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tkrestonva

Imperial Attaché[TK]
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Everything posted by tkrestonva

  1. Yeah, this sucks. I worked with Terrell for many years as an FISD staff member and got to meet him in person a couple of times at SW Celebrations. Sorry for the loss, and especially for his kid who is now without a father.
  2. Welcome from Garrison Tyranus and Inferno Squad (i.e. Northern Virginia) territory! Here in NOVA we troop often and have a wide variety of trooping activities, and we encourage new members to gain experience as handlers before diving into their costume builds. We also host armor parties on a regular basis. We have 3 active FOTKs (out of 6 total in the garrison) here in NOVA, along with a ton of OT stormtroopers. Please be sure to sign up for an account on our forums. http://www.garrisontyranus.com For more real time interaction, join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1014990031897377/
  3. Nice! Yeah, not a lot of space to work with. I've love to see the result of this. Better yet, I'd like to know how they did in in TLJ since you can clearly see the indicator light on in Phasma's SE44-C along with the one that Rose used during the hangar scene onboard the Supremacy.
  4. Sorry to hear this. As recently as this past summer I ordered (and received) a fully assembled SE-44C FO Officer's blaster from him, and for what I think is a good price. But I had heard that he was becoming unreliable, so I guess I'm not terribly surprised. Seems that in this hobby, vendors who remain consistent over the long term in terms of both their solvency and trustworthy are the exception as opposed to the rule.
  5. I believe Walt's Trooper Factory (WTF) sells black TK armor.
  6. Wow, that is nice! Jimmi's kits have come a long way since the v1 back in the months prior to TFA. I would leave it exactly as is. That full underchest is screen accurate, and to my knowledge the Jimmi kit is the only kit that has it. What you are looking at in the CRL photo is an Anovos or a KB yoke, which is cut that way because unlike the screen-used suits (which were made of a proprietary material) the ABS used in most kits doesn't flex enough to allow the user to get it on and off. With Jimmi's flexible fiberglass, it's a whole new ball game.
  7. "Up to 6' " is more or less for an ideal fit, but we have an Anovos trooper in my garrison who is 6'8". It can be made to fit, although you may have to make some adjustments and/or accept that you will have more black undersuit showing at the knees, hips, elbows, and shoulders than someone smaller would. Having said that, Alan is correct. Be wary of Anovos and their business practices. Also, there are other options out there for big/tall troopers. AM and RT Mod immediately come to mind. TM also makes extra long shins upon request if you simply need more length in the lower legs.
  8. You can also get a one piece undersuit from Extreme Racing. Coincidentally (or not), this looks like the exact same one piece that Trooperbay sells - even the description is similar. ------------- Definitely two schools of thought (one piece vs two piece) when it comes to undersuits. I personally prefer one piece since the two piece can ride apart and separate in the back, resulting in the dreaded "trooper's crack". As far as using the facilities goes, I manage that by going before I suit up and regulating my water intake based on climate conditions and how long I expect to be in kit.
  9. Well yes, but you have to get the armor first. Seems like with the way more and more FOTK armor vendors are becoming unreliable (Anovos, MIMIC, now KB Props), that seems more and more like the main challenge. We are now down to ... what, 850 Armor Works and Jimmi? Better hold on to those Anovos alpha kits for a while yet.
  10. Hardest part will be to get the armor kit itself. There is a small list of preferred vendors for that, but that list is subject to change as propmakers come and go. As far as the chrome goes, there are a few ways you can do it. None of which will be both cheap and easy. If you choose to minimize costs, prepare for hours upon hours of sanding, buffing, painting (and repainting), and polishing. If you prefer to outsource that (and use your time for other endeavors), I've seen a couple of people do that use professional auto body-style paint businesses, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg. Bottom line - as incredible as a well-done Phasma is, it isn't for the faint of heart. I've seen a completed Phasma (with all the required accessories) come up for sale on the Legion board from time to time - typical asking price is in the neighborhood of $7k. That should give you an idea of the level of commitment you are signing up for. If you are on Facebook, I recommend you search for and join the Captain Phasma Costumers build group.
  11. Most of the ones out there that I know of come from KB Props. There is also Jimmiroquai, Both also sell complete kits, so there is that. Eventually Anovos will deliver their offering as well ... I hope.
  12. For those who are on Facebook and/or can figure out a way to get the footage over here independent of Facebook, here is some cool new footage -----------
  13. 501st approval is probably ok. But that top seam is a definite disqualifier for EI or Centurion. Interesting that they named the boot "TROOPER-12". It's as if they were targeting a very specific audience.
  14. It does look amazing. Definitely on the Christmas wish list. Mods - can we get this topic moved to the "Weapons Locker - TFA F-11D, Pistol, and other weapons" section?
  15. Some use a unidirectional mic like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Pyle-Pro-PMEM1-Headworn-Omni-Directional-Microphone/dp/B003D2S7HA/ref=sr_1_13?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1519002883&sr=1-13&keywords=headset+microphone My experience with it? It's ok. Not great, but ok. Honestly, I've found that the headset that comes with the Aker amp works best. You just have the mic both correctly oriented (it's a directional mic so there is a right way and a wrong way it should be facing) and literally sitting on your lower lip. You also need to get into the habit of speaking loudly and enunciating your speech, almost to the point of exaggeration. Mumbling simply won't cut it.
  16. Done. I've been a member here since 2008 and have been a regular financial contributor over that same time period. Worth every penny.
  17. If you are intent on doing a group buy (and presumably reaping some cost savings) and fiberglass isn't an option, then KB Props is pretty much it. They also do TLJ-style resin helmets. As for the TLJ-specific thermal dets, it's very easy to modify at TFA det into a TLJ det. As for TFA helmets, assuming someone has enough of them in stock I'd probably jump on Amazon Prime and bulk order a bunch of Anovos standard helmets. Decent price/accuracy, and they are fully finished - might as well save yourself some work.
  18. You have the same issue as people (women in particular) on the small end of the scale. Your only option may be to find a correctly-styled set of black Chelsea boots and paint/dye them white. As for the neckseal, Darman's Props will make you a custom one.
  19. Omg ... you are nearly the perfect height for a Phasma! Most of us First Order stormtroopers use cloth gaskets due to comfort. About the only vendor of rubber gaskets out there is Imperial Gaskets. They (Rhonda and Wyatt) are members here and offer gaskets in both latex and fabric. I have both. Personally I prefer the fabric gaskets due to comfort, but you're right about the look of the latex gaskets - they do look amazing. Where are you located?
  20. Having gaps between the armor pieces is not required. In fact, I'm of the opinion that the less undersuit showing, the better looking the trooper. Conversely, the more black undersuit you have showing the more mobile you tend to be. So it's a tradeoff between appearance and functionality. In the end, how much gap you have will depend mostly on your height and how you have your kit trimmed. Looking at your photo, I'm guessing you are fairly short. Having said that, you're going to want to do some trimming on your kit. In particular at the tops of the thighs, and on either the biceps or forearms (or both). I can't see you having much if any mobility the way your kit is now. You don't need to be able to do acrobatics in your kit, but you should at least be able to walk comfortably, climb/descend stairs, drink from a water bottle, and put on/remove your helmet without assistance. As for tools, a set of Lexan hobby scissors (both curved and straight), a metal ruler, a sharp blade (such as a box cutter), and some sandpaper should be all you need to get the job done. You can get the scissors from Amazon or from a local hobby shop that specializes in plastic modeling (cars, tanks, airplanes, etc.). On a side note, you'll also want to shorten the straps that connect the shoulder bells to the back/chest connection. Ideally, the shoulder bells should be touching the ribbed plastic shoulder bridges.
  21. After seeing it twice (I *really* needed that second viewing to get past my 'WTF was THAT all about?!?" moments in the first viewing), I'm still sort of "meh" on it. In addition to the details that Andy listed (nearly all of which I agree with), I think it was *too* much of a departure from the OT and even from TFA. I get and support that the torch needs to be passed and new directions need to be taken, but if TFA played it too safe then TLJ played it too loosely. There should be a way to move the franchise forward without burning down all that brought you to where you currently stand. Basically respect your past, but don't be confined by it. On the plus side, I now think that Rian Johnson is exactly the right guy to create an entirely new trilogy that is unconnected to the OT, PT, and New Trilogy. I just wish he had saved the "forget the past - kill it if you have to" approach for his new trilogy.
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