Dark CMF

Yes, thank you for the update! <br><br> This is awesome news indeed, and I'm truly happy for Scott and Sal!

If you'd rather not remove it, and have a set of needle files, you could try to shape it that way. Otherwise, do as Eric said, and you'll be alright.

Thank you, Q. As always, plenty to take from your build thread - even if it is an abbreviated one (much like my own will ultimately be, for much the same reason).

Taking a guess, I don't believe that Eric was saying it cannot be approved because of the material. I believe he was simply replying to the last post that guessed it was because of movie accurate materials. The challenge is making it look accurate enough, I'd imagine. I haven't been around for as long as many of the others here, but I've spent a few minutes at FISD ( ) and I don't believe I've ever been aware of a pep TK being approved or even submitted. Personally, I say that if you'd like to build one anyway, then build it and feel free to submit it and see what happens. As you said, if it fails to meet approval standards​, that's a result of crafting. I have no idea what all of the fiberglass would cost to build it, but I'm sure that if you posted a thread documenting your progress here it would be watched very closely just because of the curiosity factor surrounding it. If you do build it, I'd follow along. Best of luck with it if you do!

Fixed. And Fixed. (I'm pretty sure, anyway)

Dec 2015 Troopers Helping Troopers. How many times per day do we see those words here at FISD? There are countless singular examples of it here daily. They come in many forms, encouraging others to keep on building when it gets overwhelming, congratulating individuals on achieving EIB and/or Centurion, or even supplying advice to new forum members when it comes to considerations to look at before choosing armor. As previously mentioned, examples abound. Still, it is rare that any one member does something that has a legitimately tremendous impact on the TK community at large – but it happens. Recently, one member did something that can be described in exactly that way. With a new movie imminent, there are bound to be many new costumes and props that enter our universe. Naturally our world is a-flutter with detail debates, and photo analysis while everyone attempts to learn what is right and accurate so that the costumes and props can be accurately reproduced. At the height of these discussions Germain Graziano, TK-14492 of the French Garrison (FISD’s own “The5thHorseman”), taught himself to use 3D rendering and print software in order to complete a personal project to bring a very accurate printable representation of the F-11D, complete with some functioning parts, and ready for electronics installation with very little modification. As if being able to have a near-screen accurate blaster months before the movie even premiered was not enough, Germain made the files available for everyone to have and print - for free. This undertaking that he poured himself into is the epitome of Troopers Helping Troopers, and it is these actions that have earned Germain the FISD Achievement Award. On behalf of the Staff, and a grateful Detachment, thank you and congratulations Germain!

I use (like everyone else)a large flat head screwdriver to get them split. After that, if I can reach them with a pair of pliers, I use those to flatten them after placing a folded towel over the head of the rivet to protect it from the pliers. If I cannot reach them with pliers (like the second half of them on the kidney/abdomen) I use a hammer to flatten them.

I'll get it posted there soon. I don't trust the iPad to format it properly, and I'm currently dealing with a four year old who is waging intergalactic war because I put milk on his Lucky Charms before he could eat all of the marshmallows out of them.

I don't believe so. Clint's was in both locations when he received it a few months back.

Do you want me to do that now? I'm guessing yes. Just want to verify.

The original FB post also goes on to say that an "inside source" - a Disney cast member working in the store - confirmed when asked, that the costumes are ANOVOS costumes.<br><br> I was a part of the discussion, and clearly said that I didn't think they were ANOVOS kits, but I also thought we were talking about the FO TKs seen marching in the park that day - which I now have reason to believe we're also ANOVOS kits, even though there were some things that indicated otherwise to me initially.

Well, the seam that was being discussed was potentially on the bottom of he tube itself, running long ways, from left to right as worn, not at the back plate mounting junction. I'll keep looking around to see what I can find. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I do believe that I read that there was a seam on the top or the bottom of it. Naturally, that was possibly mentioned in a discussion on Facebook as if it were here, it may have caught more notice and been catalogued someplace. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Just wanting to get some responses to something here. I've seen (someplace) talk about the TD having visible seams on it. Is this something that anyone has confirmed somewhere/how as of yet? Mine is glued together, but I haven't done any filling/sanding yet because I want to verify one war or the other on this before I do. Also, if there are any other "new" bits of information that have been uncovered that anyone can think of, please share them here as well? One repository of updated information is much better than multiple threads being made for any one particular update. Thanks, everyone.

Done, and Done!

This edition of Memoirs comes from three Stormtroopers and is centered on a Troop that took place just about a month ago – 7 November, 2015. Daniel Nickeson (TK-7586, ZacMuleer) the Garrison Events Coordinator for Star Garrison, and Andrew Repasky (TK-24218, Fuumantroop) and Bob Martin (TK-82954, BobMerge) of the South Texas Squad, Star Garrison. Each of these troopers were involved in a recent Star Wars centered, globally significant event. #ForceForDaniel recently was a very highly circulated hashtag, being heavily campaigned for by no less than John Boyega and Mark Hamill. The Story of Daniel Fleetwood was one that we are all likely familiar with, and were all very likely touched and moved by in a very personal way. If you’re not familiar with the story, then I invite you to read the following accounts of the troop for Daniel, and then do a quick internet search to become familiar with his story. Nearly every time we put on our shiny white armor, we have an impact on people’s lives – many times, we will never know this. Once in a while, a person or a troop have an impact on our lives, and these moments are the stuff memoirs are made of. Daniel Nickeson: As we all know, being members of the 501st, our facebook feeds tend to catch Star Wars stories early in their cycle. I was immediately drawn to the story of Daniel Fleetwood, and his call to Disney and JJ Abrams to see The Force Awakens early - the exact plot of Fanboys, a movie very close to my heart about a group of friends' love of Star Wars and each other. In addition to the early stories about the Fleetwoods, we received a message from Joshua Rhoads, a friend of the Fleetwood family and 501st member with more information about the severity of Daniel's diagnosis and how he was working to do what he could to help the family - and more importantly - that the Fleetwoods resided near Houston, TX. We began discussions almost immediately amongst the Star Garrison leadership to coordinate a troop, while we attempted contact with Ashley Fleetwood. With the story gaining traction and news and blog sites all over the world starting to reach out to her, I was frankly amazed and relieved when I was able to reach her. She was so incredibly kind and thoughtful and generous with her time. We expressed interest in visiting Daniel as soon as he and the family would be willing: after all, we didn't want to take too much time away from his family. Ashley was so excited for Daniel to meet our troopers; something she knew would give him a huge boost of joy. She wanted to make sure he knew of the troop to give him something to look forward to. While I asked if we should limit the number of troopers (knowing we were trooping in the residence and not wanting to overcrowd the family or Daniel), she initially said that maybe 8 troopers should attend. A moment later, she came back and said, "Scratch that. Daniel is so excited to see you that he wants as many as can make it." Within days, we had a dozen troopers from all over Texas willing to stand by Daniel, hoping to bring a smile to his face and more attention to the #ForceForDaniel campaign. Little did we know that Disney, Lucasfilm, and the Bad Robot company were granting Daniel's wish, showing him The Force Awakens at his home. There was no objection among the leadership to grant Daniel immediate Honorary Membership into Star Garrison. We were able to contact Damien Metz and get plaques and name tags made and shipped, and put out the call for our members to send in donations for the traditional "swag bags" that go out to honorary members. Except more than the usual swag came in - including a full metal DL-44 blaster - showing again how the Fleetwoods story had touched the lives of 501st members around the world. When the news story came down the wire that Daniel's wish had been granted, we also heard that his condition had taken a turn for the worse. We limited the number of troopers and time out of respect for the Fleetwood family, but were encouraged by Ashley - Daniel definitely was looking forward to our visit. He wanted to meet the troopers of the 501st. Sometimes, as troopers, we forget that there are fans out there that love Star Wars as much as we do, but just don't get into costuming or prop replicas. So when they see us, they aren't just seeing other fans, but the entities they love. The day of the troop came, and you could see the love and awe that Daniel felt in the photos and videos of the visit. Any troopers who could not make it to the troop personally posted videos to the Fleetwood's facebook walls to welcome him to the garrison and congratulate him on his honorary garrison membership. Ashley was so grateful afterward. She noted that Daniel gets tired easily, especially when excited, and after the troop he slept most of the next day. Which she was grateful for, because when he was sleeping, he wasn't in pain. She thanked us for giving him that. We heard he passed a few days after the troop. Compared to screening an unreleased movie, coordinating the troop in a short amount of time is a piece of cake. Everyone in Star Garrison wanted to help the #ForceForDaniel campaign in some way, and many altered their schedule in order to be a part of it. He brought us all together in a way few have, and we were honored to be a part of it. We are honored to have Daniel as an honorary member of Star Garrison. Once a trooper, always a trooper. Now, a collaborative Memoir from Andrew and Bob: Only days before our arrival to boost everyone's spirits, Daniel Fleetwood and his wife, Ashley, were given the chance to see "The Force Awakens" before the release date in December. This gift, directly from J.J. Abrams, Disney, and Lucasfilm, was granted to Daniel due to a simple hashtag that took the internet by storm, #ForceForDaniel. This seemingly acute movement, started by his wife Ashley, began on social media and was implemented, with force, due to Daniels ongoing battle with spindle cell sarcoma. This rare form of cancer, which effects connective tissue, began to worsen, and would ultimately claim his life, but not before the power of the internet made its presence felt. The day started off as any other day before a troop. Some people I knew were scheduled to be there, and some were there I hadn’t met before. We all had our directions to Daniel’s house with the loose plans that we would be changing in the street or in our cars for our surprise appearance. His story had globally inspired tens of thousands with his (and wife Ashley’s) fight with cancer and his unparalleled love of Star Wars. As we all began to arrive, we were greeted with warm faces by excited family and friends. Since it was raining, they had us all pile into a front room so we could get suited up. They tried to cover doorways with blankets to hide us until we were all ready. Our secret was kept until Daniel caught a glimpse of a Tusken Raider through the doorway (way to go DZ-24241!). We then, one by one, marched into the living room where Daniel and his wife were. Though it was difficult, Daniel stood up almost instantly as we entered the room. His face was full of excitement; he couldn’t decide who to look at first. Daniel shook hands with a Sith Lord (Darth Nihilus), got photos with a Shadow Stormtrooper, and Ashely was handed a bag full of goodies like t-shirts and stickers. A fellow member donated an all metal DL-44 blaster and Brandon Crismon(TK-32917) presented it to him. Daniel was bursting with excitement, he must have said “Wow” about 5 times and then turned to his wife Ashley to say, “but I don’t have anything to give them!” We all felt that genuine appreciation and we, in the South Texas Squad, were absolutely honored to be there. Marshall Conover(TK-7932) stepped up to present him with his Star Garrison Honorary Member Certificate, his official name tag, and an engraved Plexiglas plaque commemorating his membership. As Marshall tried to read the certificate out loud, he choked up a bit, as I am sure any of us would have. I think everyone with buckets were glad to have them on. We all got to thank Daniel for sharing his inspiring story with the world, and it was so rewarding to see the smile on his face, even if it was only for a couple of moments. This is what trooping is all about. After we had all removed armor and uniforms, we headed outside to load up vehicles. Marshall stayed behind and was talking with Daniel’s father in the doorway. Daniel’s father was attempting to pay us for our visit with Daniel, and just would not take no for an answer. Marshall wanted no part of it, but eventually agreed to take it with the excuse that we would use it for lunch. Once we were all out of earshot, the easy decision was made to donate the money right back to the Go Fund Me account that Ashley had set up to help cover the medical expenses for Daniel. It was only three days after our visit that Daniel passed away. It was amazing how little time we spent with both Daniel and Ashley and how connected we all felt afterwards. The love of a movie franchise, along with something as small as a simple hashtag, touched the hearts of tens of thousands across the globe. Forever in our memories, until we meet again Daniel, thank you for sharing your time with us in the 501st Legion. Buckets off. On Wednesday, November 4th Daniel received a phone call from JJ Abrams, informing him that representatives would be at his house the next day to allow him to see an unedited version of The Force Awakens. The Troopers of Star Garrison (and members of the RL’s Kessel Base) visited with Daniel on Saturday, November 7th. It was early in the morning on Tuesday, November 10th that Ashley announced to the world that Daniel had passed via a Facebook post that read: "Daniel put up an amazing fight to the very end," she wrote. "He is now one with God and with the force. He passed in his sleep and in peace. He will always be my idol and my hero...Rest in peace my love. This was the last selfie we ever took together.‪#‎forcefordaniel" Daniel Fleetwood was 32 years old. Thank you, Daniel and Ashley, for sharing your story with the world, and thanks to Dan, Andrew, and Bob for sharing their Memoir. With Unquestioned Loyalty, Tim TK-51878 "Dark CMF" FISD Amabassador

FISD Achievement Award Troopers Helping Troopers. How many times per day do we see those words here at FISD? There are countless singular examples of it here daily. They come in many forms, encouraging others to keep on building when it gets overwhelming, congratulating individuals on achieving EIB and or Centurion, or even supplying advice to new forum members when it comes to considerations to look at before choosing armor. As previously mentioned, examples abound. Still, it is rare that any one member does something that has a legitimately tremendous impact on the TK community at large – but it happens. Recently, one member did something that can be described in exactly that way. With a new movie imminent, there are bound to be many new costumes and props that enter our universe. Naturally our world is a-flutter with detail debates, and photo analysis while everyone attempts to learn what is right and accurate so that the costumes and props can be accurately reproduced. At the height of these discussions Germain Graziano, TK-14492 of the French Garrison (FISD’s own “The5thHorseman”), taught himself to use 3D rendering and print software in order to complete a personal project to bring a very accurate printable representation of the F-11D, complete with some functioning parts, and ready for electronics installation with very little modification. As if being able to have a near-screen accurate blaster months before the movie even premiered was not enough, Germain made the files available for everyone to have and print - for free. This undertaking (http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/32544-free-tfa-f-11d-3d-printable-files-available-now/) that he poured himself into is the epitome of Troopers Helping Troopers, and it is these actions that have earned Germain the FISD Achievement Award.

Tuesday.

Dane, I'd say you've got a legitimate concern there. Perhaps TrooperMaster, RT-Mod, or AM.

Ummm... Not for nothing, but you do know that the current boss of us is taller than that, right?

Possibly tomorrow, more than likely, Tuesday.

How tall are you, Dane?

Small re-hijacking here... Further examination of the dressing room photos reveals that what I'd previously thought were Velcro patches on the sides of the ab/kidney are actually strapping with snaps on the ends of it. This means that while the armor does actually float, it floats with the ability to move a bit, which makes a lot more sense than a fixed or rigid float mechanism that the Velcro would provide.<br><br> Also, no disasters. I have actual parts of armor now, as opposed to piles of plastic.

Yes, it is absolutely true, only because their kit will likely be assembled in a "one size fits all" manner, but we as humans aren't one size fits all. Anytime you have someone else build armor for you, there is a risk that the fit won't be quite right - even with measurements being provided. Most builders will tell you this up front. As I mentioned, it is typically just a matter of re-strapping/fitting to get it to fit, unless you are either substantially thicker or thinner than the average person in which case parts in the arms, legs, and/or abdomen may need to be shimmed in order to fit properly. That can be difficult to get right without test fitting it in person for many builders.

Looking truly phenomenal brother. I'll be cutting accuracy mods, and gluing parts within the next 12 - 24 hours, barring some crazy disaster. Thanks for blazing the trail.