TK 5156's TFA Build Thread

[TK 5156[TK]]

It's been years since I finished my ANH AP armor. I just started trimming my TFA kit today. I am slow at updates but I wanted to share this photo. This appears to be a new upgrade that i received on the chest detail.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Good luck with the build, looking forward to the progress.

 

The piece looks more defined like the movie armor.

 

Edited June 22, 2015 by gmrhodes13

[The5thHorseman[501st]]

It has indeed a better difinition but incorporating it to the chest plate will require quite some work! Good luck.

[Clamps[TK]]

So the fix is that you have to cut into the chest to remove old detail and replace with this new formed (resin?) insert?

 

edit: PS, for clarity, that is a piece that came in the box with your (Beta) kit?

[gazmosis[501st]]

Since you are going to need some filler in other parts of the armor, using filler around the cut edges will get rid of the "implant" lines

[TK 5156[TK]]

So the fix is that you have to cut into the chest to remove old detail and replace with this new formed (resin?) insert?

 

edit: PS, for clarity, that is a piece that came in the box with your (Beta) kit?

Yes that came with the rest of my resin parts.

[R4ZORBL4DE]

[TK 5156[TK]]

I'm keeping track of my hours. So far I got this far. 14 hours in. Still need to do a little sanding on some of the edges. No matter how many times I think I have it sanded good enough. I see some spots that need to be taken down a little.

[Barcoder[TK]]

I'm keeping track of my hours. So far I got this far. 14 hours in. Still need to do a little sanding on some of the edges. No matter how many times I think I have it sanded good enough. I see some spots that need to be taken down a little.

Agreed! It feels like I have been sanding non stop. (Oh wait, I have been....) I am still finding spots to sand.

Looking forward to watching your progress. Best of luck.

[Psycho815]

Where did you get the kit?

[DarkTrooper[TK]]

Where did you get the kit?

Its only availble at this time to 501st members. Its from ANOVOS

[Daetrin[Admin]]

Great to see another one in progres.

[TK 5156[TK]]

So far I have about 20 hours in this project. Friday will be 2 weeks that I've had this kit. To those of you that got it done in time for celebration, I cant even imagine. I set my own hours so I have put a lot of time into this. If you are one of the few that work 40+ hours a week and got this done in time, My bucket is off to you. I still have more gluing, bondo work, sanding, paint, fitting etc....and I haven't even thought about working on the gaskets yet........My goal is to have this done for Maker Faire Detroit on July 25th. That is, if I have a bucket by then.

Anyways, this is what I have done:

Armor trimmed and sanded (more to do as I go along of course)
Thighs glued together
Calves glued together
Biceps glued together (half finished in photo)
Forearms One half glued together
Detonator glued together.
Shim and yoke glued together waiting for glue dry.

No greeblies attached to anything above yet.

[Barcoder[TK]]

Awesome progress so far!!!! Looking good!

 

How "fun" was that detonator assembly? lol

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Awesome, nice progress

[TK 5156[TK]]

I am slow and updating progress. I am ready to start strapping it up. I dont have a lot of advice other than what was given in other builds. But for the chest greeblie. I used E600 to hold it in place because I didn't want to commit with CA glue until it was perfect. Then I "Welded" it in place all around the edges with CA glue so it would never move.

Edited July 12, 2015 by TK 5156

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Nice work

[Barcoder[TK]]

Looking awesome!

[TK 5156[TK]]

Took a break from armor building and spend a couple days on a blaster. Started with the Rubies Rebels blaster for 12.99



Then a flashlight from Harbor freight.



To cover the gaps left from moving the parts from the left side of the blaster to the right. I used this vertical vinyl blind material. Surrounded the seam with CA glue and sanded smooth. (well kinda smooth)



I used chrome tape for the silver on the scope. Some vinyl stickers cut from the wife's cricut machine in various places. I'm not the best painter so I used as many vinyl stickers cut as a could. I built the scope rail wtih ABS.  The only think I wish I did and still might is build the greeblie that goes on the back of the gun. Currently there is a molded in D ring there. It wouldn't take much to sand it off and build a greeblie.



It's not 100% accurate, I was jut going for close as I could with this blaster. It will get the job done till I get an accurate blaster. Ordered

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Nice work, the public will never know

[hupspring[TK]]

The blaster looks great! It's pretty easy to cut off the molded D ring and put in your own. I used a small D ring from an old gym bag's shoulder strap and a piece of square styrene tube to hold it in place.

[sandtrooper[501st]]

Nice job on the blaster.  Very creative using the flashlight.

[TK 5156[TK]]

I Haven't posted much. I'm not much of a tutorial guy I guess. I just finished my build. It took about 70 hours total and I am still making tweeks. Here is something that might help others that feel the padding in the bucket is just too tight.

Open this seam in the back. The piece of velcro on the opposite side supports the seam on the other side so if you cant sew you can just leave it open when done.




I started by taking our small sections at a time. There is a lot of foam stuffed in there.




Even with that much foam removed you can hardly tell any is missing. But it fits much better.