Volksjager

And now the march on to 100 starts - 51. Perth Oz Comic Con 2026 Day 1 - 28/03/26 First Con of the year and the first opportunity to bring out the Sandie once again. Was nice to get the gear on again for 2026

The EVA foam is a good idea! I hadn't thought about that Vincent, and it might be something to try out. Do you get much movement of the EVA foam while trooping? Here are some pics of my strapping on my pack I used wooden dowels for strengthening the joints where the PVC pipe meets the copper connectors. The screws that hold the polyester webbing are going through the pipe and into the dowel, so they are very secure.

Nice, I had a garrison buddy who bought an RS kit, and he was very happy with it, though it didn't come with the extra. Building blasters and packs isn't too difficult, though and makes for a great project.

For mine, I used Black polyester webbing, which is 50mm wide. I also installed sliding buckles to adjust the length of the straps and clips so that I could take the pack off in a hurry if need be (I put my pack on after my chest and back armour is on, but before I put my arms, pauldron and pouch on, so when taking it off, I need to deconstruct a few parts first). The straps are just wrapped and screwed to the pack frame, at the top and down on the sides, towards the bottom. Happy to take some pics if you would like to see After 50 troops, it all still works well.

Like Vincent, I also stand corrected. I hadn't noticed them either, so thanks for providing that information, so we all can learn from it Again, as Vincent has mentioned, the tube stripes are a little on the dark side, so going back over them to lighten the colour slightly and neaten them up will do wonders.

Well done and welcome aboard! Always nice to see another Sandy join the ranks.

Yes, Vincent is correct here. Because those depressions look like straight lines in the middle of the tears/traps, it throws off the look of them, as they should be flat. Best to do the work and smooth them out now rather than down the line when going for basic or L2 approval. Remember, the CRL is your go-to, but look at both the text and the pictures for reference, as that's what your GML will use when approving your suit. If your ultimate aim is also to go for Police Officer or SWAT clearance, consider those extra little upgrades now to make life easier in the future.

Parts are hit and miss, depending on where you are in the world. I built mine back in 2018, but most things are still available/able to be built yourself. For my pack, I built my frame from PVC pipe, using copper plumbing fixtures for the bends. Seed trays could be purchased in a little seed greenhouse kit from Bunnings and painted (I am in Australia). The boxes and syphon will all depend on the pack you replicate, but I used a 3d printed Syphon as it's just easier & PVC pipe for the motor tube, with details from the TK Thermal detonator. I also bought Tupperware pudding cups & a medium box from eBay (and they are screen accurate) and a Lionstar canteen, also from eBay. Finally, my radio's faceplate is a resin cast of a Sonix Victory 75 (although you could 3d print now), and I built the box around it. Here is a link to my build thread for my Pack (which is pack version 4) Have a go and see what you can find. Hope it helps!

Very nice progress so far! Love seeing people's build threads, something that doesn't get posted up as much as they used to. Everything is looking good so far and glad you overcame the tearing issue. Looking forward to the next update. The medium blue you posted above, I would be cautious using this shade for the tube stripes, as it looks a little to Grey Blue to my eye. I would go with the French Blue for the stripes, which is what I used. You want a bright, rich Blue, but stay away from navy Blue or anything too dark Just regarding posting picture pictures, they can be posted to the thread. You just need to click on the "Other Media" button at the bottom right of this reply box, then click insert image from URL, then add the address link for the image that the image posting website gives you, then click ok. I don't use Imgur, and the addresses you provided above don't work for this method. If you can, Imgur should be able to give you a link that ends in .jpg (or similar) for each picture; it should work for you then. I use Flickr and don't have too many issues (sorry for inserting a pic into your thread, just demonstrating)

Sorry, not in the states, so can't recommend stores, but I keep mine in a rolling suitcase, one with the 4 wheels on the bottom. Holds the kit nicely minus the bucket, which I keep separate in a helmet bag and the backpack, of course, which I just store on top of the suitcase in my closet.

Congratulations Vince, well done

Thank you for what you have done over the years. Your efforts are very much appreciated.

Welcome, going TD is a great move. Read up as much as you can here on the forums and ask questions when you have them. Will will do our best to help

It's all looking pretty good. The painting looks great and makes it more authentic, that's for sure, especially if you plan to then go on to L2 Police Officer. Looking forward to the next update

50. Channel 7 Perth Christmas Pageant - 06/12/25 Second troop for the day, but at least I had a few hours' gap from the one above. Smaller turnout from the garrison this year, but so many kids, all wanting high-fives & cheering us on as we did the 1.5km walk. Always an interesting walk back to the car after we have finished! And that is my 50 troops complete. Happy to get it in before the end of 2025, as I can't make any others for the rest of the year due to other commitments.

49. Chase's 7th Birthday Party - 06/12/25 We were invited to Chase's Birthday party this Saturday just gone. 3 of us attended but were surrounded by 20+ kids. Although getting hit by inflatable lightsabers was like a massage in the armour, I did worry about my pack & blaster. When the sugar kicked in after 45 minutes, we made our escape

Very nice work so far. The Radio is looking great! Nice job

48. Special Children's Christmas Party 2025 - 29/11/25 Back up the next day for the next event. We have also attended this event for several years now, and it's a heart-warming one to help kids with special needs. Plenty of hugs and high fives to go around. Plus, this year we had 5 stormtroopers, which is not the usual here (even if 3 were too clean for my liking!) I have 2 more this coming weekend, so I should make 50 troops this side of Xmas

47. Perth Zoo Christmas Party 2025 - 28/11/25 We have attended this event for a number of years now. Always fun to attend with my Christmas pack & the kids love it. So much lighter than my normal one too!

46. Nightmare on Elstree - 31/10/25 This is a great Halloween event, where a long street is shut down for Families to roam and enjoy the Halloween costumes and trick or treat. Playing mini gold in the suit while dark was hard!

45. Dandelions WA Back to School Backpack day - 12/10/25 This was a charity we worked for earlier in the year, which invited us to their open day for the upcoming 2026 back to school drive. A quick troop but a fun one

44. School Open Night, South Thornlie Primary School - 28/06/25 Was a nice little troop in the evening to bring some Star Wars fun to a primary school event

43. Supanova 2025 Day 2, Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre, Western Australia - 28/6/25 Day 2 of Supanova, the largest Comic Book convention in WA. Did a full 7 hours in the suit (No breaks at all, helmet on at 10am and not off untill 5pm) & I am exhausted! Second troop for my daughter as a member of GA, she is the 2nd Sister. She got quite a bit of attention And I got into the filming of a news segment

42. Supanova 2025 Day 1, Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre, Western Australia - 28/6/25 Day 1 of Supanova, the largest Comic Book convention in WA. Was only able to arrive at 2pm due to commitments to the morning but got a good 3 hours in before closing. Also was the first troop for my daughter as a member of GA, she is the 2nd Sister. Crappy pic but all I have at this stage, more to follow

41. Yorkids 2025 Day 2 - York, Western Australia - 1/6/25 Day 2 of the Yorkids 2025 event. More fun to be had with a couple of different garrison members joining us.