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Ripper_L

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Posts posted by Ripper_L

  4. TK Armour

    in Hard Armor (General Discussion)

    Posted

    Keep in mind that tkarmour sells the abdomen with the buttons integrated into the armor and traditionally they are a separate piece that you attach.

    Also, the butt plate is oddly shaped.

    before purchasing anything outside of the recommended armories, make sure this one is approval based on 501st standards.

     

    at quick glance some of the parts looks a bit "off"

     

    Depends your purpose as well (i.e. EIB, centurion, etc...)

    For ESB Troopers the buttons should be integrated to the abdomen plate. The armor is definitely 501st approvable, if it's assembled in the right way. But you're right, there are more accurate kits on the market. If you want to get to higher ranks as Expert Infantry or Centurion (what I highly recommend :D) you should consider to buy a more accurate kit of armor.

    If your only goal is to get into the legion (maybe as cheap as possible), you can get approved with this armor. But be aware, that it's not a high end kit! The choice is yours...

    • Like 2

  5. TK ARMOUR UK

    in Hard Armor (General Discussion)

    Posted

    So you're working together with Joseph in France?<br><br>

    I have to admit, that the quality of your plastic is very good, I bought my armor from (I think it's your older project) stormtroopercity and after 5 years, I only have one small crack in the belt.<br><br>

    I've seen your new kit (a friend of mine ordered it) and it's a huge step towards accuracy. Did you make completely new molds? Or are they still based on the FX armor?<br><br>

    You supplied Boogiestorm? They look terrible :0 But I guess, they have to - otherwise it's impossible to move like that :D

    New from FL

    in New Member Introductions Archive

    Posted

    Welcome to the FISD, Carlos! You've made a large step into a greater world :D<br>

    The FISD will provide you with all the information needed to build your armor. You'll make lots of new friends within the 501st legion, so get in contact with your local unit as soon as possible. :)

  14. WIP: - Could not resist... |TK

    in The Foundry - Armor and Prop Making

    Posted

    No update for a while now, I'm sorry - we had to put together another TK kit :D

     

    So here is, how we continued:

     

    (At the end of this post you'll see our first pull!)

     

    First we tried to improve the mold with more and different clay.

     

    mold_6_s.jpg    mold_7_s.jpg

     

     

    Here you can see the backside :laugh1:

    mold_8_s.jpg

     

     

     

    Then we wanted to make a silicon negative. Therefore we had to build this cube:

     

    mold_9_s.jpg

     

     

    The silicon was ugly, but (we thought) it worked pretty well.

     

    mold_10_s.jpg  mold_11_s.jpg

     

     

    Meanwhile the silicon was drying, we started to build our vacuum machine.

     

    mold_12_s.jpg

     

    there were a lot of holes to drill :blink:

     

     

     

    This is how the silicon looked like, after drying:

     

    mold_13_s.jpg

     

    Unfortunately our original mold broke during this process, so we decided to make a new one out of plaster of paris using the new silicon negative mold.

     

     

    The new mold was great, but the silicon was rubbish. :angry:

     

    mold_14_s.jpg

     

     

    Now we had to work on the new mold, sharpen the edges, and smooth the surface.

     

    mold_15_s.jpg    mold_16_s.jpg   mold_17_s.jpg   mold_18_s.jpg 

     

     

     

    To get the styrene pulled deep inside the eyes, teeth and mic tips, we decided to drill some holes through there:

     

    mold_19_s.jpg


     

    Afterwards, we continued with our vacuum machine and some fun :peace:

     

    mold_20_s.jpg

     

     

    Since we didn't want to have an ugly vacuum machine, we decided to paint it!

     

    mold_21_s.jpg   mold_22_s.jpg

     

     

     

     

     

    This should become our heating element:

     

     

    mold_23_s.jpg

     

     

    Those two 1500W spot lights are very old and produce more heat than light :P

     

    mold_24_s.jpg

     

     

    To get a smoother surface and protect it from breaking, we decided to coat our mold with some blue wall paint:

     

    mold_25_s.jpg

     

     

    We finished the vacuum table and the heating element:

     

    mold_26_s.jpg   mold_27_s.jpg

     

     

     

     

     

    This was our whole setup:

     

    mold_28_s.jpg

     

     

     

    We started heating up the styrene, controlling the temperature with a laser gun:

     

    mold_29_s.jpg

     

    This is unfortunately not shown on a picture, but we decided to cover the styrene with aluminium sheets, which made it heaten up much faster!

     

    Then we tried our very first pull...

     

    mold_30_s.jpg

     

     

    and our vacuum table...

     

    mold_31_s.jpg

     

     

    ... simply imploded! :6:

     

    mold_34_s.jpg
     

    The damage was massive:

     

    mold_35_s.jpg

     

    Also on our mold:

     

    mold_36_s.jpg

     

     

    But I think the outcome is not too bad for a first trial:

     

    mold_32_s.jpg   mold_33_s.jpg



    But we are not giving up!

     

    We started to make the backside of the helmet and repaired our faceplate. Although we will have to smooth the surface down much more!!! :icon_bow:

     

    mold_38_s.jpg   mold_39_s.jpg

     

    mold_37_s.jpg

    Hoping to return to duty with the Tampa Bay Garrison

    in New Member Introductions Archive

    Posted · Edited by Ripper_L

    Also, for all you guys that I'm assuming have your plates separated already, how do you connect them? What I was going to do is the same method I used on my thigh pieces, connect some snaps to a piece of plastic beneath the armor that is plastic welded to the connecting pieces while running black elastic straps between the snaps. Or is it more secure to secure straps directly to armor with glue?<br><br><br>

    This. Is perfect. ;) glue is just less heat, so it may be easier. Do what you prefer, both ways should work.

  20. FX Armor

    in eBay Armor

    Posted

    FX armor can be made to Expert Infantry status (I'm the living example). The armor shown on eBay is a good start, even if it's not 100% accurate. In your case, I'd make this armor 501st approved. It's a good practice before building a high standard kit. Also you'd be onboard already, so it's easier to get in touch with the right people. Just my opinion, think of it.

    Hoping to return to duty with the Tampa Bay Garrison

    in New Member Introductions Archive

    Posted

    Hi Chris and welcome back!<br>

    Looks like a decent set of armor for me! :D I recently took my FX armor to "Expert Infantry" status. It's not a miracle and definitely possible with your one too.<br>

    Apart of getting a new helmet, you will need a holster (ANH style). For the button issue: just glue on any button with ~ the same size. The color doesn't matter, you will have to paint them anyway to match the current CRL.It's only a small step to approval - good luck!

  23. Where, What and Whom To Avoid When Buying

    in Getting Started - Read this First!

    Posted · Edited by gmrhodes13
    link not working removed

    On 12/19/2015 at 3:08 AM, Jinsei said:

    Well was just taking a look as a new garrison member bought a kit off of TKArmour.com, the kit piece photo's are EXACTLY the same as the photos off Stormtrooper City. Are they the same company? If they are seems like they are just widening their net in attempt to snag unwary buyers. If they aren't the same company both are claiming that they make their own amour from their own molds......

     

    TKArmour

    Just saw this here. They are not copying from each other. It's the same company. The two guys are settled in France and UK. But they don't sell the recasted FX anymore. I had some contact with them and it seems like they made their own molds now. Material is very stable, but the armor is not perfectly accurate. (But much better than a FX is) Maybe worth it to make a new comparison.

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