TM suit.

[Daetrin[Admin]]

And TM armor is...what? Yes, it should. Right now that history is focusing on the lineage of screen used suits. Eventually it will need to be expanded to include fan sculpts, e.g. RT, FX, TM.

 

It should be noted there are several desires for people getting armor:

 

1) Closest to screen used

2) Closets representation to seen on screen

3) Close enough on a budget

 

Also note that not everyone wants to do an ANH/ESB. It's kind of ironic that people who want to do an ROTJ version have to mod their suits quite heavily when it was ROTJ that started it.

[BactaReality]

These "promo" pics, orginally posted by Veedox on the RPF, are what sealed the deal on my decision to pick up a TM kit.

This armor is... how you say,.. the shiznit?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mrfurious]

stunning

[Veedox]

These "promo" pics, orginally posted by Veedox on the RPF, are what sealed the deal on my decision to pick up a TM kit.

This armor is... how you say,.. the shiznit?

 

 

Let me say that I originally owned a high gloss styrene TE suit for about two and a half years before selling it in favor of my TM.

 

It was one of the last suits TE made. I requested that it be made up to resemble a "hero" suit (helmet). It is a nice suit, but every single part deviates from an ANH suit in some way or another.

This is due to it's tour suit and ROTJ origins. Also the resculpted bits aren't recreated very faithfully.

 

I actually owned both suits for about 2 months simultaneously and I can say confidently that part by part, the TM is superior, in both ANH accuracy and overall quality.

 

The fact that I promptly sold my 'rare' glossy TE should tell you how much faith I have in the TM sculpt.

 

Again, if you want hyper accurate ANH/ESB armor. TM is the way to go. If you want an accurate, yet incomplete ROTJ suit, Gino is the way to go (not counting the helmet).

 

Like Daetrin said, it is ironic that the armor that is sourced from ROTJ (TE, TE2, GF, Gino) has to be heavily modified to look like ROTJ again.

 

In the end, with these armor sets, they all end up looking like no particular suit on screen. They don't look like ANH/ESB or ROTJ...so, what's the point?

[troopermaster]

Thanks for posting those pics Adrian. Those are the ones I was going to post, so you have saved me the job

 

I have to agree with everything Chris has said. I could quite easily chip in to the armour history thread, but, it is about the original moulds that were made from real suit's and not my hand made moulds.

 

I am looking forward to seeing what armour Gino turns out, but so far from that pic he posted, I'm not impressed.

[mrfurious]

Paul, did you have any training or background in making props etc??

[troopermaster]

No training. I was always one of the best in my art classes at school and most of my family are artistic too, must be in the genes I had never sculpted anything before I started my trooper project either. I learned everything from the studiocreations website and bought the recommended book by Thurston James about moulding and casting, as well as vacuum forming.

 

Studiocreations

 

I started it in 1999 and it took me nearly two years before I pulled my first suit. From then on, I have been honing my skills and learning new techniques, as well as studying all the ANH suits and constantly adapting my moulds to be as accurate as they can possibly be.

[GINO]

Anything scratch built will always be at the bottom of the barrel in terms of screen accuracy.

 

Even the best sculptors in the world could not duplicate the surface nuance found on the original armor. Size and proportions, maybe but that's all, and I don't think the TM suit did that very well either.

 

Adding anh specific details does not compensate or equal out the fact that it is scratch built.

TM armor might look good in photos and have some of these details (although not recreated accurately), but when each piece is compared to the real stuff it totally does not hold up to close inspection.

If all you've ever had was an GF/AP or TE, a lot of the originality has already been removed through means of clean up so is probably not the best comparison. However...

 

The suckiest worst recast set of rotj armor you could find, would still have better lineage and be more film accurate than anything scratchbuilt. Period.

 

Since there was never a set of original anh armor cast, the best anyone could ever hope for is an anh style set made from very carefully, minimalistically, and accurately, reverse engineered rotj molds.

 

That's what I'm doing. But don't judge what I have now as it's not completed, but when it is done, it will be as close as anyone could possilbly get to screen accurate anh armor until an original anh set is cast.

[mrfurious]

hats off to you then paul, as indeed you are the Troopermaster.

 

superb stuff

[troopermaster]

The suckiest worst recast set of rotj armor you could find, would still have better lineage and be more film accurate than anything scratchbuilt. Period.

 

I would agree with that too, but I am not claiming my suit it to have any lineage what so ever. In fact, I am not claiming anything.

 

I hope you do a good job of recreating your ROTJ moulds as there is not one piece of the ROTJ that is the same as an ANH, not one. Looking forward to seeing what you can produce and if you really know all the ANH details.

[GINO]

I could have swore that I heard you (or others) claim that you had the most film accurate anh style suit.

I was saying that even pure rotj armor with no anh specific details is still closer to film accurate anh suits than anything scratch built.

 

And yes, I look forward to showing those details off including some ones that I know no one has ever known about.

[Veedox]

Anything scratch built will always be at the bottom of the barrel in terms of screen accuracy.

 

Even the best sculptors in the world could not duplicate the surface nuance found on the original armor. Size and proportions, maybe but that's all, and I don't think the TM suit did that very well either.

 

Adding anh specific details does not compensate or equal out the fact that it is scratch built.

TM armor might look good in photos and have some of these details (although not recreated accurately), but when each piece is compared to the real stuff it totally does not hold up to close inspection.

If all you've ever had was an GF/AP or TE, a lot of the originality has already been removed through means of clean up so is probably not the best comparison. However...

 

The suckiest worst recast set of rotj armor you could find, would still have better lineage and be more film accurate than anything scratchbuilt. Period.

 

Since there was never a set of original anh armor cast, the best anyone could ever hope for is an anh style set made from very carefully, minimalistically, and accurately, reverse engineered rotj molds.

 

That's what I'm doing. But don't judge what I have now as it's not completed, but when it is done, it will be as close as anyone could possilbly get to screen accurate anh armor until an original anh set is cast.

 

 

So, Gino, photos only lie when they support your opinion. TM armor looks "good, or accurate" in photos because it IS.

 

And how would you know if it isn't? Do you have genuine ANH armor sitting around at home to compare TM armor part by part to? Do you even have TM armor or even inspected a set in real life?

 

NO and NO are the answers to those questions. So, even though I can only compare TM armor to ANH photo reference to base my opinion, the same can be said about you.

 

And lets address the numerous missing parts (an entire forearm, leg halves, shoulder straps, sniper knee etc..) from your pristine molds. I suppose those would have to be SCRATCHBUILT to make an ANH suit.

 

Those entirely scratchbuilt parts would then reduce your suit to "the bottom of the barrel" status wouldn't they?

 

Let's also not forget the molded in joining strips and ab details that would have to be removed from your pristine molds. The mere fact of having to remove those, altering your pristine molds making them not so "accurate" anymore. And that oh so ANH accurate ROTJ belt, let's not mention that has to be remade too.

 

ROTJ armor is recasted ANH armor. It is shrunken, shaved and many details were changed or lost.

 

I don't have access to ANH armor. Nobody else does either. All I know is that TM armor, when compared to numerous ANH trooper photos, at every angle matches up. Which is more than I can say for the TE I owned.

 

Until ANH armor shows up in private hands, a scratchbuilt approach is the only viable way to recreate ANH armor. Using ROTJ armor as a starting base just isn't a viable option as it is so far removed. It's like making a Porsche from a VW beetle. Same lineage, very different cars.

 

Just my opinion.

[stukatrooper]

i was just going to post the TM has made no quote in saying anything about hes armour infact this thread is the most he has ever said about it.There has been no post ever other than hats off for hes time and effort in making the best fan made suit out there.

I might add that its the two guys from across the pond that make claim and counter claims about there molds and suits,but saying that again this is the first time i have seen there work.GINO thanks for posting pics of your stuff,they look good in pictures.

Pictures is what almost all of us can go on in making our choice or opinion in screen acurate looking armour even the actual armour used in the films.

It is the privelaged few that have seen,held or own it,but TM has to have a mark of 10-10 for hes replication of it.

"Bottom of the barrel" you say i think you are way out on your own on that quote mister.

[Veedox]

I could have swore that I heard you (or others) claim that you had the most film accurate anh style suit.

I was saying that even pure rotj armor with no anh specific details is still closer to film accurate anh suits than anything scratch built.

 

And yes, I look forward to showing those details off including some ones that I know no one has ever known about.

 

 

I am saying that TM armor is the most film accurate ANH style suit available. And I will stand by that even against recasted, back-engineered ROTJ armor.

 

 

But, what do I know?

[troopermaster]

And yes, I look forward to showing those details off including some ones that I know no one has ever known about.

 

Wow, you actually know what no one has ever known about?

 

So which real ANH suit have you been inspecting to find out about these details, or are you just using reference pics like anyone else?

 

I am really interested to know because I have studied these suit's (from reference pics) for many years now and I believe there is nothing new I could learn about the exterior of the ANH suit's. Making claims like you are is typical of yourself. Let's just hope that your armour speaks louder than you do

 

Here's a couple of pics of a suit I recently made, just for reference.

[Veedox]

Wow, you actually know what no one has ever known about?

 

So which real ANH suit have you been inspecting to find out about these details, or are you just using reference pics like anyone else?

 

I am really interested to know because I have studied these suit's (from reference pics) for many years now and I believe there is nothing new I could learn about the exterior of the ANH suit's. Making claims like you are is typical of yourself. Let's just hope that your armour speaks louder than you do

 

 

Maybe we'll see Gino's glorious completed ANH from ROTJ suit, in like.... 2077, just in time for the 100th Anniversary of Star Wars!

 

It takes a LONG time to reproduce screen props on a sub-atomic level.

[GINO]

I guess we'll just see then.

[Guest T*E]

I guess we'll just see then.

We will see sooner than you all think.

 

NO ONE can get it right and its ok. Copying a real ANH suit would be a disaster. The strange way it was strapped woul not allow it to be molded, and I am NOT talking about the boy strapping either.

 

T*E

[TK-4510[TK]]

Hey Paul, how many different handplates do you have? I have seen three different kinds with your armor so far.

[BactaReality]

TM's ESB/ROTJ hand plates are by far my favorite of any other around. I've yet to see any ESB/ROTJ hand armor that comes close to looking as cool as his, no exaggeration at all.

[TK8280]

TM's ESB/ROTJ hand plates are by far my favorite of any other around. I've yet to see any ESB/ROTJ hand armor that comes close to looking as cool as his, no exaggeration at all.

 

I definately like the ones he made for me

[mrfurious]

pics please guys....love to see some pics

[troopermaster]

Hey Paul, how many different handplates do you have? I have seen three different kinds with your armor so far.

 

I have made four different versons so far. I have the sandtrooper 'cheese grater' style, two different 'T' back ANH style and the ESB/ROTJ style. I think that covers all of the ones I have noticed in the films anyway.

[BactaReality]

pics please guys....love to see some pics

 

 

If you're referring to the ESB/ROTJ hand armor, I only have this photo on file at the moment.

 

It's not the best angle, but you get the idea. Btw, the hand armor, shoulder straps, and cannister are all TM parts I picked up to use with my TE shadow stormtrooper.

[mrfurious]

thats it, very smart, tm again.