Darth Fader's RS PVC TK build.

[Hoggzman[TK]]

Hi all.

 

So, for the troops where I can't do Vader, and to annoy my Wife ready for when she's built her Jawa, I decided it was time to build myself a TK.

 

After lots of research, asking questions and thinking about the finish I wanted, I decided to go down the idealised TK route, what I imagined, rather than what they actually looked like on screen, controversial I know, but there we go.

 

So I ordered myself a set of RS PVC from the lovely, and very nice to deal with, Rob, Si and Andrea at RS.

 

Just a matter of a few days later, this little beauty arrives....

 

 

Very exciting!

 

So, here we go....

I've decided to start with the shins.

I've cut my two 20mm wide front cover strips, trimmed the return ages on the inside top to a first pass (I may trim down more after a test fit, but I figure it's sensible to trim less than more, you can't glue it back on when it's gone) and clamped together shin number one overnight with good old E6000.

 

 

To get the front strip in the position I wanted, I offered it up to the shins, and marked the inner most edge where I wanted it (furthest away from the edge) the measured 10mm out, and marked here. I figured 10mm on each shin side = 20mm, which should give me a nice central strip without too much flat front shin poking out either side, I wanted a nice curved look to the front as I'd seen in most reference photographs I've studied.

 

This is where I'm at right now.

 

 

Not a lot, but it's a start :-)

[Hoggzman[TK]]

Next I trimmed the end caps and the centre plate down for the thermal detonator / O2 canister on the belt.

Easiest way I found to do this for the centre plate was score the circular part, then cut up to it, almost creating teeth, which could then be bent backwards and snapped off, them sanded flat.

 

 

Next, I cut the end caps down, sanded and popped these on, E6000 the centre plate in position after sanding that smooth at the edges, and firmly strap in place for 24 hours curing time.

 

[Hoggzman[TK]]

Next I had a crack at a bicep. I measured and trimmed and measured and trimmed to get the correct fit round my arm, keeping a return edge on the top part of the bicep

 

 

but removed the return along the bottom edge

 

 

as this seemed after some research to be the way that were on screen, and also because it will help me bend my arm without too many pinches. I will use some internal foam to pad these out as I wanted to allow room for my arm to get bigger...

To join the two halves I've used 15mm cover strips and butt joints as recommended, the corners of the strips just slightly rounded.

 

 

Next with these I will add some internal strips to add overall strength.

[Holnave (evan_loh)[TK]]

Keep up the good work!

 

My RS worked fine without the internal strips

They're very hardy