Carolina Garrison

I got my outers coated this week. Tried and failed at magnets tonight in hood. I need stronger rare earth magnets. Normal magnets are not good enough. Was tired of working on it, and decided to wear it:

Front:


Side:


Unhelmeted, I'm a nerd:


Still waiting on boots, BS Saber (and mods), and working on version II of my helmet this weekend. I tore apart both components of the modified BS helmet tonight. Work begins tomorrow. I'm still hoping I can submit by the end of March, but if its April/May, then so be it.

Tom

I modded my initial BS helmet via videos I found on the internet prior to joining SLD with the 501st. While SLD tells me its approvable, I was asked to make a better one. I was given ideas, patterns, and pictures. Richard Campbell, who is a famous Black Series Helmet Mod guy on etsy, and Knights of Ren Facebook page has basically churned out Black Series Helmets that are very close to the Anovos.

I set out to mimic his work, and make it maybe even better. So, after working on it for the last 2 days, here is a VERY ROUGH UNPAINTED mock-up of my latest iteration of the Hasbro Black Series Helmet:



This was the final mock-up prior to resin and paint. Final check to make sure everything was lined up before I finalized the details. Resin is curing on the outside now, priming/painting begin tomorrow. This helmet might be done by Wednesday. This will probably be my submission helmet, once its done.

SLD Thread on this build here: BS Conversion II

Tom

Old on the left, new on the right. Still not done with it, but getting closer.





Let me know what you think.

Tom

Helmet getting closer:


Videos from helmet build: Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Video 4 Plastic Welding Tutorial


Still waiting on boots and saber. Once I get the saber, I have to send it off for mods. Looking more like April or May before I'm ready; however, I can use this time to re-do my outers in apprentice weave, and hopefully push this thing to SLD Level III.

Tom

New goodies arrived yesterday:


Dim out of box:


Not for long, begin destructo! I'm rebuilding this thing from inside out, including re-finishing the hilt, and custom updated electronics (sound, rechargeable batteries, drivers, and LED's). It'll look like a day blade during the day when its on, when I'm done. I haven't even had it for 24 hours. I played with it for an hour or so last night, wielding it. Now, its time for it to die, and pull a phoenix on my workbench!


The dirty deed is done, it is now in a gazillion pieces!


Components ready to strip/paint. Going to use the fact that this hilt is real metal to my advantage. Hasbro painted metal to make it look plastic. I'm stripping that off, to paint metal, and weather exposing the metal. Will be using replica pics. This is an adventure.


Stripped components:
No acetone on plastic, you'll kill it. Metal only!



New Paint Going On:




Tomorrow, I'll weather it.

I am hoping to have painting, and all the fine tuning done before all my electronics get here. This way, I can work on reassembly of the upgraded components, and get this thing back together. Wish me luck!

Tom

Hi Thomas,

My name is Mark Sinclair, Garrison Event Coordinator and I also live in Wilmington. Welcome to the Dark Side! I'm very excited to have another trooper here at the beach. I am a Stormtrooper (ANH Stunt). I am toying with idea of making a Kylo but now that you are here....maybe I'll skip it and let you handle the Sith Lording duties!

I'd love to get together for a meet & greet whenever you have the time. You can reach me anytime. I'm down in the Junction area.

Again, welcome! Your build thread was great and you have obviously put a lot of time and energy into your costume, the key quality the 501st is looking for.

I would be happy to take your submission photos if you would like assistance.

Looking forward to meeting you and trooping!

Regards,
Mark Sinclair
TK-90499
tclaxman@gmail.com
910-777-4733

I've got a photog for the submission photos, but I appreciate it. I'm probably going to re-do my outers to Apprentice Weave after I finish the lightsaber project. My life dream was to build ANH Stormtrooper. I guess that is the next project, so I'll be glad to have a few I can learn from. I know there is you and another guy here in Wilmington + Cape Fear Stormtrooper (not 501st). I very much look forward to meeting you guys. I already know the CF Stormtrooper. My next couple of weeks is going to be nuts. I play bagpipes, and St. Patrick's Day is forthcoming, so I'll be very busy until the end of March. I may have some time off next weekend. So I might give you a push to meet at Slainte' Monkey Junction or something. I gotta run out that way anyhow.

I live near the airport, near downtown Wilmington. I definitely want to get together and talk with you. I am heavily involved in Azalea Festival, and they want Star Wars in the parade in 2018. We need to make that happen, en masse. That would be pretty cool.

This Kylo build has been going on since 11/16. I'm hoping to submit by early April. I want my new outers done before I submit. I'm shooting for Level 3 approval in SLD. My outfit is pretty accurate, especially once I have the correct material in outers. I could go for approval right now with "good enough", but that's not good enough for me, based on all this work I've put in. Stormtrooper will be my next build.

Robert Lentz and I downtown before "Holiday Parade" 2015.



Robert Lentz and I at Riverfest 2014



Tom Tilmon (910)470-1093
tomtilmon@gmail.com

Saber Progress Linky:

Black Series Makeover

Having fun, this is a whole other hobby in and of itself! I am fast becoming a saber guy. wowza, what a journey of learning I am on.

Tom

Wow, Love seeing this come together Thomas. I do agree with you taking down those shoulders a bit. seems a bit bulky. Great work.

My apprentice weave arrives on Monday, and I'll probably be able to finish my outers (surcoat, hood, capelet) by the end of next weekend at the latest. This makes me 1000 times faster than Saints Customs.

My Imperial K Boots, my order status still says, "processing", whatever that means. I ordered them on 2/3.

My lightsaber is done, I need one more part from The Custom Saber Shop, the conversion kit, then I'm done with that.

I got a jj saber clip for my belt that matches the quality and worksmanship I have put into the Saber.

I'd eventually like to upgrade to a leather neck seal, but other than that, I do believe that this project is about licked. I very much am looking forward to submitting to the garrison, and trooping instead of laboring on this costume. It has been exhausting, exciting, rewarding, teaching, etc. I can truly say I have learned a ton that may serve me well, but could be used to serve the emperor.

I hope the TK build is less tenuous when I take that project on.

I'm pretty excited that I get to meet my first Carolina Garrison member tomorrow, Mark Sinclair. We're grabbing lunch, and I'm excited to hear about what goes on. I'm sorry to be missing March. But, I will hopefully someday soon be trooping!

Tom

Sounds like you're on track to make a good showing once you're approved. My Ren took me quite a few months to complete and I'm still making upgrades to this day. Looking forward to seeing how he looks in the next movie so we have something else to aspire to.

I will be glad to finish this saber mod and my outers. Then, I think I'm moving onto TK. Had lunch with Mark Sinclair today, my first 501st interaction. I'm so excited. I have had a blast on this project, but I would like to see it arrive at a conclusion.

PS: I got all the red LED's to fire properly Mark! For the saber. All I need is the conversion kit, and I will be done with that project. It was a huge relief. I made a wiring error on the LED star when I was tired. It was a 2 second fix. My soundboard, speaker, battery, and LED's all fire. Once I get the conversion kit in, I just have to reassemble everything in the hilt, neaten my wires to my plan, put in my hidden momentary switches, and I have a really awesome Kylo Ren lightsaber, way better than it came from the factory!

Tom

Looking good Tom. Glad you got to meet with Mark he is a great guy. Looking forward to seeing you approved

Thanks all for being so welcoming. I told Mark, when I have been over at SLD doing this build since last October, it was pretty lonely. I will be glad to bring my interpretation of Kylo back home to the Carolinas from SLD land.

I got my "Apprentice Weave" on Monday. Work got in the way of any progress all week until today. Hood/Capelet both done! Surcoat this weekend hopefully, but I gotta play bagpipes in parade on Saturday, and gigs afterward. Hopefully I can sew the rest of the weekend. Still waiting on saber parts to finish that project.

The weave arrived!!!!

Cutting out the new capelet in Apprentice Weave, using my crappy Monk's Coth Capelet as a pattern. This is Dawn Bright's Pattern:


Look how crappy that dye job monk's cloth looks compared to this Apprentice Weave!

Hood, I have made a lot of hoods, one more was pretty easy
Took the visor out so I coud properly line up hood. I'll probably put my magnets in tomorrow night.

Once I finish the surcoat, lightsaber........all I need are boots. Imperial is killing me with that. I'm guessing April.

Tom

Finished my new outers:





Voice Test 2, still have problem with mic placement too close to lips, its a work in progress.

I am still awaiting my Imperial boots. The Custom Saber Shop finally re-stocked the conversion kit for Kylo saber tonight. I ordered 2, so hopefully by this time next week, I'll have at least one modded saber, if not 2.

Once I get my boots, I'll be ready for submission photos. I've already given finished portions of my costume to the photographer to begin the process. Helmet, Sleeves, and Glove are being photographed by him separately. I'll let him photograph the tunic and piping as well. I'm pretty excited. Think I'm gonna order the TK kit soon.

Tom