Runnriottt

Got a chance to really go over my helmet today. Cracked in 8 places. Thanks for all the well wishes, they do mean the world to me. Thanks guys. I figure it will deserve a photo. Ill be putting my bike up for sale soon. Just time to move on.

Long dead thread, but I felt I should kinda explain my absence a little. Besides being up to my neck in work and life... I crashed again this week. Just as hard. No stitches this time, and I bounce... Nothing broken. However bending hurts just as much. Huge bruise on my hip, sprained shoulder and wrist. Helmet... Cracked but saved my a very impolite person again. Bike is not all that bad off, just some scratches but man... I donno anymore. Second time in two years, same side as last time and again... trying to miss a car. He was backing up and I went to go around him and hit a metal part of the road. Slick, I lost traction. The inevitable pile of graceful concrete meeting ensued. Yippie. A trip to the hospital and 8 Xrays later I am sore, cant move and had to take a couple days from work. Blessed to be alive and still here to do what I do. Hurts though. I just got my Drivers License back and am off to buy a car. Its time for seat belts. Tired of falling off.

God Speed. God Bless our troops. Every single day. MR2 (SW) USN/USNR

You have a cloth belt? Velcro tight in the gut area and away you go. If it slides around, then just add in a few little velcro tabs to keep it centered.

Now.. I see where you are coming from. However look at it another way. Market being what it is... Said manuals may never sell. I think I have an idea what this is about, 4510's new one. Its 15.00. 4510 is one of the best builders out there. He also did a thread here on how to. I have seen far worse for far more offered up. 4510's manual is his biz, and I think if anything its a good effort. It may never sell, but that is his adventure. He did put his time into it and it is probably the best manual made. He has a reputation for perfection on his stuff. The economy being what it is, many are looking to make a few bucks. I know I am as well. I dont see a gimmick. I just see the standard thing about buyer beware. If you dont want it.. dont buy it. The forum is chuck full of build threads. Build from that ya know?

So was the pugman blaster the reference point for these new greeblies?

The price Gino is asking for his helmet is nuts. Nutty great! Not to long ago... An FX kit cost 1100 bucks. A good Helmet.. 500 minimum. A TE... 750. A Gino? Cough up a kidney. Maybe add a liver. Then you have to be the right donor. Now you can own an ATA for a tenth of what many helmets went for not to long ago. An AP is even obtainable at a low price. Quality is in the collectors eyes. Nice shinny plastic is great, but the warts and the bumps make my day and float my boat. I am sure that you all think I am flat out nuts for the money I have in my Vader. But I strive for the best and highest end parts, accuracy and to me it all boils to the fact I want the public to see the Vader onscreen, not a good Vader costume. My point is, its not about price. The economy will support what it supports. Here is an offering that is on par.. trumps most really with the most accurate helmets ever made from any source. Debated? Sure! But this helmet is among the top 4 helmets ever offered... I love my ATA lids but they are not as good as a Gino. I have owned them all really, an AP, TE, TE2,TM, ANHV2, CAP, MRCE, FX, ATA, and soon a Gino. Cant wait. Sure it looks like a TK. All of them do. But its the details I am excited to see. Really, if Gino wants to offer and is able to meet demand... More power to him. I think its cool. Gino has rubbed a lot of people wrong with his comments on the hobby, not the vending end of it ( aside from the endless banter on recasting for a while) but the details and his ethics side of the hobby. He is looking to sell helmets, and helmets on the top of the food chain.

I am so trying to follow your thoughts on that post.... Huh? But hey Boss.. I am in the fight with ya. Lets get em up to par and submitted! Damn the torpedos, full speed ahead!

Not to be a wet blanket... But wow. 126 out of 460? That is like 35 percent! That is really tough to beat! WOW! We are at 4%. To get to MEPD level... we need like 800 members to reach EIB... Yeesh... I guess Paul we can just shoot for 126. That seems more realistic.

Like that is new....

So I am off to the Arcade today to catch the train and I look into the Docomo shop... Look ma I am a poster too!

For a buck none the less! Man I love second hand stores!

I hate E6000. It works, but man it is messy. Upside is its flexible and if you goof.. you can get it apart with out messing up your armor. I like ABS cement. Drawbacks being that it does get brittle over time AND that it will in large quantities MELT your armor. Holds like nothing else however.

15 page derail of a thread calling TM a recaster on the RPF. Really, its not worth rehashing. TM is not a recaster.

Having a conversation with Gino the last few days... I think three things are happing. 1. He is having a serious rethink on things. That is good. 2. He has made something available that has not been available at any real time. Not just one year ago, these were 1000.00. I have seen a Vac machine he built, (online) so he is looking to supply. This is good as well. 3. He (in his own way) is trying to apologize to the community. Now, not everyone will get that and leopards dont change spots easy. However... I think its fair to support as we really dont know anything on Gino the Vendor, just Gino the collector and prop guy. I would also venture to say that his offering will be a tad warmed over.. not his full on prop. I dont blame him. Really, many complain about bumpy caps as they dont know that its accurate. That said... He has made many a mistake in this community as had a few other vendors. Some of his accusations I even went Toe to toe with him on. Your view on Gino be what it may just remember that people can change. Only time will tell his intent. We as a community are a giving and forgiving bunch. There are still people willing to give TE money, and he has a very long history of not delivering. This game is a game of trust, and it only takes a few bad sales to mess up a guys rep. I hope that his helmets find a market... but as times are tightening and his name may hinder some sales. Ginos helmets are close to the top of the food chain and I plan on getting one. I want to see how big they are. They are from the time frame of the TE and TE2. Should be a nice helmet. His ways, I hope at least, are changed. Many a bridge burnt, but maybe... just maybe... he can build some back. Time will tell.

This is (I hope) to be done by July. I have a Wedding to do and this may make the trip. I guess I should get an account on Spec Ops huh!

Changed the site! I am on it! Woo HOO! I am the first and second Vader you see as it opens. My link

Perfect. Flat out. WOW.

Wow... the new AM chest is huge. How tall are you?

Thought I would share over here as well. We have been busy! Hence why I have been scarce a little as of late. Our GPR wrote up a very good description of what we are up to, so I will just use his words. The links at the bottom go to youtube, and I am in the first and last link. Vader, but with my buds in TK. Begin Transmission... Ok I am here to give more details There is currently a viral marketing campaign being conducted by popular cellphone carrier NTT DoCoMo here in Japan. In this campaign Darth Vader is being used. This campaign is not related to Star Wars, and Vader is being used as "celebrity endorsement." Does that make sense? For me, I was reminded of the old Energizer Battery commercial that featured Vader. The tag line of this campaign is "Who is My Boss?" In the commercial (viewable online) Vader is looking for his Boss. If you live in Japan, the online experience can continue. By entering your name (in one of the Japanese alphabets) and uploading/linking a photo of yourself, You will appear on posters as Vader continues his search. You are also given a phone number to call with a PIN number at the start of all this. When you call the Video continues with a phone ringing on screen. At the end of the Video and seeing your photo all over the place, Vader calls YOU. Your phone rings, and when you answer it you can here Vader. Example: "Kenichi. NO! My Boss is much stronger than you!" OK, so where does the 501st fit into this? Well, we were asked to provide a Vader for the commercial and photo shoots. Our CO Kenichi (SL-5331), who coincidentally works at DoCoMo (albeit a different department and was unaware of this project) is featured in the Video and Posters currently on display all around Japan. Our GML Nathan (SL-9135) was also used and he may be featured in the second half of this project. iisan, is the third Vader used and appeared on tour (as well as Nathan and Ken) Over the course of the past week we have been actively involved with making appearances around Japan. Vader as well as two Stormtroopers (or TD) toured Japan in search of Vader's "Boss" The purpose of this was to create a buzz and spread the word via Twitter and other social networks in Japan. From April 26 - May 4th we appeared in 9 cities across Japan. From Fukuoka in the south all the way to Sapporo in the North. Our member were flown around Japan and given food and hotels so that we could participate in this event. It was pretty exciting but also very exhausting. As to who is Vader's Boss, we have to wait until May 10th for that to be announced. I'll make another report then. Videos: 福岡 / Fukuoka, April 26 渋谷 / Shibuya, April 29 仙台 / Sendai, May 2 高松 / Takamatsu, May 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4tWbeH4 ... re=related 大阪 / Osaka, May 2 札幌 / Sapporo, May 1 名古屋 / Nagoya, April 29 金沢 / Kanazawa, May 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jbYu9OB ... re=related 広島 / Hiroshima, May 4

In all seriousness... Styrene, Hips, ABS... All can be just a durable as anything else. Hell, fiberglass, but not recommended. Heavy. Like anything else in life its how you take care of it. The TM set I have is ABS, harder to trim but looks the biz. The FX was like a snap tight set, super easy to build and heavy ABS. Love that too. The TE2, easy to trim, wear and looks the biz. The ATA, easier to trim, looks the biz and easy to wear. Each set gets packed up the same way, carefully, and is toted to each event in its own chest. Over the weekend I got to see a set of VT. Again, ABS but thinner than the ATA and the TE2. At least this set was. The material is not the issue, its the builder, the wear and the storage. A set of styrene armor can out last ABS if and I do say IF... its taken care of.

What kind? White Plastic Accurate. Sprinkled with build glue, passion and kindness for kids. Worn Heavily.

Yes. Out of the box thinking. Love it. So doing this for the TD. Great job.

Ahh... Kanji. 10 years and still cant read a lick of it. However Japanese and Chinese are vastly different. Cool thread boss!

Where is the "I like it" option?