Astyanax

Brett, what size holes did you drill in the barrel shroud for vent holes? I know that most people use 1/2", but I was thinking about going with 9/16", because the 1-1/4" I.D. PVC is a little bit wider in diameter than the actual MG34, and I was thinking this might help it look a little more proportional. What do you think? Good idea, bad idea? Thanks! Bill

Ah, sorry for the misinformation. The CRL isn't clear about this, but that makes perfect sense. Thanks for clearing this up! Bill

If you submit yourself for Centurion level with a weapon, the weapon must also be Centurion approvable, yes. But you are not required to have a weapon at all, so you can be approved as Centurion without a weapon. Bottom line: a weapon is optional, but if you submit yourself with one it had better match the quality of your armor. If you go Centurion without one, the expectation will then be that if you choose to troop with a weapon, you should have a Centurion-worthy weapon while trooping. Bill

Nice. They look good to me. The placement of the pauldron rocks. I also couldn't wait, so I mounted what I had: Don't judge me; I'm from San Diego. The frame is rich mahogany. My plans are also for a poor man DLT-19 to go across the top and a converted Disney DL-44 to be opposite the top E-11 (posting that build soon). Bill

Got it. True, you'd have to position it perfectly. Which might not even be inside the scope anymore.

Wouldn't adding one more lens at the front or back handle the inverted image problem?

Ah, thanks. Didn't know that was Marv's site. The prices there are very different from the original quote in his t-track post: £10 ($15.25) plus postage: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/16395-t-track/ $40 with free shipping: http://wannawanga.com/products/t-track/

Marv has a full (or closed) PM box and isn't responding to forum posts. Any idea how to get some?

Yeah, exactly, me too. I was thinking of some sort of shelf with a stand. This is kind of the stand without the shelf. It's not perfect, you still see non-blaster structures, but it's close. And in real life, it's a lot more clear where the blaster is separate from the mounts. I recommend a trial at least. That's what I did, and it's why I'm buying more. Lots more. Bill

Just wall-mounted this blaster using these cool padded guitar hooks I found: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/32787-found-awesome-wall-mount-hooks-for-your-blaster-of-choice/ Bill

Hey all: I'm still waiting for armor to arrive, and while I do, I've tried to hone my assembly skills by working on a few different blasters. Between a Rubie's E-11 Conversion, a Disney E-11 conversion, a DoopyDoos/T-Jay build, a poor-man DLT-19 (from the 2008 Clone "Build a Blaster"), and a Disney DL-44 conversion (just for fun), I'm coming to realize that I have several blasters I'm going to want to display. Bookshelf space isn't gonna cut it, so I did some research, trying to figure out a good way to wall-mount all my blasters. But I have several requirements of a wall-mounting solution: - It must not scratch the blaster - It must allow the blaster sufficient space away from the wall to fit - It must not be ugly/overly obvious - It must not be overly expensive - It must be easy for me to take the blaster down or put it back up And while perusing Amazon, I found these: These are guitar hooks, designed to mount a guitar on the wall without damaging it. Each mount has two foam-padded prongs that extend about 5" from the wall and can be rotated into any position. And they hold that position, unless your blaster is excessively heavy. They're not flexible, they just rotate 360 degrees. Because of this, they are very forgiving about positioning for odd-shaped items. You can also squish the two prongs together so that they are like a single large prong. They do come with standard screws and weak drywall anchors, but I decided to go out and get better anchors and black screws, so that the mounting hardware would be less visible. I made sure to get screws that are a little bit longer than the anchor's screws, because of the thickness of the hook mount (1-1/4" was enough): I mounted them 10" apart and leveled them vertically to each other, not caring about the shape of the blaster. Just to see how they would handle it. Surprisingly well! Yes, I know that an E-11 wants to "roll over", but these hooks allow me to compensate for that. I then tried an alternate configuration that I like better. Now the blaster doesn't want to roll at all: Much more stable and attractive, in my opinion. I just ordered a bunch more for the rest of my blaster projects. They come in single packs at $3 each: http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Hanger-Holder-Mount-Display/dp/B005CX4GLE They come in 2-packs at around $5.35 ($2.68/ea): http://www.amazon.com/2-PACK-Display-guitars-Mounting-Hardware/dp/B00LTDOIXW They come in 3-packs for around $6.50 ($2.17/ea): http://www.amazon.com/3-PACK-StageTM-Display-Mounting-Hardware/dp/B00LTDOL02 They come in 4-packs for around $7.65 ($1.91/ea!!!!): http://www.amazon.com/StageTM-Display-guitars-Mounting-Hardware/dp/B00LTDON0K I really recommend these hooks, they allow the blaster to "float" off the wall. The shadow effect can be quite striking: Will repost here when I've finished all my blasters. Enjoy! Bill

Hey all: I thought I would resurrect this old thread, because it is still valid. Good ol' gazmosis was always on to something good here, and it's still an option for "poor man" builders, like myself. Today I went to Home Depot to see what I could find along these lines. The driveway reflector stakes have all dried up and converted to round dowel-like stakes! But I did find this: This is the Ames 26" poly leaf rake. The previous pics in this thread are expired, so I don't know if it's the same rake, but guessing from the comments, I think it is pretty close. Here's an underside view, where you can clearly see all the t-tracks available: This rake is $15 in my area, which is still a steal for t-tracks considering I've got a DLT-19 plan ahead of me, but even lightsaber builders out there will find these useful. I broke out my dremel to cut out all the usable tracks, but even a hacksaw would do just fine in a pinch: The tracks are split across the middle, as you can see. Even though there is a "taper" of tracks down toward the end, the tracks at the base are still quite serviceable. The longest possible tracks I could get at the center base without interruption are still over 7" long: As you can see, they are also quite sufficiently flexible to be glued as needed: As far as the taper is concerned, in my opinion it is negligible. This 7-plus inches piece of track goes from 11/32" thickness down to 9/32" thickness according to my digital caliper. This is a 1/16" taper across 7", which I think is not noticeable at all. The picture above exaggerates the variance; straightened out, you can't easily tell unless you're looking for it. The tracks are also only 11/32" wide, which puts them on the small side all around. But again, I don't think this is noticeable for your typical poor man build. Here's a cross-section view: And a closeup: All-in-all, the Ames rake is still a really viable alternative for the economical approach. Hope this helps! Bill

Heh, he's outgrowing it right now. But his little brother is waiting in the wings.

Good questions, you might try going straight to Flexi-Dip. The challenge, though, is that the foam is going to want to soak up anything you spray on it. Maybe with sufficient coats of Flexi-Dip it will work? I'm not sure. You've got to close up those pores somehow. Maybe a quick once-over with a heat gun to make it shiny, and then go to Flexi-Dip? I think that would be worth a try. Either way, I like the extra smoothing the glue accomplished as well. Glad you've started on the suit. Hope you post pictures when you're done! Bill

For the inner bolt, why not a length of 3/4" PVC pipe? Just paint it satin black before you glue it in. And as for centering the pipe inside the barrel, how about some PVC couplings sized to the inside pipe? That should get you close enough to the insides of the barrel that a bead of E6000 can take up any remaining space. Good luck, and I hope the E6000 works for your stock. Bill

And the detailed version... Welcome to Update #2, Troopers! Thank you again for your ongoing support of the Classic Stormtrooper Armor we are producing---your excitement is really fueling our team to make this the best costume available! We are also reading your comments, and hope that these updates help demonstrate our commitment to you as not just customers, but investors in the new line of STAR WARS™ products! A lot has happened since our last newsletter, including the public prototype debut at San Diego Comic Con International where some of you saw this armor up close. While that particular suit did not reflect the final production armor, it was very close to what you should expect upon delivery. A few adjustments are being made for better alignment on the thighs, calves, biceps and forearms, but the details true to the original forms are not being changed. As you may have heard, the base material for the armor will indeed be UV-coated ABS instead of the custom PVC that we were developing. We heard a lot of concerns about the unfamiliarity of working with PVC and, thanks to your support, were able to get the volume pricing needed to make the switch back to our preferred material. Hopefully, the change back to ABS will make kit-builders more confident in their ability to construct their armor using tried and true methods and materials. Speaking of building kits, our friends at Tested.com have also put together part one of a great video tutorial to introduce you to what it takes to build armor from a kit. If you purchased the ensemble, you may still pick up some tips for further modification. Check out this video here for part one: http://bit.ly/1Jlg6HT We also wanted to address the undersuit which has been previously referred to as an “arming suit.” To keep this costume affordable and to allow for the end-user to customize their own strapping system, we have simply decided to provide the basic long-sleeve and long-pant lycra undersuit in the sizing you selected when ordering. These black undersuit pieces are the first thing you’ll put on when suiting up, and the strapping in the form of velcro and black webbing material will be separate (not attached) to the suit for maximum user customization and optimal fit. While the original concept was to re-purpose an idea for a Clone Trooper undersuit, it was simply not going to be comfortable due to breathability. Another soft goods change we have made is on the Stormtrooper neckseals. The shiny version we showed in an earlier newsletter has been replaced with a lighter, more breathable material (shown below on the right). Comfort is always a priority when we are making final decisions on accessories. The best news is that we still appear to be on target for a late November/early December delivery! Don’t forget that although we are now at full Initial Offering Price for the Classic Stormtrooper, it’s still not too late to convince friends to join the Empire---in fact, we noticed that many of your are taking advantage of and sharing the 10% OFF coupon codes that come with every order placed after mid-June 2015. We think it’s awesome you are “paying it forward” to grow your Empire! Thank you again for your support as we work together to change the face of costuming and fill the world with more soldiers of the Empire! Be sure to ‘like’ our Facebook page at facebook.com/anovos, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/anovos, and on Instagram at instagram.com/anovos. For the Empire! Team ANOVOS

hey mathias: i know you're still trying to work out all the kinks, just wanted to confirm that every thing i type is always in lower-case. capitalization in any post at all seems to be disabled. a lot of us builders are ocd types, and not being able to capitalize as needed will be hard to cope with. example: this sentence has been typed in all caps. see? thank you for all you do! bill

Interesting bit of learning i got from this blaster: I learned that it seems to only allow 21 rapid-fire shots before it automatically forces you to single shot mode. Turning it off and on resets it. This happens whether you mod it or not. Not that this is a big deal, just fascinating. Bill

this is absolutely awesome, full of useful ideas. thank you for this!

Yep, Dean was right, no Anovos presence at all. In fact, non-TFA representation was very, very limited. I could see Disney's forward-looking approach at D23. Don't expect much OT or PT from Disney going forward, I think. Especially at the new Star Wars land they announced. Bill

Hey guys: In investigating the effort it might take to put together a passable DLT-19 for my coming Anovos armor build, I noticed a lot of people using the Hasbro "Build Your Own Blaster" (Clone Commander Blaster) as a base for what is essentially a PVC pipe build. As you may know, this blaster comes in pieces, and you can attach the pieces in various configurations to make different kinds of blasters. There are 7-8 different firing sounds that go off when you pull the trigger, the selection of which depends on what parts you have attached to the main "core grip" piece. What isn't quite clear on the packaging is that you cannot control the sounds except by having certain parts attached in certain ways. This is a shame, because the sounds are all great, and when you have all the pieces stacked into the full length rifle, the blaster plays a perfect DLT-19 sound effect (similar to AT-AT walker blasters in ESB). But how do we get it to play that sound when all you want to use is the core grip (and maybe the stock)? I took a risk and bought a used blaster on eBay, gambling that I could figure out a way to hotwire it somehow so that I could get the blaster to play the DLT-19 rifle sound (complete with rapid fire capability), yet not have any of the parts attached. Turns out that this was a very easy mod to make, and only requires a soldering iron and a few inches of basic solder. I have no knowledge or skill with a soldering iron, but I can tell you that this was not a problem. I did not have to open up the blaster at all, although you could achieve the same results by connecting the right wires inside. Me, I wanted to spend no more than 5 minutes of unskilled soldering and be done. So let's have a look at the core grip. If you look in at the barrel end, you will see a bunch of pins. They are spring loaded, but they do not need to be pushed in. Instead, the right combination of pins need to be connected in order for a particular sound effect to be selected: See those three pins? Just use something conductive: a wire, solder, aluminum foil, anything metal to join them, completing a particular circuit, and you will have the DLT-19 sound permanently selected. All I did was put a large glob of solder between the three pins. My process was messy and unprofessional, but a glob at the base of the three pins (and touching no other pins) was all it took: The pins don't necessarily have to be joined at their tips, since they are all metal. It's easier just to put the drops of solder at the base of them all. Once the solder cools and you turn the blaster on, voila! DLT-19 rifle sounds only! I then decided to take this one step further. I noticed that when the blue plastic magazine is plugged in to the core grip, all the blaster's sound effects become "rapid-fire" capable, meaning you can hit the trigger in rapid succession and repeat the sound effect. The cavity where the magazine plugs in looks like this (ignore the scope, it is not necessary): After some testing, I realized that if you somehow connect the rear two "squares" to each other, the blaster thinks the magazine is plugged in at all times. I accomplished this by dropping a glob of solder on each of the two squares, followed by a glob of solder between them, thus joining up all three. We're done! Wanna see it in action? Here's my YouTube video, trying it out after everything was done: https://youtu.be/H89UyyoZ79M If you're familiar with this toy, you know that every few shots, the shooting sound effect is followed by a random explosion sound. This feature is still present after this mod. Also, after excessive out-of-control rapid firing for several seconds , I sometimes have to turn the blaster off and then back on to reset it. I think this is typical as well. So there you go, simple, cheap, and easy to turn a really cool toy into the basis for a homemade DLT-19, complete with the proper sound effect. These blasters are out of production and quite expensive in the original packaging, but there are quite a few very affordable used ones on eBay, especially if you go for just the core grip and stock. Hope someone can get some benefit from this! Bill

Really nice work. For the stock, did you extend it at all before using the Bondo? Or just rounding it out only?

Good point. I have edited my previous post.

We already know the company line on most of these questions. The idea is to get a staffer (who is trying to get more orders or get more excitement going) to spill a little bit more on the floor to get me to spend my money, as I am as yet unsure if it's worth it. I fully expect to ask questions that have already been asked. My point here is to try and tease out more detail to try and fully understand the details, and for that, I need to know the most important unanswered questions. For example, when it comes to rigging, "we haven't decided yet" is the company line. It's possible a floor staffer may be privy to more recent developments be able to convince me to open my wallet. Which is the point of this exercise. Thanks guys for those contributions. I'll see what I can dig up do to convince you to spend your money too. Bill