MakeNoiseMan

Awesome start! Welcome to the FISD! Post lots of photos and ask plenty of questions. I'm sure your squadmates IRL will be instrumental, also. Take your time and have fun with the build! As a side note, being a lefty is going to be an advantage for you as an ANH TK. I'm right-handed, and during my first troop, a fellow TK (teasingly) took hold of my E-11, turned it around, and put it back in my hands in a left-handed position saying "There you go, now you're screen accurate!" Still getting used to it! It's not actually a mandatory detail, but you'll already have it going for you.

Also, HOLY COW your dog is adorable!! Welcome to FISD Kobie.

Awesome work so far!! The before and after shot of your biceps gave me some serious, vicarious satisfaction. So smooooth. Forearms look awesome too. Great work on the wrists! As for strapping, I second the double-snap method. I like being able to disassemble my armour for storage and the reliability of two snaps per connection is excellent. Some of my straps are nylon webbing and others are elastic, depending on how much flex is required. My bicep-forearm connections are elastics. Something to consider—pulling on elastic straps can weaken and ultimately ruin the snap settings, so if you go this route it would be best to reinforce the strap somehow. There are plenty of ways to do this: fold over the elastic so that it's twice as thick, use a soldering iron to cauterize the hole, or you can sandwich a piece of ABS in there, if your snaps are long enough, like this: I like this method because then the stress isn't at all put on the elastic when detaching the strap. A heads-up, though—I broke about a dozen snaps trying to get them set in there properly. Best of luck and have a great time with your build! Looking forward to seeing it come together.

Hi and welcome aboard! Looks like you've been doing plenty of research and asking lots of questions, which is undoubtedly the recipe for success. The awesome folks here at FISD will transform the huge, daunting project into an attainable and enjoyable ride. Keep in touch and post lots of photos! My order of building went from head down to toe—bucket, arms, torso, thighs and lastly shins. I also installed strapping as I went, just for some variety from all the ABS trimming. It will work in any order, though! And yes, you can do away with all of the return edge on the wrist-end of the forearms. For L3 this is required, but I also found that it made them way easier to slide over my hands. Turns out a few millimetres makes a huge difference. Return edges everywhere else are up to you—the simulated "thicker armour" look is definitely cool, but it can compromise comfort and mobility. I ended up doing away with most of mine. It's easier to remove them than to add them back on, though, so you may want to test-fit and evaluate as you go. Good luck and have fun! We'll be here.

:-D Thanks a bunch!

Hi everybody! Mandatory Information Armor = Authentic Props Helmet = Authentic Props Blaster = Quest Design Canada Optional Height = 5'10" Weight = 195lbs Boots = Imperial Boots Canvas belt = Authentic Props Hand Plates = Authentic Props Electronics= Ukswrath Hovi-mics and Hearing Assist/iComm + Aker amp/Henry's Helmet Fans Neck Seal = Geeky Pink Gaskets Holster = Authentic Props And here come the photos! The full-body shots are the same ones used from my initial application. It will be a little while before I'm able to get someone to take new submission photos of me, so I thought I'd take what photos I could on my own and see if they are sufficient. If new full body shots are required, I'll be happy to produce them! It will just be a while longer. Armour photos Full body front This photo is slightly out of date—the belt has been raised. An up to date photo of the belt is pictured below. Updated belt placement: Full body back Full left Full right Ab detail Left side detail Right side detail Internal strapping Cod-to-butt connection interior Cod-to-butt connection exterior Thigh ammo pack connection left Thigh ammo pack connection right Sniper knee front Sniper knee left Sniper knee right *That small, square-ish protrusion behind the sniper knee is just a bit of foam padding. :-) Action shot Helmet photos Helmet front Helmet back Helmet left Helmet right Helmet Hovi-tip detail Helmet lens colour Accessory photos Ammo belt Neck seal front Neck seal back Blaster left Blaster right Blaster top-down Blaster D-ring Thermal detonator back Thermal detonator screw Holster attachment exterior Holster attachment interior If you need any additional photos, let me know and I'll be happy to produce them! Thanks for your time and consideration. :-)

Troop #2: February 18th, 2019—Family Day Public Breakfast, Carling Heights Community Centre, London, Ontario My first troop after having been assigned my TKID (literally that same morning—talk about timing)! Small, but super fun. Fairly decent turnout of families and small children, especially given the snowy weather that morning. Got to make some kids smile. And smell pancakes all morning. Good times!

Thanks so much, everyone!! The whole process has been such a blast. And this is really only the beginning! Looking forward to meeting lots of you at troops/cons, and everyone else I'll be seeing you around the forums. Time to take a crack at EIB!

Requesting 501st access please! TK 61596 of the Canadian Garrison. https://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=29905 Thanks and have a great day!

Just got my approval email!! TK 61596 reporting for duty! Thanks for all your input, everyone. I couldn't have done it without you!

Awesome to hear! Regarding the difference in length, line up the two pieces at the wrists. Then you can trim appropriately at the elbow end Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here's what I used for the AP rubber gloves and flexible handguards that Mark sent: https://www.amazon.ca/Loctite-Plastics-Bonding-Activator-681925/dp/B000Y3LHXW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550245899&sr=8-1&keywords=loctite+plastics+bonding+system Amazon was the only place I could find it in Canada. It was recommended by many and seems to be doing its job well. :-D

I second Jordan's advice! Building wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be. It's more cost effective too, if budget is a factor. There are countless helpful, experienced troopers on here that will ensure you stay on the right track and that your armour comes out awesome. Just a thought! :-)

Hi everyone! I very recently completed my first TK build and got my first opportunity to troop! @gmrhodes13 suggested I start a thread in this forum to document all the Star Wars-y goodness to come. Troop #1: February 8th, 2019—London Children's Hospital Radiothon, London, Ontario I'm still awaiting approval and a TKID from my local GML, but the cosplay group I have been with for some time was also invited to this event. Several of its members also cross over with our local garrison, and they invited me to stand with them even though I'm not yet approved. Awesome folks!! The event was a blast and reportedly, by the end of the day, raised over $174k for the Children's Health Foundation. My personal highlight: it was my first time standing next to a 501st Vader. The costume, the breath, the voicebox—AH. Chilling.

Hi Robert! Great work so far! Is there enough extra ABS to make inner cover-strips for your forearms? In addition to the added strength, it would allow you to open the forearms up a little more by glueing them together with the butts not quite joined. Your finishing strips will cover up the small "trench" and make it look nice and clean from the outside. Hope that made sense—I wish I had a picture. Looking forward to following your build! I just recently finished my first TK, also from AP, and loved the whole process. I'm also from Canada and share your body type. You will look AWESOME in your armour.

Congrats Chris!! Looking forward to suiting up with you soon! The only thing my inexperienced eye can spot is that you may want to trim a little off your shoulder bridges. I'm pretty sure removing the last, extra-thick tab is screen-canon. Great work! :-D

Awesome! I will definitely check that out. Thanks! :-D Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hello everybody! Thanks for all of your input on my Pre-Approval thread! It has been an exciting time indeed as things wrap up and I transition towards membership. :-D Yesterday I had my first opportunity to troop as a TK. It was a BLAST. The event was called Radiothon, and it was held at the Children's Hospital in London, Ontario (and I'm told it raised $172,352 CAD for the Children's' Health Foundation! It was wild). Several costuming groups were invited, and throughout the day characters ranged from Disney princesses/princes to Star Wars to Superheroes. Members of the Canadian Garrison attended, and though I'm not yet approved, I got to stand with them for the afternoon (except for a few 501st promo shots, which is totally understandable). The officer and the pilot in the image above have been friends of mine for some time and they have been helping me greatly on my pathway into the 501st. :-D This shot is a combination of 501st, Rebel Legion, Heroically Ever After (our local hobby group) and of course, R2. I have done plenty of costume outings before, but none quite like this one. It was the first time I have been in a movie-accurate costume, for one. Also, standing as a TK next to a 501st Vader, with his breath and voicebox booming, was chilling. And no costume malfunctions! That was a relief, given it was the longest stretch of time I have worn the suit so far. Here are my takeaway notes from the first troop: - Helmet fans are AWESOME. I highly recommend them. I'm using Henry's Helmet Fans. I have now experienced trooping with and without them, because ... - My fan battery lasts just over 2 hours. The troop yesterday was 3 hours. As soon as they flicked off, my lenses almost instantly fogged up and I could feel the heat rising inside my bucket. I'm using a Duracell 2600 Mah portable phone charger, and I have a couple of extras, but I think I'll look into a bigger power supply rather than count on swapping them out mid-troop. - Although I can walk fine, my left leg made a clicking sound when I stepped unless I was careful. I'm reconsidering trimming cutouts behind my knees to prevent this and increase mobility. I don't know when my next troop will be, but I expect it won't be until after Legion elections are done and (hopefully) I have been assigned a TKID. Joseph sent me some stickers for my bin (Thanks again!!), and I'm waiting to put them on until I'm an official member. I'll post back here as I continue tinkering. Talk to you soon, troopers! :-D

Thanks so much, everyone!! I don't mind the wait. Gives me time to make fixes! This morning I relocated my ab snaps to raise the belt a smidge. (the picture is in a mirror so it appears reversed, haha.) Thanks for your feedback and encouragement! :-D

Thanks so much, guys!! I hope you've all had a great weekend. I just posted my Pre-Approval Request thread! It'll be a short little wait until I can get my TKID, but then after that I'll be starting towards L2 and L3! I'll be sure to report back here after my first troop next week, too. :-D

Hi everybody! First/last name: Brendan May Future Garrison/Squad: Canadian Garrison, Vindicator Squad Armour maker: Authentic Props Helmet maker: Authentic Props Cloth belt maker: Authentic Props Neck seal maker: Geeky Pink Gaskets Boot maker: Imperial Boots Blaster maker: Quest Design Canada Electronics: Ukswrath's Hearing Assist and Hovi-Tip Mics, Aker amp w/iComm, Henry's Helmet Fans Height: 5'10" Weight: 195lbs TK type: ANH Stunt Troopers who significantly helped with my build: Bud Spaklur, gmrhodes13, justjoseph63, wook1138, CableGuy, ABS80, Frank75139, TheSwede, Scimitar, and Dan (TK2759), my IRL TK consultant! Thanks also to everyone who chimed in for support and encouragement along the way. :-D Front view: Back view: Left side: Right side: Ab plate close-up: Helmet close-up: Helmet interior: Interior strapping: Thermal detonator: Latex handguards: Action shot: Bucket-less shot: Thanks for your time, everyone!!

Hey guys! This morning I got to do my first complete test fit! Woohooo! My sniper knee has been curing for a couple of days, so I think it's safe to remove the clamps. Here is my first fit of the legs all together: I didn't have any problems with my sniper knee getting caught behind my left thigh, but my left knee was getting pinched between the two pieces as I walked around. I glued some leftover foam from my transport bin inside the left shin and it seems to have resolved the issue. :-) On the subject of cutting out some of the back trim for better mobility: I am able to walk around just fine with them left as they are. I can also walk up and down my stairs, but I have to go slower and rely pretty heavily on the hand rail. Is this normal/sufficient mobility for a TK? I like the aesthetic of the leg pieces being un-cut, but of course I don't want to run into any issues mid-troop! And my full-suit up! I have a little bit of work left to do inside the armour. Unfortunately, the "slot" in my tab-and-slot came off. The tab alone seems to do the job just fine, but I plan to glue that back in anyway as insurance. Also, I think I'll use some more of that leftover foam to cushion up the interior. I can't see anything wrong with extra comfort! :-) These final edits shouldn't take too long. If you guys see anything in these photos that needs addressing, please let me know! Otherwise, I'll be on track to take submission photos this weekend and I'll see you all over in the Requesting Pre-Approval section!!! Thanks again so, SO much for the help you all have given over the last several weeks. You've all helped a dream come true for me and I couldn't have done it without you! Rock on troopers!!

Updates for today! Firstly, I painted the PlasticWeld on my thighs. Nice and white now! With that done, I started on the thigh ammo pack. There are no guide spots on the AP thigh ammo pack for drill holes, so I used photos from Ukswrath's ANOVOS build to approximate where they should go. My holes ended up being 10mm from the top and 15mm from the back edge. Then I lined up the ammo pack with the right thigh and marked and drilled the holes. Installed it with the supplied AP split rivets: I added some e6000 to the front of the thigh where it makes contact with the ammo pack to keep it in place (even though it held still pretty well on its own). And lastly, I painted the rivets white. At this time, I also painted the ab and kidney rivets. I also got the soft velcro glued into the shins where they will fasten to the boots. And ... that might be it! Tomorrow, once everything is finished drying, I'll do a test fit to make sure I'm not forgetting anything. It'll be the first time I wear the thighs and shins together, so I'll find out how well I can walk and if I need to cut any out of the backs for mobility. Other than that, I think it's on to submission photos! Woohoo!

Thanks thanks! :-D Ooo yeah, I can see how gluing it on in stages would be advantageous. If for any reason I have to re-do mine, I'll keep that in mind! All the same, I will take your advice and let the knee plate sit clamped an extra day so it (hopefully) sets really strongly. Whaaaaat! Thanks for pointing that out!! That looks extremely handy and I never would have thought to try it. Excellent!

Thanks!! I am really feeling it now! :-) Thanks Dan! I contemplated angling my cover strip corners back when I did my forearms, but (as long as it's okay with L3) I think I prefer the straighter edge. :-) Thanks Joseph! :-D Yeah, my thighs look real poke-y from behind in that photo. They have been cleaned up and smoothened out! I just forgot to take an up-to-date picture. As for the ammo pack, thanks for the note! I have now done so (pictured below). Right on! Yes, they were great in my last test-fit! Hi everyone! Almost there! Firstly, the cover strips finished curing on my shins. Which meant .... it was time to tackle the dreaded sniper knee plate. I haven't necessarily been procrastinating it, since I've been building from head-to-toe, buuut it I've read enough AP build threads to know that this was gonna be a tricky step. Here it is as it comes from AP: And after trimming: I took the hot water bath route. As you can see, the right "wing" of the knee plate lines up just fine on the left shin, but the left wing doesn't sit nicely at all unless I tilt the whole thing on a diagonal. So into the water it went. I was gently bending the right wing higher while bending the left wing lower. The result: Good enough for me! I applied e6000 to my three connection points and clamped it in place. It's not pictured, but I also trimmed a little more off the ends of the wings to make them straighter and align more with the shin. Last weekend, I headed to Home Depot and picked up the highly-recommended, "standard-issue" TK transportation unit: the Husky 50 gallon mobile job box. What an awesome looking crate for Imperial luggage! Unfortunately, it runs a little more costly in Canada than in the States (just under $180 CAD after tax), but as many here have wisely pointed out, it would be crazy to put all this time and money into a costume and then be stingy when it comes to proper, safe transportation for it. In the photo above, you can also see the 1.5" foam sheets, black fabric and Jef Bond 88 spray adhesive that I picked up at our local craft warehouse. I'll be using those materials to cut out cushions and then lining the box with them. After measuring all my rectangles, I cut out little notches where appropriate so that they would sit nicely and flatly in the case. I also left openings so that the tool tray could still fit properly inside. Then I laid out my fabric and glued the foam to it with the Jef 88. Then I glued the cushion into place (this one inside the lid), also with Jef 88. Lastly, I repeated the process for the five remaining cushions. Ta-da! Sorry that it's a little hard to see in there! My flash wasn't co-operating with me. As I get closer to the end of the build, I've got a little laundry list of tasks to wrap up. Yesterday, I did the following: Trimmed some more off my thigh ammo pack (thanks again, Joseph!): Cleaned the weathering off of the T-tracks, grip and the rear of the hengstler counter on my E-11 (thank you Dan for pointing that out!): Removed the ABS reinforcement from my forearm straps, because they were too thick and digging into my arms uncomfortably (the bicep ends were just fine): And lastly, got the hook velcro glued onto my boots where they will fasten to my shins to prevent twisting: Once the knee plate is finished curing, I'll get the soft velcro glued inside the shins. Also, not pictured, I shortened up my thigh garter straps. I love having them positioned on the sides of my legs (thanks Eric!), but the 4" I measured earlier was too long. Probably since the straps are elastic and can stretch. I shortened them to almost half of what they were before and the fit is much better! I'll post pictures with my next update. Today, I'll be painting my ab/kidney rivets and the thigh junctures white. I also plan to get my thigh ammo pack installed, and those rivets will be painted white, too. After that, I think all I need to do is glue the velcro inside the shins for the boot connection and ... that might be it! I'm sure I'm forgetting some things and will think of them along the way. Regardless, I think it's realistic to predict that I could be taking my submission photos this weekend. Hype!! Thanks for all your help, everyone!