Chopper

Hey everyone, so I recently picked up one of the new Praetorian Biker Scout holdout blasters. As you can see in their thread here, they were able to 3D scan one of the original holdout blasters from ROTJ. Having done a comparison on various other available blasters in a previous thread, I thought it might be useful to compare the new Praetorian biker scout blaster against what I would consider the current top tier scout blaster -- the Darth Voorhees (DVH) blaster. Weight and Construction: Both blasters are molded from rubber, though I believe the Praetorian blaster uses foam internals, similar to the old Hyperfirm blasters. The DVH blaster is slightly lighter. However, the Praetorian uses a molded trigger guard vs. DVH's metal guard. Also the DVH blaster has magnets molded into the rubber, which the Praetorian does not. Praetorian: DVH: Size, Shape, and Features: As noted in Pandatrooper's original scout blaster thread here, as well as seen on the original 3D scan used by Praetorian, the original scout blasters did not have a hex nut on the back side of the blaster. There is a hex nut used on the "hero blaster", used by the scout who captured Leia, but the hero blaster also used a drilled blaster nozzle and scope. Still, this is a small detail and certainly not a deal-breaker, given the model's lineage. Otherwise, size and shape seem nearly identical, which is a testament to Lou/DVH's work in creating an outstanding screen derived blaster! DVH on the left. Praetorian on the right. Overall: It's pretty close. Both have different factors going for them and I would consider either blaster to be extremely accurate for what you get. There is a price difference -- the DVH blaster is currently $100. The Praetorian blaster is $150. Hope this small review ends up being useful for all you scouts out there. -Chopper

I did some ratio comparisons on the STG44 vs the screen used DLT20, since they share the same handle, and, as best I can tell, the entire length should be 94cm/37inches.

Looks good bud!

That is a bonkers amount of cash.

Those look like the scout boots from Imperial Boots, is that correct? I've seen a number of examples of their boots in the past, but this is the first time I've seen the dog bones protrude onto the soles. They should be fine for basic clearance, but will not pass for level 2 (Lancer) as is.

Ah sorry looks like Spike already chimed in

62cm is on the larger size for a dome. Of the helmets out there -- SC helmets tend to run small. The RS props helmet is about medium sized. Spike sells the Altmann helmet on here, which tends to fit larger sized heads quite well.

I ended up using Testors Model Master Navy Aggressor Grey spray paint, which, as Stroker said, is a good match.

I've seen some not-very-complimentary reviews on Rusotech from the Shoretrooper Fam Facebook group. I'd stick to the folks listed on the vendors list: http://forum.501stpathfinders.com/index.php?/topic/19024-shoretrooper-vendor-list/

Hey Sven, did you end up submitting with the photos you posted earlier? I can see what your GML is saying -- it would certainly help if you brought your shoulders in a bit and yes that would make the bottoms of the flak vest sleeves longer. The intent of the more nebulous wording for the flak vest sleeves is to allow for more variation on the length for basic. It should definitely not be interpreted as being more strict than level 2. I see where you're coming from though and, at the Detachment level, we can look at refining the language a bit more next time we're doing CRL edits and updates. Now, I still think your belt is too high and if you take it down a bit, where it fits a bit wider over your hip bones, then I wonder if that may solve some of the issues with the bund draping over your belt? If you want to give that a try, we're happy to take a look.

Greeny is correct. The only thing I would add is to trace the cut out pattern in pencil first. We can always take a look and offer any suggestions to your intended ear hole shape as well.

A popular trick is to leave a small gap between the bottom edge and the face plate. You can't see it if you're looking at the helmet straight on and it helps to keep the lens from fogging. Ive also heard from some of the tk's and ti's that a product called "cat crap" anti fog works well to keep the lenses clear, though I haven't tried it myself.

It can vary. If you send them a note on facebook they should be able to give you an estimate.

The KriptonTop/Cucblack suit is quite good, and it's custom made to measure. Actually, all of Kriptontop's goods -- flak vest, cod, bund, coveralls -- are quite excellent. The only caveat is that you should absolutely, 100% pay for FedEx shipping.

Re: the Wampa gloves, their customer service is pretty good, so if you do end up ordering the wrong size, it shouldn't be an issue to do an exchange.

Mister Stroker is correct -- compared with the RS props holster, which was cast from the screen-used armor, the SC holster is oversized. My estimate is that the SC holster best sized for the hyperfirm scout blaster, which is also oversized. The DVH blaster fits almost perfectly into the RS props holster, which means that Lou did a pretty great job with scaling it correctly!

You can actually cut your own backplate from some 2mm ABS scrap pretty easily. Trace the SC backplate onto some 2mm abs and you can then score along the traced line with an x-acto blade until you can snap the shape out. You can clean up the edges with an emory board. The horizontal line can be made with a metal file. Do you have any leftover ABS from your build, or did you get it pre-trimmed from SC? There's been some discussion on various paints for the snout greeb, but I went with Testors Model Master Navy Agressor Grey. Others have suggested Rrustoleum grey primer color. The black portion behind the snout greeb is not a decal, it was painted black. You can mask off the sides with standard masking tape, but I found that it was helpful to mask off the top curved section using artists masking tape for curves: https://www.amazon.com/Scotch-051131936133-FA2038-Original-Version/dp/B0027AC9RI

Ahhh ok, well that changes things a bit. With the DVH pistol, he puts the magnets into the rubber, so you only need to worry about the attachment points on the holster. If you look at the website I linked, https://www.kjmagnetics.com/products.asp?cat=1 you should be able to measure the recessed parts of the blaster and find a compatible magnet diameter that fits. Looking at my DVH blaster, the circular bit on the grip should extend out about 1/8", so you should be able to figure out the total based on how deep the recess is.

Are you using the DVH pistol? I glued these on the back side of my holster: https://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=D83 You can always stack two of them as well, to get more pull.

Hey there, I remembered that someone had recently ordered a NewImage helmet, but it took me a minute to find the thread. He's got some detailed photos up and the general consensus was that it it looked good. The only item I saw that looked off was the vents on the right rear. Regardless, it should still be a-ok for approval. Check it out --

I believe this is the one I used: #17 chisel blade http://www.xacto.com/products/cutting-solutions/blades/detail/X217

Based on some of the reviews ive seen, the efx seemed better suited for display due to the fiberglass construction. I'd go with the RS if you're split between the two.

I think that's the bottom of the flak vest hanging over the bund.

What make of helmet are you building? This is a good build thread for the RS props helmet:

Congrats Scout! Great job!!!