Armor Party

Troop #2

Last Armor Party before Star Wars Weekends 08'!

I was told that during SWW even industrial strength Velcro lets go because of the heat so I wanted to get everything done that needed to be tip top. Mobus & Disney Deb threw the AP at their place. I was going to drive from my place to northern Florida, sleep in my car, do an official troop at a convention, and then drive straight back in order to get my one more troop in to meet SWW trooping requirements. Let me tell you...I'm very thankful to Mobus and his family to this day.

So after all the time panicking over the "frown" line on the helmet I've decided to take off the compulsively placed sticker, file out the nostrils, and paint the remaining ABS with gray to allow more airflow. I am also going to install some small 1.5 inch computer case fans inside the helmet. These fans are going to run off of two 9-volt batteries. Also, where I am drilling nostril holes into the face, I am going to place a strip of black screen behind so it still looks like solid black but allows air circulation. One wouldn't want a Storm Trooper passing out in front of children. This may scar them.

Sheila, Mobus, Allison and I worked on my costume. We even got Allison suited up in a Snow Trooper costume. WIN.

Submission Photos

Brace for epic.

So my TK is completely together and ready for Legion approval. It's either going to get approved or denied at this stage. The 501st Legion has very strict guildelines for costumes being approved which I completely agree with. I'd feel insulted if some moron dressed up in something less than screen-accurate to an event representing the same group as myself.

So That Guy Brian (Vader) came by and took a few photos of me in my new sweet ass gear. Pictures sent to "Q" for yay or nay.

Update: 5/26/2008: I'M APPROVED!!!1!1!1shiftone!11!1! I am officially known as TK4602 in the 501st Legion!!!

Click Here to see my Member Page!

First Full Fitting

Time to put this bad mofo on. I had my dear friends Donnie and Jessi Allen come by to help me suit up and take photos. I'm still a massive newb at this point in terms of getting it on so I definitely needed help. Sans my hand plates being on backwards, it fits very well. I need to take up the thighs and attach them to the bottom of the ab-plate so they are suspended at the correct height for my body type.

I'm not gonna lie...I look hot in this thing. Don't hate. My helmet has built-in Hater-Blockers.

Helmet Completion

Stage II of putting together the helmet was by far the most nerve racking. Why? Funny enough with all the armor that covers a Storm Trooper the most identifiable part is the face area or helmet. So being that this would be the focal point of viewers all of the details needed to be perfect or at least near perfect as possible.

So after having 2 beers and working up the nerve to possibly destroy the most important part of my costume, I sacked up and went to work. The visor/lens was provided by another member named Tony (Drolmag) instead of me having to use the bubbled lenses that mine came with. The decals are really easy to apply being that they are simply adhesive stickers. But this also means once you place them, that's it. So 11 cigarettes and 3 beers later, my TK bucket was complete and ready for some cleaning with the one and only Novus.

Only after completing it and looking at it did it finally hit me of how awesome this costume looks. I won't lie...I kept the bucket on my living room coffee table for about 4 days straight just staring at it. Star Wars has been a part of my life pretty much since I was born. Now I get to become a part of it in a way that benefits others.

Armor Party

Troop #1

And so it begins...

So I have all of my armor ready to be made. It's made of ABS plastic and vacuum molded into the Storm Trooper costume shape. In the photos below you can see how it's received, how it's put together, and how it looks once complete. This Armor Party was hosted by Sheila Price and had a good turn out with members coming out. I got to meet the majority of people I had talked with on the forums leading up to my induction into the group so it was nice putting faces with names.

Plastic Wield, white industrial strength Velcro, super glue, one pack of cigarettes, and the ability to stand in front of total strangers in a full body unitard is all it takes to get your cotume together. A few of the guys were awesome enough to build my entire helmet, sans the stick decals and expression points.