Lorelei's 5'4" ATA ANH-S Centurion-Hopeful Build

[Frank75139[501st]]

I’ve been finding the blaster to be a pain in the a$$ while trooping. If I can get the thing out of my holster by myself, it’s always a fun time trying to get it back in when I’m done with it.


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I’m with Matt on this. If I have my gun out I’ve got to carry it or have someone put it in for me.


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[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

37 minutes ago, Bud Spaklur said:

I’ve been finding the blaster to be a pain in the a$$ while trooping. If I can get the thing out of my holster by myself, it’s always a fun time trying to get it back in when I’m done with it.

Rookies     

 

 

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

9 hours ago, Frank75139 said:

I’m with Matt on this. If I have my gun out I’ve got to carry it or have someone put it in for me.

 

 

As long as your holster is of the heavy leather weight (8 oz. as opposed to 4) you can use a boot stretch spray on the inside and then stuff the opening (while not in use) with something non-porous to make it stay open wider..  I have one of Steve's (Gaz) and an Anovos one (surprisingly thick) that I did this to and now I don't have to fumble quite so much when re-holstering.

[ukswrath[Staff]]

16 hours ago, gmrhodes13 said:

Rookies     

 

 

 

[TheLorelei[TK]]

I am covered in white dust and plastic bits.

I am weary.

I am not finished my build, but I practically am. There are a few things gluing (shoulder straps, hand plates) and tube stripes to be cleaned up and shoulder strap snaps to be sewn in and that is - Lord willing - all.

Here's one random photo of midway through today when I first put my leg armor on and realized that I'm getting to look kinda like a stormtrooper. More later!

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Great work so far Lorelei 

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

It's those niggling bits that can take some time but I'm sure you will breeze through, looking the part 

[TheSwede[TK]]

Looks great

[PhilBobTheFish]

 

Only 19 pages up to this point.

I am so proud. 

 

 

It's looking very good at this point, so just don't screw anything up between now and approval! 

 

Also, for the sake of Matt and Frank, just give us a nice extremely close up image of that knee. I'm talking through a microscope levels of close, macrobinoculars levels of close, so they can be certain if it's straight or not.

[shashachu[TK]]

On 1/25/2019 at 5:29 PM, Bud Spaklur said:

I’ve been finding the blaster to be a pain in the a$$ while trooping. If I can get the thing out of my holster by myself, it’s always a fun time trying to get it back in when I’m done with it.

Yup. I used to carry it every troop in the beginning, but my last several troops I've gone blasterless or had my blaster holstered at least part of the time. Leaves my hands free for high fives. And I tried stretching my holster with some soup cans for a really long time (I have the Darman 8oz) but I still can't easily get the blaster in and out myself.

[DStep[TK]]

Keep up the great work...you’re almost done! The bucket is looking awesome and those ears came out real nice!

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

We have a rule locally, if you hit 20 pages you have to buy everyone an icecream  

 

Storing your holster with a tin or tube inside can also help, I applied a little heat to mine which also helped to keep it a little more open.

 

And in case the holster its too light and flaps around in the wind you could always try this:

 

[Frank75139[501st]]

Lorelei... I’m sorry I doubted you, and we were joking about the ice cream you can come back now.


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[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I want ice cream 

 

Well not at the expense of your build  

 

[Frank75139[501st]]

I want ice cream 
 

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[A.J. Hamler[TK]]

[TheLorelei[TK]]

Okay, WHERE can I get a TK ice cream like that?? Haha. Howdy all, no, I haven't died, and you have AJ to thank for my checking back in (he emailed me, which I actually get alerts of). Just before the armor party, my honorary dad went on vacation so I had many more work things to do (the paid kind) and since I haven't touched my armor since the party anyway... but here I am.

 

So what happened with all the rushy rushy and then nothing? Well I was trying to get approved before our garrison elections which were rumored to be "sometime at the beginning of February" - however, turns out they stop even beginning reviews in mid-January to avoid leaving half-approved apps for the next GML. When I finally got clear answers on all of that it was past mid-Jan and I was told nothing would be picked up again until mid-Feb. THAT was intensely frustrating and contributed to the leaving of the armor during the busy workweek. Also, apparently every advisor in our garrison has to approve every costume. Not just the GML. Not sure if this is how most garrisons run, but it makes all our approvals take weeks on end.

 

So, here's my long-overdue rundown of the armor party. Several people who read my Carida thread walked in, saw me, and went "oh, you ARE a tiny Trooper. Huh."

I had an incredibly productive day in large part due to the banana-Nutella crepes that a wonderful resident of our host's house made...

(I call this one "cadet on crepe break")

...and because of a belt sander with which I removed excessively large return edges from almost every piece of armor (ha!), perhaps most significantly my thigh tops. I also evened out the lower edge of my forearms and shins, which was sorta magical. Had fun with some sandpaper after that, and all the edges look super legit now. Very exciting. I tried padding the bucket, was told I look like a bobblehead, fiddled with the padding some more... fun times.

I tried to suit myself up a couple times and sorta succeeded. It's harder than I expected! Not many pics but did get this one, the back view of that first half-suit-up I posted before.

This was before I smoothed the thigh tops, btw. One thing annoying me big time is how the right ankle doesn't want to stay closed, also why the right shin is riding so much higher than the left. I'm hoping that when I break the boots in they'll stop pushing so hard. May wear them around the house to facilitate that.

 

You know, this would be significantly better with pictures... I'll take some tomorrow and give further commentary/updates on actual armor.

 

Around 5, everyone but @TK45625 packed up and left. I had gotten some things done, but definitely not as much as I hoped. I looked over at my Table O' White Plastic with a small sigh, and announced that I'd best head out too. I think what I actually said was "I'll get out of your hair now" because our host said "You're not in my hair! How much did you want to get done?" and I said "Well I sorta wanted to be finished..." and she and TK45625 said "Then let's finish it!" and they rallied round in a wonderful show of friendship and we knocked out most everything else. We ended the night playing beatsaber (!! VR is pretty nifty, y'all!) and eating more pizza. All in all an awesome day with great people.

 

To-do list in next post.

[TheLorelei[TK]]

4 hours ago, Frank75139 said:

Lorelei... I’m sorry I doubted you, and we were joking about the ice cream you can come back now.

This IS all your fault.

 

and hey, I'm bound to hit 20 pages at this point and will gladly pony up for ice cream for all you guys who helped make this monstrous build thread what it is! Just come to Philly.

[PhilBobTheFish]

2 hours ago, A.J. Hamler said:

I think mine came out wrong.

[Frank75139[501st]]

I have bad news for you, Lorelei.....20 pages is amateur hour. My build thread......37 pages:


You better start posting more!!!


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So Matt owes us ice cream.


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[Frank75139[501st]]

Lorelei I made ankle straps for my boots, (sounds weird when I say it now that I’m saying it out loud). They are just pieces of white 4” wide elastic that velcro together so I can wrap it around the top of my boot and it keeps the top of the boot compressed against the ankle. As an added bonus I attached velcro to the outside and velcro to my shin and it helps keep the shin in place.
I can get a pic if you need it just don’t have one on hand. It might help keep the boot closer to your ankle and eliminate that issue.


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[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

4 minutes ago, Frank75139 said:

So Matt owes us ice cream

 

 

He’s gonna have to owe me, it’s 38 C here for next 3 days, poor old I’ve cream trucks just don’t do well

 

[Frank75139[501st]]

He’s gonna have to owe me, it’s 38 C here for next 3 days, poor old I’ve cream trucks just don’t do well
 

It’s 38 F here so you’d have no problems. We’ll all wait for you to get here.


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[TheLorelei[TK]]

6 hours ago, Frank75139 said:

Lorelei I made ankle straps for my boots, (sounds weird when I say it now that I’m saying it out loud). They are just pieces of white 4” wide elastic that velcro together so I can wrap it around the top of my boot and it keeps the top of the boot compressed against the ankle. As an added bonus I attached velcro to the outside and velcro to my shin and it helps keep the shin in place.
I can get a pic if you need it just don’t have one on hand. It might help keep the boot closer to your ankle and eliminate that issue.

Ohh, that's a good idea... I think I get it. Gonna try that. Thanks Frank!

[TheLorelei[TK]]

13 hours ago, PhilBobTheFish said:

I think mine came out wrong.

@gmrhodes13 @Frank75139 @Bud Spaklur You guys and the ice cream - dying here. Oh yeah, and here's 20!