Daetrin

All set Rob - great to have you here.

Not now. The reason is that when I wrote the standard it was very, very hard to find 3 bar ears, and even then that there was a version for each helmet make. Eventually it will be a requirement, but I'll want to know that each 501st approved helmet make has an easily obtainable source for them. That said, we should add it as "strongly encouraged" for now.

I use the turf gear (IIRC) from UnderArmor in the summer and the cold gear in the winter. I just went to the local sports shop. You can look under soccer gear too - any place that sells that will sell UnderArmor.

My experience is to use ABS cement for ABS armor. I've tried CA glue and found it quite lacking. E6000 seems to be the best bet for me for HIPS.

Keep it coming. It seems like every tutorial offers something new - this is a fantastic start

That's awesome! You'll be very satisfied with your TE2. Can't wait to see the build process. Are you going ANH or ESB that that bad boy?

Thanks Steve - you're right there are two separate issues here and it's best to tackle them independently.

For the record, I do carry my E-11 in my bin, and as a garrison we always check whether the event will be blaster-friendly or not. But for my BFG I carry it openly and just toss it in the back of the mini-van. To be clear I'm not advocating flaunting weapons openly or pushing the boundary of common sense, but do feel it's appropriate and necessary to point out where our society has gotten hypersensitized.

Back in the 80's I was on the ROTC rifle team. Once we had to transport our rifles and we didn't have cases. The solution? We just wore them on our backs. There's no law saying yo can't walk around with a firearm, but there is that you can't walk around with a concealed firearm. And you know what? No one ever gave us a second look. And we were in civvies. I believe that America has been hyper-sensitized about guns in the past 20 years, and the police have been overly hyped up on this as well. I don't blame the police, I blame the culture that's gotten so reactive that they've forced the LEO's to be jacked up on any little thing. Wait 'till you have kids. You'll be driven into fear yourself by the over protective mothering community. Jeesh - they even have special classes for grandparents now on how to deal with their grandkids, as if they treated them how we were raised they'd be in jail. How does that make sense?

My opinion is that the current administration is trying to control the populace by fear. I think this is a symptom of over-reaction, and would never have occurred before 9/11. I will resist as best I can the culture of fear that is pervading our country, as I don't think what's going on now fits the culture of liberty I grew up with in this country.

I'm just in awe of your free-hand abilities.

Here is the official stance on recasting. The argument is now closed. http://whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=2129

Locked, this thread now is.

Sorry guys - my boss was coming 'round behind me and I had a few windows open. Whoops!

Regarding a car that runs on banana peels, it's not a new idea. A working prototype was created some time ago:

Yup, there are lots of little things that were left off. A big reason for this is that we didn't want to make it that huge of an initial jump, and wanted to at least have an easy to achieve base. For instance today you can be 501st acceptable with an unmodified FX kit, meaning plastic belt, black ab plate buttons, but with an ANH helmet and wearing a holster on either side. Or having an ESB helmet on an otherwise ANH suit. Just getting folks to have a costume that is movie-consistent would be a big step in quality. As the Legion on the whole moves towards these details we can revisit these standards again. Just like MEPD upped their standards last year once the majority of standtroopers had achieved the original set. That out of the way - we're always open to ideas on what to incorporate in - so feel free to suggest away! Some we might adopt sooner, others may be deferred, but it's still good to have a list.

Thought about it, but these guys are watching our flanks. Both of your groups have been updated.

It's worth pointing out that a main goal of the Elite standards is to up the quality level and incentivize the quality level of stormtrooper costuming in the 501st. It it not intended to be a guide for screen accuracy.

I have one of these that I bought a long time ago. It's just a plastic tube with a stepped down diameter with an aerator on top and some o-rings. The base is one piece on mine, but I don't see why you can't use two pieces of the correct diameter. What is that - $10 of parts at most? I bet they can all be found with a single trip to Home Depot.

Exactly that. We need to remember this is a film after all, and they weren't trying for 100% consistency. This is also why both symmetrical and asymmetrical armor are equally, 100%, OK for our hobby. One is trying to replicate the icon, the impression of the costume. The other is trying to replicate props. Similar, but two very different goals. Fortunately our hobby welcomes both types!

Gino - this is the exact same info I've heard from several folks so if you're wrong a lot of other people are too

It's my new favorite sig

If you and he are both willing Actually I was thinking for my next set of TE2. Gotta replace that FX sandy some day.

Gotcha Wes. Great to see more old timers here.

ABS eat your heart out! :-p