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[trashcanmando]

Vod your kit is coming along great. Also I'm impressed with how you at taking the feedback.  It's great that you keep hitting the ropes so to speak and finishing up what will be an amazing look.  Don't get frustrated you have made some clear progress.  I'm very impressed.  I will follow closely.

Thanks, vod, means a lot to me. 

Okay! Today was a big day, even though I don't have much to show! I trimmed the  chest plates around the diamond, reweathered the flight suit and flak vest, got the padding in the helmet, and got all the velcro on my vest! So I can officially say... I'm ready to take pre-app pictures! Feels completely surreal.

I finished up really late, so no pics of the flight suit and plates and all that, there isn't a terrible lot to show, but here's the finished helmet interior:



And I am extremely happy to say that the next pictures you guys see from me will be my pre-app and app pics!

[Shammah]

Very good.

[aforklikeutensil]

Kind of hard to tell, but do you have any padding in the top/crown of the helmet?  You definitely want at least a thin padding layer in there to diffuse pressure if not.

And I am extremely happy to say that the next pictures you guys see from me will be my pre-app and app pics!

Sweet.

[trashcanmando]

Kind of hard to tell, but do you have any padding in the top/crown of the helmet?  You definitely want at least a thin padding layer in there to diffuse pressure if not.

Nope, there's no pad in the top. I messed around with several different padding positions, and if I put the top in, it holds the helmet up too far and I'm not actually looking through the visor, but more at the corners of the mandibles. Too much padding will hold it up too far as well- the top actually has to be touching my head for me to look through it properly. If I put a pad in there it would have to be very thin indeed.

The whole thing also has a tendency to lean just the tiniest bit to the side, weighed down by the rangefinder. I'm still messing around with padding configurations. These didn't come with any diagrams so I just made my best guess and stuck 'em in with enough velcro to move them around freely. It might take me some time to find the perfect arrangement.

[aforklikeutensil]

Gotcha.  A balaclava might be enough, then.

As far at the balance thing goes, you can always use small washers to strategically add weight for counter balance.  Some people glue them in and paint over them, but I've seen others hide it in their padding.  If you plan on adding fans to the helmet the placement of your battery pack can work, too.

[trashcanmando]

Nice, thanks for the tips. I got a doorag to hold my hair back, and the rangefinder isn't actually an issue with just that on.

Pre-app is posted! If that goes smoothly, I'll put my official app in, and here's a copy for you guys:













Wish me luck!

[Og' Reh]

I'm out of internet for a week and you're in the doorstep of OM!

Should I take month holidays I'd find you I  your own Star Wars freighter! ;]

Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

[trashcanmando]

  Thanks, vod! Pre-app consensus was that there's a few things I need to get sorted with my plates still, wear the sash over the flak vest, and it would be preferable to get another weapon.

So there's a staff sitting on my bedroom floor now.  Should be ready for pics later today. I just have to weather the leather handles and paracord wrap, and figure out how to make one of the leather grips lie flat.... gr... I've been putting off fixing the plates, needed a little break from those.

[trashcanmando]

Took longer than I thought, but I finished up my staff! It's made of one-inch PVC cut into 20 inch lengths, connectors, and caps. Plus some paint, leather, and paracord. I like it a lot.  The entire thing comes apart for easy transport, and it'll make that eventual upgrade to a spear type weapon a lot easier.  8)





Edit: Fixed up the plates too! Not really enough of a difference to be worth taking pictures, though

[Og' Reh]

Cool!

When do you plan to apply for OM?

[trashcanmando]

As soon as I can get another set of pics taken! Shammah has advised waiting until multiple clan members can help, but I work on the day of this month's armor party (and am already traveling across the state multiple times those two weeks) so that might not be until August... So I'm probably going to hand my mom the camera and take about twenty shots each side, heh. But not this week, I'm crazy busy. I'm actually going to a martial arts tournament! I'm the first person in my school to go to a tournament and compete, so I'm practically making school history. No pressure. 

So... it could be a few weeks, but Shammah approved my kit for trooping, so I'm not in as big of a rush as I was. 

[Og' Reh]

So... it could be a few weeks, but Shammah approved my kit for trooping, so I'm not in as big of a rush as I was. 

One can do that? I didn't know!

Perhaps I can do it here as well...

[Shammah]

One can do that? I didn't know!

Perhaps I can do it here as well...

      

It wouldn't be an official troop, but I think the kit looks good enough to start working the bugs out of.

[Og' Reh]

Oya! How's your kit? Been a while since I was on the forum, and I see no OM in this topic!

[trashcanmando]

Haha! Soon, soon. I just got the next round of app pictures taken yesterday, so the clan's discussing which ones to use and all that. Buuutt I have first troop pics!! I even took some paint damage to one of my knees lol. Got a couple small things to fix, found some seams that need reinforced, small stuff like that.

Had some fun beforehand!












We were offered food once the actual event started, and who am I to turn down a cookie? But I totally forgot that you can't eat through a helmet and actually knocked the cookie into my visor before I realized this wasn't going to work. We had some fun with it.


I am officially Very Short- gonna use this picture for the M5 society once I get OM, lol.


I've got a lot of group pictures with kids, but I didn't want to upload many pictures with kids in 'em to general forums. So here's a couple choice shots from lightsaber duels! And a high five, cause that's a pretty good shot, and there was a lot of high fiving.


Showing off our combat prowess:


I get swarmed:


I surrender! Have mercy!


They had no mercy


Kids are apparently at their most sociable when trying to hit you with foam noodle lightsabers. Makes perfect sense to me.