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NEW In Memoriam Detachment Leader Executive Officer Merchandise Officer Hall of Fame FISD Meme's Around the Detachment Legion Elections CRL Updates INFORMATION & AWARD PROGRAMS FISD Tri-Fold Brochure Common FISD Acronyms and TK Glossary Pre Approval Forum 3D Section Field Exercise Award Imperial Attaché Program Master Armorer Award Fire Teams EIB & Centurion: What do these terms mean? Need Help Ask the Deployment Officers Advance to 1500 Advanced Tactics Awards Newsletter Editor Staff List 2026 Follow FISD It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Jake Simonds, SL-88993, passed away on January 13, 2026. Jake was a recent addition to the Oklahoma Garrison, but his dedication was immediately apparent. He had successfully completed the demanding journey to get approved as two of the galaxy's most iconic figures: Darth Vader and Kylo Ren. Completing two complex costumes like that shows just how dedicated he was to the craft. Jake joined the 501st Legion with the same goal we all share: to celebrate our love for Star Wars and to bring joy to others. Though his watch ended before he could deploy on his first mission, he was fully prepared to represent the Oklahoma Garrison with pride. We honor his enthusiasm and the commitment he made to become one of us. He will be remembered as a brother in arms who earned his place among us. Once a trooper, always a trooper. On behalf of the Oklahoma Garrison of the 501st Legion, we extend our deepest condolences to Jake’s family and friends. His legacy will live on among the Eternal Legionnaires. Condolences to his garrison, family and friends "Buckets Off" Sharon Hertzig fought a courageous battle with cancer and on March 12, 2022 (date is correct), lost her battle, with her sword in her hand, whilst surrounded by her family and friends. She was married to her best friend, Eric Hertzig, for 22 years before they travelled different paths. Sharon had a light that shone brightest for her children; Elden (Misty) Hertzig and Erin Dailey; brother, James Henriksen Jr; and grandson, Darrien Dailey. Her memory lives on in the laughter and stories shared by her friends and family made and found through the years. A lover of animals, singing, dancing, Sharon was also a proud member of the 501st Legion and Society for Creative Anachronism. She lit up every room she walked into and made a friend of every person she met. Sharon during her time with the legion was a member of the Alabama and the Alpine garrisons. Condolences to her garrison, family and friends "Buckets Off" On October 31, 2025, Mountain Garrison lost one of our Royal Guards when Justin Conner TKID-58696 passed away peacefully in his sleep. Born in the summer of 1977, perhaps it was inevitable that Justin would become a life-long Star Wars fan. His brother Josh (TKID-92041) remembers that they both always loved the red Royal Guards. When Josh joined the 501st Legion and Mountain Garrison in 2020, he tempted his younger brother Justin into joining a year later by encouraging him to build the Royal Guard that they both so admired. Quiet, protective, and fiercely loyal, Justin personified the Royal Guard. He especially enjoyed having the opportunity to troop as a guard with Darth Vader. Justin brought a great sense of humor and positive energy to events, even holding a “Palpatine” sign at an airport troop as if waiting for the Emperor himself to disembark from an incoming flight! Away from the 501st, Justin enjoyed costuming in other fandoms as well. Whether it was as a pirate, “Bender” from Futurama, or a well-dressed Easter Bunny, Justin derived great enjoyment from dressing to embody characters that he liked. In the “real” world, Justin was a proud veteran, loving uncle, and devoted friend. He shared his passions with friends and family, even upgrading his pirate costume especially for a god-daughter’s wedding. Justin is survived within Mountain Garrison by his brother Joshua Conner and his brother-by-choice Adam Ward (TKID-21455). Mountain Garrison was honored to be asked by the family to attend Justin’s grave-side memorial service at Ft. Logan National Cemetery on December 2, 2025 to honor his memory in costume. We were proud to have his niece and nephew join us in costume for their uncle’s memorial. Teenagers now, both are planning on joining when they reach 18 in his honor. Justin’s legacy will carry forth! Condolences to his garrison, family and friends "Buckets Off" Brad Edmonds - TK 3905 Brad was someone who made an impact simply by being himself. He showed up for people — not loudly or for recognition, but consistently, genuinely, and with heart. He had a way of making others feel seen, valued, and supported, whether through a quiet conversation, a shared laugh, or just being there when it mattered most. Brad lived his life guided by service and passion. Many of us knew him through his dedication to volunteering, where he gave his time freely to bring joy, comfort, and hope to others. For Brad, helping people wasn’t an obligation — it was a privilege. He believed that giving back was one of the most meaningful ways to make the world better, and he lived that belief fully. Brad’s love for Star Wars wasn’t just about the stories or the characters — it was about what they represented. Through his years of involvement with the 501st Legion, Brad embodied those ideals. Wearing his costumes, he wasn’t pretending to be a hero — he was one. He brought smiles to children, comfort to families, and light to moments when it was needed most. He understood that sometimes a small act, a shared laugh, or a familiar character could mean everything. And then there was Brad the Ghostbuster — a role he embraced with enthusiasm and joy. Whether suiting up, volunteering, or sharing that unmistakable sense of fun, Brad reminded us all that doing good doesn’t have to be serious all the time. You can serve others while still having fun, while still being a kid at heart, while still believing in a little magic. To those who knew him well, Brad was more than a volunteer, a Trooper, or a Ghostbuster — he was a friend and a steady presence. Someone you could count on. Someone who showed up. Someone who cared deeply and gave freely. While we mourn his passing, we also celebrate the legacy he leaves behind — a legacy of service, kindness, fandom turned into purpose, and joy shared with countless people who may never even know his name, but will never forget how he made them feel. Brad’s story does not end here. It lives on in the lives he touched, in the communities he served, and in each of us who were inspired by his example. As we say goodbye, let us honor Brad Edmonds by living the way he did — with generosity, compassion, humor, and heart. Brad, you will be deeply missed, always remembered, and forever loved. Condolences to his garrison, family and friends "Buckets Off" Gaëtan Verracchia, also known as TB-10590, passed away last week after a long battle with illness. He joined us in 2013 with his Biker Scout armor and remained an active member until 2020. Throughout those years, he was always available, dedicated, willing to help, and a genuine pleasure to be around. He will forever be remembered as a dear friend—full of qualities, positive, committed, and an outstanding trooping companion for all those who had the privilege of attending events alongside him. Condolences to his garrison, family and friends "Buckets Off" Greetings troopers, Welcome to the new term. As there was no other contenders this year there was no election. This does not mean we don't want to hear from you. We always would like to hear any feedback you have on things regardless of the time of year. If you have anything you'd like to bring up please post on the forum or PM one of the members of staff and we'll do our best to help. Just missing last years last news letter was another new CRL, the 3rd for the year! This was the long awaited Night Trooper, from Ahsoka. These provide a rare chance to express a little personalization in our otherwise monochrome environment. Stood alongside Captain Enoch these could be a very impact full armour on a troop. Congratulations to @TheSwede for being our CRL model. Check out the CRL here https://crls.501st.com/fisd/night-trooper This year is starting to look promising as toy leaks from The Mandalorian and Grogu seem to indicate that there may be some more costumes coming our way. Of course nothing will be decided until the film comes out later this year. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the detachment. For many of us the FISD has become our online home in the Legion -- A place to learn, build, and share. I have been here for 10 years, with many members being here significantly longer. @Daetrin has even managed 20 years somehow Being an online group it does make celebrating this a little tricky, but we will be running some anniversary merch goodies. The challenge coin run has already completed but there will be other opportunities later in the year as well. Here's to another enjoyable year trooping the white armor! With Unquestioned Loyalty Chris Pearson TK-10991 "themaninthesuitcase" Detachment Leader Greetings all, Looks like we are here for another term, and it should be a big year for us indeed. I shall be pushing out more updates on the Advance to 1500 campaign, which should continue to gain momentum as we have added a few new CRL's last term. As Chris mentioned, we could see a few more variations coming to the fold later in the term for Non Saga TK/Remnant based on those recent toy reveals, who knows, could be more. The IAC costume will be gaining an officer version as an addition to the current CRL due to only minimal differences, along with anything we can get out of Mando & Grogu. We are also aware that there are a few updates and modifications still outstanding to some of our existing costumes. I feel a few of these are well overdue so discussions will be returning to those in the general 501st sections of the forums. See you on the forums With Unquestioned Loyalty Andrew Franke TK-11469 "Sly11" Executive Officer Welcome to our 20th Anniversary year! Another Legion year begins, and the celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the FISD begins with it. Hard to believe that this is my 6th year in the Legion and 5th as MBO to this wonderful detachment! Thanks again to @Sly11 and @themaninthesuitcase for keeping me around to help make Merch for this amazing detachment! As per usual first the old.... Old Business "FISD EIB Coins" I still have a few of the Stepping out Trooper EI coins for new EI members or members the have never boughten an EI coin. The next EI coin will be a gold version of our 20th Anniversary coin, so if you are eligible to order an EI coin, and you'd prefer not to have an Anniversary edition, grab one of these before they aren't available any longer! In order to buy one, you must have an approved EI costume and you can not have ever bought an EIB coin from any pervious runs. EIB coins are a once and done coin. If you have this one and would prefer one of the older versions, I may have an option for you so please dm me. EIB v11 coin run is still open Pin Run The pin run for Expert Infantry, Centurion and Attaché will begin soon, we are still researching vendors, but we hope to have one selected and get the run open. You can find more information here. CURRENT BUSINESS 20th Anniversary Coin Run The coin run closed on 9 Feb 2026. Unfortunately for us, the Chinese New Year began on 10 Feb 2026. So we are in a holding pattern until 24 Feb 2026. The order has been placed and the models were already made, so we have some sample photos. I suspect that it will still take 2-4 weeks to make the 1800 coins, and a few weeks for shipping. So I expect to see these in the hands of troopers by early April. I will post more updates as I get them on the run thread, that can be found here. NEW BUSINESS We have some exciting plans for this term, including a 20th Anniversary Racing Shirt, a 20th Anniversary Patch, the FISD War Banner from last terms Contest, and a few other special surprises just waiting to be unwrapped. So get ready to "step out the door"! Be sure to keep an eye on the Merch Forum, the Newsletter and the FISD Social Media Pages Facebook, Instagram, and Discord for updates. As always, questions, comments, thoughts, suggestions, please feel free to reach out! With Unquestioned Loyalty James Silvius TK-12953 "jsilvius" Merchandise & Branding Officer The eyes and ears of the Emperor! Please welcome TK-77751 to the Stormtrooper Hall of Fame, January 2026! @bpieroni Troop log can be found here. With Unquestioned Loyalty Jonatan Östling TK-23592 "Nairy" Attaché Ambassador You can find the full meme thread here Blast-A-Trooper Finally after many years of asking the Blast A Trooper files have been shared on the legion forum, sharing here for anyone who may have been looking for them https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_W3-wBM3Gsp5EN_juDwPSCVYhLcpv_MD Updated image added 05/09/25 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gUQPWZGdcPmlHIGTgGu0dsV5KyJw28bn/view https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mJdqi4fBeAp5LHPXutWkQrC9vfBmx3MM/view *NOTE* unfortunately for those of you Down Under due to our PLI (public liability insurance) restrictions we are not able to run Blast A Trooper events as the insurer do not allow the firing of projectiles at our members (I know right, foam darts, ouch ) Thread here Droid Hunt From LPRO: "We’re pleased to announce that the Droid Hunt Badge is now officially available in the PR Toolkit for Legion-wide use. Our thanks go to Kimberly Anderson, GCO of Bast Alpha Garrison, and artist Erik Sanders for creating this new format and sharing it with the Legion." Download PDF here Download logo images here Request Edited Signature Banners/Profile pics/Fire Team Logos Troopers! I want to help out the community and the people that doesn't have the time or have the necessary tools or skills to create a cool Signature banner or have the background of your Action Photo removed, or even if you have a request for a certain Profile picture! I don't know how popular this will be, or what requirements I will need, but we will learn as we go and if it turns out to be popular and it gets too much for me - I'm sure that we can find a few more that are willing to help out! Thread here With Unquestioned Loyalty Jonatan Östling TK-23592 "Nairy" Attaché Ambassador Trading Card Archives For those with FISD detachment trading cards please consider sending two to Paul @Daetrin keeper of our detachment archives. Address and more info here With Unquestioned Loyalty Paul Hoeffer TK-8020 "Daetrin" Detachment Founder Keeper of Archives Stormtrooper Trooping Hacks and Ideas A great thread full of items/ideas which may make your trooping experience a little easier. By Justin - TK9921 @evnltr Thread can be found here 2026-2027 Legion elections have now concluded. Congratulations to our continuing Legion Commanding Officer Justin Sonfield TKID74711 "Sonfield" - - - - - - - - And once again Congratulations Chris continuing as FISD Detachment Leader for 2026-2027 Chris Pearson TK-10911 "themaninthesuitcase" Night Trooper We welcome the Night Trooper to the FISD roster. https://crls.501st.com/fisd/night-trooper Model: TK-99665, Photo by Dannielle Blomqvist INFORMATION & AWARD PROGRAMS For a full list of FISD awards programs head here. *Now Available in Swedish* Want to spread the word about FISD?, you can with our FISD Tri-Fold Brochure. Originally these were done in a limited run by the member who created them, but nowadays, we have moved this to a print your own service making them accessible to all countries around the globe. Files are available to all full 501st members on request by contacting our DL Chris @themaninthesuitcase you can find more info here Currently Available languages: English - Spanish - German - Swedish Are you new to the FISD and wondering what the heck all those abbreviations and strange sounding terms mean? To help you @justjoseph63 has started a list of the most commonly used ones that will give you some insight. If you have ANY questions about a particular term that is not listed or suggestions for new ones please contact Joseph. You can find the list here. Pre Approval Forum allows future Troopers the opportunity to submit photos of their completed build to be reviewed by the Staff, Imperial Attaches and others in preparation for forwarding it to their GML for approval. Any and all advice/suggestions given will be specific, constructive, helpful and respectful. Please note that this program will NOT take the place of your local GML, as Detachments are not chartered for costume approval and can not override a GMLs decision, but is instead a peer review program designed to help you look your best and offer guidance and positive feedback. For more information on this program, please visit the link here. Don't forget to visit our 3D section when next surfing the FISD forums, there is plenty of useful information to potentially help you on your next TK adventure. You might be feeling may generous and share with our community a new TK related 3D file and maybe win yourself a 3D contributors award so check out the details below and be part of the in house 3D community. Here is a link to the FISD 3D Contributor program. Don't forget to create a troop log here on FISD and get awarded for your missions and deployment. The list of accomplished troopers keeps growing, so for the official 501st event where you wore your TK! Once you've hit a milestone count, go over to the "Trooper Missons and Deployment -- Post yourget on board and register your troops today Simply start (or update!) your troop log, keep the running total in the title, and post (at least!) a date and name milestones here" thread to request your profile be updated! Simple, right? Also if you would like your troop photos shared on our social media channels please add the following to the first post of your FISD troop log: I give permission for FISD to repost my photos on social media in an appropriate fashion. Award Recipients January - February TK-42542 "andylah" Andy - - - - - - You can now also request a letter of commendation, more information available here Are you an approved TK that spends more time on the boards than the average Trooper? Do you enjoy using your knowledge to help out future and existing Troopers? If so, we would like to invite you to join the Imperial Attaché program! Members of the I.A. team are chosen to help out not only those here on the boards, but on a local level as well. Our aim is to have at least one in each and every Garrison, Squad and Outpost in the entire legion to be the eyes and ears of the FISD on a local level. If you are a 501st approved Trooper who wishes to join the ranks of the Attachés, please get in touch with me and/or visit: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/15252-fisd-attaché-program/ For a complete list of Imperial Attaches, go here. Some of the benefits include: Access to exclusive Attaché merch, including patches. You may also be in the running for an Imperial Attaché Award. An award for those attaché's who have gone above and beyond [minimum 1 year of service]. You can find a list of prior recipients here. Imperial Attaché Outstanding Achievement Award Is the Attaché position vacant for your Squad/Garrison/Outpost? Interested in becoming an Attaché? Contact me by PM or apply in the thread below: Fellow Troopers and Attachés! Our forces has been strengthened and we now have an Attaché in Greece! Please welcome: GREECE, Hellenic Outpost Dimitris @Tzag, Athens For a complete list of all Attachés and the available positions, please visit the Attaché List below: With Unquestioned Loyalty Jonatan Östling TK-23592 "Nairy" Attaché Ambassador Master Armorer Program FISD has many wonderful programs to help members build and submit costumes for our detachment, whether it be a classic Stormtrooper, a First Order Stormtrooper, or even one of the new Imperial Armored Commandos. While our Expect Infantry and Centurion programs get most of the attention, FISD staff wants to relaunch the Armorer Program (Currently called the Master Armorer Program). What is the Armorer Program you ask? Well, it is a program designed to recognize those troopers that go above and beyond to assist themselves and others in getting costumes built, submitted, and approved. One of the goals of all the detachments in the 501st Legion is to help members build and submit costumes that meet and hopefully exceed the minimum requirements of the Legion’s CRLs. Currently the Master Armorer program has the requirement of helping a minimum of 5 members achieve Expert Infantry status. The member must have spent at least 30min physically helping another member with cutting, gluing, sizing, etc, just because they want to help (no money exchanged). There are 3 levels of the award, FISD Armorer, FISD Senior Armorer and FISD Master Armorer. The new program will add a 4th level at the beginning called the Apprentice Armorer. The point scale will be as follows. 5 points - Apprentice Armorer 10 points - Armorer 20 points - Senior Armorer 30 points - Master Armorer If you love building armorer and love helping fellow members get their costumes built, then this is the program you’ve been searching for. We look forward to awarding more members with this award as we know how much we all love Troopers helping Troopers. More information can be found here Armorer Rocker Patches Rocker patches are now available for the Armorer Program, there is currently just the one patch, and members are eligible to receive two of them once they reach Level 2, "Armorer". More information can be found here Want to setup a "Fire Team? the Fire Team program is completely optional, and is intended to help form a common identity and spirit of camaraderie among 501st Legion Stormtroopers in the same geographic area/garrison that troop together. Fire Teams are not officially recognized by the 501st Legion nor the FISD, although they will be able to access a Fire Team sub-forum on the detachment website. You can find more information here. For those interested here is the original discussion on the creation of Fire teams here With Unquestioned Loyalty Mark Ryner TK-4584 "captsafe66" Fire Team Relations So what exactly are and levels? These programs were designed for those who choose to take their armor above and beyond the minimum requirements for basic 501st Legion approval. It gives you the chance to show a level of dedication and pride that takes your armor closer to being as "screen accurate" as possible, without as much extra work as you may realize! You can find more information on the programs here. For those unaware it is possible to achieve extra awards at Expert Infantry for each additional version costume you have approved, additional awards are not issued with another Expert Infantry number (you are only issued 1 Expert Infantry number) but you will see a star above the award on your profile and the thread title will show [APPROVED] 2nd, [APPROVED] 3rd, [APPROVED] 4th and so on. Multiple EIB award recipients and info here NOTE If you are approved with a "2nd Version" of a particular costume that you are already approved with you do not receive an additional award, there is only 1 award issued for each costume version ie: only 1 x Hero, 1 x Stunt, 1 x HWT, 1 x ESB, 1 x TFA and so on. If you have a second/additional version costume approved you will see "2nd Version" and [APPROVED] added to the thread title, no additional profile stars (more info on profile awards here) For those of you who have a particular issue (or issues) before or after submitting for Expert Infantry / Centurion level approval, in order to get you an answer faster you can now privately contact the entire Deployment Officer team at one time! Questions about fitting, repairs, CRL standards/requirements or anything pertaining to reaching Levels 2 and 3 are not only welcomed, but encouraged. Keep in mind that no question is too small, and that your queries will only be seen by the D.O. Staff. We are here to help in any way we can, so please feel free to send us a message by clicking on this link: @Deployment Officer Team and we will get back to you A.S.A.P.! More info here This area lists all those who have gone above and beyond basic approval toward screen accuracy and obtained EIB or Centurion or both. FOR January - February the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment would like to congratulate the following. Expert Infantry Badge Award: Angie "Stardust665" TK87665 EIB 2nd Approved Daniel "WRU2000" TK14062 EIB 1093 Larry "Larryebaum" TK15401 EIB 1094 GREAT job on your approval, now on to Level 3! Request your free EIB certificate here. You can find a list of multiple award recipients here. Multiple EIB award info here Expert Infantry Honor Gallery here --------------------------------------------------------------- Centurion Badge Award: Daniel "WRU2000" TK14062 Centurion 545 Outstanding job on reaching Centurion, Troopers! Request your free Centurion certificate here. You can find a list of multiple award recipients here. If you see any of these Troopers around your Garrison or Squad, be sure to congratulate them! Well with Chris continuing as Detachment Leader you are stuck with me once again. Here's to a productive 2026-2027 and also the celebration of FISD's 20th Anniversary. With Unquestioned Loyalty Glen "Q" Rhodes TK-85421 "gmrhodes13" PRO, Newsletter Detachment Leader (DL) Chris Pearson (themaninthesuitcase) TK-10911 Detachment Executive Officer (DXO) Andrew Franke (Sly11) TK-11469 Chief Deployment Officer (DCA) Mario Reyes (TKSpartan) TK-48117 Deployment Officer (DCA) José Mª Sánchez (Chemi) TK-30173 Deployment Officer (DCA) Gerald J Gyorffy (Doggydoc) TK-96004 Provost Marshall (DCoG) Steven Sheades (starsaber25) TK-10466 Provost Marshall (DCoG) Caleb Mask (MaskedVengeance) TK-73692 Provost Marshall (DCoG) Arthur Wong (giskard8) TK-39093 FISD Diplomat (DPRO) Tony Jobe (ukswrath) TK-10116 FISD Diplomat (DPRO) Tim Waychoff (Dark PMF) TK-51878 FISD Diplomat (DPRO) Christoph (Danny) Lauber (Ripper_L) TK-55550 Fire Team Relations (DCoG ) Mark Ryner (captsafe66) TK-4584 Merchandise and Brand Officer (DMBO) James Silvius (jsilvius) TK-12953 Trading Card Specialist (DPRO) Eric Ho (Hoda) TK-77520 Newsletter Publisher (DPRO) Glen Rhodes (gmrhodes13) TK-85421 Social Media Relations (DPRO) Luca Hahn (Morgi) TK-66744 Content Editor Support (DPRO) Adam Wolf (Revlimiter) TK-89400 Content Editor Support (DPRO) Vicky Mandlmaier (Vicky_Velocipanda) TK-50893 Content Editor Support (DPRO) Jeff Salt (Wingnut65) TK-50297 Attaché Ambassador (DPRO) Jonatan Östling (Nairy) TK-23592 Personnel Officer (DPER) AC (NoVATie) TK-5597 Systems Administrator (DWM) Mathias Rodstedt (Locitus) TK-2959 Systems Administrator (DWM) Eric Brager (Darth Aloha) TK-9674 Systems Administrator/Detachment Founder (DF) Paul Hoeffer (Daetrin) TK-8020 Imperial Propaganda Machine (IPM) Brian Long (Tilheyra) TK-47933 Imperial Propaganda Machine (IPM) Torben Sobierey (Tall_Trooper) TK-19525 Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor - - - Facebook Group: 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment (FISD) Official Twitter: www.twitter.com/FISD501st or @FISD501st - - - Instagram: www.instagram.com/fisd501st Discord: https://discord.gg/FmQZ2qW8gx - - - Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fisd501st.bsky.social On behalf of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff and the Imperial Propaganda Department

File Name: Lightsabre - Back Scratcher Designer: craigprestidge Last Update: 20/02/2026 File-https://makerworld.com/en/models/2418181-star-wars-lightsabre-back-scratcher?from=search#profileId-2651806 Description: Star Wars Lightsabre – Back Scratcher Bring balance to the Force and relief to those hard-to-reach itches with this fun, novelty Lightsabre Back Scratcher. Designed as a playful fusion of sci-fi fandom and everyday practicality, this model captures the iconic silhouette of a classic lightsabre while cleverly transforming the blade into a functional scratching tool. Perfect as a desk accessory, gift, or conversation piece, this print combines clean detailing with a comfortable grip, making it both display-worthy and genuinely useful. Features Stylised lightsabre hilt with recognisable sci-fi aesthetics Integrated back scratcher “blade” with smooth, ergonomic contours Designed for easy, support-friendly printing Comfortable handle suitable for everyday use Great novelty gift for fans and collectors Images:

Glen, this is incredibly helpful—thank you, I really appreciate you taking the time some insights! I’m honestly not the biggest fan of Rustoleum either. Like you mentioned, it’s just not nearly as forgiving as automotive paints. I do have some local auto paint suppliers nearby, but the lead times to get additional cans have been pretty wild lately since I’m not set up for spray gun use yet. I’ve heard waits can stretch close to a month, and online pricing hasn’t exactly been friendly either. Case in point, I just had to order more Upol primer because AutoZone is on a two-week backorder. Coincidentally, I actually tried your V-groove method this morning while gluing up the new back armor plate, so I’m really curious to see how it performs. I should have some time this weekend to tackle more of the larger pieces. For now, the helmet is officially on pause so I can give it a proper cure time. I thought three days would be enough, but clearly I learned otherwise (the pictures speak louder than words). I’ll be experimenting with a few different painting setups over the next week or so—the next batch of parts should be interesting. I may try a washing line setup and maybe even a coat-hanger contraption. I’ll report back with results.