tkrestonva

Hello, and welcome!

Yeah, this sucks. I worked with Terrell for many years as an FISD staff member and got to meet him in person a couple of times at SW Celebrations. Sorry for the loss, and especially for his kid who is now without a father.

Congratulations!

Welcome from Garrison Tyranus and Inferno Squad (i.e. Northern Virginia) territory! Here in NOVA we troop often and have a wide variety of trooping activities, and we encourage new members to gain experience as handlers before diving into their costume builds. We also host armor parties on a regular basis. We have 3 active FOTKs (out of 6 total in the garrison) here in NOVA, along with a ton of OT stormtroopers. Please be sure to sign up for an account on our forums. http://www.garrisontyranus.com For more real time interaction, join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1014990031897377/

Nice! Yeah, not a lot of space to work with. I've love to see the result of this. Better yet, I'd like to know how they did in in TLJ since you can clearly see the indicator light on in Phasma's SE44-C along with the one that Rose used during the hangar scene onboard the Supremacy.

Sorry to hear this. As recently as this past summer I ordered (and received) a fully assembled SE-44C FO Officer's blaster from him, and for what I think is a good price. But I had heard that he was becoming unreliable, so I guess I'm not terribly surprised. Seems that in this hobby, vendors who remain consistent over the long term in terms of both their solvency and trustworthy are the exception as opposed to the rule.

I believe Walt's Trooper Factory (WTF) sells black TK armor.

Wow, that is nice! Jimmi's kits have come a long way since the v1 back in the months prior to TFA. I would leave it exactly as is. That full underchest is screen accurate, and to my knowledge the Jimmi kit is the only kit that has it. What you are looking at in the CRL photo is an Anovos or a KB yoke, which is cut that way because unlike the screen-used suits (which were made of a proprietary material) the ABS used in most kits doesn't flex enough to allow the user to get it on and off. With Jimmi's flexible fiberglass, it's a whole new ball game.

That seems odd. Can you post some photos?

"Up to 6' " is more or less for an ideal fit, but we have an Anovos trooper in my garrison who is 6'8". It can be made to fit, although you may have to make some adjustments and/or accept that you will have more black undersuit showing at the knees, hips, elbows, and shoulders than someone smaller would. Having said that, Alan is correct. Be wary of Anovos and their business practices. Also, there are other options out there for big/tall troopers. AM and RT Mod immediately come to mind. TM also makes extra long shins upon request if you simply need more length in the lower legs.

You can also get a one piece undersuit from Extreme Racing. Coincidentally (or not), this looks like the exact same one piece that Trooperbay sells - even the description is similar. ------------- Definitely two schools of thought (one piece vs two piece) when it comes to undersuits. I personally prefer one piece since the two piece can ride apart and separate in the back, resulting in the dreaded "trooper's crack". As far as using the facilities goes, I manage that by going before I suit up and regulating my water intake based on climate conditions and how long I expect to be in kit.

Well yes, but you have to get the armor first. Seems like with the way more and more FOTK armor vendors are becoming unreliable (Anovos, MIMIC, now KB Props), that seems more and more like the main challenge. We are now down to ... what, 850 Armor Works and Jimmi? Better hold on to those Anovos alpha kits for a while yet.

Hardest part will be to get the armor kit itself. There is a small list of preferred vendors for that, but that list is subject to change as propmakers come and go. As far as the chrome goes, there are a few ways you can do it. None of which will be both cheap and easy. If you choose to minimize costs, prepare for hours upon hours of sanding, buffing, painting (and repainting), and polishing. If you prefer to outsource that (and use your time for other endeavors), I've seen a couple of people do that use professional auto body-style paint businesses, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg. Bottom line - as incredible as a well-done Phasma is, it isn't for the faint of heart. I've seen a completed Phasma (with all the required accessories) come up for sale on the Legion board from time to time - typical asking price is in the neighborhood of $7k. That should give you an idea of the level of commitment you are signing up for. If you are on Facebook, I recommend you search for and join the Captain Phasma Costumers build group.