A Texas R1TK Build (Jimmi)

[THMAustin]

A long hard week on the road was all forgotten when I arrived home to see the BBBs from the Philippines today.  It begins.

Edited July 29, 2017 by THMAustin

[THMAustin]

Well packed and everything accounted for.

Edited July 28, 2017 by THMAustin
Forgot to include the bucket

[cjkirk11]

Awesome, good to see more people on board for the R1TK train lol. Nice title for your post BTW 

 

Following so we can learn from each others progress!

[darthcue[TK]]

2 hours ago, cjkirk11 said:

Awesome, good to see more people on board for the R1TK train lol. Nice title for your post BTW 

 

Following so we can learn from each others progress!

you have the same title... this is going to get confusing

[cjkirk11]

11 minutes ago, darthcue said:

you have the same title... this is going to get confusing

That's why I mentioned it lol

[THMAustin]

In my excitement I duplicated the title from:

Apologies to cjkirk11.  I've changed title to minimize confusion.

[THMAustin]

13 hours ago, cjkirk11 said:

Awesome, good to see more people on board for the R1TK train lol. Nice title for your post BTW 

 

Following so we can learn from each others progress!

That's what happens when you get too excited about BBB.  I've been lurking and learning on this site for 6mos but have never been a poster and am finally figuring out how to create, reply and upload etc on the site.  Hopefully my title change will take effect and prevent confusion between our two threads.  

 

Although it will be slow going due to the nature of my day job  I'll keep my thread updated with my progress.  Very likely I'll be learning from you though so please keep doing the same on your build thread.  

 

Good luck!!

[THMAustin]

11 hours ago, darthcue said:

you have the same title... this is going to get confusing

Thanks for catching my mistake, hopefully corrected.

[cjkirk11]

Looks good to me bud! I wasn't trying to give you a hard time, honest!

[THMAustin]

Slowly filing out tubes and frown. 

Edited August 7, 2017 by THMAustin

[darthcue[TK]]

Very nice! Is that blue tape?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[THMAustin]

Yes, painters tape helped me get a feel for how the finished notches will look once I add a painted piece of abs plastic behind them.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

[THMAustin]

Making some progress. Completed my filing, primered and sanded helmet and a few pieces. Grey primer highlights the great detail of this armor.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

[cjkirk11]

Looking good! We all seem to be getting on at about the same pace lol

[THMAustin]

Looking good! We all seem to be getting on at about the same pace lol

Yeah, darthcue appears to have started with building before painting but all in all about the same. I wish you guys were way ahead of me so I could just copy your progress.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

[cjkirk11]

39 minutes ago, THMAustin said:

Yeah, darthcue appears to have started with building before painting but all in all about the same. I wish you guys were way ahead of me so I could just copy your progress.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
 

Same, but I need to have mine done by the end of the month if I can so hopefully we can all learn from each other and get it done quick.

[THMAustin]

Same, but I need to have mine done by the end of the month if I can so hopefully we can all learn from each other and get it done quick.

You'll definitely pass me, I'm home only 4 days by end of month. I'll be watching your progress.

BTW, really like your idea of using different color primer between coats, I'll have to give that a try.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

[THMAustin]

Quick update on my build. I had a deadline mid-month for a neighbor kid's b-day.

First, I have come to the conclusion that in a bad painter especially with a deadline. As a result a went with a slightly weathered look using water and preferred powdered graphite to hide my many mistakes. Simply mist water and and blow graphite into pooled crevices. Rub into areas for more written look. Original in went heavier but pics below 95% has been removed with rough sponge. I like the look so much I'll probably apply again after another, hopefully better, paint job.

I dont have the time to ask each kid's parent for permission to upload their pics here so that is only croppable photo I have.



Weathered helmet with some borrowed posts from Black Series.



Bits and pieces


Torso strapping with suspenders.


Final note. I'm not yet a member of 501st and this was my first attempt at something approximating a troop. Wow I was unprepared for the reaction from some children. Some pulled at my E-11 and TD and a few punched and kicked me. Apart from this being an example of bad parenting in Texas, has anyone else had similar experience?

In general I found it difficult to converse with the little ones because I'd lose them in the blind spot below me. Thank goodness for Ukwrath's HA system. I heard the kid sneaking up behind me with a tree branch whispering "I'm going to kill the evil Stormtrooper" before he had chance to hit me. I really meant it when I yelled "HALT".

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

[THMAustin]

Apologies for the many typos above, I didn't catch all the autocorrect mistakes on my phone.

 

[FIVE[501st]]

Looks great man!!

I love the strapping you did... did you make it all yourself or use a kit from someone?

 

As far as kids kicking you and all — yes. It's why we (speaking in a general sense) don't do birthday parties and never do anything with kids around without handlers. You'll learn to play the part though as time goes on; meaning you'll learn to let yourself be intimidating to kids and scare the Rebel out of them. haha

[THMAustin]

1 minute ago, Bluey said:

Looks great man!!

I love the strapping you did... did you make it all yourself or use a kit from someone?

 

As far as kids kicking you and all — yes. It's why we (speaking in a general sense) don't do birthday parties and never do anything with kids around without handlers. You'll learn to play the part though as time goes on; meaning you'll learn to let yourself be intimidating to kids and scare the Rebel out of them. haha

Thanks Bluey.  I appreciate the compliments and especially the advice.  NO MORE BDAY PARTIES. 

 

I bought a lot of nylon strapping and snaps then glued with E600 which slightly melts the Flex Seal that I sprayed on the interior for a better hold.  The held up to 45min at 93 degrees and 80% humidity.  They held up better than me in fact.  Two more "troops" in that weather and I'll be down to goal weight.

[Big Deal]

It looks like you did a really good job.

 

Any chance of seeing the torso on without the shoulders or chest plate. I'd like to see how it hangs. 

 

And it looks like a velcro strip on the forearms - are the shins the same?

 

One last thing - did the lens come with the helmet or did you order that separately?

[Dragon_a[TK]]

I'll echo what others said, when there are small kids around you really need a minder.

Interested to hear about the hearing assist system. Where did you place the microphones?

[darthcue[TK]]

Good job Todd! Do you have more pictures in full armor?

[THMAustin]

It looks like you did a really good job.
 
Any chance of seeing the torso on without the shoulders or chest plate. I'd like to see how it hangs. 
 
And it looks like a velcro strip on the forearms - are the shins the same?
 
One last thing - did the lens come with the helmet or did you order that separately?

The torso hangs off the suspenders via snaps front and back. Yes, Velcro used to close forearms and shins which proved to be more than adequate. Finally, yes Jimm includes a green lens that I cut down.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk