Aradun

I have my cod attached via Velcro to the bottom of my flak vest. In the photo below, you’re looking at the front of the cod. The stitching at the top is the Velcro that attached to the flak vest. The Velcro patches that are visible mid cod are to secure my belt in place.

Standard CA glue has its applications but I would refrain from using it to glue reinforcement pieces to the chest armor. The locations for reinforcement are high stress areas that flex when donning and doffing the armor. CA glue will fail over time under these conditions. I can’t speak to the gel CA version.

The best thing to use to get things sized properly for 3D printed costumes is a program known as Armorsmith Designer. It will allow you to create an avatar based on your body measurements which you can then you to enlarge or reduce the stl files to fit. It runs about 40 bucks but it’s worth the investment.

JB Plastic Weld is what I used. Make sure the surfaces are clean and dust free before applying the weld. As for placement, I recently discussed this in another thread and posted pics on where my reinforcements were placed. You’ll need to apply heat to the reinforcement pieces to soften them up so that they will conform to the shape of the armor. Of course you’ll want to just apply the heat to the reinforcement piece apart from the armor and not directly to the armor itself.

I want to preface this by saying that there’s nothing wrong with your bucket, even with the chin strap visible occasionally. These “imperfections” that were a part of the original costumes are a part of the charm of Star Wars costuming. But being a bit of a perfectionist myself, I understand the need to “fix” these imperfections. If it really bothers you and you want to go the magnet route, I’ve marked on the photos below approximate placement. You’ll have to get a feel for this through trial and error for best placement on your bucket. Using your photo. I’d start by putting a magnet on the inside of the face plate where the red mark is. Then place a magnet just below or in front of the chin strap on the dome so that it lines up with magnet on the inside of the face plate. You’d use the same process if you went the Velcro route too. If the space between the faceplate and the dome in this location is too narrow, you may have to put the magnet on the inside of the dome, as indicated below with the red mark. Be mindful that these are just general locations to give you a visual reference. You’ll need to figure out the best placement for your bucket.

The chin cup is optional and not required for approval, so if you are not pleased with the aesthetics, you can completely remove the strap and chin cup. If you’re looking for a way to keep the chin cup, but prevent the strap that runs along the side of the dome from being exposed when you move your head, consider adding magnets to the problem side to hold the visor in place. That should keep it from moving when you lean forward or turn your head.

For the leg flare you noted: Add some 3/4” strapping to your flight suit across the opening of your foot to create a stirrup under the arch of your foot. That way the legs of the flight suit are pulled taunt when you put them on and they won’t ride up when you put on the boots. The butt flap should be shortened, but wait for @Chopper to tell you how much. Also, Chopper, what are your thoughts on the front patches? The front patches have hard corners, and I know GMLs tend to look for more rounded corners to match the CRL images. Not sure if it’s an issue for basic though.

Awesome! Congrats and welcome to the PFD as a fellow scout! Very smart of you to wait until you have a few troops under your belt before applying for Lancer. That’ll give you a chance to make any tweaks and adjustments needed to polish off the fit before you apply. Well done!

Congrats and welcome to the ranks!

Congrats and welcome to the ranks!

Luckily I still had my old one lying around for reference. You can pick one up from Ukswrath for about $10+SH. You’ll need to message him via Etsy or on the forums as I don’t think he lists it on his Etsy shop. I picked up one from him some time ago, and when that one blew, I grabbed a set of 6 from an electronics distributor. That replacement went as well, so I switched over to the 5 watt speakers. I have 5 left. If you want, PM me your contact info and I’ll send one out to you free of charge. They’re just sitting in my tote and will go unused.

If you printed the bolts, they are likely to fail over time. If you plan to raise your face plate and keep it functional that will be a stress point. You can place the 3D printed ones with a real set similar to what was used on film. Here are two sources: http://forum.501stpathfinders.com/index.php?/topic/10270-fs-accurate-tb-helmet-hardware-kit-headband-kit/ https://www.amazon.com/Fibre-Metal-Honeywell-FM4001-Quick-Lok-Adapter/dp/B002BUMS8Y/ref=psdc_7491811011_t1_B015MG1SMK

Happy New Year to all of our fellow Pathfinders and their families.

I’m enjoying watching your work on this. Keep up the great work!

Looking good!

Here you go! https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0822YZPR9?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title I have it Velcroed just behind my head sitting on top of the hump in the bucket. With it being a 5 watt speaker, there’s no issue with volume even though it’s behind the head.

That’s wickedly cool and will sure to be a huge hit with little kids and “big kids” too. Well done!

Not a suitcase, but a plastic tote/bin or tool chest. Suitcases tend to have softer shells or are cloth. You want to transport it a hard case. See the following post for some ideas on what others are using.

I’ve had no issue. The abs is very sturdy and with proper placement nothing should shift around during transport. It’s usually when things are bouncing around and loose in a crate that issues can occur. My gear is really snug and I lay the under suit on top of everything for added padding/protection.

Your location for the top is good. For the bottom the center blue line. You don’t need to reinforce on either side of the notch there. You want a 3/4” x 2” piece for both. You can see why you need to heat the reinforcement pieces to get them to mold to the proper shape for adhesion. There are some funky bends in those two spots.

I don’t have one handy and my crate is packed away for the holidays. Won’t be trooping again until February. Here’s a video from another member using the same crate as I use. I do not remove my tank. I put my thermal detonator in the chest armor too, but wrap it in my cod piece. My helmet fits in the case too. I don’t use a separate bag.

Those are the spots. They will stress over time as you put the armor on and take it off. You can cut a small piece of abs, heat it slightly so that it’s pliable and then while flexible, push it in place and allow it to conform to the armor. Once cool use some plastic weld to mount it in place.

Thermal detonator. Here’s a pick of my tote packed. The helmet is wrapped in my flak jacket (center). The chest and back armor have the other armor parts nested inside it. The bund lays over the back armor and then the flight suit lays over everything. It’s a 35 gal husky tote.

You shouldn’t need to reinforce the shoulder bridge. It’s not really a stress point. I’ve had mine for 5 years and wore it for 80+ troops with no issue there. For RS armor the weak spot is the notched V at the bottom center of the chest armor and top center of the chest.