Zaphod's First Order TK (TFA) build thread(TK-31415)(ABS Paste)(Pic Heavy)Photobucket links fixed

[Zaphod[TK]]

Prep for Paint

I used a Scotch Brite pad to take the gloss off the armor, and then washed everything and did a little wet sanding on the seamless areas.

 

 

I built a Negative Air Pressure painting booth in my shed.

I didn't want to paint inside my house and stink up the place. That leaves outside, too much dust and pollen.

So into the shed I go.

I built a box inside my shed using 1" x 1" x 8' pieces of cheap pine from Home Depot and angle brackets. Then wrapped it with 10' x 25' 6 mil plastic and sealed the edges with duct tape.

I put two fine particle furnace filters in the back and an easy flow in front of a box fan. With everything sealed up, turn on the box fan and the walls should get sucked in slightly. I built some shelves inside and a hanging rack thing to put the parts on while drying. I turned on the fan and left it run for a few hours to clean out the dust. Then it was time to get the armor in there.

 

 

 

My secret weapon

http://mixkwik.com/

 

It mixes up the paint very well. I had no sputtering or spiting, and I got a finish I was pleased with. And, I didn't have to kill myself shaking cans of paint. I will say though, I didn't completely empty the cans either. When I felt it was getting close to empty, I took out a fresh can. 30 seconds with the MixKwik and Sawzall, and good to go.

 

I gave everything a coat of primer first.

I did find that the primer left a dusty coating on the surfaces behind where I was spraying. Luckily the fan kept the air flow and this dust away from the painted parts. Not sure what that dust is all about.

 

 

According to the can, paint is fully adhered to the plastic after 5-7 days. 

So I left it all sit in the paint-booth for a week. I used that time to glue the gaskets. 

 

-Zaphod

Edited October 18, 2019 by Zaphod
Replacing Broken Photobucket Links

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Great make shift paint booth

[Darth Aloha[Admin]]

Tick tock!

 

-Eric

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Zaphod[TK]]

Tick tock!

 

-Eric

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Hey Eric,

I just sent Steve Robbins (sleeverob) an email with some pics attached 

 

-Zaphod

[Zaphod[TK]]

Putting it all together

After the primer was dry, I started fitting the armor and figuring out the internal strapping.

I made a garter belt for the thigh armor, the same as my OT TK.

A black 2 inch webbing belt (from Amazon) with 2 inch elastic loops attached to the thigh with snaps.

 

 

 

Snaps and 1 inch black elastic keeping the AB section tight around my torso. My beer belly is able to keep it in place for now so no shoulder straps.

 

 

Snaps and 1 inch black elastic keeping the shoulder bells in place. Two straps per shoulder bell.

 

 

 

Snaps and 1 inch white nylon webbing holding the Thermal Detonator in place. I removed the bracket because it was holding the TD too high IMO. Now the bottom of the TD is flush with the bottom of the AB completely hiding the AB opening.

 

 

 

Belt Butt and Cod attachment I covered above in the previous post.

 

 

 

I'm not entirely sure if I should add an elastic strap between the butt and cod. We'll see if I have any embarrassing Happy Trooper incidents on my first troop.   

 

 

I cracked the back yolk when trying it on while wearing the gaskets. I posted the repairs in the Back/Yoke section on page 2.

The Chest is held against the chest with snaps on the back of the resin cutout snapped to a 2” elastic strap between the yoke wings.

I added snaps to the ends of the yoke wings and the inside of the chest in order to eliminate the gap between the two pieces.

 

 

-Zaphod

Edited October 18, 2019 by Zaphod
Replacing Broken Photobucket Links

[Pencap510]

How did you connect the cod and butt plate ? The pics look like the attach to the belt only, do they also connect to the ab piece? And again- great build, I've been following closely to help with mine

[Zaphod[TK]]

On 11/10/2015 at 6:01 PM, Pencap510 said:

How did you connect the cod and butt plate ? The pics look like the attach to the belt only, do they also connect to the ab piece? And again- great build, I've been following closely to help with mine

 

Hi Ty,

I attached the cod to the AB only. For one of the photos above showing the belt with the butt attached, I placed the cod down on the belt where it would be located just for the photo. Sorry if that was confusing.

With the cod attached to the AB, the belt just goes over it; I didn't attach the cod to the belt.

I attached the belt to the AB either side of the cod with snaps.

 

 

 

I attached the butt to the belt only.

The belt is then attached to the AB at the back with elastic loops and snaps. 

 

 

About the picture above right. When I'm wearing the armor, the rubber belt and webbing belt sit just below the AB, (the rubber belt slid up across the back of the AB in the picture).

I hope this helps explain it a bit better.

 

-Zaphod

Edited October 18, 2019 by Zaphod
Replacing Broken Photobucket Links

[Pencap510]

That is a perfect explanation. I asked because I was thinking that if the butt was only connected to the belt, what would be keeping it from free floating -- possibly sideways. Those little loops are a brilliant idea. Thank you for the detailed explanation

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Very nice illustration Pete 

[Zaphod[TK]]

Gaskets

 

 

What can I say about these other than they feel like you are wearing rubber floor mats. The weir stick was difficult to work with, and whatever you do, do not get it on your hands, wear gloves. I made that mistake and was pealing glue off my hand a week later.

I washed the gaskets in mild soap (Dawn dish soap) and let them dry completely. Best to just let them air dry so as not to get towel lint all over them.

 

I glued the Glue Strips on one side of the gaskets first and let it dry, then came back the next day to glue the other half. It took longer but I was able to line every thing up nice. Then I put some weight on them and let them set overnight.

 

 

I tried to glue both sides if the shoulder at the same time. The glue strip started sliding around; I wasn’t wearing gloves, so I got covered in glue trying to keep it all together. They turned out okay though.

 

I sewed straps to the shoulders, front and back, and attached buckles, these are adjustable so I was able to get them good and tight.

 

 

I sewed velcro to the top and bottom of the knee gaskets, only on the front. and glued the mating velcro pieced to the armor. 

I have nothing on the elbow gaskets, that may change.

 

Overall, the leg pieces are too short for me and the shoulder pieces are very bulky and don’t want to fit into the bicep armor. The elbow pieces don't want to fit into the forearm armor with my arm in them.

Very frustrating.

If I put the armor on the gaskets and then try to put my arms in, I have more success but need assistance.

I will have to start trimming these down to see if I can get them to work better for me. I should have a better idea of what to do with then once I've worn them for an extended period of time. I will update this post with any modifications I make.

 

In the meantime I ordered a set of TK4502 Imperial Gaskets. 

You glue them with Elmer’s rubber cement, and set up much quicker. Easier that the floor mats and Weir Stick.

Here is a link to the tutorial.

I also ordered a set of Mrs. TK4502’s Fabric Gaskets, (I hear they are very comfortable).

Update: Since the silicone gaskets came in from Imperial Gaskets, I have not troopes with the Anovos ones.

 

-Zaphod

Edited October 18, 2019 by Zaphod
Replacing Broken Photobucket Links

[Zaphod[TK]]

Finish Coat of Paint

Back into the paint booth.

I used the Mixkwik tool on every can for about a minute then got busy. I started with the smaller pieces. I figured if I messed up, at least I wouldn't have much sanding to do. I did end up having to re-do one of the spats.

I got the hang of it eventually and moved on the larger pieces.

With everything done, I turned off the lights, left the fan running, locked the door and went off the Caribbean for a week.

Fingers crossed the whole time.

 

 

 

Decals

I used 'Window Film Application Solution' to float the decals into position. The only problem I had was, I was missing the decals for the front rectangular part of the wrist boxes. I did receive two decals for the chest cut out. One for the resin upgrade, and a different one if you decided not to do the upgrade. I was able to make the missing decals out of the chest decal I didn’t use. All is good.

 

 

Holster Update

I added real hardware from McMaster Carr

See this post on FISD

 

 

 

 

AND DONE

Well sort of. The gaskets need work. I'd like to get to a point where I can get into the armor on my own, but for now the gaskets are too restricting. I may have better luck with Imperial Gaskets.

 

APPROVED!!

 

 

-Zaphod

Edited October 22, 2019 by Zaphod
Replacing Broken Photobucket Links

[Pencap510]

Looks sharp!! Congrats

[Darth Aloha[Admin]]

Hey look at you with the approval and all

 

Congratulations!

 

-Eric

[Zaphod[TK]]

Hey look at you with the approval and all

 

Congratulations!

 

-Eric

 

Thanks Boss

 

-Zaphod

[Flyboy[TK]]

Just wanted to thank you for sharing this fantastic build! I got so many ideas and learned so much from following your progress and I don't think I would have completed my build without your posts. Your build looks excellent, job well done!<br><br>

Thanks again!<br><br>

Josh

Edited December 10, 2015 by Flyboy

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Totally missed this, Congrats Pete 

[Bryanmc[501st]]

I'm going to duplicate your strapping system, it looks great.

 

For your snaps, are you putting them through nylon then using e6000 to glue them to the plastic?

[Zaphod[TK]]

Just wanted to thank you for sharing this fantastic build! I got so many ideas and learned so much from following your progress and I don't think I would have completed my build without your posts. Your build looks excellent, job well done!<br><br>

Thanks again!<br><br>

Josh

 

Thanks a lot Josh. I'm glad I was able to help you out.

 

-Pete

[Zaphod[TK]]

I'm going to duplicate your strapping system, it looks great.

 

For your snaps, are you putting them through nylon then using e6000 to glue them to the plastic?

 

Thanks for the compliment.

Yes, I cut pieces of 1" white nylon strapping to length (about 1 1/2" to 2"), melt the ends slightly with a lighter to stop fraying. Then melt a hole for the snap with a soldering iron. I used E6000 to glue it to the armor. Some people say that putting E6000 on the metal part or the snap will cause it to heat up and melt or deform the plastic. This has never happened to me on this build or my OT TK. However putting glue on the metal part of the snap makes it a lot more difficult to remove the snap plate if you need to (but not impossible).

 

-Pete

[Bryanmc[501st]]

Thanks Pete!

 

How are you keeping your biceps in place?

[Zaphod[TK]]

Thanks Pete!

 

How are you keeping your biceps in place?

 

Right now, muscles 

The biceps are tight on me with the gaskets on, so friction is all that's holding them up.

I plan on opening the biceps up at the inside seam and putting in Velcro, like the movie used suits.

That may make them looser and require straps, we'll see.

I will be updating this thread as I make adjustments.

 

-Pete

[Bryanmc[501st]]

Thanks. I don't currently have that support system in place so I'll have to work something else out.

[Zaphod[TK]]

Update

So I had my first troop over the weekend, Star Wars Night at the Portland Pirates in Portland Maine.

Anovos Gaskets have to go. I will be working on Imperial Gaskets right away. But first, a bigger issue had to be dealt with.

 

My TD was working it's way crooked throughout the troop. 

Here is a good shot of what I mean...... me out on the ice for the puck drop

 

 

Luckily I had an excellent wrangler who was able to keep it straightened out for most of the night.

 

Here is what I think went wrong...

 

 

In the photo above you can see how the strap holding the TD has slipped over the edge of the AB plate. This is why my TD was going all crooked at the troop.

(I think)

 

My solution

 

 

I switched the strap holding the AB closet to the TOP snaps and the straps holding the TD to the lower snaps.

The photo above shows that even if the TD strap works it's self off the AB, the TD should stay straight, (or at least not as obviously crooked  )

If it doesn't work, I'll try velcro.

 

-Zaphod

Edited October 22, 2019 by Zaphod
Replacing Broken Photobucket Links

[Pencap510]

Good catch with the TD slippage. Question do you have the bottom of the TD secured to the bottom of the ab in the back at all? I noticed mine was swinging a little... It moved less once I put the back plate over it, but I still didn't want to risk it. I basically used some Velcro to secure it at the bottom with kept it steady -- causing less swing/stress and pull at the top

[Zaphod[TK]]

Good catch with the TD slippage. Question do you have the bottom of the TD secured to the bottom of the ab in the back at all? I noticed mine was swinging a little... It moved less once I put the back plate over it, but I still didn't want to risk it. I basically used some Velcro to secure it at the bottom with kept it steady -- causing less swing/stress and pull at the top

 

I do not have it secured at the bottom at all. I will see how it works out first. 

Adding velcro just like you suggested will probably be on the cards. Sounds like a good way to eliminate any TD issues.

Thanks Ty

 

-Zaphod