Rudebrook

And John, great SFX loop on your pack! It made the 20 minute elevator ride to the flight deck that much more enjoyable!

Great pics John! It was quite the day. It was so good to finally meet many of you and the ECG was unbelievably receptive to the other garrisons. The MEPD was definitely out in force at the Intrepid today! Many people commented on the extraordinary work the Santroopers put into their armor. There was nothing but positive feedback and I would love for this to be an annual troop.

John, he looks awesome! He definitely should have won! That armor is nicer than mine. Excellent work...as always. Happy Halloween!!

Looking great John! That is pretty awesome. Again, can't wait to see it all complete.

Can't wait to see pics! What a lucky kid! I couldn't even imagine this when I was young.

Welcome Pat! You've come to the right place. You can definitely pull it off. There are so many good people at the MEPD and they're all willing to help. Sometimes it takes patience, but in the end it's about having fun. I'm 5'11", 170 and I love my AP armor. It would fit you perfectly. TE2 looks very sharp as well. I suggest checking out the IMPERIAL ISSUED ARMOR section. There's a wealth of knowledge there

I still have to do the weathering. I'm going to try to leave the radio alone as best as possible and match everything else to that. I think it already looks great. I'm also thinking of sound loop ideas for it since I just have to "stick" it in there!

I'm definitely not one of those "obsessive" types. That's why I took the pack apart and brought the top brace down 3/4". I also repainted the frame and upper seed tray because the black did not look sharp in the pictures. I used a thick layer of high gloss paint and then clear coated it with a satin style. It looks WAY better now. And since it was all apart, I used Pandatrooper's non-permanent ty-wrap sealing method for the top and bottom seed trays. Pics to follow. Thanks for your comments and suggestions!

Superb work! The antenna is a great touch. Also, the boxes that doubla as storage look great. Progressive and classic at the same time. Excellent job.

It's amazing how weather can affect your painting schedule! I was working on my pack two weeks ago when downpours soaked the Northeast. Set me back a week. Definitely get some pics up though!

Ordered. Now, to find a tree worthy enough...

I tried to measure it so it came a little above the upper seed trays. I thought it extended a little high myself. I considered cutting the top right at the couplers and putting on a new top cross brace. But that would almost line up the brace with the upper seed tray. I think I ended up in a "No man's land". I think this happened when I lined up the seed trays, I had too much space between them. I thought only 1/4" between the seed trays and more at the top looked better 3/4" between the trays and a better look at the top. Does that make sense?

LOL! You would have to make it double-sided to get the pack in the picture. I was talking to one of my friends last night and he suggested an area in Stratford that has some pretty good sand dunes. I was thinking of taking a trip down there to run some recon. What do you guys think? Stratford is only a few minutes outside of Bridgeport off of 95.

I'm putting the finishing touches on my pack. I have not yet attached the top seed trays to the bottom ones. I wanted to post pics and get opinions before I lock it down and can't change anything. I'll attach the mortar tube and do the weathering once I'm confident with construction.

Happy birthday, James!

Thanks Rick. I'm working on my schedule for this weekend. I have passes already. I would like to attend Saturday morning but I have to be in Kingston NY for a show later that night. Does the CTG have a plan? I may drive to my friends place in the Bronx and subway it from there. If I decided to make the troop, I can change there. I'm a little nervous with the day being so hectic and it would be my first troop. I'll keep you posted. It just may be too much since I can't stay in the city that night.

It's an exciting day for me. Thank you to everyone for helping me out along the way. I would have never been able to do this without the MEPD. I left work early today (that never happens) to finish my pack. Hopefully DEPLOYMENT pics will be coming in the next week! :o I can't wait to start trooping with all of you. TD-3754 aka Rudebrook

Great pics and great event! Such a nice weekend too!

I'm pretty sure the Boba Fett is available via UPC redemption. That's awesome that you got one! I managed to get my hands on a foil vintage TD Sargeant and the Boba Fett offer is on the card! Just like back in '84 when I tearing up UPCs to redeem them for the Emperor. He scared me to death, but I had to have the figure.

Awesome pics! The Boba Fett is especially excellent!

I've been meaning to update this thread. I had a chance to take some pictures Saturday morning wearing the armor. I also have some pictures of my backpack progress as of last night. I do want to make some qualifications. First, my shoulder pouch. I know the one I'm wearing is the wrong one, but the one I'm going to use was still drying from weathering and I couldn't put it on yet. But I wanted something in it's place. Second, after all the pics were done I noticed my left shin guard was out of place. I re-foamed it so it holds in place a little better. Third, I dirtied up my belt a little more. My GML also noticed this so I definitely wanted to fix this. It doesn't look dirty at all in the pictures! It's amazing how much more you see when you step away and look at the pictures. So, I welcome your commments. Also, I'm not just shooting for my 501st status, but I want to attain Deployment, so I really want to hear everyone's suggestions. Hopefully, if the pack is done this week, I'll get some better pics.

Well, if there is a bright center of the universe, doesn't it seem right be on the sand in the state that is farthest from? (Or at least feels like it today.)

Thanks a bunch! The tube stripes are decals. However, when I weathered the helmet I originally taped over them. When I was happy with the results, I took the tape off and detailed over the stripes by hand. I was trying to avoid paint building up on the sides of the stripes as I know it can happen. A little extra effort but I really like the way they came out.

If I get my 501st status approved in the next week or two, I'm definitely in. I'm having back surgery on the 11th, so I won't be able to go anywhere the weekend of the 16th. But anything else works.

Thanks guys! A photo shoot on the beach is an awesome idea! Maybe we'll find the droids we're looking for there. Eric, that's not my voice amp in the helmet. It's the wireless transmitter. The way I padded the helmet it was the most comfortable way to mount it. I guess that's what you get for having an eggplant shaped head.