Hold it right there…..

Welcome to the TK3199 files. I created this resource so I could easily share my experience in building my Stormtrooper Armor. It is an opportunity for me to pay forward the invaluable help & advice I have received from fellow 501st members since beginning this project. It is intended for prospective & current 501st members on the never ending quest for information.

I will also post updates on my involvement in the 501st Legion and other related adventures.

Thanks

Update: I have 2 years worth of updates to make live. Most have been sitting in “Draft” purgatory so be prepared for a posting blitz…..;)

A long Time Ago: The 80’s strikes back…..

A Long Time Ago: The Eighties Strike Back
A retelling of the original Star Wars Trilogy as an 80’s Rock Opera.

 

 

 

 

A good friend of mine asked me to troop in the lobby at the last night of a stage show he was part of. The show, performed at the Orlando fringe festival was excellent and unbelievably funny. Check out the web page http://www.80strikeback.com/ to read all about the writer and the cast. I have added links below to videos that were posted online.

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lesDL0U3CPI

Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVeqf0KczyA

Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvgbeRSbLqE

Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVxMjmnR7-o

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Star Wars day – May the 4th be with you – Disney Hollywood Studios

*Note: I am seriously playing catch up with updating this page so some of the post are for past events

Star Wars Day – May the 4th 2013. This has been one of my favourite Disney troops to date. It was unusual as unlike the parades at Star Wars Weekends or Xmas, there were no barriers as two groups of troopers alternated walking through the park amongst guests. The cool thing here was how we appeared out of nowhere and surprised people as we descended on them. Especially cool with the little kids of coarse.

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BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 4

18. The final steps of the barrel require the following. 2 1/2″ PVC electrical conduit with  5/8″ ring of the wider female end cut of and put aside (remove the rest). 3″ PVC connector fittings which are cut into 3 pieces at  7/8″, 1- 1/2″ and 3/4″. You also need 4″ corrugated drain pipe cut approx 8″ long. All of these are easily found at local hardware stores.

19. Slide the 7/8″ ring up to the feed plate. Install the 2 1/2″ PVC inside the  3″ Cell core barrel using shims. There should be approx 7 1/2″ of the PVC exposed. Screw into place and trim the shims.

20. The corrugated drain pipe will need to be cut down to wrap the 3″ barrel. Use 14″ zip ties to secure in place making sure the ends are on the underside with the split in the drain pipe. Trim the excess and sand down to remove any sharp edges. Your gloves will thank you.

21. Next the 1- 1/2″ and 3/4″ PVC  rings are installed as shown.

22. To make the transition in the barrel an kind of heavy plastic cup can be used. I found these at the local dollar store. Simply cut down and slide over the small end of the barrel. Trim the 3″ end, slide over the end of the barrel and glue into place. Easy right?  Many people will do the added work of creating a seamless joint using Bondo for example. This is more accurate but I opted to leave this out.

23. Install the 5/8″ ring  cut in step 18. Glue into place as shown.

24. The front sight is a small, complex piece to make myself so I ordered a custom laser cut one from fellow legion member TD-8266. Hit the 501st detachment forum to locate him ;). Install a dowel for some extra strength to hold the sight. This does require carefully drilling onto the base though. Installed a screw for some extra Lewis Gun authenticity.

25. The middle site is assembled from scrap Foam core pipe, ABS  and some screws. It is attached using small L brackets I fabricated from ABS and secured with screws to the barrel.

26.  The rear site is now completed. I have some added hinge detail on the rear sight but mine does not move as I thinks is too much of a weak point. The adjuster knob is made from 3 dimes and some Styrene and they do the job nicely.

27.  It is now time to paint. I carefully masked of the corrugated area, used Bondo to fill in any screw heads and other imperfections, primed and sanded a few times then gave a few coats of flat black. I have not weathered these but most Troopers do go the extra mile with this. After trooping a few times and a trip to Dragon*Con with it, mine is already looking a bit worse for wear ;).

28. No T21 is complete without the sling assembly. You will need two (2) Enfield rifle slings and one Enfield sling attachment. You can find these fairly easy online but prices do vary. They can be OD green, Tan or one of each depending on the level of accuracy you looking for. Attach the ring to the rifle butt as shown. The two slings are connected together, forming one large one with the sling attached to the D ring at the rear. Loop one end over the front just behind the front sight.

This is now ready for trooping. As mentioned before, there are various ways to build this prop and what I have documented here certainly is not the only way. Thanks to all fellow troopers who have shared their builds enabling me to to do the research. If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask.

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BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 1

BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 2

BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 3

BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 3

Apologies for the delay in posting this next installment , but work and school in the evening has kept me way to busy.

Continuing:

8. Detail parts for the sides of the stock are cut from ABS sheets and the trusty old for sale signs. Use the template as a guide. I sanded then down after they were installed to blend edges in with the wood.

9. The barrel on the side of the stock is cut from 1 1/2″ pipe. Cutting this down is tricky, especially without the correct tools like me. Remember only the right side has the slot for the ejection port. Back with another piece of plastic as shown then position in place, glue and clamp.

10. Construct the adjustment screw seen on the side from what ever materials you may have. I used a large washer, some black ABS and a screw. Once painted these look great. I have seen this piece made entirely from wood also. The other side simply had a rivet installed to add detail. I installed 2 other rivets to add the detail on the side of the stock and used a Dremmel to carve out the notch seen also.

11. The sides of the stock are now built up using various thickness of ABS or plastic. Use reference pics to construct this with as much detail as you choose. I followed the basic layout on the template. Once painted the results look great.

12. I now joined permanently installed the main barrel. The main barrel is made from 3” “Cell core” ABS pipe drain pipe. Cut to size and then install over the main stock. It will be a tight fit so be warned, its not easy. Once in place I secured it with screws along the bottom side. These were filled in later using Bondo. Note: The barrel can be installed at later steps.

Note: Many troopers make this section of the T-21 removable for easy storage and transportation. As always this is entirely up to you.

13. Next I begin constructing the cooling fin assemblies where the main barrel meets the stock. These are made from 1/8″ ABS sheets.  First I cut pieces to fill the gap where the main barrel is. I made them over sized then trimmed them to the exact size once they are glued in place. The fins I also made over sized and trimmed to shape after installation. I was able to use a Dremmel to carefully shape them. There are 5 fins per side.

14. Once the cooling fin assembly is completed, it is recommended that you spray paint them at this stage so you get good coverage in between the fins. It is much harder to do once the top plate and sight assembly has been installed.

15.The top assembly is now ready for installation. I recommend pre-drilling the holes first. Glue into place then use screws to attach. I used 3 screws, one which is installed inside the ammo drum attachment (1″ PVC fitting).

16. The Stock has small cylinders which may have been used to gun oil on the real weapon. I used some 3/4″ threaded PVC caps for this. I could only find ones with hexagonal ends but the Dremmel made fast work of this. You can use anything similar  for this application. Locate the correct position using reference pics, mark out accordingly then use an auger to drill out the holes. You may want to paint these before installing.

17. The handle grips can be made from wood or plastic. I used ABS sheets on mine. Cut them to match the shape and sand the edges to make them smooth. Glue into place as shown.

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BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 1

BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 2

BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 4

 

Otronicon 2012 – Orlando Science Center

This was the opening VIP event for the Otronicon convention held every year at the Orlando Science Center. A low key event where we welcomed guests, posed for pictures and took part in the opening ceremony. During the weekend, the event is opened to the public where the 501st was in full attendance. I was only able to attend this VIP event.

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BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 2

I have finally finished the T21 Repeating Blaster. I decided to put this weapon together as part of the my conversion to Heavy Weapons Trooper. My build is based on the amazing work done by fellow Trooper TK 2886 aka PandaTrooper. The template he created is pictured below.

I will try to keep this as simple as possible with only the key steps as there is no right or wrong way to do this project as long as the finished thing looks the part. I suggest creating two of the template drawings; one to use as a guide and the other to cut your templates from.

1. The stock is made from 3/4″  and 1/4″ pine (or similar). Mark and cut out the main stock using the template then cut out the butt pieces from the 1/4″.

2. The 1/4″ parts are then glued to the main stock as shown. Be generous with the wood glue and clamp up over night for a good bond.

3. The smaller parts which represent the feed plate of the T21 are also cut from the 1/4″ wood. As before, mark and cut using the template. There are 3 pieces that make the entire assembly. All are glued together as shown in the pictures.

4. Once all the wooden pieces are set, you can then begin sanding them down. I ended up buying a belt/oscillating sander for this job and it was well worth it. The finished butt of the weapon should have the appearance of one piece approx 1 1/4″ wide with rounded edges all the way around.

5. The main barrel is made from 3” “Cell core” ABS pipe drain pipe. Cut to size and then install over the main stock. It will be a tight fit so be warned, its not easy. Once in place I secured it with screws along the bottom side. These were filled in later using Bondo. Note: The barrel can be installed at later steps.

6. Next it is time to create the detail parts for the feed plate and rear sight. These can be made from various weights of plastic such as ABS. I used some heavy “for sale” signs from the local hardware store along with 1/8″ ABS sheets purchased online. As before, use the template to cut out the parts. I made slightly over sized then sanded them to match the wood. How much detail you choose is entirely up to you. All parts are glued using the E6000.

7. The ammo drum attachment is a 1″ ABS pipe fitting. This is centered at the correct location and glued in place with E6000. You can also add 2 small wood screws for the extra detail. Remember, when this is all painted black it looks like the real thing.

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BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 1

BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 3

BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 4

BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 1

This weapon was first seen in the Episode 4  – A New Hope carried by the Sandtroopers on Tatooine. This prop was created from a WW1 era machine gun with key additions and mods for the movie. Known as the T21 Light Repeating Blaster many troopers simply refer to it as the “Lewis Gun” after its origins. You can read the history of the gun here.

I have posted a few pictures of this weapon.

The following picture is the weapon I completed in August (Yes I am behind in keeping the page up to date). It is a basic wooden stock assembled with various ABS plastic pipes and custom made greebies along with a purchased sight made by a fellow a legion member. The rifle sling is a WW2 era Enfield sling with a similar era attachment. You can see the build in more detail at the following posts:

BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 2

BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 3

BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster Rifle – Part 4

Ammo Box Replacement

After a solid year of use, my gear has started showing signs of wear. This is by no means a refection on the ATA kit but quite normal. I had started seeing cracks form on the Ammo box for the right thigh so I ordered a new piece in advance. Well it eventually broke in half. I had it held together with white duct tape until I had time to do the work. The new piece is made from ABS plastic instead of HIPS. ATA now offers their armour in ABS and I have to say from what I have seen with these new parts, its excellent. It is super easy to work with but the best thing about the ABS is it does not need painting. I shall be ordering a new set of armor in the new year so watch this space. With no need to paint, this job took less than 15  mins (oh the joy). The pictures posted below pretty much speak for themselves.

1. Remove rivets.

2. Remove Broken Ammo box.

3. Trim new ammo box and drill holes for rivets.

4. Install new Ammo box.

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Dragon*Con – 2011

This was my second visit to Dragon*con and the first as a 501st Legion member. There really isn’t much to say about this 4 days of insanity other than is it D*C 2012 yet”!!!! I will just highlight my weekend relating to the 501st otherwise this post will be really long. As a Legion member I was able to spend some time doing table duty handing out information, trading cards, Droid hunt passes and meeting some new people in and out of the Legion. The 501st mixer was fun although I have to admit the Florida Garrison “TK Aslyum” Party topped the bill. Participating in the Dragon*Con Parade was fun although a bit hectic and chaotic. The whole experience was great as always.

I have posted the pics, some taken by myself and crew along with others found online.

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