Addertime

"Hey y'all! Watch this!"

I had a great time at the Celebration with the exception of having come down with a major head cold on Thursday and spending the whole event eating cold medicine like M&Ms. My wife and I traveled from Germany to Florida for the event. We stayed at the Orlando Hilton, which was a bit of a hike to the con floor but the sky bridge made it easy to get in and out of the convention. The security people were lax and didn't really know what they were doing though they made a show at attempting to do so. They tried to rout us out of the sky bridge to the main entrance on photo day. Luckily, a guard came through from the convention center side and let us in with our armor boxes. ReedPop, for having done countless ComicCons, etc. doesn't seem to have it together. Every ReedPoP event I've ever been to has felt chaotic and ill-conceived. Information is always scant up until the last moment and it's a wonder that anyone knows anything at all about the events happening at the cons and the wait times are often excessive. The line to the Celebration store was ridiculous. Fortunately, we grabbed "lightspeed passes" first thing Friday morning and bypassed the three hour line later in the day but once inside, it still took an hour wait for the t-shirt screenprinting and then another hour wait in the cashier line. They did the same thing for Celebration Europe last year. They created this artificial exclusivity on the show merchandise and didn't stock enough when really, they just want to make money. Why not have multiple show merchandise locations and kiosks scattered throughout the con? This exclusivity concept carried on to the panels as well. The SWC website and their people on site said that only the two main stages would require wristbands but we found, after waiting in queues to get in, that some of the smaller, afternoon panels required them also. That was frustrating. Still, all that stuff aside, it was the people that made the Celebration fun. Everyone was so friendly and there was a very collegial feeling on the show floor, in the hotels, restaurants, elevators, starbucks, etc. Everyone felt like family. That was what really made the Celebration awesome and made me sad when it was over. I wish I had met more of my 501st brethren but my cold had me on the ropes the whole time and I felt a lot less social than usual. The swag trade was awesome. I wasn't sure what to expect but, really, it was a major highlight. It was fun to see all the stuff and chat with so many people. Next time, I'll bring a lot more patches to trade. The photo day was chaotic but fun. There was a lot of comradery and it was amazing to see such a vast turn out. The Hot Wheels sponsored Death Star Trench Run diorama build was far more fun that I would have thought. We built our tiles on Friday and it was cool to watch the Death Star surface fill in over the course of the weekend. Plus, we won some great prizes! ​I felt the Bash was a bit of a bust. It was ok and Weird Al was great but overall, the event failed to meet my expectations. Considering the hundred dollar ticket price (x4000 guests), I expected a lot more than a scant few scenic vignettes in a vast, dark hall. Long lines for drinks kept me from imbibing at all and I felt the balloon animals out front were a waste of money. On the up side, the twi'lek girls doing their routines while hanging from the ceiling were pretty cool. ​My wife and I also did the Galactic Nights thing at Disney, which was a fun experience and then we hit The Magic Kingdom for a day after the con ended. Overall, it was worth all the money and time spent and I'd do it again tomorrow.

My kit varies depending on the duration of the outing. For short jaunts, I take: a small wind of gaffer's tape, a soft cloth and a tube filled with no2 polish, a needle, white and black thread, a couple of sew-on snaps and various sizes of elastic straps along with my Leatherman. All of it fits in a zip-lock bag. For multi-day troops, E6000, some small spring clamps, Velcro, and varied fasteners like extra Chicago screws , etc. get added to the mix.

Lookin' good, Paul. Your shins fit tightly at the ankle like mine. We look like twins.

Yeah, my face is half obscured in this photo.

Counting the days!

I looked and looked but never caught up with you! I'm 5th row from the top right in the center of the FISD shot.

Nah, the rubber gloves look the best and with liners, they are easily wearable all day. I succumbed to peer pressure and bought nomex gloves... and I never wear them. You've chosen an interesting solution to that old problem. When I see you at SWC, I'll ask how they're working out.

Ah, and the blaster... no matter how diligent you are. the blaster will scuff up the front of your ab plate and the lower part of your chest plate. It's best to hold it in your left hand like they did in the movie. This reduces the damage. If you hold the weapon in your right hand, the magazine is always bumping up against you.

Congratulations Christine!

Welcome aboard!

This. Overall, you're lookin' really good Shanester. With a few alterations we'll see you with an EIB badge very soon. Nice work trooper!

Congratulations Christine! It was a long battle, mostly uphill, but you did it! Looking forward to seeing you in the Centurion ranks soon!

Congratulations Trooper! Welcome to the Dark Side! See you at SWC!

Christine, go with webbing. Remember last year when I built my kit? We talked about this. The belt-to-thigh union doesn't need to stretch. Elastic only means you will be redoing it soon plus your thighs will bounce when you walk. You've spent so much time and effort on your kit, I'm sure you want it to be as low maintenance as possible. Webbing is the answer.

Welcome Trooper!

Yeah, you should trim it down a bit. Although you didn't show us the back, try to keep the seam in the center. That means remove the rear coverstrip and take equal amounts from both sides. Now, depending on how you have the closure rigged, this may or may not be easy but it's the ideal.

Lookin' good trooper! Very nice work on the thermal detonator. Looks perfect.

They do look wide but it all depends on how they fit you. You want to have enough room to slip two fingers into a given end of any of the pieces, if there's more than that trim them a small amount and test fit, do it a little at a time until you get them perfect for you. YOu don't want the ankle too tight though because it will force the calf armor up where it will catch on the top of your boots. Also, as an aside, the return edge on the wrist edge of the forearms should be reduced to nothing if you want to go for the higher levels of authenticity.

Sadly, and I hate to be the one to tell you this... but... it's not almost finished. It needs a lot of work still. The fit is the most important part of the build. If it doesn't fit, the strapping is almost incidental. Foam can help on the odd spot but it doesn't compensate for a poor fit. For starters, your vambraces (forearms) and biceps need to be fitted (read: have material removed) to fit correctly. Most of the cover strips I see need to be removed and reapplied, the left calf is too loose and built with a twist, the sniper knee is mis-applied... the list goes on... So, how do we fix these issues? First (assuming you used E6000)... Relax... all are fixable.... unless you used CA... then... well... persevere but your life will be a lot more complicated. Second, look at the many wonderful build threads here and take notes on fitting the pieces to your body, trimming and general attachment procedures. Third, decide what stays and what goes and then tear it apart and start resculpting the armor. You'll see a marked improvement once it's assembled correctly and you'll be happier in the long run though it may seem daunting now.

Man! I was thinking that too! Awesome. I want one! I agree completely. Christine, Show us side by side photos of both helmets worn with the armor.

My TrooperMaster bells are curved like the screen used ones in your top image. Paul has a great eye for details.

Yeah. She's done an awesome job. I thought the snaps were a curious detail. Having spent quite a few hours in my kit, I feel they are wholly unnecessary. Glue them and be done with it. When I was building, I was nervous about stretch, adjustments, etc. and it make take a few tries but once it's right, they never, ever need to come apart. Just my two cents.

Snaps?? Hmm...

The thighs should not overlap the buttplate or codpiece/ab while standing nor should the distance be too great. Look at Centurion or EIB applications to get a feel for what others do. It's not about how it feels... it's about how it LOOKS! Yes, your movement will be limited. Descending stairs will be a challenge. Your greaves (shins) will twist and catch on the top of your boots and you won't be able to bend down and fix them. Your thighs will clank against your ab/cod and or buttplate... it's all normal. At my last troop, I was almost finished suiting up and I dropped a glove. I looked down at it. Two other TKs were near me. They looked down at it and then we all looked at each other. I said, "THAT'S gonna be tough to get." They both nodded knowingly and one told me a little tale about a video taken at one of their events of five TKs trying to pick something up off the ground unsuccessfully. SO... basically, if your story sounds like this... you did it right. You learn little tricks though. When I ascend stairs, I go up on my toes with each step which brings my other foot right to the level of the stair. Normal walking on flat ground is pretty easy with practice but it's still a little unnatural and you'll sound like a pile or tumbling plastic.