Aradun

@Minimo @KOtrooper ? Any words of advice?

Nice work! Just be mindful that the elastic will be under tension while trooping, especially when pulling on the elastics as you put on and take off the armor. Hot glue will fail eventually, especially if stored in really hot or cold environments. If you’re looking for quick adhesion then consider using CA glue and hitting it with some accelerator like NCF quick aerosol spray for an instant bond.

Both of those threads are great resources and Strider’s Lancer build is always recommended for those looking at achieving Lancer status. Just be mindful that both of those threads are from 2018 and 2017, so keep the CRL handy. There’s been a few updates to the CRL since then that won’t be reflected in those builds.

@haringjr Yep. Same thread, new posts. Notifications are not sent when a previous post has been edited, which means the armory team may not catch the edit.

Hey Bill! I recommend creating a new post for each change/detail for your build. Updating previous posts may go unnoticed by the armory team, especially if your build ends up spanning a couple of pages, resulting in missed opportunities for feedback.

Anticipation is half the thrill, Brother!

Congrats Gloria! Well done!

Hey Rusty! Nice work. One observation: in addition to riveting the webbing closure material to the plastic belt, it appears as though you have also riveted the strapping from your belt boxes to the webbing closure of your belt. Per the CRL: “There are only two (2) visible 1/8th (3mm) rivets on the belt: one on each side toward the back to connect the webbing closure material to the plastic belt” The strapping for the belt boxes should be sewn to the webbing closure in the back, not riveted. CRL aside, rivets in that location would not hold up well, as the rivet itself will cause wear to your belt, bund, and or flight suit from rubbing against those materials while moving about.

Looks great!!! Two notes: There shouldn’t be a seam behind the cocking arm. The original receiver is one solid piece. If you’re going to weather it, just a reminder that there should not be any weathering on the grip or fins. The grip was Bakelite and the fins were rubber.

Trimming can be intimidating. What many do is draw lines in pencil and post the photo for the armorers’ feedback before actually cutting anything. Give the video BikerScout007 posted. It will ease your worries and fears and then post some photos here like he said. We’re happy to help you out.

Chris works with the detachment to maintain CRL standards, so you should be fine, but it’s still a good idea to post photos of your armor as you print it. Sometimes the size may needed to be scaled up or down a bit to better fit your physique and the armorers can guide you in that regard if needed.

Hey Max! Welcome to the Pathfinders! The direct link to my build thread is Not sure if the one Bill provided would work if you don’t have the Tapatalk app. Everything I purchased is linked directly to the sites and I try to keep the links updated as various sites change or products become no longer available. If you have any specific questions hit me up. You also mention that you’re 3D printing your armor. I would recommend starting a build thread so that you can post pictures of the pieces as you build them. Some armor files out there aren’t accurate and need some modifications after printing if your goal is 501st approval. The armory team can help get you sorted as you work on your build. Here’s the link to start a build thread. http://forum.501stpathfinders.com/index.php?/forum/96-biker-scout-wip/ Let us know if you have any questions. We’re happy to help!

Congrats Kris! Well done and quick turnaround on those changes. Your kit looks excellent. Happy Birthday too brother!

Another alternative for a speaker system is the Ukswrath mic system, which has the mic in the aerator of the snout piece. It’s pricey, but a decent option that keeps your pouches free and has everything wired in the bucket. You can also run a speaker in the pouch like Dart suggested, but use a Bluetooth headset/mic so there’s no wiring.

Great work! For the knee armor, it appears that the one knee piece as some very minor stress cracks from attempting to use a hole punch with the reinforced abs behind it. Keep an eye on that to make sure that the pull from the elastic doesn’t increase the stress on the abs and further the cracks. Robs suggestion to add Velcro would be a good remedy. When I troop, I do not use the riveted elastic band anymore. I leave it in place but tucked into the knee armor and use Velcro as Rob suggested to further secure the knee armor in place on my flight suit. It also makes it much easier to kneel down for pictures with little ones which happen A LOT on troops. I found kneeling with the strap in place created a lot of tension on that strap causing it to stretch, weaken, and fray at the rivet. After replacing the strap once, I’ve left it in place, but no longer use it.

That repair stitch is so minute that it’ll likely never be noticeable regardless of its orientation.

Fantastic work Gloria and great documentation of your methods for future scouts. Keep up the great work.

I think you’ll be fine for basic approval Patrick, but you may want to retake your front photos with bucket on, bucket off, and action shot. There is a gap between your cod piece and belt which is allowing about an inch of your flight suit to show. You may need to raise your cod a bit and drop your belt and bund to close that gap. Down the line if the you notice the gap appearing in troop photos it might be best to redo the cod and make it longer up top so that it sits under your bund. Before you take any new photos, I’ll let members of the team who have served as GMLs weigh in on whether this is even an issue for basic clearance. @Hask @Retrofire?

Chopper’s spot on, Bill. CFO is a great choice and you’ll be pleased for sure.

I second the walking foot to keep things straight and guide the material as you sew.

The flare on your gloves looks fine. As Chopper said, the originals were flared as well. As to weathering the gloves, that too will happen over time. The leather will dull over time and will get scuffed a bit while you troop. I wouldn’t recommend weathering them by wearing them during the winter as you may end up overdoing it and damaging the leather, especially if subject to snow, salt, and rain.

Hit me up if you have any questions.

It’s definitely a little slimmer but you should be okay so long as you remove the print lines and finish it properly. I can see the weathering, but I can’t tell by your photos if it was painted black or if it is unpainted black filament. Regardless, keep in mind the following: The butt and grip should be semi gloss black. The original grip was actually Bakelite, so there shouldn’t be any weathering on the grip itself. It looks like you have some that will need to be painted over. The rest of the blaster should be flat black. Once dry, apply a little graphite powder to blaster, rubbing it into the flat black and it’ll take on a gun metal finish. Then seal it with a clear coat. The cooling fins on the barrel shroud were rubber, so they too should be free of weathering. There is also a fine wire that wraps around the ends of the cooling fins that you will need to add. You’ll likely need to create a small notch in the fin with a file. Here’s a photo of what it should look like: For those tough to sand pieces, consider using XTC-3D. It’ll be a huge time saver. I applied it to my entire blaster and it cut down sanding by at least 85%. It’s self leveling so it really fills in the lines and gives you a pretty smooth surface to work with.

Congrats Dan! Welcome to the ranks! Great build brother.

Congratulations Trooper! Well done!