silverboyd

Yeah...but I wanted to keep the leather straps as they were. Didn't want to paint over them. Didn't feel like taping it up either. I think they look good. Tomorrow I'll get some actual dirt on them

Spent an hour or so "coloring" the pouches with a Sharpie permanent marker. This tip was given to me by a member of another Garrison. I like the results. Now to add some dirt and light weathering.

I took the tool pouch off of my MP40 shoulder pouch so that I can move it in and I re-attached it. Now to weather and make the pouches black. Now to weather and make black. Any tips on making it black without using dye? I've been told a Sharpie marker worked nicely as well as Plasti-Dip....thoughts?

Got some white canvas at the local fabric store. Since I'm going Sandy, I don't want the shoulder straps to look clean. I decided to take some of the material and soak it in a tea bath for 1 1/2 hours. The result was pretty cool. I'll iron the canvas, sew the edges, add heavy duty snaps & attach them to my chest and back armor. I think it will look nice once I get the rest of my armor dirty. May also rub on some actual mud to the fabric and once it dries...rub it off

Today I received my German WWII MP40 Canvas Pouch set from Numrich Gun Parts. They were around $35 for the set after shipping. I believe the color of the set you receive is chosen at random. I received the dark green canvas pouches. They are great quality. I just need to unstitch the tool pouch and re-sew it back on having moved it over an inch or two. I'll weather them, fix the loops on the back of the pouches and either dye them or cover them in a few coats of Plasti-Dip (which I've seen done by another trooper and it looks great). I have posted the link below if you're interested in ordering from the place I found them. http://www.gunpartsc...pouches&catid=0

With the thighs...did u have to taper them at all to fit you right?

I'm about to work on an AM kit I just got. Do you think using the overlap method was fine or did you also use interior / exterior shim and cover strips too?

I just got my AM kit yesterday. I'm nervous about it for some reason. Did you use the overlapping method mostly? I am trying to start on the biceps and forearms and trying to figure out the best way to approach this thing. Any pics of you working on those parts?

Thinking of just wrapping my E11 in bubble wrap or something but here is a link to a ski bag that I'm thinking of buying for my T21 Blaster. It's pretty cheap too. Don't need anything special. http://m.rei.com/mt/www.rei.com/product/805192/marker-single-ski-bag?cm_mmc=cse_nextag-_-datafeed-_-product-_-805192&ntclickid=-4574909540277687613&mr:referralID=4e563558-7ba5-11e1-8e16-001b2166becc&un_jtt_redirect

Personally I used E6000 for just about everything when gluing on my Doopydoos resin kit onto my Hasbro mod. But I did use the 90 seconds epoxy as well and they both worked great. You can't go wrong with either in my opinion

I have spent the past few nights adding the "14 ribs" to the barrel of my T21 blaster build. While I've seen some people use corrugated downspout drain extensions...I opted to go for what I think looks a little better (in my opinion). I used 1/4" x 14'-0" white vinyl weatherstripping used for doors in your home. I could only find it in white so I used some black Plasti-Dip and sprayed it black. The nice thing about Plasti-Dip is it's flexible. Once it dried, I wrapped the barrel the best I could while gluing it down with E6000. It's very much on there and shouldn't become unraveled. One thing i noticed was while applying the E6000 it made some of the Plasti-Dip rub off. No worries though...I'll paint over it with some black paint and I think i'll be fine. Here are some shots of it before I finish the final paint touch-ups on the "ribs". I'm aware that the ribs are not wrapped up perfectly but I think it adds "realism" to it. I also like the clumps of E6000 you can see between the ribs. It could be mistaken for "grime" that has gotten in the cracks due to patrolling in the Tatooine desert. Here is a shot of the "ribs" after applying a few more coats of Plasti-Dip. I'm happy with the results. I can now say that I'm officially 100% finished with my T21. Started working on it last September. Can't wait to show it off @ future troops

I have spent the past few nights adding the "14 ribs" to the barrel of my T21 blaster build. While I've seen some people use corrugated downspout drain extensions...I opted to go for what I think looks a little better (in my opinion). I used 1/4" x 14'-0" white vinyl weatherstripping used for doors in your home. I could only find it in white so I used some black Plasti-Dip and sprayed it black. The nice thing about Plasti-Dip is it's flexible. Once it dried, I wrapped the barrel the best I could while gluing it down with E6000. It's very much on there and shouldn't become unraveled. One thing i noticed was while applying the E6000 it made some of the Plasti-Dip rub off. No worries though...I'll paint over it with some black paint and I think i'll be fine. Here are some shots of it before I finish the final paint touch-ups on the "ribs". I'm aware that the ribs are not wrapped up perfectly but I think it adds "realism" to it. I also like the clumps of E6000 you can see between the ribs. It could be mistaken for "grime" that has gotten in the cracks due to patrolling in the Tatooine desert. Here is a picture of the "ribs" with a few more coats of Plastic-Dip applied

I just did mine actually. I used 1/4" x 14'-0" weatherstripping. Got a whole roll for $4. Looks really great I think.

never thought of using elastic straps...i was thinking of using black nylon. my thing is trying to figure out the best way to attach the straps to the top of my pvc backpack frame

congrats

i'm at the point where i need to assemble my straps to my backpack frame. Can anyone post pics of how they went about attaching their straps to their frames? Any reference pics would be greatly appreciated

I wish i was in your shoes. I'm dying to get my hands ont he rest of my armor

http://e-sarcoinc.com/leeenfield3or4slingwwiwbrassstamp.aspx I ordered (2) from this site as well as the Lee Enfield butt swivel. Looks awesome on my T21

Here are some pics of my new straps on my T21

i'm saving for my AM kit right now. I should have the $ i'll need by the end of March (fingers crossed). I've already got my helmet built (it's an MTK), my TK Boots, backpack (90% completed), T21 blaster (95% complete), E-11 Blaster (Hasbro Mod), orange pauldron and right now I'm working on sewing up a neckseal. I also just put in an order online for a nice set of canvas MP40 pouches for my belt and for my shoulder. I can't wait to order my AM kit. By the way, where did you go for your underarmor?

http://e-sarcoinc.com/leeenfield3or4slingwwiwbrassstamp.aspx I ordered my slings and swivel for my T21 from this site. Should have them in the mail soon

Just found a site online that sold WWI Lee Enfield straps. Got (2) straps for $6.95 (each) and will use them to make my strap for my T21 BFG. They look spot on to the ones used in SW:ANH. I also bought (2) Lee Enfield Butt Swivles to attach tot he bottom of the stock on the T21....I'll have an extra one if anyone is in need of one for their blaster build. http://e-sarcoinc.com/leeenfield3or4slingwwiwbrassstamp.aspx http://e-sarcoinc.com/4buttswivel.aspx Besides adding the strap system, the coils on the barrel and weathering the blaster a little....I'm just about complete with my blaster build. Can't wait to bring it on trooping events

I started putting together and collecting parts for my backpack build 4-5 months ago. I'm now in the assembling stages since I'm just about completed with my T21/Lewis blaster build. I used Scootch's tutorials on these forums to assemble my PVC backpack frame. Turned out great and bending the PVC frame to the proper angle was simple when using a heat gun. I decided to pickup aluminum flat bar to stiffen up the seed trays once they're attached. I'm glad I did. In the end I ended up using (2) pieces of 1/8"x1 1/4" wide aluminum flat bars (the main bars) and (2) pieces of 1/8"x3/4" wide aluminum flat bars (extra reinforcing) for the extra strength to keep it from "wobbling" while I'm wearing the pack. In the end I spent around $12 @ Lowe's for the aluminum. Overkill? Maybe....but I'll have a strong backpack while trooping. For the upper seed trays that I used from www.ParkSeed.com, I started constructing my exhaust port. I used a 6"x3"x2" project enclosure from Radio Shack & a plastic plumbing piece I found from Lowe's (moved around a few of the parts). I measured a slot for the plumbing piece to fit through the top and did some "Dremel Magic". The plumbing piece fit in perfectly and I secured it to the inside with lots of hot glue. Screwed on the back cover & then created a small piece to fill in the hole left in the newly formed slot. I used Plasti-Dip on the small piece of plastic. Now I needed to fab the "feet" to use to attach it the exhaust port to my Seed Trays. Built them out of 2mm styrene plastic as well as a few triangular details that I'll add to the feet once the exhaust port is attached. I glued the pieces onto the project enclosure with E6000 and once it set up...I spray painted everything with a Flat Black. I attached the exhaust port to the tray with 1/8" rivets and rivet washers. Once attached, I glued on the triangular pieces to the "feet". I'm pleased w/ the results. May have skipped this but here are some backpack pieces all painted and waiting for their place. Some parts look gray on the inside but when outside the pieces are really a nice blue shade. I used Rustoleum Satin Slate Blue. Wasn't sure about it at first but I'm pleased with the outcome. I'm also colorblind...so I really have a hard time seeing shades of blue at times. Here's what the color looks like outside in natural sunlight... Ordered my Sonix Victory radio faceplate from Mike over at Trooperbay.com. Very pleased with what I received. Mike gives you the option to choose Dial Option "A" or Option "B". I believe I chose Option "B". So far I have lightly drilled out a few detail holes all over the faceplate, drilled out the radio speaker "area", added a faux dial knob, painted on a little Aurebesh (did I spell that right?) and added in some switches I picked up at Radio Shack. The switches move up and down but don't actually control anything. Still more work to be done with the radio but that's all I have for now. The faceplate will be attached to an 8x6x3 inch project enclosure from Radio Shack utilizing a few furniture cabinet door magnet closures . Updated 02.14.12 Got everything attached to my upper half of the top seed tray. My exhaust port, upper canister w/ lid, tool box (which can open up and be used to actually put stuff in while trooping) & the "shotgun shells". I'm pleased. Now to assemble the bottom of the seed trays to the frame so that I can attach this upper tray half. Got home to see a package from Singapore at my door. It's the final piece for my backpack...my cistern. Bought it from Gordonator from the 501st Singapore Garrison. Very nice quality. Very much worth the 2 weeks to wait for it Got the upper seed tray screwed to the lower part of the top seed tray. All seems to be very strong and secure. Here's a shot of my tool box that actually opens in case I need or want to store anything while trooping. Almost have my cistern finished. I cut off the top plastic nub and sanded smooth, cut off the extra "nipple" on top of the cistern and then custom drilled and filed out some square slots in the plastic to accommodate the zip-ties I decided to use rather than cutting up my cistern and using the vintage Tupperware burger stackers I have. I'm satisfied with the zip ties...in the end they just are meant to represent "mold lines" in the cistern. I still need to Bondo the area on top of the round "stacker area" that was the 2nd "nipple". Almost have my backpack finished. Spent an hour or so working on my cistern, fixing the magnets inside the radio box & attaching the stuff to the lower seed tray. More progress pics to come soon...

I'm going to weather it still. I have thought about painting the breach but can't decide if I want to or not.

some updated pics of my T21... still need to weather it, add a sling and add the (14) ribs to the barrel