wingnut65

Thanks, Kris! Now that more and more Patrol troopers are being shipped, hopefully we will get plenty of new builds to fill these forum. I look forward to following your build! Thanks, John! Glad to hear we have another IPT in the works and that my build thread is helping you along. I have plenty more pix I need to be posting. BTW, We have relatives around the Dallas/Plano/Richardson area and I hope to Troop with a nephew sometime. Still need to get his Ackbar finished first. Well, as I was looking over my one-piece Ab Armor and trying to slip it on like a girdle, I was impressed with your creativity to think outside the box and try another method to create the Ab details. I was hoping that you would have found it to me much more flexible. I'm hoping that my documentation is helpful to future builders. Being an architect in real life, my job is to be as detailed as possible to tell people what to do. This is fun taking plenty of pictures and reporting on how I did mine. And some of my 'Lessons Learned' and 'Tips' will help others to NOT do what I did!

Thanks, Edo! No need to fear or panic on building a Patrol Trooper as your first adventure into the World of White. Actually, this one is a lot easier than building a full Stormtrooper armor kit. There are currently several IPT build threads here on the forum, each one tackling the project a different way. Ruthar (Taylor) upped the game by changing his rigid abdomen plates into an impressive flexible mat. (I'm going to keep watching his troops to see how that concept works.) Hopefully you and other recruits can get some helpful information and build tips and ideas from all the builds in order to get your armor completed. I appreciate the compliments on my documenting the process and the creative IPT Card Containment Apparatus I invented. I like your idea of an aluminum insert in the canvas pouch on the back for storage of phone, keys, etc. I plan to try to use mine for that very purpose. The idea of using Ruthar's aluminum box to form and hold that pouch as rigid, is a great idea! . I used the foam inserts to at least get me through the submittal pix. Progress is Coming! I apologize about the delay in progress updates but work work has gotten busy lately. And unfortunately the Honey-Do's and Client requests come first. That, and I've been mentoring a couple of Stormtroopers on their builds, taking up spare time I didn't really have to start with.

Belt Boxes Next task I undertook was the Belt Boxes. The kit comes with all three front boxes and the back pouch with cover. The front boxes have the amazing paint finish, but the paint overspray on the inside the boxes needs to be sanded down so the covers sit flush to the box. 055 I experimented with several sanding methods and ended up using a large pocketknife as a scraper. 056 Scrape… scrape… sand… test… scrape… scrape… file smooth… Done! All covers can now fit snuggly on the boxes. 057 And now for my little storage secret… Wingnut’s Card Storage Idea: As I built my Stormtrooper armor, I came up with a solution to a problem that all TK’s have – Where do I store my trading cards? With my ATA brand kit, my drop boxes happened to be just the right size to store trading cards. So, I used some elastic on the bottom edge for a hinge, aluminum to keep the cards in and some magnets to keep the box closed. Success! Well, it just so happens that the large Belt Box is also sized that it can hold our Imperial Trading Cards. Being an engineer and not wanting to waste any opportunities, I had to see if this would work on my IPT. 058 I used some very small rare earth magnets that I had on hand and some wood dowels for spacers. The box cover has a lip around the edge that I had to remove a portion of to get the magnets to sit flush on the cover. I did use super glue on these magnets as they pulled out of the E6K the first time. These magnets are 1/4” x 1/16” (6 mm x 1.5 mm). I actually used two glued together on each corner of the cover to hopefully have more grip to hold the box closed. 059 TIP: Be sure to get the polarity of the magnets correct as you glue them! I added two strips of 1” (25 mm) elastic inside the bottom edge of the cover and then the box using super glue. Having slits in the back of the box helped me press the elastic in place while it dried. (The black stripe on box cover is the bottom edge) 060 Following along my idea to make everything removable, as much as possible, I finally decided to use Velcro’s One-Wrap straps to fasten these Belt Boxes to the Belt. This is two-sided Velcro where it wraps and sticks to itself. I’ll discuss that further along in the build. To finish off my Imperial Patrol Trooper Card Containment Apparatus, I used plastic from a thin ‘For Sale’ sign to close off the back of the box to conceal the fastening attachments with a dab of E6000. I may come back and add a strip across the front of the box to keep my cards from falling all over the place. Hmmmm… images pass through my mind of cards all over the floor and not being able to kneel down… 061 ‘Leather Pouches’ As a budgetary decision, I wanted to first try to make the leather-style pouches with what I had available. Eventually, I will make a trip to Tandy to get the thick leather I need to make these more accurately. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures of this assembly process, but I used the 1/4" (6 mm) thick sheet of craft foam to make boxes that were proportional to the other white belt boxes. The first box on the left was based of measurements I found online, but was out or proportion for my plastic belt boxes. The image above the boxes is from the CRL. 062 My smaller boxes are 3-3/4” high, 1-1/4” wide and 1” thick (95 x 32 x 25 mm) My larger box is 4-1/2” high, 1-1/2” wide and 1-1/8” thick (114 x 38 x 29 mm) I have a big roll of brown vinyl from a kitchen stool reupholstery project from many years ago that I keep going to for some faux leather. I cut the vinyl to fit over the foam boxes and coated the back with E6000 before adhering to the box. 063 Here is a close-up of the boxes seen in the background of the previous picture. Nothing pretty about them, but I hope this concept can get me through for a little while. 064 I used more of the 1/4" (6 mm) foam to make the back, top and front flap and glued them all together and covered with brown vinyl. For the ‘black press stud’ that the CRL is calling for, I used just the cover of a Line 24 snap that I had left over from my TK. I used a leather punch to make the hole and glued them in place with E6000. 065 I spray painted the vinyl with ‘Meltonian’ Black shoe spray that is good for vinyl, plastic and leather. I painted the covers and boxes separately to make sure all visible brown vinyl was painted black. I didn’t glue them together until I had figured out how I was going to attach these boxes to the belt. That will be discussed soon. 066 In comparison to the CRL image, these are getting pretty close. 067 Here is a slightly better image that shows how the CRL required ‘hard plate’ looks. I’m thinking I should have used super glue to adhere the vinyl to the box so it didn’t have a cure time where it could pull away. From the distance needed for a photo, these look pretty good. Hope my GML approves! 068 Back Pouch Armory Shop provided the canvas pouch and the painted cover plate. All I had to do is provide stuffing to back the pouch more rigid and add Velcro. The rigid foam I had wasn’t thick enough, so I added some thinner green foam to fill the pouch. 069 I used industrial strength Velcro on the cover plate and I could have used a lot less. This takes a lot of effort to remove, which is a good thing while trooping. 070 All that is left for belt accessories are the Baton Holder and Holster. Mounting everything to the rubber belt requires that I know the exact size of the belt. So, next in the build will have to be the Ab Plate and probably the Chest and Back Plates to make sure it all fits together. Stay tuned!

I know, I know, I know… I installed the Chest Button Plate before the CRL was changed! At that time, the requirement was to have the top stripe look ‘metal-like’. It was later determined that it was just Gloss Black and the CRL was updated. So, no better time than the present to repaint the top strip from Chrome Silver to Gloss Black. I first taped off the area… Sanded the Chrome to allow the paint to grip… And painted it with Testors Gloss Black, using a paint brush. The strip actually has a small return on the bottom edge, angled back towards the buttons. That needs to be painted, too! 054 And now, I can stamp that step ‘DONE!’. Oops, these aren’t steps… And now, on to the Belt Boxes and a cool storage idea I came up with… To Be Continued!

I agree that there should be an easier way to attach the baton holder to the belt than with two screws/fasteners. The toy may have that loop to be screen accurate, or it might be for ease of fabrication and assembly in the toy factory. Having a loop would make it more flexible to wear, instead of permanently mounting in one location.

You look like you are covered. Nice assortment of Velcro. This build really doesn't have all that much to be glued. I used the E6000 and a little Loctite gel. I think you will have plenty of glues left over for future projects.

Step 8 – Stop Calling These Steps and Just Build the Armor! Fine, here goes… NOTE: I did mention in my first post that I am building this armor on a budget, but I also want to mention that I am building this with the idea of making storage as compact as possible. I have a smaller family sedan with limited trunk clearance. My wife has an SUV, but my hope is to be able to use either vehicle when I want to troop. My Tusken and Stormtrooper costumes will fit in smaller bins that will fit in my trunk. A 50 gallon Husky, will not. I will have to wait to see how my plan works out and how small this can be packed… Calf Reinforcing First off, this next step is an idea I came up with and is not required for this build. I know how I Troop and how rough I can be. These costumes are not designed for the dancing and movements some of us do… The Calves are connected to the Shins along the outside edge with a strip of plastic, about 7.5” (19 mm) with two peg/hole connectors. The inside is only connected at the bottom with one of the Shin Straps, and at the top with a single strip of plastic and a single peg/hole connector. 040 Just to be on the cautious side, I wanted to strengthen that single top connection. No, I don’t know how much stress will be on these pieces of armor while trooping or while it’s in storage, but, I’d rather be cautious, than sorry. I found a piece of 0.060” thick (1.5 mm) aluminum out in my garage that would work perfectly for this. I cut two strips – 5/8” x 3” (16 mm x 76 mm) 041 I used my Dremel tool with the trusty sanding drum to round in the end of the aluminum, so that it will fit up against the peg. I just used a pair of pliers to bend the aluminum, constantly comparing the bend to the curve in the armor, until it matches. 042 Repeated same process for the other side, coated the backs with E6000, and clamped them well to sit overnight. 043 The results look promising. I’m not too worried now that I might crack these connectors! 044 Chest Armor As I was sanding the inside of the Chest Plate, I accidentally wiped off the black inside the recess on the chest. I used some Testors black paint to repaint the recess. 045 Assembling the Chest Button Plate was straightforward – Find the Buttons - Glue the Buttons to match the layout on the CRL and the Hot Toys’ IPT – Set aside to dry! EDIT: This would be the time to repaint the shiny strip on the top of this piece to be Black, per the revised CRL. 046 That last step is very important (letting it dry), because the next step involves sanding the Button Plate, so it fits in the associated recess on the Chest Plate. My Button Plate was tight on the ends and at the bottom corners. This took some sanding with a sanding block to get it to fit. Add a little E6000 and let it dry! 047 Shoulder Straps The armor has two shoulder straps that are mounted on the Back Plate and connect to the Chest Plate. The Back Plate comes with two holes for attaching each strap. The Strap Covers were just a little tight. I used a square file to file down the opening, just enough to get the strap through. 048 To find the mounting location, I held the Shoulder Strap in place with the Strap Cover in the correct mounting location. Using a pencil while holding the strap in place, I marked from the back through the holes in the Back Plate to locate where holes need to be punched in the rubber Shoulder Strap. 049 Using the round file, I opened up the mounting holes to accept Chicago Screws. 050 I used a leather punch to make the holes where they were marked. I am using small Chicago Screws so that the socket end is the same thickness as the strap. This allows for the removal of the strap with the Strap Cover installed. I didn’t want the screws to be visible within the Strap Cover, so I used white tape to conceal. A little E6K on the Strap Cover and set it aside. 051 With the Back and Chest Plates together on the workbench, I measured where the straps would get mounted on the Chest. I did not have to trim my straps. So, I put tape on the Strap to protect the paint and coated the parts with E6000 and clamped them together. I used plastic laminate samples as backer plates for the clamps. I let these and they were ready to go. 052 Almost! TIP: Be sure to remove the white paint from the Shoulder Straps BEFORE gluing and waiting for it to dry, just to fall apart. Lessons Learned! 053 Next Up… Side Straps and Belt Boxes!

And to continue building with the easy items… After all, anything you can scratch off the ‘To Do’ list is Progress! Step 6 – Begin Assembly Continues - Hand Plate Armor The gloves I purchased from Endor Finders includes Velcro sewn onto the back of the gloves. Conveniently, they come with one side of each – soft Velcro and pointy Velcro - on each glove. This eliminates the possibility of mixing up the Hand Plates when Trooping, so get them right the first time! 004 NOTE: Additional Velcro is not provided with the kit since strapping and connections can vary and are up to the builder. From my previous DZ and TK builds, I had lots of extra Velcro that I used for this and other locations. With Velcro already on the gloves, the only thing left to do, is to attach the other side of the Velcro to the back of the Hand Plate. To get it aligned mostly correct, I cut a piece of black Industrial Strength Velcro, the same size as that on the glove, and stuck it on the glove. NOTE: Like on a TK, the pointy side of the Hand Plate points towards the Thumb! 029 I put on the glove, peeled off the protective covering and pressed on the Hand Plate. 030 I then took off the glove, peeled the Hand Plate away from the glove and pressed the Velcro securely to the Hand Plate. 031 Repeat the same procedure for the other hand and they are finished. This photo shows the two different types of the Velcro attached to the back of the gloves and the Hand Plates! 032 Done! Step 7 – Baton Assembly The five pieces of my Baton fit together well and didn’t have any paint/fit issues. I was worried about gluing this up and just sitting it on the table to dry, that it would not be perfectly aligned when cured. I found a piece of aluminum angle in the garage that worked perfectly for alignment. 033 The end caps of my Baton went in quite a ways, almost eliminating the silver groove around the end knob. I decided to add a washer into the hole to help provide some additional spacing. See results below… 034 I found that my individual pieces went together better one way than another. I kept playing with the alignment until it was perfectly straight and the grips were sitting flush on the middle spacer piece. I put tape and marked a line on the pieces to maintain that alignment while gluing it. The ruler is to show the scale of the finished Baton – 14” (35 mm) long. (This also gives a better view of the aluminum angle) 035 End Caps were also glued on at this time, but started sagging. A couple thin craft sticks at each End Cap were all that was needed to maintain alignment. 036 Me using E6000 is different than how Ruthar (Taylor) assembled his with super glue. His Baton would have been dried and ready to go right after he was done. My E6K was still a little soft and flexible after 24 hours. I left the baton sitting in the aluminum angle for a couple days and it was rock solid. (Actually, if anyone would really read the instructions on the tube, it does say it fully cures in 72 hours (144 mm)) Step 7 – Thermal Detonator The End Cap of my Thermal Detonator was having and attitude, due to some of the excess paint in the recess. 037 All it took was a little time with the Dremel tool and sanding drum and the cap was able to slip right in. A little E6000 and it was done! 038 The end is just a little wonky and I blame it on the time I was thrown off my Aratech Speeder Bike. It is rough patrolling the streets of Tampa, let alone Corellia! I did like how Ruthar used a piece of the ribbed Dogbone strap to wrap around the TD End Cap and I will be adding that detail. Now, the TD gets set aside until it is time to fasten it to the belt. 039 Gotta go do some Honey-Do’s and I’ll be back. Be sure to refill your beverage at the Refreshment Stand!

Thanks for the input, Hask. I am glad to finally be sharing my build. Can’t wait to start trooping with this! Step 4 – Sanding and Preparation The IPT armor that is manufactured by ArmoryShop is 3D printed. Because of this, they can adjust sizes of each and every piece as needed to fit the individual Trooper! I’m impressed! The ‘Finished Armor Kit’ is sanded and painted on the outside with high quality automotive paint. But, the inside of the armor is still in the ‘raw’ stage, which should be sanded down to protect damaging anything it is worn over – pants, jacket, boots, etc. So, this seemed like a good starting point. This just shows an overview of my starting point 020 NOTE: This is my first adventure into a 3D printed kit. If I’m doing something one way that could/should be done differently, please speak up! I used a combination of a wood chisel and various grits of sanding paper. I must also confess that the chisel was the cause of the first drops of blood shed on this build, which required the first band-aid. 021 Major improvement! 022 The front and back of the shins align with pegs and holes to confirm the correct placement. The painting process left a little paint residue in the holes. I used a small rat tail (round) file to clean the paint from the holes. 023 The pegs were still a little tight, so I used my Dremel rotary tool and a sanding drum to run around the pegs. And while trying to work alone and take pictures, I also added some smiley faces ground into the armor. ☹ Luckily, this is the inside and no one will know. Well, except you. 024 This little bit of attention was all that was necessary to get the pegs to fit in the holes and make the shins look like they should. At least for now. I had fitting issues later on… 025 This sanding and prep work continued long into the night with the forearms, hand plates, biceps, toe armor, heel armor, chest plate, back plate, abdomen and ab back plate. And I probably missed a few that I needed to sand again before assembly. Step 5 – Begin Assembly! I decided to start with the easy pieces so I could see progress and feel productive. First up were attaching the Knee Plates to the Shins. 026 The 3D model includes pegs and holes to align the Knee Plates onto the Shins. Once the paint was trimmed away, they still didn’t align perfectly and I needed to use the Dremel and sanding drum to take a little more off the inside of the Knee Plate. I wasn’t worried doing this as it is all concealed when finished. 027 Then some of the Empire’s finest E6000 adhesive and some duct tape, and all was good. (I did add more glue to the edge of the right Knee plate and clamped it, but didn’t get a photo at that time.) 028 More assembly to follow as these clumsy fingers keep typing…

Yep. It will be updated

My jacket from Denis has five lines of stitches

But, Before I get into the assembly, I thought it might be informative to itemize all the pieces in the package that I have laid out on my Kitchen table in the photo above. I couldn’t figure out one piece, but Ruthar (Taylor) clarified that the rogue piece should be painted Black and it is a greeblie for the back. Thanks, Taylor! 014 015 016 017 018 019 Hope this helps to put a name to the pieces, using the names used in the CRL. I will be updating this thread as time permits. Now, let’s get building!

This is my Pathfinder Adventure to an Imperial Patrol Trooper! Or, ‘How my life changed at Target’! It was a shopping trip to Target in April 2018, long before the Solo movie release and probably before there many promo pix available, I stumbled across the 12” Imperial Patrol Trooper toy. I thought it was a pretty cool looking new costume for the upcoming movie. And it was on SALE! I looked at it. Put it down and walked away. Then I came back and picked it up to really read the box and took pictures of the box. Put it down and walked away. 000 BUT, IT WAS ON SALE! Well, I talked myself into it! And that is how a $7.99 purchase (regularly $14.99) has changed my life. Or at least has added another costume to my 501st assortments, adding to my Tusken and ANH TK. After I studied the toy from all angles came more Google research, and the release of the promo pictures… One thing led to another and early May 2018, a few weeks before the Solo movie release, I ordered the finished IPT helmet from ArmoryShop. And even though the IPT has only about 5 seconds of screen time, I also ordered the finished Armor kit. And the arrival of the BBB has led me starting the build thread. I play architect in real life and I live in Florida. After 20 years and 7 months with a firm, I was let go in Oct 2017 and decided to start my own architectural firm. I have one client and design his senior living facilities and I’m not looking for more clients. I mention that because my wife is being realistic with finances, more than I am. Therefore, I am building this project on a tight budget, Yes, I splurged on the finished kit, because time is also a limited commodity. Some of my thriftiness will be upgraded when funding is approved. As a Stormtrooper and Tusken, I am a member of the Tampa Bay Squad, part of the Florida Garrison. One of my fellow TK’s is Btabc (Bryce). As I shared my admiration for the IPT, he was also admiring it. He actually ordered his bucket before I did, but I pulled the trigger on the armor, just a little before he did. At this moment, he is still waiting on shipping confirmation. We look forward to the time we can have two Imperial Patrol Troopers patrolling local events. On with the build… Build Specs Helmet: ArmoryShop (Helmet #__) Armor: ArmoryShop Jacket & Pants: ArmoryShop Gloves: Endor Finders TFA Stormtrooper Gloves Blaster: ArmoryShop Boots: Amazon Step 1: Order IPT Bucket and patiently wait for the fabrication, finish and shipping to Florida, my current base of deployment. 001 - Bucket arrived in Sept 2018. 002 I was impressed with the packing. There was absolutely no damage to my bucket! 003 Of course, I had to splurge on the Funko Pop IPT from SDCC (Thanks Amazon!). Step 2: Decision was made that I must have this costume! As I waited for funding to be available, I researched the other items I would be needing for the finished suite – boots, jacket, pants, gloves, EC-17 Blaster… Researching them all, I was able to order the gloves without being noticed. 004 Step 3: Persuade the Finance Minister (Mrs. Wingnut) that I really, really, really needed the full IPT armor to go along with the bucket and gloves I already had. The 2018 Halloween sale savings was her stamp of approval. Then the wait game continued as ArmoryShop took all my measurements and 3D printed a suit of armor, just for me! And then they sanded and painted it. Then the shipping seemed to take forever. It sat in Customs for almost 2 weeks and then magically appeared at my door. Well done! My BBB arrived in Mid-July 2019. Box came in great condition. All corners were fine and no signs of the Rebellion trying to penetrate if. And, it was heavy! Just over 25 lbs (11.3 kg)!! Did I say it was BIG? 005 Anxiously, I carefully opened the box and was thrilled to see the bag with my soft goods – pants and jacket. I had heard that on occasion, these had been left out when Customs repacked the box. Mine had arrived! 006 The armor was extremely well packed! Underneath my soft goods, were three bubble-wrapped cocoons. 007 Smallest package is the Thermal Detonator. Medium package is the Forearms, Biceps and all Shin pieces. The big cocoon is everything else. 008 I mean, this was literally wrapped like a cocoon. 009 Inside the Chest and Back, was the Abdomen and everything else. My Abdomen is 1-Piece, plus the back. I believe this is the 2.0 version. 010 And the obligatory picture of everything after an enjoyable half hour of unpacking and drooling over the contents. I was very impressed with the packaging and am thrilled with the quality of the finish on this armor! 011 Including the Jacket and Pants and counting all the parts for the EC-17 and Baton, I count about 90 individual pieces that must be put together. Even though this is all prepped and painted as part of the ‘Finished Kit’, nonetheless, And Kudos to Denis and the crew at ArmoryShop! Besides the huge box, this is all the packing that was used to cushion the armor while shipped around the world. NOTHING WAS DAMAGED! 013 This is a good place for a station break. Go get some adult beverage and come back for an list of contents and eventually, some actual work!

You are correct, there is a little recess in the front edge of the hand plates. Keep it in! Revisions look acceptable!

Updates look good, but I do have one comment... Handplates = I don't recall any discussion regarding the oblong recess on the hand plates. The plates look pretty close to the same design as my TK plates. And, I've not been able to find reference photos with a recess. This promo image actually makes the plates look very thin, too thin to have anything on the front edge.

Great reference shot, Denis. I'm coming into the Patrol Trooper from the Stormtrooper side of the Legion. With TK's, we do have the frowns open for ventilation and screen/mesh is called for behind the teeth to obscure the view inside. Thinking of how the movie costumes were built in a prop shop, either as a one-off, like the IPT, or in a production run, like TK's, I am sure they had actual screen available to use on this bucket, like they use on all the others for the movie. Trying to create something that looks like screen, but isn't, would be so time consuming for the shop.

One more thought about a requirement for the bucket for Level 2... Would we be interested in requiring the vent below the brow, above the eyes, to be painted black? Taylor caught it and I did see a photo where it was visible on the screen-used bucket, but now that I search, I can only find Taylor's to show the vent.

I'm in agreement with you on the boots. Keep the CRL as it is, but allow the flexibility to meet the intended image of an IPT for Level 1 approvals. For Level 2 approvals, pix of each item are required and riding boots must be what the boots look like. Also, not necessarily to change Level 1 requirements for the white shoulder straps on this round, but for the TK's, the CRL has a separate paragraph specific just for the shoulder straps and what connections are permitted and what aren't. That might be a consideration for future revisions rather than having the straps as a line item under the Chest Armor.

Found it. Yes, there is screen! The highest resolution promo shot I can find is on Wookieepedia - Here. Zooming in, I got a screen capture to see the screen. It actually looks like one sheet running vertically and covering the whole frown.

Good points, Taylor. Adding on to your comments… TD – I agree that the silver specifics are really not visible for overall submittal pix, but could be added to L2 requirements. Boot Dogbone Strap - Maybe removing the words ‘rubber-like’ and leave it as a black strap. That would allow the ribbed rubber that Denis provides, or elastic or nylon. Boots and Shin Armor – I really think all specs for the shin armor should be noted under ‘Shin Armor’ and not included under ‘Boots’ as well. Holster and Baton Holders – I agree on your thoughts. Maybe ‘If optional items are included, they must fit in the holders”. Also, in the photo you provided, the baton holder loops over the belt. I don’t know if that is just easier to manufacture for a toy, or if it is screen accurate. I have not researched this, just an observation. White Shoulder Straps – The current CRL only states: “Shoulder straps are white and are affixed to the chest plate at the buckle.” This leaves the choice of material up to anyone. Maybe we add for Level 2 – “Shoulder straps are to be ribbed white rubber straps” to better define the straps that Denis provides and are visible in pix. I’m wrapping up my build and have another thought to ponder… I’d like to consider having L1 Boot requirement for the “faux leather riding boots” be willing to accept leather/leather-like chaps with boots as an option. Let me explain… I think there may be other recruits may be of similar financial limitations that I am encountering, and the $229 leather boots are not obtainable at the moment. (Even the $40 pleather boots wouldn’t be funded by my wife) Instead, I have used leather chaps and my old TK boots, painted black. The boot/chap combo is 98% covered by the leg armor and still has the top snap visible. Granted, I need to pull them up higher off the boots, but they meet the intent of looking like riding boots with armor. If these would be acceptable as ‘faux leather boots’, then Level 2 may be “One-Piece Black leather or faux leather riding boots” in order to eliminate the chaps.

But, does that mean that Level 1 cannot have it? That is my confusion.

It looks amazing! Congrats on getting them in! I forgot to mention how I loved the idea of the aluminum box to form the pouches. I might copy that idea. Also, from my TK trooping experiences, I've changed many snaps to industrial strength Velcro. Basically, a snap has two options - Yes and No. Either it is snapped, or it's not. I'd recommend changing your shoulder bell snap to Velcro to give more flexibility in movement without the fear of popping it. Or, add another strap with velcro. Have fun trooping!

Outstanding work, Taylor! You have some amazing and creative ideas of how to solve all the problems that we other builders haven't encountered yet. I look forward to using some of them when my BBB arrives. One quick thought while I remember, on the back side of your belt are exposed screws and nuts. I'd recommend putting gaffers tape over them to prevent scratching any armor below it. White tape would be less likely to leave Mark's on the white armor. Also, on your front shoulder straps... if I follow your lead, I'd also add a piece of 1/64" plastic across the whole strap to keep the magnet from scratching the chest armor. Or, a piece of packing tape can give some cushion and protection there. Can't wait to see your submission pix!

As I am gearing up on my build, I'm digging into the CRL to fully understand it and what I need to do when my BBB clears customs. Mickey noted above, one of my observations on the ear bars. I'm glad we figured out that the ribbed section is flexible as it can help many troopers with sizing and expansion abilities. I like how Taylor got creative in making his ribbed section very flexible. But as I read these updates and saw this proposal, all I can ask is, What are we really looking for with this statement? Are we saying it can be flexible for Level 2, only, but must be rigid for Level 1? I agree with Kris's idea that if we would have Level 3, then it should be required and not optional. Should this added statement really be part of the basic, Level 1 requirement?

What? With such an amazing new costume??? Guess I didn't get the memo... Thanks for the info, Boss! Well, if anyone else knows where to source the perforated static cling material, please chime in!