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TheRascalKing

Imperial Attaché[TK]
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Everything posted by TheRascalKing

  1. Stirred up some conversation over on the Facebook already, but figured this deserved a thread over here too. A screen matched Hero Stormtrooper costume from Star Wars - A New Hope (1977) has recently come up for auction, and the sales post contains some excellent photos of 1 of only 3 known surviving Hero suits/helmets out of the 6 made for the film. It is pretty much complete and in absolutely gorgeous condition. Enjoy. Per the Auction's description: Original Screen Matched Complete Hero Imperial Stormtrooper Costume from Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (TCF, 1977). Vintage screen matched original Hero Stormtrooper costume constructed of vacuum-formed ABS plastic components. This complete hero style helmet features a one-piece green bubble-shaped lens, original elastic chin strap, original mic-tips, original rubber brow and neck trims, and hand-painted details. Complete armor components include torso assembly (chest, back, abdomen, kidney, butt, and 2 ribbed shoulder connectors), left and right shoulder bells, left and right arm assemblies (biceps and forearm armor), left and right thigh armor, left and right shin armor, belt assembly (layered-stitched canvas fabric belt, ribbed front plate, 2 ammo drop boxes, and distressed leather holster), thermal detonator canister, and white brush-painted chelsea boots. All armor components are assembled and held together with original metal hardware and elastic strapping. Also included is it's original off-the-shelf thin black leather belt which was used to attach the thigh armor to the actor. This belt is the only known example in existence to survive the entire production. Black spandex bodysuit added for display. There were only 6 hero style helmets made for the film, making this helmet only 1 of 3 hero helmets known to still currently exist. After filming was completed in England, this being 1 of 2 of the best condition remaining costumes were hand selected and sent back to the United States for additional pick-up shots such as the 'space trooper' standing at the entrance of Death Star Docking Bay 327 as the Millennium Falcon is drawn in by the tractor beam. This particular Stormtrooper is prominently featured throughout the film and can be screen matched sharing scenes with both Princess Leia as well as Darth Vader. It was also featured in the Donny and Marie Star Wars Special (1977), the Star Wars Holiday Special (1978), and the 50th Academy Awards (1978). This incredibly rare and special Stormtrooper costume rich with history is the most complete and best condition example known to exist from the first original Star Wars film (1977). Exhibits age, production wear and handling, discoloration, scuffing, small cracks, crazing, and minor paint loss. Comes with a COA from Heritage Auctions. Suit Gallery Helmet Details It has been confirmed to match the suit seen throughout the film, as shown: Link to Auction HERE
  2. I'm out here in Orange County, CA, USA. Unsure how up to date it is, but you may find @11b30b4 's thread helpful. https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/45105-rogue-one-tk-builds-roster/
  3. Oh I do see that now! Clips should be facing forward, correct. Appreciate the tip and will label better!
  4. Cod and forearms are from Imperial Surplus and are TFA version... Spoilers
  5. First nearly-full suit up! Belt and ab boxes are next, along with some fine tuning, but I'm pretty happy for its first time being worn! Grabbed the wrong helmet on my way out of the workshop, oh well. More updates soon.
  6. Popping in with an update just in case anyone was worried I'd given up.... Not this time. I've been prioritizing getting stuff done over posting about it, but have been taking photos along the way. I've had setback after setback with first attempting unsuccessfully to slurry weld my parts together, then to fill and paint them. It's been a journey of constant frustration to meet my own high standards, frankly. My enthusiasm for the project has come and gone, and coupled with extreme heat in my garage workshop, an impending (but constantly delayed) move-in date to the home we just purchased, and my first child set to arrive at the end of November, progress has been sporadic. However, the pressure is on to figure this out and finish. I've been going through and adding additional photos and info in many of my previous posts, and will have several more coming, chronicling the trials and tribulations that have got me this far - ready for my first full suit up once it cools down this weekend. More to come. We're getting there...
  7. This has been asked and answered a million times (use the Search function!), but remains a hill I will die on. Rubber gloves are awful and the only time I ever wear them is for Centurion photos. I troop in Southern California where it is is currently 95°F/35°C regularly and I have literally seen troopers take off their rubber gloves and POUR sweat out of them. Adding cotton inner gloves to just soak up the sweat is ridiculous to me. I can assure you that average fans (and even confirmed our LFL reps) absolutely do care about your gloves, so this is one where comfort and heat safety trump L3 accuracy all day, every day. The Nomex gloves are better, but still quite thick and I don't like the leather palm and strip that is on most of them (and glaringly inaccurate). I wear the most simple, thin, breathable all-black gloves that I can find. At present, those have typically been "running gloves", which can be a bit challenging to find without logos or adornments, but the below are a similar to what I currently wear and something similar may be available in your region. Unigear Lightweight Running Gloves Make smart choices, stay cool, wear rubber for L3.
  8. 78. OC Sea Country Festival - Laguna Niguel, CA - Sat. 8/26/23 (ANH-S #51, FTE #60)
  9. *TX-41691 Space Marine Re-Enlistment Ceremony - San Clemente, CA - Tues. 8/15/23 Not an official event, but figured I'd share some fun pics if you missed them on Facebook. FISD members of the Southern California Garrison and Imperial Sands Garrison showed up in force to support a friend and confuse some surfers. Our club brother Lucas is the kind of awesome, outgoing guy that you know would show up in plastic spaceman armor to support you in a heartbeat if you asked and he deserved a proper sendoff to go become a Space Marine for the glory of the Emperor. Wishing him the absolute best on his branch transfer from the Marines and re-enlistment into Space Force, and upcoming training in Colorado. Photos by Karen S. (1st) and Zachary D. (remaining) Some fun facts by the numbers! In these photos there are: - 11 ANH-S Stormtroopers & 1 Inferno Squad Cdr. Iden Versio (Lucas' girlfriend) - 2 additional Marines in armor - 4 EIB & 3 Centurions - 2 GMLs & 2 FISD Attaches - 5 different armor makers (ATA, RS, Anovos, MTK, AP) - 3 troopers who appeared in The Mandalorian - 5 troopers who appeared in Obi Wan Kenobi - 2 out of 6 total FISD Armorers - 1 trooper who it was her first time wearing her armor out, all the way up to a GML who has been trooping for almost a decade - troopers who live less than 20 minutes away, to troopers who drove at least an hour to arrive by 7am Pretty cool turnout to support our buddy during his ceremony!
  10. IMO, get the Keep Trooping ones (echoing - order a full size up), or Crow Props if you have weird shaped/sized feet (send Gio measurements).
  11. I'm on a good one and may bust this out into its own thread, but the next two are for once you're ready to glue. I'm sure there's another supply list thread out there but some of these are specific, and the links are current. If you are a first time builder, I STRONGLY recommend you use E6000 glue and utilize interior cover strips first during your build. CA glue has its time and place, and pros who can get it right on the first time often swear by it, but E6000 is the correct choice for this armor. The downside is that it does take time to dry and therefore you need to clamp your pieces together firmly for best results. Spring Clamps FASTPRO Nylon Plastic Spring Clamps, 4 sizes - $18.99 USD on Prime for a 12 pack at time of post Spring clamps are awesome and easy to use for the first half of your build when you're gluing in your underside cover strips, and for the ends of your joined pieces. It's nice to haver several and a few different sizes to suit your needs. Magnets N52 Neodymium Rare Earth Magnet Discs, 18x3mm - $65.00 USD with free shipping on eBay for 50 at time of post Clamps are cool, but will only get you so far once you start joining complete pieces together. To help clamp your coverstrips tight, I recommend N52 rare earth magnets, and have found that the 18x3mm are usually the perfect size and strength for armor building. The link above is the cheapest I've been able to find for the VERY SPECIFIC magnets that I like to use, but these are simply the best I've found. But BE WARNED - these magnets can and will jump over a foot to come together, and can shatter and throw sharp pieces that can and will cut you. Many times, I have also been pinched and caused blood blisters or other skin injury. These things are powerful and brittle, and DO NOT MESS AROUND. Always place them very intentionally, and I like to test and alternate the polarities while placing them in a line - that way they are always pushing AWAY from each other, and not tempted to pull together and stack. Remove them after 24 hours just as carefully. I sometimes double up for areas that need a little extra persuasion, and always scuff the surface I'm gluing with sandpaper or an emory board for maximum mechanical adhesion. As for how many you need - I've found that once I'm done trimming, my build is often only limited by how many pieces I can have simultaneously gluing, which is limited by how many clamps and magnets I have. So buy as many as you can reasonably afford - I recommend 50, as you undoubtedly will lose a few to cracking.
  12. Alright, I'll join the fun in case any of these haven't already been said or linked. I've learned a lot over the years and there's a few that I can't believe I ever lived without. I'll try to rank them by necessity in hindsight, though not necessarily the order in which I discovered or acquired them. Always try to search and see if you have a local hobby store you can support first when searching for supplies, but otherwise, I've included Amazon or direct links to a lot of these. Some may be regional, but will at least give you an idea of what to search for in a marketplace available to you. I'll try to add more if I get bored, but these are all products I have purchased and really gotten a lot of utility out of. We'll start with trimming, but I do love editing posts to improve them. A Respirator or Dust Mask (at minimum) So one thing many of the tools below have in common is that they love to make a lot of dust, so I would be remiss if I did not include a link to some PPE. I recommend the highest quality you can afford - remember, you're not just avoiding breathing in the dust that is created when you sand ABS, but also the vapors that are created as it heats up. I wear a half respirator whenever I am sanding or messing with chemicals or ABS. I've had cancer once, I don't need it again, thank you. Protect your lungs, wear a mask. 3M Rugged Comfort Quick Latch Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator 6502QL - $29.99 USD on Prime at time of post and 3M P100 Respirator Cartridge/Filter 60926, 1 Pair - $35.49 USD on Prime at time of post A Dremel/Rotary Tool Even a cheap one is worth its weight in gold if you accompany it with a nice variety of bits to spin up. There is a wide range of rotary tools, with the Dremel brand being among the more popular (though I myself currently use a Milwaukee M12 Rotary), in a variety of speed capabilities, battery-operated and corded options (I like cordless), and prices, but this is an essential tool for any maker. This USB rechargeable cordless starter kit is perfect if you don't have one, but upgrading to one with more juice or in your swappable battery family is worthwhile. Dremel Lite 7760 N/10 4V Li-Ion Cordless Rotary Tool Variable Speed Multi-Purpose Rotary Tool Kit - $64.00 USD on Prime at time of post Abrasive Flap Wheel Sanders (80 Grit) - $7.89 USD on Prime for a 10-pack at time of post A rotary is only as good as what you spin up with it, and these are by far my favorite tool for final trimming armor after rough cutting with lexan shears and/or the belt sander. Because of their size, you can get nice clean lines and curves, and variable cut with the amount of pressure you apply. I've started using these way more than the traditional drum sander as shown above. Just make sure you're wearing a respirator. Emory Boards / Sanding Sticks These were a game-changer. So obvious, but I saw Adam Savage using these in a Tested video and I haven't really used sandpaper much since. There might be a better link out there, but these ones hold up well and have two medium grits (180/240) to choose from. I often use them to dress the edges of my TK kits (in addition to the Shaviv tool Caleb linked above) so they're smooth and don't cause armor bite or wear on my undersuit. ZMOI Professional Nail Files (180/240) - $7.99 USD on Prime for a 12 pack at time of post A Belt Sander A belt sander is so helpful for creating smooth, straight lines... so key in TK assembly. Most of your armor pieces join at flat lines or have gentle curves that a basic belt sander can trim handily. I use this thing for a ton of other projects too. When it finally wears out, I'll invest in a nicer one - it's worth it. Harbor Freight - CENTRAL MACHINERY 4 in. x 36 in. Belt and 6 in. Disc Sander - $84.97 USD online at time of post (always check their website/flyers for in-store coupons!)
  13. *sigh* In my opinion, Anovos is the best looking armor out there and it has been seen at the Centurion level and even on screen, many many times. The company had trash business practices that led to their demise and spot on the Avoid list, but the armor is top-tier and still quite valuable secondhand NIB. But as stated... It either fits or it doesn't. The Anovos plastic is very difficult to color match, and there are no spare parts. Buying fully assembled costumes secondhand is always a HUGE gamble and I only advise it if you can try it on and inspect it before purchasing.
  14. I'd definitely recommend having some contacts on hand for when you wear your helmet - glasses fog up pretty quick without taking extensive measures, though the FOTK helmet has more room in it for airflow than most. You're in the right place for Stormtroopin' though, welcome!
  15. Hey all, please be aware that the vendor *RubberBlastersEtc should be avoided at all costs*. They have been removed from every Legion forum and the proprietor banned from the Clubs due to confirmed previous conviction of the most severe type of criminal charges. Please DO NOT support this individual or recommend/link their page, and always research and check your Detachment/relevant forums for lists of vetted vendors and those to avoid BEFORE making any significant purchases. Due to the sensitive nature of the topic, I am not inviting discussion but you can PM me if you have pressing concerns. Thank you. My goal is for the only thing to show up when people Google or search any 501st forum is a post clearly stating not to support this individual. It is potentially damaging to the FISD and Legion in general when members leave reviews citing their membership and support, and members should be strongly deterred to avoid the perception that the Legion in any way approves of or is affiliated with this vendor.
  16. Remember that there was an incredible amount of variation among the actual screen-used suits back in the day. Our guidelines about rivets, placement of pieces, Hero vs Stunt and everything are based in truth, but absolutely not hard fact. I doubt it is 'real' ANH armor as well, but one of them looks like possibly ROTJ style, and there were touring and exhibition suits that might have remained in better condition too. I would say with a high degree of confidence that this is not the case. I live about an hour south of the exhibit and have been meaning to make it up to LA again, so I'll try to go and take some pics and get answers for y'all next time I'm in the area. In the meantime, some extra photos from the internet. There seams to be two suits - an ROTJ style as below, and an ANH Hero style. I'd doubt the authenticity of both, but especially the Hero. The plaque seems to read "Luke Skywalker Storm Trooper" and reference A New Hope. Looks like they have a Sandy too? Pretty sure the "Look, sir - droids!" Helmet is in the LFL Archives, so the whole things stinks to me...
  17. I generally agree. I think it should specify that they are not rubber gloves for L1 and proper ones as shown/described should be L2 and up.
  18. Remember, having a public facing website where you sell a notoriously litigious company's intellectual property for personal profit is a great way to get a cease-and-desist letter from the Mouse. Some companies operate in countries where they don't have to care, but many makers are intentionally low-key. There's a reason that research is strongly suggested before spending potentially thousands of dollars on any hobby.
  19. Those are pop rivets. Hold that part with pliers (not the washer) and drill them out from the other side, or sometimes you can clip the bulb at the end there off with side cutters.
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