Geographer's Scout Build WIP

[Geographer]

Hey guys,

 

 

 

This is a thread I've been looking forward to making for a while now. I finally feel like I have enough parts gathered to start working on my scout! I don't have every part yet, and there really isn't much in the way of build progress, but the bulk of the costume seems to be here so lets get this started!

 

 

 

I currently have my SC armor, a black Redkap coverall, WampaWear scout gloves, white duck cloth for the cummberbund, white marine vinyl for the boots, and a ton of extra velcro and elastic in various widths (though I forgot to get sticky Velcro). I also have all the snaps one could ask for! Here are some pictures of what I got so far:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like everything is here! Laying everything out makes the task of putting this together seem even more intimidating, but it will be so worth it once it's all put together!

 

 

 

 

Since this picture, I've removed the chest pockets and am going to use them to make the Mandarin collar! It's a small step, but it's the first modification I've done so far!

 

 

 

 

These gloves are incredible. I went with a size bigger than I usually wear and it was the right choice. They really do fit like a glove!

 

 

 

I still need wheat-colored work boots, my helmet, and batting for the vest as well as the cummerbund. I'm considering these Kmax2 work boots from Kmart based on a couple of boot threads I've seen on the forum. My helmet is coming from Spike and I'm incredibly excited to get it! A good thing is worth waiting for and this helmet is no exception to that.

 

 

 

The soft parts are going to be an interesting challenge. I've only sewn part of a costume by hand. Absolutely not enough of an experience to make the cummerbund, flak vest, and Redkap mods with! Though I did get my hands on a sewing machine and I am going to try and DIY some of these soft parts... will it be an success or an unmitigated disaster? Stay tuned to find out! (Though I'm sure with the help of this forum, anything is possible!)

 

 

 

Not much progress on this first post, but I'll be posting more progress whenever I complete/obtain a part. Or, if I'm really stumped, I'll ask some much needed questions here. I look forward to building this with you all!

[Geographer]

Actual build progress! I want to thank Navajo Bro (BSN member and the Northeast Remnant's XO) and my girlfriend for helping me out with these parts and showing me how to get started in general. I feel much more comfortable with building after spending a few hours working on my armor with him.

 

The belt has been built! Bro and I followed the instructions that came with the SC armor which called for the three belt pieces to be riveted together. This disqualifies the belt from meeting Lancer requirements, but that's fine because I'm only trying to get as close as I can to Lancer (though one day I'll get there)! I'm planning on painting the rivets white to not draw too much attention to them. If you have any criticism on the belt, please let me know!

 

 

 

The Completed Belt

 

 

 

 

 

 

Riveted Side Boxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Screws holding the elastic drop box straps to the overall webbing

 

 

 

 

 

 

It fits well! Anyone have any criticism about the drop box length? I'll put up a full body picture to get a better sense of scale in a moment.

(Click to enlarge)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Besides the belt, we also worked on the forearm strapping! I had a vague idea on how to sew the straps before, but watching how it was done was super helpful. Both sites are sewn close. No snaps or anything of the sort. Do you guys think this is the best way to keep the straps on? I still gotta do the knee straps so I could try another method if its more secure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here's everything so far all put together! I apologize for the mug shot (and the toilet paper). Hopefully there will be a scout bucket covering that up in the near future! I couldn't figure out exactly how the forearm pieces went on in relation to the gloves, but I imagine the upper lip of the forearm pieces go over the gauntlet part of the gloves? It's probably hard to tell if everything looks good without all the other pieces in place, but let me know if anything seems off!

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, I wanted to post about the greeblies. We did the tank topper and the bicep last night and the good thing is they're not falling off. That's a huge plus! The tank topper has some overflow residue issues and I'm still trying to find a way to elegantly remove the residue without pulling off the greeblie. Does anyone have a method on how to do that? The good thing is I think it is almost ready to be riveted to the back piece!

 

 

 

 

 

[Griffin-X]

Great progress and your scout! The only item that of concern is the rivets on the belt. If you plan go Lancer, you'll need to redo that entire setup. There should be only (1) rivet on each side of the back. I realize the SC belt comes in (3) pieces, but you really should have glued them together, rather than adding (2) more additional rivets.

[Geographer]

Hey Jim, thanks for the reply!

 

We were going with the instructions that came with the SC armor which called for the rivet set up we had there. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to go with those instructions to the letter?

 

I wasn't planning on going Lancer right out of the gate, but I would like to at some point after I get approved. I'm still not familiar with working on ABS, but are there methods do remove the pop rivets and fill in the holes if it came to that? Or would an entirely new belt in order?

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[Griffin-X]

Hey Jim, thanks for the reply!

 

We were going with the instructions that came with the SC armor which called for the rivet set up we had there. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to go with those instructions to the letter?

 

I wasn't planning on going Lancer right out of the gate, but I would like to at some point after I get approved. I'm still not familiar with working on ABS, but are there methods do remove the pop rivets and fill in the holes if it came to that? Or would an entirely new belt in order?

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

No worries, and glad I caught your post. Yes, you can easily remove them using a 1/8" drill bit. You just drill right through that rivet from the outside and it'll pop right out. Once you do that, you will need to trim the ABS parts with the holes off, then glue the smaller belt part over the main belt part. I think you'll have plenty of room. Below are pics of how I did my Shadow Scout (my classic scout is a KS kit with a 1-piece belt).

 

This is my shadow scout belt. You can see the belt ends just past my sides, and then the webbing takes over for the TD.

 

 

 

 

[Geographer]

Thanks for that belt guide, Jim! I'm definitely going to redo the belt to act as one solid piece, but I think that will come after general approval (I'm so excited to get out there and troop!)

 

Issues/Questions:

• Some scout build's I've seen have an all-gray thermal detonator while others have the one I got with SC. Which is appropriate and does my TD need repainting?
  
• Are my pin-stripes on the tank place correctly? Something about them seems off and I can't get it right no matter how many times I replay the vinyl.
  
• Are my shoulder straps looking alright (the ones that connect the shoulders to the chest/back)? Does the black elastic go over or under the cotton webbing?
  
• For the real suede riding patches, do I sew on the suede directly to the flight suit or do I put Velcro on both the suit and the patches for easy removal? I'm hearing tons of different methods for this and I'm unsure what path to take.
  

 

 

Even more progress have been made! I have to thank Navajo Bro once again for showing me how all this is done / letting me use his workshop space / measurements / putting together some of the trickier parts / food! Together we completed about 90% of the hard armor plastic pieces. This is the finished product (sorry for that stupid head in the picture)!

 

 

 

I noticed from this picture that the Redkap suit is a little baggy in some places This is especially true above the knees. I think this can be fixed once the boots are complete, but if that doesn't do it I think I'll be able to take the bottom of the legs in a bit to make it more form fitting. The collar of the Redkap has been folded, stitched, and we've added the Velcro strap for a Mandarin collar.

 

Here's a picture of the back. We also got the thermal detonator done as well. I was really surprised to learn it's all held together by zip ties and juice bottle caps (and glue). I am really confused about the color, however. I've been a few builds weere the TD is colored grey... but others were it is colored the way I have it? Does this need to be painted grey?

 

 

 

Thermal Detonator:

 

 

Here's the thermal det up close. Some of the greeblies have some excess glue but that'll be taken care of. Also, the cuts for the zip tie is a bit rough but making that cut just big enough to fit it was a doozy:

 

 

 

Chest/Back Plates:

 

 

Since that picture, I've added the tank topper decals as well as the grey square decal on the front chest plate. Here's nearly what it looks like now:

 

 

It's nearing completion, but it's just missing a few little things. For one, the white fabric loop which covers the shoulder bridges is missing, and we kinda forgot the rivet on the tank topper... that'll be fixed soon! I'll make that fabric loop at a later date, but I've actually been working on the tank's missing pin-striping while I've been type this. This is my best attempt so far:

 

 

I've pulled up a ton of reference photos and I keep seeing different positions/lengths for both vertical and horizontal stripes. I didn't press down too hard on the vinyl stripes for this reason. I want to be able to easily peel off the stripes because I know they will need some replacing. Something about the pin-stripes just seems... off. Also, I'm not sure why I stopped at 4 rank stripes. It just felt right! What rank would that even be? Here's a head-on view of the tank if it helps:

 

 

We used cotton elastic to connect the chest and back plates. I'm definitely thinking about rounding the plastic edges. Not that I feel it, I just think it might look better:

 

 

 

 

This is the T-strap connecting the top of the chest and back plates. The white fabric is cotton webbing instead of nylon just to make it more screen accurate. Though, this part is covered by a white fabric loop, so how would anyone know if this strap is cotton or nylon? Regardless, we stuck with cotton. Also, terrible posture warning:

 

 

 

Forearms/Biceps/Shoulder Bells/Knees:

 

Unlike our first attempt with the forearm pieces which was secured by sewing the elastic, we decided to use velcro to make things more adjustable. This was important because I've yet to make my vest, and the shoulder bell straps are sure to need more clearance. Here's the line up:

 

 

 

Boots:

 

We also got started on the scout boots! I got a pair of KMAX2's from Kmart for $20 as the base. It has a really great wheat sole which is perfect for the scout boot. The fabric is white marine vinyl I picked up from Joanne's for $20/yrd (1 yard seems to be more than enough):

 

 

 

Next steps:

• Vest: should be completed in a day.
  
• Cummerbund: I have the duck cloth, the batting, and the sewing machine. Putting this together seems pretty intimidating... but it will be done!
  
• Suede patches: I got a 4 foot black pigskin suede split from Tandy Leather which seems like it'll be enough.
  

[Geographer]

Here with another major check off the build item list. My Altmann helmet came in from Australia and I am absolutely ecstatic! I wanted to show off some of the pics because it's a helmet absolutely worth showing off. I also know a lot of people consider this helmet when looking for their first, so maybe this can be a decision making tool as well.

 

Here it is, the Altmann scout helmet:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If anyone is interested in the rest of my build it is nearing it's completion. I'll have pictures of the parts I've been working on hopefully by next week. The boots are pretty much complete, the vest is pretty much put together, and and besides that the hard parts have been put together. The final beast in the way is the cummerbund and, with the help of my girlfriend and tons of reference photos, it will be conquered.

[Retrofire]

Great build Vinny! I just ordered my SC armor so looking forward to getting started. I will also be joining the Altmann's team as well once mine arrives. One item I noticed was that the greeblies on your TD are backwards from the CRL requirements. The round greeblie should be on the right and the rebel rank badge on the left (http://databank.501st.com/databank/Costuming:TB_Scout_trooper-detonator). Keep up the great work!

[Geographer]

Thanks for the kind words Retrofire! You can't go wrong with the SC kit. Jeff was super speedy with the delivery and was quick to awnser any questions I had. You'll love it and it's really easy to put together!

 

...One item I noticed was that the greeblies on your TD are backwards from the CRL requirements. The round greeblie should be on the right and the rebel rank badge on the left (http://databank.501s...ooper-detonator). Keep up the great work!

 

Haha the backwards TD greeblies were something I was going to address in my next update! Those are pretty embarrassing because I was trying to be super careful about the placement while doing it. I was looking at Pandatrooper's build and the picture he had put the rank badge turned 180 degrees, so that's what I did with mine. No worries, though! It has since been fixed, the hose painted the proper shade of grey, and has been re-assembled to (hopeful) perfection.

 

Good eye, Peter! I bet you'll have yours done error free once you get it!

[Retrofire]

Thanks for the kind words Retrofire! You can't go wrong with the SC kit. Jeff was super speedy with the delivery and was quick to awnser any questions I had. You'll love it and it's really easy to put together!

 

 

 

Haha the backwards TD greeblies were something I was going to address in my next update! Those are pretty embarrassing because I was trying to be super careful about the placement while doing it. I was looking at Pandatrooper's build and the picture he had put the rank badge turned 180 degrees, so that's what I did with mine. No worries, though! It has since been fixed, the hose painted the proper shade of grey, and has been re-assembled to (hopeful) perfection.

 

Good eye, Peter! I bet you'll have yours done error free once you get it!

 

Ha! Thanks Geographer! That's because I've had the luxury of the experience of all the Scouts before me to draw upon for my build. I can only hope it's up to the standards this fabulous group of troopers deserves. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. I can't wait for the Altmann's to come in from down under. Your armor is looking great post more pics!

[Geographer]

Alright, time for another update! My job has it where the only chance I get to work on my scout is the weekend so that's why updates have been slow. I'm really happy to say that the build is finally almost done!

 

Here is a picture of the entire costume so far (sorry about the terrible quality and the fact that it was hastily put on). To me it looks like it's nearing completion:

 

 

 

 

The only two things missing from my costume now are the dreaded cummerbund and the just-as-dreaded suede patch. I'm deciding to bring my flight suit and suede to a tailor to get sewn on professionally. As far as I've read on here, those patches are just too much trouble. I'm going to attempt the beginnings of the cummerbund with my girlfriend this weekend and we'll see what happens. If it's a complete disaster, I'll be looking out for one on here!

 

So here's what I got done since my past post:

 

-----------------------------------------------

 

Boots:

 

The boots are now pretty much 99.5% complete. They came out amazing and I really need to thanks Navajo Bro for how great they look. The only thing left to do now is to cut out the details on the bottom wheat part of the boots. We followed the boot tutorial on here and it worked like a charm. I'm just thankful my feet stopped growing at a size 13 US. Otherwise finding the base boots might have been much harder.

 

 

 

 

 

Vest:

 

 

The next thing we (my girlfriend, mostly) did was put together the vest. We just followed the vest tutorial on here and it worked out wonderfully and saved a ton of money doing it. These were two black 2XL heavy cotton t-shirts and some batting in the sleeves. Take a look at the results:

 

 

 

 

If you look at the first full ensemble picture I posted, you can see the vest flares out from the bottom of the shoulders bells like it does in the scout trooper crl. I really recommend going a t-shirt size larger than that you normally wear for this reason. Everything, to me at least, seems perfectly sized and at the right lengths.

 

Helmet Padding:

 

I was super concerned about using a hot glue gun with my helmet due to potential plastic warping and I wasn't much of a fan of how the 1" yellow project foam looked when I test-taped it into my bucket so I decided on a different approach. A member on the NER forum suggested I take a look at Condor helmet padding like he had in his scout bucket.

 

These helmet pads felt way better than I imagined! Not only that, but they keep my helmet incredibly secure on my head. I thought that the sheer size of my massive planet-like head would rip the side-cheek pads right off each time I put on the helmet, but they hold on strong each time. I must have put on the helmet 10 times now without any issues. Here is what it looks like inside my Alt:

 

 

Thermal Detonator:

 

And here's a quick picture update to my messed-up TD. It has since been fixed and here's what it looks like now:

 

 

-

 

I'm really excited with the progress we've made with this costume and I'm even more excited to be so close in finally joining the 501st with it. So far I've had a blast hanging out/making my armor with them and can't wait to finally be a trooper Just a little more and I'll trooping out there!

[Geographer]

Soooooo. Very. Clooooose.

 

This update is mainly about the cummerbund and the thigh suede patches.

 

The cummerbund... boy oh boy. It sure took a while to get going but it's finally done. Well, I say that but in reality this will be Cummerbund 1.0. It has a couple issues that I think can't be completely fixed so I think a new cummerbund will be in order soon. This one doesn't look too bad when it's all on. It just isn't perfect. Here it is:

 

 

It looks pretty wrinkly and the lighting makes the lines hard to see in this picture but I've sewn 7 lines into the front of the bund when I think I should have stuck with 6. Also, the major issue is that I made the bund too short so I added material to the back end so I can close it nice and tight. I haven't taken a picture of it, but I think it's mostly covered in the back by the overlapping side. It's just unfortunate that I didn't add those extra couple inches at first so it could have been avoided.

 

The codpiece also does that "camel toe" thing, especially when it's too tight. I've seen pandatrooper's fix for this, but I think that is more worth doing for Cummerbund 2.0. In the meantime, I'll try and come up with a jury-rigged version that wont make it look... well like a camel toe.

 

Speaking of that, here is the pinned version of my suede thigh patches:

 

 

I had no help at all pinning these so they probably aren't completely perfect , but they look pretty good to me. It's been suggested to me that I take this to a tailor because these can be a real pain in the butt for a novice sewer. If anyone sees anything insanely wrong, please let me know!

 

------------------

 

Hopefully this will be one of the last updates. After I craft these pouches, it should be approval pictures time. If only work didn't get in the way this would be gone by the end of the week!

[Geographer]

Hey Everyone!

 

It's been a long time since I updated this, but I have a pretty major update and wanted to share it. The build is by all means, done! I had a bit of trouble for a while with the sewing, but I finally managed to make my pouches and finish the details of the cummerbund in time. It also took me about three weeks because of my lack-of-time, but I finally finished cutting out the notch details in the boots. (I have the calluses on my fingers to prove it!)

 

------------------------------

 

Please be warned, this is by no means a perfect build and there are quite a few things that will need to be fixed/upgraded as time goes on. It's mainly the cummerbund that needs some touching up to do. First of all, that camel toe effect is... yikes. Not a huge fan of that. It also needs to be tapered in the back to stop the sides from flaring out of the bottom chest armor. The pouches also seem a bit too low for where they probably should be. An inch higher and it'll be good! Finally, I swear I've sewn on the seven lines needed in the front of the bund, but they really didn't come out that prominent. I don't know how that happened, but they're there when you look at it up close!

 

Yes, some things look a bit sloppy, but nothing that can't be fixed in the long run! I'm surprised I even got it done at all, and probably wouldn't have without the help of my friends and the NER! Overall, I'm super happy with it and can't wait to start trooping in this thing. Here are some pics of the whole thing together:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WARNING! ULTRA SLOPPY BACK PICTURE. TOTALLY BUMPED INTO SOMETHING BEFORE THIS WAS TAKEN!

 

[tfett40]

looking good man. Congrats on getting this done.

[Geographer]

looking good man. Congrats on getting this done.

 

Thanks Ted! It's got a few noticeable issues, but man does it feel great to have this done.

[Retrofire]

Look forward to hearing you've been approved!

[Nigel Warrack]

Dude you finished so fast! I need to get going on my build! Looks great Vinny!

[Geographer]

Dude you finished so fast! I need to get going on my build! Looks great Vinny!

Thanks Nigel! I guess I am super impatient because it felt like it was taking an eternity to complete this. I've never done something this ambitious so maybe that's why. I hope my speed can be an inspiration for all future scouts lol

 

Taking it a bit slower might have been a good idea just to work out some of the kinks before completing it, though (mainly in that damn cummerbund). Still, feels super good to have it officially completed and approved!