Zarlon

I just got the email from my GML. I'm approved!!!

Take your time and do it right. I probably could have finished mine a lot faster but when I felt myself wanting to take a shortcut I'd try and remember that the journey is a big part of the fun.

Thanks Jason! It's hard not to nit pick when you can see every little mistake that most others probably don't even recognize. Overall, I am really proud of this build! I still can't believe I did it. I am the least "handy" person you might find. Every home improvement project I try is a mess so I was worried about this one from the beginning. ...and Tony can bust my chops all day long! He's a big reason I haven't gone insane

Finished trimming the cod piece:

The TD has been fixed as well. Those screws are black but they come out lighter on the photo due to the sun.

Thanks guys! I did a little more trimming this morning and officially submitted my photos to the GML. Wish me luck!

The right calf has been fixed:

Good catch on the right shin cover strip. I can't believe I did that. It's been fixed and the glue is drying. For the slot head screws on the TD, I actually found some at a friends house tonight so I'll be installing them tomorrow. I will also take a look at the trimming suggestions you both gave as well. Thanks for the feedback!

Well that's it! What do you guys think? Am I ready for my submission photos at least?

The bucket:

The Blaster and TD: ***Updated TD screw photo

The Body: ***Updated cod photo

The Legs and Boots: ***Updated right calf photo

The arms, shoulders, and gloves:

I got everything strapped up and put on this morning and went out for my first photo shoot. I think I'm almost ready to submit my approval photos but I want to get everyone's opinion first. I know I have a ways to go but I think I'm close to basic approval. Give your good and bad...I want to hear it all. Be prepared because there will be a lot of photos Up first are the full body shots:

The TD is complete! After cutting the 2" pipe I noticed that it was a bit thick for the end caps. To compensate for this I to the grinder to the ends of the pipe. With the end caps on, I located the TD clips and marked the holes for proper placement. Once everything was drilled it was time for a couple coats of paint and some sealant. Glued on the TD plate, screwed down the clips and... Finished!

Well the Leather strap has been fixed and now I guess you can add Leather working to the list of things learned during this build. The belt is officially complete.

That might be a last resort but something I'll keep in mind..I'd hate to make such a drastic change if I can prevent it.

At least I know it's not just me then. I might have to live with it for a while, then try to replace the back with a different maker or something. I don't know what else to do.

I'm 6'2" but I have a long torso and shorter legs. If I pull the back piece up further then it leaves a big gap between the back and the kidney. That's another struggle I've been having.

Well I'm getting close to the end game but I need some major help with fitting. I'm really worried the the ATA armor will never look decent on a bigger guy like me and in turn I won't be able to get to Centurion with it.Here are just some of the issues I'm facing: Problem #1 The chest piece is crooked (or at least it looks that way to me). I've tried adjusting the straps on the left side but that seems to make it worse. Don't mind the shoulder bells. I'm not going to strap them down until I get the shoulder strap/crooked chest problem straightened out. Problem #2 The back plate is way to narrow for my back. I have no clue how to even attempt to correct this. Problem #3 The back plate doesn't sit on my back. It bows out too much and leaves an ugly gap Problem #4 The blaster holster I bought from Trooperbay didn't come with a long enough strap. Unless I'm doing something wrong, It's about two inches short and won't wrap around the blaster handle and still fit in the back slot. I know I can go to Tandy Leather tomorrow and have the guys there help me out but it's frustrating. That's enough venting for one evening. I just really want to get this finished, I want it to look good, and I've spent a ton of money to make sure I can get Centurion approval. I guess I'm also freaking out a bit because this the first time getting a little down about the whole process. Thanks for letting me rant and please provide any suggestions you might have.

Probably when I get the DLT-19. If I'm going to get it for Centurion I might as well use it for EIB also. Right now I just want to get basic approval. I've been working on this thing way to long and I'm getting burned out. I still have to attach the holster to the belt, add the strap attaching the cod piece and butt piece, and make a few more fitting adjustments. I'll post pics on here before I submit to make sure I didn't miss anything.

Thanks Tony...I assume all the other requirements stay the same (i.e keep the E-11 holster) even though I'd be submitting my Centurion application with the DLT-19 instead of the E-11? I'm hoping to be ready for 501st approval this weekend and I've been building with Centurion in mind all along.

I'm still working but haven't had much time to post pictures. I do have a question regarding Centurion Status. I currently have a Hasbro Mod E-11 and I know that it won't work for Centurion level. My question is whether or no the Hyperfirm DLT-19 would work if I bought that instead of getting another E-11? Any insight would be appreciated.

Great job as always. I love the monthly news letters!