TK5492

POST 17 July 2019 GA Garrison - Coastal Empire Squad This is currently my favorite photo of myself trooping of all time. I've been in the Legion for almost 10 years now in Garrisons in two different countries but this one sums it up. It was a small event at a local comic book store. I couldn't see his reaction when the photo was taken by his mom. She said it was his first time ever seeing a "real" character in person and she really captured the way his face was lighting up. I feel like this shot really embodies the nature of the best part of this thing we do. I have so many more in my ANH TK as well but this is the one I would say is the most special to me. 1. Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

I will say I don't know anything about this gasket run. In fact I don't even know what thread this post came from or who JJ is. There is nothing on the Facebook buidling group in this regards. No mention at all. Also the group is not secret. It's just closed like most groups to allow moderators to approve access so unnecessary posts don't clog up the feed.

Hey everyone. So, I originally wrote this review to bring a positive light to the armor and genuienly help people in this community. Unfortunately it has turned into somewhat of an argument and I don't like the negative light it has created. <br><br><br> I would also like to formally apologize for the mention of the Facebook group we created to further assist builders. It was in no way to detract from the forums or the detachment and was just to let folks know and further help people out. <br><br><br> I really love the FISD and it's very disappointing to see the arguments stemming over this armor in general and I just don't want my thread to continue to be an outlet to facilitate that. <br><br> We even had a bit of this issue within the group and we squashed it and I would really like to move past it and continue with the common ground that we are all stormtroopers at heart and we all want to benefit ourselves and each other. I am seeing many members starting to post their info here as well as in the group as to benefit all.

When you first receive the armor you will want to sand the entire inside with 220 grit sandpaper to remove any fiberglass burs and then wash it out. After that it should no longer be an issue.

A few of us in the Georgia garrison have made a group to mutually share advice and help in building Jim's armor. So if you're working on the armor you can head on over <br><br> <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://m.facebook.com/groups/560958490742724?tsid=0.4545358708128333&source=typeahead'>https://m.facebook.com/groups/560958490742724?tsid=0.4545358708128333&source=typeahead</a>

@cladius<br><br> <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=245993'>http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=245993</a>

The newer version of the armor looks fantastic. Although I will say even though there are some uneven areas on the earlier kits I don't feel it's *that* bad. The worst of it is really the thighs and the back piece. Other than that everything is very smooth. I'm sure if I wanted to I could resand and get the surface even better.

I had no issue with the surface in regards to approval.

No problem. As far as I know this is the only feasible way to do it and be accurate. An elastic strap would cover the palm and gluing obviously isn't an option due to the rigid guards and fabric gloves.

That's incorrect as I did in fact use Velcro. It is sewn to the top of the gloves and adhered to the bottom of the handguard. It simply had disconnected in the front in the picture. In fact, if viewed more carefully you can see the "hook" velcro on the underside of the handguard is visible. Just a small flub during photographing.

Hello everyone, I don't post nearly as much as I should or used to but I felt I would I would be remiss in my duties not to write a review for this armor. I know alot of folks are either on the fence for this armor or are on the waiting list. Hopefully this will help with that indecision or at the very least offer a solid set of finished pictures and information to the community. This wasn't my first set of armor nor will it be my last. However, after working with ABS all these years it was interesting to broaden my horizons. Here goes... Material: Flexible fiberglass. What is it? Well. It's what it sounds like. It is very much the same as it's rigid counterpart as it is different. It flexes very much in way that would be reminiscent of polyurethane. It cannot withstand too much abuse though or it will crack or tear just like any other material. Very common sense in this aspect. The weight- it's heavy. It is what it is. If you're like me and spent the last 4 years in an ABS ANH TK then you're gonna be a tad surprised. If you're a clone and already had rigid fiberglass with a slush cast helmet then you're going to be presently surprised as this stuff is much more comfortable then rigid fiberglass and I would venture to say it is also lighter. This stuff is awesome to work with. Unlike ABS, it is quite forgiving and any issues you have can simply be bondoed or sanded down with little problem as you will be painting anyway. Preparation: Not a whole lot is required but be prepared to sand and bondo in many areas. Like I said, it trims well and sands easily wit 220 grit. Expect the same level of preparation as you would from preparing any fiberglass or plastic part for paint. As always, a nice even surface is key to get the best from the painting and you will need to do a final wetsand and possibly during primer to get the best finish. The big things that were required were: - Cutting the pill holes - Cutting the chest 'vent' - Gluing the shins (overlap method) - Trimming the biceps depending on side and bondoing - Cutting the eyes and vents on the helmet - Trimming pieces and sanding for proper fit/ function etc. The good news: Jim includes an excellent and well thought out PDF file for everyone who buys the armor that walks you through step by step of how to correctly build and strap not just the armor but the helmet as well. Troopability and Comfort: Here I will reiterate: not as comfortable or light as ABS. However, I trooped the TFA premier for about 2 1/2 hours in the armor and if pressed I could have gone longer. That was after doing an event earlier that morning in a very hot and uncomfortable news studio for at least an hour. If you can troop and ANH you can troop this too. I can walk easily and movement is roughly the same as in the ANH except the upper body is much more rigid. The big deal is you need help. I can put on my ANH all by myself like a big boy. When it comes to this stuff I'm worse than vader. I think the other TFA troopers here will agree that this is the biggest issue with "troopability." But that too is overcome with solid handlers, which I know we have here in GA! Painting: I didn't use Rustoleum. Sue me. I have, and always will, prefer Krylon and that is what I used. As always, I had no problem spraying the armor. Because the armor flexes heavily you may experience some paint cracking in high flex areas. Simply spray in the "flexed position" as you would wear it and bazinga- you're good to go. If you are going to paint it yourself you may want to get rustoleum in order to match the color of the other TFA troopers in your garrison. I chose not to do this because I dislike rustoleum paint and I chose Krylon based on personal opinion alone. This armor will take whatever paint you throw at it. Again, surface preparation is the main key! Overall impression: I love this armor. It's a fan sculpt from an awesome guy and I love that. It has a "made with love" feel to it even though it may have it's imperfections. That's what I love about my ANH, and that's what I love about this. The build is the build. It can be as easy or as hard as you make it. Use this community as your guide as I always have, and your garrison mates and it will be none the more difficult then any other build. Approval process: I will touch on this very briefly. As with any costume, use the CRL as your bible for this build and work with your GML's requests and I see no reason you cannot be approved. Simply building the armor is not a guarantee of approval. Enough said on that. The Man: Jim Tripon is probably the most organized and decent guy you could ever buy from. He hand sculpted this armor and then has kept his runs going to help out the folks that cast it because it keeps their business afloat. He is truly what I believe the 501st represents. Sharing his passion for crafting with others not for his benefit but for ours. He will do whatever you need to make sure you have a smooth and pleasant transaction and will keep you well updated and informed. He answered all my questions diligently throughout the whole process and I would certainly purchase from him again anytime. Don't be afraid that he is in the Philippines. Shipping was no issue and everything arrived in perfect condition. Below are some recent photos of the armor. Here's a little rundown on my equipment to make it easy to see what's pictured. I hope that this review will genuinely help the community with this armor. Armor: Jimmiroquai Helmet: Jimmiroquai V3.0 Boots: TK Boots Blaster: Heston 3D solutions Gaskets: Jimmiroquai Cloth gaskets Pouches: Jimmiroquai Belt: Imperial Gaskets

Just wanted to let you guys know Heston is the real deal. I purchased a 501st version blaster from him through Etsy. I bought the unpainted version so I could paint and detail on my own. I received it in perfect condition. Heston will go out of his way to make sure you are taken care of. Rest assured he will deliver on these blasters. Here is my finished version below in which I painted and utilized Germain's decals. Thank you to Germain as well for all his contributions to the blaster's design and offering the decals to the community.

I jumped right into the doopy's back when I did my first E-11. It's great for accuracy at any level. You can build it as is or make it look like a real sterling. Plenty of build threads here to go off of. Just overall a better look than the Hasbro conversion. I built my first with no experience. Just motivation and this community.

Try using a very sharp exacto knife to get underneath the corner carefully. I work with a lot of vinyl stuff all the time and that's usually my go-to for pesky pieces that want to stick to the backing.

I built my Centurion with Mike's armor. I love the armor and the customer service. Can't go wrong there.

When I built a shadowtrooper helmet I used the regular lens material and tinted them with mirror tint that you would find at any auto parts store. It's a really cheap and relatively simple solution. Good luck!

Just keeps getting better. These little things still make a huge difference.

I used the old metal coat hanger wrapped around a 5A drumstick trick. Worked perfectly.

Just give in to it

Wow. This is some excellent attention to detail!

For me it had to be ANH. As stated above it wasn't that I didn't like the other armor type. Ever since I was little I wanted to be that Stormtrooper that boarded Tantive IV. A New Hope was always mine and my dad's favorite film and it was in my mind what a stormtrooper should be. It was always ANH for me.

No the forearms are more of this oval type shape. This should be fine!

Of course you can! As long as the armor and helmet are correctly built abiding by the CRL and the Centurion program requirements then it doesn't matter that the helmet is a different manufacturer than the armor.

Everything looks incredible. Awesome job and hope it's a quick approval!

I think there may be a misunderstanding here. Jim is not to be confused with Star Forge or whatever that crap website is. He's not in any way connected to that. He sculpted the armor by hand and has it well documented on threads here and the RPF. I have submitted for approval with his armor and can speak to the quality of both the armor and Jim's customer service.