Stomper

Paul... you be talkin' about Josh by any chance?

LOL... there are 7-11's in Australia as well as Safeway stores, & K-Mart as well.

PM Sent

HAHAHAHa.... now you'll be able to sport those speaker-hovis in style!

So does this mean you DON'T want the ROTJ scope and rail that I'm developing?

Alrighty then......... PM coming at ya!

Hey Fitz, I used the metal wire used for suspended ceilings, bent it around the handles of two X-Acto knifes in a jig that I made up to replicate the dimensions of the original D-ring. I then took the correct sized drill bit and drilled through the ring "stub" of the rear endcap and worked it in. I can make one and send it to you for $5.00USD... Its that much because after PP fees and postage/materials eat up the money I make a whopping $2.00USD for my time and energy.... I've been thinking I just need to start making up an "elitist kit", comprised of all the needed parts to get the various E-11 versions up to Elite standards for all the DIY'ers out there.

LOL... well actually, trading a large batch of mini-speakers (a few months ago) for the first production version did it.

Yeah, he's even pre-paid... but youse two are numbers 2 & 3 on the impending list! FYI- I just ordered a sample sized shpment of the new, uber-cool material I'm considering using on these!... Hopefully it does what I want it to by finding out from casting a Biker Scout blaster with it... since I already have those molds made.

LOL.... I LITERALLY just poured the first rubber copy of my master pattern tonight for this very thing! I took a length of aluminum tubing and milled it to the proper proportions, now I just need a few more rubber copies so I can make a mold of seven at a time... then I'm going to make these available... really soon.

I have the molds completed for pre-made rubber DLT-19 T-track, and have already cranked out 3 complete sets... I'm working on the feed tray cover and disk greeblie! If anyone wants accurate, pre-made rubber DLT-19 T-track you can find my thread in the for sale section.

Hey Troops, A couple years back I bought a 2nd hand Hyperfirm ANH E-11 (that I forgot about) and found it sitting in a box out in my workshop a few weeks ago while wading through the MOUNTAIN of crap I have laying all over the place.... it had a horrible paint job on it, as well as old beads of glue from fallen off greeblies, so I got to fiddling around with it and decided to make a few modifications to it to improve it's accuracy over how they usually come... First I reshaped the trigger guard to a more rounded shape (from the "squashed" look they come with), I then took advantage of the Hyperfirm material's characteristics of "skinning" and carved out the "fill" inside the front sight guards... much nicer looking! I then dumped the (IMO) funky looking "standard" HF scope rail that was glued onto it, carved grooves in the proper places and installed an aluminum scope rail and rubber M38 scope that I casted from a real one I have in my library of parts. It's bonded into the grooves (or slots) with rubberized CA glue, and is ROCK SOLID! I then peeled off the "glued on popsicle stick" looking T-rails, bored out the vent holes on the barrel at each end and installed a "seconds set" (had a some tiny air pockets that I couldn't sell to anyone) of my own rubber T-track and tucked them into the holes for the more "accurate" look. I then cut off the stubby (way too short) magazine flush with the magazine well, and bored it out with my dremmel tool to make it hollow... again taking advantage of the HF material's "skinning" characteristics to know how thick to make the walls of the mag-well. I made a "quick & dirty" mold of the magazine from the deactivated Sterling SMG I have, and then casted that in rubber and stuffed it into the mag-well... it looks much more accurate than the "stock" HF magazine solution. After that, I made a rubber casting of my (IMO) more accurate power-cylinders and replaced the "stock" HF part, and added the wires that go the the Hengstler counter, and then made a D-ring for the rear end cap and added chrome tape to the bolt in the ejection port. The only thing left is to add a bayonet lug, but I haven't made the mold off my Sterling SMG yet... A light misting of satin black spray paint to "unitize" everything and presto... a trooping ready, modified HF E-11 that is unique (and more accurate) from everyone else's'.... (Here's a modified MR E-11 that I own for comparison) The modded HF... Here's how HF ANH E-11's look "Stock"... they're very nice, but I like to take things over the top... or as the "kids today" say... "off the hook!" : This is just the warm-up for me, because I'm in the process of developing my own "rubber" E-11's... and it will look a LOT like what you see in these photos, and have some EXCELLENT "Stomperized" features. I may even offer my services to those who have HF E-11's and would like these mods done to it!

How about pepakura buckets? At least its more accurate (and better looking) than an FX or Rubies!!

LOL.. well since you posted a TD shot, here's mine from a troop ringing the bell at a Salvation Army collection kettle outside Macy's Dept. store during the X-Mas season... One that was run through a software filter...

THERE.. do you see that?! That's what I'm talkin' about!! His E-11 is holstered BECAUSE he's sportin' the DLT-19, and NOT holding up his pants.. or pointing at his "cod piece"!!!

LOL... I absolutely HATE IT when TK's stand there resting their hands on their front belt boxes... it looks like they're either holding up their pants, or pointing at their "cod piece"... if you get my meaning!! The only time your E-11 should be holstered is when you're holding an DLT-19!!!

ROTF Hey, um... we are ALL geeks/nerds around here, can you say "wearing white bits of plastic over spandex"? Anywho.... say hello to "Meester Nerd" on the right (yes, that's mine... and its NOT A TUMOR!!! )... now... do I REALLY have to bring out his friend, "lefty" just to prove my point? It's like the Fresh Prince said in the 90's.... "Parents just don't understand!"

LOL... in our house we have a total of no less than 6 computers here, a wired LAN, and 3 wireless networks (don't ask... LOL) I'm sitting next to a mid tower with almost 3TB worth of hard drives in it... I have almost 4,000 MP3's, LOADS of images of props, costumes, progress photos, and DVD movies GALORE stored on this thing... even though I hardly EVER watch TV anymore! I'm wanting a Gonk-Droid, so I'm going to (eventually) build one and make a cool computer case out of it to justify the floor space it'll take up... it'll even have a 12" LCD (secondary) monitor in the upper front to display a sine wave to the beat of music that I'll be pumping through it.. but I agree, lappy's are the WAY TO GO!! Ummm.... yes... you are!!

Sounds like you have it worked out then, good! BTW- I have been getting email offers from Dell for their new "Studio" models... it seems to be a cross between an XPS (looks wise) and Inspiron (components wise)... those can STILL run well over $2,000USD for a decked out one... I like at least a 17" screen (Inspirons apparently only go up to 15" screens now)... and it really hacks me off that the Studio model only comes with "glossy" screens... I prefer a "matte/non-glare" finish on my screens as I hate reflections in my monitor! Anyway... I have some SERIOUS PC components waiting to go into a "Gonk Droid" computer case... when I get around to building it that is!

I agree with what was said by Chris in the UK, strike a balance between the two and do BOTH... ask yourself, "do you REALLY need a high-pro lappy for what you "need" it for at this time?" Can a mid-range (& cost) lappy do the job for your computer course? ... tech is almost obsolete by the time it hits the consumer shelves believe it or not... I used to be on the "bleeding edge" of technology... as soon as I bought that next $400-$500 video card, or $200 sound card, or $300-$400 processor... no more than 2 months later there was something bigger and better kicking dirt in my "new" component's face!! I jumped out of that squirel-cage AGES ago and am content to scoop up last year's tech for next to nothing compared to waht it was a few months earlier! I was just perusing eBay today looking at Dell (the only brand I'll buy) lappy's... you can get a decent business class model for $300-$500 (shipped)! I bought my wife a Dell Inspiron 1721... 320GB hard drive, dual core processor, 17" wide-screen, wireless networking, many, many bells & whistles... etc, etc. She uses it for her Facebook projects...

Hey Darrel, There's absolutely nothing wrong with what you are mentally going through... its called the grieving process. The human mind/brain is the most complex piece of machinery ever created (biologically OR mechanically), then you add a person's personality and emotions to the mix and its unfathomable. Everyone associates something to EVERYTHING in their memory, there is no set synaptic pathway for any two individuals to associate and react to any one given thing. The two most traumatic things a human being can endure in life (according to the psychologists) is the death of a loved one, and the other is divorce. They say both are equally as traumatic as the other in terms of emotional devastation and stress. When you are around "strangers", you are more easily able to "compartmentalize" your pain and "swallow it", this is more prevalent in males. Remember the old adage, "you always hurt the ones you love"... anyone in their right mind wouldn't do that intentionally, but its because of the familiarity you have in your relationships with those you are close to that you react in a "negative" way like you described. Your tendency to shy away from the "good times", and dwell on the "rough patches" you both went through is an instinctual self-preservation-survival reaction your mind is going through because of the pain you are in. The mind & body reacts to emotional pain much in the same way it does to physical pain, you have a very real physiological reaction to strong emotional impacts in your life. We are hard-wired to react in a "fight or flight" response for survival when we are faced with extreme situations that physically or emotionally threaten our survival. Your mind is just sorting things out, and its a very "normal" part of the beginning of the healing process. I know all too well the emothional trauma you are going through. I have lost 3 childhood friends to motorcycle accidents, I have lost family members to accidents , old age and disease, Army buddies in the field, and (worst of all) having had to take the very young lives of other mother's sons during my tour in the Army... and I have been through TWO divorces to top it all off. Everyone of those incidents practically "killed" me, and they still do when in the few times I allow myself to reminisce, but I have to live in the "here & now", and over the course of my life from the age of 17 (when I was out on my own, I'm 41 now) I carry PLENTY of scare tissue (emotionally and physically) from those experiences, but time is a salve that eventually does heal the wounds to the point that you can carry on with life. I'm alive, I have 6 kids and a God-given wonderful wife (finally) that love and depend on me to be there for them, so I have my "medicine". When you break a bone, it takes "X amount" of time to heal... some folks heal faster, some slower... but in time you WILL have your "medicine" and you will look forward to another day. I'm DEFINATLEY no Shrink, but I hope something in all that I have said helps you sort through the issues you have mentioned. Peace & Respect unto you, Darrel!

AWWwww..... Darrel, dam... I'm sorry to hear of a tragedy like this happening to good people!! Many condolences and may you find comfort in your family, friends and God through these times. I would only say, be strong and see it through and live your life to the fullest... when you are able too, because like any woman who loves her man, I'm sure (even though I never knew her) that is what Melanie would want for you. Peace unto you, Darrel.

DANG..... I voted for Pedro.

LOL.... well, he could ALWAYS solve it with surgery I suppose.

Alex, The 18 years old policy is for legal/liability reasons... plus we hate anyone not old enough to vote in the political elections!! (just kidding) A month goes by pretty fast, and time goes by faster when you're in your 40's... like me!