crashmann

Hah-hah, I agree with you! But imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. I'm going to have to get one of the figures Thanks for posting the pictures! Charlie

Very nice! You're almost there! Charlie

Monday night we molded the radio faceplate and knobs in silicone First we created the mold box for the faceplate: Then mixed, degassed, and poured the silicone. You can see the bubbles rising up from the center of the speaker grill We mounted the knobs and glued some familiar cylinders around them (can you figure out what they are?) and poured the silicone The following night, I extracted the mold from the faceplate box, and it came out beautiful! The knobs look great too! Now to cast the resin I forgot the resin I was using cured clear It came out beautiful, and very nicely detailed! Gigantic pictures available in the album here: http://tk386.com/zenix_sonix_radio I've got Smooth-On Task 2 resin on the way, and will continue to refine the casting process. Once I've got a bunch on hand, in about two weeks, I'll post a for sale Zenix Sonix Radio thread under the Project Orders forum. Yes, I will offer multiple options: Full kit - faceplate, knobs, switches, and box Just the faceplate and knobs Just the faceplate Just the knobs No need to post an "I want one!" message here. I'll see you in the Project Order forum Thank you very much for your patience during this whole project! Charlie

Only $10.49 per can from Amazon.com today: http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-241252-Satin-Enamels-12-Ounce/dp/B0010OMHMY USPS gets bent out of shape if you try to mail aerosol cans through their system, otherwise, I'd buy them up from the Home Depot here and forward them to all of MEPD. But, if you buy a can or two of the paint from Amazon, and a Star Wars book, you qualify for free shipping Charlie

Excellent work Mr. Bojangles! Adding the extra layer of detail with the little holes in the corners really makes the faceplate pop out. Very cool! Charlie

You might check out this page. It's amazing what you can do with a little PVC and some couplers http://www.djsyczylo.net/replicas/StarWars.../ewebcannon.htm Charlie

The faceplate is almost exactly the same size as the existing vacuum formed version that I have been selling. Just slightly different by a millimeter or two. The goal is to allow troopers to swap out the faceplate without having to build a new box to go underneath. Of course, we'll have to see how the castings turn out to determine whether or not it actually works Charlie

My plan is to make a few castings to ensure we maintain the high quality that Sandtroopers demand and deserve Once I've figured out how much resin and labor go into making the new radio, then I can determine an appropriate and fair price for the kit. I will cast at least 10 radios to have on hand, then announce the availability in a separate thread around the middle of March. So hang in there troops - Almost there... Charlie

Congratulation Cow Trooper! I can't think of a finer individual to lead this rag tag bunch of misfits! A heartfelt thanks and salute to Mike for all of his work serving as detachment leader over the years. You've been an inspiration to all of the troops! Charlie

I always thought it was silver, but you've got a great eye for finding the details! The next question is the shape of the mounting bracket. Does it have a 90° bend at the corners, or is it a gentle arc like in the picture below? Thoughts? Charlie

TD-1536: [atop wall] Halt! Who goes there? TK-236: It is I, TK-236, son of Commander Cody, from the castle of Mos Eisley, king of the Tusken Raiders, defeator of the Jawas, sovereign of all Tatooine! TD-1536: Pull the other one! TK-236: I am. And this my trusty servant Davin Felth. We have ridden the length and breadth of the land in search of troopers who will join me in my court of Mos Eisley. I must speak with your lord and master. TD-1536: What, ridden on a dewback? TK-236: Yes! TD-1536: You’re using faucet covers! TK-236: What? TD-1536: You’ve got two empty faucet covers and you’re bangin’ ’em together. TK-236: So? We have ridden since the sands of summer covered this land, through Mos Vespa, through— TD-1536: Where’d you get the faucet covers? TK-236: We found them. TD-1536: Found them? In Mos Vespa? The faucet cover’s tropical! TK-236: What do you mean? TD-1536: Well, this is a temperate zone. TK-236: The swallow may fly south with the sun or the house martin or the plumber may seek warmer climes in winter, yet these are not strangers to our land. TD-1536: Are you suggesting faucet covers migrate? TK-236: Not at all, they could be carried. TD-1536: What? A swallow carrying a faucet cover? TK-236: It could grip it by the pull string! TD-1536: It’s not a question of where i’ grips it! It’s a simple question of weight ratios! A five ounce bird could not carry a one pound faucet cover...

I might have a couple on hand that I can ship out - if only Mata Nui would let me near them! Send me an e-mail with your shipping address and I'll let you know how much it would be Charlie

Good question Peter! Since we are "optimizing the backpack assembly, I recommend having the untrimmed lip on the outside of the backpack and mounting your components onto it, like this: The tray with the trimmed edge will be mounted to the backpack frame, on the inside of your pack, closest to your back. Charlie

Wow, that is some great work Joey! I love it when a pack comes together! Charlie

Hi Joey! I just sent you a personal message with all of the details for the complete Sandtrooper Backpack Kit. My MEPD mailbox is about to go Alderaan, so if anyone else is interested in a kit, some of the components, or the vac formed parts, please send an e-mail to: Thanks! Charlie

Wow, that's beautiful, plus you have a working shoulder stock, very impressive! Charlie

Chris has graciously allowed me to share the template with all of the Sandtroopers here: http://tk386.com/remotepix/sandtrooper/T21...ck_Template.pdf Here's what Chris had to say about the template: "The stock is only 32 inches long on my template, but I was going by TK-409's plans, where PVC pipe would be slid over and screwed to the end of the stock, making up the rest of the length, check out his tutorial to see what I mean at http://www.tk409.com " Chris, TK-409 also recommends this thread: http://p075.ezboard.com/Need-Blueprints-fo...opicID=30.topic Enjoy! Charlie

Very nice work! It does look a bit more orange than most weathering posted here, perhaps lightly add some dark brown? Also, get some dirt in the ribs of the forearms. I like your work on the helmet. You've got the grit in the crevices like it's been wiped off between missions. Try to apply the same technique to your legs. You're off to a great start and I'm looking forward to seeing your backpack! Charlie

There was a tutorial around here somewhere with that info... http://forum.mepd.net/index.php?showtopic=...40&start=40 - Post 45, 1/4 the way down the page Remove the plunger from inside the lid Drill a hole in the tube about 2" from the bottom Insert a 1 1/2" long screw with a large plastic washer through the hole from the inside the tube Drill a hole for the screw through the center of the flexible part of the pitcher lid Paint the hard part of the lid black Mount the flexible part on the top (without the plunger) and push it onto the screw Secure it with an acorn nut and some threadlock Tada! Charlie

Whoo-hoo! I am glad to hear everything arrived safe and sound! The aluminum mortar tube looks very fancy, plus real metal boxes? Wow, very nice! I'm looking forward to seeing your buildup! Charlie

The knobs look great, but I think you need to add some blue light behind them... Charlie

That looks great! You've got the weathering and wear marks in all the right places. Nice work! Charlie

I've got this little tiny version that someone made: Of course, most of the radios were completely painted black, so in a "movie accurate" radio, you'd never see the sticker Charlie

Wow, that's some beautiful work! One of these days I'm going to have to build a Lewis Gun for myself. I poked around your photo album, and you've done great work on the radio, backpack, E11 blaster, and armor. Very impressive! Charlie

I thought you were talking about the shutoff valve that is tied to the float: Charlie