dougefresh Posted January 11, 2009 Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 After seeing so many of the great Elite trooper threads recently, I got inspired to get my gear in order and take a shot at it. I just got accepted to the 501st a week or so ago, so please feel free to let me know anything I missed, or items that could be improved upon. Thanks in advance for your help and consideration, guys! I really appreciate it! Front: Back: (oops! my right shoulder strap got caught on the back plate!-- proves they're free-floating, though! ) Right: Left: Right Side (no gap): (if you listen carefully, you can hear me wheezing as I suck in my gut) Left Side (no gap): (nothin' sadder than a skinny dude with a pooch. Ugh-- built like Andy Dick. It's a curse, I tell ya'. ) Blaster: (thanks, Chris!) D-Ring: Hengstler: Holster, Belt and Detonator: (featuring Bernard's awesome holster, and firebladejedi's equally rockin' belt) Green Lenses: (using little LED flashlight) Hovi's: Helmet Interior: Neck Seal: Frown: Ab Buttons: Action Shot: Gratuitous Action Shot: (only cuz R2Dan made it look so fun! ) Whattaya think, fellas? or Thanks to everyone on the board for posting so many helpful pics, build threads, and tutorials! HUGE thanks to Scott, Cal and Tray in the Mighty Mountain Garrison for all the ace advice! You guys are the BOMB!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R2Dan[TK] Posted January 11, 2009 Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 looking pretty good there! I like the bass shot as well - we should get a TK Bassist patch going I don't see anything that would stop you from becoming elite What bucket is that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougefresh Posted January 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 looking pretty good there! I like the bass shot as well - we should get a TK Bassist patch going I don't see anything that would stop you from becoming elite What bucket is that? I thought ya' might dig the bass, being that it's gemacht im Deutschland. I'm not 100% postive about the armor & bucket's background, to be honest-- I bought it a little more than a year ago, when I didn't know the different armor makes very well -- but I'm inclined to believe it's a GF, or at least has some lineage to GF... the narrower, "pin-head" cap and the goofy right calf leads me to think so, anyway. To be totally truthful, I really like the armor, but I'm not the biggest fan of the bucket. I have an AP lid, which I like better, but the ABS is a lot bluer, so I can't mix n' match. All in all, I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out, but I think I'll be saving my pennies for a full AP, TE2, or TM suit. (Depending on how much Uncle Sam gives me for a tax return. ) The pointy-head cap kinda' bugs me. Don't mean to step on anybody's toes, it's just not my favorite. Plus, now that I have a little more experience, I'd like to try the butt-and-strip method instead of using the ROTJ overlaps... and every time I see a TM suit, I just flat-out, straight-up covet the thing. So cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smitty Posted January 11, 2009 Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 Great looking build!!! Its awesome to see all the elite applicants coming thru the turn styles! And another bass player to boot! Lol were gonna have to comission the TKBPA (TK Bass Player's Assoc.) See if we can get Steve Harris to be an honorary member LoL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firebladejedi[TK] Posted January 11, 2009 Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 Everything looks in order, we will just carry on with the pleasantries until Scott makes an appearance. Like the 5 string bass.. Oh i think that your armour is an AP kit, more than i do a GF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandeman[TK] Posted January 11, 2009 Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 Looking good! I have only two suggestions - the back bottom of your left thigh could be trimmed a little, and a general tightening up of the strapping may be helpful. Not that any of my suggestions would keep you from gaining ELITE status. Hope to see you on the ELITE page soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garth Posted January 11, 2009 Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 lookin good mate!, definately looks to be an AP kit + bucket, only thing i can see is maybe the ammo belt on the right thigh could be lowered but not sure if that would effect elite standards or not. Good luck trooper hope to see u with the elite tag soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott M.[TK] Posted January 11, 2009 Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 Doug, Kit looks outstanding. All items are in order, but I would suggest you could lower your belt a touch in the future, as well as maybe bring your bicep elastic up a touch to keep it hidden. Anyways, all critiques aside, looking great bro!!! Elite Status granted. Please report to the lower hanger, we need backup dealing with the rebel ship that we just brought aboard. Nice work trooper!!! Another first try acceptance. Maybe we need to revisit the standards some more??? Nah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garth Posted January 11, 2009 Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 congrats Doug well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougefresh Posted January 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 Holy Smokes!!! For real? I'm in?!? That's awesome! I was just hoping to get a decent looking kit together, and was honestly expecting to get about a zillion fixes, so this is fantastic!!! Thanks, guys!!!!!!! Now I can start vacuuming up plastic shavings, and trying to disguise the blob of CA glue that's congealing in the carpet of my extra bedroom! It looks like a bomb went off in my house-- bits of elastic, bent snaps, broken rivets, ABS strips... total carnage. DI-SAS-TER. But I'm sure my landlord will let it slide and gimme back my security deposit now that I'm a member of such a prestigious fighting force. Makin' a list: Sandeman-- Yup, you're on the money; I need to trim the back of the thigh, for sure. It usually lines up a little better (I velcro'd the backs) but re-examing the photos, I need to get those to line up nicer. I'm on it. And I also agree that my strapping could be tightened up-- I plan on lowering the biceps a touch, adding another snap to the connection between the chest and back to bring the back closer to my body, and another snap to the thigh garters as well; seems like they ride a little low. Garth: Do you think I can fix up the ammo belt on the thigh by rotating it downward on the rivet a bit, or do you think I should pry it off and drill new holes? Scott-- Again, re-looking at the photos, it does seem like my belt is butting up too closely to the ab buttons, huh? Hmm... this one might be a little more tricky since I have the male snaps hammered down in the ab plate already. Anyone know a good way to pry those things out, without scratching the bejeezus out of the plastic... or maybe just new female snaps in the canvas belt? That's probably the way to go, huh? Jeez.. I'm actually a little stunned I passed. But now that I did, I also think I'm going to take at least an inch out of the thigh diameter... I have *horrendously* stringy chicken legs, so I'm gonna take those babies in a ton. I'm swimming in those things, even with a couple strips of foam... and my drop-boxes keep getting snagged on 'em when I walk around. Nothing inspires fear in the rebellion like constantly fishing around for fallen items near your crotch. I'll fix those things up shortly, and post new pics. Ah yes, another evening of looking like an idiot-- hitting the timer on the camera, running to the corner, and then frantically trying to straighten everything out like a moron before the flash goes off. Aww yeah. "What's up, ladies?" Now, I'm off to the lower hanger to pistol-whip some desert sissy with feathered hair and a weird karate gei thing that makes him look like he just got fired from the renaissance festival. Punk. The pirate and the big, hairy monkey-bear thing might be trouble though. Who's got my back? Scott? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R2Dan[TK] Posted January 11, 2009 Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 Well mate, welcome to the elite ranks! I'll come down and guard that ship with you... (we can talk some new bass grooves... but don't tell the Deployment Officer ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R2Dan[TK] Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 And another bass player to boot! Lol were gonna have to comission the TKBPA (TK Bass Player's Assoc.) See if we can get Steve Harris to be an honorary member LoL! Something like that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jello[501st] Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Congrats! Always nice to have another Elite TK in the MHS! Rock on! :headphone: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougefresh Posted January 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Congrats! Always nice to have another Elite TK in the MHS! Rock on! :headphone: Thanks, Tony! Are you goin' to the MHS MDA troop comin' up? I'm trying really hard to make it happen with my schedule... it'd be great to meet you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runnriottt Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Awesome... I got to get a shot with my Bass... I am as well a player of all things that groove! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperTrooper Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Good looking armor trooper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThayNerd[TK] Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Congrats on making Elite Doug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougefresh Posted January 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Thanks, Thayne and Terrell! I'm just followin' in the footsteps of the guys like you who did it before me. I'm not particularly gifted when it comes to hands-on stuff like armor building, so I leaned *really* heavily on all the great resources throughout the board. I had FISD threads running on my laptop the whole time I was hackin' away, constantly checking to make sure I wasn't screwing anything up. Hot corn, there's a lot of bass players in this place! I wonder what's goin' on with our collective psychological makeup that has us so disproportionately over-represented here. Don't drummers and singers and guitarists want to dress up in spandex and pretend like they live in outer space? C'mon now-- I've seen a Queen video. I've seen David Lee Roth. I know it's not just us. I do think it would be fun to line us all up in TK regalia with our basses. It would be awesome to see a column of white plug in and do some damage to some subs. Just a big 30hz rumble, shaking the lenses out of everybody's helmets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daetrin[Admin] Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Congrats Doug! I think making it on first pass just means that you did your due diligence before applying. Congrats on making 501st as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK:TK Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Please report to the lower hanger, we need backup dealing with the rebel ship that we just brought aboard. Yes, you go first. I'll be right behind you.... Congratulations on getting Elite status! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougefresh Posted January 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Congrats Doug! I think making it on first pass just means that you did your due diligence before applying. Congrats on making 501st as well. Thanks, Paul! Cheers! Cheers to you as well, Kevin! I went for Elite mostly because I wanted a kit that didn't feel like it was going to fall off at any given moment. Yeah, I wanted to look more like the guys in the movies I loved so much when I was a kid, but my deciding factor on going Elite was getting a decent strapping system. A year and a half ago, I went as a TK to a Make-A-Wish event in a set of fleaBay FX that was literally held together with duct-tape in places. I had a blast, but I remember having to be pretty paranoid all night, constantly looking behind me to see if a body part had fallen off. As it turns out, I was droppin' plastic like little breadcrumbs all over the city . I think the event hall, the sidewalk, and a bar in downtown Denver inherited a drop box, an ear rank cap, and a hand-plate. Afterwards, the crew I was with made the genius decision to hit the bars in full SW finery, and inside of 5 minutes, I had about a dozen people clammoring to buy me shots... "let's get the stormtrooper wasted!" It was pretty hilarious... until it dawned on me that all the booze meant I was gonna' need to hit the head. Let's just say it was a race against the clock in the men's room. I could hear the theme from "Jeopardy!" playing in my skull at 6,000 decibels. I squeaked in just under the wire, but I'm not gonna lie to ya'-- it was a tense couple of minutes. So this time around, my main goal was to prevent having ABS leprosy again, and to make everything solid and comfortable to wear, so I could troop and not worry about it. If for no other reason, I would encourage everyone to go the Elite route just to get their strapping like the film suits. It's SO much easier to put on, take off, and move around in now. It's still virtually impossible to bend at the waist, but you can run around and go up stairs and stuff like that, no problem. And trust me, the anxiety you'll be spared during bathroom visits alone is more than worth it. But I gotta admit, all practicality aside -- seeing the little "ANH Elite" tag by my name is pretty bitchin'... and it's cool to hear my friends say, "Dude! You look just like the movie!" and know they're not completely full of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smitty Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Congrats Doug! Job well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jello[501st] Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Thanks, Tony!Are you goin' to the MHS MDA troop comin' up? I'm trying really hard to make it happen with my schedule... it'd be great to meet you! I certainly am. Hope you manage to make it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandeman[TK] Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Congrats Bro! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougefresh Posted January 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Thanks Smitty, thanks Clay! I'll post more pics this week, or over the weekend, after I've fixed some more stuff. It never ends, does it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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