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It was indeed, and sorry we weren't able to meet up. Next time, truly. :) I'd troop with the ISG again in a heartbeat, truly an amazing group of folks. Also, you guys looked *great*. Love the quality bar you have set in the ISG as costumers. Shout out to the spotters as well, who were lit (e.g. on top of their game). There is a video out there of me "escorting" a rebel pilot - hopefully someone shares the link. Doh! I forgot to give a shout out to your Rebel Legion team as well. Rock stars, all.

Next up was trooping with the ISG! If you can make it up to Scotland, you really should. Brian & the rest of the ISG folk were simply lovely. So welcoming, I felt like it was my home garrison. Whether it was ensuring I didn't run off on my own, introducing me to real Irn Bru, or helping me in & out with a new TK, every member of the ISG was simply brilliant. They truly embody the spirit of "troopers helping troopers" and what the 501st is about. My most sincere thanks go out to the members of the ISG, who made for me a very special troop. A extra special thanks go out to Brian & Lynn for all they did that weekend. Truly, if the opportunity presents itself again, I'd troop with the ISG in a heartbeat - they're the best! Oh yeah, more photos! Me & Ryan, who was so gracious his time and went above & beyond in making this all possible. I owe you a solid, brother! Me & Brian, the ISG GCO They have arguably one of the best Chewbaccas, and I was geeking out :)

Last week I was lucky enough to be in Manchester (UK) to pick up a fresh set of RS armor, then head to Edinburgh to troop with the ISG (Imperial Scottish Garrison). Both were amazing experiences that I shall cherish forever, but wouldn't have happened without the incomparable Ryan Barlow - TD/SL 19809 - from the Imperial North Western Squad (UKG), to whom I'm eternally grateful. RS Visit While there, I was introduced to another Paul, who appeared in A New Home as a stormtrooper and has been spotted on film. In his hand is an original screen used helmet. If you ever get a chance to meet him, please do. Humble, friendly, and overall great fellow. Meeting Rob of RS is always a highlight. Also pictured are Ryan & Rob (Catfood) & Rob (RS)

A tedious job, but you will win in the end, don't loose hope

I haven’t exactly made the progress I was hoping for, but we’re moving forward regardless. After the test fit, I’ve realized I really need to start focusing on proper strapping—specifically suspenders for the abdomen, along with straps for the chest and back armor and a system for rigging the arms. The thighs and calves are still areas of concern, but I have a few ideas for those that I want to tackle later once I’ve sorted out the belt, which is still a bit TBD at the moment. It wouldn’t be a proper update if I didn’t talk about the helmet. This shouldn’t surprise anyone at this point, but… the paint reacted. Again. After a lot of research, trial and error, and some troubleshooting, I’ve come to the conclusion that something in an earlier base coat is reacting with the newer layers. The reactions are appearing in the exact same spots, even after thoroughly cleaning the surface between coats with mineral spirits and isopropyl alcohol. This happened after applying what should have been a light coat, which immediately began to run. At this point it almost seems like the paint has simply decided it doesn’t want to adhere whatsoever. I know Glen mentioned earlier it could be from a previous coat going on to thick, which is still a pretty likely reason for all of this. If that is the case, there's probably some uncured paint from those thicker coats somewhere in the middle of all of this mess. Which leads me to the most current plan... which is to sand it back down to primer—and probably plastic in a few spots—and start fresh. I’ve also decided that while we're at it to take things a step further and switch paints for the white. I know I’ve mentioned my frustrations with Rustoleum as a "brand", but realistically a spray gun and booth just aren’t in the budget right now. Automotive spray options like Duplicolor are significantly more expensive, especially online. That said, I’ve gone ahead and ordered a six-pack of a different paint that uses an acrylic base rather than enamel, which I’m hopeful will eliminate the compatibility issues I’ve been fighting: One of my other working theories is that the enamel top coats didn’t play nicely with the automotive-style primer underneath. I can’t say that’s definitively the cause, but between that and the still-off-gassing heavy coats, it's enough to warrant the decision to try a different system (or in this case, paint blend). The new paint arrives Wednesday, so in the meantime I’m pushing to finish priming the rest of the armor. Which, of course, means returning to everyone’s favorite part of this process: spot putty and sanding. I started by revisiting some of the more prominent pieces, like the chest and back plates: These weren’t necessarily bad to begin with, but if I’m putting in the effort to make sure the helmet comes out right, I might as well hold the rest of the suit to that same standard. It’s definitely crossed my mind that fiberglass armor might have been less intensive at this stage, but after reading a number of those build threads, I think I’ve landed at roughly the same point they reach when dealing with pinholes and cracks. The main difference is that I’m battling layer lines while they’re not. After a while it started to feel a bit repetitive working the same pieces over and over, so I decided to mix things up and bring in the finished leg parts I had just plastic-welded earlier in the week. Which reminds me—that was also when my Milwaukee M12 soldering iron decided it was time to retire permanently. So that was another unexpected delay. The primer went on beautifully (as it usually does)… right up until I dropped one of the pieces in the yard. Can you tell which one it was? So for now I’m back in the familiar holding pattern of: putty → sand → primer → sand → putty → primer I’m letting the next round of spot putty cure before hopefully getting a coat of primer on later this evening. I also suspect I’m about to run out of primer again, which seems pretty on-brand for my planning skills. Hopefully I’m a better trooper than I am a supply officer. But, there’s still plenty left to tackle. I’ll probably move on to the forearms and biceps next for finishing work, but with any luck I might be able to knock out all of the helmet greebles before the weekend ends—you may be able to spot the forehead trim and one of the ear pieces on my Bondo station. That would at least count as a small win for the Empire. Anyways, back to sanding/puttying and re-watching the first season of Andor.

Lucasfilm Retail Moratorium Lift May 2026 For most of the year we are under an embargo from Lucasfilm and can not attend retail locations unless prior approval has been given by them. At certain times of the year this embargo is lifted, generally around Movie releases, May 4th, Force Friday etc, the recent correspondence from LFL outlines the lift of the embargo: Lucasfilm has informed LEC that the retail moratorium is being lifted May 2-10. During this time, fan groups can appear in costume at retailers that sell Star Wars merchandise. All fans, costumed or otherwise, can participate with venues of their choice during this window of time with the restriction that costumed appearances must not be used in the advertising of the event or retail location. Although these appearances will be treated like open invitations, we leave it to the fan groups to independently organize around these events as they see fit. Lucasfilm will not need to approve or coordinate these. Please note that retail locations should not include restaurants, bars, or venues with no apparent reason to feature Star Wars characters. Costumed fans should not pose with merchandise or use the appearance to promote a specific product. In the coming weeks, we may send out a list of ‘preferred’ retailers from certain regions who would welcome fans to participate at their venues within these event windows, but you are all still welcome to make plans with appropriate retailers or venue hosts of your choice regardless of whether or not they appear on the list. In addition to the retail appearance lift, Lucasfilm is happy to allow fan groups to make appearances at their local theaters during the theatrical run of The Mandalorian and Grogu. Appearances should be limited to the theatre lobby and should not be advertised prior to appearance. Fan groups are allowed to word directly with their local theaters to schedule these appearances. Lucasfilm may send out invitations on behalf of theater chains that are interested in costumed fan appearances. Appearances are subject to whatever rules are in place at the local theater and it will need to be made clear that you are fans in costumes and not official Star Wars character appearances. *REMEMBER* Always follow your garrison/squad/outpost guidelines when it comes to organizing Disney/LFL promotional troops, only command staff should deal directly with LFL.