LadyInWhite

I got the rubber mallet at a hardware store but a regular everyday hammer will do. You can also by the kit/parts for the hammer method anywhere you can buy the snaps or tool - hardware, fabric, hobby shops. Amazon. Just make sure you get the right toolsgkit for your particular snaps. This usually is done by matching snap model numbers with numbers listed on some obscure part of the kit packaging.

My tax guy says "not really." I mean, US tax laws are so full of loopholes and b.s. that you can pretty much get away with anything. I even tried to have my armor listed as an expense for a "uniform required for work" under a corporation, but he didn't want to risk it. One tax guy I had put up to $1000/year in charitable donations as a deduction, even though I had no receipts, and also mileage converted to $ (around $.29/mile at the time) for driving to and from charity work. (The 501st is not the charity you're volunteering for, it's the even itself, like MAW). Basically, his rationale was that if you are under the median household deduction level, it won't raise any red flags. That said, that was HIS reasoning, and if you get audited you could be in big doo-doo if the proper procedures (i.e. receipts) aren't followed to the letter. And by the way, something I learned the hard way a couple decades ago, deductions are not anything remotely related to cash flow. Never think of it as getting paid to troop.

Well, to put it bluntly, pretty much any costume leading to 501st approval (any type) will likely be more than $350, depending on how much you're willing to make yourself vs. buy from others who make parts. A jawa would be well within that range and a starting point. But I don't want to discourage you. Contact the armorers and they'll send you their prices, and you'll see from there. Also there are many accessories to ensure you have a good suit of armor... neck seal, boots, etc. So see what you can save up and muster up... and take your time. Save up a bit, get what you need, save up again, get another bit... might be slow but this whole costuming business is a slow waiting game anyway

Hi, Donovan, welcome to FISD. http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/18243-howto-modifying-armor-for-women/ <-- it says for women but really it's just about comparing smaller wearers with larger wearers - Bobojuice's wife is much smaller than he is. That set is ATA which is good, AP is also common for smaller folks. I'm sure TM and the others would work too. AM and RT tend to be for bigger/taller troopers so you'd have to trim a lot more, so probably not those in your case. good luck!

Feedback and suggestions (and nominations for trooper of the month if you feel someone is deserving but overlooked) are always welcome. Let me know what you think, and what you want to see in future NLs! Is the NL getting too long? Are there parts you're more interested in than others? Is the Brief of value? Do you print it and use it as bumfodder? (Look that one up!) PM me Cheers, Ingrid

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

Thighs are the biggest pain in the galaxy. Ideally you can get them to go a little higher without too much extra gap on your knees. You may have to take them apart and widen them a tiny bit if fitting over the thigh is a problem. (Mine only go so high also. Damn girl flab.) As for whether it's "acceptable" ... I have seen it on other troopers, but ideally we want the least amount of black showing. I'll have to let more experienced troopers answer that. What type of armor do you have?

I wish too, seeing as how we planned our NY trip for LAST weekend :( Have a great time!

Most people don't realize you have asymetry in your body! If you drive a lot, one calf could be bigger than the other. Etc. But yes, the AP greaves are not perfect, they are totally work-able but in any case you should fit them to each leg to be sure. Or just pad the bigger one a bit, if you're concerned the difference will be visible in the armor and it is in fact your legs, or something.

From the Detachment Leader Around the Detachment Tip of the Month Katie's Story Deathtrooper Season TK Jack-o-lantern Stencils Trooper of the Month Troop of the Month Greetings My Fellow Troopers, I first want to truly thank everyone, from the bottom of my heart, for your support and your vote. I would like to thank you for believing in and allowing the staff and myself to continue on with the projects that we had planned for this year to help make the FISD better. I am honored to accept the office of Detachment Leader of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment. Last Saturday when the voting polls were closed and the results were posted, a good friend of mine told me that it was a landslide and that I should do some chest thumping and a victory dance. I told my good friend, that is not me. This not a victory for me, but rather a victory for the whitearmor.net and the TK community. I am but a humble servant and am happy to continue serving the TK community. The members of the FISD are not merely members to me, but you are my brothers and sisters and I always look out for and do the best I can for my family. I look forward to serving all of the members of the FISD and being the best Detachment Leader I can be. I do have visions and plans that the staff and I will be working to implement to create a better forum, with better information, for those TK enthusiast that are striving to either build their first Stormtrooper costume or seeking ways to better or upgrade their Stormtrooper costume. Staff Changes: At this time, I would like to announce the appointment of the new Executive Officer of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment. This person has years of Legion and costuming experience, with first hand knowledge of the CRL's and is well versed in the Legion Charter. He has worked in front of and behind the scenes for years within the 501st. In my opinion, he is going to bring a lot to the staff and to our community. It give me great pleasure to welcome Brian Anderson TK7602 (Stormtrooperguy) as the new Executive Officer of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment. Please give Brian a warm welcome to his new position. Due to "real life" obligations, Luis Diaz, TK7164 (bobojuice) has asked to step down from the Provost Marshall position. Luis has done a great job and we wish him the very best and ask that he not be a stranger on the boards. At this time, I would like to announce the appointment of the new Provost Marshall, Mark Ryner, TK4584 (captsafe66). Mark has experience as being his Garrison's COG and he is already been an Imperial Sentry. I feel very confident that he will do a great job in the position of Provost Marshall. Lets all give Mark a warm welcome to his new position We have also added a few new members to the Imperial Propaganda Machine (extended staff). They are: Jennifer Riddle TK-9496 (jnnfr72), Andrea Loar TK-6093 (Andrea11), and Derek A Dougherty, TK27555 (Dougherty.D). All three of these people have stepped up to become one of the extended staff to help to make the FISD a better place for the community, so let's give it up for Jenny, Andrea, and Derek. Detachment Polls I wanted to remind everyone that the voting/polling for the proposed amendments to the Centurion requirements are now open. Voting remains open for 2 weeks (until the 18th) . Please do not forget to be a part of this. Just remember, your vote counts!! Here are the list of polls: General Changes Drop Box Details Torso Changes Leg Changes New Numbers, New TKs Moving on, I would like to bring up that we, the Legion, have run out of 4 digit ID numbers. It was formerly announced at C6, during the 501st 15th Anniversary Imperial dinner, that we were now into the 5 digit numbers for the ID's. A few weeks ago, I was helping a recruit for my Garrison complete his application for the 501st. He pulled out a list of all the 5 digit numbers that he was pondering over and trying to choose which one he wanted to be his permament 501st ID. I kind of laughed and said I wish I had all these options when I was applying. It was truly slim pickings to try and find some number that I felt connected to, now just look at all of these fresh, new numbers. I wanted to show all of you our newest TK brothers,and sisters with their 5 digit ID's: TK10000 Aleksandra DÄ…bkowska-----..------ Polish Garrison TK10002 Gordon McGuire------------..--------United Kingdom Garrison TK10004 David B Gray----------------.---------Mountain Garrison TK10006 Andrew J Leeson-----------..-..------United Kingdom Garrison TK10007 Paulo Siqueira----------------------- Brazilian Division Garrison TK10011 Daryl Kling-----------------.---..-------Dune Sea Garrison TK10020 Jack Smith-------------------------..---Brazilian Division Garrison TK10021 Brent Parsons------------------.------Golden Gate Garrison TK10023 Rob Tomlin---------------------.-------Star Garrison TK11011 Gonzalo Ortega--------------.--------Spanish Garrison TK10100 Rafal M Kraska---------------.--------Polish Garrison TK11285 Tyler Timpany------------------.------Canadian Garrison TK12421 Kevin M Feber------------------------Great Lakes Garrison TK11308 Mariano Santafosta------------------Spanish Garrison TK19334 Alex R Bevan---------------------.----United Kingdom Garrison TK11990 William L Rasco-----------------------Garrison Carida TK25267 Charles B Bowes---------------------Canadian Garrison TK26354 Steven J Stubbs----------------------Southern California Garrison TK26800 Julio Rey de Perea Campos-----...Spanish Garrison TK27555 Derek A Dougherty------------------Southern California Garrison TK32380 James P Brace-----------.------------Bloodfin Garrison TK42111 John B Cambra--------.--------------Golden Gate Garrison TK42166 Jason Winiata-----------.-------------Outpost 42 Garrison TK42170 Brian Jepson--------------------------Star Garrison TK45540 Sophie E Bowman-------------------Terror Australis Garrison TK49438 Valere Fourbisseu-------------------FanWars Garrison TK50100 Garry P Shing------------------------Terror Australis Garrison TK50101 Dennis Dombrowski---------..-------German Garrison TK50148 Damian StefaÅ„ski-------------.-------Polish Garrison TK50166 Andrew T Rochelle-----------.-------Carolina Garrison TK54321 Nicky Mezzina----------------.----.----Nordic Garrison TK64830 Mortier Bernard---------------.-------FanWars Garrison TK72812 Andrew C Donaldson---------.------Star Garrison TK74745 Brandon Cockrell---------------.-----Rancor Raiders Garrison TK90005 Francisco Izaguirre------------.------Spanish Garrison TK90475 Douglas Koverman----------.--------Ohio Garrison TK92901 William C Adamson------------.------Garrison Tyranus TK98530 Alejandro Carbonell Olivares---.---Spanish Garrison Katie's Story Last but not least, for those that are following the Katie Goldman story about her wanting to become a TK because of the 501st (more about this in an article in this Newsletter), I would like to thank the members of the Midwest Garrison, Brian C Troyan TK8968 (Fleetfang), Javier Esqueda TK265 (TK265), Steve W Gaza TK4034 (gazmosis), and Adriane Bean TK 4541 (Beans) for stepping up and offering to build the TK suit for Katie. I would also like to thank, from the bottom of my heart, all the FISD members that donated to the Katie Goldman Fund and also those who have donated some of the accessory items that Katie will need with her Stormtrooper. I have given each and everyone of you a "Supporter Ribbon" for your efforts and will be making a thread, with a formal list of donors, so that all can see what a great group of people, with big and giving hearts, that we have in the FISD community. (More on that below.) Closing Also congratulations to Javier and his wife for their newest edition to the Esqueda family. They now have a son, Ben, who is now about a week old!!!! Congratulations you two on your little clone!!! We all know the end of this month has one of the biggest costuming days of the year. I wish you all a very safe and happy Halloween. By the way, just remember to save me some candy!! With Unquestioned Loyalty, Tom Gardner TK5940 "RogueTrooper" Detachment Leader Greetings, Earth-deployed troopers. We weathered an emergency election this month with two great candidates. Congratulations to Tom Gardner, former XO, for being elected DL of FISD, and our respects to Matt Sparling, who made a good run. Tom will see us through to the main elections in February. Just over 200 voters cast their vote in this election. Thank you all for your participation! Just to give you a heads up for future elections in all detachments, you will need to be officially affiliated with your detachment (in this case, FISD) to vote at the detachment level. You do this by editing your Detachment affiliation in your profile... in the Membership DB section of the 501st forums. Be prepared! September Centurion Awards: 3 (total 57) September Expert Infantry Awards: 11 (total 261) September Fire Team Tally: 1 new (9 total) Newest Fire Teams: Tantive IV Boarding Party, Toronto September Attache Tally: 2 new, 2 revived Newest Attaches: TK6375 (Neil, Outpost 42 Garrison), thechosenhitman (Matt, Bloodfin Garrison); Returning: pandatrooper (Terry, Badlands Garrison), naatsirhc (Christaan, Southern California Garrison/Inland Empire Squad) What's an Attache? Someone in your garrison who represents FISD with the friendly "Troopers Helping Troopers" spirit! TWO GREAT NEW RESOURCES! Centurion Visual Checklist EIB Visual Checklist New members in September: 173 Active members in forums: 470 Reported Field Exercises: 29 ! Field Exercises: Check here for the full list! This month saw reported field training exercises nearly double from last month. Thanks for posting, and keep 'em coming. When the rest of us can't troop, we live vicariously through you. Even if you do nothing else on the forums, share your troops! Number of Twitter Followers as of 9/30: 462 Number of Facebook Followers as of 9/30: 1421 Our Facebook page has been getting more active, with Tips of the Week, news, jokes, and other questions and issues. I'd like to see more upgrade and new build photos and questions there, and more troopers helping troopers. If you're already a friend, thanks! With Unquestioned Loyalty, Ingrid Moon TK-6818 “LadyInWhite†Public Relations Officer Painting with Color If you're going to upgrade your bucket, you might as well upgrade your ab buttons as well. For a very screen accurate look, or just for fun, you can paint your details rather than use decals. Here's your guide to getting the paint colors just right. Vocoder, ear stripes/outline: #21 Humbrol Black #1147 Model Master Gloss Black Ab buttons, tube stripes: #14 Humbrol French Blue #2715 Model Master French Blue Ab buttons alternative (darker): #4867 Model Master Blue Angel Blue Buttons, teeth, ears: #5 Humbrol Dark Admiral Grey #1138 Testors Gray Some helpful threads: Pandatrooper's helmet tutorial is also an excellent resource for trimming, building, and painting your new bucket (or fixing an older one). Matt black posted a guide to get hand painted helmet details using decals as a guide. Daetrin's thread on creating a paint mask for curves like the vocoder and ab buttons is also an oldie but goodie. As always, if you have questions or need more help, visit the Armory for answers galore! With Unquestioned Loyalty, Ingrid Moon TK-6818 “LadyInWhite†Public Relations Officer The Detachment Comes Together for a Cause FISD, have you seen the thread for Katie Goldman in the Announcements section? This is a great cause where you can make a difference and show your community spirit for a young girl. Recently, our DL was contacted by Dean Plantamura who works in the Legion PR staff, and he said the following: “Katie Goldman, the young fan from Chicago that was bullied about being a girl who liked Star Wars. The 501st gave her so much support as a young girl fan, that Katie has decided to suit up as a Stormtrooper this year and her mom (author/blogger Carrie Goldman) has reached out to us for help! Of course, we want her to have only the best armor.†From RougeTrooper, Tom Gardner: "Out of all the other Star Wars characters, It made me feel very proud to know that Katie wants to be a Stormtrooper. I want to make sure that Katie gets the best armor that she can. I told Dean that a good set of armor, even a kids kit, is not cheap." Tom has undertaken the task of finding good quality kid-sized armor for Katie, and is taking donations in return for some community perks. Special thanks go to the Midwest Garrison. They have backed Katie and her mother from the start, and will continue to see this project through to the end and beyond. I’ve seen a tremendous amount of kindness from the FISD for Katie. All of the Troopers and 501st members who have encouraging comments, made donations, and offered their skills and talents to our new recruit are receiving as much joy in the giving as Katie is in the receiving. Katie has offers of a modified fan kit from Evilboy ~ Jonathan Wolk, kids sized boots from Adriana Bean ~ TK 4541, hand guards from our dearest Queen Karen ~ Sonnenschein, a custom sized canvas belt from Robert ~ TKittell, and a custom sized neck seal from Kathy ~ CiderQueen. Last but certainly not least, the MIDWEST GARRISON members including: Javier ~ TK265, Fleetfang ~ Brian, Adriane ~ TK 4541, Steve ~ TK4034, to name just a few, have offered armor assembly and the strapping system. Katie’s journey may have started with struggles and strife, but through her perseverance and with an outpouring from the 501st, she has transformed into an ambassador for all kids who feel picked on and bullied. Katie donates the toys and clothes she receives, and promotes kindness and tolerance while making friends with other kids like her. I was not surprised that she picked the Stormtrooper as her Star Wars identity. While Stormtrooper armor can appear intimidating, one soon finds out that Stormtroopers are a bunch of friendly, outgoing men and women who love giving back to the community. Although the Midwest Garrison has the honor of assembling Katie’s armor, we can all participate in showing this youngster what it means to be a Trooper. In my opinion, we’re the most awesome group of fun, giving, dedicated and caring people around. There is still a need for donations, so check out Katie’s thread in the Announcements section and show your unquestioned loyalty. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Jennifer Riddle TK-9496 "jnnfr72" Imperial Propaganda Machine Halloween - Season of the Deathtrooper! Here in the USA, Halloween is the time for spooky things: Haunted houses, scary movies, graveyards and all things creepy! What better time to break out your favorite Halloween costume: The Death Trooper! Originally introduced in 2009 by author Joe Schreiber, the Death Trooper is the result of your classic "government project gone wrong" zombie story -- set on a Star Destroyer! To date there are only 2 Death Troopers in the Legion: Marty Miller (TK-1524 of Garrison Carida) and Brian Anderson (TK-7602 of the New England Garrison). We'd love to see more, so here are some tips on getting your Death Trooper approved: No wet blood! There was a lot of controversy and debate about whether these costumes should be eligible for 501st membership. One of the compromises we made was that they should be gross, but not gory! If you are dripping with blood, you won't be approved! Cracks, holes and torn faces are awesome, but keep in mind that if you have any exposed flesh, it's got to be zombified! Check out Marty Miller's amazing work for an example of how it's done. Remember that the base of the suit still has to be a Legion approvable TK! This costume isn't an excuse to drag out your old Marco Enterprises suit and call it a zombie! We'd LOVE to see some EIB level builds! Don't go overboard! Look at the Gentle Giant bust, the Galaxies model, the Celebration VI exclusive maquette -- they are yellowed and cracked, but they aren't a complete disaster. Don't punch 501 holes through the armor and cut half the chest off! As a bonus tip, here's a way to have the "torn out face" look without having to wear a full face mask under your helmet! Find a nice looking zombie mask (now is the best time of year for that!), and cut the lower face out. Attach that to the inside of your helmet and you have something that looks cool and can be slipped on and off easily! Once you get your Death Trooper approved, it's time to have fun: Find a local zombie walk, visit a horror con, or take a trip to your local haunted house. Yes, some people will be scared, but that's the point, isn't it? And you never know... sometimes the kids actually LOVE these guys!! That photo is from my first official troop in the DT armor. The little girl in the picture followed me around all day and took dozens of photos with me. Her mom said I was her favorite part of the convention! Don't mind the shoulder falling off... like I said, that was my first troop! Off to eat some Rebels, Brian Anderson TK-7602 "Stormtrooperguy" Detachment Executive Officer HAPPY HALLOWEEN! No front porch or doorstep - or office party - would be complete without the TK-o-lantern. Download and use these templates for a unique pumpkin treat! TK pumpkin templates for download. Click here to download the PDFs. With Unquestioned Loyalty, 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Staff Congratulations to Charles "Clamps" Bowes for earning Trooper of the Month. Clamps deftly went from EIB to Centurion via his humble and thoughtful build threads. He typifies "Troopers Helping Troopers" on FISD and within our Tantive IV Boarding Party fire team. Charles is one of those troopers that comes along and once you meet him you won’t forget him. He’s genuinely positive, upbeat and friendly. He applies that attitude to everything he does. When building his TK – he put in a tremendous amount of care and effort into it. The result of which is a beautiful Centurion level TK. He now uses that energy and enthusiasm not only to keep trying to perfect his costume but to help others with their builds. Charles is always there to share his experiences and knowledge and he even goes so far as to offer other local TKs a chance to get in on an order to save on shipping whenever he buys something. I had been working on my build a month or so ahead of Charles and one thing I told him was to make sure he had enough clamps! He went a tiny bit overboard with his use of clamps which earned him the nickname of “Clampsâ€. Overall he is a stand up guy, a real joy to be around and a great friend! With Unquestioned Loyalty, Andrea Loar TK-6093 "Andrea11" Imperial Propaganda Machine I have mentioned in past newsletters that there are no hard and fast rules about which 501st outing wins FISD Troop of the Month. This month boomshakra's report about the September 15's Purple Stride 5k in Austin fulfills many of the unspoken requirements for a charity event capturing the award. Good looking TKs, a great cause, a fun event, nice photography, and most importantly making us laugh. Congrats to the troopers of the South Texas Squad - Scorpion Riders for helping raise money for pancreatic cancer. Check out Jason's report for more photos of what looks like a super fun day. Nicely done troopers! Hand plate high five Come together... right now... (that clone should have taken off his boots) Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter! Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor Now with "tip of the week" and other ongoing discussions. If you're on FB, stop by and say hi, ask questions, and share stories! Twitter: www.twitter.com/@FISD501st From crazy TK merch findings to Jedi Mind Trick Avoidance Training, follow FISD on Twitter! With Complete, Total Unquestioned Loyalty and Job Satisfaction, Ingrid Moon TK-6818 “LadyInWhite†Public Relations Officer On behalf of the 1st Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff. End Transmission. This post has been promoted to an article This post has been promoted to an article This post has been promoted to an article

Hi, Eric! If you are certain about becoming a Stormtrooper (awesome choice), you will want to get a good suit of armor from one of our armorers and avoid anything even remotely ebayish. This is how we make sure everyone's armor is truly top quality

Whee! I'm traveling so hard to answer right away, but yes you can trim a tab or two off the back of the shoulder straps. For those bells, i suggest you pull them higher; this will situate them more securely over the curve of your arm. I believe the inner strap is not required for basic but it does help hold it in place. But what really matters is how you attach it at the top. Also there are some little inside tricks I've had to do to keep mine forward, like a thin black elastic cord connecting them across my chest (inside the chest plate, of course). I attached this cord to the straps holding the bell in place. You can also try using a "V" shape to anchor the bells (vertex on the canvas shoulder strap) but you might not need to if you raise them a bit. I'll be seeing you in a week, right? Save anything you think makes the most sense to get help with and move along, move along with any other easier stuff

Hmmm. Do you have pics of what you're doing so far? Some would say that you shouldn't have the natural molded raised edges outside the cover strip, but in pics I looked at it seemed they did so I did it that way. My sig has my link to my build page - see if there's anything in there that might help. (I wrote so much I don't remember what I covered!) Looking forward to seeing the real answers...

I would actually recommend a patch or decal with the international or some symbol on it, worn on the shoulder bell the way some stormies wear their garrison patches. It's not screen accurate, of course, but it would work.

OMG this thread was from like June and I haven't touched the stuff since then... I am looking into getting a new OSCS suit which is more modern and better sized. On a happier note I was thinking of repainting my 13 year old car as a shock trooper helmet. Nobody will get it but die-hard fans.

I don't see a stormtrooper in the second picture at all.

This proves women created CIVILIZATION.

You can use any snap you want. I use Anorak jean snaps. They're a bit smaller, but the male butt is flat so it's easy to flush against the plastic or webbing for snap plates. People told me they won't be strong enough but I so far they are stronger than the e6000 that holds them in place You can get these, heavy duty snaps or other styles, as well as webbing, at most fabric stores (JoAnn), craft stores, and most hardware stores I think.

You are all, every one, the greatest people on the planet

My build doc is in my sig... enjoy! And ENJOY THE PROCESS! It is so much fun to build build build build....

So do I... hence the warning!

Way to go, Clamps! Title edited.

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Definitely making good progress! I see what you mean about the but plate... mine does that a bit too. Butt's don't all sit just right, and it would help if you actually had some fat on your gluts... lol. You could possibly take a technique from the clones, and put a shim up the back of the butt plate that will hold it under the belt. I had to do this with my cod (mine's cut). You could also try trimming about 3/4" off the top of the butt and it might settle a bit better. Your back plate looks really low. Since I'm hoping you didn't glue the plastic bridges on the back, it should be easy enough to readjust it so it sits higher. At worst you can trim a bit out of the neck (not too much, maybe 1/2") and shove it higher up. Ideally you want the back plate's bottom edge to align with the top of the kidney plate's top edge. This might be an aspect of the FX, I'm not entirely sure. It would be better to see all this in person of course LOL.