crashmann

Does anyone have a screen capture or know when the white binders are seen? Charlie

Here's a couple of reference pictures: I'd say they are 2" to about 2 1/2" long I'd recommend mounting them to a plastic plate 2"x6" then mount that to your seed tray. Charlie

Hmm, it looks like the link to the picture isn't working, so here it is again: Charlie

From what I have read and seen in the movies, there was no new TIE pilot footage made during RotJ. When you see them running down the halls and flying in the ships, it is footage shot during the filming of ANH. I suspect they would mix in shots of stormtroopers running around the Death Star from ANH with new footage filmed during RotJ. Many of the cuts are only a few frames long - less than one second! Do you see any RotJ stormtrooper armor in the shots of the ANH armor? If yes, then we could definitely say they used ANH suits while filming RotJ. If not, then I believe it is old footage from ANH. Charlie

Hmm, that's a good question Rolf. Ultimately, the goal is to have the replica helmet look like the screen used prop, so I would think 3D scanning the helmet before taking it apart would be the best method to capture the ideal shape. Then print your mold based on that scan. The challenge is being able to scan it, then turn it into reality - there will always be areas that don't read well during the scanning process, especially the mic tip area. If you have scanned a paper document into the computer, you know some things just get goofed up - it's never a perfect copy. So you go in and clean it up to get it close to perfect. Only we would be able to see and debate the tiny details where the clean up occurred. I think the other method of taking apart the helmet, then casting into a mold would not be as accurate as a 3D scan. When originally vacuum formed, the plastic is a very close match to the original mold, but depending on the material, it will change shape slightly. The good thing is that once the helmet is assembled, that will encourage the plastic to stay in the ideal shape. However, when you take it apart to make the casting, the plastic will flare out again, and you will lose the original shape. I know many artists do not have access to a 3D scanning machine (including myself ), so they would go with the "take it apart and cast" method. Ultimately, the helmet that looks the best is one assembled by someone who has studied screen captures, compared the real helmets, has chosen the "one" helmet they are trying to replicate, then meticulously puts it together while comparing it to the reference material to make tiny adjustments. This is true regardless of which method was used to create the helmet molds. Charlie

Beautiful! You're making great progress, and I like the reinforcement on the inside of the box. Even if a Jawa jumps on your back, he's not going to be able to pull off any components Keep up the great work and sharing your pictures! Charlie

Wow, I've never really looked at the mic tip area and scrutinized it until you pointed them out Rolf. It is very obvious that some sharpening of the edges occurred on the DL helmet. Although the original was 3D scanned, there is no way to capture all of the detail in that area - there are just too many curves and undercuts. I would expect them to use the 3D scan as a starting point, then go in and "clean it up" in preparation for 3D printing. The mic tip area is one place where we can definitely see a lot of "optimization" occurred TrooperMaster knows his stuff when he says that HDPE and ABS are very different materials! From what I have read, HDPE wants to return to its original shape more than ABS. So even though Ainsworth may have used the same molds with HDPE and ABS, the finished parts are going to come out just a little different due to the nature of the material. Making a casting of the originals will also be difficult, because when you take apart the helmet, it's going to change the shape. When you pour in your casting resin, or silicone, or plaster - it's going to change the shape, usually resulting in a wider appearance as the sides flatten out. That is why it is important to only use the originals as the basis for comparison. Anything else is going to be just a slightly different. I have seen a picture of a two faced mold, and remember some controversy about whether or not it was for screen used helmets, or something else (can't seem to find that picture). If I had to punch out 56 helmets, I would definitely make a mold just like that! It's a waste of plastic and time to only pull one helmet mask per piece of plastic, so increase efficiency by butting two heads together. So, no concrete evidence, just conjecture on my part, but hopefully it's logical Charlie

I was at One Penn Plaza right next to Madison Square Garden. I was teaching a Cisco Networking class with a few students that actually worked in the World Trade Center. I remember it was a perfect morning - clear blue skies, cool weather, and I had a delicious fast food breakfast from Burger King. We were going to get the class started when someone noticed the first tower had smoke rolling out of it. No one saw the plane go in, but we saw the huge gaping hole with smoke billowing out. One of the students wondered how his data center was doing. Someone reported the building was hit by a plane - what kind of plane? A little Cessna? How could that be possible, it's a clear day? As the smoke got worse, everyone in the office was looking out the windows. There were a few helicopters hovering near the buildings, then I saw a two engine airliner approach the building. For an instant, I thought "that's strange, why would they send in a jet to have a closer look at the fire?" Then it smashed through the second tower. As the fireball erupted, one of the students yelled "they're attacking the towers!" Of course, after the first plane hit, they've got our attention. Now everybody is watching and the emergency crews are on the scene. Then they make a second strike. We continued to watch the scene unfold, and our building announced that we were not under evacuation at this time. I looked to the street below, and saw an open top tour bus going by - oblivious. My Sprint cell phone wasn't working, so I sent an e-mail to my wife telling her I was ok. The south tower fell and I started becoming concerned that we need to gather provisions - water, sandwiches, small snacks - who knows how long we'll be trapped in the city? Once the second tower fell, we decided to get the **** out of our building (it's 57 stories), and go back to our hotel rooms. When we got to the street, there were people streaming out of the subway stations. The sidewalks were jam packed with people with dust masks. Occasionally a Police car would go screaming down the street covered with dust and the windows blown out. There buses full of people being rushed to the hospitals. Many people were just in a daze, sitting on the curb. Others were gathered around cars listening to the radio reports. Even though we were 20 blocks north, there was dust floating in the air, irritating your throat. We stopped in a cafe for lunch and listened to the reports on TV - The Pentagon had been hit - A plane went down in a field in Pennsylvania - All air traffic has been grounded in the US - All bridges and trains have been stopped in Manhattan - Police are looking for truck bombs We went to Times Square and I was interviewed on channel 8. "Aren't you afraid this might be a potential target?" I replied, "What are you going to do? Live your life in fear? We're going to carry on and live our lives." On the way to the hotel, we bought water, snacks, and other provisions. One of the students had a BlackBerry (they were brand new at the time) and it was still able to send and receive messages. He was commuting from New Jersey but wasn't sure if he would be able to make it home, so I registered him in my room - this also made a record of where he was for his family. We dropped off our supplies in the room and just watched the TV reports come in. Later, we went walking towards downtown. The streets were fairly empty now. There were still emergency vehicles going down the roads, but otherwise, there was almost no traffic. We had dinner at a bar and talked to some local folks. We then went up to Times Square to see what was going on. Many people were grateful they happened to be late for work that day. The students in our class are alive because they were in training instead of at their jobs. Some folks were angry at having lost their co-workers and friends. My company was on the brink of going out of business. I never got my September paycheck. My wife and I got married in October, and while on vacation I got a call with good news and bad news - I was still employed, but half the company is not. By the end of October, the company shut it's doors and there was no hope of getting paid. Boy, talk about jumping right into that whole "for poorer" thing! Fortunately, we persevered and managed to survive. The best people from the old company got together and created a new, smaller, leaner company, without all of that management overhead. I was assigned to a contract that I have been working on the last 8 years, and it's rewarding work that I feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. Just like I said during that TV interview, we can't live our lives in fear. We must go on and show those bastards they can not shut us down! And on that note, I offer this video: http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1920944 Charlie

That looks really good, especially since you built it from scratch. I like the cutout in the back to accommodate the OIL rectangle on the backplate, plus the storage areas in each box - great thinking! I'm looking forward to seeing your next backpack, and I'm confident you will have no trouble assembling it Charlie

The weathering looks great! Not too overdone, but enough to see there is definitely dirt in the nooks and crannies. What technique and material are you using? Charlie

Wow, beautiful work Andy, and thank you very much for sharing it with MEPD! You rock! Charlie

I'm sure you could make binders from scratch with some 3" PVC tube Cut two pieces to a 1" width Split them in half to make two semicircles Add a 1" wide hinge on one end of the split Cut pieces of 1/4" thick wood into rectangles 1" x 3/4" and glue around the outside of the tube - leave space around the hinge so they can open - you may want to scallop the inside to match the curve of the PVC pipe - you might split one of the rectangles to mount magnets to hold the cuffs closed Line the inside with 1" foam weatherstripping Connect the two cuffs together with 1/4" eye hooks Tada! Or just watch this YouTube video: Where's that hardware store? I'm going build a set for the missus! Charlie

Yes, you mount the sto-n-go container to your seed tray with the cover attached. I would run 4 screws through the lid with a couple of washers to act as spacers between the lid and the seed tray. Even TD-252 Rolf has the lid on the Tupperware container, and if Rolf does it, you know it's canon! I hope this answers you question Charlie

Can you buy the E-11's in the toy store? If so, then the cops need to confiscate all of those "weapons" as well. Someone should tip them off. The law enforcement are clearly abusing their power and interpreting the literal letter of the law by confiscating the weapons from the stormtroopers during a children's charity troop. Especially if they were observing the stormtroopers for an hour before moving in. During that one hour period, they would have clearly seen no intent to behave violently. Furthermore, who could get away in stormtrooper armor? I guess they don't understand how difficult it is to run or jump in a car to flee the scene of a crime. What a bunch of retards. Why don't they go bust some crackheads instead of ruining a charitable event? Charlie

Welcome to the sandbox Shane! I suspect you've got some nice backpack parts as well Charlie

Amazing! Even if it doesn't move, it is an incredible replica! You have an amazing eye for detail, and ninja modeling skills Keep up the great work! Charlie

Wow, those trays you found are very close. They even have the dimples in the corners! If only they were twice as wide... Where did you find them, and what kind of trays are they? Charlie

Hola Alfredo! Send me a private message with your e-mail address, and I'll send you information about the Sandtrooper Backpack Kit that I offer. Thanks! Charlie

I would strongly recommend staying away from hot glue, especially for connections that will bear a load. You'll want to use clamps and some kind of this sticky glue like E6000, Shoo-Goo, Zap-A-Dap-A-Goo, etc... Here's an example from Scootch's backpack buildup. This is just nylon to nylon, but the same technique applies for nylon to ABS ABS cement is for ABS to ABS bonding. Anything else you put it on will just turn into a slimy mess! Charlie

You should be able to make the pipe on the left with some parts from a hardware store. I recommend: A vacuum cleaner extension tube - or - 12" length of 5/8" inner diameter high pressure washer hose 14" length of 1/2" PVC pipe and 2 hose clamps 2 zip ties Here's a bunch of reference pictures I hope this helps! Charlie

Another fantastic buildup Rolf! Your weathering technique is perfect, just like how the backpack would have aged in the field - getting covered with sand and dirt, then getting wiped off when you get back to the barracks and clean it up. Great job! Charlie

Wow, that's incredible work! You even got the multiple layers on the panels around the speakers, and the dots in the corners. Bellissimo! Charlie

Oola esta muy bonita! The lady in the white shirt is checking out Oola's butt! Charlie

Looks great to me Eike. And that backpack is **** sexy! Charlie

I'm sorry to hear you got burned on the deal. But, you are taking the best course of action. The law is on your side, and hopefully, law enforcement will stop him from ripping off more people. This is why in the R2 Builders Group, sellers can NOT ask for money until the parts are ready to ship. I follow the same policy. Charlie