Retrofire

Hi Dave! My apologies for the delayed response. Work has been a bit of a bugger of late so I'm behind. The new cod is looking better but still needs a bit more to get you over the top. The cod itself needs to be shaped out using a bit of foam and here's how I fixed mine. I used an exacto knife to make two incisions on the back of cod above and below the arch then I shaped some soft thin foam pieces and pushed them inside and formed the cod. Then I hand sewed the opening shut and viola' a shaped cod. The other thing I did to help was to loosen the cod strap as I had it too tight. Check out the side by side pic that Chopper did below. We are almost exactly the same here as this was the last thing I needed to do to get me over the line to get my Lancer. The last touch is be careful of your belt and bund as they are drooping a little bit. This is a fitment issue and you just should need to pull them up a touch. You've done an amazing job and should be very proud of your work! You are right there!

Looking good Chris! Just need to bump those boxes up to about 1.5” from the belt. Keep up the great work!

Buckets off. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Chris did my second pair of boots to replace the first that I wore down. He did those too. If you’re in the market for boots, and don’t want to do those yourself, it’s worth adding that to the list to ask him about.

Congrats Lancer! We’ll done!

You’re not out of touch at all! It’s all new and that’s understandable. Typically cons, especially local ones, are handled at the Garrison level so it may be best to check in with your Garrison command team. For example our Garrison supports the Phoenix Fan Fest every year (COVID cancelled it last year and this year) and we have a whole section on our Garrison boards dedicated to dates/times, roles, etc. All cons are somewhat different as they have differing rules on weapons, masks, costumes, etc so it’s best to touch base with your command as to how they plan on trooping the event. For the big cons like the huge SW convo in Anaheim the DL will usually put something together for the det to meet and greet and get together for a det photo.

Hi Donovan. There have been problems in the past with this vendor but he seems to have fixed his issues. There are more than a few scouts that use his soft goods. It’s recommended that you add tracking to any purchases so you can keep tabs on the shipment. I think it’s great that you are going for Lancer status but I’d like to caution you that there are no “Lancer Spec” items out of the box. It all comes down to how it fits the individual trooper. I would encourage you to check out the Lancer Deployment Forum and look though this thread: You’ll need basic approval first before applying to Lancer but I applaud you for building to that spec from the start. We’re here to help you be successful so please keep asking these great questions and let us know if we can be of any further assistance.

That sounds great Dave. Thanks for getting those addressed. We’ll need a front, left and right side photos once you have everything ship shape in Bristol fashion. You’ve done some amazing work and have just a few more items left to finish so keep it up!

Hi Dave! Thanks for being patient! Ok you've done a great job addressing most everything on your list and we have these few findings remaining: Cummerbund Bund appears to be tucked in to the belt. Ideally bund should sit on top of the belt. This typically happens during dressing. Recommend putting on your belt then "seating" the bund on top before dressing your chest/back armor. Codpiece Cod crunchies. Need to add stiffener and/or loosen the crotch strap a bit. Dropboxes These are looking a but too high after you adjusted them and need to be loosened. If you look at your left side profile above you can see they are resting against the belt. The team created this side by side picture for you to have a better idea of how the bund and cod should look. You're just about at the finish line and have done a marvelous job! Keep it up!

Hi Jason! Have you tried poking around the 501st forums? That's where I found my scout chatter and bg sounds. You might get a hit there.

Nice work on the bucket as the DL mentioned we’re looking forward to seeing the rest of your kit come together! We’re here for you should you need to don’t hesitate to reach out.

Congrats Pathfinder!

Hi Dave! My apologies for the late replies. My wife and I took a long overdue holiday and we’ve been caring for our grandparents so I’m running a little behind. I’ll get with the team and take a look at what you’ve done and we’ll get back to you soon.

Blaster is looking great Dave thanks for taking the time to get that addressed. Ok if you feel you’ve ticked all the boxes on the list then it’s time for another suit up and round of pictures. Just a front, back, right, and left this time. Take care to get everything adjusted just right i.e. biceps, cod strap, bund, etc. So take your time with this set to ensure everything is perfect. You’re just about at the finish so keep up the great work!

Outstanding work Dave that’s exactly what needed to be done. Your attention to detail is really great.

Those helmet bolts are spot on! Nice work getting those changed out and you can really see the difference there. Regarding the blaster Chopper mentioned that “the hex bolt on the back of the blaster was only present on the "hero" version of the blaster. The "stunt" versions of the blaster didn't have it. The hero blaster had the scope front and barrel drilled, while the stunt version did not. Since this appears to be a stunt blaster, the hex bolt appears to be out of place.” Hero blaster back: http://www.501stpathfinders.com/images/scoutopedia/13. Blaster/Hero Blaster back.jpg Stunt blaster back: http://www.501stpathfinders.com/images/scoutopedia/13. Blaster/Auction Blaster52.jpg While the CRL doesn’t specifically address this bolt it’s not a show stopper but we wanted to bring it to your attention as we know you are driving for accuracy. If it’s something you would like to fix you could trim that raised section flush then fill the divot with some putty, let it dry and touch it up with a little black paint. Again your doing great work and getting closer and closer to the finish. Keep it up Pathfinder!

Here in Arizona I typically wear a t-shirt as well. I tried UA and it didn’t function as well as I hoped. You have a layer of flight suit, vest then the chest back armor which acts as a sort of convection oven as it’s hard to get any air passing across with it on. Most of our TKs do use UA as their base suit but the thickness of the flight suit material made it a wash for me.

Buckets Off to an amazing Pathfinder and man. Deepest condolences to his friends and family.

Hahaha! It’s always good to share the chores. This may work fine but also keep in mind to loosen that cod strap a bit so it doesn’t pull so tight. It may be that you might have to add some interfacing to it if this doesn’t work so I just want you to be aware of that. Other than that you’re doing great so keep it up! You’re getting closer to the finish!

Hi Steve. Actually you’re looking pretty good. When you say “it just sits weird” how do you mean? It might just be a matter of adjusting your shoulder bridges and getting the side strapping addressed. Let us know how we can help.

Great progress Dave. Thanks for the photos! We’ll take a look at the blaster and get back you. Keep up the great work!

Maybe pop your collar up then wrap the neck seal? You might be getting too much extra height from it sitting on the collar. @Chopper is MEPD and wears one maybe he has some ideas.

I think you have a pretty good plan laid out there Dave. If you have any questions or need any clarifications don’t hesitate to reach out to me or @Chopper at anytime. We’re here for you.

Hi Dave. Just a little clarification on the bolts are they flat or concave? I think in your response you mentioned they were flat? It’s still bit hard to make out in the photos. Thanks!

Hi Dave. Give me just a bit to reach out to the review team with these new photos and I’ll get back to you on the bolts as soon as we reach a decision. Thanks!