Salshred's First Time Build

[salshred]

Hello White Armor! I am new to the forum and this hobby in general, although I have been hanging around here and researching builds for a while now. I finally took the plunge and bought a TK kit. Unfortunately, I did not heed the warnings on this forum about going with one of the vetted armor venders... A few friends and I ordered from the controversial TK Armor UK site. Now don't get me wrong, we received our order in a timely manner. All of the parts of the kit arrived to us undamaged. The kit looks decent for the price we paid. However.... After looking through some of the amazing build threads on this forum, our kit is definitely outclassed in several areas. The molds are sharp enough, and all the required detail is there more or less. But its little things, like the way the plastic belt is designed, and some angles that aren't cut on the thigh ammo packs, that are going to require much more time and effort to get these kits up to snuff. Also, despite TK UK stating that these kits were designed to fit almost any body size, only the shin pieces appear to be big. Everything else has little to no room to trim. I'm not overly large (6 foot / 200 Lbs.) but the thighs and biceps in particular are very snug. Our original goal after researching the 501st and all the available kits was to aim for Centurion right out of the gate. And while I am still a newbie to all of this, I feel that with a little (a lot probably) of help, and a ton of work on this kits and we might be able to still reach that goal. I know what you are thinking... "Sal, if you wanted to aim for Centurion then why did you cheap out?!" Short answer is I am very impatient and a little cheap. But... Live and learn. I want to take this as a challenge to make this kit look as good as I can. I will try and update this thread with photos of the kit itself, as I'm sure a lot of you are curious as to the quality. I have made some small progress and collected most of the accessories and supplies I will need for the build.

 

So far, I have begun the process of trimming the return edge on the forearm pieces, the thighs, and the shins. This has been simple enough, but now I am uncertain of what to do next... I don't want to trim any of the arm or leg pieces down length wise until I'm set on how the torso parts will fit, so that everything has a nice even gap.

 

Would it be wise for me to focus on getting the cod / ab piece and the kidney plate attached first so I can attach the chest, back and butt plate? I feel like this would allow me to get a better fell of the arms and legs. Also there is some significant trimming need for the kidney and butt plate for it to look anything like a respectable TK. I will post some photos tomorrow of the ab-to-kidney section, and the area I am thinking of trimming. I want to add the kidney notch, since I'm trimming that piece anyway, as well as shape the awful butt plate into something more workable. I'm chomping at the bit to get started hacking this thing up, I just need a little guidance Thank you for any and all help, and please forgive me if this is posted in the wrong place. Stay tuned!

[CableGuy[Admin]]

Welcome aboard.

Looking forward to seeing some pics. Whilst they don’t crop up that often, they can be cleared if done carefully.

Best wishes.
Dan

[TheSwede[TK]]

It’s posted were it should (given you are doing ANH TK that is)  and welcome 

[salshred]

Ok. Got home tonight and snapped some photos of the kit.

I’ll start with the bucket.


I feel like the face plate has a good shape to it. It looks relatively sharp and blemish free.

The ears look decent. Still not sure which is the right or left Any help is greatly appreciated.

Are these decals going to be usable? Or should I just hand paint?


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[salshred]

The thighs were left with practically no room to trim. I think I will need to to an internal shim in the back to give myself a little extra room. Hopefully I can still cover the seam with the 20 mm cover strips.


Is this a left or right shin?!

And check out the crazy extra material on the other side near the ankle

[salshred]

One more question (for now )
The notch in the kidney... does it start at the bottom of where the ab plate lines up? Or is it above where I have it pencil marked? If you look closely at my last picture hopefully you can make out the little pencil square I marked. Thanks again!! Sorry if this question makes zero sense


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[lucnak[TK]]

Couple of things so I will put in bullets:

• The angles cut on the ABS belt are much too large.
• The hand guards look too large as well.
• The TD clips look a bit small, but you will probably be able to make them work.
• The buttons on the ab plate look quite big as well. Painting them smaller should help with the appearance.
• Kidney plate's top side should swoop upwards. Hard to tell in the photos if this angle is present on either side. It's definitely too large as per your observations. The notch should be cut where you pencilled it in, but note that it is not a requirement.
• Your butt plate is also too large as you have already observed...
• ...but before you go trimming these, you should cut keeping extra material to reform a return edge on these pieces.

[salshred]

Couple of things so I will put in bullets:

• The angles cut on the ABS belt are much too large.
• The hand guards look too large as well.
• The TD clips look a bit small, but you will probably be able to make them work.
• The buttons on the ab plate look quite big as well. Painting them smaller should help with the appearance.
• Kidney plate's top side should swoop upwards. Hard to tell in the photos if this angle is present on either side. It's definitely too large as per your observations. The notch should be cut where you pencilled it in, but note that it is not a requirement.
• Your butt plate is also too large as you have already observed...
• ...but before you go trimming these, you should cut keeping extra material to reform a return edge on these pieces.

Thank you for the reply!

For the hand guards, I think I want to order some flexible centurion approved ones from trooperbay. So that should solve that problem.

The belt I will have to measure the angles on. They do look larger than 45 degrees. That’s what they are supposed to be right? I guys I’ll have to order another plastic belt face too.

As for the ab plate buttons and TD clips, what are those dimensions? I can measure them to see if they are close enough.

And then for return edge on the kidney and butt plate, if I trim the bottom of the kidney and the top of the butt plate, will those areas need return edges? The place they will meet and be attached with interior snaps and straps will hopefully be covered by the belt

Thank you for all the advice and sorry for more questions!!


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[lucnak[TK]]

Centurion hand guards available here: 

The issue with the belt is not actually the angle, but the amount removed. Looks like much more than 1/2"

 

The buttons look like they are close to touching on the small button area. I don't have my button measurement handy right now...hopefully someone else can chime in. Here's a reference photo though

 

[salshred]

Centurion hand guards available here: 
The issue with the belt is not actually the angle, but the amount removed. Looks like much more than 1/2"
 
The buttons look like they are close to touching on the small button area. I don't have my button measurement handy right now...hopefully someone else can chime in. Here's a reference photo though

 

Ahh I see what you are saying about the belt. Yes I will probably need to replace that. Does anyone know of anywhere you can buy just the plastic belt face? This actually works out because I want a belt that has separate buttons on the front so I can use the rivets to attach it to the canvas


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[Neb Sgird[TK]]

 

2 hours ago, salshred said:

 

Ahh I see what you are saying about the belt. Yes I will probably need to replace that. Does anyone know of anywhere you can buy just the plastic belt face? This actually works out because I want a belt that has separate buttons on the front so I can use the rivets to attach it to the canvas

 

 

Most armor makers will sell you single pieces if asked. See this thread if you haven't already: 

 

 

The tricky part will be matching the white to what you already have. Yes, every maker is an ever-so-slightly different shade of white. I would maybe get with your local garrison, meet a few fellow TKs, and compare your armor's whiteness to theirs before deciding. 

[salshred]

Hello everyone. I just wanted to ask how much I should trim off of the chest and back plate shoulder straps. They pretty much touch right now.

Also, how does the gap around my neck look around the chest and back?



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[salshred]

Any help is greatly appreciated


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[lucnak[TK]]

Is there a mould line for the back that you may not have trimmed yet? There's nothing inherently wrong with the two pieces being so close together.

 

The area around your neck looks like it could be a bit uncomfortable at the chest plate, but only you will be able to tell if it is so. Keep in mind that you will have the neck seal as well, which will pad the area, but also make it even tighter at the same time.

[Neb Sgird[TK]]

I would test fit with the butt plate attached as well. How that and the kidney come together will end up determining where your back plate will end up. 

[salshred]

There aren’t any mold lines for either the chest or the back straps. I decided to take a little off of each side and glued in my elastic. As for the neck area, it feels ok. I was thinking about taking the dremel and removing some of the return edge. I hope to get the elastic all set so I can measure the placement for my shoulder bells. Once that’s done, I can attach the other arm pieces and focus on finally starting the legs


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[salshred]

Hello WhiteArmor! I haven’t posted any updates on here in quite awhile, but I have been busy working on finishing this TK. I wanted to share a few pictures and ask for feedback. My goal is to achieve Basic approval with this kit. I’ve learned a lot about armor building and costume building in general. My next time around I would like to invest in something a little higher quality. And now I know a little more about the does and donts of building these things.

Here is my helmet. I snapped these pictures earlier today and realized I forgot to paint the ear screws white. This has been done now.


Sorry for the wonky flash. The helmet has the “S” gasket installed on the bottom. As well as some helmet padding and an elastic chin strap I attached to the helmet screws. I also purchased the Darman’s neckseal which is awesome. The only thing I may add is some black mesh for the teeth.

Now for the armor itself. Now if you saw the first few pictures of this thread, you know I purchased this kit from TK UK in beginning of the year. Myself and two of my coworkers took advantage of the special he was running and got three kits. Now in TK UKs defense, the transaction was smooth. All three kits arrives complete and undamaged. The kit parts themselves are all decent. A few of you pointed out some things that aren’t as crisp as other armor kits, but it’s more or less on point. Now for the negatives... we purchased these kits because we all three have different body types, and this was advertised as fitting some of the biggest storm troopers. This turned out to not be the case. The ab plate, the biceps, and the thighs were all particularly tight. No room to trim and I had to work to get the thighs to close. But that being said, all three of us powered through the build and are almost done.

Here are some pics before I finished the helmet. I also hadn’t added the sniper knee or finished trimming the butt plate and attaching the cod strap.




Sorry they are all mirror selfies. As you can see, my son (3 years old) was my only helper for these photos. My neck seal was wonky cause I tried to stuff it on after I was already half dressed.

Now I know there are things I need to tighten up. The shoulder bells have had their elastic shortened to close that gap nicer. And the butt plate is still being trimmed so it tucks nicely. I also heard that there cant be any Velcro showing on the back of the canvas belt so I may need to replace that. But let me hear some feedback. I just want to get this kit to basic, so any EIB or Centurion updates will have to wait for my next kit ( or I may go for a shore trooper because they are awesome)

Anyways, thanks for taking the time to look!




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[CableGuy[Admin]]

Hi Sal,

 

This is a very interesting thread and one that should really help potential purchasers of TKUK armour. You’ve essentially given an unbiased review on this kit, based on someone who, like many, was attracted to the buy one get one free offer.

 

As you’ve shown, there are some compromises to reach the price point, and a lot of extra work required to try and make it look more accurate, however you seem to be making good progress with the armour. Tightening up areas like the butt plate and shoulders will help bring it together. You should be left with a good fitting kit.

 

The shape of the lid is something that can’t really be changed (as it is very narrow, a bit like ROTJ), so, if it were me I’d be tempted to consider upgrading to a more screen accurate ANH lid. The lid is the most recognisable part of a stormtrooper so this would really elevate the overall look and tie in with the good work you’ve put in to the armour.

 

Regarding your question on the belt, although it’s a little hard to see from the pictures, the Velcro should hopefully be hidden by the thermal detonator. It appears that the belt might be pleated which might be an issue for the higher levels of clearance (possibly).

 

Again, well done for tackling this build and documenting it so well. You’ve made a really good job of what you have. When you are ready to purchase your next kit, feel free to reach out to the FISD community and we’ll try our best to steer you in the right direction.

 

Best wishes

 

Dan

PS out of interest, you mentioned that you purchased 3 kits. Did your colleagues come across the same issues with sizing etc?

 

 

[salshred]

Hi Dan. Thanks for the feedback!

Yes my friends also had the same issues with the sizing. One of them wasn’t able to get the ab and kidney to meet. He will have a gap there unless he decides to use shims. I happen to have horse sized legs, so i had trouble with the thighs. Oddly enough, the shin pieces were the only ones that had huge amounts of excess plastic. I think I could have made another shin out of all the plastic I trimmed to get them to fit. And the butt plate also came particularly huge. Now that I’ve gone through this process, I definitely see the advantage to getting an untrimmed kit so that you can cut it down to size. These pieces all came almost over trimmed.

As for the belt, not sure about pleats. It’s smooth canvas. The only downside to it is that it’s off white color and I have a small amount of Velcro that shows when it’s closed. But as you said the Thermal Detonator covers most of it.

The helmet looks very narrow in the pictures with my armor particularly because the ears aren’t on in those pictures. I can see the difference in some of the other pics too, but overall I’m happy with how it turned out. If I can get this thing approved for basic I would like to eventually covert it to a TD so I can dirty it up a bit. Then I can invest in a nicer ANH TK kit to take to Centurion status


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[salshred]

Ok I took a few more pictures with the finished helmet.

Things I still need to do:
- Attach the plastic shoulder bridge pieces
- Trim butt plate and attach to the cod strap
- Attach Darman’s holster
- Paint TD screws black
- Minor touch up paint on helmet and ab buttons
- Finish upgrading my E-11



Besides these things, how do the gaps and proportions look? I adjusted the elastic straps to bring the shoulder bells in more. It looks better than my previous pictures. I’m hoping once the plastic shoulder straps get glued on it will make the gap even smaller. I looked up what “pleated” meant in relation to the belt. It is actually pleated on the inside (part that faces the armor). The outside is smooth. I’m still hoping this belt will pass basic. I’d rather not have to spend about $40 on a new belt and have to re-do my drop boxes.

Any feed back is appreciated! Thanks!!


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[CableGuy[Admin]]

Nice work Sal.

Overall, the gaps look okay. The overall appearance looks good and, personally, I think you’re on the right path to basic clearance.

Connecting the butt plate to the cod will bring things together more and help to evaluate the look.

An area that might get flagged is the shoulders. I’m not sure if this maker supplies small shoulder bells or if they’re a little over trimmed. You could try rotating them further forward or, worst case, source larger bells. This might not affect clearance (that’s up to your GML) but is something you could do to take your armour that bit further (should you want to).

Shoulder bells


The belt will also be down to your GML, with regards to the fabric and the corners.

For the lid, you could consider raising the brow a little for the ‘stunt’ look. Here’s some ref pics to show what I mean. Brow height is optional, of course. Just making sure it’s level.

[lucnak[TK]]

Hi Sal, I agree with Dan regarding the brow. That's the biggest thing that is standing out to me that should be addressed. It's currently drooping down in the middle and it should at least be level. I think your shoulder bells are alright, definitely a lot better in the second round of pics you posted. Be careful with that sniper knee getting caught in the thigh. If you can bring your thighs up and your shins down, it should help to avoid this issue. If you can't, use some foam to puch the knee forward and the thigh back so that it doesn't get locked in there.

 

You could also paint the frown a bit further out past the uncut tooth as per this reference:

And you could also shape the paint on the vocoder a bit. Here's a reference photo (it's a hero helmet, but it's a good reference for the vocoder paint)

 

 

[lucnak[TK]]

.

Edited July 9, 2018 by lucnak
double post

[salshred]

Thank you for the feedback Luc!

 

For the brow of my helmet, the rubber hasn't been glued down yet. To adjust it, could I remove the rubber and trim the actual plastic cap a little? Maybe if I shave a few mm off the plastic it will let the rubber brow sit higher towards the middle.

[lucnak[TK]]

Yes, that should fix it! I would recommend using some tape to mark off where you want to shave it and to ensure a nice straight line.