Aesmodan

@IcyTrooper I ordered a silver lens from TrooperBay at the same time (for the Shadow Scout), and had tried putting that in behind...It improves things, but is perhaps too dark. Ordered several pairs of cheap red and mirrored lens ski goggles that are flexible, we'll see how that works out... Completed the bondo, put on two coats of primer... and then the bondo raised in 3 small and 1 large chip and flaked off (at really weird places on the top and back ridge of the crown, where I haven't worked for days...) It's been -20 to -24ish C here and I have an uninsulated garage, so I imagine that was temperature flux (wet sanding indoors and then painting it outdoors too quickly... (?) I think I didn't sand enough of the shiny layer off the helmet around the trapezoids on the back, as the primer dried but left a weird lightning bolts / 'crows' feet' pattern... sanded it off and will move to acetone/bondo paint, I think.

All pieces complete save the bucket, and submitted to my GML! 5th application of bondo on the helm, will be the last one, I think... Meanwhile, there's this: Where do purge troopers etc. get a mirrored red lens? (not seeing other sources on our forums...) This is the lens from TrooperBay, and I like the colour, but as you notice with the paint can behind it, you can see right through it... Might try repurposing the lens in a set of red mirrored ski goggles... Cheers!

@RAIDER thank you bud. I hadn't attached it and won't. Earlier in the thread we were unclear whether it referred to the greeblie, or the "thin line decal" that passes over the tank. (I accidently broke my tank greeblie and would have had to print a new one, so this is good news!)

@RAIDER Sorry bud… what I mean is that I don’t know what the “tank topper” is…

@RAIDER Haven't driven those knee rivets yet, no worries and will do! (Sorry -- by tank topper do we mean the thin line decal that passes over the tank? Or the greeblie that sits on the top and should be riveted in as well?)

Biceps ready and modular! (velcro on T-bits to make red/black swapable): Forearms strapped up with velcro on each side of elastic as well, will place a piece on the flightsuit to anchor them. Belt rivets and velcro in:

Bandolier a bit fiddlie to mount, but I've established the way it will work: (Thermal det is done and on the side there). Velcro added to the back breastplate's base, and the cummerbund just below the forward plate to hold the 2" webbing. Added more black to the bandolier to make it look weathered/battle-damaged on the lower, plain boxes there but I'm not sure I like it and will probably re-paint them. Velcro added (hidden) to the front and back of the small rectangular box below the box with the backwards "L" to keep the crossed bandoliers in place -- works well. I tried suiting up and this layout is solid and it won't rattle around. The bandolier boxes have all been backed with thick red felt. Need to bring in the flight suit (black Red Cap) so it's less baggy before I start on the suede saddle -- this guidance from PFs is great: https://forum.501stpathfinders.com/topic/19259-undersuit-mods/

Hello @Blackwatch! Ah, I see -- probably does indeed refer to that black line decal that passes over the tank. I'm not sorry then I won't have to place that! I would put a zip tie anchor on both sides of both knees, rivet them in, and then pass the 0.5" elastic through the anchors (I did this with my shoulder bells, without the rivets). (Rivets are not placed yet, posted here with the idea first, the pin is just sitting in the hole for now).

Advice needed! @Chaos @Dropkick @RAIDER Second attempt at rivet in the bottom of the back tank. It’s creates a bit of a divot in the plastic... a passable job? (First time using a rivet gun). (All rivets to be painted over with black nail polish bought from the dollar store). Also, if I understand the reference, the CRL for Specialist says not to put on the top tank greeblie? https://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:TX_general_weir (Model pics have the greeblie on). For the knee armour, do we care if the elastic is riveted in? I've done all the strapping as double sided velcro, mainly so they're always adjustable, but also so the straps are always replaceable (only the belt strap has been glued). Thinking about riveting a zip tie anchor in instead, through which the 0.5" elastic will pass, for these reasons. (While the shoulder bell doesn't involve a rivet, I've installed it with zip anchors for its 0.5" elastic already). Cheers mates

Had a first suit up today! Update / ideas / to do: 1. Just did bondo, drying on helmet - added liquid fibreglass resin to bondo mud for smoother finish and strength (adds some weight…) 2. Ordered lenses from Trooper Bay (tried automotive vinyl had lying around, looks bad) 3. Add elastic thumb loops / stirrups to sleeves and pant legs? 4. Placed 1” velcro under the lower part of the breastplate attached to cummerbund to keep the breastplate in place -- works great 5. Might install a pocket on chest of flak vest to be hidden by breastplate to hold wallet during troops 6. Glued magnets into the boot holster to keep the holdout blaster in place 7. Added 2” velcro to the top of fabric covering where the breastplates come together -- Weir’s bandolier will anchor there 8. Placed 2” velcro at lower part of breastplate to attach the lower part of Weir’s bandolier 12. Will back the bandolier with red felt; add some red velcro to mid boxes to keep them crossed and fixed in place 13. Might try lining the lower part of knee armour with EVA foam to reduce the armour bite and help them stick out 14. Need to install the suede saddle/buttflap 15. Sewed in 2” velcro at rear of cummerbund for de/attaching codspiece 16. Line the lower part of arm armour pieces with black felt to prevent scratching from overlaps 17. Added about a foot of red paracord to boot heel loops to help ‘shoehorn’ the boots on during troops, might add grommets to the boot tongues with more paracord (easy to hide inside boots) 18. Black chin cup, black steel brackets (presume chin cup attached to visor bolts?) and slick red strapping acquired to add to inside helmet Handy to refer back to, documenting thoughts in the event this helps someone with a Shadow / Weir in the future!

@IcyTrooper for sure, was just mentioning the 3d printed bandolier boxes from @thisiskevin have a 1.5” slot, the CRL model pics have a 1.5” webbing passing through them joining to the broader 2”, but the CRL text states the more narrow webbing is 1”. https://databank.501st.com/databank/File:Tx_GeneralWeir_bandolier.jpg Wasn’t sure which was correct Bandolier thoughts: It appears to start the boxes on the tops of the yoke of the breastplate, I might put a strip of velcro on top of the fabric that hides the forward/back plate connections and stick the bandolier to it (black and red velcro). This avoids putting Velcro on the plates. The boxes end just below the breastplate on either side of the pecs, so I’ll space the boxes evenly across this width. Also thinking of backing all the boxes with thick red felt so they won’t scratch up the breastplate… will also think up a way to keep the cross across the chest so they don’t slouch. Question: this leaves the back attachment. How does one attach the bandolier at the lower back? Velcro on the bottom of the breastplate? Perhaps the cummerbund…

@Chaos Will do, will tack down the boxes so they can't move about. Boots turned out pretty good, per the SpecOPs/PF tutorials. Just got the bones on. Edit: it appears all rivet sizes per PF are 1/8th or 3mm!

@RAIDER Will take some pics later today! The bandolier painting is largely done and I think looks really good with its weathering effect (grey primer, multiple coats of red and a touch of black to give it that grungie field wear look). Pretty happy with that. Will also take pics of the base boots, they turned out really well too I think. Will likely do bondo this weekend. Quick questions @Chaos @Dropkick The CRL for Specialist states that the bandolier webbing that passes through the boxes should be 1", however the slots in the awesome printed boxes from @thisiskevin are 1.5". I threaded them all with 1", and the extra .5" leaves space for the boxes to all shift around laterally relative to each other (looks sloppy as on the left pic, makes them unaligned). A look at the bandolier CRL image above shows this was anticipated and the model webbing is 1.5" (to fill the full slot). Am I good to do the same while going for Specialist? Should the CRL be updated on this? Also for bucket bondo, are people generally in the habit of adding more liquid fibreglass resin to it to reduce the pinpoints? Cheers

Long time since an update! 1. Bandolier has been printed, and I will be going with Rustoleum Gloss Apple Red indeed for the red bits (thanks to @Ammonites and for models for weathering. This paint is a great match to the best red strapping I've been able to find) 2. DLT-20a has been printed, needs sanding and painting; also printed a DLT-19x for use with the modular Shadow Scout. These have been put together so they are collapsible and transportable by removing the barrels from main receivers (hardwood dowel inserts). 19x to have scope removable and barrel switchable, in case I ever need a DLT-19, per great suggestions on PF. 3. Strapping mostly done for the armour (changed my mind, going with gloss black rather than matte) 4. Soft parts largely done, tutorials followed; codpiece has the shaped plastic "jock" ("anti-cameltoe"); boxes printed to neatly fill out cummerbund pouches; suit adjusted for leg size and length; black pig suede acquired and in progress for the butt flap and saddle (and leg elastic) 5. Boots follow tutorials and are pretty much done as of today (doubled up on vinyl and they stand well alone); holdout blaster printed; holster needs attaching with backing 6. Belt boxes are strapped but TD needs doing; still looking for the right gauge wire. Recommended clips acquired 7. Wampa gloves are in the mail, didn't want to attempt to make those 8. Helmet is finally aligned together well (was painful) and needs Bondo (been slacking on this). Helmet inserts acquired, and headset/speaker for comms. Haven't thought about bucket fans yet, but glad my glasses fit inside! Where's the best place to get a red lens? (Trooper Bay?)

Providing some feedback on the CRL for the bandolier: * The STL files provided by @thisiskevin @Dropkick are really great in detail, thanks again! * The STL pack is arranged for printing in individual files = boxes #1-25 comprising the bandolier, but their sequence/ordering are slightly different than the CRL’s images. * This caused me to revert to the Weir reference pictures, with the following observations: 1. The CRL bandolier image (CBI) shows that the first three horizontal “ribs” or rectangular boxes of the right hand “suspender” (as worn, left hand as seen in the image) are squared and not rounded. The files labeled #1-3 in the STL pack are the rounded version of these boxes. The reference images agree with the CBI that these should be squared, so we could note this for the STL pack and possibly update the CRL text (put another way, I simply printed STL boxes #1-3 when I started, and then realized later these are the wrong type of box against the CBI and ref images). 2. In places, the CRL text has the boxes out of order or is unclear (to me, in the course of printing). It might help for me to make notes as I progress. Suggest the following to guide future prints: The left bandoleer strap will have 6 boxes, 1 greeblie, and ribs that match the CRL photo (from the shoulder to the waist) as follows: Horizontal ribs, 6 in total, shall be present from the top of the last box over theshoulder. (unclear) Boxes 1-3: Narrow, horizontal rectangular box with squared edges. (x3) Box 4: Large, vertical, rectangular box with a raised circular detail centered in the upper portion of the box. The indented portion is on the lower portion of the box. Box 5: Large, vertical, rectangular box with two vertical "I" shaped indents left and right. A narrow, ribbed horizontal cylinder greeblie appears between two prongs on the lower part of the box. Box 6: Medium, center greeblie shaped like a letter C pointed downward, within which is a pill-shaped detail. Boxes 7-8: Narrow, horizontal rectangular box shaped like a thermal detonator. (x2) Box 9: Large, vertical, rectangular box with a reversed L-shaped indent. Two cylindrical details appear near the top and bottom of the box on the viewer's left hand side. Box 10: Small, rectangular box that is plain with no details. Box 11: Narrow, horizontal, rectangular box with rounded edges (same as box #14). Boxes 12-13: Medium, rectangular box that is plain with no details (identical to the right hand boxes #8-10). (x2) Box 14: Narrow, horizontal, rectangular box with rounded edges (same as box #11). A small rectangular box with a horizontal "T' detail. The "T" faces towards the back. (this is on the right strap, not bottom left) Horizontal ribs, 2 in total. The right bandolier strap will have 9 pouches/boxes that match the CRL photo (from the shoulder down to the waist) as follows: Horizontal ribs, 6 in total, shall be present from the top of the last box over the shoulder. (unclear) Box 1: Small, rectangular box with a horizontal "T' detail. The top of the capital letter "T" detail faces toward the viewer's right. Box 2: Medium, square box with "I" shaped indent, which appears at the viewer's lower left. Box 3: Narrow, horizontal, rectangular box that is notched along its length, producing five sections. The widest section faces the viewer's right. Box 4: Medium, horizontal, rectangular box with an indent spanning its vertical height, which is on the viewer's right. Box 5: Medium, horizontal, rectangular box with three indents in a stack on the viewer's lower left. Box 6: Narrow, horizontal, rectangular box with caps on the ends. Box 7: Largest greeblie in the bandolier, a vertical, rectangular box with two long indents left and right that span the height of the box. Within the left hand indent are several horizontal sections, which have the appearance of 12 buttons. A deeper indent appears at the top of the line of 12 buttons. The right hand indentation has a deeper indentation in the middle, and two half-hexagonal cut-outs facing toward the viewer’s right. Boxes 8-10: Medium, square box that is plain with no details (identical to the left hand boxes #12-13). (x3) Box 11: Medium, square box with the appearance of a capital letter "I" on its side. Between the spaces of the capital "I" are two narrow, ribbed horizontal cylinder greeblies, one each on the upper and lower areas (these have a similar appearance to the greeblie appearing on the left hand box #5). Medium rectangular boxes, 4 in total. Horizontal ribs, 2 in total. All boxes and greeblies shall be appropriately spaced.