trooper96

Stormtrooping has actually saved me money by diverting my attention away from model aviation. The buy-in for a beginner plane with radio, batteries, and charger can be pretty steep. Once you have doubled your investment on "crash and repair", you finally know a little bit about the hobby. Unfortunately, what you know is that the "cool" plane you own is not that cool. The electronics in the plane are garbage. The radio is weak and lacks function. The charger is crap. The buy-in for your "next level" plane is even steeper. I need a 4-channel plane instead of a three-channel beginner model. That means I will need at least a five-channel radio with the capability to do channel mixing or reversing. My "next level" plane requires bigger and more expensive batteries. My charger, which can only be used when plugged into my car's 12V outlet, is not up to the task. So, there you have it. Gotta have a new plane. Gotta have a new radio. Gotta have new batteries. Gotta have a new charger, and it must be able to charge batteries of different chemical makeups, balance a battery's internal cells, have a programmable charge and discharge rate, automatic shut-off and heat sensor. Cha-ching! The "next level" plane is bigger, faster and less stable. Which is cool, because now you can finally do all of those insane maneuvers you saw on that WWII dogfighting documentary. You don't crash as much, but when you do, repairs are more extensive (read, expensive). I am truly master of the skies! I can fly anything, which means I must fly everything. I need a slow flyer that self-rights for those lazy days when I just want to relax. I need a warbird for those days when I need an adrenaline fix. I need a sport plane or high-wing with ailerons and flaps for precision pattern flying. I need a thermal duration glider, at least 2 meters wingspan, because there is something unexplainably cool about flying unpowered for over an hour after a 30 second motor burn to 600 feet. I need a large dedicated aerial photography platform. I'll start with a plane, but will eventually require a quadcopter or drone that will carry a 2 pound payload (camera, 3-axis brushless gimbal, GPS, video transmitter for FPV, etc.). Oh, and I need a micro model for those times I can't get to a big field and want to fly in my yard. And a micro copter or multirotor if it's raining outside and I need to fly indoors. Each vehicle will require different batteries. At least three of them, so you can fly for at least half an hour before packing it all up to go recharge. And since I now own 10+ models, I want a single radio that will control all of them. Now, we are talking computer radio, at least nine channels. Model memory and the ability to custom program each model setup. Not cheap. Model aviation is a cruel addiction that can never be satisfied until every imaginable type of plane has been flown, crashed, repaired, and flown again. Just when you think you are there, the new product announcements come out and the must-have cycle starts all over again! So you see, when you think about it, armor building and costuming is relatively inexpensive. And at the same time, infinitely cool!

Trooperbay seems to be a popular place to source the seals, trim, and lenses.

Done.

Walraad, If you are looking for something that works like clay but is superior in adhesion and maintaining shape, try something called Milliput. Works great, but not cheap like air dry clay. http://milliput.com/index.html

There are different kinds of clay. They all look good when you first shape them. Most natural clays will shrink maybe 10% or so and will likely crack some as they dry. Some plasticized clays are advertised not to shrink or crack. I can't speak to how durable clay is. It appears soft to me, but there may be some kind of sealer or glazing compound you could use.

The aluminum tips were hollow all the way down, with a hole drilled in the bottom. What else should I look for as far as accuracy is concerned?

Still working on it. We have an original cap-and-back we're still tweaking. The faceplate still needs a little work, too. Should all be ready for a test pull soon.

Thanks.

Again, I offer my most sincere apologies. I certainly did not mean to offend. If the moderators feel this has no place here, please remove the thread.

My apologies.

Guess we're late to the party. If you search for female stormtrooper armor, this is the kind of thing you find. When the first piece sold so quickly, we thought we might be onto something. What would you change?

What in particular do you find deficient about the TK Boots aluminum tips? I received them today and thought they looked pretty good. But I'm no expert.

A friend and I have started a new project. After much trial and error learning how to vacuum form, finally getting our heating table right, and finding the right material, we are attempting to make female stormtrooper armor. My friend started about a month ago sculpting a chest plate. He pulled one, and it looked OK, but he wanted to improve it. Rather than putting it in our scrap pile, he listed it on his ebay page, thinking he might at least recover the cost of the plastic. The response was overwhelming. With so few producing armor that flatters the female body, there must surely be a demand for it. He sculpted a couple of other pieces to add to the chest plate. I would like to submit our work so far to the FISD community to get your help developing a set of armor that would be of interest to our fairer members. Here are a few pictures: Fresh off the vacuum table... Material is 0.080" HIPS. Here are the parts all trimmed up and clear coated. Shoulder straps have been attached to the chest plate... All three individually... Please feel free to share your valuable insights.

Just a side note to this discussion, but TK Boots offers tips cast in aluminum. I have ordered a pair. http://tkboots.com/HOVI-MIX%20Pa2.htm

Frenchy, thanks for the great idea. I made some loops for mine.

There are a couple of videos on this page you may find interesting. Look for "How to Make your Own Belt Clips" about halfway down. ----------------

It looks like you may have two Chicago screws holding the straps that attach the holster to the belt. If that is the case, disassemble the screws and replace the straps with loops that will fit over your regular belt (like an ESB holster). http://www.501st.com/databank/File:TK_esb_holster.jpeg

Mark Hamill made a guest appearance on an episode of "The Flash" and delivered this EPIC line...

Stitching done. Blaster inserted. See? Nothing to it!

All done but the stitching.

I bought these about a month ago. Same batch. Nothing wrong as far as I can see. ---------

Heavy duty snap.

Medium cap rivets. --------------

Here is some of the hardware I will use. This is an aluminum Chicago screw 3/16" post. ------------