TK bondservnt

I just used the brush on way of adding the latex, and I mix white paint into the latex for the first 6 brush on layers. reduces shrinkage, and allows it to be white. when you brush on latex mould building rubber it cures when thin very quickly. in a warm environment I can usually get 5-6 brush on layers in a single day. if you pour the latex into the mould, and then it shrinks. if you brush on thinner layers with paint added it slows the shrinkage, and cures faster. for my own personal handplates I used the AP handplate itself as a mould. this produces a curved surface all across the handplate. at the wrist, it's curved, and at the thumb it's angled downwards. in the photo above the handplate is not glued to the glove at all. it's just sitting on top of my hand. you can clearly see the curve all across the wrist, and the angle downwards from the center outwards to the thumb. I should make a pair and send them over for you to look at...

I believe he's mentioning an curve, or angled plate that follows the curve of a hand. the back of the hand being flat, and the thumb area being angled downwards.

that stuff is completely wrong!

I think that we all learn from what's out there. that's what I'm saying. like when we learned from the original FX. it's all a learning process... and I'm being positive about my comments in all these aspects. every time TM has modified his moulds, he just keeps getting better and better. and you can clearly see that he has not recast anything, his parts are different in shape, from his exhaustive study of the original form, from original photos. not photos of TE. photos of the originals. that's what I believe TM has become quite expert at doing. the photographic study, and his results are stunning!

I don't use an inner belt, I just attach the thigh straps to the inside of my armor, and snap and velcro to the top of the thigh from there. much easier than dealing with a set of extra belts, and garters. my 2 cents. 2" wide seems to be enough to handle it.

novus polish.

it's about a 30 dollar savings for usa people, that's why I'm saying it.

whenever I look at that photo, and I look at the most recent TM kit, my only desire would that some of the curves be reduced just a small amount. the overall form that TM has established, and his work is getting so close, that he must have been working from the TE line of armor as a basis for his kit. when I compare the ATA kit, to the AP kit, since I have them both here in my shop... I see details I wish were involved in the AP kit. wouldn't it be a much nicer world if we could get ATA kits in abs? then we'd have somthing to really compare! the originator of the TE line says in his videos that the suit his friends salvaged from the bin at elstree studios says that they only gave him one arm set. then we see the other arm "ressurected" in the TE line of sculpts. makes you wonder where he got the other arm from? also, AP says that he reworked the forearms, and after extensive looks at the ATA kit, and other photos, there are major differences between the kits. in the area of the belt, there is a major difference between AP and ata belt plastics! whenever I look at the TM hero helmet, and some of the builders, like keith, or mark G, on these TM helmets, the detail is stunning!

I mentioned that TK boots might be making them in black. and their price is lower than those shire jodphurs. that's what I'm talking about billy. I have formally asked them in several e-mails that black would be a good option to offer, and they wrote back that they would look into the materials.

I have hips plastic sitting here in my living room, and there's no way I'd consider wearing hips, without priming, sanding and making stronger the plastic for an hips set. Te2 and ATA are both far too brittle, and weak to just strap up, and polish with a buffer. how in the world are you going to polish with a buffer into the low parts of a hips suit? even in the polish thread, the writer explains that he's making a sandy helmet out of hips, so he does not intend to polish up the low spots, or the hard to reach areas. how in the world is someone going to polish up a belt box? or a knee plate? ok, sure... we can have a little shine, but it's not going to cut it in the strength dept. and hey there stig... how would you like me to paint up your armor for you? you purchase it, assemble it, and leave the knee plate off the shin, and leave the power cell plate off the thigh, and you purchase the paint, and primer, and I'll paint the armor for you. 50$ plus you cover shipping. I cannot promise that it will be "perfect" but it won't have orange peel, or runs in the paint. I'll wet sand the final coat and wax it too... I also have to add that it takes about 10-15 cans of paint to cover a suit. the last armor build I did cost 140$ for paint and primer. and I spent 200$ just to outfit my paint booth with lights, and a air conditioning system.

ok... for post 1001 I'm going to have to thank everyone for all the excellent advice, criticism. opinions both positive and negative. and finally I'd like to offer a shout out to the most influential members of this detachment: Paul h. our leader - without him I'd be wearing a modded FX kit, and probably would have been upset about it! troopermaster - the most accurate armor maker around. without his understanding, I would not want to buy even more armor! Mark H. - I'm wearing his kit, and I must say I'm very happy with the way it takes all the abuse! ( I have 3 helmets from his work so far! ) fireblade jedi - for the challenging debates, and excellent advice! andy19422 - The man who acomplished what nobody else could! a gold metal socket hengstler, a real scope- in my hands! Thayne G. - at an armor clinic in sacramento you showed me that with the proper amount of understanding and research we can accept and modify almost any kit into EIB standards, even the rubies kit, can be made into ROTJ! your example, and leadership in our garrison is much valued! there are far too many here to mention fully, it would take probably another 500 posts just to explain how much STAR WARS information I've gained in the last 2 years of constant research and planning to begin to become an E-11 blaster nut. my main goal at this point is the creation of blasters with triggers that work, and are ready for the mounting of electronix. metal cold cast parts in the original finish style, ready for users to paint up according to their weathering style. it's going to take several more months of study and work, but I'm getting there! thanks FISD. because of you, my costume does not suck. a few photos: thanks andy19422 upset about somthing, maybe it's that wedgie? ESB style: ANH style hero: ANH style stunt: thanks again to everyone!

painting is actually a process that you can fix with light grades of sandpaper. 1200 1600 types like that. even the primer can be sanded. painting is somthing that needs to happen with hips, because it's so thin. then it's just like waxing a buffing a car after that.

I have asked them to make black ones too! they probably will...

thanks billy, yeah... I just thought I'd point out the differences for people who didn't know, just from the photos! cheers!

only thing I would add is that you should attach any leg parts with rivets AFTER you paint up all the glued parts. it's much easier to paint the knee plate, and the power cell thigh plate before you rivet them. if attached to the shin, and thigh part prior to painting, this complex setup would cause a lot of paint runs, and fix up work. hope this helps to clarify some important details! so remember to paint up those knee plates and thigh plates before attaching them. this also goes for the thighs themselves... it's always best to paint the assembled thighs and the rivet attached parts separately, then once the paint is cured, rivet those parts together.

that weird al troop was one of mine... welcome to the ranks kevin. look for terrell, he's the boss 'round these parts!

nice job! only thing I see is that the holster is showing too much tan strap. there should only be about an inch of tan showing. other than that just showing us the separated butt plate, that's my guess... did I miss anything? nice looking job! after looking for a few more minutes, the Thermal Detonator cannister looks just a little too long 7.5 inches total should be the dimensions. but that should not stop you from EIB...

now that's the main reason we wear armor. that package needs protection during and after service to the empire. people ask me if they can see/shoot my blaster. my answer is always, "lord vader says NO." if people ask if the costume is real, I just say my TK number and detachment motto. :"TK 2392- 501st legion Central california garrison" the empire wants you!~

if you look at the ankle parts, the longest part that extends lower is the outside, and the inner part that is shorter is the inside of the ankle. when assembled right, the outsides of the ankles are longer.

ya know... an APEX kit is the way to go with somthing like that. trooping with a sterling and it's weight is nothing. always talking about how much it weighs, and always wanting a blaster that is light, but indestructable seems a little un-usual to me. whenever I take my resin sterling out, and with the real scope, and hengstler, there is only a positive reaction when I hand the blaster to someone, they almost always say- "wow, that blaster is nice! and it's got a good weight to it too...!!!" the m38a scope as pictured in the auction, while a nice piece of history, was not actually used in the films. none of the scopes have the LED port on the top. while these scopes are in the area of the M38-m40 scope and they actually work as scopes... it was the M38 (with no letter following) and the M40 and the M19 scope that were used. m38a not used- here's the APEX kit photo: and the link to the site: APEX sterling SMG parts kit when you build up a kit like this you have to be aware of BATF guidelines in your state. the hardest parts to find can be magazines. and batf does not like cut down magazines with original parts inside them. they have to be rendered non-operable especially in california. even a single tube, can be considered by some tough interpreters in the BATF to be "an attempt" to make a machine gun. heh heh... billy! you are quick! about simon's blaster some things I noticed: that trigger group: it's painted silver and looks like a home made part with the lower grip added. the silver paint shows the strange details. the folding stock looks like it has the ridges from the canadian version which is nice and everything, but it's also not on the L2A3 version sterling that we're all used to seeing. (sorry if anyone does not understand the differences between the original sterling, the canadian sterling or for that matter the new zealand sterlings...) post disclaimer: I'm smiling and happy when I write this post, because the quest for accuracy sometimes can be considered a little weird!

I'm in the reflection camp on this one.

both is always better!@

if you look at ainsworth's video, he used a reducer plate to make the forming area smaller. then used a clamping frame that is smaller. you can actually watch him form smaller lenses on the formech platen.

a new pack design from john! woo hoo! now move that hose over your shoulder and not under and we have a winner!

I say paint it.