Help with a second hand suit buy chance.

[Voriaxlarp]

Hello everyone!

I hope I did not choose the wrong área of the forum to post this, I beg your forgiveness in that case. I also am sorry if I say anything weird, English is not my language and automatic corrector keeps trolling me messing with spanish words.😅

I need help. I asked to my local gml but he must be very busy and chance can disappear. So I thought It was time to ask in the detachment forum.

I have found a guy from my área selling an almost complete shoretrooper captain set (everything except boots). The price is good for my budget. I really would like to go for shoretrooper specialist instead of captain, but I also like the captain and I could work on adapting It to the specialist paint scheme. As I said, It is fine for my budget, but I still don't want to spend money in vain.

I am aware that any set one can buy will need adapting to the user and that even a set that has already been approved doesn't mean approval will be fast and smooth. I just wanted to ask if, with the provided photos, you find anything unfixable that will certainly avoid approval.

I have arranged a meeting this weekend with the seller, he seems a quite nice guy and offered me the chance of trying the suit to see if It fits me. I know I have to ask about materials and so, and would also thank any sugestion of things I should ask.

Many thanks in advance!

Best regards!

Javier 

P.S. I am sorry about the quality of the photos, they are screenshots and I had yo reduce their size as I did not manage to insert links from Drive.😅

 

[KOtrooper]

Hi - the details are a bit tricky to see in the photos but some of the initial suspicious areas that stand out:

• The buckles on the shoulders and shin armor look like they are flat out wrong or soft. Could be the photo compression though
• Straps around the shin armor looks like it stops in the back. It should go all the way around like it's one complete piece.
• The strap around the can looks to be leather. It should be nylon webbing (same material as the belt).
• It's missing the black diagonal stripes on the sides of the kidney plates.
• Hip armor is too small. It might have to be redone completely.
• Foam is also a tad small but your GML might not care.

When you see the armor in person, compare it with the CRL. Especially the details of the buckles, hand plates, and back armor.

[Voriaxlarp]

1 hour ago, KOtrooper said:

Hi - the details are a bit tricky to see in the photos but some of the initial suspicious areas that stand out:

• The buckles on the shoulders and shin armor look like they are flat out wrong or soft. Could be the photo compression though
• Straps around the shin armor looks like it stops in the back. It should go all the way around like it's one complete piece.
• The strap around the can looks to be leather. It should be nylon webbing (same material as the belt).
• It's missing the black diagonal stripes on the sides of the kidney plates.
• Hip armor is too small. It might have to be redone completely.
• Foam is also a tad small but your GML might not care.

When you see the armor in person, compare it with the CRL. Especially the details of the buckles, hand plates, and back armor.

Hello!
Many thanks for your advise 😚. I now have doubts about things that could be because of the photo, but hip armour really looks small now that you say it. Mainly in the back, like it is long enough on the front but the back side is not big enough. 
I think I am going to carry a printed copy of the CRL to the meeting to compare. Sounds like an awesome advice. 

About materials, what should I avoid at all costs?
Thanks again!

[KOtrooper]

You want to avoid foam armor if you want to join the 501st. The armor needs to be of a stiff material. What you want to look for is a hard plastic or 3D printed (you'll see the layer lines, hopefully, only on the inside).

Fyi, I don't think this is 3D printed but if you see layer lines anywhere on the outside, keep in mind you will need to sand, fill, and repaint the entire area.


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[Minimo]

Following this one, awesome advise as always@KOtrooper

[Weasel]

Hi, possibly late, and just my two cents from looking at it and comparing it with the CRL.  Trying to avoid some work, so this is great for procrastinating.

• It's hard to tell from the photos, but it doesn't look like it has a neckseal and it's jsut a baclava? If the costume is supposed to come with everything make sure it has the Neckseal as well.
• Its almost impossible to tell what kind of material the shirt is, but making sure it's ribbed is important.
• The Chest Plate and Back Plate proportions also seem off, but that might be due to the photo taken, I also can't see a collar, just two black recesses on the chest palte where they would sit inside of.
• Ask what colors he used for the paint as well. While Level Two might not be your goal, it would really suck if you had to repaint everything because it isn't the right color.

 

[Voriaxlarp]

On 9/16/2023 at 3:03 AM, Weasel said:

Hi, possibly late, and just my two cents from looking at it and comparing it with the CRL.  Trying to avoid some work, so this is great for procrastinating.

• It's hard to tell from the photos, but it doesn't look like it has a neckseal and it's jsut a baclava? If the costume is supposed to come with everything make sure it has the Neckseal as well.
• Its almost impossible to tell what kind of material the shirt is, but making sure it's ribbed is important.
• The Chest Plate and Back Plate proportions also seem off, but that might be due to the photo taken, I also can't see a collar, just two black recesses on the chest palte where they would sit inside of.
• Ask what colors he used for the paint as well. While Level Two might not be your goal, it would really suck if you had to repaint everything because it isn't the right color.

 

Hi!

Indeed it arrived a bit late, but I feel really thankful anyway. The pics are awfully bad, and it is probably my fault. Partially because of the camera of this guy, but also I reduced the file size a lot. Armour looked much better in site. 

The suit has neckseal. In fact the seller provided two suits of clothes, one from the shop The Darkside Closet, and the other he could not remember the origin. Both had incorporated neckseal, I liked one more than the other, though. The pants looked good but not my size, but I don't think it will be a problem. I have a trustworthy tailor that has my measurements and can reproduce it in my size (she has made plenty of accurate reenacment clothes for me, I wish I had the same certainty with other adaptations). Funny thing is that the balaclava was the only thing the seller do not provide. 

The saddest thing are the boots. They are original Orca Bay Brecon, and almost new. But they are too small for me :'(. I have already ordered a pair of the correct size, and will try to sell the others locally.

Proportions looked better in person. And fortunately, collar exist. 

The hip plate, as KOtrooper pointed, are not the best. They were quite small for him, and certainly are small for me. But I think I can make new pieces.  

I will ask about the colours, mainly because I am now aiming on shoretrooper specialist instead of the captain (just personal preference, captains look quite cool but I do like more the combination with red), so I have to repaint at least part of the armour. 

The helmet though was a nice surprise. It has a simple voice modulator incorporated and the padding is almost perfect for my head, have to check with a balaclava but probably won't need much work. 

Hopefully I will be able to show a finished work in a few months.

Once again, thanks for the tips!

Edited September 20, 2023 by Voriaxlarp
detected mistake caused by auto correct, change "not" for "now"

[Voriaxlarp]

Hello again everybody!

I am working slowly on the armor, but I wanted to ask for your advice once again.

When I bought the armour It was said that the foam was small. I changed It but now I have the feeling now there is too much foam.

 

Fortunately cutting is easier than adding 😅. What do you think?

 

Many thanks in advance 😅