BlackDOG

No issues with TCSS.....spent tons of Imperial Credits there...

Just went through the same thing...... Paint bled under the pin striping tape I used. I tried to burnish it down good, but missed some places. What type of thinner is easiest on the ABS? I am always using acetone for cleaning stuff, and it seems to dull the ABS significantly. I guess that makes sense, since I just retread about ABS goo. Also what did you polish with once the paint was removed? I have used Novus in the past.....

TK 8286 reporting for duty! http://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=11379 Thanks, J.

wow...thanks for all the info. I don't necessarily have a hard time leaving them "As is", but they do not match the white of my armor....

Ok, I have Karin's flexible hand plates...I tried painting them with the paint I used for the rest of my ATA... It looked awesome till I slightly flexed one. The paint ripped and peeled.... Ideas? Leave as is? Use a different paint? J.

I did a double dip......Disney and CV.......I can't imagine a better trip. It is astonishing how well Disney tries to maintain its parks......clean, uncluttered and friendly. I know it is not a perfect place.....but it is as darn close as I have ever seen. I am envious and hope you have as wonderful time as my family did. I would dig CVI in Orlando..........

I expect that the ever so slight difference in the dimensions from using a butt joint instead of the overlap would not be noticeable and would not cause much of an issue in the back. The plastic is flexible and you are talking about less than a tenth of an inch difference spread out over the entire radius of the thigh.......

If you use the 20mm cover strip, you could still use velcro... I found low profile velcro at wal mart...it only pushes the finish strip out about 3MM..... here is s link from another site showing the stuff.... ----

I painted mine with the Plastidip rubberized stuff.......just cause like the way it looks.

So if I apply for EIB my backwards velcro is not an issue? No I haven't painted yet thank the Maker! J.

Despite my best efforts to not cut things wrong, to lay out parts orderly and be careful, I have transposed my shins on my ATA..... That is, I set the overlap in the back correctly and got the knee plat on right(left correctly), but when I put on the shins,and velcro them up, it is apparent that the left shin is on my right leg and vice versa by the way they feel. The right shin digs into the inside of my knee . When I switch them, they feel fine, but of course, the knee plate is on the wrong leg...... So, if I drill out my rivets and I switch the knee plate, is the inside over outside overlap in the shin backs a big deal? I mean I really don't like that, but I also don;t want to take the finishing strips off again and risk really boogering something up.... Comment? Thoughts? Wild snickering cause the noob switch his shins? Any guidance would be most appreciated. J.

CAVEAT: I don't have a saberforge saber but have SEVERAL TCSS MHS Sabers.... That qualification being said, try the custom saber shop Saber Builder or a Saber Guild Member..... Reasons why: 1. With a little adaptation, you can get a hilt that looks very similar and will be better. Take a look at the photos.....there are exposed set screws holding the sections together. My experience with this type of design makes for less than stable build. TCSS sections are held together by threads that lock them together. Dueled hard with my TCSS Modular Hilt System (MHS) saber..No issues of durability. 2. Saber folks are PICKY, but they know their stuff. If you have bad feedback on a saber forum, that comes from saber guys judging other saber guys. If I am going to go for EIB, then I would listen to EIB folks.........same thing with sabers. 3. You get what you pay for...and sometimes less. A quality saber hilt alone should cost about a hundred bucks.......You can buy a MR and hit something with it and it can die (you get less than you pay for). I broke a poly C blade tip dueling with my TCSS saber and the hilt has never faltered. The 149 price tag scares me........waaaay to low for a nice saber. Recommendations: Several guys over at TCSS and FX sabers have built trooper sabers. Do a search and take a look. Any of the MHS hilts will feel good in the hand and look good with the white powdercoat......... Finding a Crystal Focus.......they are rare gems......they are the best around, but hard to come buy. I have 3 CFs in sabers..........after several years of building and collecting. If you really want an awesome turn key product...get in touch with a sabersmith in the SaberGuild....snag a saber with a Petit Crouton (basically a CF lite)...enjoy a well built prop that wont fritz out on you after the first clash with a bathrobe jedi...... My 2 cents...... HMMMMMMMM...Trooper Saber....I have not thought about that in a while.......great...another prop build. J.

I dig the plasti-dip idea...I used some of this on some stainless steel cable on my sailboat....it sticks amazingly well.

Got some correct ears on the way...thanks for the help.... Please resume debate.........

I am in a quandary..... Years ago, I had a GF Stunt helmet.I liked the look, but I am still hung up on the Hero. So when I started thinking about TK armor, I decided to go hero. So, in assembling my build pieces, I ordered Hero handplates (Thanks, Karin). While I was looking about for decals.....a nice trooper( Thanks MIke!) pointed out to me that the ATA kit I have coming is a STUNT. Back when (several years ago) when I first researched the TK buckets, I thought the only difference was the number of teeth cut out and lenses.......I did not realize the difference in the actual frown. To what extent can a ATA be made to look hero? Also, how does this impact my desire to go EIB? If I have to go stunt, I will, but I will have to get new handplates.....SIGH! J.

Matt, I am getting ready to do the same thing soon. I think "less is more" when putting the bucket together and I would look at Mike's video and trim conservatively...you can always nibble a little off...... I also have seen mentioned leaving the face plate sides long......this may have been for a TI bucket, but I suspect that it is true for this too. Also, I was looking at screencaps and historical photos and the ton of info on SW helmets.....the right eye did have a slight asymmetrical bump on the lower "lid"...isn't that accurate? It is formed into the faceplate from what Isee....so I assume the above comment was about the trimming and not that bump. Mike's videos ROCK! Thanks, brother! Hope to see you troopin' soon. J.

Now that would be a cool gig........STORMTROOPER ROADIE!

Dude...hook up with somebody in your local Garrison. My experience is that Garrison mates want more people to enjoy this madness and will be glad to walk with you on this journey. The local guys and gals are close enough to physically meet up and help. I troop with really awesome people and my experience at Celebration verifies that the other Garrisons are the same. People are all the time changing their minds, selling stuff, you CAN make this happen, and you can get started for a fraction of that $1500.00.... Hang in there! j.

It is very cool, Tyler........

Just to be clear....I am talking about what worked for me. My comments about not listening to people who think they know what they are talking about is not directed at anyone in this thread....but rather the people who I have run across who insist on being all knowing....I re-read my post and though I came off a little strong. You know they people I am talking about...they come up to you at an event talking about a friend who got a "perfect" screen used stormtrooper helmet off ebay...LOL. No arguing with folks like that.... Keep up the good work, troopers.

Hey everybody! I am a noob around here, as that I am just starting to collect boxes I am a TB, and when I redid my cummerbund to qualify for Lancer (our EIB), I noticed that the new one was TIGHT. I had used my same measurements from a year ago, but as that the fabric had stretched slightly, I had not realized the weight gain. I work at a desk and don't exercise like I once did. Even my trips with my Boy Scouts were making the knees complain more....40 is around the corner, too. I heard about the New Adkins on the people's pharmacy on NPR in April. I had assumed that it was just a book with new recipes......but as I listened, I began to think seriously about making some lifestyle changes. I bought the book, the one published this year..... A Word on Atkins......I have heard all sorts of arguments for and against Atkins. High Cholesterol...high protein content in urine...quick loss, no sustainability.....heart disease. This is my experience....... Atkins made sense. I am a meat and potatoes kind of eater. I love good food, I like mediocre food and tolerate marginal food. But after commencing Adkins, I learned a few things about myself I did not know..... I ATE A LOT OF GARBAGE- I ate snacks that were stuff like cookies, chocolate, soda....... I did not eat enough REAL food- like vegetables (fresh ones) and water and whole foods. I did not pay attention to what I did eat, and ate way too much. WHAT I FOUND OUT- The newer version of Atkins holds to the original proposition.....you body needs fat, but we are addicted to refined sugar and starches. The carbohydrates prevent out bodies from effectively metabolizing fat and even if we did metabolize it ....we cram waaaay to much rocket fuel (sugar) into our stomachs. IN the beginning I assumed I could eat anything as long as it was not bread, starch or sugar. But there is s kicker........the Atkins program wants your 20 grams of carbs per day to come mostly (15-17 grams) from vegetables.....like spinach and asparagus and salad and such. If you try it, you learn that you don't eat 3 cheeseburgers without the bun or 9 slices of cheese or as much bacon as you want. For me, the challenge was to eat enough OTHER stuff to get to 15 grams of carbs via foundation veggies. In essence: IT IS NOT ABOUT PROTEIN but eating whole, nutritious food. SO what happened.....I started at 182, BMI of about 26 with bad hunger pangs if I did not eat a package of cookies at 10:30 AM from the vending machine. I had headaches and after lunch....well I wanted to lay down and sleep. After the initial 2 week induction, I had lost about 12 pounds.....and I started getting comfortable with the new way of doing things. WHen I departed for CV, I weighed 155.5 pounds and felt better than I had in 14 years. I am more active, I don't have those sugar rush headache/ after lunch crashes.....I look better and my knees did not hurt after working the registration line for 6 hours at Celebration. I ate absolutely anything I wanted in Florida.....Pizza, burgers, fries.....but you know what? I did not eat them the way I did before. I don't crave stuff like I once did. I ate ice cream, but I opted out of my baked potato. I ate steamed veggies instead. I ate half of my fries and didn't feel like I was "leaving a man behind." I did hit a plateau at 165 pounds.....that lasted about two weeks. But now, I have been able to maintain the south of 160 range. If you think you know Atkins, it deserves a second look. Does it work for everyone? Probably not. It was the best fit for me. Don' t let people who think they know what they are talking about tell you what you can discover for yourself. I argued with a lady about a month ago who told me Atkins was bad because you only ate meat......read the book, think about the science, talk to you doctor and see what happens. Be encouraged. If I can lose weight you can too. J TB/ ID 8286 BEFORE: AFTER:

I have been using Jim's amp with my TB for a good long while....I absolutely love mine. No worries with this product. J.