TK-Tom

$300.00 for the Elite version shipped, which is what I got. $160.00 for the B Grade, which is pretty good too, from what I hear. Finally, $240.00 for the Regular E-11

Yes, "Hyperfirm Rubber" http://www.hfxproductions.com/

So this came in yesterday~ My Elite E-11 from HFX

So I had to reglue my Left shin front cover strip, just the top 25% so I added a couple reinforcements inside also. I also experienced my first goof. I put glue on the ENTIRE Right shin rear cover strip, when I should have only put glue on the Right shin rear half that gets the cover strip. I did not put the cover strip on the Right shin, I just cleaned it off best I could, will let dry overnight, then really clean it up to new, and do it right tomorrow night. I should be able to do the Left rear as well. What a doh! moment.

TY!

Question on the Sniper Plate, one side has a longer edge than the other, do I trim those to match?

I will have to take a look at the other side, I think it is flush with the return edge top on the other side. If not, I will trim down cover strip. Thx~

Oh yeah, on the Left Thigh, I did glue in some reinforcements. Did not need them anywhere else...

Got me some Imperial Binders as well...

I worked on fitting the shins to my calves, the Left calve armor was the really big one, the Right calve armor seemed to be just right for my calve. Was following UKSWrath build tutorial, (The Build Bible), and I did not see where he did any measurements with the ankle part wrapped around the boot. Its one thing to fit it to your bare leg, but if it doesn't fit around the boot, your in trouble. So I fit the armor around the boot (mine are size 13) so the ankle area needed to be bigger than I like but it will fit with my foot in the boot. I glued the front cover strips on both halves of each shin at the same time, so I will only have to do the rear cover strip on the one halve of each the next night and be ready to put on velcro. I was going to do the bra clip method, I'm not sure. I have the materials, I should do that. Decisions, decisions. Any way, after these are done, I should be ready for a first full fitting, then some tweaks I'm sure, then just work on the helmet. So here are my shin pics...

Thighs are done, so time to finally move onto the last item to be done...the shins.

Ok, as I lay sleepily in my bed last night, thoughts of revisiting my forearms came to mind. I think I need to trim the forearms down for fit at the wrist area. So I am thinking I would need to remove the rear cover strips, (I use E6000), and then cut a diagonal line from top to bottom, upper forearm having zero removed (because they fit fine up top), and angle down and out for the wrist area, about .5" off from both sides. Like a triangle cut, with the top of the forearm being the top point of the triangle. Is this how it should be done. Also, my bigger issue is the left forearm being bent. I cannot bend properly because part of the forearm hits the biceps, prevents the full bend, and then the forearm return edge digs into my arm. I have no real good idea on how to attack this. Tony, if you are out there, I could use your professional opinion :-) Here is a link to a short video showing the problem. https://www.dropbox.com/s/76q4hty8dnm8lcl/File%20Jul%2015%2C%205%2002%2043%20PM.mov?dl=0

Last night I hit the back of my thighs. Both sides at the same time. Guess you can tell which side I had some issues with.

A little something I have to keep reminding myself about the Anovos TK Kit I am building: I can understand everyone wanting to build this kit to perfection, and to keep it shiny brand new. But ths kit was modeled after the original TKs in ANH. So when you thing about thos TKs and how they looked, they were not symmetrical, which means this kit will be a PAIN to "get perfect", if that is even possible. Also, those ANH TKs lived in a "used" universe, meaning thay had imperfections, and were NOT shiny brand new. So to me, I am not worried if I have scratches (light scratches) in the armor, if things are not lined up 100% spot on, and if it gets a little dirty, so be it. It just adds that additional layer of authenticity for me. And that's what we are really after here with the 501st, as close to screen accurate as possible.

Have to say, I am pleasantly surprised. My front cover strips came out acceptable! While not 100% exactly centered where they should be, the 90-95% accuracy is something I am pleased with. There were a couple spots where I am adding more glue tonight, but happy trooper here~ I think I will put in some internal reinforcements but probably not an entire length cover strip.

I started with the fronts as well. I glued the cover strip to 1/2 of each thigh first night, then second night (last night) I glued the other thigh half to each cover strip. The right thigh seemed easy, but the left...holy hell~ And I have not tried the backs yet. I may have to do 1/2 cover strip on one side again for the Left thigh back. I should be able to complete the right thigh back cover strip at one time.

Last night - the night from hell~ Right Thigh butt joint glue to cover strip fine...Left Thigh, what a $@"&)(><}%%£ pain in the &$*#%^* a$$ that was! Here's to hoping I don't have to re-glue tonight! It was a nightmare trying to get the 2nd half of the thigh to fully sit on the cover strip. Good thing I did one half cover strip at a time, made it somewhat better. I don't know how you all did this but kudos, hats off to you!

Again, thx for the help!

Once again, another 'low' has become a 'high'. This roller coaster ride is almost over~ Just have Shins to do after thighs, then a first full fitting and helmet electronics.

Mission accomplished! Thighs trimmed for fit and glueing has begun.

Thx very much! I must have missed the 1/2" rule in your build info. This clears things up for me.

Did you use the overlap method and divide the amount of overlap between the two halves to trim? If so, the pic you posted above does not look that way.

I need to trim down the Left Thigh. Way too much room inside. On your Anovos Build page, you measured the top and bottom of both thighs, you decided the left needed to get trimmed. Your Right Top measure was 25.5" and Right Bottom was 18.75" - your Top Left thigh measurement was 26.25" and your Left Bottom measurement was 20". You then drew green lines on the left thigh armor in the back, where to trim, but you did not show measurements on how much to take off. That is what I am after. I can then calculate mine, based on my measurements. It looks like the Left Inner Thigh half, you did a straight down trim, but the Left Outer Thigh half, you do an angled cut (wide at top to narrow at bottom) I need to do the same, but I am not sure how much to take off on each side. Do you have that info, or your thinking on how you calculated it? Thx~ This is your pic that I am referring to...

Working on thighs now, right thigh is ready to assemble. Left thigh has alot of room that I can cut out from the back. Following your build notes, you say to measure the top and bottom of both left and right then make cut lines and trim. But there were no measurements. I am not sure how much to take off, do I take off from both rear sides, do i angle the trim (wide at the top, narrow at the bottom)? Here are some pics...(I am really stuck and cannot move on now. Seems like the kit is getting harder instead of easier, the closer I get to the finish line.) Any help would be awesome! TIA~