zanzabar

Gluing in some buttons and making straps today. Suspenders for the torso to keep the weight off my hips a little. and some straps to keep it closed in the back. The suspenders kept sliding off my shoulders so I sewed in a cross bar to keep them together. I noticed some straps coming from the waist to the cod piece in a reference photo and it gave me an idea. made a crotch strapping that goes from my belt like a jock strap and then magnet the cod piece to the straps. This way I have lots of movement and if I need the space it will break free and stick back in place after. I noticed a few reference pics from the movie have the cod piece dislodging quite a bit so it should be realistic. Plus I can snap it away to go to the bathroom. Here is the reference photo zoomed up on the straps. Also I can see down the side of the thy to connect the upper leg armor like a garter. It also looks like it's sheathed in some black material. So I made this The magnets are in a slotted pouch so they have some movement to adjust to meet the magnets on the cod piece and give some room to move around. Only 4 magnets so far I may need to add another big one to hold it down better It all goes together well and I'm planning on doing the same thing to but plate.

First thing to do with fiberglass is wash it. Most of my good info on fiberglass comes from automotive sites and they all say wash is the first thing. There is a mold release agent left over on it and it will prevent adhesion not just with the mold but paint and glue. So... I want paint and glue to stick so I washed it. Also that was a big tip from a friend of mine who has made a lot of kits and when someone as experienced as James says wash it first then not taking that advice is just silly. In the bath it goes and my armor gets washed with some blue dawn and rinsed well so there is no soap left over.

BBB day for me and thus starts the journey to making my ROTK Everything was packaged well and in good order I also ordered the undersuit from Jimmy and it looks very well made. I like having a specially made undersuit for a TK instead of just whatever black clothing I can find. The neck seal is a little big on me but everything else fits perfect. I sent over the measurement he asked for And it was all very reliable except as I said the neck. I'm not happy with the visibility of the zipper on the back of the neck but because I have so much room to work I can re cut it with something else to make it as I like it. The construction is very good and I'm excited to work with this material instead of ABS. The finish is good inside and out. I was reading about how the fiberglass inside would be unfinished and wear gloves while packaging but that's not my experience. It's all finished up and ready to start fitting. I am very impressed with the level of detail that Jimmy has produced and with how much is necessary for the ROTK version. Some sanding and filling yes but over all the finish on this kit looks very clean. So many pieces to put together. my first concern is the forearm pieces and how they will overlap. The material is thick so simple overlap looks funny and butting it together will be week. I will encounter this on all the pieces but the forearms are exposed at the wrist so easy for people to see if it's goofy. I believe that all the pieces are to be Velcro shut on the back or under side even the forearms which is different than my ANH TK so I can make them tighter and still be able to get in and out I also have another hole on the backplate that isn't on the reference photos. I see the small circle over the right shoulder but not the oval on the left. I'm assuming it's for a different version like the crystal trooper? I'll probably have to fill it shouldn't be a big deal. I am very excited to get started but want to take my time and do it right so I'll post pics as I get things done

Just got word my kit is on its way from Jim Tripon in the Philippines. I am very excited to get started on this kit. If you are going to make a tk you should probably make the best version of it. The rogue one version is very detailed and it wont be easy but nothing truly rewarding is. I am also going to aim for centurion on this project. I should have the kit in hand in about a week. I've never worked on fiberglass before, my anh to is abs. So I have no experiance sanding and painting but I pick things up quick. I am mostly concerned with patching the air pinholes. The bondo I am used to is less flexable than the fiberglassand I'm concerned it will crack under the paint and cause issues with the finish. I'm sure there is a better product around. Anyway. I will update as I go and hopefully I have enough time before Calgary expo to get this project finished.

Completely defining what this means to me in under 25 words is imposable but here it goes. Growing up all i wanted to do is play with star wars toys. Now at 41 all I want to do is play with star wars toys.