Aradun

Hey Art, your build is coming along great. For your cummerbund the ideal length should be about 8 or 9 inches from top to bottom. The bund looks longer than that in your photos, but it might just be the way you have your pouches attached. As you currently have it, your belt would be sitting on top of the bund whereas the bottom of the bund should rest just on top of your belt. It’s an easy fix. 1. Secure the top of your pouches so that the top of the tab comes to the top of your bund. That will lower your pouches. 2. Raise your bund so that the tabs of your pouches sit under your chest armor. That will shorten up the bund and raise it high enough that your belt will be positioned properly on your waist not your hips. It’s a minor adjustment but it will really tighten up the look. Keep up the great work!

Rest in peace Trooper.

And it comes equipped with the coveted neck seal [emoji1787]. Just outta pure curiosity I logged in today to see what differences there actually are from the ROTJ Scout and was surprised by the number of differences: - neck seal - no flak jacket - no mud flap - all strapping is gray - no visible strapping on bicep armor, appears mounted directly to undersuit - TD is reversed - TD end caps are flat not concave - No zip tie on TD - No visible belt clips on TD. - Knee Armor has rivets for upper strap but strap is not visible. - ear holes are closed - greeblie for snout looks different? - 3M bolts appear flat not concave - I think the belt boxes would need to be reworked. They’re a bit more squarish than rectangular. - shoulder bells appear attached to Undersuit? - belt strapping is black - larger rivets for holster? - bicep and forearm armor are incorrectly positioned from ROTJ scout (I.e. rotated too far back). The one thing I do like about the Battlefront Scout over the ROTJ Scout is the undersuit and absence of the flak jacket. It does make for a sleeker and perhaps more stealthy look. How that translates into being more comfy, I’m not so sure. I’ve heard it said that the scouts on set found the neck seals to be hot, but would be hard pressed to quote a source on that.

Assuming that you sanded the base coat and cleaned the gun before applying the enamel, I would give it a light buffing with 400 grit to knock back the roughness, especially over the larger surfaces areas where it’s supposed to be smooth like the barrel and stock. Make sure you clean it thoroughly after sanding before you weather it.

You're build is really coming along Gareth! With regard to the TD, good eye! I can't help but wonder if some of these variations were merely quick costume fixes to address issues during filming. It looks like the zip tie is applied to the right side of the TD only in the photo you provided. I for one can't wait for the CRL for this costume to be approved so we have details nailed down at least for basic approval. It'll be interesting to see how Level 2 certification develops with all these little variations caught on film. Looking forward to seeing your progress on this build.

Lessons Learned - What I'd do differently. This build was an incredible journey from start to finish. I received basic approval on August 2, and obtained Lancer approval on August 18. It's been one heck of a ride since I started this WIP back in January, and I want to thank all of those Scouts and PDF Recruits who helped along the way. Your input, ideas, suggestions, and most of all encouragement were invaluable to me. Thank you. So to bring this WIP to a proper close, I thought I share what I'd do differently if I were to do it all again, (and I might...I'm currently trying to persuade my wife to join the Dark Side as a fellow Scout, fingers crossed). Undersuit: I'd definitely go with a long option for the Red Kaps as opposed to their regular size. I opted for the regular for this build and while I find it very comfortable to wear once it's on, suiting up is a bear. I undergo a contortionist act getting the sleeves on and bending down to put boots and knee armor on raises my voice 10 decimals if you get my meaning. A size long might require some additional tailoring, especially if you plan to go for Lancer, but I think the added comfort it will bring is worth it. Leather Riding Patch: Most of the builds I viewed had the front patches squared off at the top. If I were to do it again, I'd round off those corners. If you don't get the patches and codpiece to align just right, you're likely to have those corners poking out from beneath the cod. Rounding those corners from the get-go eliminates corners all together and will prevent you from having to seam rip the leather patch to cut and modify those corners. Boots: This one might be a matter of preference, but if I were to do this again, I'd get Elastic Laces for a no tie option. I know that I have Elastic Laces listed in my materials list, but I decided to just keep the boot laces at the last minute. Not a deal breaker, but I as I noted in #1 above, getting my boots on is the most uncomfortable part of suiting up. Elastic laces would just make things a little simpler and quicker. That being said, I think if I had a little more room in my undersuit (i.e., a long vs. regular) this would be a moot issue. Flak Jacket: This was the bane of my build, especially trying to place hook and loop in the right spot to secure things like the cod, CB, and armor. If I were to do this again from scratch, I'd make the neck opening a bit smaller so that I had more material between the neck seam and the start of the sleeve. My current jacket only has about 1/2' of material. I attached hook and loop to my undersuit and that part of the FJ to keep it secure and from sliding down on the shoulder. I also made my raglan sleeves in two parts: a portion for the shoulder and underarm, and then the sleeve itself. I'd make the sleeves one piece if doing it again. I find that my current construction method makes the shoulder stiff and causes it to jut out a little, which was contributing to some initial sleeve flare. You can see what I mean in the photos from my 3/17/20 post above. Making it one piece and using lighter batting for quilting would allow the sleeve to roll over the shoulder and help lay flat against the undersuit. As it was, I had to take in the sleeves to correct the flare. Holster: This is a no-brainer given all of the advice about it on this forum, advice which I myself have passed along to others, but failed to heed myself...Use 1/8" rivets to attach your holster to your boot! While at this time 1/8" rivets are not specifically noted in the CRL, they are required for Lancer. They're not mentioned because it was one of those "givens" that everybody just knew. It's also my understanding that 1/8" rivets are used in the CRL model, which also sets the standards in addition to the worded descriptions. However, it was providence that I had to change them out for my Lancer app because I noticed that the corners of my holster were cracking in spite of being properly backed with washers. If I were do to this again, I'd reinforce the corners of the holster from the get go with a little abs glued to the back, and of course use 1/8" rivets to attach to the boot. Lastly, because I hate hook and loop, if I were to do this again, I would probably try using rare earth magnets to secure my bicep & forearm armor to my undersuit as [mention]“ Sure Shot “ [/mention] did in this post on correct armor positions. It's a cool method and just one example of why the advice and idea exchange on this forum is so invaluable. Well, that's a wrap for me and this WIP. So, thank you again my fellow scouts and soon to be scouts for all you did to help me succeed in this build, attain Lancer status, and fulfill a longtime dream of becoming a Biker Scout! Now I gotta build me a speeder bike! Summer Project 2021.

Dude, I love it! It’s so true! That cracked me up. Thanks for the laugh!

That “leash” set up is clever! What a great idea. That’s why these questions, WIPs, and discussions are so great. There’s always a new trick being brought to the table. Thanks for sharing that.

Great point and Very true!

Sweet!!! That looks real sweet. Well done!

Contact Cement like Gorilla CA glue should do the trick. The edge of the hose is thick enough to provide a secure gluing surface provided you make a smooth cut when trimming it’s length. I opted for CA glue rather than E-6000, because E-6000 has a little give to it, and I didn’t want them popping off in a troop or if the TD fell off or was dropped and hit the ground. I also made my pilot holes for the wrapped cord slightly smaller so that it took some effort to feed the wire through. There’s no chance that wire is slipping out. Trust me. And thanks for the shout out!

You should be proud! It’s looking great!

The wire wrapped TD is pretty easy to do and it does look nice. I made one earlier this year, but as some other scouts noted during my own build this type of TD has some serious weight to it. You wouldn’t think so but it does. I found it roughly twice as heavy as my RS TD. The weight of it may pull your belt down in the back. I added a hook and loop tab onto the back of my CB which gets sandwiched between the hook and loop of the belt in the back. That helps keep the belt from drooping. I personally don’t like the feel of the added weight on the small of my back, and as it wasn’t required for Lancer I went back to my original RS TD. Of course your mileage may vary. It is a fun and fairly easy build.

I’ll be saving this thread as I’m planning on doing an install within the next two months on an RS Red Label bucket. Seeing how others have their lid set up will be most helpful.

Looking sharp boss!

You look like you’re ready to handle some serious crowd control for the Empire. Nice job!

Congrats Trooper! Well done!

You’re killing it Eric. Nicely done!

That looks really nice Chris. Great job! My only thought feedback wise is to perhaps make the strap from you cod piece tighter so that it pulls the cod under your legs a bit more. Looking at screen shots it looks like the cod wraps under the crotch area, and sits loose, but snug against the undersuit. Keep up the great work. Hopefully the CRL will be completed soon and you can get this kit approved!

Sometimes that can be due to the lighting. I had taken some photos of my suit in bright sunlight and they looked more dark gray than black, but black is what you want.

Thanks Mark. I see in the trooping log that you and I both had our first troops as scouts on 8/15. It was nice riding this journey to conclusion in tandem with you.

Yep! I remember that post! Sweet job! Excellent work. Got it book marked for reference when I get around to building my own.

If you’re going for that realistic bluing effect, I know there are several different ideas such a applying graphite and then a clear coat, or using airbrush paints such as https://airbrushes.com/product_info.php?products_id=22497 I’ve not tried it personally but am itching to give it a shot once I start 3D printing. If you search “bluing effect for plastic guns” you should get some info on various tips from prop communities.

Based on Corey’s feedback, you should be okay Phil, but like they say “a picture is worth a thousand words.” The armorers here are top notch and will be able to let you know if it’s a potential issue for your Lancer app once you kit up and post your photos. There’s more than one way to skin an Ewok. Sometimes the easier fix is to simply raise your knee armor a 1/2” rather than try to lower your boot. Velcro on the undersuit will hold the armor in place and you’ll be good to go. Don’t sweat it for now, as it sounds like it’ll be fine.

Looking at the CRL images, the top of your boot should sit roughly 2” below your knee armor.