Aradun

I got that. But the flange in the link provided above is the diameter of the “pan head” portion of the rivet (see “A” in the image below), which in this particular example measures 5/8” and is clearly too wide. When 1/8” rivets are referenced, as above, the links that are being provided are measuring 1/8” at “D” in the figure below. My question is does measurement “A”matter? If I’m understanding everything correctly, it does, and if so what is the size of “A” that is acceptable. 1/8” rivets using “D” to calculate the referenced size in the CRL do come with different sized “A”. Again, I just want to make sure that I understand this for my own edification and more importantly so that I don’t give anyone misinformation.

Okay, so I gotta ask, because this question keeps coming up since the CRL was updated. What are you referring to when you say “flange?” Are you referring to the head (i.e., washer like) portion? I only ask because the rivets size that is recommended refers to the diameter of the hat/body. You can get 1/8” or 3mm rivets with varying diameter heads and if it’s the head diameter that is the issue then perhaps that also needs to be specified. For example, my RS kit did have 1/8” rivets but the head diameter was 3/8” and I had to swap some of those out for 1/8” rivets with a 5/16” diameter head for my Lancer app. I’m in no way trying to muddy the waters here, but this question about head size vs hat/body size has been asked a few times and the response is to go with the hat/body size. The problem with rivet classification is that the head size doesn’t factor into the sizing noted on the packaging.

Andy, you’re asking great questions and getting solid advice from the armorers (that’s why they get paid the big bucks [emoji6] and are IMHO the among best in the Legion). You’re also making solid and excellent progress. Your photos above are proof positive of that, so set aside any sense of feeling defeated or discouraged. Everyone who walked this road always has to tweak here or there, and make minor modifications to get it to work for them. That’s progress brother, not set backs [emoji6]. You’re doing great and man will you be beaming with pride once you get everything dialed in, which I can’t wait to see! Hang in there brother! Chopper has a great thread on how to keep your kit together while trooping. In case you haven’t stumbled upon it yet... http://forum.501stpathfinders.com/index.php?/topic/18894-some-tips-for-keeping-your-scout-costume-together-while-trooping/ Once you get everything dialed in then you’ll be able to secure everything in place and you won’t have to worry about shifting, sagging, etc.

Don't get me wrong. PLA and PLA+ are great stuff and allow for some great prints, but they are susceptible to extreme heat. As long as you don't leave the prop in a car during summer heat, or lock it away in a storage container, yard shed, or other area where the heat can do a number on it, you'll be fine fine with PLA(+). I just don't want you shelling out your hard earned cash and then lock your E22 in the trunk of your car in 90+ degree weather while you grab a beer after a troop with some garrison mates only to find your E22 has warped when you get home.

Can’t speak to the accuracy of this model, but I did purchase my neuro-saav binocs from him and he’s easy to deal with. Keep in mind that he prints in PLA which doesn’t hold up in intense heat as mentioned above so you need to be careful with transport and storage. If you do decide to make the purchase after getting the go ahead from an armorer as to accuracy, see if he’ll print it in ABS or PETG seeing has how it’s a custom request anyway. Also consider seeing if someone from your Garrison has a 3D printer and is willing to print Sean Fields files for you. You can offer them $150 for time and material and get it printed in ABS or PETG which will weather the heat far better.

Clean and crisp! Those pouches look great! Well done! I’ll echo Chopper’s observation. What you have looks good. Nice work!

Looking great Nathan! Excellent finishing work brother!

For the E22, stick with Sean’s files and modify as mentioned by KOTrooper. As an aside, I’ve purchased 3D files from him and they are well crafted and print great, but have never purchased anything that he has printed himself, so I can’t speak to his print quality. He also prints in PLA+ which prints nicely, but won’t fare well if left in your trunk or hot vehicle, as it will warp in the intense heat.

Congrats Theo. Well done!

Jenny, you have a great build thread and ask excellent questions, so if you approach your armor work with the same level of detail that you tackled the soft parts, then there’s no need to be paranoid. You’ll knock this outta the park!

Hot diggity! Do I sense a Lancer app in the future or just a minor disturbance in the force? Congrats again brother.

[mention]Chopper [/mention] Just to chime in here, I had similar issues with my RS kit which was made back in spring of ‘20 and Andy’s observations are spot on so I’m guessing this is standard for their builds. Don’t get me wrong, these are pretty easy fixes, but it might be helpful if the detachment could note the discrepancies with RS. I know they pride themselves on adhering to the CRL and even produced a video on that a while back. If anything, just getting them to relocate that bottom tank rivet to its proper location, and making sure that 1/8” (3mm) rivets are used for the knee armor would be huge as they are the most challenging changes for those building to Lancer specs. Swapping out strapping wouldn’t be much of an issue for most.

Andy, it really is that easy. You can just pull them away from the armor. Just work it slowly. I did that on my RS kit with no issues. I then used E6000 to reattach the new straps and secured the straps with clamps until the glue dried. I gave it about 24-48 hours before removing the clamps. I’ve had no issues thus far after about 8 troops.

Here’s a tip as you work on your build. I thought of it last night as I was measuring the rivets. I have the belt secured to my cod with hook and loop to prevent it from shifting and sagging while trooping, and I was only three troops in when I cracked my belt in two spots when pulling it free from the cod. I suspect that all RS vac pulls would have similar weak points in the belt. I fixed it by making some abs paste and reinforcing the front and back joints in the belt as pictured below. You may want to consider doing the same now if those joints look weak or thin just as an added precaution.

Looking good Nathan. Some XTC-3D would save you time and a lot of muscle ache Lol. Just FYI, it appears as though you might have your front site reversed. The narrow triangular part faces the tip of the barrel.

Lighting isn’t the best but here is the 1/8” red translucent lens inserted in the scope. I printed out the lenses in PLA+ and used them to trace the lenses on the acrylic. I then used a dremel mounted with a cutting disk to rough the lens out and replaced the cutting disk with a sanding tool to round off the lens. It’s nice looking down the scope and seeing the reticle mounted in the scope. Cool effect that I think the little and “big” kids will dig. And that my friends is a wrap! Now, on to my life size baby Grogu.

No problem brother, but definitely check in with the armorers as you said. The good news is that they should be aluminum and not steel. You can check yours with a magnet to be sure. If it doesn’t stick then they’re aluminum. IF you have to change out the rivets in your knee armor for Lancer then use a cobalt drill bit and go slow and steady. They should come out like butter. I won’t tell you how I removed mine, but it didn’t involve a drill bit and it would probably give Chopper a stroke [emoji1787], so I won’t go there. I didn’t have a cobalt bit handy and I was too cheap and lazy to run to Home Depot to pick one up for $4, but I certainly would get the bit if I ever had to remove a rivet again [emoji6].

Well done everyone! 2021 is shaping up to be just as productive as 2020 with new CRLs for the detachment. Keep ‘em coming. Pathfinders Lead the Way!

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you Andy, but I see Chopper gave you the info you needed. The rivets RS used on my kit were 1/8” rivets with 5/16” heads. For my Lancer app, I only had to replace the rivets for my knee armor and I used 1/8” rivets with 1/4” heads. You might not think a 1/16” makes much difference, but it is noticeable. As I had to move the rivet for the tank for Lancer anyway, I replaced it with the same rivets used for my knee armor. I don’t know the actual industry size (44, 45, etc.) as I just looked for what I had on hand with the smallest head and a small grip. If I had to guess I’d say a 44 or 43 which would be a 4/32” diameter rivet with a 4/16” body length or 4/32” diameter rivet with a 3/16” body length respectively. Keep in mind that the size does not account for the width of the head (the washer like portion of the rivet), which is actually the width you want to compare. Again, as Chopper said run any questions by the armorers if you’re unsure or hesitant, and throw up some pics for them to see and give you feedback before you change anything. These guys know their stuff and won’t steer you wrong.

Hey Brother! It’s great to see you bring this build to completion and I gotta echo Corey’s comment that you’ve put together a solid build and it is well proportioned for you. You look fantastic! Excellent job with fit and tailoring. Your right about weathering not being for everyone, but I’m a fan and went with that myself. I know you went with heavier weathering to achieve that lived in look as a matter of personal preference, but I gotta tell you I’m digging it. You look like you’ve been out on patrol skirmishing with Rebel Scum and dodging nasty Murder Bears and you survived to tell the tales of glory for the Empire. Well done. Good luck with basic approval! Keep us posted!

That makes two of us [emoji1787].

Hang tight. The armorers will give you the specs and their advice is what you want to base your build on. I’m happy to check mine for you, but won’t be able to get back to you until after work on Monday. Everything’s packed away at the moment, but I’m sure one of the armorers will get back to you before then.

That’s something you want [mention]Chopper [/mention] or [mention]Retrofire [/mention] to weigh in on as they would be on the review team for the Lancer app. How you measure rivets can be a little confusing. I know how they are measured by industry standards, but am unsure whether the 1/8” reference in the CRL is for the diameter of the hat (i.e., the hole you reference) or the diameter of the head (i.e., the washer like portion).

Yo Andy! The TD end caps are glued on that detonator pretty well. I got one off with a bit of patience but then cracked the other leading to my having to replace the caps. I used some pvc plumbing end cap and with sanding and a dremel was able to manufacture my own. Details are in my WIP. If you do get the end caps off, you can try to give them a hot bath and then take a tennis ball and press it down into the top flat surface, and that should give you a little concave. You could go the hairdryer route too and do the same thing. For the tank, after removing the rivet, I used some Green Stuff to fill the whole. The key there is to not do any sanding because it’ll be nigh impossible for you to match the RS paint. The Green Stuff can be worked so that it only fills the hole and you can get it pretty flat with you fingers. Then once dry give it a dab of paint. No one will be the wiser, especially because it sits so low.

Great work so far, but I’ll leave it up to the armorers to give you proper feedback. Just wanted to mention that it looks from the size of your photos that you are using the forum’s photo feature, which only has a max storage of about 500 KB. Once you hit that threshold you won’t be able to upload any pics. Most Pathfinders use a hosting site like Imgur to insert photos or the Tapatalk app which allows them to post to the forum and upload photos through the app. Tapatalk has a free version which will more than suffice, but even their paid version is only $1.00 per month. I only mention this because I did the same thing when I joined and started my WIP so I know not everyone is aware of the forum’s limited photo storage. The limitation helps keep cost down. Keep up the great work.