Modifying a recast for approval?

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

so naturally i noticed the softness to the tk armor on ebay from customcastingservices. and after verifying there was something not right about it from here: http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=19449 , my question is what if i were to buy the armor (ugh.. as much as i hate to support recasters) , but use my fiberglass and bondo skills to sharpen the details to 'accurate', per the original (whoevers work that was), should i give it a shot? can an improved recast be 501st approved, i mean it is all about accuracy isnt it? that back piece is gonna take some work, but i have the skill and time.

[Locitus[Admin]]

Instead of buying a recast and then spending a ton of time sharpening it somehow with bondo and fiberglass, can't you just buy a kit from our vetted vendors?

http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=11538

 

Then you just need to assemble your kit and be done with it.

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

im currently working on pepakura armor but i want a 501st suit as well, hence the topic, so yes ive considered it, im 5'9" so i think the AP armor will work best for me, but i dont understand the whole "dont ask where to get armor" when you cant find where to get armor lol. im guessing that means start sending some emails.. and to answer your question, i have a ton of time

[Darth Hilarious]

I made the mistake of buying a bad recast suit before discovering the FISD and doing my research, and I found the level of effort it took just to get it approvable quite frustraing.

 

If you've got lots of time, why not get a really good suit and make it super-accurate and go for Centurion?

 

I only wish it could have been that easy for me...

[Locitus[Admin]]

The reason why we ask you not to ask is partially because we already have a good list on who is reliable to get armour from, and who to avoid, and also to not have to repeat the same answer 5 times a day.

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

its not a lot of work really, as long as ones has the sculpting skills. and i thought it was legality issues!

[bigironvault]

No, it's just a waste of time when you can be building towards EIB or Centurion instead.

[Sonnenschein]

If you really want to go that route, do it!

 

But I'd take the advice of the more experienced members.

 

You not only need much time, money and bondo (which you seem to have), but patience, information and lots of pics to make a recast kit some what screen accurate. It's more than just sharpening some edges.

 

Members who made a screen accurate armor basically from scratch took many, many years and some serious money to get it right.

Edited September 18, 2012 by Sonnenschein

[geordietrooper]

modify away, it wouldn't be the 1st time someone has done it

[bobojuice]

If you've already purchased the armor then you should do what you have to. If you haven't, I would really recommend staying away from something like that. You're going to end up making a bigger headache for yourself trying to mod it and probably end up spending as much, if not more on fixing it.

[walt[501st]]

we also are forgetting one thing.....bondo is heavy and will crack in time......if you have a lot of time....make molds and a vacuformer make your own

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

I've found AP armor untrimmed to my door is *** usd shipped, I haven't bought anything. The ccs is *** shipped, talk about get what you pay for lol. I should mention I frequent the rpf more than anything, hence the low post count. I would make molds of the new work but probably use smooth cast, that stuff is rock hard. But this whole thing is purely hypothetical

Edited September 19, 2012 by bobojuice
Please don't post prices.

[Darth Voorhees[501st]]

ATA is just about $***, its accurate and a very nice ABS kit. i would go for that if you cant swing the *** for AP. I would Avoid recast e-bay armor by all costs. You may be able to tell in pics that the armor has a soft pull, but what you cant see, like the durability of the plastic, can hurt even more.

Edited September 19, 2012 by bobojuice
Please don't post prices

[walt[501st]]

Yes...but the cost of that much smoth cast us just about the same price as an RSprops shipped to the states....and the you need a good vacutable that cost is around 5k unless you make a good one at about 1k and then you will have to drill the smoth cast to do a proper pull...now I am one for making your own...I have been working on kids armor now for a good 6 months and I am just about half done and I can't tell you the cost cus my wife would kill me.....if this if your first build...just buy a kit..as there is a lot of little things you won't see or feel till you have something to look at

 

And a shout out to boba....thanks for that rotj armor it was great.......and there you go that was my first armor I ever bought...from a guy on here

[Daetrin[Admin]]

In the end, if you think you can do a good job, go for it. RT & AM (and even the original FX) were all fan sculpts, as was Kev's ANHv2 helmets. Others have used TE type armor as a base and modified them from there.

 

For most it's quite intimidating, but then clone armor is all fan sculpt too, so it's not like it can't be done, or hasn't been done. If you really go down that route, do keep progress pix of the molds.

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

I contacted supertrooper about the ata, i'm using a custom helmet for now though, which I'll change out to an approved one when I apply, its smaller so I don't get the Bobble head Luke effect so I'll see how the ata sitchey-ation turns out. I don't really want to spend over 500 , so I just need the untrimmed armor without a helmet. My pepakura armor is a different story lol

[walt[501st]]

If 500 is you stopping point.....do not go with making or moddein you cheep armor...you will spend a lot more.....I think someone said that allready...save more and buy a kit from a vender here.....you will be happer and not spend a ton of money........lision to the people that have the know how...theses guys here will not steer you wrong

[Nicky]

I say go for it, and take lots of pics ^^

 

It seems every week we get a question like that starting with "I know it's wrong to support recasters" followed by the same answers warning about the low bang for the buck and then ending up buying the ebay thing anyway. I wonder if we ever hear the rest of the story and I'm quite curious too...

 

So yes, show us what you can do