isud12 Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Hello everyone! was recommended to join this site by a member of the Jolly Roger Squadron because I've been interested in joining the 501st since 2007. I've been reading a bunch of the topics on here concerning the Stormtrooper costume I'm interested in (ESB), how to get started, contacting my nearest garrison (Central California), etc. I'm posting this mainly as an introduction and as a way to get responses about my situation.Now I'm not a handyman by any means and money is pretty low for me at the moment. I have about $450 saved up for the basic armour, but according to HelloGreedo I'll need about $500 just for the armour and $1200 total for an E-11 blaster, holster, necessary modifications, and other miscellaneous things. I wanted to know how I'm supposed to put my name out there as a potential member, how to get started on making armour, and how to get help with creating said armour. I also want to know about how long it's going to take for me to get started with the limited funds I have so far. Thank you for your time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lichtbringer Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 The bad thing: Yes, it´s not cheap. The good thing: You don´t have to spend all the money from the start. You can split the expense and buy one part after the other. Maybe start with buying and building the helmet first, then later the armor. Followed by shoes and/or undersuit ..... - the blaster is not really needed, as there are countries that don´t allow them in public. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tolo[TK] Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Hello and welcome aboard Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK 2759[501st] Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Welcome to the FISD! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMumbles[TK] Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Get your armor kit. Then start cutting and trimming. You can buy everything as you need it. That's what I did. You can buy some e6000 and build the parts that are glued. Then buy strapping and Velcro. Then buy snaps.... Like that. Little by little. The good news is you'll have plenty of time to do research in between purchases. I'm not a handyman either, but once you get going you get into a certain pace and you become an expert on building armor. Read until you know which kit you want and get it. Then read about building the forearms. Then build them. Before you know it, you'll be done. Feel free to hit me up with any questions that come up along the way. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkTrooper[TK] Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 $$$ and time are the main factors in completing a Stormtrooper kit. Realistically yes you're probably looking at spending $800 to $1000 to complete your first set of armor. Understand that it take $$$ to look good & this isn't a cheap hobby. Your best option for assistance is contacting your local garrison. I'm within your area and I know about 8 others that are in Modesto that can help you too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starsaber25[Admin] Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Hey Geddy and welcome to FISD. Take a look at this link for some casual reading. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/28304-how-much-can-i-realistically-expect-to-pay-to-finish-my-stormtrooper-costume/ ESB is a good choice because there aren't too many of them. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMumbles[TK] Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 ESB is the best! Ha ha ha... Until I'm finished with my HWT. Then I'll say they're the best. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68Brick[TK] Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Get your armor kit. Then start cutting and trimming. You can buy everything as you need it. That's what I did. You can buy some e6000 and build the parts that are glued. Then buy strapping and Velcro. Then buy snaps.... Like that. Little by little. The good news is you'll have plenty of time to do research in between purchases. I'm not a handyman either, but once you get going you get into a certain pace and you become an expert on building armor. Read until you know which kit you want and get it. Then read about building the forearms. Then build them. Before you know it, you'll be done. Feel free to hit me up with any questions that come up along the way. Derek's got it right. There's no time limit. Spend when you can, build when you can, do your research, and get some help from your local Garrison. It took me a year to build my ANH TK and I'm glad I didn't rush it, for quality and my VISA's sake. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justjoseph63[Staff] Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 (edited) ESB is the best! Ha ha ha... Until I'm finished with my HWT. Then I'll say they're the best. I wouldn't say HWTs are the best, but darn close. (I may be just a bit impartial, though).. Edited January 15, 2016 by justjoseph63 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troopacoola[TK] Posted January 15, 2016 Report Share Posted January 15, 2016 Hey Geddy, I too am on a budget. I first bought a helmet and then wanted armour. I got a small bonus from work, and decided to buy a kit. I knew relatively nothing at that time, and still very little now! as a result I ended up with an fx kit. I assembled it to the best of my ability, which was ok, but when you see some of the build on here, it was nowhere as good. I bought snaps, velcro and strapping as and when I could......Five years on and I have s decided to strip it down and start over. Its not screen accurate, but its mine.<br> I plan on replacing all parts over time. My advice is to take your time, reseach, and dont do what I did by buying the first thing you see and rushing the build. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isud12 Posted January 21, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2016 Thank you all for your advice and assistance! I will take my time to make sure it's as accurate as possible, but I'll definitely get started on working on it in the near future! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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