gazmosis

I am just curious about this helmet that falls into the "not allowed" sections. What is its history and why exactly is it not allowed and does someone have photos that may very well be self explanatory? And could I ask anymore stinkin' questions in a row?

Looks pretty darn sweeeeeeeeet! I would think a couple dabs of hot glue would attach the "dickie" portion with no problems. Velcro would make a severe rubbing issue on the inside and other harsher glues may melt the foam. Let us know about a possible price and source for the magnets!!!!!

Martin is correct on the rear bolt issue. I love that you took the time to hollow out the details that need it like the folding stock catch at the rear of the blaster and the front sight. Nice attention to detail!! Whatever you get for your top rail, make sure its got a little backbone to it. Even though your scope is resin, it will bend a light rail.

Some one correct me if I am wrong....I thought the rivets on the ab/kidney plates were on the left side only. On the right was just the male snap at the top of the ab. In regards to the hole left on the sniper plate, If you have read any helmet building threads and seen the 3M glazing and spot putty used, get some of that, apply it to the holes and just outside them. Wait overnight and then lightly wet sand them with 600 grit and paper until level with the original surface of the sniper plate. Wet sand LIGHTLY intil just the old hole remains. Then get some white paint and lightly dab onto the spot putty. Let dry and repeat if necessary. If you are carefull, even you will not be able to notice. I had to do the same thing. Make sure somewhere you include a pic showing your green lenses on your lid. NICE ARMOR BROTHER! Good luck on Cernturion!!!!

My heart soared as a result of my first troop a couple of weeks ago, but I was actually brought to tears watching this video. Thank you, Charlie for requesting this find. It should be a prerequisite for ANY new 501st member to watch prior to his/her first troop.

Wow! I am just at a loss for words. Last week's troop was a first(in many ways) for me and I am glad that my recap of some of the events and feelings of that day touched so many people. For every trooper that dons the armor there are as many reasons for doing so. Everyone will have their own stories to tell of what it meant for them. I hope that I am able to hear their stories and one day shake their hand. It will be a long time until I consider myself anything other than the "new guy". But until that day comes, I will take every day that I get to suit up and call it a blessing and an honor. Thanks again to all that helped me make this happen!

you guys look so good it made my holster stand straight out, too.

That is one sweet DLT.

I really think that what hits closest to my heart is the kids. The greatest thing that ever happened to me was the birth of my daughter. Although she was 2 months premature, she came out of it and went home a couple of weeks later. Now 11, you would never know.(she is in the picture above..in the goofy slippers) Having the chance to experience that level of innocence and purity is, well.....life changing. Now, I get to do it again. This is something I hope everyone gets to experience. As for "the two year battle", I posted the story before when I posted the pics for my EIB. I guess I just didn't want to beat that horse to death and have people rolling their eyes saying,"not again". If there is an appropriate place to post it again, and if it will help anyone, I will.

Sweet looking armor there Dude! Are you going to suit up regularly as TK or TD? If it's TD, you're gonna need to change out the knee plate. Lovr the DLT-19!!! I think you might want to include some close-ups of your blaster to show details(counter,power cylindars, d-ring)

Not at all! Do with it whatever you wish! Although my PHYSICAL experience happened there, my true adventure began here. The people here are the building blocks to allowing any new trooper to build the experience they want. Thanks to everyone here for guiding me on how to build mine!

It has been an epic last couple of weeks. After a two year battle to fit into my armor, I was accetped into the 501st and was honored to receive EIB all in one week. This was just in time to participate in my first trooping event; Star Wars celebration weekend at Legoland in Schaumberg, Illinois(just west of Chicago). Up to the time of the opening night, I received information only through correspondence with my new local Garrison. I drove to the site in my undersuit and neckseal. I wore sandals and lounge pants to save the public from the sight of my well outlined backside. I walked in the front door with my armor in tow (a suitcase for now). I was met at the front desk with a smile and a statement that made my heart soar...You are 501st....follow me. I was lead to a large service corridor behind the store that would serve as our dressing area. To my surprise, I was the first on hand. But not for long. TK's TD's, x-wing pilots and T.I.E. pilots soon followed. I was finally able to put faces to names and speak without punching a keyboard. I of course felt out of place initially, but with every friendly hand I shook those feelings quickly diminished. I was still a bit intimidated and kept a watchful ear to gather as much information so that I could successfully "unlearn what I have learned". Although I did not receive it, I expected more of a hazing. After we were all suited up, we looked each other over and made the necessary adjustments to insure that we all looked our best. We were lead to the main doors leading back into Legoland. That is where the meaning of my experience began to unfold. The doors opened and jaws dropped around us. We walked as a unit to the front of the store to receive a briefing and the rest of the night was up to us. Although I am comfortable in front of people and have been waiting for 34 years to be a TK, I was not prepared for the reception that followed. It was difficult for me to remain in character for I was consumed by the level of joy, wonder and excitement we were providing to kids from 3 - 43. I watched (through green tinted lenses)as grown men turn 14 years old all over again. My emotions swelled as the smallest Star Wars fans told me of their adventures with their tiny, shaking little voices. I didn't know what was harder; for the child to stand still for the photo or the overexcited parent to take the photo. I wish to thank Kevin(rebeldoughboy) for allowing me to stick to his side and follow his lead. But soon, things were on auto pilot. Crowds gathered, traffic slowed, flashes went off and the store filled. We moved between floors inside and ventured outside from time to time. Although the event was 4 days, I could only attend 2. Sunday was the same adventure except for 10 fold the amount of people and 3 times the amount of time I was able to be in character. Just before our time was up, I was standing alone watching Boba Fett, a biker scout and a Rebel Endor soldier have their time in the spotlight. I began to think of all the big and little ones that we provided memories for them that will last them a lifetime. Then I thought of the fact that after I took off the armor and if I stood next to those same people, they would never know that it was me in that armor. Did that matter? Not at all! I had the honor of making someone smile that day. The honor of maybe fulfilling a dream for someone. The honor of creating a memory. I will never forget these feelings. Nor will I forget the honor I feel to be part of all this. Just to hope that one day I can again make someone

I didn't know that Lionel Ritchie and Tim Burton were TD's!!!! Wow!!!

Dang!!!! There are some thick necked troopers!!!! 16 US inches here

Foam, huh? That's gotta be light as all get out. Awesome!! Hey, I might take a detail brush and some bright silver and weather it a bit just on the edges. Lay it down in several positions and wherever it touches....a little dab'l do ya. A little sandblasting effect.

I can't explain why, but I love to see the frames of the films where the "hero" sterlings were used. Muzzle flash and shell ejecting. We all know that the E-11s were based off the Sterling. Many were resin casts off the real ones that they added a scope rail, grips, a hengstler, and power cylinders. The blanks that were fired made a cool muzzle flash that was, well, cool...and also made it easy to to identify where to paint in the laser..... great for close-ups! Here are the spots I love to see frame by frame: #1 Han shoots the operator after Chewie lays out the guy going to check the bad trasmitter. #2 Han in disguise shoots the communicator "boring conversation anyway" If you listen carefully, you can actually hear the shell bounce off the floor. #3 Han in disguise yells to Chewie to get behind him. The lift door blows open..Han fires. #4 Right after #2, the first TK through the blown up door gets waxed. As he is falling his blaster is firing round after round sending shells everywhere. #5 Chasm swing scene. Most shots Luke and Leia fire and one as the TK crawl under the door after the swing. ESB: As they enter the Falcon to escape the Cloud City, Lando and Leia are slinging serious...uh....plasma? Here's an interesting point...just before Lando yells.."Leia...Go!!", you will notice that Leia's gun is either jammed or out because the charging handle is locked in the rear position. Then right after he yells to her, look at Leia's gun....it lost it's rail and scope!! Her gun was a wreck!!! Maybe I have seen these films a few too many times? Nah!!! There are more. Have fun finding them.

I had my WTF moment during the build. Seeing as the armor needed to be painted, I wanted to do as little glueing as possible after painting. All the connecting strips were glued into place prior to painting so that afterward I would only have 1 strip to glue to connect the halves. I applied glue and clamps and moved on not realizing the mistake until the next day.(insert "Tim the Tool Man" grunt...."OH NO!") By that time, since I used plast-weld, it was too late. I trid to slowly seperate the strips but the weld is very unforgiving once set and it began to tear the shin. I will get new shins at a later time. It's trooping season now so I will wait to do this as a winter project.

Sweet! Is that all a resin cast?

I am living vicariously through you! Did I spell that right? Anyway, amazing sterling and other parts. You know, having too many hengstlers can be bad for your health. Call me if/when you start having ill effects. In regards to the rail, whatever material you make it out of, make sure it has a little backbone to it. The weight of the real scopes WILL bend lighter rail material. Here's what I used. I went to the yard fencing section of my Lowes or Depot or Menards, whatever and they have these steel reinforcement strips. There are a messload of them in a tube right next to the fencing. They are 5/8 inch wide by about 1/8 inch thick. This is a bit wider than the 1/2 hole in the top of the sterling barrel so you will need to trim it or taper it on a grinder or with a dremmel tool. I attached it by bending the barrel side 90 degrees down then 90 degrees toward the front of the gun. Use a vise so you get a nice bend. You don't want it too round. "Measure twice" on the first bend! You don't want your rail sitting too high.

Thanks to all who helped me along the way. I REALLY appreciate it!!!!

I thought the drop boxes were supposed to sit in a way that the end of the ammo belt sits in the middle of the boxes. Great idea about the chest/back!!!

I just answered my own question. I forgot to post pics of helmet details, (hand painted) and "s" trim

I know it's a lot of pics. Please let me know if there are any I missed that I need. Thank you!

My name is Steve Gaza and after a long and hard two year battle with the bulge, I am finally comfortable enough to don the armor I have worked so hard on detailing. I was issued TK-4034, my forum name is Gazmosis, and I am a member of the Midwest Garrison. Armor: Painted and polished HIPS Original maker unknown Helmet(s): The one that came with the armor and an AP bought a couple years back (see if you can spot the difference!) Blaster: PVC,scratchbuilt. Resin handle, butt cap, scope, rear sight, and muzzle. Everything else, incl. hengstler, was scratchbuilt and weathered. Height: 5' 11" weight: 211 Boots: CABoots Canvas belt: made it myself Handplates: Karin's high gloss, flexible, white handplates attached to black, rubber chemical gloves Electronics: In helmet, 3 total fans (1 intake on mouth, two exhaust in rear traps) Aker amp system Neckseal: Glossy black, ribbed (hot as all getout!!!) Holster: Made myself from black cowhide. Double layer back for clean look. Stitched at a local shoe/luggage repair shop. DLT-19: Resin handle/trigger, top cover, and muzzle. The rest was scratchbuilt from PVC, wood, metal then painted and weathered.

Sweeeeeeet! Thanks