TheRascalKing

Mandatory Information Name = Justin R. TK ID = 61490 Forum Name = TheRascalKing Legion Profile = https://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=26076 Garrison/Squad = Southern California Garrison, Orange County Squad Armor = Anovos Helmet = Anovos V3 (modified with TrooperBay ESB decals, @justjoseph63 hardware, @ukswrath mic tips) Base Suit Centurion Thread Link = Optional Height = 6ft 0in, or 183cm Weight = 175lbs, or 80kg Boots = Imperial Boots Ammo belt = Anovos Canvas belt = Imperial Issue Holster = Darman's Props Hand Plates = AM Snowtrooper-style Gloves = Rubber chemical gloves Neck Seal = Darman's Props Armor Photos Helmet Off (not adjusted) Full Body Front Full Body Back Full Right Full Left Action Shot Helmet Detail Photos Front Left Right Back Interior S-trim Detail Vocoder and Hovi Mic Tip Detail Lens Color (Backlit if necessary) Accessory Photos Neckseal Thermal Detonator Ammo Belt Boots Blaster (ESB, no Hengstler, no power cells, D-ring) Optional Interior Strapping Abdomen Detail Cod Details Handguards and Gloves (Rubber Glove/Elastic Option) Sniper Knee Attachment (glue) Thigh Ammo Pack Attachment (single-cap rivets) Belt Box Back Detail (fully closed) Wrist Return Edge Detail (none present) Right Ab Snap Detail Left Side (rivets) and Kidney Notch Detail Shoulder Bridge Attachment (glue) Thanks for looking @shashachu, @justjoseph63, and @TKSpartan ! I definitely appreciate you guys! 3 for 3, let's do it!

Alright, time for an update to finish out this thread! I took some photos to show the things that needed to be changed to convert to ESB. Helmet I finished modding the new Anovos helmet from earlier, adding the mic tips and finishing the interior. Front Left Right Back Interior Gloves and Handguards I trimmed down the AM Snowie-style handguards and E6000'ed some 1" elastic into them to pair with my rubber gloves. I decided not to go with the satin ones because I didn't feel like sewing and usually troop in a pair of specific lightweight gloves, so I would only ever wear em for photos (like my rubber gloves). Belt and Holster I use snaps to attach my plastic belt to my canvas belt, which allows me to detach it and ROLL my Imperial Issue canvas belt so that I don't put strain on the insert by folding it in my tiny crate. It also allows me to use the same plastic belt for all three of my TK variants (ANH-S, HWT, and ESB) that I use the base suit for. I paired it with a ESB holster from Darman's Props and opted for the 8oz leather, which is sturdy, looks excellent, and has the correct LOOPS instead of rivet attachments. It is set up to be worn on the RIGHT side of the belt, instead of the left. That's pretty much it! I did not need to make any permanent changes to the base suit for a successful conversion - just added a few new parts. Aaaaaand I actually already submitted to our GMLs and received my approval this weekend, I'm happy to say! Next stop, EIB and Centurion! Thanks for reading and I hope this helps someone out!

Well these are pretty rad. @mr paul - you sellin these babies? I'd love some for my ROTK.

Slightly longer answer - Jim "Jimmiroquai" Tripon's flexible fiberglass kit is probably as close to the screen used injection molded material as we're going to get due to the incredible cost of the tooling. I've seen a couple of makers coming out with CHEAP ABS kits and in my opinion, they just don't look as good. You can't pull the kind of detail you need in ABS, so there ends up being a weird mix of 3D printed, resin cast, and ABS parts. People also assume because of the white ABS that like ANH, they won't have to paint these suits, which is DEFINITELY the most difficult part (strapping is probably #2, as there really isn't much to the assembly or trimming like there is with ANH), but with the mix of materials, you absolutely should paint the entire suit and helmet to match. As for helmets, the BS conversion was a great option when they were like $80USD on Amazon, but I've seen prices fluctuated up to $300 lately, which is absolutely not worth it for the amount of work that needs to go in. I know 850 is not currently offering a helmet, and that HSP is offering a resin (I believe) one, with separate detail pieces. It looks okay. Nico Henderson's 3D file went up in price (to $70 now, I believe?) but I've seen some absolutely beautifully finished ones, so I daresay it's worth the price if you intend to sand and paint it properly (god I hate print lines). Jim's helmet appears to be a cleaned up version of the BS (there are a few telltale signs like the mic tip area for one) and is one solid piece of fiberglass - I reinforced mine with additional resin and am pretty darn happy with the quality and details. Jim's isn't perfect, but the sculpts and proportions on both "legit" ABS makers I've seen just don't look quite right to me, in addition to being the wrong material. I recently saw that one was approved at Basic (I think the 1st ABS ROTK), so it can be done, but will take a lot of work - probably more than Jim's. The downside to Jim's is that it isn't cheap by comparison and shipping outside the Philippines can be pricey - I got mine as part of a large group order that bundled shipping, which reduced cost quite a bit. Just some food for thought when deciding between ANH, Jim's ROTK, and an ABS ROTK.

Received my approval today! Thanks to all for the kind words and encouragement! Next up, EIB and Centurion!

Yeaaa... It's tough to keep it tucked just right - it does flare a little and my luscious derriere makes it stick out a bit LOL We didn't go THAT hard on making adjustments since it was hot (and I don't have fans in this helmet yet haha) and these were just for Basic, but it's tricky every time I submit for Centurion... Speaking of which... You know I am! Thank you! Out of curiosity do the helmet-off and action shots actually count for judging typically or are they just there for fun/validation?

Good catch! Fixed them with much higher res uploads - thank you! Okay, now lay it on me! hahaha

Mandatory Information Name = Justin R. TK ID = 61490 Forum Name = TheRascalKing Legion Profile = https://www.501st.com/members/displaymemberdetails.php?userID=26076 Garrison/Squad = Southern California Garrison, Orange County Squad Armor = Anovos Helmet = Anovos V3 (modified with TrooperBay ESB decals, @justjoseph63 hardware, @ukswrath mic tips) Base Suit Centurion Thread Link = Optional Height = 6ft 0in, or 183cm Weight = 175lbs, or 80kg Boots = Imperial Boots Ammo belt = Anovos Canvas belt = Imperial Issue Holster = Darman's Props Hand Plates = AM Snowtrooper-style Gloves = Rubber chemical gloves Neck Seal = Darman's Props Armor Photos Helmet Off Full Body Front Full Body Back Full Right Full Left Right Side Detail Left Side Detail Action Shot Other than the handguard spacing in the front photo, let me know if anything jumps out at you! Thanks for looking! *Fixed with higher res uploads - thanks for catching that, Glen!

That's what I did - took about 6" off them. And X-shaped as opposed to Y-shaped? Almost like someone thought of that before linking you ;P Literally the only place I glued on the entire suit was one side of the biceps. I'm afraid gluing and flexing it open anywhere else would damage the suit. Ultra thin Velcro all the way. For filling the oval, I did like a flexible 2-part epoxy, then a skim coat of filler over the top with good results. I'd caution against going straight to gloss white on the sanded fiberglass. 2X says it's primer but it's also about being able to SEE imperfections before final coat. I'm pretty sure you'll see a bunch of pinholes, especially around the edges, if you do. Spraying primer helped me find and sand these, as well as the high and low spots - especially in the thighs. Handguards might be okay, but prime the thighs forsure, imo.

The studio suit thighs were made using an overlap with elastic closure at the back as well. I imagine Jim makes the thighs extra large with this in mind, but they probably hold shape through shipping better before being cut if they're in one piece. I didn't mess with any of my coverstrips and it fits decent thank goodness.

Heck yea. It should hold as long as you need it to, but can be removed if you REALLY want (use pliers, gently lol). I often scuff the surface underneath up to promote adhesion too.

Seconded on both counts! I also cut my single-snap nylon tabs to more rectangular and give them more surface area for the glue to grip...

Not goodbye, but see you again soon. Your enthusiasm and passion for this project was evident so I know how hard this decision must have been. But at the end of the day, it's just plastic space men dress up and real life comes first. We'll be here to support you when the time is right again. Best wishes my dude.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BLVEGHO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_8BsiH9AXfTDHq

More updates... Removing the painted on trap/tear details was a paaaaaaain. Just work slow and steady until they're gone. I'll be applying the decal set I got from TrooperBay! Looks pretty nice, but was not cheap ($26USD?!). I'm going to apply them using some decal application fluid so I can "float" them into place, then used a squeegee to remove any excess liquid. I like to use a small screwdriver to help position the decal so I don't have to touch the adhesive with my fingers. And there's the first one on there - actually fits pretty well considering it was clearly not made to fit exactly. They're symmetrical (the helmet isn't) and not quite "tall" enough, but really not bad. And two... Time for the front traps - these fit pretty well also, but were obviously a little crooked if you follow the shape. Just trimmed off the excess at the bottom, as it's hidden by the brow trim anyways. Decal application really isn't that exciting, but here it is with all of them on! Next up was spraying the frown black. Started masking... Then layed down some rattle can Satin black: Did about 3 coats from different angles... Removed the masking... yikes, gotta clean up that overspray and mask more carefully... And boom, more or less finished result: Time for finishing touches like the mic tips, lens, and interior assembly, but I knocked a big portion of the helmet build out this weekend... sweet!

You'll almost certainly need to, and I almost certainly wouldn't hahaha Rattle can is NOT the way to go unless you're somehow WAY more efficient than me. This sucked lol

I think it came out good! Definitely has some orange peel, but I expected that. It's very light in most places and maybe approaching medium in a few, but not a dealbreaker anywhere. Same with the white coverage - couple of tiny spots I missed, but overall pretty darn even and smooth. I'm happy with it. Might cut and buff the chest but otherwise I'll leave it be. Definitely no weird reactions, runs, or cracks. My prep largely paid off, it looks like. Sweet. You know, I sprayed just a matte black primer on the vocoder and it looks pretty good for "rubbery"... probably just that, I guess! Brought all the pieces inside this morning - will attempt to re-prep the garage and spray the rest today or tomorrow so they can dry and I can paint the colored details!

Dear Lord Vader help me, it's happening... DarthBiscuit put the fear of God in me (staying away from the Plastidip after all!) but I tried shooting final gloss white and clear today on about half of the parts in my garage. It's drying now after 2 coats of white (10 min between each, then a 30min break) and then 2 coats of SprayMax 2K gloss clear... man I hope turns out okay! I didn't have enough positive ventilation, so the ground is all white and sticky in my garage. Not my finest idea, but at least I masked the walls, table, and my crate I used to place some of the smaller items on. Fingers crossed! Arms, legs, barrel, and helmet in a day or two.

Opened up the eyes all the way... Got my cut line marked out on the AM handguards... they come super big. How's that look? Also disassembled the Hovi mic tips for a lick of white paint on the interior, and prepped the ears - opened up the holes to fit Joseph's slightly larger countersunk hardware, and decided to add extra rank bars. I use vinyl stickers because I can't freehand paint worth a d*mn and rock the "Captain" style since I occasionally like to wear an orange pauldron for funsies if there a ton of TKs at a troop... so even when I'm not canon, I'm accurate lol And got the mic tips holes drilled out to fit Tony's bolts. Progress! Reassembly soon...

Welcome and great work so far!

Masked the outside edge of both main pieces with painters tape and a garbage bag and sprayed the interiors with my favorite Rust-Oleum truck bed liner. Did about 5 coats, ten min apart or so. Removed the masking! Touched up the teeth and eyes with a brush. I think I'll be trying to emulate this helmet and will probably try to mask and paint the frown next!

Well, my ESB decals came in today from TrooperBay! They're definitely... symmetrical in shape. The helmet forsure isn't. We'll see how it looks! Still working on scrubbing the paint off... Goo Gone hasn't really worked, nor Novus... Mineral spirits? Suggestions anyone? Also, before I spray my interior black, can y'all confirm that these eye opening cut lines look proper? Theyre pretty much supposed to be maxed out to the edge for ESB, ya? Thanks!

I totally agree! I appreciate your attention to detail and that is a gorgeous kit - congrats!

I just shove em into a piece of cardboard and spray a couple light coats from each side. I could probably push em further down and keep it more out of the threads, but I want to make sure I hit the bottom of the countersunk head, in case it's visible. Luckily only the threads towards the bottom really even engage, so the paint won't bugger anything up. Thanks, Matt!