Dday[501st] Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 (edited) Ok, so before I discovered this place, I found a cheap seller on ebay, suit was cheap, I bought it. Seller was Treckfreek, and I know a few have bought suits from him, and they are soso, most likely recast of FX. I think this is the first full set of photos from the armor he is selling. I encourage everyone who knows their stuff to scour these photos, ask for bigger ones, ask for zoomed photos, ask questions I can answer, and we can determine the origin of the armor he sells. My plan is to make a work with this set and make a TK stunt 501st with it, then with a few pieces subbed out, turn it into a TKC. Then when my suit from RT-Mod comes in October, it will be my ANH Hero suit. So two suits, fun times, no idea where I will store/display them... I'm happy my first suit is a cheap one, so I don't feel so scared doing the cutting as I would with a quality suit. I am in no way advocating this ebay seller or his suite. Just merely informational, and a build with hopefully enough information for anyone who might have a suit like it, to be able to get their up to standards. Each piece measures at 2mm and vendor claimed 0.90ABS. None of it is yellow at all, was just the lighting in the room. Overall 3 Piece helmet Left Arm Right Arm Chest, Back, Torso, Cod, Booty Belt, Thermal Detonator Left Leg Right Leg Edited August 6, 2012 by Dday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solcar23[TK] Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 The first thing to replace is the lid! There's no vocoder on the bottom and the eyes look a bit funky to me. Just my 2 cents.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dday[501st] Posted August 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 Yeah, I was looking at it and thought it was funny, and there was this goofy black sticker in the box. Apparently, thats supposed to be the vocoder... blerg. Who made a 3 piece lid anyways? Also, the biceps don't have the teardrops in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HockeyTrooper[TK] Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 The vocoder for that particular lid actually is a separate piece that has to be glued on. Definitely replace the lid if you can though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRISTONAMO Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 Sadly to say, that FX helmet looks worse than the usual FK lids. And the belt for some reason looks odd too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dday[501st] Posted August 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 Is the belt to short? It loks like it was cut just before the 3rd buttons that are on the end... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minuteman Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 The belt has been trimmed the wrong way. It is too short. Good luck with the kit. I like your attitude of gaining experience building this cheap recast and then moving to a more accurate and expensive armor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushido Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 I've always heard how bad and ugly recasts look but man... the details and everything is just... terrible. Good thing you're gonna get the experience from using a terrible set of armor. When you get your RT-mod, you'll be done in a jiffy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightside Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 (edited) The kit seems to be one of the first FX made. My first armor was a FX/GT, bought in 2003, and the helmet was in 3 piece and vocoder had to be glued separately. Edited August 6, 2012 by lightside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightside Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 (edited) . the details and everything is just... terrible. Are you talking about the shape or the sharpness? Because if you're talking about the shape these details are the same of the first FX/GT and lots of ancient 501st members still wear these armors for trooping.If you mean about the sharpness of the details: recasting with a 2mm ABS does not give you sharp details at all. So I don't see anything freaky in this kit, sincerly (apart the thing it's a recast, obviously). Edited August 6, 2012 by lightside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigironvault Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 Good on you Dday, you're doing and saying all the right things. Good luck - can't wait to see your RT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyInWhite[TK] Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 Go get'm, Dday! You can make the best of this bad situation! You may have to buy a few parts but if you buy well (like new lid) you can use it with whatever armor you upgrade to as well, rather than buy again.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locitus[Admin] Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 The kit seems to be one of the first FX made. My first armor was a FX/GT, bought in 2003, and the helmet was in 3 piece and vocoder had to be glued separately. FX has always been like this. Even it's successor the AM is made like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightside Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 FX has always been like this. Even it's successor the AM is made like that. I've never seen AM armors live. Reading comments seemed they were a bit different to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locitus[Admin] Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 I've never seen AM armors live. Reading comments seemed they were a bit different to me. The AM helmet is basically the same, but has a more rounded back to look less square when viewed from the side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dday[501st] Posted August 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 (edited) Are we agreed this is basically a really early version of the FX? Edited August 7, 2012 by Dday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locitus[Admin] Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 More likely a late version recast. I'm not an expert on how the old FX thighs used to look like, but they are rare these days that I find the chance of that slim. Also, your TD is not FX, so that has been changed in your kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dday[501st] Posted August 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 The TD is odd, it has 8 buttons and the round button actually sticks up vs being indented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightside Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 (edited) Are we agreed this is basically a really early version of the FX? As I said above, I've never seen an AM live, so I can't make a comparison. Your kit is surely a recent recast, but the line is the same of the old FX/GT on the legs, but loooking at the chest piece I realize it's different from the GT older one. Moreover, the oldest FX were uncorrect white blueish colored. This is me in my old FX armor in 2003, while I was still a member of the 501st as TK676. Edited August 7, 2012 by lightside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dday[501st] Posted August 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 (edited) First assembly work in photos. I would have done more, but I don't have any more clamps. So I need to let the E6000 set for 24 hours before removing a few of the clamps so I can do the forearms. I will let the biceps set with 4 clamps and 2 magnet sets for up to 72 hours before removing completely. I wish I had bought another set of clamps when I was in the US, maybe I can find a cheap strong set here in Germany as well. Plus, I should have gotten the 3/4in magnets, the 1/2 seem a bit small. I got the N52 ones, so they are strong, I would just like a little more surface area. I opened up the bicep on the left a little more as I had closed it a bit to much with heat (as shown in the picture) Edited August 7, 2012 by Dday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dday[501st] Posted August 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Finished the forearms now, and more photos to add. Had to heat up the inner forearm to spread it a bit as it was to small, and cut the length of the forearm a bit as well because I was very restricted in wrist movement due to the length. Starting parts Who needs a heat gun? Apparently me, blowdryer works in a pinch. After the first expanding, not quite there yet, I widened them a little more after. Cutting the excess off the edge Gluing and clamping. I opted to do velcro on the inner seam so I could make the wrist smaller to form fit better and still get in and out of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dday[501st] Posted August 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Who needs a workshop when you have a bed and a box to work on. All my parts are still in the cardboard box they came in, I take things out as needed and work on them in between doing my real job in my home office. At this rate, I think I should be done in a week of so. I'll most likely be done before my new helmet arrives, hoping to buy that today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dday[501st] Posted August 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 More pictures, incase anyone besides me actually cares. I will probably edit the main page when I"m done so all the photos are in one place and there aren't so many. But for now, pictures away! I'm using strapping for the snaps plates, and as mentioned by Vern, I used white duct tape on the back of the snap to prevent the ABS from melting (rather take people word then find out and have to buy new pieces). I just wonder if this will create some inherent weakness since the part that takes the most pressure when unsnapping won't be glued... I will find out soon enough. Cutting the shoulder bridges (I intend to take this to TKC so needed to cut the flats out of the bridges). Applying them to the armor Snap straps in the bells Snap straps in the biceps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloneracer2012 Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 Thank you for your report. I have the same KIT and i startet with the upper parts. Next weekend i will show first pictures !! Best regards Mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dday[501st] Posted August 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 I look forward to seeing it! I have had to put the build on pause the last weeks, I ran out of snaps, but I got 160 more snaps coming tomorrow, great deal too, only 30 cents a piece! I have counted, I will need approx 70 snaps to complete a suit, so I bought more for when I get and put together my second suit in October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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