Willeywonka Requesting Pre-Approval Review (AP)

[CableGuy[TK]]

In theory, you’re in the hands of your Garrison now. If it works like the UKG, once they clear your costume you can then apply for your TK ID over at 501st.com. 

Once you have that, you can get access to more of the FISD by upgrading to 501st Stormtrooper status. 

 

If your GML has seen the pictures, perhaps just ask how kind the clearance process usually takes. :-)

[lucnak[TK]]

Yeah we ask our members to apply to 501st.com and submit their photos at the same time. Your GML will need to find you in the database and approve you there. Once that process is complete, you'll receive an e-mail with your TKID!

[ukswrath[Staff]]

7 hours ago, willeywonka said:

Hey everyone! Just checking back in because it has been right at 3 weeks since I submitted my 501st application but still haven’t heard back regarding approval. My GML replied to my pictures about a week ago and said everything looks to be in order, but that’s all I’ve heard. Is there someone I should check in with or do I just need to hang in there?

Send your garrisons GML a friendly reminder. We all get busy and sometimes distracted. 

[willeywonka[TK]]

I'm proud to report that TK 87109 is reporting for duty!

 

https://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=28013

 

Thanks EVERYONE for your help. Any advice on the best way to get connected for future troops?

[magni[TK]]

Congratulations! Welcome to the 501st!

[wook1138[TK]]

Awesome news!  Contact your Garrison and see what events they have coming up. 

[CableGuy[TK]]

Great news, Jameson! Time to get out there and make the Empire proud. 

 

 

[TheSwede[TK]]

Awesome! Welcome to the Legion Trooper

[Twosolitudes[TK]]

Congrats! 

[willeywonka[TK]]

1 hour ago, Twosolitudes said:

Congrats! 

Thanks man! Looking forward to congratulating you on the same soon!

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Awesome, congratulations 

[lucnak[TK]]

Hey congrats! Definitely go to the Carolina Garrison forums (I assume there are forums) and they should have a listing of events you can go to!

[menschie[TK]]

Awesome job! Congratulations and welcome to the 501st. 

 

Great eye for detail and nice job on that armour! A lot of great advice! I have a couple cents to put in, as you look to lvl 2 and 3 and, more importantly, just getting the most out of your armour:

 

• I'd worry a lot less about the back neck line being a hair low, and butt plate being higher, and more about the back to kidney gap. Getting the gap to an absolute minimum improves the look exponentially. I'm 6 feet, so I have similar concerns to you, but it's not been a problem. Something that might help is getting some more flex in that butt plate, by removing all return edge completely, except at the top/kidney edge. I think you'll find that once suited up, with weight pulling on the whole thing and your cod to butt connected, it'll all be fine.
• If it was me, with the thighs, I'd undo the back cover strip, extend to 25mm for the cover strip if not already, and create a gap between the two halves, to eek out as much more room as possible. Then, at the edged not covered by the cover strip, I'd fill it with some ABS gunk. If you're concerned about strength after that, you can glue internal strips too. You've done such a beautiful job on that armour, I know you won't feel 100% good about it unless you've addressed that.
• Arms at your sides photo...a super easy fix is making the 2 arm gaps (bicep to forearm and forearm to hand plate) equidistant. You'll find it a LOT more comfortable too when you bend your arms.
• Looks like you need to shorten the strap or elastic from your chest plate to your ab plate. When you raise your arms it's coming up too high. If you don't shorten, you'll have people coming and pulling your chest plate out from under your ab plate on troops.
• Also, for sure Joseph or Tony will tell you to trim that edge off your ABS belt.

Hope this helps a bit. Clearly you've built with Centurion in mind, and it really shows!

 

Great job!

[willeywonka[TK]]

38 minutes ago, menschie said:

Awesome job! Congratulations and welcome to the 501st. 

 

Great eye for detail and nice job on that armour! A lot of great advice! I have a couple cents to put in, as you look to lvl 2 and 3 and, more importantly, just getting the most out of your armour:

 

• I'd worry a lot less about the back neck line being a hair low, and butt plate being higher, and more about the back to kidney gap. Getting the gap to an absolute minimum improves the look exponentially. I'm 6 feet, so I have similar concerns to you, but it's not been a problem. Something that might help is getting some more flex in that butt plate, by removing all return edge completely, except at the top/kidney edge. I think you'll find that once suited up, with weight pulling on the whole thing and your cod to butt connected, it'll all be fine.
• If it was me, with the thighs, I'd undo the back cover strip, extend to 25mm for the cover strip if not already, and create a gap between the two halves, to eek out as much more room as possible. Then, at the edged not covered by the cover strip, I'd fill it with some ABS gunk. If you're concerned about strength after that, you can glue internal strips too. You've done such a beautiful job on that armour, I know you won't feel 100% good about it unless you've addressed that.
• Arms at your sides photo...a super easy fix is making the 2 arm gaps (bicep to forearm and forearm to hand plate) equidistant. You'll find it a LOT more comfortable too when you bend your arms.
• Looks like you need to shorten the strap or elastic from your chest plate to your ab plate. When you raise your arms it's coming up too high. If you don't shorten, you'll have people coming and pulling your chest plate out from under your ab plate on troops.
• Also, for sure Joseph or Tony will tell you to trim that edge off your ABS belt.

Hope this helps a bit. Clearly you've built with Centurion in mind, and it really shows!

 

Great job!

Thanks for the feedback! Just a few follow-up items:

• I am going to keep working on closing the back gap. While the Inton snaps I got on Amazon serve their purpose I doubt they have the same integrity as the touted Tandy snaps. They tend to unsnap with too much tension. I plan to upgrade to Tandy soon for at least all of the high-stress areas, if not completely. Hopefully this will help me close that gap more. Good news is the Intons were super cheap so it's not much of a loss.  I am sure this won't be the first or last time this is said, but LESSON FOR NEW BUILDERS READING THIS: just go with Tandy right off the bat.
• Regarding those poor, poor thighs lol: sad thing is I already performed your suggestion on the rear of the thigh because they were even tighter than they are now . It was the first major lesson of my build: take your time and research until you're blue in the face before cutting! I will probably order some new thighs eventually. If you (or anyone else reading this) knows where to get thighs a la carte please let me know!
• Yeah, I am still working out how best to position the arm pieces. I seem to be having trouble bending at the elbow still.
• I can shorten the chest elastic when I replace my snaps with Tandy! Easy fix.
• What do you mean when you say trim the edge off my ABS belt?

I hope to go for Expert Infantryman soon!

[menschie[TK]]

My back closure straps are very short, very tight, and the Tandy's never unsnap. Bullet proof! So, good call on those.

 

About the thighs...got ya. That's tough.

 

Arms are always going to be a bit tricky to bend, even when strapped correctly. Having your forearms too close to your hand guards definitely is going to hinder. It's all about where the strapping is connecting the bicep to the forearm. The strapping should be more on the inside towards your body, as opposed to right down the front of the two pieces. That will allow your forearms to actually come back on the bicep when you bend, creating more forgiveness and room. When strapped right, the gaps (large or small) won't hinder your movement, and you can opt for the aesthetic without having to worry (always opt for aesthetic anyway.  )

 

 

Edge of the belt for reference

 

Again, great job. You're so close!!! Exciting times!

Edited June 9, 2018 by menschie