How does the Sean Fields Shoretrooper back retrofit work? - A Guide

[Sixes]

A bit of context for people who have no clue what I'm talking about: with Sean Fields' files, there is a version 2 chest, but not a version 2 back. The version 2 chest is incompatible with the version 1 back, but Fields included a few files that can be used to modify the version 1 back to make it compatible with the (more accurate but still not completely accurate) version 2 chest.

This is a quick guide describing how to handle these mods in detail, including things I would do differently if I did it again. I recommend reading this guide in its entirety before doing anything. It will save you some time :‎)

Step 1: Print and assemble the version 1 back, but leave out some parts.

THIS IS IMPORTANT: do NOT print or assemble these items from the original back files:

• 07 - collar
• 08 - left side panel
• 09 - right side panel
• 10 - upper straps
• 11 - left upper catch
• 12 - right upper catch

These parts will all be replaced by parts from the retrofit files, so assembling them will be a complete waste of time and resources.

You should also print the retrofit files.

 

Step 1.5 (if you screwed up): If you did assemble the version 1 back in its entirety before you realized you screwed up, you'll need to carefully remove the above parts with a rotary tool. GO SLOWLY, and if you are in doubt, hold off on removing material until you're sure it needs to go. It is much easier to remove than to add.

Swap out the rotary tool's cutter for a sander, and carefully remove the tabs left behind by the previous parts.

 

Step 2: By now the previous parts should be removed. We are now ready to use the cut guides. This modification is very nice because it widens the arm holes (more mobility, yay!). Here's how the cut guides line up to the build:

Notice how they latch on to parts of the back:

Also notice how this cut will make the back piece fit with the new bottom parts:

Mark the areas to cut with a wooden pencil and get rid of the cut guides. Take the rotary cutter and cut along the lines. Again - I cannot stress this enough - GO SLOWLY.

 

Step 3: Time to attach the new parts! Here's how they line up (ignore the scaling of the shoulder parts - I forgot to scale them before printing):

 

You're done with the retrofit! I'm so proud of you. Your next steps are to smooth out your part in whatever way you see fit. You'll definitely have to spend more time smoothing the part due to the cuts you made, but it will be well worth it :‎)

 

 

[BikerScout007]

Thank you for taking the time to do this!  This will be a huge help to our 3d printed Shoretroopers!

[Sixes]

On 4/28/2022 at 10:06 AM, BikerScout007 said:

Thank you for taking the time to do this!  This will be a huge help to our 3d printed Shoretroopers!

I'm glad! Surprised there wasn't a tutorial already!

Depending on what other weird surprises the SF files hold I may do more tutorials.

[Cyra Marrus]

Hey @Sixes, thanks so much for this tutorial. I'm working on a Sean Fields kit right now and am getting to the back section. Do you know if there's an updated STL with these fixes already in it? I'm a little confused on if the files in the folder right now have been updated. Any help would be appreciated!

[Sixes]

33 minutes ago, Cyra Marrus said:

Hey @Sixes, thanks so much for this tutorial. I'm working on a Sean Fields kit right now and am getting to the back section. Do you know if there's an updated STL with these fixes already in it? I'm a little confused on if the files in the folder right now have been updated. Any help would be appreciated!

Not to my knowledge. Having finished the whole kit, the back piece is by far the most cursed part to assemble.

While I'm here, I should mention that the "backpack" pieces are not 501st approvable as they exist in the folder. Fortunately, a kind soul made the necessary changes and put them on thingiverse. I saw on your build thread that you learned about the hand plates the hard way but I didn't see anyone mentioning this other issue so i wanted to make sure.

Honestly, if you're not hell-bent on using Sean's files exclusively, you could always kitbash with files from other sources (such as the galactic armory files) to make your life a bit easier. You'd just have to make sure the sizing looks good since it might vary between the two versions.

[Cyra Marrus]

Really appreciate this. I'm not hell-bent at all on using Sean's files, and honestly just buying the Galactic Armory files seems like a better option than tinkering with his to make sure they work.

One more question - totally unrelated to the back plate. I'm also working on the chest and am noticing that when I have the biceps on, the waist swoop from the chest is wide such that I can't actually lower my arms all the way, and the biceps will be scraping against that side piece. Is that what you've experienced as well? It's a couple steps down the road, but trying to decide if I should plan to heat mold those side pieces to conform a bit more to my waist. Although I know the ab piece has to slip in under that.

[Sixes]

11 hours ago, Cyra Marrus said:

Really appreciate this. I'm not hell-bent at all on using Sean's files, and honestly just buying the Galactic Armory files seems like a better option than tinkering with his to make sure they work.

One more question - totally unrelated to the back plate. I'm also working on the chest and am noticing that when I have the biceps on, the waist swoop from the chest is wide such that I can't actually lower my arms all the way, and the biceps will be scraping against that side piece. Is that what you've experienced as well? It's a couple steps down the road, but trying to decide if I should plan to heat mold those side pieces to conform a bit more to my waist. Although I know the ab piece has to slip in under that.

Yeah, that's normal. If you keep an eye out you can see that happen with most troopers' armors (it's especially bad with clones). It's not really a huge deal, just takes some getting used to. You could certainly try taking a heat gun to it, but my chest piece is about as tight as it can get and that issue still shows up. Here's a decent photo of me in my kit for comparison:

What I would suggest to mitigate this as much as possible is to figure out the sizing of your ab piece first, and then size your chest/back to the same scale. It should fit pretty close, just make sure you're able to take a deep breath without something popping out. I would also recommend figuring your rigging out as early as possible so you can get a good sense for how the kit feels to wear before you've spent hours sanding and painting something that might not fit. I was not given any of that advice when making this kit and the only reason it worked out first try (mostly) was luck.

[Sixes]

I've gone ahead and followed your build thread - feel free to tag me with any questions you have. I'm usually pretty good at responding in a timely manner. I should note that this kit hasn't been approved yet (just need to iron out a few things) so I'm probably not qualified to answer any questions regarding accuracy, but I've been 3d printing armor for like 3 or 4 years now so I'm a useful resource in that regard:)

[Cyra Marrus]

Quote

11 hours ago, Sixes said:

What I would suggest to mitigate this as much as possible is to figure out the sizing of your ab piece first, and then size your chest/back to the same scale. It should fit pretty close, just make sure you're able to take a deep breath without something popping out. I would also recommend figuring your rigging out as early as possible so you can get a good sense for how the kit feels to wear before you've spent hours sanding and painting something that might not fit. I was not given any of that advice when making this kit and the only reason it worked out first try (mostly) was luck.

Great advice, thanks! I've got a post-Imperial Mandalorian Merc, so I'm pretty decent on the actual 3D printing process, but this Sean Fields kit has just been a bit of a puzzle. I'll absolutely tag you if I have a question. In the meantime - your kit looks great! If I may ask, what are the fixes you need before approval? To my (admittedly untrained) eye, it looks fantastic.

 

[Valafar]

imo the galactic armory files are not very accurate. I feel like the files by NTX3D are the better option, and it isn't very expensive either.