials etc, during their builds so that they can at least gain basic approval. So we must look at what the basic approval is. Is it that the armor and accessories, when viewed by the average bystander, match what they have seen on the screen for all of 2 minutes and that they are amazed to be standing next to a Sith Trooper? I really don't think that a split on the back of the Gorget, when properly aligned with each edge butted up against the other would be a distractor or even that noticeable. For one, the back of the helmet sits over the top of the viewed area. If we are concerned about the seam looking odd and pointing out like the above photo, then there are ways to ensure that the seams and joint lay flat and even against each other. I agree with many of you and in my opinion for Level 1 basic approval just say its "one piece, and if there is a split to accommodate the wearer's head, then the edges must be together along the entire seam and there is the appearance of a flat even surface. Level 2 can say No visible seam, and Level 3 can say is made from a flexible rubber like material which matches the rest of the armor in color and sheen. That's more than 2 cents but I found some spare change in my sofa.

@nanotek and @RogueLeader so both of you have your forearms attached on both sides so no "clamshell" effect? Rubber is a finiky component to work with. Here are two solutions to the bands that I know work. First off, for anyone reading this who uses the "clamshell" method on the forearms and whose hands are too wide and can't have the bands tight and permanently affixed to the forearm, attach only side of the band to one half of the forearm and place a couple of the small earth magnets in the band and into the forearm where the clip greeblie is, this holds well and allows you to open the wrist area to slide your hand thru. For those who have the forearms closed, scuff up the underside of the rubber bands and also the area they cover on the forearm. E6000 them in place with clamps and allow to cure fully. then take a small 1 inch picture hanging nail with a small flat head, heat it and push it into the band from the outside into the forearm. The head should be pushed just enough to be recessed into the band. It will leave a small hole/indentation but this can be covered with black silicon caulking or filler putty and painted with a rubberized paint. As for the nail protruding thru the forearm, use a pair of needle nosed pliers and bend the nail 90 degress. Cover the bent end with gaffers tape or E6000. Do this in several places around the circumference of the bands. I have mine clam shelled but fortunately, the rubber coupler that I cut my bands out of has enough give/stretch to it that I can slip my wrist thru even with my gloves on (no hand plates) and it snaps back into place. Best of luck finding what works best for your solution.

I used 1 inch cotton webbing for the bottom strap and 1 inch black heavy duty elastic for the side straps. (The texture and color of both are almost identical) All three holders are then sewn to a single 1 1/4 inch cotton webbing piece (its about a 5 inch piece that I cut off the webbing belt I used for the upper chest rig straps) That is held to my chest rig by snaps that I painted black. I wish I could provide you with a photo but I am not in the U.S. right now. I was going to finish the tutorial for the grenade holders but never got around to it.

Slow and steady! Looking great, keep up the momentum!

Congrats and welcome to the Darker Side of the Darkside! DTs are an awesome addition to any Garrison! "Chaos" Death Trooper/Shadowtrooper/FO TIE Pilot (in-progress)/FO Sith Trooper (in-progress)

I bet! ?

David, That's all we can ever hope to accomplish. We can provide people with the resources and if they choose not to go the correct route then that is on then. Funny you should mention the "instant go to" I see people posting " I know it has probably been asked etc, but I can't find it" and then I type in the search area exactly what they asked and instantly it shows me a poop-ton of posts. LOL sometimes I have to reign in my "WTF are you that F-ing Lazy" comments. God forbid I hurt someone's feelings because I have to realize that not everyone knows how to operate the piece of equipment they have been given.

LOL yeah just about there! I'm more of a "part time" hire for right now, but things are slowing down right now with winter coming and the arrival of "Snow Days" makes it easier.

Martin, though you may have found an "affordable" vendor for your armor hard parts, most of the soft parts vendors charge $300-500 for their soft parts, when you decide on your armor vendor, factor in the additional cost for the soft parts and then bounce that off the cost of what vendors who include soft parts with their kits. Also you need to realize that this costume is one of the more costly ones, its along the lines of a Vader. The "Approved Vendor's List" on this forum needs to be updated. But as Mark @nanotek mentioned above vendors such as Denis at the ArmoryShop and Jim @jimmiroquai include their soft parts as "package deals with their armor. Mike at the Darkside Closet has set up a new work space so he will be ramping back up his operations. There are a few WIP build threads in the Death Trooper section of the Forums where some members have made their own undersuits. A quick search for DIY undersuit brings up most of them. Welcome to the ranks of becoming a Death Trooper and best of luck with your build.

Hey ya'll I am seeing more and more questions on here and "Spacebook" pages about "who is the best?, what vendor's are available?" etc,. I am very proficient with the "search" feature of the forums and have been able to find some pretty obscure topics, but I think it might be a good task for 2020 to update the "Spec Ops Approved Vendor's" section. I know it's a huge undertakings but one that I think is necessary and would be willing to assist others work on this as best I can. I am still in the sandbox so my "off work" time is still limited but I can try and assist where I can. As a side note, for those TX's out there that are active on the numerous Star Wars "Spacebook" pages, and see questions like the above posted there, make an overt effort to send them this way to our Forums. There is a plethora of subject matter experts and knowledge bases here and it helps to un-muddle some of the misinformation new recruits may be getting from the "Spacebook" Warriors. Swift * Silent * Relentless

Mark, just a thought, in order for the CRL to accommodate individual sizing, if you put any type of widths or any groove numbers which limit the ability of the wearer to adjust the circumference of the abdomen, then you are in effect discriminating who can wear this costume and what Level they can obtain. ie. only people who's waist size is 30-36" because any larger would need to either add shims, which would increase a section's CRL annotated width or the number of lines/grooves a section has thus preventing costume CRL/Level approval. For example some makers customizing 3D files in order to size them to the individual wearer. For this costume, it would be an easy method to gain some girth in an abdomen piece to add 1-2 inches to either a flat section or to one of the grooved sections. The abdomen would still give the appearance of looking proportional and correct yet it would not contain 32 grooves but rather 42, or the upper width of a tapered section may need to be 3 inches instead of a CRL width of 2 inches. I hope that makes sense, I am at the end of my day and sleep is calling me.

850's DT is a good product. It is ABS so it does lack a lot of the sharper details that you would get with a 3D printed or fiberglass cast set of armor. The Armory Shop, Jim Tripon, KB Props, and The Plastic Arms Dealer are makers of outstanding kits as well. There are several build threads of each type in this forum. I would recommend looking through each type and determine which type you think would work best with your budget, skill set, and time line. Almost all of them offer or have teamed up with another maker to produce the under suits. Original Doc Martens have become hard to find but are still out there on ebay every once in a while. Imperial Boots does provide screen accurate boots and gloves which they do production waves of, If you go that route get your order in early on in your build. In the build threads almost all of them list their sources which you can use to make your own list and then decide on a provider. Welcome to Spec Ops and best of luck on your build. The search button and other members are your best tool in sorting through the plethora of knowledge that the members of this group can provide.

Thanks for posting the pictures. My first advice would be to lose the "Specialist" items, they are not needed for approval and muddles the view of the rest of the armor. 1. Biceps are too low so they bind down on the forearms. Also looks like he might be able to trim back the forearms one ladder rung. They appear a little long for his forearms. 2. Not sure if the lighter color pouch on his left side is the leather one, if so it's too big, if it is the canvas pouch, the color looks off (another reason to lose the chest rig and pauldron) 3. The spacing of the back armor needs adjustment. The butt plate needs to come down so that the bottom edge is lined up with his (___|___) buttline. That should allow more room to allow more of the kidney plate to show. 4. Belt canvas pouch alignment, the CRL photos perfect for getting positions correct. 5. Under suits knee gaskets need tightening up, the bunched up gaskets give the appearance of improper fitment. 6. Boot lace covers need to be tucked under his shins. Velcro on the inside front of the shins and the top of the boot covers will help keep them tucked in. That's all I can see from the photos. Get him to take the correct posed approval photos (front, back, left, and right with arms down and up) without the Specialist items. He's almost there, just a couple of issues.