Dark CMF

Dave, you've pretty much heard all of the pros and cons. LoL For the pipe build, you basically need to add a piece of PVC pipe to replace the barrel assembly (and all of the other pieces above that Vern pointed out). It will require some drilling/cutting/shaping, but since the inside is a larger diameter you can put the electronics into it more easily - as has already been mentioned. Look at some build threads of pipes and see what is entailed, gauge your skills against what is done or see if you have someone that will help you I suppose, if necessary. Having said all that, I'd personally go with the pipe for the anti-Hasbro conversion reasons that have already been stated. If nothing else should you ultimately decide to go for EIB and Centurion, you'll have to completely replace the E-11.

ROFL... Aren't you a little radial for a Stormtrooper?

Which TK(s) are you considering?

Granted, I'm no expert, but reading the CRL you must have the pauldron and ammo pouch if you're building a TD. Backpack and weapons are optional but encouraged. So the answer to your question is: Yes. You can build a sandy without backpack and still wear pauldron and shoulder-pouch. To state it accurately, if you build a TD, you MUST wear the pauldron and shoulder pouch. You'll find as you do more studying that there are a lot of "odd" uniforms and armor configurations that appear on screen in the films. Even though they appear on screen though, that doesn't mean that the particular configuration is acceptable for 501st approval. The CRLs are always going to give you the guidance that you need to complete a uniform for basic approval (and higher levels where applicable). If you pay attention to the movies, you'll see TKs with no tube stripes, no mic tips, tape on their armor, missing pieces, etc but that doesn't make it acceptable.

Nicely done. As good as it did look, those tweaks are very subtle improvements!

Excellent build and an excellent build thread. My E-11 Doopydoos is paid for, but no word on them regarding shipping just yet - so I'm going to go with "It's on the way" for now. As a result of this, I'm truly grateful for this thread. I'll be referencing it (and others, of course - so many great builds to look at) when I begin to assemble mine in the relatively near future. Thanks for sharing!

Congratulations, Steve!! From my first post here at FISD, you've been a standout to me, as a Trooper helping Troopers (and prospects). Thank you in advance, for all of the good that you're about to do in this posting!! In my humble opinion, I think that this is an excellent choice in many ways.

Thanks, Glen!! Happy New Year tou you and your family as well! Happy New Year, everyone! May 2014 bring us peace, prosperity, and wellness throughout the Empire!

It isn't on EVERYTHING, but there are some useable shirts that I saw for sure. Not sure how long it lasts, but if you go to their website it's right there on the main page. Just wanted to share the news for anyone that needs to get or replace some undersuit parts.

Ordered mine this week. Can't wait for them to arrive!! Good luck with your glue!

Awesome indeed!! Merry Christmas Troopers one and all!!

Excellent work as always, your instincts serve you (and all of us) well....

If this were on Facebook, I would "like" it so much. LoL.

Looking good! I'm taking note of all of the sequencing that you have stated in your build so far. Looks like the start of a great build thread. Thanks for the detailed notes and good questions.

Ooooooooohhhh... What kind is it? Congratulations!!!

LoL... I'm totally, 100% with you on this one!

Thank you Eric, I'll be sure to do that when I hit the queue!

Good luck, Zach! Clearly, there is interest in where your project goes.

Pretty much the same here... 41 and a half and on the wait list for my first armor. I think that there are a few things to keep in mind. The hobby is not a cheap one to get into, and the purpose behind the 501st is in support of charity. These are things that most people are not able to commit to in most cases until they have reached a certain point of success in life. I believe that tends to draw more of the physically older crowd.

Dangerous proposition, giving a Stormtrooper access to Tony Stark's weaponry. ;D Overall though... I agree with Eric (Tolo), I think it is cool looking for fan art.

Thank you. I've got to admit that I've been slightly anxious about this - and for no real reason, my armor is still deep in Rob's queue up in Canada - but looking at the changes, I'm not at all alarmed as they represent what I feel will be minor changes when I begin my build as opposed to massive undertakings. Further, as others have noted, it will certainly set a better and still attainable standard for both EIB and Centurion! Thanks again, Eric, and the staff members associated and involved in the changes.

Welcome Mark, to FISD!

Hey everyone, my wife found this earlier. What this is, is smile.amazon.com. http://smile.amazon.com/gp/charity/homepage.html You go to the link, sign in with your Amazon Prime account and select a charity. From that point forward (I'm not sure if/when there is a closing date) 5% of your eligible purchases will be donated to the charity that you selected. With the holiday season upon us soon, shopping will theoretically be increasing and seeing as how we are all here on the internet to begin with, this is an opportunity that many of us may be able to take advantage of, while continuing to do a big part of what it is that drew us all together here. Thanks for taking a moment to look into it.

Just when I thought it could get no better... Excellence continues, Alexsey!!!

For strictly Halloween, yeah... I'm with Dizzy here. I'm just going to throw this out there, too. That first auction says that it has a RomFX in it. If that is true, that alone is close to half of the cost of the auction, as it will cost about $350 for that when you convert British pounds to USD and they are manufactured inconsistently (for time - not quality) at best. That is of course, assuming that it does have an actual RomFX in it. (Edit: Looking closely at the pics, it does indeed appear to be an actual RomFX board in the listing - with speakers in the Hovi Tips - nice audio setup, if nothing else.) I might kill someone for a RomFX. (it would, of course, be some rebel scum ) Also, yes... Your friend could get a much more accurate armor for that much or less if he looked around here.