stormtrooperguy

What is the value of talking about it over here, rather than with the ACD staff? All of the detachments are constantly in need of volunteers willing and able to help out. The larger the detachment, the more people there are in the resource pool. ACD is one of the smallest, so they don't have as many people to tap for assistance. The vast majority of things that I know how to do were learned out of necessity. As you said, this would be a great time to learn to build a better web site!

heh... my E11 is too heavy to holster, even with thick leather! i've got a heavy weight holster that stays open on its own, but if I try putting the gun in it, it will pull my belt off.

Good will should not be looked on with scorn. I think people can be overly sensitive. If someone wished me a Happy Chanukah I would not be offended that I was not Jewish. It's just a wish of good cheer. I have no religion, but I always appreciate a smile

Woo! Now we can get the rest of the CRL photos in

That is pretty awesome right there.

I finally got some pro pics done of my deathtrooper. I haven't gotten the full res ones yet, but here are the previews he has posted online. The second is my favorite!

my solution to date has been to not use abs. i don't have the space for a drying oven, so it's basically useless to me.

recasting fx... really? why bother? at least recast an mr... then it would look half decent.

the thing i like best is that the toe is a bit rounder/wider. much more comfortable to wear!

balaclava is a convenience thing. keeps hair out of your eyes, keeps sweat from dripping down your face, helps your helmet stick to your head better.

Nice! I've just started molding up some of the parts from a cut down sterling in my basement. This is the perfect time for this to be found

I'll never got Centurion, just because I prefer the more idealized look for troopers. There are some things that, while accurate, I just don't get into (bumpy cap helmets for example)

If you are having trouble logging in, email admin at 501st dot com. Someone can help you get in.

The ab plate being warped is normal... I've had a few different TKs that are derived from original suits and they've all been pretty funky in the ab area.

The FX / AM armor does not have the buttons molded in, so to require molded in buttons for EIB would effectively block FX armor. In my opinion that's not a good idea. For Centurion I could see it, but EIB, to me, is all about making a trooping suit look really good. I think the distinction between molded in buttons and add-ons would be lost on just about anyone viewing the suit other than a prop replicator.

There are a bunch up on the Legion forum: http://www.501st.com...pic.php?t=66884 Also at his Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14268125@N04/sets/72157628032677386/with/6304111003/

no sitting here!

I think time is definitely the key. If you look at the cans, they usually say something like "recoat within 1 hour or after 24". Things usually work for me because I go REALLY fast. For example: I just painted a new Rex helmet. I put the white coat on, waited 45 minutes, masked it off with super-low-tack painter's tape. Painted the blue parts, waited about 20 minutes. Took the masking tape off and started weathering. The paint is so soft at that point that I can scratch it with a finger nail, but it works. Going at that speed, I tend to be able to mix brands, layer colors and all sorts of wacky things. But, if you let the base coat sit for 3 hours then try to do the blue, the base will orange peel. So I think you either need to go REALLY fast or take it slow.

Congrats to Marty Miller from Garrison Carida on his eerily accurate representation of the Gentle Giant bust! He matched the statue right down to the fact that he can reattach the missing stormtrooper parts via magnets! The bar has been raised!

this i let my suit get naturally dirty and will eventually just start wearing a backpack and pauldron for cleaning i wipe out the inside every now and then with some febreeze sprayed on a cloth. if it starts smelling funky it's time to clean.

heh. i didn't do a thing to prep the surface. i didn't even use primer on the armor. i just sprayed the gloss white right onto the styrene. since hips has a nice matte finish anyway i find that it takes paint well. the solvents in spray paints tend to make a good bond too.

#1: The ab plates are just sort of the size that they are. You can try heating it with a heat gun to bend it but there's a high risk of damaging it. I'd be more inclined to just put a little padding in it than try to reshape it. Side note: I wish I had that problem of it being too big! #2: ABS cement is basically a weld, it's not coming off without cutting the armor apart. If you have enough extra room you can just slice out a section of the back then glue down a new cover strip over the seam in the back.

What trooperchewy said. Remember that this is athletic wear... it's meant for football players and such. If you are moving around it's pretty good. We do a couple of cold weather parades every year. I'm always freezing during the lineup/wait stage, but once we start walking I'm OK.

We had our annual Halloween parade yesterday. We also had snow, which is really uncommon this time of year. Some of our members had to skip the parade due to being snowed in with no power. A foot of heavy, slushy snow is never fun, but REALLY not fun in October!!! On the flip side, this gave me a great opportunity to have fun in my snowtrooper!

International shipping seems to get worse and worse. I ordered a set of clone boots from Ecuador back in May. The first pair was destroyed by customs. The second pair was lost in transit. The third pair is on its way now.