Stomper

I just trooped in mine last Sunday, August 13th and we raised $140 for a local children's hospital in the process. We wrapped up the donations in red tissue paper and let the donor drop it into "Vader's Saber" to help "ignite" it for the hospital, here's a picture of me and a TK guarding the saber I built for the event: Here's some photos of me doing various things. Playing a guitar or what?!

Ranting threads like this bore me to friggin' tears and now I'm ******... If people wanna blather on about their "pedigee" then lets have at it, "HEROS"! I'm 39, I'm an 8yr. Army Infantry Veteran, I served '85-'93, the last 3yrs. of that as a Drill Sgt... the normal tour is 2yrs. I know that I'm getting old because I see some of the operations I was apart of on the HISTORY CHANNEL now... OMG! Once upon a time, in a place (down South) that is STILL classified, my Platoon had to take on a much larger "enemy element" and we won... BIG. I was an M-60 machine gunner in those days and I was always pretty damned good with a knife as well... I DO have a REAL body count. I took some RPG schrapnel accross the nose and left temple for my efforts... (I'm still pretty). Although I'm FIERCELY PROUD of my military service, I almost NEVER talk about the details of my military service (in fact, this is the most I've shared in YEARS) other than "I served"... not even to my wife. I volunteered because it was a needful thing that needed doing, it's MY burden to carry... none of you have a need to know. My point in stating all this you ask? Every single STUDLY snake-eater I know/knew didn't feel the need to beat their chest about their service. My experience is those who BELLOW on in that GODDAMNED "I'm a knuckle-dragging grunt HEAR ME, WORSHIP ME" were REMF's full of bravado, or posers with big ego's and hot air because they're dissatisfied with how they're lives turned out. I'm as hard-core and crotchety of an SOB as you could hope to EVER muster, but I'm not an obnoxious ***** about it either. Spouting "this and that" has utterly FAILED to impress anyone with said declarations. REALITY CHECK: This is a hobby (NOT a flippn' "old line soldier/vet detachment") that remarkably can do some great things for whatever charity tickles you... we sponsor Doernbecher's Children's Hospital here. I've seen PLENTY of TD's helping out other TD's here, **** I've helped out a few troopers here myself, one resides in the UK (yo Simon!), one in Indiana (yo Mel!), one up in Washington State (yo Paul!), and one in my own Garrison that was getting a raw deal in a matter, and I stood up for him against my own Garrison "brothers" (yo Rob!). One shouldn't come swinging in here carrying on like a FRIGGIN' Bohemian talkin' crap from their bohunkus (that's *** for you civies) about "the good old days". If they were so damned great WTF are they now? We're in the "here and now". I don't give a rat's *** if someone has been wearing vacuum formed PLASTIC (that can't even stop a BB gun) for 5 minutes or 50 years. I for one think Seth and his crew are doing a FINE job, and the sense of community and "family" doesn't need to hinge on the "drinking buddies, let's go brawling and shout-sing stupid war songs, mentality"... it's alive and well despite that! Drive On Troopers, DRIVE ON!! editied a STOOPID spelling mistake!!

PM sent!

American Accents - Slate Blue is the exact same stuff I've been using for TD packs, it's pretty danged close IMO.

The links to the signature banners are broken!! Heres the link to the thread!! http://www.mepd.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=504

What Zac said!!

Mike, If you make the Radio face plate and the "vaporator" tubes for the side of the stackers available for sale you can count me in for a set or two. I was thinking along the same lines as you to mount the Stow N' Go box, that would also make it an easy access place to put things too. I think that instead of rivets I'm going to use those things that go in with a "pop rivet" gun, but it crimps in a threaded pocket so you can use screws.... dunno yet.

He's putting out an improved model now, and our garrison CO just ordered two of them to put in his ANH sized buckets, I haven't heard any negatives.... and BELIEVE ME, I would have heard about it!

This guy is in my garrison and he is a stand up guy!! He makes a very nice unit for your bucket!! http://www.skullworx.com/

Hey Rocko, How did you mount that swimming pool cartridge filter to your pack?

Are those main boxes made out of the plastic bins that you can buy 5-10 lbs. of hamburger in at the grocery store? Man, that would light!!

Hey Seth, 1. What are you using for the primer paint? 2. What are you thinking for the domed top on the stackers? 3. Did you use the lid on the Stow N' Go or do something else to blank it off? 4. Do you know if Mike is going to use that aluminum backpack frame he showed on the other thread? I JUST got my burger stackers 15 mins. ago and was contemplating those ridges you mentioned, EXCELLENT IDEA to spruce them up a bit! I have a vintage Boy Scout backpack frame, and a Stow N' Go on the way from the e-auction site as well. WOO HOO!!

LOL... try this link... it should work! (psst.... make sure you leave at least one space (at either end) between the hyper-link and your message text, that way the link will work! ) http://www.bayplastics.co.uk/Product%20 ... sheets.htm

Here this link should work, the one above doesn't for some reason: http://www.delviesplastics.com/ACRYLIC%20SHEET.htm

Ayup, My armor gets some cool marks from my Lewis Gun and E-11 rubbing on my armor, especially form the Lewis Gun on the inside of my left forearm piece from cradling it.

I make carbon scoring marks by taking a piece of PVC pipe, spray paint one end flat black with Rustoleum and let it dry. Then you take the painted end and kinda do some glancing blows against the armor in random patterns and it looks pretty cool!

What Mel said... I have some pretty good Pec & Deltoid muscles, and my straps ride nicely "between" my Pecs and Delts. Rocko... I like your idea because I made a "Franken-Pack" that weighs 37lbs (16.78 kilos) because it has custom speakers, 100 watt amplifier, lighted rocker swithces, glowing EL wire that flashes to the music beat from my MP3 player, and is powered by a small 12volt lawn tractor battery hidden in the lower box. All that for a nighttime parade we just did in Portland, ORYGUN ...... 37lbs. may not sound like a lot, and I used to pack a 60 - 120lbs. rucksack in the Army depending on our mission profile, but lugging 37lbs. around on your back for about 4 hours wearing full-on TD armor, a hot bucket on your head and sporting a BFG in a parade is taxing towards the end of it!!

Hey Trenton, I'm not some self-proclaimed "weathering master", and I have to give you an "A" for effort, but like it's been said before (in rather RUDE Germanic fashion ) it seems you should get away from the "spray paint" look and right now in all honesty, it looks like it's been sitting in an autobody shop getting tinkered with. If you keep coating, stripping and recoating your gear long enough the plastic is going to weaken to the point that all you'll have is a pile of poop on your hands and I would HATE to see that happen to a nice guy like yourself! Now listen, go WalMart in the arts and crafts section and get yourself FOUR different colors of acrylic paints that come in little plastic bottles with flip tops. They are CHEAP, and the colors can range from bark brown, to lighter shades of brown, even a reddish or yellowish sand color if you want, get some foam brushes too. Squeeze some of the paint (one color at a time) onto the foam brush and duab it onto the armor here and there, get it into the nooks and crannies. Let one color dry, then layer another shade here and there, let it dry, then repeat the process. Through it all keep one thing in mind... its EASIER to ADD more paint then it is to REMOVE it, so work with small amounts at a time!!! After you have some dry layers going on take a paper towel or a shop rag before the paint "fully cures", and kinda lightly wipe off some of the paint from the high spots and other places that looks like it would get rubbed from trooping. Another thing you seriously might try is put on your armor and go outside and get REAL DIRT on it then study how that looks and replicate it with the paint. DON'T FORGET TO WEATHER THE BOOTS TOO!!! Good luck with it Bro'!!

W-T-F???!!! SOMEBODY should've been SLAPPED SILLY for treating those suits like that!!!

CHRIS!!!! YOU DA MAN!!! Thanks for gettin' my ugly mug on the deployed page!! I just got done coordinating Cloud City Garrison's FIRST event (The Starlight Parade) as a garrison, and I know how much time this stuff can take. I just want you to know that we ALL appreciate everything you and the MEPD staff does for us!!

Well iots like the Brits said during WWII about us "Yanks, We're Over paid, Over sexed.... and Over here. LOL

LOL... I was qualified for, and used to wear the Grenade, Bayonet and Pistol tabs as well, but it was starting to look like a mini-blind on my gear so I stopped wearing them. Oh, yeah that other Badge is for driving some ungodly amount of miles in military vehicles and not destroying any of them... that's because I used to sign for the vehicles AFTER I turned them in, not before. I can honestly say I'm responsible for destroying no less than three gun jeeps in reality, but hey I still got the promotion points for the driver's badge anyway.

LOL... Great Idea, but at LEAST use the Army "Expert" marksmanship badge and not the Army "Sharpshooter" badge!! The "Expert" badge has the cross & bullseye with a wreath around it. Heres a picture of my old "Class A/Dress Green" uniform with my Expert Badge w/Rifle and Machine Gun tabs. (my camera took a dump on me so the colors are a bit wonky) ***EDITED a STUPID spelling mistake ***

OK, just to clear up any confusion here... I'm an official 501st TK and TD and I have submitted my photos with all MEPD mods for processing ages ago, and I assume they are being worked on for the deployment page as mine and many others' pictures that were posted are no longer on the "request deployment" thread. So will that preclude someone like me from this because my MEPD deployment is (I assume) in admin progress? I agree that perhaps something like this needs to be for 501st members because it'll say MEPD on it and that keeps it within the 501st charter boundries concerning official merchandise, but there are a few 501st members here (I know of "one" in particular ) who may not yet be MEPD deployed, yet have put their money where their mouths are and contributed to the web hosting fees to keep Sandtrooper.net alive, or have helped other TD's out (for free) when their MEPD patches got lost in the mail, or they needed some trim for their bucket.... just a thought to consider in all of this before this get too exclusive. Having said that I'll go to the sign up thread and request one!

That is looking FANTASTIC... you've been busy since you sent me the last update pictures!! That's more or less how I'm going to re-do my barrel too! I assume thats bondo to make the taper?