pandatrooper

Hi Sam. There have been troopers that have added electronics to their scopes. Either LED's for one or both ends, to illuminate a reticule. Or adding laser pointers and such. You could easily add a laser pointer without having to run wires to the main body of the blaster. However, you should be very careful with laser pointers as they could damage someone's eyesight if you're not careful. They also aren't very visible in daylight / brightly lit areas anyways.

The original saber fell apart. Personally, I wouldn't consider buying something less than a year ago as "a long time ago". I basically took it apart because it was useless in it's shipped state. It worked a couple times and basically died. The wiring was really bad. There's other people that make full dueling blades, and they can make their outer diameter 1" with a thick wall. The hilt is now sitting on a shelf. I used the soundboard and built my own saber from parts from TCSS and it works way better. The internal diameter of the Saberforge hilts is really small, so you don;t have many battery options. Saberforge has to do a lot of work and PR to do with the saber community to earn their trust back. I think he should have stepped up when the Sabersound 1.0 boards weren't working as advertised, and he probably should have offered exchanges or a discount on the next version of the board. I think that's great if he can turn a new leaf and start fresh. I think his designs are cool. But I think he has to reach out to the community first. There's a wide open market for people looking for affordable sound cards. No one currently offers an affordable one that performs and is in stock. He could totally jump on this.

In a nutshell, if you're looking for a higher caliber saber and are planning on ordering from Saberforge or on Ebay - I would advise against it. There's a rash of negative feedback on FX sabers and the Custom Saber shop forums. Unfortunately, I ended up buying a saber form him before I found out more info on him. I got it in a reasonable amount of time, but there are serious issues with it. In a nutshell: - communication is rather slow / non-existent - hilts are "OK" quality wise (a common issue is that the inside is dirty / oily, with metals shavings intact (like the part came fresh out of a machine shop without any clean up), but there are also some rough lathe marks - the electronics installation is dodgey - at best - wires are held in with solder and tape, no heat shrink, etc.. for stability - there is no electronics sled, everything is just "stuffed inside" the hilt - both battery holders broke off the board during the second battery change (and I'm super gentle with this stuff!) - the sound board only lasts about 10 minutes at full charge (it's been discovered that if you're not running 6V consistently, the sound board drops into a constant loop swoosh sound and becomes useless.) - only fresh AA's work for 10 mins, Rechargeable batteries do not offer enough voltage - the LED is glued in, somewhat fragile with glue - the switches are non guarded / momentary, so your hands tend to make it go on / off a little too easily - the blade is sanded on the outside, the inside has no film (bright top and bottom, but not the middle) - the blade itself is slightly larger than 1" and does not fit into 1" blade holders / hilts - the blade is 32" long, a bit short for my taste. If you're looking to spend $100 or less and want an LED blade with no sound and so-so machining, then its a "buyer beware" purchase. Looks good on a shelf and turning on the blade for friends, but lots of sabers do that (including FX / Hasbro). he did end up sending a replacement board and some parts, but I don't think that makes up for my experience or the experiences that people on saber forums have had. (no communication, orders delayed, faulty boards, etc.) If you're looking for something sturdy for dueling, higher quality machining, or something that lasts - look elsewhere. I have since ordered other parts from The Custom Saber shop and they are AWESOME in comparison. Couldn't recommend TCSS more, they are that good. I'm not a saber expert, but I've become more knowledgeable after taking this saber apart and rebuilding it, along with building my own from TCSS parts.

Here's a thread on how to assemble the leg armor ----- The outer shin armor is usually slightly longer than the inner.the inner calves also scoop in more than the outer shins. I would also suggest checking the Academy website for the tutorials there as well as reading the various build threads. Youll find lots of information on all the armor makes. -----

"Credits will do fine" (when he tries to buy the hyperdrive parts)

CAP sold the molds, and they are now being made as Cap-W or "Cap west". I believe it's a recast of TE2 (correct me if I'm wrong)

If you're in doubt, draw a pencil line where you intend to trim the plastic first, and post a picture and ask. But most of the parts have lines molded into them as guides. barring that, review the AP build threads - there's lots of great examples. Good luck!

It's not necessary to paint AP armor since it;s ABS. You can polish it if you want it "more shiney". Check this build here for trimming tips:

Happy birthday Pete!

Hi Javier. This section of the FISD Academy should explain everything you need. ----------- There are links to blaster builds and links to where to purchase parts from. Hope that helps!

Thanks for the compliments, Billy! Glad you guys like them, I hope they are helpful. You can use the same techniques and modify the paint and application to get different effects. It delivers a really cool organic look!

Hi Rob, this thread should help you. ----- Personally, I use E-6000 for most of the assembly, and Plastic Weld for some parts. Also, take a look at the various build threads. They usually indicate which adhesive they used. Good luck!

Here's one for weathering boots too. ================ Hey guys, here's a tutorial for how to weather your boots to make them look like they were actually "worn". This uses the techniques in my other "armor weathering" tutorials, which uses a combination of 2 passes of acrylic paint weathering, and a terry cloth to rub the paint off. The paint sticks very well to the leather (I am using leather TKboots from TKboots.com), and they are durable for trooping. Trust me, I make sure my stuff is durable for trooping! Some info / materials / supplies before you start: - I am using Liquitex "Burnt umber" acrylic paint and Amsterdam "black" and "warm grey (I prefer quality acrylic water based artists paints because the pigments and binders are much better than craft paints) - I use the burnt umber straight out of the tube for the first pass - the second pass of the "oil / dirt" color is achieved with about 70% burnt umber, 20% black, and 10% warm grey (approx.) - clean your boots with alcohol, wipe and let dry before painting - I use natural sponges for the weathering and terry cloth rag (wet with water, then wring it ALL out before using) - don't use wet sponges for weathering (this waters the paint down, reducing the adhesion) Steps for brown: - do the "burnt umber pass" first - make sure to work the paint into the nooks and crannies - let dry for 5 minutes or so - wear and bend boots or crinkle the leather per the video to deform the boots - use twisting and dabbing motions with damp rag to remove paint - once you are happy with the brown, let it dry overnight (important) Video link Steps for "oil colored / black" paint mixture - again, use the sponge to dab a light coat of the oil / black mixture - let it dry for 5 mins - put on the boots to bend / crinkle like above - remove most of the black with twisting / dabbing motions to reveal some of the brown - concentrate on removing most of the black, especially in high spots - make sure weathering is consistent on both boots and consistent with armor - let boots dry thoroughly before using Video link Enjoy!

Part 3: Removing the burnt umber via damp terry cloth towel (twisting and dabbing to remove paint) Part 4: Applying and removing the "oil / black" layer Let me know what you guys think of the video tutorial format. I hope you find this helpful. T.

Hey guys, I posted these on MEPD. But I thought it might be useful for people here who may want to achieve a similar weathered look for EU characters, etc. ============== Hey guys, here's a tutorial I created, based on weathering your armor with the "oil / dirt / sand" look that I started a topic on here: http://forum.mepd.net/index.php?showtopic=7274 It uses 2 passes of paint, with pretty simple paint mixtures. It creates a great random looking quality. I figured a written tutorial with pictures would be really long for the detail I wanted, and I was far too lazy to type that much, so I tried to take a crack at making a video tutorial instead. Here's a separate tutorial for weathering boots (watch the armor weathering videos below first) http://forum.mepd.net/index.php?showtopic=7289 Some info / materials / supplies before you start: - I am using Liquitex "Burnt umber" acrylic paint and Amsterdam "black" and "warm grey (I prefer quality acrylic water based artists paints because the pigments and binders are much better than craft paints) - I use the burnt umber straight out of the tube for the first pass - the second pass of the "oil / dirt" color is achieved with about 70% burnt umber, 20% black, and 10% warm grey (approx.) - clean your boots with alcohol, wipe and let dry before painting - I use natural sponges for the weathering and terry cloth rag (wet with water, then wring it ALL out before using) - don't use wet sponges for weathering (this waters the paint down, reducing the adhesion) Steps for brown: - do the "burnt umber pass" first - make sure to work the paint into the nooks and crannies - let dry for 5 minutes or so - wear and bend boots or crinkle the leather per the video to deform the boots - use twisting and dabbing motions with damp rag to remove paint - once you are happy with the brown, let it dry overnight (important) Steps for "oil colored / black" paint mixture - again, use the sponge to dab a light coat of the oil / black mixture - let it dry for 5 mins - put on the boots to bend / crinkle like above - remove most of the black with twisting / dabbing motions to reveal some of the brown - concentrate on removing most of the black, especially in high spots - make sure weathering is consistent on both boots and consistent with armor - let boots dry thoroughly before using Part 1: research, prep, supplies and materials required, etc. Part 2: Burnt umber (brown) first pass

I say leave the electronics in. It's a great little blaster for troops that i don't mind handing to kids to let them play with. I wouldn't hand out my PVC pipe build blaster. More accurate, but too fragile.

Fantastic pics Pete! Nice to see the suit in action!

Hi Robert. I think most troopers only make those cuts if they need to. The pictures from the film seem to vary, some have the lower thigh cut, some have the upper shin back cut, some have both. I think it depends on your sizing / length of your limbs. I trimmed about 1/2" notch in the lower back of the thighs, but I didn't trim the back of the shins. I'll try and grab a picture for you.

Hi Alex. The kits don't come with instructions, but take a look at some of the build various threads on here for modifying Hasbros, there's quite a few of them. Most people use similar techniques. Make sure to read the CRL / EIB requirements if you intend to build the blaster to apply for your EIB badge. There's also a few new how to's here for the small details to meet EIB requirements http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=12507 http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=12542 In a nutshell: - take the blaster apart - remove the front and back scope ring - remove all screws - sand the lettering off - cut the muzzle off - grind off Hengstler side lower T-track and drill new holes (optional for EIB only) - reassemble blaster - glue on new muzzle - install folding stock via glue / screws - glue on magazine - glue on Hengstler - glue on rear greeblies - add any other greeblies for other versions of the blaster - add T-track (optional) - add a Dring to the back (optional for EIB only) - paint it black (most people use flat or satin) - weather the blaster

Hey Pat, the only issue with putting the MP3 player in your drop box is that you will have to press the buttons by touch. You won't be able to see the MP3 player. I tried something similar for an event with my Ipod touch, but it was really hard to use with gloves on (touch screen - duh!). I bought a cheap MP3 player from Walmart for $20 and it works great. One suggestion I have is to run the wire from your amp in your chest though your arm, and have the wire exit the forearm and strap the MP3 player to your palm. This way you can work the buttons with your thumb and even bring the MP3 player up to your eyes if you need to see what track you need to play. *BTW: Kevin, nice work on those trooper sounds!

If the front hasn't been glued yet, you could use a wider join / cover strip on the front, to make more room at the back. In terms of the "even-ness", I usually use a heat gun and carefully arm up both sides of the armor, and then push the right side, left side down BEYOND the point of where you want it to be. Then cool it down with water, etc. and the shape should be closer to what you want. Repeat those steps until the top is lined up. Hopefully the bottom will line up better. Keep in mind that AP's left inner shin is the same as the right outer shin, so alignment is never perfect. To finish off the back, use an outer shim on the outside of each calf piece. This will hide the velcro much better. Here's a link on shin / thigh assembly if you need it. ----- Hope that helps!

I would suggest doing a search for "garters". You'll find lots of info and thread discussions.

Is this the one you purchased? http://www.amazon.com/Supreme-Edition-Stormtrooper-Adult-Costume/dp/B001GZSBL8 If so, you probably have to do quite a bit of work to get it to meet 501st standards. Unfortunately, you could have gotten a screen accurate kit for that price if not much less. There's a few threads on here where people have modified Rubies costumes, but they are a lot of work and in the long run, probably not the best solution. -----------

Looks great!

Congrats Vern on 100 posts!