Daetrin

Dang! How didja get yours before Kav & I got ours? Guess someone has an angle with the GT XO... Congrats Brian! I hope you're taking some pix as you finish that Lewis - I'm sure it will be a piece of art!

Yup. There really isn't much holding it on, but four hours of straight trooping and it's never moved. Hard to believe, really...

I have one of ArsonSmith's vac formed ones and just velcroed it on (I lost hte little mount piece). I've trooped with it twice that way and it's never moved at all. Personally I like the velcro in that I don't have to worry about it breaking off when I pack/unpack, but the other two sandys I troop with screwed theirs on and have had no problems that I'm aware of.

Sweet - thanks for the head's up! I guess it's time for me to start hitting the moisture farmers up for protection money again. Oops, did I just say that?

Ugh, I too suffer from the pauldron sliding forward. It seems to only affect certain people. Perhaps our packs are pushing them forward? As said, any advice would be great!

Shouldn't a pauldron be added to the requirements? Or is it correct to leave it off the list?

I think it's a good start. Every trooper's backpack is unique. I'd start by looking over the past backpack threads as well to get ideas about what people did. In the end much comes down to personal choice and how much time/money you have.

Awesome! Noticed the other two firearms - are you going to mold/sell these as well? Will you be selling them raw or finished?

While great news for Matt, sad news for us who anticipated on the list. I hope that the new owner does Matt justice in terms of quality/service.

Me too.

Sorry about saying she was a boy - but hey if we didn't dress my little on in pink they'd think she was a boy too. Great to see the wife into costuming too - am trying to get mine in a pilot's outfit too.

That is the greatest picture ever - brings a tear to this daddy's heart. How old is your boy? My daughter is 1 - not quite ready yet... How young can you do this in general? Saw a jedi with a mini-me last month (also a girl) and was very jealous that my wife can't sew.

I've read and posted on both boards, and it seems to me the single biggest issue revolves around dirt/no dirt. It seems to me that if dirt were made a 501st TD requirement than most of the ruckus would go away, regardless of what else is required in terms of mods. I think if making dirt required were the only change, that would be enough. As pointed out many times, tempura is easily removed. I suspect that the biggest objections to dirt are raised only by those who have never tried it, and it's the fear of the unknown that is scaring them away for allowing it to be approved.

That's more than great. That's art right there. I've never seen a helmet look that perfect.

Super duper! First the TD, next MEPD. "It's good to be official"

I'm sticking to my arguments posted earlier in support of them not being rank related. Aside from a single, inconclusive line in SW there is more and more compelling evidence to them being speciality related than rank related. And if the first theory, article, book, whatever that came out after the trilogy was releated had indicated this (speciality related), everyone would be on that bandwagon. I feel no obligation to follow the 501st rules on this when in this particular case I have a strong conviction they are arbitrary and not based in any strong evidence. I can't recall seeing anything prior to 1983, let alone 1978 that says conclusively that they're rank related. And I don't recall this ever being firmly establed until well into the '90s(?) when people felt a need to pin this down and explain every minutia about the SW univerise. I'd be very interested to see any documentation that proves this one way or the other during the initial release of the film, and also - if anyone knows - when what they meant was first established in print. OK, I'm a thorn on this issue, but I can't abide going along with an idea w/o good reasons to back it up.

Does that make it a BB gun? LOL - sorry couldn't resist. In the end, I'm for whatever people get the most enjoyment from...

OK, I'll dissent. Soldiers have been giving their weapons & equipment slang terms since there have been soldiers. Do you call it a P-47 or a Thunderbolt? I have no idea what the official model numbers for the humvee or deuce and a half are. I think a good part is that it's just easier to say "Lewis" (2 syllables) than "T-21" (three syllables). Perhaps more importantly, Lewis just sounds cool, and Sterling doesn't. If you were so inclined you could make the case that in the SW universe the nickname for a T-21 is a Lewis Gun, and for an EF-11 it is a Sterling. Who is to say? A lot designations came out only after the movies were made, so I guess I don't feel too inclined to stick with them overly much. "Man, awesome Lewis!" "Man, awesome T-21" Which would you rather have people say to you?

Here, here!! When you destroy the challenge you destroy the accomplishment. The requirements are purposely high to make it hard, to ensure that one has to put forth effort to achieve the distinction of being able to say they are MEPD and not just 501st sandy. Else any boob can just order a few parts and presto! Where is the exclusivity or any sense of accomplishment in that? And as also stated, we're supposed to be setting the bar for quality. Easing the requiments defeats the purpose of our charter. I've been working to get MEPD for over 6 months, but even if it took a year, what does it matter? I want to be MEPD because it's the best, else there's not much purpose of joining is there? Elite units that are easy to join by definition aren't really elite, are they? BTW, I agree that trooping for hours with the pack is a pain point, and agree that being MEPD/sandy doesn't mean that you have to be 100% all the time. But it does mean that you've hit that level, and can. Sorry for the rant, but people clamoring for lower standards really is a sore point for me, not just in SW, but in many parts of American life.

Outstanding - which technique did you use?

Beautiful! Congratuations on two new beautiful, healthy children. I hope Mom & Dad are doing well. Blessings to you and yours, Paul

PM sent for one suit. Every ending gives birth to a beginning. My fortune smile upon your new adventures!

I think it looks friggin awesome as-is. Can't wait to see how the rest of it turns out.

I think it depends on the weather pattern you want. Having the splotch on the helmet peak and nose bridge gives it a more "I just got blasted recently" which can look better than the "I've just been ignoring my armor" look. What kind of look are you going for?

Yup, we're a crack detachment. In that once you start your MEPD journey it's like crack - you'll become addicted to eventually achieving as accurate set of kit that you care to make. Even if you stick with FX armor all the way, you'll stay up late modding it to make it look as accurate as FX armor can get. Your pack will never truly be finished. You'll start thinking about how to sell possessions to buy that collectable sandy figure if for no other reason that to use it as a reference. You'll start thinking of hardware as items that can fire energy projecticles in rapid succession instead of trips to Home Depot. And you'll come to realize that this is one of the coolest group of hard armor enthusiasts in the galaxy. Welcome! To your addiction...