TKZombie[TK] Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 I'm ordering a TM stormtrooper kit and wanted to get opinions on the 2 finishes available: 1.5mm gloss ABS vs. 2mm acrylic capped ABS. What is better in: Looks? Durability? Ease to work with? If you have any photos to share it would be appreciated. <br> Christina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mcott65[TK] Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 Hi Christina <br> I have the TM 2mm and can only tell you how I have found that.<br> It's very solid feeling more like you would expect the armour to feel if it was real. Very shiny and bright white. The only small downside to this is that it is not as flexible a material as the 1.5mm which generally doesn't make a lot of difference. I have only had a couple of places where this has been an issue the shoulder parts of the back and the shin with the sniper knee. Thinning the return edges down sorted this out though. I found it great to work with and you will be really happy with which ever one you decide on. If you check out the centurion threads you should be able to find some examples of both kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKZombie[TK] Posted February 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2016 Thanks for the information very helpful. I'm leaning towards the 1.5mm as my goal is a screen accurate ANH Hero TK. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKZombie[TK] Posted February 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2016 I heard back from Paul at TM:<br><br> The 1.5mm is standard gloss ABS is the same ABS used for the movie suits. It is lightweight, flexible, with a nice gloss finish and a slight ivory white colour.<br><br> The 2mm has an acrylic capping that makes it extremely glossy. It also makes it a lot more rigid which gives a hard armour feel that some people like. This has a brighter white colour to it.<br><br> Please note: If you want to build a screen accurate suit with the strapping brackets then you want the 1.5mm gloss ABS. If you want to build a basic suit to look good for the public and like the snap strapping system, go for the 2mm. Snap strapping can also be used in the 1.5mm but I would avoid using the brackets on the 2mm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The5thHorseman[TK] Posted February 1, 2016 Report Share Posted February 1, 2016 Paul knows his stuff very much, so you can trust him. If you're goal is screen-accuracy like you said, the 1.5mm ABS is the way to go. Great choice! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bone[TK] Posted February 2, 2016 Report Share Posted February 2, 2016 I own the 1.5 mm armor with original strapping. Although 1.5 mm sounds pretty thin, actually it isn't. The helmet is so sturdy that you could sit on it and the rest has the right mix of flexibility and durability. Paul always advises his customers to get the 1.5 mm if they want to use the screwed on brackets (aka original strapping), because the return edges will bend while trooping and are not likely to break with 1.5 because it has more flexibility. The shininess is absolutely okay and I personally like the slight (!) ivory color a lot more than the bluish white. While building you can cut the 1.5 mm with ordinary scissors, at least I did. Sanding is easy and you can build it a lot faster. The flexibility of the 1.5mm is the most important with the shins. When putting them on, they are extremely bend outwards to get them around your legs. Yes I have two spots where the armor is cracked (the sniper knee and the upper torso armor) but I have met at least five troopers with the same cracks, with different armors. So this has nothing to do with the material but simply with wearing the armor. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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