Dark CMF

What I've found with the Bondo is that it is best to overload it, and let it dry forever. On more than one occasion in my build, I've used it to fill holes/gaps and gone back to sand it two days later and for holes (thick applications) it is still wet in the middle. It is highly sandable though. If you look at my magazine divot fills, you'll see examples of both. Huge globs of Bondo, wet when I sanded it down. As a result, they're not quite totally filled. The pins did NOT (intentionally, anyway) extend into the pipe. They were only meant to go right up to, but not into the interior of the pieces so I wouldn't have holes poking through. Some of them (the rear stock latch) did poke through though. Questions are the only way to figure it out - besides trial and error, and when you've only got one kit, that can be costly.

Highly informational!!! Who knew?? Looking good, Aaron!

CRAP!!! I knew there was something I meant to mention...

Just went and double checked in order to give you an honest answer, and I'd say that the Bondo did indeed seal the gaps at about a 95% rate. There is one spot where it looks slightly less than ideal, but most of the joints (now that the blaster is black, anyway) look like welds. So I'd say yes to the Bondo, and intend to use it again on any successive builds I may do.

LoL... I'm winging it, and you know that. LoL Since I pretty much finished building "Kellan Stormtrooper" tonight (just have to put the lens in) I'll be back to full-on Doopy build this weekend!!

Derek... I've never built anything like this before. This is the first time. I was quite intimidated by the others when I began. As Brian pointed out, when all is said and done, there isn't anything here that a little bit of glue and paint can't fix. One key is to decide what you're comfortable doing. If you simply want to assemble one, so you'll have it for carrying around with your armor, then just do that. I started off just wanting to not F it up. As I got more comfortable with the kit and the tools I was using, I decided to do more and more along the way. I haven't posted my selector switch yet, quite frankly, because I'm not fully happy with my current (and likely final) solution for it. I know that my method will turn, but I don't know that I'll be happy with the final result as it is currently planned. The pinning really made it easier to assemble the blaster. I would say that some parts should probably be painted prior to assembly though (Power Cylinders... ) because of the paint scheme that I intend to use. The very, absolute bottom line most critical key to doing these builds: Relax and have some fun. As cool as my thread is and as nice as I think my build is going, I panicked totally when I broke that piece... I left the parts sitting on the floor for nearly 40 minutes before stopping and going "So what? I broke something. I've got glue.. Let's get on with it." Test fit your pieces, and ask a lot of questions. There's plenty of help to be had here, brother!! Troopers (and cadets) helping Troopers (and cadets)!!!

This entire situation is already being kicked around inside of my melon, for the next time I decide to embark on a Doopy build. I've got to do some INSANE masking on mine in the next week or so. LoL Looking good, Zach!!

Thank you, Brandon. Perfectly happy to oblige!

That's the guest room bed. LoL Most recently used by Lord Vader during a local troop. LoL

Aaron, that's probably a very safe approach, and would probably work. I think the key is to not buy a huge freaking screw to begin with. I got lazy and stupid in some regards. When I asked Steve what size the screw was, he told me 6mm by 10mm and when I went to Lowe's there were no mm measured screws, so I just bought one that "looked okay." That didn't work out so well as you can see. LoL. I know that I do that sometimes (Just go "whatever, this will work out fine), and I am usually aware of it and able to stop myself. Not so much this time.

You are absolutely correct on both counts. 1. It was a tremendously comforting bit of practice. I feel a little less anxious about cutting into ABS now, as I've already done so. 2. Both of my helmets will come fully assembled from RT-Mod. I will say that building the helmet for my son has been a very good experience though. I have the kid's blue lid that was already assembled, so I could do hands-on comparisons. I got a chance to work on some ears, and paint and line stuff up and I feel a little bit more confident that when the time comes to begin assembling my armor, I can do so. Of course, when my armor does arrive, I'm sure all of that will go out the window, and I'll want to puke before cutting anything. LoL

Germain, Germain, Germain.... Ever the most astute observer, you are. That IS a helmet kit in the background... It is one of Walt's Trooper Factory kid's lid kits. I not only have a small blue helmet from WTF, I also have a regular child's helmet kit which is nearly completed. A build thread will be coming soon. LoL

While I'm not electronically savvy, I've been looking for parts to see if I could find a view screen and camera that are power consumption friendly to do this exact thing. I figure that the best case is to NOT put the camera (a pin-hole camera - you can find them on www.smile.amazon.com for less than $20) in the helmet, but someplace in the back plate where you'd have more room for batteries, and better ability to distribute the weight than trying to do so on your head. If you were able to find one of those cameras and perhaps an old-ish cell phone display mounted above the lenses in the helmet, you'd have a decent CCTV-like system enclosed in your armor. Just some thinking on that subject.

It counted as my birthday present, but that's alright. LoL. You're correct in your assessment, she is definitely a keeper.

While I'm sitting here waiting for the AC repairman to arrive so that we can cool the house tonight, and being annoyed by the fact that the Blackhawks allowed the Blues to tie the game with only seconds to go - yet again - I may as well do an update here. The work is done, the photos are loaded in photobucket. I just need to do the work to share them. Here they come: The day started with some shopping... Paint brushes, pipe cleaners (for cleaning the airbrush - when I get around to using it), some paint thinner for cleaning brushes and for use with the air brush, and paint: The top ones are for the blaster, the bottom two are for Kellan's Bucket. Posting these makes me a little bit sick on the inside. LoL The resin "hex screw" that will be replaced is visible here... Starting with a 3/16 bit. The hole looks straight, but slightly higher than it should be. Preparing to insert the screw into the blaster. When you're putting a screw into your Doopydoos kit, it should not be very noisy. If it is, this might be what is about to happen. Apply epoxy. Apply a rubber band. Wait. So, this is where I left off the last day's work... Here's the plan for the bolts: Dremel. While cutting the bolts, I quickly realized that the vibration from the cutting was spinning the nuts loose and towards the Dremel cutting wheel. That could have gotten ugly in a hurry, so I grabbed a bobby pin and used it to keep the nuts in place and give me a gauge as to how long to cut the bolts. That appears to have worked out alright, in my opinion. After a little bit of grinding to get rid of the sharp edges, here's how they look. Another batch of shopping... Various stuff - mostly for armor this time, but there is some paint and some dowels (Metal and Wood) for use in the blaster. That's it for Day #23. More paint to follow as previously promised, but not delivered with this update.

Ditto... Glad to hear that you got your electronics back. That would suck to have lost it. TK Helmet stolen from the changing room?!?!? Yikes. Kudos to the team for reimbursing it, but ouch.. That could take forever to replace/rebuild, depending on who the maker was and what electronics may have been in it.

There is a very good chance that the "NatGeoTrooper" may not show up for that one. Your source is surprisingly aware. LoL

Thanks (everyone)! Naturally, he's a clear winner to me. He's "Kellan Stormtrooper!"

Well, it appears that it was exactly that sort of clause. Kellan did not win, despite being the only entry to amass 50 votes, and only one other got as close as 31. I truly appreciate all of the support from everyone with the voting. I guess you can all feel free to "un-like" grandparents.com on FB now. LoL

I remember seeing it on television, and although I remember being excited that something Star Wars was just there, on my television.... I also remember feeling a little confused about what any of it had to do with Star Wars - outside of the presence of the characters. One of the most odd-ball Star Wars related television memories I have is of Carrie Fisher appearing on Saturday Night Live. She was dressed in her Princess Leia Tantive IV dress, and on a beach, singing a song about being a "Teenager from outer space, trying to make it in the human race" with a chorus of (If memory serves me correctly) "Obi-wan Kenobi, Obi-wan Kenobi...." That might be worse than the special. LoL I'll have to watch the two and compare - if I can manage to survive.

Absolutely. Especially since earlier tonight she agreed to let me order an additional bucket (Stunt) with my kit! And thank you everyone for the encouraging words - I know that all of you can understand and share my excitement on this one! LoL

CONGRATULATIONS!! I'm really good right now. LoL. I'm sure that come mid-May, I'll be getting ridiculous though. I just have to make sure that I don't ignore my responsibilities on the 18th of May (my wife's birthday) whether the big brown box(es) are in my possession at the time.

LoL... I have to finish that blaster build now. LoL

Well, after six days short of eight months on the wait list, I now have been told that my kit from RT-Mod has a completion estimate of the 2nd-3rd week of May. So just about a month until it should be ready to ship! BIG BROWN BOX is imminent!!

Nothing yet. Still waiting for an official notice of something. I'll be sure to post the results here when we see something.