My Rubies TK Supreme ROTJ build/mod[*RB]

**JSmails[501st]** · February 14, 2009

I don't think I ever noticed that the TK's don't have thermal det tubes.

In ROTJ, Endor specifically, it really is a crap-shoot what the TK's are wearing. Most don't have the Det tubes, but some do. Some don't have holsters, some do.

Because of all the upcoming hand-to-hand physicality I imagine LFL made a decision that the guys who would actually be doing the stunts won't wear the extra stuff so it doesn't get broken. Or they didn't bother to make extras, something like that.

But the TK's on the Death Star when Vader arrives are all uniform. Det. tubes and holsters.

TK8280 · February 16, 2009

TK-9135 said:

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check it out, the frowns of these troopers look 'squared rather than rounded

Edited May 19, 2022 by gmrhodes13
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TK8280 · February 16, 2009

I notice the belt being smaller, the Butt and kidney being one piece and the back looks smaller.

yes, the ROTJ belts are around 2.5 inches wide as the ANH belts are about 3 inches wide

TK8280 · February 16, 2009

August, I dont see any reason for you to paint your belt rivets, all the suits that I have seen the rivits were not painted, including one suit that I saw in person at LFL but I think it can be a prefference thing too since we dont see to many of the details on-screen so there very well could have been other suits out there that were

TK8280 · February 16, 2009

Thanks for the replies!

About getting the forearms higher, how do you all do it? Originally they were connected via elastic with the bicep. Is that what I should do? Just so they have some resistance to sliding down when my arms are down. The elastic is still in there, I'd just have to put some industrial velcro on it and in the bicep. Maybe snaps?

you are going to have to break open the forearms and or cut them apart, then trim and then re-attach them...then I would suggest putting foam weather stripping in side them to hold them in place, you can find these at most hardware stores, they already have the adhesive on them so you just have to cut them to size...you will most likely have to do this with your thigh(s)

**JSmails[501st]** · February 16, 2009

you are going to have to break open the forearms and or cut them apart, then trim and then re-attach them...then I would suggest putting foam weather stripping in side them to hold them in place, you can find these at most hardware stores, they already have the adhesive on them so you just have to cut them to size...you will most likely have to do this with your thigh(s)

Thanks for the advice Bernard!

The forearms are actually quite flexible. So I have just increased the overlap and put in some new velcro to hold it in the new spot. They are MUCH tighter and look much better IMO.

I didn't think of the foam in the thighs. I have it in my calves and forearms. I suppose if I put it in the thighs also, it'll tighten it up and not let them rotate around the leg as easily. I will definitely look into that.

I would like to make my frown ends look rounder. I am just not sure on how to do that. Does the upper part of the frown black out out over the top lip? From what I've seen and the design of the MRCE, it makes it very hard to stay within the level of the upper lip, but also to round the end with any kind of consistency.

Thanks!

riveting · February 16, 2009

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I'm not sure if the above pic is any use? as I previously may have posted :unsure: I masked the frown off at the apex of the lip curve with electrical tape as it's quite "givvy", then for the end's I just carefully used a small paintbrush & little by little added paint to give it a rounded off look.

Edited May 19, 2022 by gmrhodes13
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TK8280 · February 17, 2009

riveting said:

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I'm not sure if the above pic is any use? as I previously may have posted I masked the frown off at the apex of the lip curve with electrical tape as it's quite "givvy", then for the end's I just carefully used a small paintbrush & little by little added paint to give it a rounded off look.

wow thats a clean job Steve, i wish i had that kind of paint skills, but im just stuck with two left hands :rolleyes:

Edited May 19, 2022 by gmrhodes13
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**JSmails[501st]** · February 17, 2009

Steve,

Do you have a Hi-Res of that frown picture that you could email me? Or a new, closer Hi-res pic? I love that look for sure.

I'll PM you my email.

Thanks for the help, as always.

Boozel · February 17, 2009

I remember when we were trying to come up with Elite requirments for ROTJ the frown issue was one of them. I believe TM posted some good pics of rounded after I posted these:

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I think it was again said no rhime or reason to the stuff for this movie...lol

Boozel

Edited May 19, 2022 by gmrhodes13
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**Mobus[TK]** · February 17, 2009

So is the armor actually made from ABS? I was under the impression that it was made out of that weird hard vinyl stuff that Rubies makes their helmets out of. If it is ABS it makes it totally modifiable, just cut and re-glue to fit like buying any other used armor.

JoeR · February 17, 2009

Mobus said:

So is the armor actually made from ABS? I was under the impression that it was made out of that weird hard vinyl stuff that Rubies makes their helmets out of. If it is ABS it makes it totally modifiable, just cut and re-glue to fit like buying any other used armor.

I think I mentioned in another thread I have never seen any screen caps with the squared off frown, I personally think that this was used only for background Death Star helmets. Nothing seen on screen has squared off frowns.

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Joe

Edited May 19, 2022 by gmrhodes13
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troopermaster · February 18, 2009

I agree with Joe. All the ROTJ screen helmets have rounded off frowns from what I have seen over the years. I believe the helmet and armour featured on SWH.com in the link above is an ESB promo suit made before ROTJ, but made from the same moulds that made the ROTJ armour. It may have been used on screen, but as I say, I've not seen a helmet with a squared off frown.

**Navajo Bro[TK]** · February 19, 2009

So is the armor actually made from ABS? I was under the impression that it was made out of that weird hard vinyl stuff that Rubies makes their helmets out of. If it is ABS it makes it totally modifiable, just cut and re-glue to fit like buying any other used armor.

Hey saw the message before the post, LOL....

Yes, it's plastic, seems to be ABS and vacuum formed. I thought the same thing from the promotional pics, that it was the weird, heavy injected rubber stuff the helmets were made from, but it's not. And it's not as gosh awful as I thought it would be in person, but still not worth the price (in my opinion only) because of all the imperfections and mods you have to do. $1000 is steep for any armor, LOL...

**FIVE[501st]** · February 19, 2009

Well, I've got to say — from one modder to another — I'm pretty impressed with this. I loved reading your first post because you had obviously 1) been naive (we all were), 2) admitted it, 3) done your research, and 4) stepped up past the initial naivety to come out way on top!! Great job man!

Of course I totally agree with your assessment that this armor would be next to impossible to make ANH and that ROTJ was / is the way to go. Not that I needed to say that... but you get typing and you know how it is. haha

One thing I will say is that I love how TK armor and this whole hobby is. Meaning that when we start few of us can tell the difference between any one set of armor or bucket... but the more you study, the more obvious it becomes. The differences in the armor and films are a lot of what makes the hobby so fun I think! It reminds me of being in high school when the original Nightmare on Elm Street came out. Then, II, III, IV, and so on. I was a HUGE Freddy buff... and could tell you, simply by a picture of his scars, number of stripes (and which was first) on his sweater, even a close up pic of one of his glove blades, which movie it was from and who made it. (I wonder if I could still do it?) And THAT was before the internet!

You know I have some pics of stormtroopers I found online pre-501st days. I saw them on a CD a few months ago and was AMAZED at how crappy they all were! Cloth drop boxes, wacked out sniper plates, the whole gambit. I'm glad I didn't get into it before "all this." I think it would've been a bit too much work on my part.

Anyway... all that to say fantastic job on the Rubies man!

The ROTJ still isn't my personal fav, but yours is going great!

Star Wars Helmets · February 19, 2009

JoeR said:

I think I mentioned in another thread I have never seen any screen caps with the squared off frown, I personally think that this was used only for background Death Star helmets. Nothing seen on screen has squared off frowns.

Joe

Joe, you may be correct in that they were only used in shooting at Elstree, however apart from the one shown above, the Cooper-Owen helmet also had a squared off frown

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It looks to me like they simply masked off the end of the mouths in the same way as they did for the AT-AT's in ESB.....

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BTW I agree with others sentiments. What you guys have done with the Rubies armour is really great; Silk purse from a Sow's ear so to speak!

Cheers

Jez

Edited May 19, 2022 by gmrhodes13
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**JSmails[501st]** · February 20, 2009

Thanks for those pics Jez!

ROTJ really is a grab bag of what LFL could throw together to get the trilogy completed.

I think I saw a TK with an ABS belt.

**JSmails[501st]** · March 23, 2009

BUMP for updated pics in first post.

Thanks for the continued help gents!

**2155TK[TK]** · March 29, 2009

Saw the underarmor suit bro! looks great! btw on the pic where you raised your arms(facing front), it looks like the suit is a bit loose around the armpit area.. is this due to the size being smaller for you?

**JSmails[501st]** · March 29, 2009

Saw the underarmor suit bro! looks great! btw on the pic where you raised your arms(facing front), it looks like the suit is a bit loose around the armpit area.. is this due to the size being smaller for you?

That is exactly it. The undersuit, as in your post in the other section, should be 3XL for someone 6'5" like myself. In actual trooping, I'm just going to try not to raise my arms like that.

It also wouldn't do that if I didn't have the stirrups secured under my heels. It is really stretched to cover my body.

**2155TK[TK]** · March 31, 2009

Thanks August! Big Help!

FON · March 31, 2009

From what it was, to what it is now, it looks simply amazing!

TK O.K. · February 27, 2013

Even though I already have a Phase 1, and a couple of phase 3 armours, I picked up a rubies that was too good a deal to pass up.

I was really surprised that it was kind of fun.

With a little mod it became sleeker. And it could take the abuse of being poked at and grabbed at where fun was the order of the day, not inspection.

And now if a Disney, or LFL gets picky about what can come to their events.....I will be ready.

You may be the future my friend.

**JSmails[501st]** · January 15, 2015

Okay, I'm back.

After a LONG hiatus working on my Vader, I felt I needed to finish this up. I updated the pics in the first post to have SOMETHING there. All of my old pics are gone and Google wasn't even nice enough to cache them for me.

I'm guessing the CRL has changed a bit since the last time I was trying to get this thing to meet approval standards.

Is a modded MRCE still acceptable for basic approval, ROTJ? Or do we have to buy a wonky ROTJ to mesh with the Rubies? Or is that only for elite status and above?

I'll get some full pics up tomorrow.

**JSmails[501st]** · February 15, 2017

It seems my question from 2015 didn't get any answers. Shortly after posting that I bought a ROTJ helmet kit off a garrison member who went a different direction. Then I didn't have time to work on it until this week. Which is two years plus after my last post.

So, not knowing if my modded MRCE will still get the OK for 501st, I got that kit and put it together. Brow trim and neck trim by Vaderpainter off of ebay. Bubble lenses I used a welder's shield and my heat gun. Decals are by TK-4510/Trooperbay. Aerator's are Stomper's with speakers. Some pics....