BAZINGA

I can't wrap my head around how you guys manage to carry around a dozen things in various spots. I still have to get the icomm and speaker set up in the chest and then think I'm full. Is this little box a 3D print? Bart

Thank you. Okay, I will leave things as is for now and see how it goes. I have been making padding adjustments every time I wear it and it has improved somewhat in appearance. Bart

Thank you and thanks again for all the encouragement and patience because you were the first to really get peppered with the questions! Got to start small. I'll be pretty awkward at first just moving around in it! Might need to do more table duty first and build up stamina. Bart

I know I said I only cared about getting to basic intact, but that was two days ago. Now I'm thinking EIB. Bart

Congrats!

I can relate on a number of levels here. Bart

It's time. Requesting 501st access. Thank you! TK23108 https://www.501st.com/members/displaymember.php?userID=36154&costumeID=124

Well been waiting to tell you all since this morning. I got word that my basic armor is good for the 501st so I guess it is all official now. Many thanks to those that guided me through the necessary fitting adjustments along the way and helping me not lose my head in the details. I'll call you all out as things move forward. I'll be TK23108 which was just the day I submitted my photos to my GML. It seemed to roll off the tongue nice too. I'm not sure if I can change my user name here, but on the 501st I'm going to go as "Bazinga" because it has so many connections to me and those that really know me. A local TK to me suggested it. Now I know there are some things about my armor that is not ideal and I'd like to start working on those fixes now that the pressure is off. Here we go. My forearms look horrid from the back and part of that is the way I was standing here. The fact of the matter is I do have skinny arms, but the forearms actually do fit quite well. There is just a bit of extra space so it's not like they are large on me. When my arm is bent it is much better and standing like this isn't going to be a thing most of the time. If I can improve it though I will. I already adjusted the padding placement to better centre the circumference and I can stop standing like a sloth. I find the top of the forearm does pinch a bit into my elbow so considering, once again, lowering the biceps just a bit and shorten the strap between the bicep and forearm just a bit more. Perhaps also ditch the 2" elastic and just go with 1" directly under the cover strip? Thoughts? Second is the on again/off again gap between the back and the kidney plate. I've already done two strap adjustments to shrink it up. It's not bad and it, again, moves a bit when I move. Do I do a third round of tightening or add a third strap in the middle or nothing or ? Third. The little gaps at the bottom of the thighs under the cover strip. Am I understanding correctly that they should be filled and sanded smooth for higher levels or is that just for noticeably large gaps? Four. I know the thighs are too high on the back to the butt plate and I'm 99% sure I can just fix this with the strapping position. I wanted to err on the side of tight over too big of a gap for the photos. Five. Shoulders haven't had any fixes to rotate them anywhere yet. This gap is my latest OCD. I've repositioned the snap twice and added the tongue and groove system to prevent overlap. That worked really good. This may always open up a bit when I move, but should I try to tighten the strap even more or is there another fix that might beat it? Finally, not sure what you can do to fix this one, but here I am. Bart

Congrats! Bart

When in OCD lock it is best to ask another OCD person I have found. They can usually clear that blockage if you are willing to listen to them! Bart

Well if the response now comes in as memes then it must be good! Might get there yet since the legs are fitting quite well without much in the way of adjusting. Bart

This is the nylon stitch in that @revlimiter did which was easier than the velcro stitching. I'd say there is an improvement for sure on the shoulder gap to strap. The only other thing I could do to try and bring it even closer is to shorten the strap by a 1/4 or 3/8 of an inch so the question is am I splitting straws here now or is this quite decent? You alll know I'm obsessed about the arms. I can soon write a book on arm adjustments. There must be an intervention soon or I'm doomed. Bart

Any other ideas to close this up? It doesn't always open up. I already tightened the elastic and added the tongue and groove. Both helped a lot, but still not perfect. Bart

You did the strap reinforcement. I wonder if I would have problems with the single snap system I have and an added force transferred to the plastic strap when attaching to it. Bart

Oh no worries. I was only joking. It would stop the stretch but introduce lots of other problems as you indicated. Bart

I was thinking 1/8" flat aluminum bent over the shoulder would solve a lot of problems.... I'm going to stitch something onto the elastic. Just debating what. It's high on the priority list of tweaks. Bart

Ok, it looks like it is from snap to snap but how does the elastic behave like elastic if it has a piece of strapping on it? Doesn't that prevent any stretch? I assume there is some stretch there when the whole torso is hanging from it. Bart

I wonder if I could just use the industrial velcro and glue it to the elastic instead of trying to sew it? Any sewing I do would need to be by hand and, well, not sure how well that would look! Bart

I can maybe find someone to sew this for me. I will wait until I get the new elastics with the offset snap to see how that affects the fit first. If I can devise a way to test this idea without sewing or gluing first that would be helpful to know if it is tracking correctly before doing anything. I still swear every night something changes like my arm shrinks or grows and nothing seems right. I'd blame it on puberty but a few years too late for that. Bart

I love the Star Trek reference because I was a ST child during the original airing in the 60's! I'll try for higher levels for sure. Initially I was happy with basic, but hanging out here so much changes that. Next I'll start making memes every. other. minute... Bart

I put all of mine on for the first time today for some photos and inspections. It was a very surreal feeling. You're looking out at a green world from inside a bucket. You're being told by others you look like a stormtrooper but you don't see that yourself, you see a green world through the lens. Then you look at a photo after and can't believe it is you under there. Very strange experience but one I'm anxious to do again with, hopefully, less nerves. You're going to like it! Bart

Except for my gut I'm basically a stick. The shoulders do not feel big on me though. I did find that I was trying to wear my shoulders up by my ears in that photo which is common for me when I feel stressed and I was pretty stressed trying to get some photos with another TK in the room checking me over and just in general being a high strung guy. While level 3 would require quite a bit more work on this, level 2 may be not out of the question to try for. Mainly though just want to have the best fit for me possible and look the best. The arms seem to be a sore point with me getting them just right so any ideas that are non-evasive and doable with no special equipment I'm listening to and looking at. Bart

Back to arm tweaking. My most favorite thing to do the last month! Sometimes the tops of the shoulders are nice and tight to the shoulder straps and sometimes they are dropped. My idea of a fix is to move the snap in the shoulder down about a half inch to shorten things a bit. Good idea or not? Second idea is to do the same as idea number one but then put a bit of glue on the elastic itself right at the top of the bell which then sort of acts as a double retention system (both a snap and some glue). Rotating then forward is still on the list of things to do. Also on the to do list (which seems to be getting shorter finally) is: - install the Trooperbay lenses - do a bit of sanding on a couple points that may be too poky in the fleshy parts - install the fans - rig up the icomm and amp system securely - switch up to harness for the thighs over a belt Moving along. Painted the hovi tips white. Criminal. I like me a fresh from the factory trooper but need to conform to the ranks so bit the bullet. Bart

Maybe it is the heat for you! I'd take the heat! Bart

Is this what goes on in those never ending January and February months here? I mean I can believe that if you live in the great white north where I do, but for most of you?? Bart