Debater2nd

Your work is good...glad you're sticking around. The FISD is better because of what you do.

August 2010 FISD Newsletter Greetings Troops! There is quite a lot going on in FISD! Costume Reference Library The 501st Legion CRL project is almost complete for the two ANH costumes, and we're just waiting on the final word from the LMO to take them live. Once that is done, the ESB and Heavy Weapons Trooper CRL's should be live about a week after that, and we anticipate the ROTJ Stormtrooper CRL being live before the end of August. With only the Stormtrooper Commander and Incinerator Trooper costumes left, we're on track to get all of our CRL's done this quarter. A huge thanks to the Imperial Propaganda Machine who has been hard at work getting these together. Poll-a-rama There are also a bunch of polls for detachment members to vote on this month: 1) OPEN BINDING POLL: Lightsabers and TK's http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11873 2) OPEN BINDING POLL: SE-14R on which costumes http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11874 3) OPEN BINDING POLL: Space Packs http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11875 4) OPEN BINDING POLL : Splitting the ANH EIB criteria in two http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11876 We should also note that via unanimous vote, the EIB requirements for Heavy Weapons Troopers no longer the E-11 as a qualifying weapon. EIB Program We've only added two Expert Infantryman since last month. If you are close to achieving this standard, please feel free to ask for any help in getting the final details completed. While EIB status doesn't entitle you to additional privileges in the Legion, it does entitle you to the purchase an EIB-only gold coin and rocker tabs. Alas not a cure for 'armor bites', but at least they're good ways to show a little pride in your accomplishment. Let's face it - our kit gets banged up a bit over time. As long as you're repairing it, why not hit EIB along the way? The standards are surprisingly easy to get - check it out! http://www.whitearmor.net/home/requirements.html With unquestioned loyalty, Paul "Daetrin" TK-8020 Repair and Refit Every month in the FISD newsletter, we will feature tutorial and tip threads that we feel troopers should be aware of because of their uniqueness, excellence, and relevance. The featured tutorials for May are: How To: Taking a Rest, Elstree Studio Style Written by firebladejedi Everyone needs a break, especially now that Con season is here. How To: Stand Like a Stormtrooper Written by Dmian This is a great study for improving that "movie accuracy" we are all seeking. We always want to be photogenic, and this can help! From the XO's Desk Alright troops, FISD trading cards are a go. The FISD is proud to announce that ordering is currently underway for FISD trading cards. These cards are open to all Legion approved stormtroopers and the FISD propaganda team will do all the photo editing work for you to make your card look spectacular. Legion stormtroopers can find the trading card area here: http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showforum=60, for all the non Legion stormtroopers access is restricted. Prices are as follows and does not include shipping and fees: 1000 cards - $31.00A 2500 cards - $52.00 5000 cards - $67.50 And to preview the FISD trading cards check out the links. http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u173/terrellrguard/FISD/TKCARDFRONT.jpg http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u173/terrellrguard/FISD/TKCARDBACK.png There is time to get your cards delivered before Dragon Con and CV, but don't wait order now. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Terrell (TK-1787) Imperial Security Report I’m happy to report that there have been no serious cases of misbehavior on the boards over the past couple of months – thank you! That’s not to say we haven’t had a few vigorous debates – the AP vs TM thread comes to mind - but we are as a group are both knowledgeable and passionate about stormtroopers, and such debate is healthy and to be encouraged. As the DL said in that very thread, it allows new facts to come to light. As long as we remain respectful of the forum and each other, we can only profit from such debates. I’ve also noticed a drop in the number of WTB armor/helmet threads on the open forums – again, thank you. You make my job boring – and as any combat soldier, beat cop, EMT, etc. who has seen plenty of action will tell you, boring is good. On a different note, I’m very much looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible at Celebration 5 next month in Orlando. The Communications Officer and I are working on an FISD armor presentation that will showcase what you all have done, and how good your costumes really are. I’d love to see as many white armor-wearing FISD members present as possible – the only thing more impressive than a stormtrooper is lots of stormtroopers. The more, the better! Again, thank you for being the great bunch you are, and making my job not only easy, but a pleasure. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Brian "tkrestonva" TK-2918 For Imperial Eyes Only Intelligence Officer status report Greetings troopers, looks like it's been a busy month on the FISD! On the intelligence front, several areas have been updated on the FISD Academy site. For those that haven't visited yet, the Academy site the is a great reference and resource area, and is a key starting point for the FISD Detachment especially for those that are new to the detachment, 501st Legion and specifically interested in Stormtrooper costuming, armor and assembly. The FISD Academy site is located here White Armor Academy site Newly updated this month is the "Leg" section tutorials (thighs and shins). This article covers the various assembly methods for the thighs, as well as techniques and tips for attaching the battery packs to the right thigh, and knee plate to the left shin. Leg Assembly overview I've also been continuously working on the E-11 Blaster pages. Newly updated this month are articles on replica blasters (which covers resin cast, Sci-Fire / Hyperfirm, and Master Replicas blasters) Replica Blasters Also updated is an article on deactivated Sterling conversions. Deactivated Sterling Conversions Tips of the month An informative thread on the sizes of various helmet makers Helmet sizing Having a hard time identifying which are the left and right arm parts of your "screen lineage armor"? This diagram should help: Identifying arm armor How to make your thigh tops have that "ANH style" look with the defined notch. How to make your thigh tops ANH style So you've completed your armor, but how should you stand and pose for pictures? Dmian started a great thread on "How to stand like a Stormtrooper" How to stand like a Stormtrooper On the Intelligence officer front, I've started another project (even though I have several others still to complete!). As a loyal member of the FISD, I will always have TK's close to my heart, and I know our Detachment Leader Daetrin has been encouraging us to apply and increase those Expert Infantry (EIB) trooper submissions. But I decided it was time to join the dark side... and help MEPD increase their number of Deployed Troopers. I have always liked the Sandtroopers and their weathered look, so in June I began my TD build! This won't just be a standard TD, I want to replicate the "Stop that Ship!" trooper that appears in Docking Bay 94. Here's the current build thread on the MEPD forums. Stop that ship! But don't worry faithful troopers, rest assured that FISD intelligence will remain on the FISD. Remember: Loose lips sink Star Destroyers! Terry / Pandatrooper FISD Intelligence Officer Imperial Commissary Patches Galore! The summer FISD patch run is now closed and orders are starting to ship. We completely sold out of EIB rockers and more are on order. I'll be bringing stock to C5 for those that missed out and want to buy in person. http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11795 As a reminder - FISD decals are now also available. http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11261 As are the final 22 EIB only Gold Challenge Coins. Once they are gone, they're gone until the next coin run which won't be until next year. A good incentive to get that EIB knocked out! http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11059 With Unquestioned Loyalty, Wyatt (TK-4205) Celebration News Brian (tkrestonva) and Dan (Debater2nd) have been hard at work creating the white armor costume panel for C5. The panel is scheduled for 1:30 PM on Saturday, and will be a combined "OT Troopers" panel, and will include TK, TS, TD, and TB armors. There will also be an official FISD photo shoot at C5, with the final details still be ironed out by our very own Steve Carter (TK4999). From the Communications Officer "When it's hard to troop." We all know the standard party line, "Troopers helping troopers," and we also know that this is "a hobby," although I would point out that there are few hobbies that require this level of both financial commitment and determination to participate in, but what everyone here also knows is that there are times that this hobby is hard to do, and that's when you start asking yourself for reasons to continue. I've been through that, and, to be honest, I'm still there now. The last few months have been pretty hard for me. I have been out of work for over a year, which is stressful in of itself, and the money situation is a constant struggle. I went back to school to get a graduate degree, in the hopes that a better degree would mean an easier time finding work, and thus far, have seen a lot of academic work and time away from my family with no return. Finally, my heart condition flared up again, which means more medication, and last week, I had a stint in the hospital, which is always fun for everyone. All of this means that my trooping has been severely reduced, which means that my level of motivation is in the toilet. Additionally, my TK needs a pretty good amount of work, and my TB is unwearable until I can put together the money for a new helmet...just one more aggravation. Pretty depressing, eh? What I found myself asking was "Why do I keep trying to do this hobby, when I have so many other things going on?" The answer was clear...because it's fun, because it's allowed me to make friends both locally and across the globe, and because I have the opportunity to wear something cool and help other people while I do it. Just because it's hard now doesn't mean it always will be, and we as FISD members do a lot of good, probably good that we don't even know about. The work that we do with charity walks, scout organizations, hospitals, and Toys for Tots means a lot to our communities, and in a world that is full of bad news, we bring something to the table that is unquestionably good. I've heard people say that we just waste our time at Cons...not true! Think about all the smiling faces that you've taken photographs with...is that wasting your time? When we give our young people role models to look up to that isn't all about drugs or all the other things that are so prevalent in our societies, is that wasting our time? When you get right down to it, Star Wars is a story about hope, and in my opinion, that can't ever be a bad thing. So, to close, I am looking forward to and hoping to troop with you all again soon! With unquestioned loyalty, Daniel "Debater2nd" TK-2618 FISD Communications Officer This post has been promoted to an article

June 2010 FISD Newsletter Greetings Troops! It's hard to believe that in barely two months DragonCon and Celebration V will occur, leaving not that much time to get armor in to shape and buy those last patches or coins for trades/jackets. In preparation for "Con Season", FISD staff has been hard at work this past month: t-shirt runs, two new blaster sections on the Academy, putting the finishing touches on trading card designs and also a 12" color patch that will go on sale soon. We've also welcomed 9 new Expert Infantryman to our ranks and are making good progress on the CRL's (a big thanks to the Combat Photographers). Did you also know... 1. That the Incinerator Trooper is the only costume we have left that does not have an EIB recipient? There's a great conversation going on about the details at http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11489, including a great idea on how to make an accurate pauldron. 2. We're now at 121 Expert Infantrymen, only 35 more to go to catch MEPD. Can we do it troopers? Yes we can! Many of you are just a mod or two away, so get your kit in gear today and let's show the Empire how great the stormtrooper costume really is. And, only 25 Gold EIB-only coins left in stock, after which there will be none until the next coin run. 3. What the heck is ATA, AM, TM, and RT? Why they are various makes of stormtrooper armor. If you're unsure of the latest info on makes and their comparisons, a quick check on FISD can keep you up to date and informed (http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11538). 4. There was some concern about FISD Service Medals being awarded both for staff service as well as outstanding contributions to FISD by the general membership. As such, I've split the award: the FISD Service Award being for service on staff and the FISD Achievement Award for a singular or repeated contribution to FISD. N'ol was even kind enough to help do the render from my design concept: While it may seem a trivial point, I believe that people should be recognized for outstanding contributions to our community. It's the least we can do as a thank-you for making FISD truly a place of troopers helping troopers. 5. There is also an open poll for detachment members on whether to dis-allow the E-11 as being an acceptable weapon for Expert Infantry status for the Heavy Weapons Trooper at http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11496. If you are a detachment member, please share your voice! With the year being nearly half over and much of the staff's focus already set on the CRL's and Academy, I'd like to ask you - the members of FISD - what you think we should be working as well, or any questions/concerns you have about the detachment and where we're going. I'd love to hear from you. With unquestioned loyalty, Daetrin TK-8020 Repair and Refit Every month in the FISD newsletter, we will feature tutorial and tip threads that we feel troopers should be aware of because of their uniqueness, excellence, and relevance. The featured tutorials for May are: How To Make Your Own Boots Written by firebladejedi Written by our own firebladejedi, this How-To gives some great ideas on boots, a topic we are all interested in. How To Make a Holster Written by riveting Even if you aren't interested in making a holster, this thread offers a lot of useful information, particularly in the areas of dimensions and technique. From the XO's Desk Behind the scenes at the FISD. Many people wonder what goes on behind the scenes at the FISD, so I'll try to give a peak at what goes on behind closed doors. The Imperial Propaganda Machine has been jumping lately. For anyone who does not know, the Imperial Propaganda Machine (IPM) is the graphics, photo shop, and anything else visual team that has been a huge help to the FISD since it started a couple months ago. It's been busy lately getting the last couple images done for the ANH stunt/base CRL entry done, and as soon as that is done the ANH hero, and ESB CRL images are waiting. Hat's off to Jesse TK-4702 for getting the FISD trading card project back on track. He has been able to put our ideas into images with lightning speed and we are almost done tweaking with the best looking trading card in the galaxy. Keep you eyes open for a sneak peek soon. The FISD Staff area has been quiet this spring and summer as most of the ongoing projects are in the IMP area. There has been the usual staff member chit chat and Legion gossip. The biggest topics have been future merchandise runs, forum bugs like the recent run of double posts that are happening, and service award talk. There have also been a number of topics about monthly newsletters . Other than that it's been quiet for the FISD admins since the website launched and the forum upgrade. Of course we are always looking to add content to the website, and link to the best of the best on the FISD forums so if you know of a thread you think ought to be featured on the website give us a shout. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Terrell (TK-1787) Imperial Security Report Double Posts I’ve noticed quite a few double posts lately, in fact deleting double posts seems to be the moderator action I have to take most often. I myself have noticed that new posts (and especially new topics) can be very slow to load, noticeably slower than last year when we were on the old software. However, I ask that before you assume your post failed to load and hit the “post” button again, give it a minute. If it’s still going, open another tab or session and check to see if your post loaded before you repost. For Sale & Merch Policies / WTB Threads If you haven’t noticed yet, the rules for buying and selling merchandise now appear prominently at the top of every thread in the “For Sale or Trade – Personal Items” and “Ongoing Sales & Project Orders” forums. They also appear at the top of the “501st Only For Sale & Trade” and “Detachment Merch” sections for those who have access. Note that the rules are somwhat different between them, so please pay attention and if you are a seller, be sure to place your thread in the correct section. Along those lines, there have been a rash of Want to Buy Armor/Helmet threads over the past couple of months. I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that WTB Armor & Helmet threads are expressly prohibited. Obviously we have multiple TK armor vendors here – IMO the best you’ll find anywhere on the internet. However, the FISD is not an armor Craigslist, so please don’t treat is as such. I know most of you who have been here a while are mindful of this, but for those of you who are new , please “Read and Heed.” With Unquestioned Loyalty, Brian (tkrestonva) TK-2918 For Imperial Eyes Only Intelligence officer reporting for duty! This month has been packed with local Garrison duties and lots of activity on FISD! Most recently, I've been updating the E-11 blaster pages on the FISD academy site. They are still in progress and will continue to be updated. Check out some of the content here: http://www.whitearmor.net/home/tutorials/blaster-tutorials/e-11-sterling.html http://www.whitearmor.net/home/tutorials/blaster-tutorials/e-11-sterling/hasbro-blasters.html I've also created a PVC E-11 kit tutorial, and a T-21 light repeating blaster scratch build tutorial PVC E-11 Pipe kit http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11326 T-21 blaster http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11017 I'm currently working on some of the TK armor sections, most recently the legs (thighs and shins) for the FISD Academy site. These articles will be completed before months end. Tips of the Month: Comparison of 2 different types of paint used on helmets. Good resource for those deciding on types / brands of paint. http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=10881&st=0&p=136274&hl=spray%20paint&fromsearch=1entry136274 Good thread on harnesses, and reference pictures http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11266 Mark / Firebladejedi with an ingenious way to close the back of the shin armor! http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=7123&st=40 I have no idea how I missed this thread by Stukatrooper "Professor Peter the Stormtrooper Doctor" on how to combine the ROM / FX into 1 unit with an external switch. Cool idea and finished with the great detail and style that Peter is known for! http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=10152 Sonnenschein / Karin has a great tutorial here for Latex handplates you can make yourself! http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=10235 Personally, I've pretty much finished my AM ANH build. I'm quite pleased with it and it's held up to trooping very well! My hope was that I could take armor that didn't have any screen lineage but still make it look well finished, and sized for a slimmer build. The build thread is here: http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=10434 I've organized a good number of local troops for the Outer Rim Squad / Badlands Garrison in the past 5 weeks, with trooping almost every weekend! It started off with Free comic book day on May 1st, then a troop to promote a private screening / fundraiser for the ESB Make a Wish foundation, then a troop to promote for Star Wars in Concert, and most recently a troop for the Relay for Life (cancer research)! It's been a blast, and it was great to test out my AM build. June will be a busy month as I complete my E-11 pipe kit, T-21 blaster and start a new project! Stay sharp, Troopers! Terry / Pandatrooper FISD Intelligence Officer Imperial Commissary Greetings all! There are now more opportunities to show your pride in FISD, or even just add to your collections. Currently Shipping The initial FISD 2010 t-shirt run was so successful a make-up run was done and new shirts should be shipping soon. FISD full color decals and EIB decals are now available for ordering, as are EIB gold coins (only 25 left!). Please see the Detachment Merch Forum for all the latest goods available. Coming in the next few weeks The FISD trading card design is almost complete and an ordering thread should appear soon. Also available will be FISD patches, EIB rocker patches, and also beret flashes. Just the thing to spruce up that legion jacket or other clothing in time for summer trooping. And if that's not enough, a 12" color patch is currently being worked on and should be available soon as well. It's looking to be a good summer of solid trooping for our members, and we're here to help you with all your merch needs. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Wyatt (TK-4205) Crosshairs Crosshairs will (again) be back next month, but to do that, I need help from you! This thread http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11297 is where you should post people that you feel should be featured in the newsletter...ignore the "June nominations open" part. You can also message me directly with either suggestions or offers for articles. Thanks! Dan From the Communications Officer I am encouraged again to see the FISD membership growing and working together, and it has been a pleasure to watch areas like the Imperial Propaganda Machine and the Academy take off. We are getting into one of the busy parts of the year, with DragonCon and Celebration coming up, and I expect that we'll continue to add new members, and have existing troopers looking to upgrade their equipment, both of which will lead to more action on this board. Some people may not appreciate this, but if you have browsed around some of the other 501st boards, we are, by far, the most active board, and when you ask a question here, it gets answered...fast! Good job, and keep trooping. With unquestioned loyalty, Daniel "Debater2nd" TK-2618 FISD Communications Officer This post has been promoted to an article

I'm not really sure what you're talking about, to be honest, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that the Academy site is set up to help Troopers by making information available. A "disclaimer," as you put it, is not necessary, because the need does not exist. We are not here (at the FISD or the 501st) to make money off of "noobs." Speaking personally, as a staff member, I can tell you that I have never charged for information, and none of the other staff, to my knowledge, does either. As a matter of fact, tkrestonva (the Provost), was really helpful to me when I was starting, and gave me all the free help I needed, including a couple of parts. I never used a manual...all the information you need to find and build a kit is on this board, for free, contributed by other members. We have some excellent tutorials that folks have written that cover just about everything. If there is someone charging for a manual or tutorial, I would guess it is probably not here, and they have every right to do so. However, if you really think there is no information available about kit building, you need to take some time and look at this board. No offense, but you have 19 posts...I would check around here before you take a position like this, which it sounds like you haven't done. Slamming the 501st in general, and the FISD in particular, won't win you any friends. Our position here is always "Troopers helping Troopers." Try it...you'll see.

Only a couple more days left for June nominations!

I'm putting up this thread so that folks can suggest names and questions for our Newsletter's "Crosshairs" section, in which we talk to someone who has done something that is noteworthy, such as providing a product, service, or something along those line. I'll be making the final call on who we go with on the last day of each month, and I will be including the questions that you post here as well. Feel free to post just a name (please use their forum name so that I can contact them!), a name and question(s), or a question for a previously-mentioned name. Remember that this section is open to all FISD members, and being a full 501st member is not necessary. Thanks! Can't wait to see the nominations and questions!

May 2010 FISD Newsletter Greetings Troopers! What a great month to be a stormtrooper; 501st day (5/1), Star Wars day (5/4) and the 30th Anniversary of Empire Strikes back. Also this past month we've awarded our first Expert Infantry awards to EU troopers: Chris (TK-5069) of Star Garrison as a Heavy Weapons Trooper and Will aka Wildabeast (TK-6107) of Badlands Garrison as a Stormtrooper Commander. Congratulations to Chris and Will for showing how good these costumes can look. Welcome Foreign Embassies I'm also happy to announce the creation of Imperial Embassies on FISD - special areas of the forums where troopers can get information and help in languages other than English. Already we have embassies for Spanish, German, Italian, and Chinese. Thanks to Damian (TK-7388) of the Spanish Garrison for suggesting this and those excellent troopers of FISD who are working on translations of CRL/EIB requirements as well as general support. This work will be invaluable in helping troops whose first language is not English. Staff changes Dave Mondo (SL-1576) has been a champion for FISD and has been supporting all our patch needs single handedly for the past year. Due to personal issues Dave is not longer able to handle this for us and this duty falls again to staff. Please take the time to give a shout out to Dave for all he's done for FISD. Mark Gage (TK-8993) aka FireBladeJedi also needed to take some much needed time off. Mark's been a stalwart member of FISD - he was the first ESB Expert Infantryman and has supplied many troopers with canvas belts. He's helped out more troopers than most anyone else in the det, even before ever becoming Detachment Armor Chief. Please take the time to thank him for all his hard work - troopers helping troopers at the finest for sure! As you can see by the staff reports this issue there's quite a lot going on. FISD has grown dramatically this past year, but in some ways we're only just beginning. In the end, it's about supporting you the stormtroopers of the Legion who are out there trooping. It's a great day to be in the Legion, and I encourage all of you to visit FISD and see for yourself. With unquestioned loyalty, Paul "Daetrin" TK-8020 Repair and Refit Every month in the FISD newsletter, we will feature tutorial and tip threads that we feel troopers should be aware of because of their uniqueness, excellence, and relevance. The featured tutorials for May are: How to Post Images on Forums Written by dashrazor This "How-To" is a necessity for everyone, because it deals with the question of how to put photos up on the boards. It is well-written, and has plenty of visual examples and explanations. How To Add Static Burst for Around $10.00 Written by TK-6044 This thread deals with an area that many TK's want to improve. By taking the time, following this tutorial, and adding an inexpensive component, you can add an extra element of realism to an already impressive suit. Meet the Staff Each month we will feature a staff member, and give them the opportunity to tell the FISD a little bit about themselves. Since they spend so much time here on the boards, we want you to get a sense of who is behind the names you keep seeing! This month’s featured staff member is Daniel Brown, the FISD Communications Officer. Name: Daniel Brown TK-ID: 2618 Garrison & Detachment(s): Garrison Tyrannus, the FISD, Bikerscout.net (the BSN), Blizzardforce.net. Length of Service: I became official in December 2009 Costumes (approved): ESB Stormtrooper, Pathfinder Scout Trooper, Snowtrooper Costumes (in work): ANH Stormtrooper (with grappling hook and comlink), Lancer Scout Trooper (possibly one more, but have to see how the wife reacts!) Other hobbies: Writing, reading about history (currently reading about WWI), Civil War reenacting/living history, and watching the Dallas Cowboys Fun Facts: My wife, son and I have been doing Civil War reenactments since 1999. I have worked in the infantry and artillery, and I currently portray Brig. Gen. Edward Porter Alexander, Chief of Artillery for Robert E. Lee. One of the questions that I usually get asked when we're doing these is "Are you hot?" which always makes me laugh, since I'm wearing the equivalent to three wool blankets in August. I'm not sure which is worse heat-wise...TK armor or the Civil War gear! From the XO's Desk The FISD like all 501st detachments are feverously working to complete the Costume Reference Library (CRL) project soon. A big FISD salute to "Ang" Costello, TR-6624 for her assistance in getting the CRL drafts on a temp website in preparations for the finished product on the Legion website. We have received the final text format for the CRLs and are reediting the text to match. The new version will not have the must/should/optional elements that have caused so much confusion the last few years. It will be a straightforward list of the individual elements of the costume. At the same time the FISD combat photographers are also working the visual elements. They have been tasked with finding the best costume references for each individual element for each version of the stormtrooper that the FISD covers. The ANH stunt will be rolled out soon after the reference images have been converted to the CRL specs. Much of the work is removing the background of all the images. After the ANH Stunt is done the rest should follow quickly as some of the elements cross over from version to version. We’re all looking forward to the completion of this project as it will be a great resource for the new member. Much work has been poured into this project over the last three years and at last the Legion will have a proper reference library for all its costumes. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Terrell (TK-1787) Imperial Security Report Greetings, troopers! As PRM, I’m responsible for monitoring the boards and ensuring the rules are complied with. If you don’t know what those are, please take a moment to familiarize yourself with them. http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?app=forums&module=extras&section=boardrules I’d like to say how proud I am of this community for the friendly, welcoming atmosphere you all have maintained. I’ve established the habit of reviewing every new post (yes, you read that right - every new post) and while the occasional dust-up does happen (we are human, after all), in general I couldn’t be more proud of all of you. From the newest member to the folks who have been here for years and have thousands of posts under their belts, the feeling of community here is unmatched. When I consider the international nature of the FISD, I’m even more pleased. I’ve been on other forums both in and out of the costume & prop community, and the way the members treat each other is, to put it bluntly, disgusting. As a result, I largely stick to 501st Legion-affiliated forums and the FISD especially as my online community. The FISD is truly home for me, and all of you are my brothers and sisters. I do have one request – new members (and by new I mean new to the FISD, even if you’ve been around the 501st Legion for years), please take a moment to post an introduction in the New Member Introductions section. We’d all love to know a bit about you, and get you started off on the right foot. Troopers Helping Troopers – it’s more than a motto, it’s a way of being. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Brian (tkrestonva) TK-2918 For Imperial Eyes Only Intelligence officer here. It's been a very busy month for me, as local squad / garrison needs require attending to. I'm excited to be organizing 2 local troops in my neck of the woods. I'm working on several areas for the FISD, including an overview article on TK helmets and a breakdown of E-11 blasters. I'm also collaborating with a few individuals on compiling armor history and lineage, as well as a review article on voice amps, voice changers, speakers, etc. Gradually, you'll see this content appear on the FISD Academy pages. Tips of the month: Installing ANH strips / removing E6000 PGHtrooper21 ran into some issues with his ANH style cover strips, glued with E6000. He went through the arduous task of removing the strip, glue, refinishing, cutting new strips and reassembly. Some great tips to follow if you're at this stage on your build. http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=6839&st=40 Rivet removal Here's some good tips on how to remove rivets safely from armor http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=10843 Adhesives for armor and other projects A very helpful guide to various adhesives, and how to select the right ones for the job! http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=10781 Transporting Armor Every few months, the topic arises of "How do you transport your armor?" Here's some helpful links with suggestions for cases, storage bins, etc. http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=10714 http://forum.whitear...rt%20armor&st=0 http://forum.whitear...h=1entry88836 http://forum.whitear...h=1entry32660 http://forum.whitear...20&fromsearch=1 Personally, I am about 70% done my AM armor build (I'm going for the "skinny 70's trooper look", that was sometimes seen in promotional pictures. You'd be surprised how much extra plastic I have removed!. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it's a lot more tailored to fit me than my current TK. I'm also working on a second build that will remain secret for now. I am also about 90% done my scratch built T-21 blaster, which I will of course turn into a gi-normous tutorial. The last steps are weathering, and adding some special FX. I'm really pleased with the results, and can't to share it with the world! Pandatrooper / Terry Imperial Commissary The Spring 2010 T-Shirt run has been a big success! The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with some wishing they had ordered more. If you missed out, please let me know as if there is enough interest another run may be done. EIB Gold coins will also be offered in the next few weeks. There are 37 still on hand that have not been sold but over 40 EIB eligible to receive one. As it's unclear when we'll do another coin run, it's a great incentive to finish your EIB before they're all gone. Looking forward some look for FISD logo and EIB decals to be offered soon. Looking forward some ideas we're considering are FISD coffee mugs, a 12" round logo patch, and subdued FISD patches (for sewing on black hoodies or the like). If you have any ideas or if these sound good, please let me) know. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Wyatt (TK-4205) Recruiting Report No report for this month. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Bill (TK-1650) Propaganda Report No report for this month. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Aaron (TK-2073) Crosshairs Due to some changes that I want to make to this part of our newsletter, this section will be back next month. I will be creating a thread in the next week or so for the purpose of allowing you to post nominations for people that'd you'd like to see profiled. Additionally, I'll be asking you for some questions that you'd like answered, so be prepared to post! Remember, everyone is fair game, so start thinking of some good troopers and questions. Dan From the Communications Officer This is our third edition of the newsletter, and I've been very encouraged by the positive responses that we've gotten. Many people have written or posted to say that they have enjoyed reading the news, and feel that they are more connected because of it. I'd like to ask my fellow troopers to keep helping me improve this publication, through suggestions, questions, or ideas...anything that you'd like to see. The way that I'm looking at my job here on staff is that I want to create something that will outlive my time with the FISD staff. I'd like this newsletter to become such an integral part of the FISD that it becomes something that will be carried on for years. Additionally, I'd like to see the other detachments start newsletters of their own, increasing communication and information flow within the 501st. We have a great community here...let's make the newsletter great as well! With unquestioned loyalty, Daniel "Debater2nd" TK-2618 FISD Communications Officer This post has been promoted to an article

April 2010 FISD Newsletter What's Happening at the FISD by Daetrin I'd like to take the opportunity to dispel some confusion regarding and shed some light on the CRL, costume requirements, and FX armor and helmets. I feel this is necessary as there seems to be quite a bit of angst expressed on the Legion boards, and the last thing we want is for the elite troopers of the Empire to not have accurate intel. My apologies if some or all of the below information is old news to some, but given the amount of questions we get it seems best to set the story straight. Costume Reference Library The CRL (Costume Reference Library) is intended to be a reference for what the costume should be. It should list all the components of the costume both textually and graphically so that it can be used for people to learn what the elements of a costume are. Typically these will be broken out as "must have", "should have", and "may have" elements. This project was started over three years ago and though at times delayed is in progress again. The direction we were given was to create the CRL's have these reviewed by the LMO (Legion Membership Officer) before being hosted on the Legion boards. Most of the detachments have already them created on their own boards and are in the process of re-formatting them to Legion standards. FISD's policy has always been to have CRL's voted on and approved by the detachment members via a poll on the forum. I believe that the CRL's are created for the benefit of the membership, and changes (aside from fixing typo's etc.) should always be put to vote rather than be set by the Detachment Leader him/herself. Costume Requirements Detachments are advisory bodies and as such do not set or change costume requirements for Legion membership. These instead are owned and set by the LMO for new costumes and the Legion Council for existing costumes. The current direction from LC is that any changes to the standards must be voted on by the LC. What this means is that there should never be a concern about detachments attempting to set costume policy. So, what are the current requirements? Unfortunately with few exceptions there are no documented standards for what is required for membership. The stormtrooper is one of the costumes without a documented requirements list, meaning that until such time as the LC has voted them in the best recommendation we can provide if you have questions regarding actual requirements is your GML. What This Means for FX Armor For those that are not aware FX armor is no longer being made and in it's place is now AM, a more accurate set from the same maker. There has been much concern expressed about what this means for FX armor and helmets, both for existing and new members. First of all - despite rumors to the contrary - "out of the box" FX armor continues to be acceptable for Legion acceptance and even still it even takes only a few modifications to bring it to CRL "must have" standards should one need to. These are: 1. Replace the plastic belt with canvas, leather, vinyl, or canvas covered material. You can find vendors and tutorials for non-plastic belts on the FISD Academy armor tutorials. 2. Replace the black ab plate buttons with correctly sized (all TK's) and colored ones (ANH/ESB). These can be bought from Tandy or most any hardware store, or bought pre-painted from VaderDave. 3. Cut the butt plate. I realize that while this is a zero cost mod, it can be scary for people to do and takes some adjustment. My recommendation is that if people are not comfortable doing it on their own to either have a fellow Legion member help them or else skip this item as it only affects FX and AP armor kits. Note that AM armor does not need the second two items done as the kit has these corrected. Again - these are not required for Legion membership but are encourage and do not cost much in out of pocket expense. I hope this alleviates concern about the armor being forced out from the Legion - far from it! For the helmet the only real requirement is to swap out the tube stripes with correctly colored ones. This is a $3 upgrade and should be painless for most members. I'd also like to point out that while the FX helmet is considered deprecated given that there are more accurate helmets available these days for an equivalent cost, this does not mean that owners of FX helmets will be asked to upgrade to retain their membership, or will new members be rejected should they choose to wear an FX helmet with their kit. As noted earlier, requirements are set by the Legion Council so love it or hate it, we abide by their decision. We're All Legion Stormtroopers Whew! The main take-away from all this is that at the end of the day FISD is home to *all* Legion stormtroopers. As long as your costume is Legion approved, you should always expect a welcome home on FISD. This is *your* detachment after all! With unquestioned loyalty, Paul "Daetrin" TK-8020 Repair and Refit Every month in the FISD newsletter, we will feature tutorial and tip threads that we feel troopers should be aware of because of their uniqueness and excellence. Keep an eye out for this feature, because we’ll be asking you who to tell us who you’d like to see featured in the coming editions. The featured tutorials for March are: How to Scratch Build a Comlink Written by TK-3189 This tutorial shows a great way to build a comlink for yourself without breaking the bank and running all over town looking for supplies. The comlink makes for a great prop to have with your TK build, and can make those photo ops that we all know and love even better. A Better Way to Fix Butt Plates Written by MiDri This is a short tip thread, but it deals with a the fairly widespread issue of how to adjust your butt plate. This can be one of the trickier parts of the TK build, and this tip thread has some great information and illustrations in it about the way that MiDri fixed this issue. Meet the Staff Each month we will feature a staff member, and give them the opportunity to tell the FISD a little bit about themselves. Since they spend so much time here on the boards, we want you to get a sense of who is behind the names you keep seeing! This month’s featured staff member is Brian Robinson, the FISD Provost Marshall. Name: Terrell Reber TK-ID: 1787 Garrison & Detachment(s): Great Lakes Garrison, and I’m a member of almost all the detachments Length of Service: 3 years last March Costumes (approved): ANH Stunt Stormtrooper, ESB Vader, Black Hole Trooper Costumes (in work): Episode 2 clone Other hobbies: Building and painting models, nature photography, and hiking Fun Facts: My family is crazy about ferrets. We currently have five, but have had as many as eight at one time. A few are ours, the majority are fosters from a local ferret shelter. We take their old and sick critters that the masses consider un-adoptable and give them a good home. There is no better entertainment that watching a group of ferrets play especially if there is a new toy i.e. plastic bag, cardboard box, or old pair of jeans. Crosshairs Every month, we will feature a member of the FISD (not necessarily a full-fledged TK) who has created something unique, or who is involved in something noteworthy. This month's featured member is air-ship, who is involved in armor and prop making. Name: Rees Username: air-ship Location: Devon, UK Project Details: Comm kits, amps, Hovi mic tips, cooling fans, blasters (with custom electronics), display stands and one-off electronic projects. What do you do related to prop building, and how do you actually do it?. I make a whole host of gear. My main line of projects are comm kits. They comprise a miniature pre-amp/power-amp, microphone, powerpack, boom mic and full installation instructions. I modify the enclosures for the electronics and machine out the plastic. The circuit is custom built for the job and is very powerful; it will drive 2 x Hovi mic tips and another passive 8 ohm speaker. Amazing for such a tiny circuit. I also make two types of cooling fan kits – the old 40mm x 10mm type and the "squirrel" type. Along with the comm kits, everything is 100% hand made. The thing is, I worked really hard to make each and every kit look and feel like it came out of a factory. That's not easy! Everything is precision machined using a pillar drill and a whole host of other tools. I add stress relief to all wires and connectors and even remove the moulded jack plugs from the microphone and add a higher quality right angle jack – it's much more compact and lasts indefinitely. My amp kits are supplied with Hovi mic tips. These are very exotic beasties and are really difficult to make. They really finish off a lid and the sound is just like Mos Eisley. There is no real magic or trickery in what I do (apart from my feedback reduction techniques). What I do is ensure that everything I make is not just okay, good or competent, it's excellent! I make everything the way I would like it to be and I'll spend many hours perfecting various techniques. If it's wrong it's binned and if it's okay, I make it again. No compromise. This doesn't make commercial sense but I soon learnt that troopers are a discerning bunch. So I decided from the outset that everything had to be spot on. I'm a designer by training, the sort of guy who makes capital letters half a point smaller when typesetting – totally irrational but very satisfying. And then... The E-11 Blaster build. Why oh why did I start doing it? Well, I guess it was another challenge to see if I could put a hand made, custom built, beautifully finished and crafted prop into production. I make a couple per month at the moment (and would like to make more so please commission me). They take around 20 hours to machine, assemble and paint. That also includes the electronics. Currently I add a sampling board and a 1 watt Luxeon red LED. The only clue that there is any electronics is in the microswitch just below the trigger guard. The barrel is machined out of PVC pipe to a very high standard. All other parts apart from the sight rail (aluminium) are resin. I do a lot of work with the resin using pins, screws and flexible glue during construction. This makes it all stronger and lighter. I use about 5 coats of paint plus a central lacquer. The finish is like an original Sterling SMG. It's a textured paint finish (heat applied originally) and is not easy to achieve. But, as with all my gear, I make sure it looks authentic and stunning. Oh, and the T-Track... I searched for this for about 6 months! In the end I found an industrial supplier in the UK. They supply me in 2.4m lengths and then I cut down, form the ends and heat bend to curve into the barrel holes. The two hardest tasks are the T-Track and the machining of the barrel. The cocking channel is not at all easy and the ejector port is even trickier. I'm considering getting them CNC milled in future if I sell more. The electronics fit is simple in comparison to other parts of the build. Including 4 x AAA cells it all weighs in at around 800 grams (about 28 ounces). The bit I'm most proud of is the speaker amplification. I use the ejector to create a bass tube. The speaker is 28mm and of the highest quality. It's rated at 1.5w nominal output so it needs a bit of help to create more volume and bass. It really is loud! I now add another internal pipe at the rear of the barrel to prevent PVC sag. I used to use a curled piece of black plastic. This works perfectly but is tricky to fit. So now I add the internal pipe and a piece of black plastic to finish it off. This looks really cool and has great structural integrity. I also add a smaller bore pipe that fits into the ejector. The wiring runs inside it and it also looks great. Recently, I made a spring loaded, adjustable, fully working trigger mechanism, all from resin parts. This will form part of the my new V2 blaster. The V2 E-11 will come with a multi sample board and an RGB LED. Add to that a force feedback vibrating motor and this will be an awesome blaster! It's still on my bench in R&D and I hope to roll it out in the next few weeks. It will be more expensive than the V1 blaster due to the increased cost of components and a 30 hour build time. Not sure how much yet but I'm guessing around £380.00. The V1 is currently £249 within the UK and £269 for international orders. I've sold quite a few now and even one in the USA. I was might proud of this. Other stuff includes blaster and helmet display stands. Again, these are all hand made and of a minimal design. The helmet stands even have a laser cut aluminium imperial cog! I've got two lids and I wanted a couple of display stands. I liked the stands I made so much I put them into production. Ditto for the E-11 display stand. I added neoprene and aluminium cups to grip the blaster. They can be formed to the shape of the barrel and protect the paint finish while adding high grip from the neoprene. Phew, I do make a lot of gear! How did you get started, and what interested you in Stormtroopers? I went to see ANH in 1977 when it opened in Sheffield, my home city in the UK. I was 9 years old and hooked them there on. My mate, the son of the local police man also managed to acquire some pirate copies of ESB and ROTJ so we used to watch them while his dad was out. As a designer I am continuously fascinated by Star Wars from all sorts of angles. Cowboys and Indians in space... tick! Amazing props and costumes... tick! Excellent stories... tick! Stunning effects and production... tick! Great characters... tick! Oh and Carrie Fisher... hot, hot, hot! I still have a crush on her. I owned my first X-Wing in 1977. It was the big one with the push down R2 to open the wings. Oh how I loved it. I haven't a clue where it is now. Then came Episodes I, II and III. They got me really hooked again. I have two small boys so I have an excuse to watch Star Wars with them. They think I'm really cool because of all the amazing gear I make and the fact that their dad has a full Stormtrooper outfit! It was 29 December 2008. I had just sold a load of my vintage Seiko 7A28 and 7A38 watches (I've always collected watches). I had some funds in my PP account and I started looking at Stormtrooper armour. I didn't do a massive amount of research but I did look at a few different types. I ended up with the over-sized FX armour because I'm a chunky monkey. It arrived in a very large box a few days later. I opened the box and nearly fell off my perch! It was a kit! I thought that a lot more of it would be assembled. Well, I've always been good with my hands (my wife agrees). I got to it over the next few months and built the armour, well almost... In March 2009 I lost my two biggest clients in the space of two weeks (the UK economy was a car wreck). Good income to no income. Ouch! The armour was put on hold while I fought a rear guard action to get some more work. However, I had been building a cooling fan and amp kit for my lid. I couldn't find what I wanted in terms of neatness, features, weight and power efficiency. So it was DIY time. But my kind of DIY. Weeks and weeks of acoustic experiments, modifications, revisions and so on. I even bored out a pair of solid resin Hovi tips to a 20mm diameter leaving a 1.2mm thick wall. I told a colleague of mine about this and he wouldn't believe me at first. He said it couldn't be done! Resin deforms with the heat generated by drilling. I found a way to do it though. As a hobby and to generate some desperately needed funds I put these early kits into production. I hadn't seen anything as neat or tidy as I was making and I'd also worked on a feedback reduction system. Well, the kits started selling and kept on selling. That's when I decided to do more of this and develop a whole range of gear. As most of you will know, most amps that troopers use are not pre-amped. I managed to build the TKVox MicroAmp, MiniAmp, PicoAmp and NanoAmps – all with a powerful pre-amp and power amp phase. Then I added a set of Hovi mic tips along with the powerpack, boom microphone and installation kit. That's where it all started. So, my armour is 95% complete with just a few small details to complete. I plan to get it done very soon. My armour did have an outing last year. My mate had his 40th birthday party and I tested it out. I lasted 4 hours in it and danced for two hours. The bruises were very painful afterwards I have a full collection of Lightsabers bar one. My boys love these and they come out every now and then. They love the Mace Windu and Darth Maul versions. What are some things you're currently working on? I have three projects in progress. The V2 E-11 that I mentioned above and two projects that are classified. Sounds funny to say that. Thing is, I want the other two projects to hit the market with a bang (no smoke though). And then there is the day to day production of the kits I sell. I make a lot of Hovi mic tips. They take a long time to produce but I love them. I think myself and Stomper are the only guys who make them now. They are so hard to produce. If you want to see the gear I make make you can always find me on EBay (search for TKVox) and at my own site: http://www.501st-creations.co.uk Can you tell me a little bit about any future projects that you have in mind? I have a project underway with a German trooper. It's sonic, it's electronic and it's going to be awesome. Also a new amp that I am yet to name. It's on my bench with 5 wires to connect and it's ready to test. I'm also looking into a Bluetooth comm kit. Imperial Commissary The FISD t-shirt run is now closed. Keep your eyes open for a suggestion thread, and be ready to post what you would like to see for the next merch run. From the Communications Officer Looking around the board, I'm impressed with how active this board is. It is really a fantastic resource that we have here, and the great thing is that everyone is involved with this. Don't kid yourselves...without your contributions, this board wouldn't work. Every now and then we have a new member who asks a question that's already been answered, and usually they get directed to several threads that help them find the information that they need. It should be impressive to us, rather than frustrating, that we have built up such a knowledge base here that it is hard for someone to think of an original question. We have something to be proud of here. Congratulations, and keep on trooping! With unquestioned loyalty, Daniel "Debater2nd" TK-2618 FISD Communications Officer This post has been promoted to an article

Sweet...no more deadlines!

Only thing I can see right off is that it needs t-racks. Other than that, looks awesome!

There are a variety of options that you can look at. Check around the boards and see what other people are wearing. There are usually slight variations in size and accuracy, as well as in price. Look at the EIB section as well...you can see what other troopers made EIB with kit and bucket-wise.

Make sure to check out the AM armor as well...it's the updated version of the FX.

As a general rule, stay away from eBay. There are many good armor makers that work with the FISD. Take a look around the boards, check out the armor types, and see what you like and what other people have said about the armor and maker. Do plenty of research before you buy...many people have bought quickly, gotten a poor set, and regretted it. Make sure to check out the Academy site for detail information about the CRLs and parts that you'll need for your suit. Best piece of advice is...take your time, and have fun!

Oh great, there goes the neighborhood. Seriously, welcome to the staff, Terry! Together, we can work to overthrow help Daetrin and make the FISD even better!

Congratulations!

March 2010 FISD Newsletter What's Happening at the FISD by Daetrin Site Upgrades Complete Our forum upgrades are now complete and we hope you like our new home. In addition to moving from IPB2 to IPB3 which allows great new features like threaded PM's, we've also updated the theme of the site in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Empire Strikes Back. A big thanks to Aaron (Synaptyx) for making this happen and creating the new site look. As always we appreciate any feedback on how we can improve the site moving forward, so please feel free to hit up the Tech Support forum for all your suggestions. FISD Academy Launched It gives me great pleasure to announce the launch of FISD's very own Academy site which we hope will make it easier for you to find the content you're looking for. With almost 130,000 posts spread out over the forum, FISD is no longer a new detachment. There are 851 topics alone in the area devoted to Assembly, Mods, and Painting. It can be hard enough for us veterans to find what we're looking for, much more so for people new to the hobby. As reaching out and helping troopers is our mission in life, it was time to take FISD to the next level. The Academy is designed to making finding the content you need easier, faster, and in more detail. Updated CRL's for each costume have been created complete not only with visual references, but also with the ability to download them all as a zip to make it easier for people to have local copies. A complete list of every TIP and HOWTO article posted is part of the main navigation, allowing people to quickly find a list of the best armor building ideas in one place. The main goal of the site though are the Tutorials: Armor, Blaster, Electronics. We intend to describe every element of the stormtrooper costume: what it is, how it fits together, quick links to related tutorial threads and even a short list of vetted sellers for some items that we all need such as neckseals, belts, and gloves. Everything you need, conveniently in one place! The real strength of FISD is in it's members and their willingness to embrace the motto of "troopers helping troopers". We really hope you guys like the Academy - it may be small now but then FISD started with one post too. Incinerator Trooper is now Official Last week the Legion Membership Officer - Thomas Spanos - approved the Legion's first Incinerator Trooper. Congratulations to Lachlan (TK-8226) of Redback Garrison! A proposed CRL has been posted on FISD for consideration of the membership. EIB standards for this costume have also been proposed. Please be sure to take a look and let us know what you think. Celebrating our 100th EIB On March 1st FISD officially reached our first 100 EIB troopers. Starting from a vision in 2006 when the standard were first published, we've now awarded our 100th EIB. This is a significant milestone in our hobby and for FISD, as it demonstrates that these standards are achievable on most every variety of armor make, and by many troopers across the world. Congratulations to Robert Kittell (TK-7143) for being our 100th member! My thanks also to each and every one of our EIB recipients both for your hard work and for setting an example of how good the TK can be. Stormtroopers are still the backbone of the Legion and we should be proud of our costume. We're also looking forward to our next 100 EIB carrying the torch in to the future. While the OT has been extensively covered, we expect to see Heavy Weapons Troopers, Stormtrooper Commanders, and the newest FISD member, Incinerator Troopers, appearing this year. And for those that choose not to go full EIB, remember that you are always full members of FISD! Whether you are happy with base standards or decide to dial up your kit just a bit, we're all on the same team. With unquestioned loyalty, Paul "Daetrin" TK-8020 Repair and Refit Every month in the FISD newsletter, we will feature tutorial and tip threads that we feel troopers should be aware of because of their uniqueness and excellence. Keep an eye out for this feature, because we’ll be asking you who to tell us who you’d like to see featured in the coming editions. The featured tutorials for March are: How to Pimp a Blaster, Billhag Style Written by Billhag This is an excellent look at how to take a Hyperfirm (and this tutorial could be applied to other types of blasters as well) and modify it for that additional “wow” factor that we all love. The clear directions, as well as pictures and illustrations, make this a tutorial that any trooper looking to take their weapon to the next level won’t want to ignore. How to Remove a Bad Paint Job Written by Sonnenschein This tip thread, although short, is a must read for anyone who has ever wrestled with the problem of removing paint. This is a perfect example of a thread that deals with a concrete problem that most troopers have, at one time or another, had to deal with. Meet the Staff Each month we will feature a staff member, and give them the opportunity to tell the FISD a little bit about themselves. Since they spend so much time here on the boards, we want you to get a sense of who is behind the names you keep seeing! This month’s featured staff member is Brian Robinson, the FISD Provost Marshall. Name: Brian Robinson TK-ID: 2918 Garrison & Detachment(s): Garrison Tyranus and the FISD Length of Service: 2 years - Shevacon 2008 was my very first troop, and this weekend marked my second anniversary trooping! Costumes (approved): TK Costumes (in work): HWT, Imperial Officer, 501 Ep 3 clone Other hobbies: Bodybuilding, karate, Parkour, being a husband & father Fun Facts: I'm completely immersed in all things space - I'm an aerospace engineer at a major U.S. defense company, I'm a (reserve) space operations officer in the U.S. Air Force, I have undergraduate and advanced degrees in space systems engineering (and working towards a doctorate), and although I rarely have time for TV, I make time every week for Space Tuesday on the Discovery Channel. Like I said, total immersion! Crosshairs Every month, we will feature a member of the FISD (not necessarily a full-fledged TK) who has created something unique, or who is involved in something noteworthy. Again, keep your eyes open, because this is a section that we’ll be looking to our FISD members to help us with choosing people for future editions. This month’s featured FISD member is Dashrazor, who is a fairly new member to the boards, but who has been working on a unique fan-built E-11 project. Name: Mason Username: Dashrazor Location: Maine, USA Project Details: E-11 scratch built blaster, with a working folding stock, barrel lights, barrel laser, smoke projector, removable clip, removable lighting hengstler counter, sound functions, and see-through scope with cross-hairs. Tell me a little bit about what you do.: Tinkering (as my wife calls it) and the arts. I have always liked making things and working with my hands, whether it be guitars, paintings, airbrushing or building models. I’ve also taken electronics classes over three years (soldering to NASA standards,digital,ac,dc circuits, ect) 20+ years hands on learning. Another hobby of mine is sword building (dungeons and dragons phase,early 90s) learned about the almighty dremel tool/forging and basic metal working skills, and I have experience with construction trades (general contractor): tig,mig, and stick welding, fabrication and pipe fitting, carpentry and plumbing. What first interested you in building Star Wars props? My blaster building story started when i had to have knee reconstructive surgery. I was stuck at home for several months, and became tired of watching TV and playing video games, so i decided to order a Star Destroyer model kit off eBay. I spent weeks running fiber optics throughout the model, but I found the building was pretty easy, so I bought a few more Star Wars model kits, and they were also very easy to build. That didn’t really work for me, since I like a good challenge, so I decided I would scratch-build a star wars model in my shop instead. I looked on Google for ideas for my build, and an E-11 picture on the blaster builders club website caught my eye. I started just putting bits of household items together (using the blaster builders club templates for size reference only), and next thing I knew, I had a pretty cool looking functional blaster. After your initial E-11 build, what made you decide to continue? When the blaster was finished, I wanted to make another, but the hobby turned out to be far more expensive than plastic modeling. even though I was using mostly recycled materials. With the various drill bits, dremel bits, saw blades and other needed items (mostly my electric bill), I was breaking the bank. My wife suggested selling my blaster on eBay to fund building additional models. I was reluctant at first, but agreed to give it a shot. After posting it on eBay for only a few minute, several people were watching my auction. I soon received a message from a 501st member, who asked several questions about the blaster. At the time, I knew very little about the organization, besides what i read from various websites when researching the E-11 blaster, but after talking with the member, he seemed pretty cool, so I decided to post it “Buy It Now.” for him. Unfortunately, before he could buy it, another person (a prospective 501st member) bought it. I felt quite bad, so I told the 501st guy that I would build another one. I ultimately joined the FISD, made my second blaster, and had a great time learning more about the 501st and getting ideas for bigger and better projects. What are your plans for future projects? I am still working on refining my initial E-11 build and improving my workshop. My current project is a functional DLT-19, which is coming together very well. For some reason, the DLT is actually getting built faster than the E-11 did, so I am considering whether I might be able to offer FISD members a run of these items in the future. Imperial Commissary Currently, we have an T-shirt interest thread asking for troopers to post their intentions with regards to purchasing a 2010 FISD T-shirt. These shirts look great, with original artwork being placed on a black shirt base, and the orders are starting to pile up. Make sure you sign up for yours today, Trooper! Order from the Communications Officer Make sure to keep up with the current topics on the FISD board. I’ll be asking for your feedback about what you want to see in this newsletter, and I’ll be working with the rest of the staff to create ways for you to nominate members you want to see featured. This is your newsletter, so I want it to be something that is useful to you. Now, have a good month, and get out there and troop! That’s an order! With unquestioned loyalty, Daniel "Debater2nd" TK-2618 FISD Communications Officer This post has been promoted to an article

Congratulations! Great milestone!

Wow, good catch. I'm curious...what type of hose is used, and how did you attach the hose to the helmet? That's the part that's really stumping me.

Looks good! I'm working on one as well... I'll post some pictures in a few days .

Some lucky guy is going to get the first one....wonder who could be that fortunate? He'll be the envy of the FISD!