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SAND DEVIL

Sandtrooper
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Posts posted by SAND DEVIL

    *ACTIVATED* TD-10072 / SAND DEVIL / SWAT OFFICER #018

    in MEPD S.W.A.T. Program

    Posted

    Thank you all! I appreciate the kind words. I can't even express how awesome this is. Just texted my son, who is in school and my biggest fan, and told him. Not sure who is more ecstatic, him or me.

    @Mike, THANK YOU! You have spent so much personal time on this and your shared words of wisdom. I appreciate all the feedback and ideas. You also kept me going and wouldn't let me stop. You also did such a great job slowing me down and being an honest true friend. I truly appreciate you being the one to help me look at things different and encourage me at the same time. You are my rock brother. - Mahalo Nui Loa

    @Rick, Thank you for all your leadership and keeping me calm sir. You have a terrific way of just putting me in my place and slowing things down, as they needed to be. I still love your question and keep pondering it today: "Do you feel you are 100% ready?" Simple question, but makes me think. I truly appreciate your leadership in the group and your help.

    @ Juan, no worries sir. I know real life gets in the way of our passion. While patience has never been a virtue of mine, this request has taught me to embrace it, in a good way. Taking time to sit back down and re-look at things I built. What needed to be changed? I really had to stop and listen to the command staff and the experts. You have no idea how important your approval was for me. I have always looked at your posts and SWAT build as a guide and what I tried to achieve. It's humbling to know it didn't come close to yours. Your dedication and attention to detail was just awesome. Thank you again sir.

    Thank you again to everyone for their support and ideas. I would do it all over agin, but with a different outlook and expectation. I knew the SWAT review would be hard. Kind of like an IRS audit. If I could do it all over or suggest anything for someone thinking of doing it: I would have been much more patient. I would have not made changes until Command or the DO confirmed it first. I would have posted on the Hurt Locker first. I say this because I realize if I had answered Rick's question honestly the first time, it would have been 'NO'. I would have gotten some feedback first. Don't get me wrong, I loved the journey and support. But I could have saved myself (and others) a lot of frustration and time.

    I guess what I am trying to say is; just don't make the same mistakes I did. Some felt I was too new to appreciate or understand protocol. They were 100% right.

    Introduce yourself, read the posts, learn, ask questions from the experts, learn, get your 501st TD done, get your ID, learn, read more posts, fix your TD mistakes, ask the experts, get deployed, read some more posts, learn, fix your TD for SWAT, ask the experts, learn some more, post in the Hurt Locker, get beat up, learn some more, fix your TD, ask the experts, Post for SWAT, be patient and HOLD ON. It's still going to be a bumpy ride.

    Sometimes you need a Yoda to put you in your place. Mike, you are my Yoda.

    I am humbled to be in the presence of so many great hobby enthusiasts and builders, and most are not SWAT yet (if they even decide to take that journey). I got here because of the experts who posted ideas and how to. I feel like I owe it to the group, feels like a community build. I can't appreciate the people in this group enough. Thank you.

    Backpack logic : Ret-con?

    in Field Backpack

    Posted

    What mine does:

    Sandtroopers ‘Move Along’ Field Pack Contents:

    • Tool box - Contents include basic armor adhesion repair chemicals, gaff tape, extra small strips of ABS, paint, paint brush, kicker, extra rivets, small rivet pliers, clamps and tools.
    • Exhaust system to ventilate excess methane gas build build up from air tight and pressurized desert suit and armor. ***Beware if you are down wind.
    • Top Seed Tray - Water purification system and holding tank. Internal tube into helmet to ensure hydration.
    • Shot Gun Shells - E-11 extra battery packs for blaster.
    • Radio - Imperial issues communications radio. Inside also contains imperial iPod music transmutation and personal playlists (SWAT, The A Team, etc.)
    • Cistern - External water filtration system and drinking bottle. Purifies water from any resource and atmosphere.
    • Bottom Seed Tray - Extra clothing, expandable Imperial shelter unit, single trooper cooking unit, Imperial issues flame starter., armor bite repair and medication tool.
    • Large Side tube - Imperial dispatch plan holder (Top) and RF4 detonator holder.
    • Radar Dish - Reception amplifier for Radio and collecting Imperial communications from long range outposts.
    • Bee Box - Internal suit exhaust port. For when you are on post for hours and just have to go....

    RS TK to TD conversion started

    in Sandtrooper Armor

    Posted

    Frank,

    Glad it worked. When you compare yours to the screen shots you have, it looks very close and accurate now (IMHO). Great build. An I love the 'wash me' that is classic. Let us know if you need any additional help brother. looking forward to seeing you in the sand pit, very soon. Great commitment and attitude sir.

    Dewback Prod Build

    in Pouches, Pauldrons, and other Accessories

    Posted

    OK, so we are going to offer these for anyone interested. I am going to move this to the 'For Sale' area. Thanks for the support. Here is the final version. We used truck bed paint to do the rods. It also gives it a matte and sandpaper feel (very textured). We switched to an aluminum tube, which made them much more realistic without the weight issues. It is much more stable. We are going to also offer them in a kit or without the buzzer, to make them more accessible due to cost. There are also so many great builders here,we wanted to make sure they could modify or paint them the way they want too. What do you think?

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    RS TK to TD conversion started

    in Sandtrooper Armor

    Posted

    Frank,

    Great to see another brother come to the dirty side. You have done a great job in your mods too. Nice to have you aboard sir. You will be deployed in no time. I love your commitment. I really wish you luck, but that is more about keeping your sanity then getting deployed, because you have a great build brother.

    I think your weathering is great! I agree with ROLF, but don't think you should take it all off and start over. Depending on what you used, you can use a warm damp rag and lightly take a small top layer off or a little sand paper. Great part about being a sandtrooper. The more you jack it up, the better it looks. Like you said (thrown together). I also think I would only touch the top right AB and blast on your chest. Love the new look in the ridges from ROLF's advice. You did great.

    Your strips are fine for deployment, but may give you grief down the road for SWAT. I had the same issue. If you look at my SWAT request it has a link to my Photobucket account and you can see how I redid my strips to be more accurate. http://s1134.beta.ph... SDS Armor You can leave your current ones, they are your perfect fit. If you are brave enough to bondo and shape over them, you can then add new strips thinner. However, I learned the hard way to get more than one opinion before you rip anything up. My best advice is to keep doing what you are with looking for a screen shot to show you what is accurate. There is a lot of knowledge here, don't get me wrong. Like Nick said, if it looks right, it doesn't matter.

    On your weapons you can mix and match whatever you want when trooping. If it is an official LF event, just bring that one. Otherwise you should be fine. I troop with a Dewback Prod all the time and did a Move Along Captain. My garrison rarely lets us use weapons, but never cares about the prod. And it gets a lot of attention.

    On your shoulder pouch here is an idea (what I did). I think it is what Smally was saying, but not sure. It keeps it in place and easy to take off. I used elastic, but regular webbing straps would work too. The I used #7 snaps. I never feel them when trooping either. It puts the pouch right through the shoulder and chest plate. If your pouches are at an angle in back like mine, it also gives it that tilted look.

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    *ACTIVATED* TD-10072 / SAND DEVIL / SWAT OFFICER #018

    in MEPD S.W.A.T. Program

    Posted

    Update:

    Re-weather #3. Original was Burnt Umber acrylic paint, watered down oil and Nevada sand. I have now trooped in it many times, giving it a better 'worn' look. I also added another layer of light burnt umber and some additional spots. The AB and chest were especially light compared to the rest of the armor. Helmet with less weathering, as seen on screen. Tried to use a better camera to get the details and less of a washed out look then before. Also left flash off to help, only natural sun. It still appears much darker and dirtier in person, but think the close ups catch the details better. Please ignore the blue clamp, during weathering I broke the shoulder strap off my left shoulder and had to E-6000 again (still drying). Thank you Mike for your time sir. I look forward to your review. And thanks for the kudos on the stripes, they were a pain, but well worth it in the end. Have a great day.

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    What Happened To Your Pouch?

    in Pouches, Pauldrons, and other Accessories

    Posted

    Why would I do that to such awesome pouches? There is a method to my madness...

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    And why did I do it? Because I was tired of people not hearing me and seeing TKs with this non-cannon black box on their belts for their Aker Amp and iCom System. Here is my solution:

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    Sounds AWESOME! And hidden well. So I have to give a shout out to Brad Bucholtz for producing these great pouches. The way he constructed them and how stiff they are made it easy to do. Thank you brother! Just one troopers solution. Hope it helps someone.

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