Guest hectic Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 A little back story: I have been lurking BikerScout.net for a long time, and have grown a strong appreciation for how complicated ALL of the costumes are. This was daunting to me, so I thought, "I'll buy a set piece by piece and take my time." I work full time for the Air Force, plus I have two kids (age two and 5 months), so I knew this would be a challenge. In December I met with Joe Taylor (a new addition to NER I believe?) and we talked helmets, and I showed him the DP lid I had recently bought, which was in bad shape. Not going to lie, I was discouraged. Sometime in February I saw a listing on eBay for a complete Biker Scout set (that needed work) for $800, and made the plunge. I figured I would be saving money after looking at the cost of other parts. The pics looked good, so I took a risk. I always had it in the back of my mind to apply to join the 501st, but time is never on my side! Amazingly as far as risks go, this paid off in a way - the person who previously owned the suit was exactly my size, so the flight suit and boots fit like they were made for me. The set didn't include the holdout blaster, which I bought separately. My goal became to have it finished by May for free comic book day - my friends own a comic book store in Hamilton Mall, and I wanted to be in the costume contest with my daughter! I honestly can't tell who manufactured the armor, even after comparing it to other brands on BS.net. I'm thinking it might be a gen 1 SC. The suit needed elastic bands, hot glue, and a little love to get it wearable for free comic book day! I also dirtied the suit up, because I always pictured post-speeder ride scouts to be covered in oil and grime! Known issues: - The helmet needs patching on the back. Previous owner (who told me he was 501st in California), had cut slits in the back for ventilation. I believe I can fix it. - Cloth covers for where the chest armor meets the back armor. I just ordered white elastic today! - Mud Flap on butt of flight suit. I just ordered faux suede! - Riding patch on inner thigh. This will be my biggest challenge. I don't know how to sew! - Greeblies for the thermal detonator. I created my own, but just got in an order of actual screen-accurate bits. - Rivets on holster. I am terrified to rivet and break something, so the holster is held on by velcro. I have just ordered a rivet tool, and will practice with it before trying on the holster/boot! Here is a link to my Flickr account. I will update when I post new shots of the individual pieces. Thank you in advance for any help I can get! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khazara Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Sounds like you're in a good place! I had some issues with the boot holster rivets and would like to share this advice: 1) after making holes in the vinyl boots for the rivets, sew around them to reinforce the holes and ensure they don't stretch/tear with use. 2) make sure your rivets are long enough! The ones that came with my riveting tool from Harbor Freight were too short and I had to remove them, redo the riveting, and create larger backing plates to hold everything together. 3) use a backing plate (washer) every time you rivet so that the rivet holds. I don't see your flickr link but it could be because I'm on Tapatalk for mobile. Welcome and enjoy!! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stasz Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 You hit the ground running! The thigh suede was definitely tricky for me. Probably the toughest part of my build, as I would insult the worldwide sewing community by claiming to be one of them Good luck with your project. We're here to help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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