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WoodChuck

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Posts posted by WoodChuck

  3. WoodChuck asks: Using one sound board for all of your blasters?

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    WoodChuck here. Many of you know I am a magician as well as a replica prop arms dealer.

    Magicians use illusion all the time to enhance their seemingly impossible feats of magic.

    Sound is a great item for illusions. The human mind will compensate and tell itself

    the source of a sound is coming from where the eyes see the action happening.

     

    For instance, if you are in the audience, and you see a trooper raise his blaster

    and squeeze the trigger, your mind expects something to happen. Usually a bright

    blue LED flashes, and perhaps some sounds are emitted from the blaster.

     

    What if you have a pistol that is too small to fit a sound board in?

     

    You can try this, and the eyes will see the blue LED flash, the ears will hear the sound,

    and the brain will compensate and say it is coming from the blaster, when the sound

    is actually coming from the utility belt:

     

    If you mounted the sound board, buttons and speaker in a small box , say on your belt,

    you could have the hand that isn't holding the pistol resting on your belt, over the box.

     

    That hand could press each of the sound buttons as your other hand points the pistol

    and squeezes the trigger. the audience would see the bright blue LED flash,

    and hear the sounds as you press the buttons. It would look and sound like the sound

    is coming from the pistol.

    Triktoys makes a programmable sound board for $99. You could have one sound board

    that could sound like four different blasters.

  6. WoodChuck approved as 501st member

    in Off Topic

    Posted · Edited by WoodChuck

    WoodChuck here. I have just been approved as a member of the 501st Legion.

     

    My Id number is IS 6029 which is an AT-ST driver.

     

    I want to thank Quartermaster of The Empire City Garrison for the awesome job

    he did on the helmet for this costume, PLUS all the armor he did for the AT-AT

    commander, which is my next costume.

     

    I also want to thank Tradeliphine, SL of Makaze Squad, for his excellent advice and help with the tailoring of my jump suit and for taking the approval photos, and for hosting an AWESOME armor party last Saturday.

     

    Thanks to everyone for your encouragement and support during this entire process.

     

    Chuck

     

    24.jpg

     

    18.jpg

  8. First 2011 SWW is history

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    WoodChuck here. The first SWW is now history. Disney knows how to thorw a party.

    Mr Lucas was there for the grand opening of the Star Tours ride.

     

    WOW! There are a lot of star wars fans !!!! The Florida heat was unforgiving, but they stood in line

    for up to two hours or longer to ride the Star tours ride. All fast passes were gone by 9 AM

    both Friday and Saturday, so you had better be there when the gates opened at 8 AM

    or be ready to just tuff it out in the long line.

     

    Jabba's Hut is where all of the SW merchandise was on display. Photo ops were great inside,

    and a lot of fans got signatures from some of the celebs that were on hand.

     

    Steve Sansweet was signing copies of his collectibles book. He also attended the

    501st dinner at Hulihan's Saturday evening.

     

    I donated one of my Verpine sniper rifles for the raffle. The trooper who won it seemed

    very happy and plans to post a photo once he gets it painted, LOL.

     

    I tried to stop by every table and share my talent as a wizard with everyone there.

     

    My wife Pam, my son-in-law Richard, and I all

    had a wonderful time.

     

    Thanks,

     

    WoodChuck

  9. Tech Tip from The WoodChuck

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    Thought you guys should know this for safety purposes.

     

     

    DRILL PRESS : A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.

     

    WIRE WHEEL : Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light . Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, 'Oh sh--!'

     

    SKIL SAW : A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.

     

    PLIERS : Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.

     

    BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

     

    HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle... It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

     

    VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

     

    OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race.

     

    TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.

     

    HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes , trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.

     

    BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.

     

    TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.

     

    PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER : Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.

     

    STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.

     

    PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.

     

    HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.

     

    HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.

     

    UTILITY KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.

     

    SON-OF-A-BI*** TOOL: (A personal favorite!) Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'Son of a BI***! ' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

  13. Tech Tip from The WoodChuck

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    Yeah I got it, it was funny. Hey Chuck, have you tried to build a DLT-19? or is it too complicated?

    WoodChuck here. No I haven't built that one. Reason: Other troopers are offering it. I can't compete with the price of the cast models, and the Dlt-19 would be vvery labor intensive. I do this to get a quality item at a fair price to the majority of troopers, and besides, it's great to see someone else provide good stuff.

  15. Tech Tip from The WoodChuck

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    WoodChuck here. As many of you know, I am working on a run of T-21's for the Sand Troopers,

    and came across a piece of wood that still had A LOT of moisture in it.

    That's a BAD thing, moisture causes warping, cracking, even incrdeible shrinking..........................

     

  17. Celabratoin 6

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    WoodChuck here. A bit of trivia for you folks out there...............Back in the 70's the US Postal Service wanted to find one central location to use for all of the various technical training courses they had for teaching their electronic tech's and mechanics how to fix all the sorting machines all over the nation. They hired several consultants and after much, much research, they chose

    Norman, Oklahoma. It seems this is the closest point within the USA that would be central to all of the states. So, low and behold, they spent millions and built a big, beautiful technical training center just outside the city limits. Of course, having it be a college town was added incentive to get the maintenance employees to attend classes there.

     

    So let's start THAT rumor: CVI should be held at NORMAN, OK because it is central to everyone within the USA.

     

    BTW, I was an electronic tech for the postal service for 20 years and attended MANY MANY technical classes at Norman, OK.

  18. SWhelmets obscene?

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    Woodchuck here.......................funny stuff!!!!!!!!!!

     

    it always amazes me how the human brain takes one image, and allows it to be observed by 100 people, and they all see something different. The email had me actually crying from laughing, and I needed a good laugh at the time.

  19. SWhelmets obscene?

    in Off Topic

    Posted

    WoodChuck here. I just got an e-mail I just HAVE to share, but it's not easy trying to type and copy and paste

    while having spasms from belly-busting laughter, and tears rolling down my face:

     

    Subject: Star Wars Helmets Obscene?

     

     

    (quote).................And I also think that it is terrible how obscene those helmets are in some of the

    Star Wars movies. When i look at the side view of the storm trooper, or clone helmet,

    all I see is the lower portion of the helmet seems to take the shape of a semi-(BLEEP)

    portion of the adult male anatomy..................(unquote)

     

    I Guess that gives new meaning to the slang term....."D_ _ K Head"

  21. WoodChuck has too much idle time.

    in Off Topic

    Posted · Edited by WoodChuck

    WoodChuck here. i have been banned from my workshop for 2 weeks due to having cataract surgery on my left eye,

    then next month I repeat the proces on the right eye. I guess the sawdust is a bad thing when it comes to open wounds around the eye ball.

     

    Anyway, I live in Ocala, Florida, very very close to a national treasure, SILVER SPRINGS NATURE PARK. Glass bottom boats have given tourists

    up close views of the crystal-clear natural springs since the early 1950's. Several movies were made there, as the underwater scenes were easy to shoot in

    the 72 degree water, which stays at that temperature year-round.

     

    Popular TV shows were also fimed here. remember SEA HUNT?. LLOYD BRIDGES was the big star of the show.

     

    Ok, OK, I'll get the the point. One of the movies filmed here was CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. Yep, it was fimed in black & white, not color.

     

    Anybody else notice this, or is it just me, or maybe the fact that I have too much time on my hands right now, but

     

    doesn't the FRONT VIEW of a Storm trooper helmet look EXACTLY like the FRONT VIEW of the face of the creature from the black lagoon?

     

    Can somebody out there use PHOTO SHOP and post the results? Have I discovered the true source of inspiration for the original design of the helmet?

     

    ..Probably just the meds...................... B)

    New sculptor/Caster

    in New Member Introductions Archive

    Posted

    WoodChuck here. I have made molds from wood and also from MDF. I find the MDF way too heavy! Once you get it sculpted,

    then some bondo and then a couple coats of sealer, WHEW, just couldn't lift and carry the mold very far. IMO, pine has too much sap in it, and the grain is too dominant, shows on the plastic if not covered or sealed with bondo, etc. Basswood was made for carving.

    It has no grain to speak of, and doesn't chip easily. I have also built four vac tables and have a lot of info on them if you are interested. http://woodchuck.imperial-web.com

  23. Look out for this guy!

    in eBay Armor

    Posted

    WoodChuck here. I read this thread with intrerest. I think this same vendor tried to get me to send him one of my blasters in trade for one of his helmets.

    s

    I passed at the time, just didn't "feel" right to me. I probobly would have seen recats of my product on EBAY, no doubt.

     

    On a lighter note, I recently found out a customer failed to update his shipping address on Paypal, and one of my products was delivered

     

    to his recent "EX", and she had him stop by to pick it up, but she put a match to it and burned it up in front of him. Lesson: update your shipping address.

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