whitecommando

Umm, yeah it is. When the 1536 approves... basically... you no longer suck! I can't wait until he says... "John, you are no longer a sucky, fat TD... I am proud of you!" That moment will be a happy time for me! HAHAHA! No, it's not like that at all... I like to see people make the extra effort, go the extra step to make it look like the real thing as best they can. I have an appreciation for people who work hard and take pride in their work and have attention to detail.

You have been complimented by the God of All TDs! Great work!!! And thus, you have been complimented by me, the newB regular TD guy!

I assembled mine in 2 weekends. I tweaked over a couple of days here and there, and made a sandy. I got the FX lite and I got an RT-Mod after a couple of months. Plus, I have lost a few pounds (probably sweating my *** off in armor!) HAHAHA! Here are pics: First Troop... Labor Day... A week ago... Last Friday... I have had fun in this suit. Get One! John

Gout Attack From ****!!!!!!! I was sore from party-trooping last Friday! Stairs seem to be a problem. Plus, I am wearing the cheapy costume boots I got off ebay for $30. Here are pics of me and my Republic Commando friend... we put the suit together Thursday night for a Friday party... it was just dusty pieces in a box Thursday morning. See how cross I look? IT'S THE BOOTS!!!

Bakelite is a material that appears to oxidize over time. I have a friend who has one and he says it is almost black BUT there is a reddish hue. I may ask him to file a tiny spot to see if it is red underneath the dark color. It may be tinted with pigment as well. The AK-47 uses a wood stock whereas the AK-74 appears to be bakelite. These guns are post 1974, therefore the change in color seems to be less profound. On mine, I went for a dark reddish-brown. I used rust primer for a full base coat, then misted with Krylon satin black to darken, then clear coated gloss. Since the primer was misted and not fully painted, I got a result that came our interesting AND in my opinion... close to what a moderately aged bakelite stock would look like (say... similar to an MG-34 circa 1976 would still have some red tone). Here is mine... I like a bit of color wince I am a WPT. Brak, thanks for your tips and advice. You, Mike H., Seth and Paul helped me to get to this point in a relatively quick time. This was my Summer of 2007 project. Lots of fun!

I am selling my MG-34, so check the For Sale Section...

Interesting how European countries used these weapons, especially the 42, for years upon years. But it was what it was... a machine gun that sounded like a grinder and not a ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta sound. It was an amazing machine, truly ahead of its time... look at the M-60 Machine gun... you can see the German heritage in it as well. Anyway, the 42... A beautiful instrument for killing. That is what weapons are made to do. Why does the U.S. have 12,000 nukes? To kill our enemies... whoever choose to attack us. Fortunately, the Germans were slow to build and replace... AND, the had an army to their west (the U.S., British, vici-French) 10 times the size of their army, and an army to the east (the very angry Russians) more than 10 times the size of their army. So, Germany has the whole world's might coming to their homeland through the fault of a a maniac man, and a small kernal of power in his NAZI party, where the majority of the German people would never have wished to experience the leveling of their cities, the sacrifice of nearly all of her sons, and the decades it took to overcome this war... and the humiliation.

Thanks guys! He was a nice guy. If you are dressed as a TD, and he isn't too busy, he will make time to visit. We had a nice chat. I gave him that E-11 as a gift! That is why he was armed. Seth, I appreciate the compliments! I did the crushed charcoal tips... though I more hand smudged it in with a brush, then blotted it off. I may add yet one more fine layer of light sand-colored grime with a touch of smokey polluted air dust. Here is my new 501st page... http://www.501st.com/members/displaymem ... ostumeid=2 I guess they think I am good enough... now I have to get Seth, Mike and Paul to think I am good enough! Later Brothers, John

Thanks Mike. For fun, I did a little bit of research on this German plane... the Soviets officially denied the schematics and wind-tunnel models influenced the design of their impressive fighter, the MiG-15... but it is clearly obvious, and I found articles stating that a Mikoyan-Gurevich prototype (copy) flew in 1947. How did the Russians, and Mikoyan-Gurevich, go from the Mig-9 (their last fighter of WW2 AND a mediocre airplane at best), to a high-quality, near super-sonic jet fighter? I guess the same way we did... we took German tactics and engineering, and folded into our military doctrine and military industry. Here is a cool quote (found here - http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-BN8GTLI8 ... cq=1&p=700) ... Again, it should be emphasized that both of these startlingly new, early jet turbine powered fighters directly owe their existence to Focke-Wulf’s Hans Multhopp developed Ta-183 design. Although the MiG-15 had an edge in climb rate and high-altitude performance, the Sabre had better overall maneuverability and low-speed performance. At about 80% of the weight of a Sabre, the MiG was lighter and carried slow firing, but powerful cannon, instead of multiple, high rate machine guns of lower caliber (like the Sabre), but it is hard to overlook the fact that both of these Korean War antagonists were the direct and indisputable result of the same German pioneering jet research carried out during the Second World War. Moreover, despite a few dissimilarities, both aircraft were remarkably comparable in terms of capability. Two advantages that the F-86 had over the MiG were 1) that its pilots had much better and more thorough training than their Korean adversaries, and 2) a moveable plane horizontal stabiliser. In this last specific, the MiG-15 was designed with a fixed mid-tail horizontal stabiliser that used conventional control surfaces, whereas the F-86 (later models) benefited substantially from the enhanced control enabled by the ‘all-moving’ horizontal tail concept. The Germans were good at making stuff. They did over-engineer many weapons, hence more parts, and more time to make and repair. One more interesting German/Russian/Star Wars triangle... The STG-44 assault rifle, made by Germans and quite effective at killing... Well, the dude that designs it gets captured in 1945 and then is "relocated" and chained to a desk at the Kalishnikov Design Bureau in Moscow... Kalishnikov, and his team say... "Now, you make gun for Soviet Army, like this." Eighteen months later, the Russians have an assualt rifle, perhaps the best ever made (and most ever made)... the AK-47. Look, the STG-44 ends up in the hands of the good guys in Star Wars. Comparison pics... This afternoon's lesson is over. Later Brothers, John Thank you, sir. Spot on lesson, too. I'm in no way a war monger, but am equally interested in war history and military equipment, have been since I was a kid. I don't get the Military Channel, but always watch the WWII stuff on the History Channel.

It is an iconic weapon... unfortunately, in a terrible way. Depending on how it was fed ammunition (belt or drum), the volume of fire could reach 900 rounds per minute. The MG-42 could exceed 1,000. It was probably the infantry weapon that caused the most allied casualties from the beginning of the war, to its end. It is also a weapon that was given to an army that was made up of a portion of NAZIs, but a greater portion of patriots and cosncripts. Not trying to say the Geramn army was a bunch of great guys... they did atrocious things. That being said, all armies generally have a rule of subjugation, pillage, destruction and reformation of placated/conquered subjects to their way of life. The good thing about the German Military Industry, after the fact, was the capture and integration of their technology (as well as their military doctrine - General Norman Scwartzkopf used Field Marshall Irwin Rommel's tactics, to a tee, in Operation Desert Storm), anyway, back to topic... rockets, tanks, and infantry weapons. Worth mentioning, the capture of partially completed working protytpes (unfortunately as well by the Russians) which were reversed engineered, and led to the F-86 Sabre, and the MiG-15... note, they are almost exactly the same plane as this... It was the Focke-Wulf Ta-183 Huckebein. It would have been in the skies by 1946. The F-86 and MiG-15 are this plane... if you do not believe it, then, well, you are wrong! Anyway, Star Wars is about war. Lucas used weapons that are imposing. Laser swords are Samurai swords... no telling the numbers that died by the sword during Japanese feudalism. Still, it is what it is... a weapon made to kill, and kill well. Same goes for the MG-34 (and 42). Don't over think it, or feel guitly. Put some T-track on the barrel and make laser sounds when you point it at people. John's History Lesson has concluded.

How is my weathering? Good contrast on how it shows outside versus inside. Pretty dirty inside and looks really a lot cleaner outside. Oops, cord malfunction! The official decommissioning of my old FX... It was turned into my bosses Birthday Present. He loved it! Almost there... almost there. Later Brothers AND thanks for the tips and encouragement! John

Thanks! I know I look really, really "Special Edition" but these are kinks I can work out... as well as getting a smaller waistline... must... try... to... become... better! I will be chopping the ab-plate and getting RT-Mod bells. I seem to have cord control issues!

Pics to view... Must... get... control... of... my PA cords!!!! This old FX was signed for my boss as a birthday present. He always admired it, and it seemed like a cool gift since he digs Star Wars a lot. It is now way better with an autograph!

I trooped yesterday and wore my full-throttle TD suit. RT-Mod (with 2 blower fans - though less room for "stuff"), Seth's additional tips on weathering, Daetrins backpack, my Big CUSHMAN!!!! and I felt really good about the suit. Tons os compliments, tons of pics. Then I met Anthony Forrest. He was the only guy I got an autograph from. I told him this, and he seemed really surprised and flattered. So he let down that guarded demeanor that a lot of the "stars" maintain. We got into a nice talk. I said "I have met all these guys before." Dave Prowse – sadly looking frail with a cane-crutch, Jeremy Bulloch, Amy Irving – she is looking a little skinny, as if she may "have a problem type" of skinny - and Peter Mayhew - though we spoke for a couple of minutes outside while he was having a smoke). So Anthony and I spoke for 15 minutes, he was not busy, and he gave me his e-mail to send the pictures of he and I together taken by a friend. He then asked me "what do you do"... I said I am in advertising. And he said he would like to see his web site updated. Asked me if I could help. I said I am a desiger, I do print, I design web sites and I am an ACE in Photoshop. ACE - Adobe Certified Expert... So the answer was... Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, YEAH! This is the dude that has the sweetest trooper line in any Star Wars movie asking me to contact him for help! I will tell you how it pans out. He was just a really cool dude! Whacky Stuff! Later Brothers, John

Thanks! Which color charcoal do I need??? I am going to Michael's in 20 minutes. And I will be painting the pin stripes away. What paint will not melt the decal? Please get back to me quick since I am leaving very soon. Thanks Guys!!! John

Was I on my "Man-Rag" like exactly 30 days ago? I better go get that checked out!

Hey, that is from the movie Aliens! No, wait, Ghostbusters 4... where they had to hunt and capture the ghost of the Predator from the first Predator film... they had to have camo in the jungle.

I was wondering the same thing. Who did you order from? If Cushman, I can check with him... if he is back-logged, I have a stash of them and could send one out to you. Was it kit-form or finished? Let Sci-Fire and me know. Cushman?

I see improvement. This is the first I have heard from John in months. I did not mean to "ouch" you... People, I have learned over the last several months have issues with Cushman using styrene (that will not change, but the pull method has, resulting in way better AND tighter pulls)... but he is an excellent fulfiller of orders, and he guarantees his work, and his stuff is very, very inexpensive. Sci-Fire makes, in the collective opinion of most people in the forums, the hands-down, best trooping weapon available... but has been somewhat plagued by delivery issues... as asmitted by John above. That being said, we should point out the facts to encourage improvements where we can, and not use them as fodder for fighting. John, I appreciate the e-mail last night AND the offer of a Hyperfirm... as a "chill-pill" gesture. So, peace out. Game over. No crying in Baseball... and raise a few for peaceful arming of the masses... be it Poly-Styrene or be it Hyper-Firm Rubber. Remember, at the heart of all this... these are just... toys. John

What do you want to do for US to stop looking like *** holes? Do we keep trying to convince the population here you are better than us, and we convince the population you have delivery and pricing issues? What? I asked you if we could put this aside.

OK, I will try to be pleasant here. Nathan, what if I asked the mods on MEPD, TDH, FISD, and clonetroopers to create a mirror thread for a Sci-Fire Blaster Review. A topic where they could objectively mention real order dates, real delivery times, the amount of PMs required to get orders fulfilled and so on? I mean, this topic we are currently conversing in begs the question... how bad is a Cushman? --> Cushman Review? By a Sci-Fire Guy who works in a pro-grade hollywood studio with rapid prototyping equipment and 3D scanners and industrial-quality machine tools? http://www.mepd.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1043 and it was asked by you, a Sci-Fire representative. Why is an established prop vendor starting a thread to review a peer/competitor's work? The fact that you have asked for a polite review of your competition is nice and all, but Nathan, you are doing 100% damage control lately on behalf of John, and other bad representatives - like the guy that ripped off wannabe on ebay - however, at the time, he was working for the Sci-Fire organization... Sci-Fire delivered a weapon 4-6 months after money changed hands, Am I not telling the truth? Yes, you mentioned keep it polite and positive. But, you have Bongo throwing Cushman under the bus in a sticky at the top of this section of the forum. I think this "Cushman Review" thread and Bongo's sticky should be evaluated if they add value... or create controversy. Wannabe ordered a HF weapon in April, and made a scathing thread about your organization and the founder of this forum had to step in and get you involved in damage control. Nathan, I really want to stop this. If you wish to perpetuate it, so be it. But I think we should let it pass and be a little forgiving. I never said you sucked, and I do not say how great Cushman is. They are different. I will re-quote... "I mentioned to Seth that 99% of the population that encounters troopers carrying either a Hyperfirm or styrene MG-34 will say... Wow, cool trooper with a fake plastic/rubber ray gun in white plastic armor! That is pretty much the truth." If people say your guns look real... great. I have heard the same. Big deal. We are still carrying fake ray guns... yours is rubber, Cushman's is Poly-Styrene. It is silly if it is debated any further. Lastly, I will put up the comparison image for people to review - this could go to the top of the sticky if you like... If anything mentioned is not accurate, let me know... I will revise. I stand by Cushman, I think it is good. You stand by yours, and feel the same pride. Nathan, please let's move beyond this. I have been told by many people that we collectively (you and me, as well as guys chiming/ranting in) appear to be quibbling assholes. The people around us are probably really, really tired of it. I am. Regards (and peace), John If you'll notice in the very first post of this thread; I tried to keep it civil & did not bash in any way. Actually, most people we encounter,ask if the Hyper-firms are real weapons. uh.... yeah. And perhaps not posting about "how much we suck & how great you are" on every thread we start on this forum (and other forums that we don't post on) might help as well. http://whitearmor.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=1742 http://whitearmor.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=1131

Could this be made into a sticky? Aslso, it would be more objective to not have the sticky authored by anyone from Sci-Fire nor anyone representing Cushman... though, we would be able to post in this section (and hopefully with respect)... and maintain a level of courtesy and decorum. I am sure people here are tired of seeing the heated exchanges. I will offer an olive branch to Sci-Fire... A Cushman is an inexpensive trooping weapon and a Sci-Fire is a high-quality collectors show piece. I mentioned to Seth that 99% of the population that encounters troopers carrying either a Hyperfirm or styrene MG-34 will say... Wow, cool trooper with a fake plastic/rubber ray gun in white plastic armor! That is pretty much the truth. Perhaps a moderator could start it and pin it at the top. Also, please not linked in any way to the "definitive MG-34 Resource" sticky since it is Bongo's biased diatribe against Cushman... and lacks objectivity. Then, people could post (members, sci-fire guys, Cushman guys) their experiences, and the pros and cons of each of the weapons... as well as the customer service. Perhaps it would improve the quality of the respective weapons, boost sales for both, and make it seem that MEPD prop providers are made of a group of people that are truly trying to improve the craft across the board. Sound fair? Mods, chime in. John

Well, it was weird, but I got this brand-spankin-new RT-Mod yesterday and piled on some dirt... And I weathered it up to match my armor as well as possible. Let me know your thoughts. Throw me under the bus... I prefer blunt honesty. I am not afraid of Truth... Justice... and the MEPD Way! Mike, tell me to get less fat... maybe I will listen to you... since I want to be like you. And the great news... IT FITS MY GIANT HEAD!!!!! I told Rob to bore my hole out real nice. Later Brothers, John

Yep, I am down. Oh well, there is no crying in baseball!

I am pretty new here, but I have been watching your progress, and I have grappled with what level to weather myself. I have liked the smoky overtone of your armor, with the undertone of the reddish-sandy colors. Now you armor has what appears to be two, moderate-to-subtle layers of sand, then grime, then sand, then grime... and I like it a lot. The interesting thing is when we weather - depending on the method - it takes away a little bit of what we have done prior, while adding more elsewhere on the suit... adding depth and "age" to the armor. For mine... I did a light spot weathering on my first attempt, (then I got the PMs of ridicule - NOT DIRTY ENOUGH JOHN!!!) so, then I applied a more gratuitous weathering overall. I used Brak's tutorial (partly)... Then I applied a mixture of brown and black acrylic in a bottle with wiper fluid, and a blotting towel. I misted each piece - one at a time - then spot blotted (3 or 4 times over about 45 minutes). Mainly to get rid of spray spots and puddles. This undid half of what I had blotted in the second stage, but added 15-20% overall dusty grime. Thirdly, I then brushed little spots of brown, grey, and black acrylic, then took a rag (wet with the wiper fluid AND some actual red-clay dirt from my flower bed, and lightly daubed - and did Seth's 3/4 twist-daub) on the small areas. Then misted one more time for fun. Let dry... Then I took a clean paper towel and buffed the leading edges on ridges, on the teet lines, and other raised areas. This is where I got... I expect an RT-Mod very soon (I hope) and apply the same method. I did not mean to hi-jack your thread, but your style of weathering appeals to what I am tring to achieve. I hope to troop with you when you get a chance to get Stateside. Your suit is beautiful! John