Shoulder strap bending. They are supplied flat, so they need bending around
the shoulder. As plastic isn't that strong, they won't be used to support the
armour, but will float over the shoulder. And I worked out what the spare piece
of plastic is for : the octagonal adornments to the end of the strap. First I
attached poppers to the shoulder pieces, then to a pair of straps (trial & error
on strap length).
Next piece of fun, put the trimmed shoulder straps into the oven for a while.
Squeaky bum time as if you leave them in too long the pressing flattens, as I
found on the stormtrooper ones. Luckily, I managed to get it almost right this
time.
Putting it all together, I can then submit these pics to the MKG :
I'm cleared for trooping, and do so at CollectorMania. (see Trooping)
Once again, demonstrating the different requirements of the various groups
'out there', I submit the above costume to the 99th Garrison, it fails
to gain approval ! Although, they do give me a temporary pass, as long as I
change the boots and darken the lenses. Looking at the above picture, you can
see my glasses. So, I can resume the hunt for a comfortable pair of boots on
eBay while I'm trooping with the 99th.
Returning from CollectorMania, I address some problems with the suit :
The straps were a pain as they spin round, so I placed a couple of blobs of
velcro under the leading edge to prevent this.
I found that the air pushed in from the fans was just about adequate, so would
probably struggle on sunnier days. I (hopefully) fixed this by putting another
battery in to up the voltage. They are 12v fans, running off 9v batteries.
Another one certainly ups the flow, but also the noise, so that I will have to
see about. Both fans came loose, so I changed the fixings to make them stronger.
I was amused/impressed by some of the radio setups in the stormtroopers, both at
CollectorMania and Burnley. I downloaded a few files of random radio chatter,
and will add an mp3 player to the second input on my loudspeaker, which will
produce background noise while I walk. I need to change either the mic, or the
position of the speaker so that I don't get so much feedback. A different mic
might help.
To get approval with the 99th Garrison, I have had to make
a few changes to the suit.
I've added another layer of green cellophane to the eyes, and coated the foam
with black gaffer tape to reduce the light level in the helmet. I'm going to get
a few decent photos taken at work one Saturday, so I will see how they look. A
third layer, or a different colour might help loose the reflections. Damn my
glasses
Also, I've invested in a pair of proper German army boots, the same type
that were used on the films. They have the straps at the top (as per CRL) and
the tags inside to help pull them on. Of course, with my feet one fits perfectly and one is too tight. Stretching and
covering in cream to soften them begins.
This is the 'new' picture, including boots and extra lens colour. This got 99th
approval, so I am free to troop with them in it. Which is OK for the
minute, but I think I'd like to try for approval with the UK Garrison, which
would get me an official TI-number. I might have to re-visit the hoses,
especially as they are a bit stiff, so limit the head movement. A quick visit to
a website (recommended to me by someone who should know better, as it sells
fetish gear) gets me 2 new gasmask pipes, which are very flexible. The only
problem this causes is that the old pipes used to hold the mask up, now it is
pulled down under the weight of the hoses. I'll have to look at the padding
inside to see if I can change it to stop this. And the other problem I have with
the padding is that is knocks my glasses down my nose so that I cannot see
properly. Minor teething issues, methinks.
So, I submitted the pictures to the UKG, and was handed a list of things that
need to be changed/adjusted.
Turns
out that the bottom of the chest plate should be straight rather than curved, so
it was back to the workbench and sharp knife. With shaky hands, I lopped off the
bottom and made it squarer.
Next
up, the belt. The cosplay-type belt is too rounded for the CRL, so I managed to
find another one which has sharper corners.
With the padding inside the lid adjusted to keep the brow off of my glasses, I
can now see properly, and the flexible hoses don't pull the lid down so much.
More comfortable than the previous arrangement. I check with the MKG and the
99th, who deem the changes that I have made don't require going through the
clearance system again. So, the unit now looks like this :
I've also been invited to troop in Wolverhampton, with a bunch
that collect on behalf of Multiple Sclerosis, and the man in charge has an orange shoulder bell
so, for a laugh, I get an orange strap made, and will use that when I troop with
them so that I look more official. It's lucky that the guy I get my spares from
is so able to churn almost anything out. Mauve stormtrooper, anybody ?
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