TK-72569 from Colorado - the tale of two kits!

[bobafret[TK]]

I've been a lurker and a poster for a while but I love the intent of this section and was quite recently approved so I figure I'm a good candidate to post up here.

 

I have known about the 501st for years and always respected and admired the group, but never considered the possibility of joining.  In 2015 I was approved in the Rebel Legion with a Jedi costume and started trooping.  Here in Colorado, RL Mountain Base and 501st Mountain Garrison do many events together so I got a chance to troop alongside some really great people and got to start examining armor up close, asking questions and just slowly and quietly learning a lot.  I signed up for this forum and started researching CRL info, build threads, all the great starter info available here and basically everything I could get my hands on about building a TK.

 

This was December and Anovos was selling at $650 but I also pulled the trigger on a AP kit.  I figured I would do the Anovos for my daughter as a graduation/18th birthday present and do the AP for myself.  Once the money was down, I went into collection mode - getting every tool and part I would need for the build, ordering all the parts like holster and neckseal and boots, and bookmarking all the important items I found.  I also started a notebook so I could keep paper notes or jot measurements down as needed.

 

Cut to February when I get two BBB within weeks of each other.  I leapfrogged the builds, working on one, then switching over to the other.  I would learn something on one I could apply to the other then with that momentum go past where I was on the other kit.  It was kind of crazy.  I am just about done with the Anovos so it was two kits in about 8 weeks.  Here are my most important learnings:

 

1) RESEARCH!!! Stand on the shoulders of those who came before you.  Start with the Getting Started section to get a basic overall view of things you will need and overall processes.  Then look at build threads and videos.  Check out the EIB and Centurion submissions for the armor that you purchased.  You will see the best examples of construction of your kit, and some seriously detailed pictures showing construction and support.

 

2) Don't skimp on your tools.  Get ample supply of clamps and magnets.  I got what I thought was a ludicrous number of clamps and still had a situation where I could have used two more.

 

3) Get to know your local Garrison!  Attend meet and greets, ask if you can help handle at any events, attend armor parties just to watch and help out if you can.  The ability to have some people who you can directly ask questions of is so helpful.  Being able to look at an approved kit up close and personal is really valuable.  Also you can typically ply troopers with pizza or beer and maybe get them to help you check fitting on stuff or take your submission pics for you.

 

4) Measure multiple times, double check before you cut or drill.  Okay everyone says this.  I read it a million times in my research.  I was beaming with pride at how perfect my builds were going along.  I had a little extra time so I quickly put the ammo pack on my thigh - it was one of the last things I did and by that time I had been doing things that were so complex this was super easy.  Yeah I had to re-drill a hole to tighten it up a bit but that was hidden by the ammo pack so no biggie.  So I'm admiring what a nice job I did in the quick time on the ammo pack I had installed to the LEFT THIGH OF MY ARMOR.  I about puked.  So I learned how to make ABS paste and fill in a couple (okay a few) holes.  But it was a good reminder - before you do something you can't undo, check, check, check and then check again and then when you are sure, check one more time and then do it.

 

Wow that is way too long and nobody is going to read that wall of text but hey, those are my thoughts and I'm sticking by them.  I'm SUPER psyched to be a member of the 501st.  It is a dream come true.  Even better is that when my daughter turns 18 in August it's Daddy/Daughter TK time!

 

Troop on brothers and sisters and may the Force be with you!

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

Some sage advice, and well said, Dave!   First,  congrats on your approval!  Sounds like you are definitely going to be great asset to the Mountain Garrison and to the FISD as well.  I hope you will be a frequent poster here so that you can share your knowledge with those who are just getting started.   So when can we expect to see your EIB submission?   

[bobafret[TK]]

Thank you for the kind words Joseph!  I did build my AP with Centurion as the goal and I have an appointment with my brother for this weekend to take all pictures required for EIB and Centurion.  I look forward to submitting them hopefully next week for EIB, and then hopefully for Centurion upon the result of that. 

 

With my daughter's kit I built that to EIB as I did not want to mess with the belt at this time.  I did remove the two top screws and repaired per the ukswrath build thread but didn't want to mess with trying to take the armor off the belt.  I did some reinforcing on the inside so it will carry the weight of holster and E-11 better.

 

We also built a Tusken for her so on her 18th birthday she will be able to enter the 501st with a TK and Tusken and the Rebel Legion with her Tusken.  Pretty cool!  She is very excited about it all.  We have a lot of really great women in the MG so she has a lot of cool role models to look up to!

[Dark PWF[Staff]]

That is truly an awesome post Dave!  

 

Thank you for sharing it.  We all have that "OH NO, WHAT HAVE I DONE!?!?!?!?" moment of some degree, and we all recover from it.  

 

Can't wait to see your post about your daughter joining as well.  Truly an exceptional post you've made here!  Thank you for being one of the pioneers of this section.