TK Keith

It looks like you had a nice variety of characters: Palpatine, Vader, Juno, plus a lot of white armor (shiny and dirty both)!

That's a lot of DZ's. Looking good though!

I just trooped the Oakland Children's Parade- 49 degrees with a considerably lower wind chill at times. I know that's not very low for many troopers, but it was my coldest troop yet. I ended up wearing two layers of pants and three layers on top, and I still felt the wind. What do troopers do in really cold weather?

You'll learn a lot from your build and you'll have lots of fun doing it. I loved assembling my armor even though it did take longer. I'm sure you'll look fine. I'm not quite as tall, but just as thin, and I like the way my armor looks on me. When I look at pics of troops I've been on, it seems like when I'm standing next to troopers who weigh a little more than I do, it's hard to tell much of a difference. I think the armor helps us blend together a bit. I'm not saying you can't tell the difference between a larger trooper and a skinny one, but the difference isn't always as great as you might expect.

Sorry that I can't help you on the size of the cover strips, but have fun on this build. It sounds like an awesome present for your son!

I find I am more comfortable leaning.... I don't want to sit because I don't want to break the end of my butt plate!

Sounds like a fun event. I love the "warning, activated" sound effect from the cannon. That's awesome! Thanks for sharing the pics and the details.

Thanks for all of the work you put into taking these detailed pictures, trooper! I am sure this thread will be very helpful to people considering making this purchase.

I was thinking the exact thing! This armor type is not my area of expertise, but it sure does look cool. Good luck on EIB.

In 2015, we should be able to see what the next generation of TKs looks like! Hopefully they won't change this drastically.

Those are some great looking sets of armor. I especially like your Shocktrooper. Wow- it looks incredible!

Trooperbay.com carries some of the smaller rare earth magnets. I didn't use magnets on my build though, so I don't know what size other troopers have used. http://trooperbay.com/?s=magnets&x=0&y=0 Good luck with your build!

I hadn't seen this video before, so thanks for sharing! The music sounds great and the performance was in an awesome location! A few rows of TK's standing in formation would've been cool too!

Great point. There's a lot to get beyond just the armor. After you've committed to your build, make a checklist and start gathering both the costume elements you'll need, plus the materials you choose to use for your build (elastic, snaps, rivets, E6000, industrial strength velcro, etc.) Good luck, ask questions, and have fun!

Congrats Brian! ... and it looks like you got approved in time to get your challenge coin. Nice!

I know these troops happened a while ago, but good for you for getting out there. Those look like some happy kids!

Sounds like the problem may have been figured out.... Best of luck with your application!

I used snaps on mine. I like snaps because it seems more secure than velcro. Snaps also ensure that the armor gets placed in the same spot each time. With velcro, some pieces may end up getting strapped on higher or lower than the last time you wore the armor. When it comes down to it, I think it's really just a matter of personal preference. You can usually make changes if you aren't happy with something the first time. Best of luck!

I like the idea of dividing comments/feedback into clear sections. Someone else asked this, and I dont think I saw an answer- do you want all of us to try to provide feedback in this way? Or should we focus on providing feedback on #1 and #2 and allow the DO to provide #3 so things don't get too confusing for the applicant?

I like this one too.

Looks like it fits well. Exciting! You'll get used to getting suited up and walking around the more you do it. Practice makes perfect! Just remember to watch out for little kids gathering out of view around your legs.

Looks good Ray!

I like my ATA helmet and am perfectly ok trooping when my armor has a small scuff or two, but I tend to prefer a cleaner look.

I use two pieces of underarmor that I've had around the house for years. My top has a high neck that I tuck my neck material into. If/when I end up buying a new set, I will probably go East Bay for the price.

Atta boy, Leonard! Troopers helping troopers!