john danter

In that case, bootiful!

Sorry Paul, I just noticed the top of the boot on your first pic has one row of stitches Top of the boot on the rear ankle 'flap' lol It also had a smooth elastic same as johns Then your newer boot in the same area had 2 rows of stitching and the elastic looked different Like you said, prob pugmans are pre 76, your newer larger boots, whilst the same shoe maybe revised post 76? Still very cool

Good work on finding the Maybe being very picky here, but the ones you showed in the first post are single stitched. A match These latest ones are doudle stitched? Plus the elastic has a weird weave, but the first ones and the originals didn't look weaved? The heel ankle leather patch looks a different width too? The first ones you posted up are bang on. Are these larger shoes different somehow? Sorry lol

And don't forget they have a knurled pattern on them. Not smooth. Well all of mine have had the pattern anyway They would have been imperial not metric

If you ever need any help doing your own Snowtrooper, just ask me ok dude [email protected] I undrstand your post and yes you're correct as far as I understand it. (AP and TE) I think there's a history lineage thread here somewhere? Other people have suits yes, but a suits path and a lids path could be different. I think more lids have survived than complete suits but don't know of many who have taken casts. Just saying things aren't always what they seem in terms of 'screen accurate'.

I think you've covered it....? Touchy subject this but only Mr Ainsworth, if you believe what he says <runs for cover> lol that he still has them...? Everyone is entitled to an opinion on him. Most of them are bad His suits are trash yes but his lids aren't that bad really, IMO. Very pricey and have their flaws, but can be 'explained' (that is if you can be bothered to try and trust him, or even want too anymore) with a bit of lateral thinking, an understanding of vac forming, plastics, looking at the films and seeing TK lid inconsistencies yourself, plus an understanding that HE doesn't stick them together anymore, a local art college does (who aren't as anal as us) and the flipping face plate isn't trimmed back enough off the mould, making it stick out like a baboons face cos it doesn't fit back angled inside the tubes properly, lol, or also totally dismissed as trash too (I've made mine look a lot better than received by cutting it up, taking an inch or two of the plate off and reattaching everything myself) Personally, I love the face plate, accurate enough IMO. No tear oval though? (apart from a few things, also 'explainable' it matches very well) The back cap, not sure what he's done there as a trap is slightly off with him...? He says he repaired his mould....? Some think he's full of it, some think he maybe using his prototype serrated back plate thing, cleaned up? Cos he's lied about his suits, nothing else he says is credible anymore and would you want to let yourself believe him after that and for a few £100 more than anyone elses lid? Sadly, not his even his 'valid' and simple reasons as to why his new lids are slightly different tend to put you at rest. I'd like to believe him 100% but hey ho. Incidently, my lid was free, so I'm not defending him, nor my wounded wallet as it can get you into trouble Thing is, if you know where to look, all of the so called 2nd Gen lids can be ripped apart and flaws/differences found within minutes anyway. They don't quite match up either but no one subjects them to the same level of scrutiny. Their history is just accepted as a simple recast of an original. TE2, which maybe one of the answers you're after (?) has been cleaned up so much its too sharp now and doesn't match the original curves. Still a lovely lid, so each to their own. Simple TE maybe? I don't know about AA's 90s mould sale comment? Really? The swine! One thing to consider is you would lose more detail taking a cast from a thing floppy bit of plastic, than you would casting the actual mould itself TM is super close and not copied from anything other than his head PS: Nice snowie dude

Ha ha, I know where Jez got those notes from too Lucky sod So cool to see them like that. I don't know lads, and really I don't care if they were made up or already made, all I'm saying is, if you fancy something 80% of the way there, these offer a very simple pre made alternative. And a bit of google sniffing may even turn up a very close replica I think we should ask Mr Mollo next time we see him? Nice enough chap. Now a trouser hook and bar is what got me thinking they may have been, but most are too small and not thin enough. A woman in work told me the bit I'm after is actually called a 'footman loop' Google images, hit go and I got excited. But put it this way, if someone told me back in 76 to make 50 suits of these brackets when I could quite easily grab a handful of already made footman loops, I'd have told them to................

Cheers guys! Just a simpler alternative and a more accurate looking pre made bracket maybe out there Billy many thanks for the PM dude Have a look at my post on the UKG and let me know your thoughts on Dropbox skipper

Cheers Billy, seen those pics yes, but is there a suite of these LFL photos hidden away somewhere? Or aren't people sharing info anymore lol I'm just curious as to why they'd bother making these wire bracket things up when they already exist? Know what I mean? If you google footman loop you'll see there are loads of them, all shapes and sizes and thicknesses I agree mine is a little too 'fancy' and the ones in those pics are one line of wire, from the ones we can make out. The one I posted above more closely resembles the ones used on the snowtrooper chest plate actually,(for the back strap) I've been trying to find a close match and then found out what they're actually freeking called lol Now, if they used those on ESB TSs,why didn't they just make some more brackets as before? And why bother making them in the first place when they're a common 5p item? Very common on jeeps for some reason? Hand made wire brackets are fine yes, but those little footman looking buggers, could be from 'something' originally

Lol, just a little bit yeah but for something tat looks 'close' that will do the same job without the bendy hassle, they're not bad Snowtroopers had something very similar on the chest Anyone got a link to a the archive photos?

Lads, Forgive me if someone else has already posted this up but look at these ------- Search google for a thing call 'footman loops' There are loooooads of different shapes out there But these look close John

Ah ok cool I'm glad you put them on there lol as holes in plastic like that normally comes when the plastic hss been cold and then heated up. The heat doesn't spread evenly as the plastic contains water can cause those dimples naturally (if you're referring to the surface imperfections I mean?) This is a different 'effect' to orange peel which is when its got too hot Manufactures (or me lol) can create that effect at will if you ask Stunning lid. Very very nice work dude. Love the way your frown paint is matching up nicely Break in late at night and swap them over

I'll be knocking out some 3 bump hero ears in solid ABS and a latex hidden switch soon too Just need to pull my finger out I'll also be trying to knock up a 1 and 2 style ABS version of the 2 type plates soon also

It was my understanding that there's an unoffical blind eye being cast over armour makers who sell to those within the 501st, for 'non profit' No one does that as such, but if it's sold within the 501st, Uncle George loves what we do so turns a blind eye to us and where we get it from or where it's made. However, someone like SDS, sho used to advertise his suits in UK lads mags etc was selling his suits to anyone who had nothing to do with the 501st. Uncle George didn't like that. I'm pretty sure LFL could find out, if they don't already know who TM, RT etc are and then smack their bums. Buy a suit, pay and trace the payments using copyright protection laws or even underhand methods lol. Wise they don't advertise who they actually are, but SDS did. He was a registered CO paying taxes and fully traceable in minutes. As for recasting, I think it's a bad thing. Most armour out there is ironically a recast of SDS work back in the day, but I won't go into that one. Other suit makers somehow got hold of a suit and made moulds, or bought a copy of those moulds and off they go. They're not creative as such, may know how to flick a switch and suck with a vac former and cut out plastic, but that maybe where they're skills end. TE2 has been touched up and 'improved' but is too clean for my liking. Not original looking at all but obviously super close. Way too sharp but people like it cos it looks sharp. So some think it's great as it doesn't like a soft recaster work. It's wrong, but sharp. Other makers, TM for instance has made his from scratch with screen shots and a good eye. That deserves some respect You could argue even he is stealing LFLs designs by making a 95% close copy of the SDS screen made suits but should we bother? No, hat off to him. FX, for it's inacurracies is a fan made sculpt. Again, good effort Bottom line is recasting is a bad thing. Destroys the work of the original makers or owners of a screen used suit. That said, I'd get more morally offended by someone recasting TM than I would by someone racasting TE for example. Not sure why but I think more effort went into TM

I make ears with 3 and 4 bumps Need to touch up my 3 bump ones a little though

Beat me to it If you ever meed any 3D CAD drawings of an E11 to make uber accurate moulds, let me know Good luck sir

I'n on my 7th or 8th year now? Early 2003 is when I joined the UKG and then a few months later the 501st Lost my password on the 501st so had to rejoin lol Seen a lot in that time. Our club has grown from 20/30 people to almost 300 or so now With that has come a lot of extra knowledge and skills, but also a few other issues which I'm sure anyone here with a large membered garrison can sympathise with It's a great thing to be involved in and I'm honoured to tell my friends I'm part of a worldwide geekdom that loves all things Star Wars (except Jar Jar Binks) I joined when I changed jobs, suddenly had a large pay rise and lots of spare cash to play with lol (well, cash not used to spending anyway lol) I asked myself what are the few things I'd always wanted? Large tele, surround sound and a stormtrooper suit I then found the UKG and they then showed me the 501st. It's been great ever since. Great bunch of people and a great thing to do with people the world over. Makes me smile when I think there's a few chaps/lasses, I've never met who are on the other side of the world when I'm asleep probably doing the exactly the same thing as I was earlier today right now.... Cutting up plastic, smelling of glue and trying to stitch back on a finger all in the aid of Star Wars costumes

Hair drier for the win I used hot glue to set mine down to the chest plate. If I messed it up I could just use the hair drier and move them about a little

Nice dude Inside my stock I've those 2 little shapes. No one will ever see them but I know they're there

Ah good work dude. She must be cool if she likes a geek in plastic. Not many chicks understand. Mine does gladly Enjoy your perfect match sir

Uh? What the heck....!? I paid about £25 a pop for mine. I've learned if you ever tell anyone I want one of these cos they were used in the SW films, they suddently add a zero Try rswww.com maybe?

Yeah I purchased some of these a few years back. cool cos it's solid functioning unit made by the same company, but that eagle logo no longer lives on ther at all. Plus they're now plastic, not sure but I thought the original cases were metal....? But yeah, very cool to slap one on a blaster

If anyone's in a rush for one, I have mine for sale. Not the the one you made Steve, don't worry sir. I don't need 2 and Becky is shouting at me to clear the shelves!!! That's what shelves are for I said. Showing off props I don't have a final pic ATM but this is it just before I darkened the exposed silver any offers let me know by email [email protected] It's solid resin

Yeah the use of this bad boy has died a death sadly, but if a group of you get together and use them they're great Sven build it to be able to place a radio in your lid and the reed switch acts like a kind of push to talk PTT buton You need a radio with VOX build in though (we used to them at large events to talk to our spotters and things like that The Reed switch just bypasses your ROM FX output and sends it to the Radio and lights up the LED, not the ROM Quite clever but quite simple

I fell for it. Very good