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Showing content with the highest reputation on 06/25/2021 in Posts

  1. We have just updated the forum back end software Invision, so you may witness a few minor changes to the front facing forums, side bar information etc. Also while the slightly massive update occurs you may experience longer then usual page loading times. We appreciate your patience while this is taking place and our IT geeks work to return full functionality over the coming days.
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  2. RSProps have completed my build and will be shipping shortly.. :) Super excited
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  3. I’ve got a Walt TLJ lid coming soon, so will give some feedback when it arrives
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  4. I think it's time to open a thread here about my newly acquired Anovos TK suit. this is a factory assembled ensemble that lived in someone's garage for years. Now it's mine and I WILL be putting it into service soon I hope. still has the plastic on much of it. only a few soft goods missing, and 1 hand plate. Parts: Armor - Anovos pre assembled Ensemble Helmet - Included helmet fans - TroopaCoola Under-suit - black compression skirt and pants off internet... Neckseal - Geeky Pinks or Anovos (have both) Belt - included (plan to replace, but as yet not ordered) Gloves - Joseph Pedigo Hand Plates - Joseph Pedigo Boots - Crowprops Voice Amp - TRamp E-11 Blaster - TroopaCoola JMC Follow that build here Revvek’s E-11 [TroopaCoola JMC] blaster build
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  5. You'd have a hard time adding grooves to it It's also a bit wide The belt is ribbed and made from a rubber or a rubber like material. The width of the belt is approximately 2" (50mm).
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  6. i decided to upgrade my rubies e-11 with some more greeblies to make it more accurate. i made them out of polystyene, toothpicks and random stuff. im planning on sanding down the T-tracks some more. it did have the power cylinders, but they were 3d printed and kept breaking. Im getting new ones soon. im gonna repaint it after sanding the t-tracks more.
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  7. After asking lots of questions and making quiet progress, it's finally time to start my own build thread. My BBB day actually was May 13, 2021. The box looked a little roughed up, but thankfully everything was packed well. I ordered my armor and helmet kit from 850 Armorworks April 10th, so the turnaround time was really nice. This is my first kit of any kind, so I started with the hand plates thinking they would be an easy way to learn how “workable” the ABS is. In general I'm using aviation snips for rough cutting and a Dremel sanding disk. I'm not brave enough to cut out the slot yet, but things are going well so far. I'll probably trim off more of the return edge when I do. The gloves from Endor Finders are great! I started drilling out some holes in the helmet to enable further cutting by holding a jigsaw bit between my hands. I'll come back with the sanding drum where possible and files or sandpaper in the smaller openings. In the meantime I present Odinhelm! Their design is rotocast resin, which feels pretty thick and solid in most places, but there are some thin spots too that I mentioned in another thread. Based on the advice there I'm going to try to reinforce it somehow. Maybe that would be a good time to learn how to make ABS paste and slather it on. I've seen a lot of people working from the abdomen out, so that's where I went next. It's a 3-piece construction with a front half, back, and sides formed together. The back gets split in half, and you leave as much as you need on either side of the reinforcement for the trauma plate. After careful measurements I determined I could cut the sides to size such that those edges would be covered by the trauma plate. I have everything temporarily taped together, and it still fits without splitting the back yet. I intentionally wore a jacket to give some extra margin. I managed to cause a bit of a controversy in James's build thread (jamesmillerio sorry man! ) when I asked him about the black stripe that will go on the sides. It ended up on a tangent about the angle of the ribs and stripe, which on the 850 kit is not as steep as Jimmi kits. It's still “approximately 70 degrees” per the CRL though, and many people have been approved with it. I don't have the skills (yet?) to do major surgery, so I'm leaving it as is and thinking it looks alright. We aren't the first to make this kit. I rough cut the right bracer and bicep then trimmed them further to fit. It'll take me a bit to glue them together, as the resin cover strips require a lot of sanding and filing. So far I think that's the weak spot of this kit. It looks like the molds were 3D-printed, and they leave a lot of ridges just as if the parts were printed themselves. Also some gaps that may need patched (bubbles during pouring maybe?) and some angles that just didn't turn out right. I used painter's tape (can you tell I like that stuff?) to make sure I didn't sand too much away. Next I turned my attention to the chest and back because I didn't think I'd know how much to trim the pauldrons (shoulder bells) without seeing where the shoulder straps would be. The chest seems way to big for me. I'm not a big-and-tall trooper! The sides don't line up very well, and the pectoral lines are falling too low. What I'm planning to do is cut off shoulder strap mounts and reattach them further down to lift the whole thing up a few inches. That's all for now!
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  8. Looks nice Steve! I also have an Anovos kit that came with a pre-built helmet. You are ahead of the game a little with the rest of your kit being pre-made but don't let that stop you. I hadn't seen one lined on the inside of the armor before, that's is interesting to me. You're Brow is fine with the length but the inside of the helmet you will definitely want to address the padding situation. I too didn't like the way they did the eyes and cleaned them up as well. You may also want to double check the screws they used on the ears. They should be V shaped counter sunk screws but it doesn't look like that is what they used in your picture. Glen has already given some good tips on the frown. A few of the teeth look like they just turn the corner onto your gums. I used a toothpick and some Goo Gone to go back and forth over that corner to clean them up.
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  9. Thank you to all. Your advice and suggestions will really help me out! Cheers, Piers.
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  10. Hi Jacob. This is the idea I have to place the forearms boxes. hope I can work with this on weekend. 1- 2- 3- ABS Squares 4- Glue the box over.
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  11. The hair dryer worked great! As per a bunch of suggestions on Facebook and a video from Trooperbay, I sprayed the decal (which I’d removed) and the bucket with a solution of water and a squirt of dish detergent, and floated it into position, then gently rubbed/dabbed it with tissue until while holding it in place until the water was gone. Once the water/soap was gone it stuck pretty well, but still had bubbles, and wasn’t sitting great, so I used the hair dryer and gently worked it to fit. I did rub a little too vigorously trying to remove the air bubbles and rubbed a little of the ink off, but it’s barely noticeable, and my fault for using a tissue instead of a soft cloth, and it looks pretty darn good if I say so myself. After some cleanup on the paint, and adding the tube stripes with the soap and water trick as well, I’d say it’s done. There are some scratches on the right lens which I need to buff out, but I’m pretty stoked with how it turned out! It’s been a long time in progress! Next up: helmet padding, and fixing holes in the abdominal and kidney plates.
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  12. Ok, I have to say it since no once else did... "Aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper?" Welcome. I am new to this as well and waiting for my armor to arrive early next week (provided tracking can be trusted.) This is a great group and I've learned a ton just surfing through the various posts.
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  13. G’day Steve You’re in good hands with Glenn and the WA crew. I’m over in Melbourne, but give us a hoy if you need any advice or help [emoji4] I bought my compression stuff from Aldi. Obvo it doesn’t get as hot here, but it does the job and at the price point its cheap enough to buy a couple of sets [emoji6] Cheers Rudi Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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  14. FINISHED! I just need to replace the side bracket with a metal one, and add the screws to mount to my thigh holster.
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  15. I ended up cutting a big hole in the top of the slide, rather than try to use the 2 pin sockets, there just wasn't enough clearance for things to fit together that way... didn't take a photo of that!... but no pin socket meant soldering the parts together and when the power pack is installed for the first test, it works!
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  16. Time to cross the finish line! the LEDs I ended up using for this project are tiny SMD LEDs strung together with a resistor to help them run at the proper voltage. they work! they fit in the window perfectly! At this point I was still considering adding some pins to plug into the 2 sockets in the top of the slide unit. (pictured in a previous post above) but then I played with trying to put things together and that ALL went out the window. So instead I just added some silicone wires, and glued only the sides in. This was to reduce heat issues by letting air each the LEDs. I also started to make some small clear diffuser lenses to fit inside. Then glued it all together in a stack. and I have the sight rail ready
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  17. First off, I came up with a solution to install this side on my way home from work! Then, it occurred to me that maybe I left out an important nugget to those following this thread. Seems like it should be simple, BUT this side needs to be inserted from INSIDE the magazine shell! It doesn't use screws like the other side, and I didn't want it to pull out easy by installing from the outside. it has little wings on the corner, to help it not pull through from behind. Anyway, it's IN! I used the magnet on one end, stuck to a long hex driver, to reach down inside the shell and push it into place. (pictured here, without wires) Now I had both sides ready to test conductivity once I put them together! so I broke out the meter! And, it didn't work.... If you notice, in the photo above, the 2 center little contact pads moved back inside when I soldered the wires on! Something a small hammer and the same hex driver didn't solve. It works now! (insert squealing sound of the meter showing 0 resistance!) time to move on with grip paint and final assembly
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  18. assembly photo of parts I have painted so far. And finally I have the power pack (V1) printed and the battery fits in the bottom as planned! just need to wire things up and install the magnetic contacts in the top, and find a way to keep the slide on cap on the bottom.
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  19. also started to model what I call the Laser block, to make that one easy to add lights in the windows as well.. but haven't finished it yet. Also I included holes in the 3 posts to maybe include red lights or lasers pointers behind them.
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  20. If a picture paints 1,000 words then this photo review of @Hellhounds' rubber E-11 blaster will be an EU-expanse worth of information for any Trooper seeking a product comparable to the old Hyperfirms and the newer Praetorian blasters. The inspiration for this thread came from the fantastic comparison (thread) of a Hyperfirm (HFx) B-Grade rubber blaster verses that from Praetorian Blasters (PB), by @kman. In fact, the angles of my photographs are intended to replicate those used by kman, to provide the opportunity for close comparison of the three models. Essentially, these two threads should compliment each other. The Hellhounds Props (HHP) E-11s (among other blasters) are new as of October, 2019, and are currently available from Daniel directly, as well as from @TK-4510 on Trooperbay. As I understand it, this purchase is from the first run of a dozen blasters, and thus far there appear to be no user photos of these Hellhounds rubber E-11s on FISD. Daniel from HHP currently has threads mentioning his E-11 product here and here. Regarding Rubber Blasters For those of you unaware, these "rubber" blasters are actually constructed of a combination of foam and rubber, and may have some form of armature (solid framework) serving as the skeleton. The benefits of rubber blasters are primarily weight, durability, and safety. These rubbers are heavier than standard Hasbro and Rubies conversions, as well as most resin builds—providing a slightly more realistic helf—while still remaining light enough for hours of trooping. Fully metal E-11s can start to feel really heavy really quickly. As you'll see below, the HHP weighed in at 35.03 oz, or 2.19 lbs. Rubber blasters are also less likely to break if dropped, and if a component does come off, it will likely just need to be re-adhered, rather than reconstructed (resin or plastic may have cracked or shattered). Finally, rubbers are safer when trooping in close proximity to children who may wander outside the line-of-sight of a Trooper with a bucket on. A swing and impact of a rubber E-11 is less likely to injure innocent bystanders. The most obvious disadvantage of rubber props is that they are generally not as detailed and refined as their resin counterparts, but advancements in molding techniques are changing that. Now, to be clear, I am in no way associated with or being compensated by Hellhounds or any other blaster maker for this review; I am simply seeking to provide Troopers with data on a new product. Note, too, that throughout this post I will link to parts of the official FISD E-11 Blaster Reference thread (here is the Rogue One Reference), to provide additional insight and imagery. So, without further ado, open kman's thread below, split-screen your device, and feast your eyes on three types of rubber E-11s from this (US) side of the pond! NOTE: The images below may not appear as clear/crisp as they do at full resolution since the FISD/browser display compression isn't great. Clicking each photo will open a full-scale version which should present better clarity, at least in a web browser. HHP TOP DETAIL VIEW The Hellhounds Props (HHP) magazine appears to be closer in length to a Praetorian Blaster (PB), rather than the notoriously-shortened Hyperfirm (HFx). HHP appears to be just a hair shorter than PB, but I've also seen longer magazines on some images posted by Daniel on social media. Perhaps HHP magazine length is still being fine-tuned, but I may try to see if I can acquire a longer one. Additional, note that the HHP Hengstler counter includes the two soldering pins, while the PB and HFx do not. Finally, there is a HFx-quality seam on the HHP between the rail and top T-track, but the HHP T-tracks' quality and installation into the venting holes matches those of PB. HHP TOP VIEW Immediately obvious from this view is that the HHP has a static (non-movable) aluminum D-ring installed, similar to that from PB, but the PB version is rubber cast directly to the end cap. This HHP is similar to HFx in that it does not have a faux recoil spring behind the charging handle and bolt, like that provided by PB. Notice a slight tinge of brass on the scope, and a pretty minimal and clean seam line on top (much like PB). HHP FRONT VIEW This is where further distinctions are easily identifiable between the three blasters. In general, the HHP has cleaner lines than a B-Grade HFx, but PB comes out on top with the crispest lines and no visible seams. One of the HHP front scews is excellently made (PB quality level), and the other is adequate. The front sight is also correctly thin, matching that of PB and differing from HFx's thick block, and the HHP barrel bore dept on the HHP is 0.5" (1.27 cm). Note that, with blaster in-hand, the tip of the HHP appears cleaner than this close-up photo presents. Macro photography tends to reveal blemishes which would otherwise be indistinguishable to the naked eye from normal real-life use distances. HHP BACK VIEW As previously mentioned, the HHP includes an aluminum D-ring (woohoo level 3), while the PB included a molded rubber one, and HFx none at all. Once again, PB came out ahead with the most detailed knurling on the rear sight, followed by HHP, with HFx at the bottom of the pile. The rear end of the scope appears to be of similar quality on all three E-11s, and notice the more visible brass color on the rim of the scope (also present on the front, seen later). HHP RIGHT SIDE Stormtroopers and Femtroopers, I present to you, a METAL SCOPE RAIL, with open space underneath! You read that right. HHP finally provides us with an OT E-11 without a solid rubber rail, which was and still is the standard with HFx and PB. This was actually one of the two major factors in my decision to go with HHP (price was the other). Of course, doing so sacrifices the recoil spring and the clearing strip and extractor detail on the ejection port. Make note, too, that this HHP scope does not have the round knob on the right side. HHP LEFT SIDE An iconic angle of the E-11. The trigger guard appears to be of similar thickness to than on an HFx, which may be just a hair thicker than a PB. The guard feels very sturdy and I'd have no concerns holding my index finger on it during a long troop. The trigger itself is cut out in the same fashion as an HFx, with more open space below and behind it than that provided on a PB, and the HHP trigger feels a bit flexible, which leads me to believe it is cast in solid rubber. Additionally, aluminum appearance is present beneath the selector switch on the HHP, a detail left out by HFx but included by PB. HHP BACK QUARTER VIEW This perspective highlights the metal scope rail, though take note that the rail is thicker than it appears in this image (due to camera lighting). I spoke with HHP about the strength of the rail prior to purchasing, and Daniel assured me that it is solid—which I agree with. That scope isn't going anywhere, and I do not foresee any sag in the long-term. Notice the screw head on the underside of the rail, which secures the scope (a second is obscured from view by the counter). Additionally, this angle, once again, shows the magazine length, which is significantly longer than the HFx but perhaps just a hair shorter than the PB. And finally, two notes regarding the rear sight area. First, the horizontal retaining pin area has been molded as a recessed space on the HHP, as opposed to raised and textured (faux) pin on both the HFx and PB. Second, though not easily discernible in any of these images, there is a locking notch band at the end of the receiver tube on the HHP. HHP BOTTOM VIEW Another major differing point of this HHP blaster with PB (unsure of HFx), is that Hellhounds hollowed-out and split the arms (wishbone) of the folding stock. On the Praetorian the two arms are actually a solid piece molded with and surrounding the trigger guard. The second photo below shows this up-close. AWESOME! The only other distinguishing feature from this angle is the length of the magazine, and the already-discussed aluminum appearance beneath the selector switch. HHP EXTRA VIEW This angle shows several features which are missing from the HHP blaster but were included by PB and HFx. The ejector knob is missing on the HHP, as are some greeblies on the magazine which are present on the PB (but also not included on the shortened HFx mag). These omissions, and perhaps also some missing details on the front and rear of the power cylinders are perhaps the greatest shortcomings of this Hellhounds blaster. It's possible that the ejector knob fell off in-transit, so I will be reaching out to Daniel to inquire about a replacement/addition. On the plus side, the casting of the Hengstler counter appears very nice. EDIT: I reached out to Daniel at @Hellhounds and he said that future versions of his E-11 may include the ejector knob and magazine catch. In the meantime, he is planning on sending me those individual pieces to add on to my baster. HHP ADDITIONAL ANGLES The images from this point on are all from new angles not included on kman's Hyperfirm vs. Praetorian thread. They are intended to highlight the fine detailing present on these Hellhounds blasters, and will so provide a better view of the of the differences in the three rubber E-11 blasters. These first two images provide alternate angles of the mag well area, showing the lack of the ejector knob. The two soldering pins on the Hengstler counter are also visible. EDIT: I reached out to Daniel at HHP and he said that future versions of his E-11 may include the ejector knob and magazine catch. Notice the detailed inscriptions and oval inlay on the bottom of the magazine well, shown below. Very nice, as is the texture on the magazine itself. The two images below highlight the T-tracks, venting holes and folding stock. As previously mentioned, the T-tracks are smooth and straight. While I am not certain that the original Sterlings had such a texture on the stock metal, I definitely like the presence of the it as it adds to the weathering and could even be considered to be carbon scoring. "You boys have seen a lot of action..." The image below shows a close-up profile view of the muzzle screw, front sight, flash guard, and folding stock butt. Notice that, in the same fashion implemented by HFx and PB, and clearly for the purpose of providing structural support, the front sight is not hollowed out on the HHP. The two images below are intended to highlight the charging handle, ejection port and guard, and texture on the folding stock and grip. Note that, as already established, there is no recoil spring, clearing strip, and extractor on the HHP. However, the grip detail is fantastic. Additionally, other than the rubber trigger, the grip is the only other place on the blaster where flex can be found—on the smooth front and back. I suspect this may be intentional to provide comfort in-hand, and I like it. Below: End cap and D-ring from both sides. Also shows the end cap clip, scope rail, and rear sight again. The textured and inscription details on the back of the scope can be seen on the photos below. While there is some brass weathering, a little more would be nice. These two photos below highlight area around the front of the scope, showing the molded screws, metal rail, power cylinders, and the soldering pins on the Hengstler counter. Notice more brass color on the scope rim. The HHP weighed in at 35.03 oz (2.19 lbs or 0.99 kilos), comfortable for long troops. FINAL THOUGHTS By my assessment, the Hellhounds Props blaster situates itself right between the HFx Hyperfirm line and the Praetorian blaster. Overall the mold/seam lines are of better quality and more minimal than those on Hyperfirms, and approach or in some cases match those of Praetorian. A few details are missing on the Hellhounds, such as the recoil spring, magazine ejection knob, and greeblies on the magazine (EDIT: I reached out to Daniel at HHP and he said that future versions of his E-11 may include the ejector knob and magazine catch) and power cylinders, but conversely, HHP has included details not currently seen on OT blasters from Praetorian or Hyperfirm—a real metal scope rail and split arms on the folding stock! While this may not be the case forever, it is also worth noting that the Hellhounds E-11 is currently less costly than one from Praetorian. For me, this blaster was an EXCELLENT choice, and I would not hesitate purchasing from Hellhounds again. And there we have it. Hopefully this photo review can serve, in conjunction with kman's thread, as a valuable guide for any Trooper in the US considering purchasing a rubber E-11. Perhaps in the future I'll have the pleasure of owning more rubber blasters (DLT-19!) and be able to create additional comparison guides. I'd be happy to serve as a weaponry photographer/reviewer Amazon Vine Program style here on FISD. In case any of you missed the link near the top of this post, here is the FISD's official E-11 Reference Guide, followed by a Rogue One variant: Move along, move along... MV
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