tkrestonva

Looking good. I'll definitely be checking out your photos for reference once I start my elite mods. Can't wait to get there!

Second that. Take your time and enjoy the process. I spent some late nights building my TK, the lost sleep was definitely worth it!

Check out this tutorial on TK300's site http://www.tonybarnett.plus.com/shims.html I used this technique to shim my biceps, calves, and forearms. Works great! I even went the extra step of permanently gluing the shims in place. Before shimming the biceps, if I so much as bent my arm a little bit the biceps would fly apart. No problems anymore.

I'm 38. I feel as good as and look better (physique-wise) than most men in their early-20s, but with a lot more disposable income , and a lot less free time to enjoy it. Like most of us above a certain age, I saw ANH in the theater in '77 and my life hasn't been the same since!

RT-Mod armor was specifically sculpted for guys in the 6'+, 200lb+ class (like RT himself is). Having seen the side-by-side comparasion pics, it's actually a bit bigger than FX. Shimming is adding plastic to armor parts to make them bigger. For instance, my FX biceps, forearms, and lower leg pieces were initially too narrow to be usable. I had to shim (add plastic) to them to increase the diameter such that I could troop in them. Had I gone with RT-Mod, that may not have been necessary. I've heard of GF (Follano), but I'm not familiar with his armor. I believe he's currently inactive as an armor manufacturer.

Looks nice, although there does appear to be a bit of a color mismatch between the FX parts and the rest of the armor (AP has bluish tinge). Can the FX parts be painted, or is that not a good idea? All in all, looking good.

I'm 6'1, 210 lbs and an avid weightlifter. I bought the FX kit, the shoulders were fine. I didn't do any trimming, in fact I wish the lower leg pieces were a bit longer. I did however have to shim the biceps, forearms, and calves to get them to close. The spare ABS strips that came with the kit worked perfectly for shimming. Like Paul said, before you start gluing or cutting anything, do a test fit with the armor taped together first.

Me first! Dealing with Verizon call center --->

I'm a space systems engineer full-time, and a U.S. Air Force officer part-time. In my full-time job, I develop satellite operations procedures, ground systems, train satellite ops teams, and sit on console for launch and in-orbit checkout for newly-launched spacecraft. In my Air Force job, I work in the command center for U.S. military space activities. I think I have the right hobby here.

Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Thank you for the outstanding photo and video documentation of both the E-11 and its build process. The gold standard for prop sci-fi weaponry got a lot higher. I look forward to seeing video footage of you in your TM armor wielding your E-11!

Just PP'd a titanium donation. Name will look different and I forgot to include a note, but you can verify sender via email address (same as is on file here and at the Legion). I really enjoy the site. Keep up the good work.

So how does one become a supporter? Obviously via a donation, but would like details.

TK-2918, the Legion's 4,000th member, requesting updated status & full access. http://www.501st.com/members/displaymember...amp;userID=8860

Needless to say, since I got my TK Halloween has become my favorite holiday. I can't wait for the Halloween parties (both kids parties and adult parties) and taking my kids trick-or-treating around the neighborhood is going to be a blast! I've also been itching to take my dog for a walk in my TK, just to see the neighbors' reactions . . .

Riding elevators while in armor is great! It's always makes me grin under by bucket when I'm standing guard in the elevator, the door opens, and some unsuspecting civilian gets in. First there's the look of utter shock, a bit of fear, then the slow smile, then the camera comes out, and finally the fellow rider departs grinning ear to ear. I love it!

Don't forget that water will eventually come out the other end and unless you've modded your armor, getting out of it in time to relieve yourself can be a challenge. You have to balance the input with the output, so to speak. I think a better way to go, if possible, is to take frequent breaks and have an idea of your tolerance level. For instance, unless you were born and raised in the Florida Everglades, I would not recommend the parade at Disney World's Star Wars Weekends as a first troop.

I second that. It really does depend on the particular con and the local garrison's culture. At Shevacon, which is Garrison Tyranus' "home" convention, it's not uncommon to see us (TK and otherwise) with buckets off when we're just hanging out at our fan table. At other times, droid hunts or guard duty for example, buckets definitely stay on. Other garrisons may be more strict. For me, it's mostly about just having a good time and interacting with the other convention attendees.

I don't know about removing the glue, maybe light sanding will take it off. As for the Novus polish, it should do the trick, it's pretty amazing stuff. The key is patience. Apply a little, rub a little, and repeat until the scratch is gone. In the past I've used it to polish my armor to a near-mirror gloss.

There's a guy in my garrison who knows where to get spare parts for FX TK kits. I'll ask him to contact you. I echo Ironclaw's statement, both in killing the dog and posting etiquette. Next time avoid using all caps. It amounts to SHOUTING. Do yourself a favor next time and keep your armor (and anything else you don't want to become a chew toy) in either a bin with a locking lid, or a spare room that has a door that can be closed and/or locked.

Damn. Hope he gets it back up and running real soon. I'd love to make RT-Mod my next kit, the sooner the better.

Wow, words like "atrocious" and "horrid" pretty much sums it up. Apparently this stuff is mass-produced for a wide market. Looks like Rubies figured that since they made lots of money off their sub-par Vader, they could do the same with a TK. The fact they are asking for nearly 1K for this piece of s**t is damn near criminal. Thanks to Humper (via SuperTrooper) for the pics and assessment. Hopefully the 501st swiftly comes out with a public statement that the Rubies TK, as is, is unacceptable for membership. It'll save more than a few people some money and heartache.

Wow, thanks for both the posts and especially the pics! I'm a 6'1, 210lb bodybuilder, and in FX right now with an eye toward upgrading. I was leaning toward TM, but based on the side-by-side comparisons, it looks like RT with its longer & wider arms and legs is the way to go. The fact that I won't get pounded by the insane dollar-to-euro exchange rates pretty much seals the deal. Thanks!

So I hear that Paul is remaking his TM moulds to pull armor in ABS. Is that true, and if so, any progress updates? I really want to upgrade out of my FX kit, and at my size (6'1", 210lb), AP and TE are not good options.

Weather looked beautiful, great day to be outdoors in SoCal! Agree with the other posters, armor looks great! Man, I can't wait to upgrade!

U.S. Air Force, entered active duty in 1993 right after graduating from college & completing Air Force ROTC 38 years old, 12 years active, 2.5 years reserve (and counting) 13S3A/C/E - space operations, 62E3B - astronautical engineer. Basically a dyed-in-the-wool space geek ever since I was a kid Major (O-4), up for LtCol (O-5) next year Made the jump to the reserves due to family issues, but no regrets. I have the best of both worlds. Great civilian job, and awesome cutting-edge military duty assignment. Definitely staying until retirement