Hello and prospective Crimson!

[Aesmodan[501st]]

Hello, new guy here looking to think about a Crimson! (my first armor…)

I've done some reading between here and FISD, but have some outstanding / dumb questions I hope to bother you with.

(Let me say first I have benefitted enormously from the WIP threads here and from Rat's pinned WIP in particular…)

 

1. Shooting for Specialist from the outset (pay once, cry once!)  Yell at me when I am off track!

2. I think I gather that green, straight lenses are preferred for the bucket, although the CRL mentions curved lens are acceptable.  This makes me ask whether...

3. Are the Crimson and Shadow essentially an ANH Stunt with the CRL's specialist mods?  (but a Hero is acceptable re: bubbled lenses?)

4. I'm in Canada so I think I am preferring AP but also looked at AM and WTF (AP for me avoids dealing with customs). Put another way, I can’t find anyone that carries a crimson kit anymore, and only one that carries a shadow trooper.  It would seem therefore that people typically buy a white armour and paint it? (since it likely has to be painted to a more gloss red anyway, or do people wait for a crimson run?)

5. I had to read up on four bumps and three screws on the bucket ear, and the neck trim S-profile (normally provided?); butt plate joints and cover strip method; return edges.  I'd be inclined as a noob to get a trimmed kit, but do you recommend that I get an untrimmed kit? (put another way, any known issues with vendors trimming in a manner that violates the SO L2/Specialist CRL?

6. What version of E-11 does the Crimson use (ANH? ROTJ?)  I did find an STL pack that in theory includes all pieces for all versions, but I should ask what's preferred as tested and true.  I'd definitely also do a DLT-20a, is there a different set of STLs that are preferred for that than AprilStormProps'?

7. I note it’s been some time since there has been a crimson WIP thread, would you advise that I shift gears to a Shadow instead?

8. May I annoyingly ask: I'm not up on latest tech really, but heard a large scale Bambo is coming in the winter-ish.  If you could buy a new (large scale, optimal) 3d printer to support projects like this, what would you get?  Neptune 4 Max?  Mars 5 Ultra?  I don't know anyone that messes with resin... just PETG.

Cheers,
Tom/Aes

 

[IcyTrooper[CMD-DL]]

G'day, friend! I finally got to this thread!

Before I start you have some great questions here and I'll do my best to answer them. We do also have a vendor list here (I'm going to attempt to update it again soon):

 

1. Aiming for Specialist out of the gate is a good plan!

2. You are on the right track, we allow for the lenses to be either flat or bubbled. Curved is just the shaping that you'd get if you were using straight lenses as they bridge the gap between the open eye holes.

3. The Shadow Stormtrooper and Crimson Stormtrooper are indeed mostly seen in the ANH Stunt format. We have had a mixture of those in both with bubbled lenses, but there is no true this or that for the L2 side of things when it comes to the lenses shape being flat or bubbled. Just be careful with the hero helmet teeth to make sure that you have the correct number as per the CRL. I'd say most people are using flat lenses these days (easier to see out of and install).

4. WTF is about the only one I've seen using the red ABS for the kit. I know that the red that he uses is a little more different from the red crimson stormtrooper boots you'd find on Imperial Boots (now known as Keep Trooping), so there was time when you could request through Keep Trooping to have the leather changed to more closely match that of the WTF kit. I do believe that many are painting them now. This thread has some good paint: 

5. So when you get a kit from someone, there is some trimming that is done post-mold after it is pulled. I'd probably just stick with that so that there isn't too much trimming done if you have to make adjustments. I know that the WTF kits come with the S-trim and the proper ears, but I'd imagine that all kits will come with the right ears and plastic parts, but not sure if they'll all come with the S-trim and other stuff like Hovi-tips, etc. I think the only way someone would have it not meet L2 is if it doesn't fit right or the edges around the ab/chest/back/kidney appear to be raised/molded as they would in ROTJ.

6. The E-11 version is generally the ANH one, but dependent on the GMLs I'd imagine they'd allow any version. I'd check with the GML to see what is acceptable since our CRL doesn't specifically call out the movie version. There is a vendor that does a 3D printed version of the DLT-20a that I have on the vendor list. It is a good model too.

7. I'd say do whatever you fancy more! The lack of a recent WIP thread doesn't mean much as the costumes are so very similar, so the building would be the same, just depends on the kit if there are any small nuances.

8. I'm not at all up to speed with 3D printers at all, so I won't be of much help there. I can see if we can have a 3D printer expert chime in here.