bzb

Walt. You do know how this happens, right? RIGHT? Congrats buddy

Latest word from my GML is that the tube does in fact need to be white, and not gray.

So many of the fellas in the Georgia Garrison want Men's Joker Squad armor now, haha!

FYI, it seems the TD needs to be 100% white.

With the news of the armor being approved with some minor modifications, we ordered the replacement back. But today, a small box showed up. Wifey was excited (and loved the tee). This kit goes together like any other TK lid... with one HUGE exception. This kit is pulled so beautifully that the cut lines are very evident. I trimmed with scissors up to the line and then used a dremel to hone the edge to the pull lines. The ears, of course, take a tiny bit of adjustment, but they're pretty accurate to the cut lines. The amazing part is how well everything lines up to the marked drill holes. I measured twice, and sure enough, the mark from the ears went right into the indented area on the helmet. My only complaint is the rubber that comes with the kit leaves marks on the armor *very* easily. Will have to remember to keep the Novus in the crate. It's a pretty bucket when it's done, though!

Speaking of wifey, she had a blast this weekend at Zoo Atlanta. Dozens of little girls, moms, (and of course) dads came up to her asking her about the armor and being a Stormtrooper. Best part was hearing one of them say, "Is that your Stormtrooper husband? He's scary, but you're not." She was a real trooper, lasting 4 hours in it with a short 5 minute break. I tried to get her out of the suit so we could enjoy the zoo, but she was insistent on staying in it together and we walked the entire thing in armor, chasing after our own kids and taking hundreds of photos. IMO, this is a huge asset to Star Wars and attracting more girls to our nerdy world. Big thanks to Kevin for making this reality. ----------

Is this information verified? I don't really understand why the original, statue-based backplate isn't good enough for 501st Basic. I certainly would like official word on that stance, considering FX helmets are still allowed for basic 501st. And as far as "sensible boots" go... going to need that to be a little more defined. Otherwise, my wife is trying to convince me that these Louboutins are "sensible". Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. ---------

Yup, that's pretty much all I post on my IG bzb311

Submitted Shannon's today.

Appreciate it. I'll paint it gray if that's what the CRL ends up being. But if they're nitpicking based on the comics, in every panel showing Jes' TD, the tube is white.

Assembly complete. Got Kev's suggested boots on order (Shannon hates the flat soles of the current boot). Had her walk around in the completed armor for a little while and made some adjustments with the dremel and sandpaper. I *think* we have taken care of the armor bite issues. Her first troop will be this Sunday at the Atlanta Zoo. She is insanely excited! I can't wait to see the reaction of the crowds.

Good work Kevin. If we go along with the way other standards are, the "accurate" backplates should only be addressed at level 2 or level 3.

Just some food for thought: the 501st allows DARTH VADER to have the wrong chest box and be approvable. Ya know, the face of the franchise and all. But certainly, let's debate this some more.

Wow. Looks like I'm getting new armor next year.

Thanks Kev - actually I did find them at Ace! The washers are apparently called "finish washers".

Based on the discussion here it really only seems to be the back plate details, as far as the armor is concerned. If there is more, that certainly would be useful/helpful/nice.

I feel like it's accurate to 90% of the comic strip's panels - even completely leaving out the supplemental material from the statue. As this is "technically" a TK - 80% seems to be the accuracy level for the FISD. (Even for Centurion with the leeway given for body types and differences in armor makes.) Not to mention there's dozens of "styles" of TKs in the movies, so there is truly no single "accurate" TK to model the CRL over. I don't think it's a fair comparison, as this is clearly an apples vs oranges type comparison. Based on the requirements listed on the 501st website, along with the 3 years of discussion for this character, I believe the description below should be plenty sufficient for the CRL [with some minor modifications].

Final fitting. Used E6000 on the shoulder straps in case I needed to move them some. I think they'll be set - her first troop will be in one week!

Anyone have a link to the hardware for mounting the TD? Stopped by the home improvement stores this afternoon and couldn't find what that connector is. I have hurricane nuts that kind of look like that, but the fender/washer for the inside of the kidney plate looks unique.

While moving too fast, I put Shannon's belt on incorrectly and ended up cutting too much off the belt. I asked Kevin to look into getting me a replacement piece... but after finishing up the clip-on belt boxes I realized it might cover the screw up. I couldn't find the cut ends, so I just found another trimmed piece and glued it on with a "shim" as if I were doing a typical repair. Heat gunned it and bent over the top edge a bit to attempt to match it. End result looks pretty good. You can still see the cut line if you are looking for it, but I the box covers most of the issue.

Monkey grip, huh? Shannon has taken this as a reason to find some fancy leather gloves. Sigh. Hopefully she can find something suitable. Another assembly question: any tips on heating up the shoulder straps to get them to flatten out a bit? Stick em in the oven for a few seconds?

Still a little too big. May have to take them to a local cobbler, see if they can add some padding or something in it to shore it up. Worst case scenario, she wears two socks and that should do the trick. Hoping Val's turns out a little better fit!

Ordered 38, which is listed as equivalent to a 7.5US - but it's more like an 8.5US. All my wife's shoes are 7 1/2 (I should know... I've bought every pair of those dang expensive closet dust collectors). I got her a pair of SuperFeet inserts today, we'll see if that shores up the size a little better.

It's like the Bat suit, waiting in the closet... except the complete opposite color.

Honestly, once your bucket is on, you *barely* see the neck seal in person, let alone in photos. What's more important is how it fits and how durable it is. I have had three neck seals (and I'm a "new" guy), and I can tell you that Darman's is by far the most comfortable. You can make Centurion with Darman's, so no worries there. If you're going to do long troops - I average probably 6 hours in my TK on 501st troops - comfort is far more important than absolute accuracy.