Ruthar

Congratulations! Well done! 😀

2024 Update Hello, all! Spent some time tonight updating this fun suit, so documenting a few things here about it! Recently, Denuo Novo announced that they had their Patrol Trooper helmets in stock. My biggest complaint about my own Patrol build was how difficult it was to wear - the helmet was simply too large for me to wear properly, forcing me to look out of the teeth and have some limited movement. Not ideal and it kept me from doing many troops in this outfit. So, when the Denuo Novo option became available, I figured I would give it a whirl to help fix my issues. Denuo Novo Helmet vs. Armory Shop Helmet Here's the packaging that the DN helmet comes in, typical of their line of helmets: After taking it out of the packaging, I placed it next to my Armory Shop helmet for some side-by-side comparison shots. And here are some shots of the DN helmet by itself: There are a couple things I really like about this new DN helmet. Most importantly (for me, at least) is the size. This is a fairly sizable reduction compared to my Armory Shop helmet, and that's quite important for me. With a fairly short neck and a small-ish head, this reduced helmet definitely fits me more appropriately. It's also neat to see the underplate beneath the blast shield. The Tank Driver and AT-ACT Driver helmets of Rogue One were also crafted this way, so it certainly makes sense that this follows suit having been created in the same time period. The weathering surprised me quite a bit - it is quite close to the weathering I put on my Armory Shop helmet. I might add a little bit more to give it some texture that matches my armour, but it's pretty nice now even without adjustment. I do still need to migrate my helmet internals over to the new piece, but that's just a simple manner of pulling out fans and putting them into the new one - easy enough since its all placed with Velcro. Full Kit With New Helmet Of course, suiting up entirely was the only true way to test the helmet and how it fits. Here's what the whole kit looks like now. It is such a nice improvement to be able to see fairly clearly and turn your head, so I'm really happy for that. There are a couple small repairs/adjustments I want to make before getting this out to a troop, but nothing major - mostly just repairs that need to happen because the armour was sitting in a bin untouched for slightly too long. Some paint touch-ups and tweaks here and there mostly. Here is a comparison between this new version (left) and the first version (right). The larger helmet really looks too big on me now that I see them side-by-side. Here's also a size comparison between the DN helmet and a standard ABS TK helmet, just to give another point of reference: All in all, I'm quite pleased with this upgraded version. Just a few small repairs to get this back into the trooping rotation!

Wow, marvelous work! It’s not easy getting tight, consistent stitches like that. Really stellar!

I haven't worn them for any extended period of time, especially without armour, so I can't really say. I got them a half size up, so they aren't too tight - I do that for all of my trooping boots. They are fairly bulky, so definitely a bit weird to wear, but I didn't get the "oh man, this will be an adventure" reaction!

Congratulations! Great to have you at the helm, Mickey!

I can sit ok in mine - the bigger issue is sight for me. The helmet (mine is Armory Shop) is large enough where it hits my collar, so I put padding in it so it sits higher which forces me to look out of the eyes. I would love to get my hands on (or try to print) a smaller helmet so that I don't have to do that, it definitely makes moving around a bit harder than it needs to be. Definitely agree with the points made in here, though - all good advice!

Congratulations, Lancer! 😃

Armour - Helmet A few boxes of goodies showed up this week! One of them was this fabulous helmet. This is the Denuo Novo Premiere TLJ helmet, a fiberglass piece that comes fully lined. I know there are lots of opinions about Anovos/DN/etc., but, for better or worse, they do make a fabulous helmet. Here are some pics! I'll be getting good mileage out of this bucket - will be using it with a fresh FOTK build (TLJ) as well. I've always liked the TFA bucket, but the addition of teeth and a sharper nose angle make it that much more aggressive which I like even more. It came with padding (not pictured), so I'll add that, some fans, and a wireless mic in the future.

Boots (continued) Not a big update, but an update all the same! I grabbed second can of the vinyl paint and applied the second coat. I think these look pretty good now, ready for the next bits of the build. A little minor cleanup needed around the lower edge, but nothing a little acrylic black and white can't handle. I'm going to set these aside for a few days to fully dry before handling further, I don't want to get in the way of any curing.

Boots The first item that I managed to get (back in 2022) were the boots. I was incredibly lucky to find a pair on Facebook Marketplace for a steal in my size, so I quickly nabbed them. They are a fun green and black, but that will sadly be all covered in the end. I've never had much luck in painting boots since they crack and crumble eventually, so I'm trying a new product. I popped over to the local autobody shop and asked them what they use to paint seats and such, and they recommended this stuff: It seems to be similar somewhat to plasti-dip, though it definitely smells much different! Before opening that, though, the soles are staying black - so tape, tape, tape! I just used your run-of-the-mill painter's tape. Can instructions say "multiple thin coats," so that's what I started with. It has a strange spray feel, almost like a mix between spray paint and silly string. Have a couple coats to go, but here is what they look like after the first can. Will have to go pick up another can to finish them off as it will take a bit of white coverage to eliminate that green. Onward!

Parts List Armour - Helmet: Denuo Novo premiere fiberglass TLJ Stormtrooper - Chest, ab, arms: KB Props/Denuo Novo pieces (TBD later which ones will use, most likely a mix of both) - Knees & shins: @MrPoopie's marvelous 3D modeling work! Soft Goods - Pants: custom made - Neckseal: TBD - Gloves: TBD - Gaskets: TBD, possibly custom made if I can find a suitable material - Boots: Alpinestars SMX-6 v2

References/Resources I won't belabor this phase of the thread as there is already a fantastic resource here on these boards on the thread linked below. As other things pop up, I'll post observations and such along the way, but that thread is a great starting point for anyone looking to see the character.

First Order Treadspeeder Driver Build Hey, everyone! Hope you're all doing well. I can't believe how long it took me to actually kick this off (sorry to all those who I said "it's coming!" to along the way, especially @BikerScout007 who got that promise back at the Anaheim Celebration), but I'm pleased to say this build is finally here and underway. Haven't dug in too deep just yet, but have gathered up the components and put a plan in place, so it's time to put up the matching build thread to document the progress. With an amazing experience aboard Disney's starcuirser before it closed, I have a renewed love for the First Order, so excited to dive in here. I've got a big pile of armour for multiple First Order related builds, so we should have plenty of parts laying around to knock this one out. Without further ado, let's get to work! Contents 1) References/Resources 2) Parts List 3) Boots 4) Armour Helmet etc. 5) Painting 6) Strapping 7-?) ??? 8+) Submission Photos!

I don't have that final tooth area cut out, I just have it painted black since it is so very narrow. In terms of length, I think you have cut enough - the shield plate that covers the area will cover the bottoms of those cutouts. For the boxes, 2.5" might be a little on the wide side. Mine are 4" x 1.5" (here's a link to my belt box part of my build). Hard to say for certain though without seeing what they look like placed on the belt itself.

The sizes I used in the build thread are for sure the sizes that got me to level 2. This link will bring you right to the specific post.