As promised earlier, I’ll begin with a quick writeup on the mysterious canteen which DK has put to triple use as a GFFA prop-base.
Dimensions: approximately 6 x 8 x 2 inches.
Capacity: approximately 1250 milliliters, which is about 250 more than most of my other canteens (my WW2 Russians, US, and UK are all just a hair over or under a liter), which is pretty nice. However, getting this maximum capacity involves getting any air out of the top section next to the spout. I wonder if–based on the similar shape of my vintage icepack–this canteen was meant for cold weather use?, as the top section might allow for extra expansion during freezing?
My canteens are both clearly marked ‘US’ in a recessed area (on the other side of the props), and ‘1 US 1993 H.T.P.’ on the bottom. Continue reading “Building the Jedi Persona: 4.1 – Canteens”
Category: Projects
Research Pays Off: Jedi Service Corps Embroidery
Back last spring when I was first putting my AgriCorps Jedi persona together, I wanted some way to help indicate (besides the bucket hat, folding trowel, and complete lack of lightsaber) that Silo wasn’t another run-of-the-mill Knight that most people picture when they think ‘Jedi’. What I really wanted was some kind of patch that I could sew onto my outfit or field gear to help designate my membership in the Agricultural Corps.
Since I didn’t know of any existing symbols used by the various branches of the Service Corps (what’s the plural of corps? It can’t be corpses?), I opted to use a mid-90s Girl Scout ‘Plant Culture’ merit badge, since—to my eyes—it looked like a pair of non-human hands growing a plant with the Jedi consitor sato technique.
However, recent subsequent research has yielded a great development—the various branches of the Service Corps did, in fact, have their own insignia after all!: Continue reading “Research Pays Off: Jedi Service Corps Embroidery”
Building the ‘Outer Persona’: Backpack
If you want to get some authentic ‘woods time’ in your GFFA pursuits, you’re eventually going to need something to haul your gear around. I’ve had this trusty 1950 pack (made, as far as I can tell, by Bergan’s of Norway?) for seven years now, and I’ve been tweaking it here and there almost since I bought it.
I thought it would be a good idea to share all the various mods and justifications I’ve made over the years to make it roughly fit the GFFA commoner’s ‘aesthetic’. Continue reading “Building the ‘Outer Persona’: Backpack”
Building the Rebel Persona: 5.2 – Blaster rifle
Once I had made enough progress on the research front to begin crafting the ‘outer persona’ for a Rebel impression, and had made plans to debut ‘Citizen Olis’ at a summer camp presentation on wilderness survival, I knew I’d need some kind of blaster. While I talk with my hands and demonstrate a fair amount during workshops, it’s still nice to have a blaster at your hip or on a sling, etc., as it underlines the always-armed attitude of a partisan guerilla: Continue reading “Building the Rebel Persona: 5.2 – Blaster rifle”
Building the Rebel Persona: 5.1 – Helmet
As I said in the previous Hard Kit overview, I opted to give ‘Citizen Olis’ a little armor in the form of a Rebel ‘swoop’ helmet.
“Rebel soldiers wear very little protective armor, typically a helmet at most, though some soldiers wear chest and abdomen plates. Alliance tacticians believe that complete freedom of movement is more useful than the dubious protection provided by armor—which rarely stops a blaster bolt anyway.” West End Games: Rebel Alliance Sourcebook p.99)
As my first serious foray into the world of Pepakura (cardstock + resin), while it’s not perfect, I am extremely pleased with how it turned out! (While researching construction techniques, I came across one fan’s attempt at making the helmet using the same files as I did…I was determined to have the final product come out better than his—a rather low bar—but I am still quite surprised how nice mine looks in the end).
The road from computer file to three-dimensional helmet, however, was long and winding. Continue reading “Building the Rebel Persona: 5.1 – Helmet”
Living History in the Star Wars Galaxy 