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Glued the biceps closed: Drilled the holes for the “kit-kats”: CAUTION the guide holes on the template are incorrect! You can see the difference in the above picture. Added them: USE EXTREME CAUTION when drilling the pilot holes in the kit-kats and screwing in the screws, the screws are too long for these!! I added washers to them. Also, I highly recommend adding these before gluing the shins. It is really hard to screw them in after the shins have been assembled.

I come to build a Stormtrooper, Heavy Weapons Trooper kit! I know a little bit about what I'm doing as I come from the MMCC. but there is still a lot to learn! Looking for my local garrison. thank you guys for having me.

Can't wait to get started! I will be 3d printing my armor!

Honestly, Wesley, you'll get the most help for your actual build here on FISD. You can then utilize the Midsouth forum to connect with and meet local troopers, though there is very little activity on that front. Make sure that, whenever you navigate to the Midsouth forum, you go to the correct (newest on). In the past year they started fresh with a new forum platform, but the old one also still exists (or at least it did several weeks ago). The new server/system also appears to be a bit quirky. Unfortunately, the MSG facebook page isn't really much more active either.

thank you! glad to finally be here.

That's a lot of photos! thank you!

no, I have not connected yet. I am from Clarksville! Near Nashville. thank you for the resources.

Thanks again for all of the detailed info.

UPDATE, staff have requested a time slot for FISD group photos, once one has been issued the info will be posted

Rustoleum 2x matte clear gives the most realistic blaster finish IMHO. It's a very mellow metallic look. Not a true matte/flat. Semigloss for the T tracks.

I assume you are referring to the Anovos helmet. I can assure you it is 100% asymmetrical. Look at the eyes, the vocoder, etc.

thank you guys! Just heard back from the chromers. They said it should be done by the end of next week which is awesome. So plenty of time left for strapping and all that stuff

Wow Dino, way to go with your upgrades. This is going to be Epic and we finally might get this CRL complete!!! I'm sure there are many pretty darn excited about this.

Its big update time I changed some parts with the Denuo Novo kit. New bicep armor The ab armor was the most time consuming part. As I will never ever fit into the standard Anovos ab armor (I'd need to cut my pelvic bone lol), I decided to go with the DN parts and add 5cm of material on each side. And because Im super OCD, I bondoed the seams with 2part exoxy glue. For the ouside boxes it was lots of measuring to get it nice and accurately on the new area but I think it looks good now The inside is reinforced with fiberglass. There wont break anything. I reinforced the cast from original detonator with fiberglass as well. Also I built the spats that I made for this project. The back/joke has also added material. Also I cut in the slots for the straps that hold the shoulders. Last time I forgot to add these and before I rechrome that part, I thought that I add them this time. Almost all parts laid out. -- So all parts that needs to be grey are at the paintshop again. All parts that need rechroming, are at the chromers. This time I'll use a different company which does the silver nitrate procedure. They do the back/joke and spats asap so I get them before Celebration. After that I probably get everything redone, depending on how good they match the golden color

Congratulations to Andrew (Sly11) for once again, being named our Detachment Leader!!

Thought I would share a new set of shoulder straps that I made for @TattooedStormtrooper, who was having issues with his shoulder bells pulling away from this shoulder bridges due to the lateral stretch allowed by the type of elastic I was using. I'm always keeping an open ear for ways to improve my kits, so when he researched and recommended a new brand of elastic with a firmer flex for me to try out, I jumped at the chance with the below as the result. With the RascalSnaps system, these took seconds to swap into his suit with the existing anchors and are a significant upgrade. You'll notice the double Line-24 snap connections at each corner, the integrated Centurion elastic tie-downs so they never get lost, and the hand-sewn snaps to the nylon web shoulder drops. These things barely sag at ALL now and these are probably the nicest ones I've made yet. I immediately ordered a bunch from the same company and will be switching my kits over to this type of elastic at some (but not all) connecting points, as the stretch is firm and quality is excellent. I also ordered some black 1" of the same kind and will likely use that instead of nylon for most kits, as a little stretch at the shoulder will allow for better range of motion. Anyways, thought I'd share. I'm still only making these kits on demand primarily for local members who troop frequently, but feedback has been great for years at this point. Feel free to emulate my system if it helps!

Now that I have a few troops under my TK belt, I have seen what our costumes can do to other people and can make them smile and laugh. Those smiles are what makes me want to do this more than ever. And there are some things that a Stormtrooper can do for fun to make people have a better time and laugh more. Here are some that I came up with. Try them yourselves! Things to Do While Trooping: Photobomb whenever possible! - If you see people lining up in front of you, look over their shoulders or around them and make sure you see their camera. Did I Smile?­ – After they take your picture, ask them, ‘Was I smiling?’, or, ‘Did I blink?’ Sometimes, they will actually go and view the photo and start to laugh when they realize the joke. Walk Funny! - When I’m called to join others in a group line for a photo, I may walk over like a penguin, waddling back and forth, or like Charlie Chaplin and the Keystone Cops. However, when I’m with a group, it is a formal military walk! Ask for Blue Milk at food establishment order lines. When they don’t have it, say something like ‘What kind of a planet and I deployed on?’ Get Selfies with Mom/Dad! - After they take pictures of their kids with you, walk up to them and say “You need to be in a picture, too. Selfie time!” If they say 'No', ask when have you ever had a chance to get a selfie with a Stormtrooper? Works every time! Look for Droids! - Walk up with another Stormtrooper to middle-aged to teenaged people, look at their phone, hold it if they will let you, shake your heads and hand it back, saying “This is not the Droid we are looking for” and walk on. Works great, especially if it is an Apple iPhone. Join the Activities that are going on - playing Bingo, coloring pictures, reading books - anything that the kids are doing that can be done in costume, the kids are thrilled if you do it too. Quote the movies! – Most people from teens and older, know the movies well enough to recognize a line from them. Many times, they say lines first. Good ones I’ve used are: “I have a bad feeling about this!” “Move Along!” “Do I talk first or you talk first? I talk first?” “The Force is strong with this one!” “I find your lack of _____ disturbing!” (fill in the blank with something going on – cheer, decorations, refreshments, customers or use the original, faith) Although not spoken in any movie, a line that is understood and always gets a laugh is, “Don’t make me shoot in your general direction!" At a recent troop at a church, a lady thought we were members there and asked me “Who was I?” I couldn’t resist and replied “I’m no one”. She then asked, “What’s your name?” I just had to answer, in my male voice, “Rey!” She chuckled. Act Goofy behind the camera man - Try giving bunny ears to a photographer who’s taking a picture of other Troopers and family. Or play with their hair, or make any other funny gestures to make those getting the picture to smile, or laugh! Give Bunny Ears! - People are so excited to be standing next to such a celebrity from the movies that all they want is a picture. They start laughing when look at the picture of the two of you and they see bunny ears over their head. Works great in group shots, as well. What do you do to make people smile?