vaderjeff1744

Just sent you a PM regarding your robe!

GLAD to hear you resolved your issue with the hood! GOOD LUCK with the SmoothCast 65D. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE UPDATED PICS ONCE YOU GET MORE DONE!!!

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!! GREAT JOB! I LOVE IT!!!

I'm going to have to say it's a pouch. I can see why you might think it's a Covertec clip, as it's about the right size, but if you look at the details in some of your own photo reference, you can see what definitely looks like a flap on the front. I'll include a link to a 501st Vader CRL pic of Vader's Covertec clip from ROTS. I think you'll be able to see the differences between it and your photo reference of the piece in question. Here's the link - http://www.501st.com/databank/File:Lightsaberclip.jpg And here's a couple of slightly enhanced versions of two of your pics for reference - Hope this helps regarding this part! Now, onto other matters. With regards to the size issue questions on the hood, I'm not entirely sure I agree that it's too long, as much as HOW IT LAYS ON YOUR BACK! You have one GREAT reference of the backside of Starkiller while he's got the hood up & on. Here's the pic I'm talking about - It's the image on the upper right side. And here's a slightly enhanced version of the pic I'm talking about. - Now in the above two pics, it looks like the hood comes almost halfway down his back. However, look at how it lays across his back up near the shoulder area. It's fairly close to the body there, & doesn't bunch up much until more than half way down the length of the hood. Now for comparison, look at your rear view pic with the hood up. Here it is - See how your material is all bunched up at the top, & then hangs a bit more loose at the bottom. It's actually almost like it's laying opposite of how it should. In terms of length, it's close in this shot to the reference pic above. It could maybe even be a bit longer, as it looks like it's not quite reaching the center of your back. You may actually be right in your observation that the canvas liner that you used to stiffen the hood may actually be working against you! I'm not sure what you would substitute for your liner though. I wonder...Is there a way you could line the very front of the hood that is sitting on your head, & is visible when you're wearing it from the front, leave the center half with no lining, & then line/weight the last quarter to make the very back part a bit heavier, so it pulls that part down more, & bunches it up? I don't know if this makes sense, or is even feasible, as I CAN'T SEW to save my life! LOL!!! It just seems like if the part directly behind your head wasn't lined, it would sit closer to your back, & if the last quarter were heavier, it'd pull that part down more, & make it bunch up where you want it to. Does that make ANY sense? Again, these are just some observations I had while looking at your reference, & is ONLY MY OPINION! I do think you need to come up with something better regarding the hood, as something's not quite right with it yet. However, what that is will ULTIMATELY BE UP TO YOU IN THE END! If I were you, I'd experiment a bit before removing any fabric though, because as you said, it's EASY to TAKE some of it AWAY, but PUTTING IT BACK ONCE IT'S GONE IS A DIFFERENT STORY!!! I HAVE FAITH that you'll come up with a CREATIVE SOLUTION to this problem! GOOD LUCK, & I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU COME UP WITH!!!

WOW, I step out of the room for a bit to eat some dinner, & come back to a BUNCH of pics of you in FULL GEAR! IMPRESSIVE!!! Overall, it looks GOOD! I do think it will look EVEN BETTER once you've Plasti-Dipped the armor! It really NEEDS THAT SHEEN to make it look like the reference pics! Right now it's TOO FLAT looking, & that gives the "illusion" that the parts aren't the proper color, when I believe they are! Also, in observing your pics, it appears that the belt buckle is off center. I'd recommend that you maybe attach velcro to the back of the buckle area to hold it in place against the layer below it, so it doesn't move around. And isn't there supposed to be some kind of pouch or something also attached to that belt near the buckle? Maybe you haven't made that piece yet. If I may also say, I'm not totally thrilled with your interpretation of the buckle! PLEASE DON'T TAKE OFFENSE, but being a Vader costumer, I'd just like to point out that the buckle that Starkiller is wearing appears to be almost the same as Vader's. I say almost because it doesn't appear to have the black rectangular piece that is the back piece on Vader's buckle. Instead it is just the silver detailed part that makes up Starkiller's buckle. I'll include a couple of pics of 2 different styles of Vader's buckle. Yes, I just said different styles! For the uninitiated, Vader's buckle is a bit different in its details in EVERY Star Wars movie he appears in! Anyways, here's a link to several pics from off the 501st Vader CRLs. Here's the 1st- http://www.501st.com/databank/File:SL_v ... _belt.jpeg And here's the 2nd- http://www.501st.com/databank/File:SL_v ... j_belt.jpg Hope these helps! I think if you copy the details from the pics of the silver portion of the Vader buckle, your buckle will LOOK MUCH BETTER! I'm not sure which version Starkiller has for his buckle, as I can't see the details that well, but it looks a bit more like the ROTJ version, I think. Also, I'd recommend making the buckle out of Sintra, or some other harder material. Maybe even aluminum plating, as that's what the real thing is made of! You can use a dremel tool to cut the pieces out, add the details, & glue the parts together. Anyways, these are just suggestions! Take from them what you will! GOOD LUCK! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE MORE PICS WITH THE CHANGES!!!

CONGRATS on a JOB WELL DONE!!!

Thank you for pointing that out! Hubby said the EXACT same thing! I went out and got another can of plexidip. I'm wondering if I should have just bought the bottle of it? I thank you for pointing this stuff out. It doesn't look good and I am thinking 4 more coats (or more) will make it look better? I have Never used plexi dip Anyone know if the spray or can works better? Will do! See this is why I am here. Cause you guys are a LOT better at this than I I am going back to buy some now (and the HUGE can of plexidip haha) GLAD to help! As I HAVEN'T actually tried this technique on my build yet, that's why I suggested that you try this on some scrap foam first, before trying it on your actual parts. It'd be a shame if you ruined your armor, if it doesn't work for some reason! GOOD LUCK, & let me know how you make out!

Man, that's a tough one! I can see why you might think it could be 2 or 3! You can really only see 2 lines clearly. The 3rd one may or may not actually be there! I wish there was BETTER REFERENCE to be sure!!! I guess I might error on the side of caution, & start with the 2 lines initially. You can always add another line later if it's needed, but taking away a line later, if you find out it's not supposed to be there, well that's a different story all together! Just out of curiosity, have you sprayed the foam with Plasti-Dip yet? Just wondering, as it looks like you just painted the foam with spray paint. Please don't take this as criticism, but your gaunts still look like they're made from foam. I think you're going to want to Plasti-Dip them or something, to make them look less like foam. To my eye, they're just not shiny enough, to give that solid metal look. If you haven't, you may want to do the same for your chest armor, as I can still see the foam texture from your pic. I've never actually tried using Plasti-Dip before, but I've heard it works pretty good on foam. Did you seal the foam before you painted it? If not, you may want to coat it with PVA glue to seal the pores in the foam, & then recoat with Plasti-Dip & then paint. I'd suggest testing it on some scrap foam that's been painted in a similar manner first though, as I don't know the affect of putting PVA on foam that's already been painted. I'm actually planning on making my armor for my Sith Acolyte out of EVA foam. First, I'll be brushing on several thin coats of Modge Podge (PVA) craft glue to seal the foam, & then coating it with Smooth-On's Smooth Cast 65D. I'll include a link to a youtube video that shows this technique, in case you're interested. Here it is - THAT'S AWESOME NEWS!!! CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR APPROVAL of your Sith Robes Starkiller! GLAD I COULD HELP OUT!

I would have to concur with you in your final assessment that the gauntlets are black. I think the sheen on it is making light reflect off the surface in strange ways, that give the illusion, at times, that the armor is silver or a dark gunmetal color. I've actually been having a similar issue regarding the actual color of the armor for the Sith Acolyte, which is the costume I'm currently working on. The armor on all the approved Acolytes thus far have been silver or a gunmetal color, but to my eye, I think the armor may actually be black! I think its the same thing at play, where the semi-reflective surface of the armor can give the appearance of it being a color other than what it actually is, based on how the light is hitting it! It's FRUSTRATING at times, especially when there isn't an actual REAL costume that exist, or even very many GOOD QUALITY pics that exist for some of these characters that we're trying to bring to life! I guess that's where "Artistic license/interpretation" comes into play! In the end, you just have to try & make it as close as you can, based on the available reference material! By the way, I wanted to tell you how BLOWN AWAY I've been with the SPEED of this build! For what you've done, in the amount of time you've done it, I'M IMPRESSED!!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS FINISHED!!!

WOW, you work FAST! I'm no expert, but it looks like a pretty good start to me! I think once you get more completed, so we can see more of the details, it'll be a bit easier to tell how this is coming together. I wish there was better reference, as it's a little hard to tell some of the details! How are you handling the rear details on the costume? From the image references you've posted thus far, there doesn't seem to be too many rear views available. Do you have good photo reference for the back of the costume? I know I've struggled with similar issues with my son's Lord Starkiller, as the rear of the costume has A LOT of details, that have been hard for me to translate into reality based on the LIMITED photo reference available! Anyways, you've got a GREAT START on this! CAN'T WAIT to see more! GOOD LUCK!

I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND about being obsessed with costuming! I find myself being this way QUITE FREQUENTLY! There's ALWAYS another costume I want to do! I've actually had to reign myself in to a certain degree, as this can become ALL CONSUMING, not to mention EXPENSIVE!!! I've learned to focus on a few that I really want to do, & pour everything into them, until they're at a level of "Perfection" I'm happy with. I've been upgrading my Vader every since I joined the 501st, trying to get all the little details just right! These things take time, & LOTS of $$$ UNFORTUNATELY! I've got a few other Non-Star Wars costumes that I've also been upgrading, most recently my Indiana Jones & my Batman! They're finally getting close to the level of accuracy I've been striving for! The same thing goes for my son's Starkiller, which I've been working on upgrading for over a year now! It seems like these things are NEVER REALLY COMPLETE!!! LOL!!! By the way, VERY NICE JOB on the Jedi costume for your husband! It looks GREAT for something you just "threw together" in a short amount of time! And YOU'RE RIGHT, he WILL LEARN to RESPECT how COOL it is, ESPECIALLY compared to a Vader!!! VADER IS A SAUNA, & THAT'S NO JOKE!!! GOOD LUCK TO YOU in your future costuming endeavors! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOUR NEXT CREATION!!!

WOW, you move FAST! Just finish one costume, & already on to something new!LOL! That's alright, as I'm a lot the same way! I really like the look of this costume. It's very Vaderish in its look, with the upper armor somewhat reminding me of Vader's chest armor, the lighted box reminding me of Vader's chest box, & the belt buckle being the same as Vader's. Even the robes somewhat remind me of Vader's inner robes. Granted, I know there are definitely differences between this costume & Vader's, but it has a similar feel about it to me! Anyway, NICE CHOICE! GOOD LUCK with this! I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR PROGRESS!!!

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL work! Just STUNNING!!! Every detail is SO WELL DONE!!! LOVE IT!

It looks REALLY GOOD to me! If I were to make any constructive criticism, it might be regarding your boot armor. It appears to be made from vinyl, or something similar. You might want to consider remaking this small piece out of Sintra, or something similar, to give a more solid look to the pieces. You even might be able to use EVA foam or something similar to what you did for your shoulder armor. Either way, these materials are light weight, easy to cut, & easy to form into different shapes with a heat gun! When I look at the computer model pics you have of the character at the beginning of your thread, this small armored boot cover piece on the front of the boot appears to be a solid piece of armor. I can tell that what you have is a duel layer of gray vinyl. I know you may have used this material out of convenience because it's flexible, & it matches the grey greaves you have for the upper part of the boots, but it still looks like what it is, namely a double layer of vinyl attached to the front of the boots with elastic straps. It doesn't look horrible the way it is, but to my eye, based on the available reference material, it's not the correct material for the piece. This is in no way a slam on your costume, as I think it looks pretty SPOT ON in most other regards! I'm sure your local GML will tell you if you need to make such a change. It's just some "food for thought", & if you are approved without having to make changes to your gear, this could be a potential future upgrade, as these things are never truly finished! LOL! Again, GREAT JOB & a WONDERFUL COSTUME!

VERY NICE!

Your fabric looks similar in texture. I think it should work fine, although I personally think from some of the pics I've seen, the material actually looks more like a micro terry cloth knit material to me. I'm actually probably going to use a micro terry cloth knit material for my Acolyte robe. Here's a couple of pics to compare the look. Here's a high resolution pic of Malgus hood area: & here's a pic of a piece of cotton blend micro terry cloth: Finally, here's a link to a website that sells this material. http://www.fabric.com/apparel-fashion-f ... black.aspx Don't get me wrong, as I think your fabric looks good. It's just not what I would have chosen. I'm not saying that you should remake your cloak either. So far, everything looks GREAT to me! KEEP IT UP!!!

Looks GREAT so far to me!!! What are you planning to do about make-up & contact lenses? Also, are you planning lighting for your gauntlets, chest armor, & respirator? I'd also love to see some close-ups of your cape. What kind of material did you end up using? Is it a close match to the look of the material in some of the available high resolution images? From some of your previous posts, it looks like you've got some good ideas regarding battle scarring! I'll be EXCITED to see how this looks after you've coated the EVA & painted & weathered it! You're using a similar technique to what I'm planning for my Sith Acolyte armor build! VERY EXCITED TO SEE MORE!!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!

When submitting pics, I'll offer some advice. Take full on head to toe shots in front of a neutral background, making sure your background isn't the same color as your costume - (ie: If your costume is white, don't photograph it against white, if it's black, don't photograph it against black.) It's kind of common sense really. You want your costume to stand out against the background. Have someone take high quality pics, getting your full costume Front view, Left side view, Right side view, & Back view. Then have them move in for close-ups of some of the important details, such as armored parts, boots, gloves, belts, lightsabers, etc... If you have it, you should also include at least 3 reference images that are a good representation of the character, ie: digital models, action figures, comic book images, screen caps from the game, etc...when submitting your pics for approval. If you have a local branch of the 501st near you, I would advise contacting them, & find out who their GML is. This is the person who does approvals of costumes that are submitted for Legion approval. As this character is EU, they will probably refer your App. to Legion level for review. If changes are needed, they'll notify you. Once any requested changes have been made, you just need to resubmit pics of the changes. Once approved, they'll notify you. From there, it's pretty much just a matter of picking out your TKID. Don't be frustrated if your submission isn't approved on the 1st try! This happens frequently. Don't let it get you down if it does happen. Just make the requested changes, & resubmit. I'm sure you'll do fine! You can always post your pics here too, so members can critique your work, & give you advice on what may need changing before you actually submit your pics for approval. We're all here to help that happen, so post away! I'm not sure if you can submit your pics here for approval or not? If there isn't any 501st Garrisons in your area, this might be a possibility. Maybe Pam or someone else more in the know than me can chime in here, & answer that question. GOOD LUCK! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOUR FINISHED PICS!

You are correct. To my knowledge, there is presently only one person with a 501st approved Lord Starkiller. His name is Federico Catarinelli (SL-7056) from the Italian Garrison. Absolutely AMAZING COSTUME! I'll provide a link to his 501st profile here, if you're interested. Here it is: http://www.501st.com/members/displaymem ... tumeID=151 As an aside, I'm also working on this costume for my son. I plan on submitting pics so he can get his approved next February when he turns 18. My son is presently a member of the Galactic Academy. I've posted pics on here before of progress on his costume, as I've been slowly making improvements & upgrading parts. The link in Amidala's post shows a pic of my son's costume. I'll include another pic so you can see. If you have any questions, or need help, send me a PM. I'm more than glad to help a fellow costumer if I can! I've done a TON of research on this costume already! Just let me know if I can help! Here's a pic of my son's costume. ENJOY

VERY NICE! Keep up the good work! Looking forward to seeing more!

VERY NICE! Looking forward to continued updates!

VERY NICE! The pants look GREAT! Looking forward to seeing more!

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL WORK!!! Just WOW!!!

NICE! Keep the updates coming!

Absolutely AWESOME WORK so far! Keep it up! CAN'T WAIT TO SEE MORE!!!