SkulShurtugalTCG

I hope to go, but I won't be taking my armor. I want to spend my time enjoying the panels and all the things there. What my squad is trying to do is rent a town home for the weekend and get everyone to stay in there. I've been to a con before without friends, and it was pretty boring and hard to get through the weekend. Going with friends to this will DEFINITELY make the experience a whole lot better.

I went trooping at the McDonald's Children's Festival this past weekend in Houston. My handler, Marshall (TK-7932) decided to have some fun. I was expecting people to take pictures, but I didn't expect so many pictures to be taken from THAT angle. Thanks, Marshall... (Otherwise, the troop was fun. Lots of smiling faces, especially kids)

There's this guy. Let's call him Brian. Because... well, because that's his name. Late last week, Brian was involved in a serious car wreck. Nobody died, but he was injured. He suffered 7 broken ribs, a broken arm, and a collapsed lung. He was in ICU for several days, before being sent to a recovery room. Brian is hoping to join the 501st Legion as a ROTS Red Guard. After being moved out of ICU, he contacted our squad and asked, if anyone had the time, would they mind visiting him for a few hours. I heard about it, and checked my calendar. I had the time. Fast-forward to the next morning. I showed up at the hospital, changed in the bathroom (all with security's permission, of course), and made my way to Brian's room. My wife was there as my handler; we were asked to wait outside of his room, as they were busy taking out his chest tube (which is a VERY good sign that his lung will make a full recovery). We were outside for just 5 minutes or so, but during that time, several doctors and nurses and other hospital staff, who were walking past, stopped for a few seconds to take pictures. Since this hospital visit was not an official 501st event, I took a lot of time "breaking character", saying what I "really" do for a living, chit-chatting about how awesome The Force Awakens was, and mentioning that Brian will be joining the Legion as soon as he's better and he re-invests in his armor. (His poor helmet was in the car. It did not survive. Funeral services for it are next Tuesday.) When we were let inside, I was pleasantly surprised to see Brian sit up to shake my hand. Then, less than a minute later, he stood up to take a picture with me. His arm was in a sling, but he had a smile on his face, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was strong enough to pull the ears off a gundark. Brian was so thrilled I was there. He's seen a few troops before, as a bystander, and he's attended an armor party or two as well, so it wasn't like hanging out with a stormtrooper was a new experience for him. But it lifted his spirits instantly. His doctor had recommended he start walking around a little bit - and he decided to interpret "a little bit" as completely around the hospital. It was his idea to walk to the Emergency Room and make some quick visits (with plenty of picture stops on the way there and back), and kept asking passing nurses if any rooms had children in them. By the time we got back to his room, we had met well over a dozen patients in their rooms, and probably took pictures with 30 people or more. After we got back, I stayed in costume for another good hour or so, chit-chatting with him and his family, who were also with us the whole time. When it was finally time to leave, we had spent a full two and a half hours together - and both of us had smiles on our faces the whole time. That was yesterday. Today, I'm happy to announce the doctors gave him a hospital discharge, and he is on the road to a full, quick recovery. He's hoping to have his Red Guard approved by the end of this summer, and with any luck, I'll be trooping with him in no time!

I have a YouTube channel. Its name is the same name I have on this forum. That's proof enough that you can choose whatever name you want, and people will still watch your videos. Obviously, choosing a name that can easily be associated with your channel's content helps. So if you want to show videos from your troops, you can do something like "Stormtrooper Trooper" or "501st Transmissions". Something fun, maybe punny. Or, if you wanna be straight-forward, "Stormtrooper" works just as well.

I was inducted into the 501st Legion this past Tuesday (the day of The Force Awakens' home video release!), and it was the end result of a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. But I'm in. I was mostly inspired to join based on Daniel Fleetwood's story - but there's way more to it than that. So much, in fact, that I actually made a video to talk about it in-depth. For anyone interested in joining the 501st, I do have a few tips that I learned while I was in the process of joining. 1) RESEARCH. You can never research enough. Research, research, and research some more - and when you're sick and tired of researching, keep researching. 2) Never be afraid to ask for help. I had a LOT of questions, some of which I felt were stupid at the time, and many people (both in real life and here on FISD) were more than willing to answer them and help out in any way they could. There's a reason, after all, that the motto of this site is "Troopers helping troopers". 3) Meet members of the Legion. I was lucky enough to have a LOT of help from one member in particular of my squad; he hosted an armor party and helped me oversee finishing my bucket, then took another three nights in a row to get my strapping system all done. I felt bad at the time for having him focus on me so much, but he insisted (and I believe him) that he doesn't mind. The build process is half the fun - and besides, with more troopers in the Legion, there's more opportunity to make people happy with our charity work. 4) Be on the lookout for deals. I was on the wait list for an ATA armor kit, and that was an 11-month wait. Then I happened upon an AMAZING deal from someone else in the same Garrison as I am. He was selling a half-finished RS kit, complete with all Centurion specs, for less than half the price he bought it for. I jumped on the deal, and only needed to make some minor alterations to make it fit. All in all, I think I spent less than $1000 altogether on EVERYTHING I needed for my armor - between the armor itself and the tools to make it. The only thing that pushed me over was investing in a Hyperfirm E-11 instead of a kit, but that was something I planned from the beginning. 5) Centurion isn't that much harder. I know, it LOOKS harder, especially just by looking at the CRL. But I've made my armor to Centurion specifications (except the shoulder strapping; I didn't have white nylon at the time. I'll fix that later), and it wasn't much harder than just going for basic entry. It's DEFINITELY more time-consuming (especially painting the bucket instead of using stickers), but let me tell you, it just made the process that much more fun. Of course, if you don't WANT to go Centurion, feel free to do whatever you want. But if you're on the fence, let me just tell you that it's 100% worth it, and not that much more expensive or harder than basic entry level approval. Anyway, I hope these tips help future troopers, and I also hope you guys enjoyed the video!

I was just approved today (the day of The Force Awakens' home video release!) I'm probably the first stormtrooper in the Empire to choose their TK number based on the index number of their favorite Pokemon.

TK-69004 requesting access. http://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=21082

I thought I'd give one last update. I spent a good three days (almost straight) working hard on my armor with someone who I cannot thank enough for his help. Long story short, it's done. There are a few things that I need to fix before submitting for Advanced Tactics (I need to use some ABS paste on the sides and replace the top straps with white), but for basic entry, I'm all done. I just submitted my 501st application today, after my GML said that I look all set! So I apologize that this wasn't a big build thread like I had thought it would be. Like I said, I have a LOT to thank for the guy who helped me out. But I also have to thank the FISD forums for helping me out in starting out, doing some basic things on my own, and even just existing to help newbies like myself find their way. Below are my submission pictures, which again, were approved by the GML. Thanks once again, and may the Force be with you all!

I just recorded it with my regular microphone, then ran it through a few different filters in Audacity. My helmet is currently electronics-less, but I hope to fix that sometime in the future.

Theoretically, the answer is yes due to the theory of relativity. Even though the ship in the back is going twice the speed of light, so is the ship you are traveling in as well. Meaning, relative to you, the other ship is not moving at all. It would be similar to looking out to your driveway and seeing your car parked. It's not moving because YOU'RE not moving.

I just finished my bucket a few days ago, and I decided to have some fun and make a video using it! My career is YouTube, and I specialize in Pokemon content, so I figured, what better way to show off my helmet than to play Pokemon while wearing it? Things went just about as well as you'd expect for a stormtrooper.

Well, my armor party has come and gone. Aside from the thighs, I spent the whole day working on my ATA helmet - which, thankfully, is now done. So all that's left, really, is some riveting and strapping on the rest of this. And, for now, putting on the sniper knee plate. This has been a head-scratcher ever since I got the kit; the knee, no matter how I set it, just will not fit flush with the rest of the shin. I have read that this is to be expected, so I guess I just had to make due. Again, the glue is setting, so if I did this wrong, tell me now. THIS is as good as I could get it. There's that huge gap between the plate and the right side of the shin, but other than that I think it looks good. Again, I'm aiming for Centurion, so if this is incorrect and I need to do something drastic like use a heat gun or do some shin trimming, let me know. But otherwise, I'm actually pretty happy with how this turned out.

Well, my armor party has come and gone - and with it, my bucket is complete! Mostly. The last thing for me to wrap up is the lenses. While I was at my armor party, someone had a very unique idea. They cut their lenses down to the correct size, then bent the tops of them 90 degrees, so they sat on top of the inside eye holes. Then they used velcro to stick them together. This is a great way to keep the lenses in place, while still making it very easy to go back later and clean/adjust them if necessary. I decided to use this approach in making my lenses. I spent a good 2 hours shaping the lens, heating it up with a blow drier because I was paranoid about snapping it, then shaping the top correctly to sit on top of the eye. But one is done, and as soon as the other is done, this bucket is 100% done! And with that, this will conclude this build thread. I have a separate thread for my RS kit, but frankly, I made so much progress on that at the armor party that there's not much left except some riveting (which will have to wait) and strapping. Once those small things are done, I'll be all set to join the 501st!

It's an idea. lol I really want to get to working on an R2-D2 after this, though. And those aren't cheap, so I think I'll just stick with this TK. ------- If I screwed up, now's the time to tell me, before the glue dries. I decided to work on my thighs - the one part of the kit that was still 100% untrimmed. I worked for a long time on them, using multiple screenshots and submission pictures from the Advanced Tactics program. (Those should be required reading for new recruits. Seriously.) It took me forever to figure out that I DO need to trim the return edge off the tops of the thighs. Once those were gone, they fit MUCH better than the dry fit when untrimmed. After that, it was just a matter of lining them up properly on either side, trimming to the perfect fit, and then setting the first cover strips to glue overnight. That was literally five minutes ago, so again, if I screwed up, tell me now. Trimmed thighs. Top two are left thigh, bottom two are right. Focusing on the left thigh now, since once it's done, it's done. As seen from the front And as seen from the back Put in the inner cover strip and put on as many magnets as I had. Clamped the ends down. The black lines are leftover from my trim marks, not gaps. There are VERY tiny gaps here and there but I'm sure the cover strips will take care of those.

Even though I much prefer Stunt armor, both in look and personal preference, I LOVE watching other people build Hero armor. If anything, because it's just not as common to see. Good luck with your build!

I guess they're drop boxes, then. I did some trimming last night, but otherwise I'm going to wait until this Saturday's armor party to keep working on it. The sniper plate is especially giving me grief; is it supposed to be hard to put on?

I already started another topic on this forum (which you can view here) about my ATA helmet build. I'm still technically on the list for the rest of my ATA suit, but in the meantime, another member in my garrison posted on Facebook saying he was selling his half-completed RS armor. It turned out to be EXACTLY what I'm missing for my kit (down to the snaps, gloves, and other small things) and the price was just about right. So I jumped on it, and just last night, he was generous enough to drive something like 5 hours to give it to me. I've gone through all the parts and everything's here. Like I said, it's half-done, so some of these things (including the thermal detonator and shoulder plates) are completely done. Others are half-done, and there are a few things I need to work on myself. But for now, I'm INCREDIBLY proud to own such an amazing piece of work! I'm aiming to build this suit to Centurion specs - and, awesome enough, the parts that are done are done to those specs so far. I will be attending an armor party next Saturday, which hopefully will help me finish my helmet and get me a fair ways farther with the rest of this suit. My goal now is to have it done by April, and be Centurion-certified by the time Rogue One comes out this December. I think it's possible. Just FYI, like my other thread, this one will probably have a lot of questions. This is my first build, and I want to make sure I don't screw up. So I'm relying on all of you amazing people to stop me if I screw up. Hopefully that doesn't happen, and instead you will be treated to a nice build thread of a first-time builder who just wants to build the best suit he can. PICTURES: Cloth belt and gloves (complete with latex guards) - DONE Thermal detonator with clips - DONE Ab plate - DONE (as far as I can tell) Shoulders and Biceps - DONE Forearms - DONE Butt plate - DONE Lower legs - MOSTLY DONE Chest Plate - NEEDS WORK Upper Back - NEEDS WORK (I think just trimming) Kidney - NEEDS WORK (I think just trimming) Thighs - NEEDS WORK (the most work of anything) Misc. Parts - NEED CUT And finally... I have no idea what these are. The drop boxes?

Yes it is, and like I said, I was able to get it at an insanely-reduced price. Literally less than half of the original selling price.

Quick update: A member of my garrison posted on Facebook, saying they were selling their RS Propmasters armor kit for a VERY reduced price. I decided to bite the bullet and buy it. We just finished negotiating the price; still working on when I can pick it up. But in any case, I'm proud to announce that I am getting the rest of my armor far sooner than expected - and some of it has even been trimmed, to Centurion specs, on top of that! My only downside right now is that I've mostly been researching ATA build threads until now, so I'd better start reading up on RS build threads. The armor party I'm attending for my helmet is next Saturday and I 100% know I can go now. With any luck, I can finish the helmet in its entirety by the end of this month, and get the rest of the armor figured out by the time summer rolls around. My ultimate goal is to be Centurion-certified by the time Rogue One releases, and I am getting pretty excited at the idea of it actually about to happen! Picture of the armor:

Thanks! I took a look at his videos and your build thread. Helped out a lot. Just placed my order and hopefully I will be able to wrap up my bucket next month!

Any particular brushes to pick up as well? And what about the tube stripes decals; do I pick those up or just paint them on myself? Please pardon my ignorance. A quick search on the forums didn't reveal anything, and I felt there's no such thing as a stupid question here.

Wow, it's been a few weeks. Here's my update: I have the rivet gun and rivets BUT i don't have a power drill for the hole. So I've been holding off for a while to really re-invest into this project. I happened across an armor party planned for the 19th of March. I've never been to one before, and I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to go back to work on my helmet. Since it's a month away, that gives me a month to gather all the supplies I need. At this point, I've cleared out the eyes and teeth, shaped the helmet edges, and started shaping the ears. From this point on, what else do I need? I know I need the supplies to keep the helmet together (rivets, screws, etc) but I'm pretty sure I have all of those already. Do the brow and S-trim need to be glued into place, or are they usually just put on and stay by themselves? Most importantly (for me), if I were to order the helmet paint from Trooperbay, what colors should I go for for each of the sections? As much as possible, I'd like to finish this helmet at the armor party. Thanks for your help, everyone!

Between III and IV. It's the story of how they stole the Death Star plans. Personally, I'm expecting the TKs to look near-identical to those seen in ANH. If there are any changes, it will be so minimal that the casual viewer wouldn't notice at first--but that's what FISD is for.

I tried searching for this... but it's very difficult to search for "RS" on this forum since you can only search for a word with 3 or more characters. So apologies if this question has already been asked, once or a dozen times. RS Prop Masters sells an E-11 Blaster. Does anyone own this blaster? Is it Centurion approve-able, and if not what mods need done? Are there any downsides to it? I'm planning on finishing my helmet within the next month or so, and after that I still have a half-year (minimum) wait for the rest of my armor, so I decided to invest in the blaster next. This one stuck out to me, and I'd just like some more information from you guys before biting the bullet. Thanks! ~~Skul

I guess I don't NEED them, no. I'm following PandaTrooper's build thread, and he riveted the front and back together before putting on the ears.