New ROTJ Guard Build -- Getting organized

[growlly]

Hello Protectors, I'm a new prospect and I'm looking to get organized so I can save up and start working on a build that I can have ready towards the end of the year. I've browsed around the forums quite a bit, and I've compiled some information on costume parts that I thought would be very helpful for future prospects. I also have a few open questions, and I'll put those in bold. Note that I'm in the US, so prices are in US dollars. If I say ~$50, I'm giving an estimate, and I have zero costume experience so I could be wildly inaccurate.

1) Helmet $231 Amazon link
- My understanding is that this Rubies helmet is basically ready to go, minus a modification to the visor. Can someone give any more detail on the modification needed to be 501st ready?

2) Robe Pattern $8 Amazon link, Forum link

3) Inner Robe Fabric ~$50 Fabric store link
- I found a link to this in another thread. I don't know how many yards one would need, but including gloves and sash (and margin for error since I've heard gloves are tough), I'm assuming 10 to be safe.

4) Outer Robe Fabric ~$50 Fabric store link
- I'll probably have to buy the outer robe fabric locally in order to match it to the helmet, but hopefully this product is good enough for a price baseline.

5) Force Pike (home made) ~$45 Sir Ken's build or Bdgr's build
- I would have preferred to buy a nice one rather than make one, but it seems vastly cheaper to make one.

6) Sash Obi How-to Link
- I would (or rather, I would convince my wife to) make this out of the inner robe fabric.

7) Gloves How-to link
- Again, these would be made from the inner robe fabric.

8) Boots $51 Amazon link
- I'm unsure about these. I have wide feet, so I may have to shop around. I notice a lot of talk about getting red boots, but they seem difficult to acquire, black boots are supposedly acceptable, and black boots could be used for other costumes.

9) Sound Amplifier $13 Amazon link
- I read that it's very difficult to hear in the helmet, especially with fans blowing, and I saw this in another thread. While not essential from a costuming standpoint, I view it as a safety feature.

10) Fan $13 Amazon link
- Again, this seems essential for practical reasons due to overheating and fogging visors. The best wisdom I saw was to use tubing from Home Depot to run it into the helmet.

Total cost: ~$461. There's also the possibility of getting a DH-17 blaster and holster, but I think I could add those later on.

Please let me know if you have any thoughts, answers, or anything I left out and I'll update this post for future reference.

[cooldevo]

I've heard the rubies also have problems with the screws cracking the plastic. I'm guessing it can be modified, but not sure as I don't have one.

The inner robe for ROTJ is supposed to be velvet, there's a few other WiP threads where it's discussed. Such as: http://forcepike.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2348

For the gloves, keep in mind they need to be made differently than regular gloves because you are using a non-stretchy material (velvet). The seamstress that made my robes, sash, and gloves, took a couple of tries to get it right because most glove patterns expect a certain amount of stretch in them.

For boots, depending on your foot size, there are some sources that are relatively cheap red, pointed toe, conservative heel, such as Aliexpress (http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-2015 ... 42650.html) which are the ones I used. Size is based on women's sizing, and they only go up to 13 women's US size. Order at least one (or two) sizes larger than your foot (or converted foot size) if possible. I'm a 10 men's and the size 13 boot fits nicely with 3/4 length gel insoles.

Sound amplifier helps a lot, I picked up a cheap on on Aliexpress.

My personal fan setup is really nice. I picked up two cheap portable air conditioners off Amazon, some tubing, and velcro. I velcro the fans to my inner calves/knees, and it sucks up cool air from the floor into two tubes I run into the helmet. Even outside on a hot day, my head is generally quite comfortable.

[JosaN]

Do not use stretch velvet for either your inner or outer robe. It will not give you the look you want, will hang funny, and will be a nightmare to sew. It will make you sad. I don't want you to be sad. Look for cotton velveteen.

[cooldevo]

For specific fabrics, if you aren't sure what to go with, you can look in other WiP threads and usually find what types have been previously used, and you may find something convenient or close enough to make ordering reasonable.

I personally went with plush triple velvet for the outer robe, and cotton velvet for the inner robe/sash/lining/gloves. The cotton is more expensive, but is easily machine washable whereas the artificial ones are generally steam clean or dry clean only.

[JesterTDA]

I'll save you a few bucks and say the sound amplifier isn't going to work for you. The helmet is really loud (it's like a seashell) just not with all of the sounds you want. You'll get used to hand signals, social queues, and people yelling at you

Welcome to the one-armed club!

[cooldevo]

I'll save you a few bucks and say the sound amplifier isn't going to work for you. The helmet is really loud (it's like a seashell) just not with all of the sounds you want. You'll get used to hand signals, social queues, and people yelling at you

I picked up a cheap sound amplifier off AliExpress. I clip to to a piece under my inner robe just below the front of my helmet. I have a pair of sports earphones (they are sweat resistant) and I find it does help. It won't revolutionize what you can hear (overall makes everything outside you louder), but it will help somewhat.

The part I was most surprised about, is I can hear people talking behind me. I noticed that at the local ComicCon, when I was out roaming around with garrison Vader, Emperor, and Tarkin. I was behind them all, and could hear people asking to take pictures. Not sure why it works that way, I've mounted it with the microphone pointing ahead of me, but that's what seems to happen.