Terry19D
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Posts posted by Terry19D
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Welcome, Ben! Glad you're enjoying your time here and soaking up all of the TK goodness to be had (and there's a LOT).
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Hello Mark, and welcome.
Very interesting career choice! Do you draw technical schematics, or more design/concept?Anyway, this detachment is chock full of good information and people to assist you on your way to joining the ranks of the stormtroopers. As a fast and dirty answer to your question, most any kit will work as they are designed to be at least somewhat sizeable, up or down. That being said, I would look more at an ANH derived suit, such as from ATA, AP, or RS. They are the easiest to fit to shorter troopers, and you can work with them to fit your thinner frame. If you haven't yet, take a look at the "Various types of armor" thread in the "Getting Started" forum, directly beneath this one. In that thread lists the known armor types and various details about them.
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That's the great thing about these above-and-beyond detachment standards - you can run with them, or enjoy your armor as-is. When I put together my first set of TK armor, I got it approved but did not troop in it until it met EIB requirements because I wanted it looking better than it originally did. There is no pressure at all do take your suit any further or faster than the pace you choose. I think it will be great to have another garrison member in RT armor!
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Looking good, Tim!
Just out of curiosity, how are your shoulder straps attached to your chest/back armor? It appears as if they might be glued in the front and secured with Velcro in the back, but I'm not sure. It shouldn't affect approval one way or the other - just wondering for myself.
Something you might try is to raise the level of the black elastic straps running across your sides between the chest and back pieces so that they are more up underneath your arms. That way they won't show up across the white of the armor. Again, a "looks" detail that should not hold up approval.Good luck to you!
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After reading everyone's posts though I am confused. I asked RT for "EIB out of the box" and he said no problem, just don't ask for Centurion. Lol You all are saying his helmets aren't "screen accurate". Didn't read in other forums that there is a difference between "screen accurate" and level 2 acceptance...? What exactly isn't accurate about the helmet, the size? Because with the overarm width that I have...wouldn't a slightly larger helmet be more proportionate?
There are a few differences between an RT helmet and, say, an ATA or AP, aside from its slight size increase. The helmet comes with a "u" shaped rubber trim along the bottom, whereas the accurate type is "s" shaped. Aside from a few exceptions, RT helmets do not come with "bumpy" ears. They are flat and have decals instead of being painted. Still, I do know of at least a few RT buckets that have been made with actual bumps along the ears, but those may have been special cases rather than a general design alteration. Also, the decals on the traps & tears would need to be removed and either painted ANH style by hand, or replaced with ANH "hand-painted" decals that fit its dimensions.
I think those are all of the Centurion-level changes that would need to be done. As for EIB, I had to replace the dark-gray lenses with green ones, as well as add in a third screw on each side. But those were not difficult changes to do. The majority of these changes, in fact, are not difficult. The only detail that I see that would keep an RT helmet from being Centurion acceptable is the lack of bumps on the ears.
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Terry, would you mind If I sent you my pics on a PM email? I am having problems loading them, (Don't know why) but I see you are a member of the 70th Explorers, could use some pointers before I leave. (I am trying to finish up the little things to be excepted and then go for higher standards once I get back) I have not heard anything from the 70th at this time, I know everyone works and they get to it when they can.
Hey Tim, just now seeing your question as I've been going all-out since getting home from work today on packing up for the trip to Orlando in the morning.
Send them on over! I may not get a chance to look at them until Wed evening, but I will definitely see them and give you feedback ASAP.
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I'm 6'2 so I find one helps keep kids from looking up inside the helmet. It keeps everything black, hidden and helps maintain
The illusion.
I've not really thought about it that way before in a TK, although I do wear one as Vader for the same reason. Since I don't use a neck brace, the balaclava helps blend in the back of my neck with the lower portion of the dome.
I may try this out at CVI.
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Hello, Tony, from an active KS/MO area trooper.
I echo the sentiments so far said about RT-MOD armor. I'm 6'3" with a 38" waist, and RT fits me quite well in most places, although I have had to pad a few areas - namely the forearms and greaves. Assembly is relatively straightforward as all the arm and leg pieces have the strips already on them, so you basically just put them together and glue. I had to do some trimming of the thigh armor, but other than that it was pretty much glue and go. I did end up eventually replacing the shoulders & biceps as I did not like the molds as much, but that was more of a personal preference. I do agree with Eric about AM armor. I've seen it in person and, when built & fitted correctly, it looks very nice. But it will more than likely end up needing more work than RT, which is designed specifically for larger/taller troopers, whereas AM is more of a general-sized armor that can be trimmed down or shimmed up where needed.
I actually really like RT's helmets, as they are slightly larger than other makers (AP, ATA, etc), but not anywhere near as noticeable as an FX. The bit of extra room is nice for space for fans, custom helmet padding, or just for those needing a little more head space. Again, personal preference, and I do troop with AP, ATA and TM buckets, as well.
Terry
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Hello, Tim. As I'm a little late to this thread, you might have already done this. Have you contacted anyone in Squad 66, the Springfield squad of the 70th Explorers Garrison? There are several TKs there that I'm sure would be happy to help out with any details if you need some in-person (or at least closer contact) assistance.
The general build is looking good so far, and I'd like to see the new pics whenever you can upload them.
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I will definitely be present.
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I had this issue, as well, on my old FX armor. I used some extra panels of ABS that color-matched fairly closely and just secured them across the gaps with Velcro. It looked quite clean, although I was not securing the ab/kidney plates movie-accurate so I didn't need to be concerned with the elastic straps showing across the shims.
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Hello, James, and welcome.
When I began my first armor build in December of 2007, I felt somewhat out of my depth. But this detachment is great! After reading up on some tutorials, as well as looking at others' progress on their builds, I had my suit built and approved by mid-January of 2008. I think I was approved for EIB (known as "Elite" back then) by March. And I do not consider myself any sort of whiz when it comes to building/modifying. There is so much more information in these forums now then back then, too. The FISD has become a huge repository of knowledge & tips for building any kind of TK suit, and is populated by many friendly, helpful folks.
I'll say that the stunt ANH trooper is the most popular type; at least for me, it's the suit that comes to mind when I think about a stormtrooper. It is also probably the simplest to build as there are no extra details needed to add to the suit. For example, for ESB the handplates are different than what comes with the majority of armor kits, and ROTJ troopers have several differences in the armor & helmet that need to be addressed. Still, when it comes right down to it, the four movie suits are all relatively easy builds, especially when compared with other types of armor (clones!).
Take a look or two at the different options available, perusing the tutorials and build threads, and most of all, enjoy your time here.
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Hello Tony.
What about the helmet do you not care for? Would you rather find one that is fully assembled, or is there some detail or other you like better on another helmet?
EIB stands for Expert Infantry Badge. It's a fully voluntary program here at FISD that represents another level of costuming accuracy. For example, the T/MC description talks about the resin-cast hovi mic tips being acceptable for EIB. What that means is that the overall look of those mic tips is accurate enough to what was seen on-screen in ANH to be used for EIB acceptance, if the person building the costume wants to go for it. You can find out more about EIB as well as the Centurion program here on the forums, under the "Advanced Tactics" header on the main forum page.
Since this is ABS armor it does not require paint - just a good polish with Novus or another brand of polish for plastics. It can be painted if you want, but I think it looks good as is.
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Hi Andy, and welcome. Nothing wrong with going at a slow pace, and it sounds like you are doing your due diligence which is always important. A couple of members in my garrison troop with modded eFX helmets, and they work just fine. That will give you something to do as you plan out your build, right?
Hopefully you can have the opportunity to go along on a few troops with MidSouth (handlers are always appreciated), as I've found that is a great way of getting to know members in your area and getting hands-on assistance with costume builds. -
Hello, Heidi, and welcome to the detachment forums.
I would say that a fair number of us also became interested in joining the 501st after seeing the group represented in parades. It's also fun when our families are involved.So, you would like to be a sandtrooper (TD). Well, you will definitely find a lot of help here, as almost all of the armor is exactly the same as a regular stormtrooper (TK). There are a few differences, however. Another great resource for you to look at, if you haven't already found it, is the Mos Eisely Police Department detachment at http://www.mepd.net, which is the home of the sandtroopers. They will be able to give you all the help you might need to add the details for sandtrooper armor.
With the information you will find, as well as all the outstanding folks at both detachments, you will be well on your way to suiting up!
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To the best of my knowledge, RT-Mod still has the longest thigh and shin armor pieces. However, they are also designed to accommodate larger troopers, as well. I'm 6'3" and 200 lbs and had to trim a fair amount off the girth of the thighs to have them fit properly. I didn't have to do any trimming from the shins, just had to add a little internal padding and they fit fine. I'm quite happy with both sets.
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Correct. The shoulder bells are then attached to the white elastic and not to the shoulder bridges.
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I received my EIBs with RT armor, and the ANH one with a slightly modified RT helmet. I had to change out the smoke-colored lenses for green ones and add the third screw underneath the tube on each side, but that's it as everything else was good to go. Although it is a little larger than a screen-accurate bucket, it's not so much larger as to be out of place, and the bit of extra room inside is nice.
Agreed on the additional length of the ab/cod/kidney/butt sections. I'm 6'3" and they look proportional. Good stuff!
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Daniel, welcome to the FISD.
I, too, once did not have a lot of experience with this kind of thing, but it's been fun learning and hanging out with great people. Don't hesitate to draw upon the vast amount of experience that resides here. -
Congratulations, Tim! Nicely done.
I'm impressed at the stenciling you used for your helmet's tears/traps.Now, back to work on converting my armor for Centurion status. All of these great suits are definitely motivating me to keep going.
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Welcome to the FISD, Shawn! This Jayhawk will try not to let your being a Sooner/Cowboy get in the way of cordial relations.
What type of TK armor do you have? As far as Vader goes, quite a few current Sith Lords started out with the Rubies (seeing as it was about the only game in town for a while), and some parts of it are still good to use (just not the helmet, ugh). I'm a chest box & shin armor away from completing my Ep III Vader, and I'm looking forward to rocking it Dark Lord style.
Feel free to browse around, lots of info here to absorb, and it's good to have you.
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I'd say difficulty of assembly is relative. In comparison to ATA or TE2, in some ways its easier because no painting is required. In other ways it may be more difficult to work with, as it is in ABS as opposed to HIPS, possibly making it harder to trim. It also requires the finishing strips on the outsides of the arms & legs, but if you are interested in ANH accuracy you would want that, anyway. All of the suits mentioned are somewhat more difficult to build than AM or RT, for example, as those kits basically come trimmed and ready to put together. But none are what I would classify as advanced builds - nothing like building a film-canon clone or Boba/Jango Fett. That's just my opinion, though.
The most challenging thing about TM armor is getting hold of it, as it is from the U.K. and is more expensive because of the money conversion & shipping. However, from everything I have seen and heard it is worth the wait and extra money. I would love to own a set, myself, but I have also heard that it is biased more towards "shorter", slighter folks (I am 6'3" 205lbs), again to capture the accuracy piece. I do have a pair of TM snowtrooper hand plates for my ESB trooper, and they are excellent.
You have the right idea in keeping up your armor research and looking at different builds to get an idea of what it will take to build a particular kit. The more info you have, the better informed decision you can make.
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Just south of the metro area in Gardner, just past Olathe on I-35. I did live closer, in Shawnee Mission, but that was from '81-'86. So much of the area has changed from what I remember of it.
And as far as the SDS/Ainsworth case goes, LFL won the suit here in the States but lost on appeal in the U.K. Regardless, I believe you'll be happy with any one of those suits you mentioned. TM would be the most accurate-looking kit for ANH since it was sculpted with that specific film in mind, and the acrylic-capped ABS that is used really sets it off well. But even then you could make any of those other kits look great, as well.
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I use Novus polish on my RT suit, helmet & AP helmet. Nice and pretty simple to use. It comes in three different kinds: #1 is a straight up polish; #2 is a light scratch remover; and #3 is for heavier scratches & blemishes. When I use either #2 or #3 I always go back over the area with the #1 polish to get the armor looking shiny once more.
I am not sure if Novus will be good on the gunner's helmet or not. It's really made specifically for plastics, and if that helmet is fiberglass, I don't know that I would use it.
Greetings from KC
in New Member Introductions Archive
Posted
Hello, Kevin, yet another KC-area member checking in with you.
As to your question regarding your blasters, I have two Hyperfirm E-11s (one ANH, one ESB) and soon will have the DLT-19. If you are looking to go EIB/Centurion, I think the only detail needed for a Hyperfirm is to add the D-ring, and perhaps the removal of the seventh T-track if present (I think I had to do this on the ESB model but not the ANH). Otherwise they are ready to go. I love mine - lightweight but durable, and I don't worry too much about giving them out to people when posing for pics.