Armor Showoff AP

[Florida_Phil]

Ok, I actually have started masking off MY helmet today, in prep for painting. And after looking closely at your photos, I have to ask, what kind of bucket is that? Cause it doesn't look like an AP (this is not a slur at either AP, or your bucket btw).

Yes its an AP helmet, the hole kit is a ANH autentic prop stunt armor kit (80 thick ABS white glossy plastic).

But i know its a bit confuseing.

As far as i know...

Around 2004 GF, was borrow TE moulds (and maid them in abs plastic about 60 thick, whit a hero helmet, smaller edge top head).

Around 2006 GF go under the name, AP autentic props.

Now in thicker abs plastic (80), and whit a stunt helmet (more wide and round shape top helmet).

And has now done it in a more professional vacum shop.

So all the armor parts has a better sharper look.

Bye the way, the newest AP armor kit has a new modify belly (the string from the main box and up, and round arm pice on the chest goes longer up to in a edge).

Ill done some new modify on the armoe since last time, i will try to post some new pictures next week.

Hope it might help trooper.

Ok, here is how I came up with that statement. Lol. I'm trying to mask the 'mouth' off to paint it black, but the ridges that make up the 'mouth' on my AP helmet are not exactly like what is painted black in the ANH screens. So I started looking at your bucket. It has the left eye like an actual mold, just like you'd expect, but the definiton seems a lot better here:

around the mouth than in the unassembled AP I have before me. I started looking at yours since it said it was AP, cause I couldn't figure out what to use as a guide for masking my AP bucket to paint it as close to ANH as possible.

Also, the whole/indents for the 'frown' made me think yours wasn't an AP:

I have a total of 10, abilt the last one down by the corner is very small.

Then again, I've spent the last month staring at screenshots, and video captures, and I realize now that until about July 3rh of 2006, I only THOUGHT I knew what a TK/TD looked like. And at this point, I realize I know NOW that I didn't know what one looked like then, but I'm still not to the point where I can say for sure what one looks like now.

Your armor btw, looks freaking awesome. So if that is an AP, then how the heck did you paint the black part so well. And what did you use as a cheat, or are you just that artistically inclined (in which case i'm doomed!).

[Rolf]

Ive been painting since i was a child, and in my free time i do art on canvas.

So i paint the hole helmet whit a swab (all the grey parts, and the skinny black out line also), free hand.

Ive done a new paint job since then, and better i think.

The grey was to light in the coulor, so i made it a little bit darker grey.

I also dit the parts under the eye a bit bigger.

I also cut a little bit more off around the eyes, just a little bit.

I dont have a digital camera here, but i will try to take some new pictures in about 4 days from now, and post it here on imperial armor.

I also got sci-fire mg34 and sci-fire e-11, and new weathering look since then.

Yes the helmet has 10 holes, i youse 8 of them.

I cut out the hole armor whit a hobby knift, a big one and a small one.

For the mouth, a small set of file/polish.

If i was living near bye you ill will do it for you, but iam not.

I think is a dangerus to paint whit masks on helmet, its all ways end up too big or wrong. Try to find a steady hand to do the job for you, i think.

Best regards.

Rolf aka TD252... Klik...Klik.

[clutch]

awesome job! i was gonna say I would trim the eyes out a bit more, but it looks like you have already done that.

[Rolf]

awesome job! i was gonna say I would trim the eyes out a bit more, but it looks like you have already done that.

Yep, done that.

The helmet is the most important armor part, i think.

So ill did it like that to see how it gonna look, better save then sorry you know.

Ill will post some new pictures asap. Thanks for reply brother.

[td2878]

wow that is an awesome armor i have the fx with rt helmet, would guys recommed the ap or wait for te 2???? if ap can anyone send me info about how much it costs and where to buy?????

again awesome job just brilliant makes my fx look like a kinder toy lol

[RoCKo]

unless you want to save some money (the AP is cheaper than the TE2) i would HIGHLY RECOMMEND the TE2! the details are striking!

i would definatly save some more money and get me another TE2!

[Daetrin]

So from the comments previous I take it AP updated his molds recently? Before there was a bit of difference in accuracy between AP & TE2 - is this mostly gone and now it's really just the crispness of the details plus the HIPS vs. ABS?

[Rolf]

So from the comments previous I take it AP updated his molds recently? Before there was a bit of difference in accuracy between AP & TE2 - is this mostly gone and now it's really just the crispness of the details plus the HIPS vs. ABS?

True... At first i was called GF around 04 (60 thick white glossy abs whit a hero helmet, smaller edge top helmet). Around 05 to 06 the AP ( 80 thick white glossy abs, but now whit a stunt helmet version and more proffisionel vacum shop whit a better sharp armor product, more wide and round top helmet, like the TE).

[Florida_Phil]

I have AP, not a bash of AP.

There are some AP parts which are mirror imaged, with no difference from the left version, and the right version. I'm sure I'd get it wrong if I tried to name them, but suffice it to say, it's not 'as accurate' or what ever. Not something you can tell at 10 feet, but I totally understand the arguments in either direction.

I knew going in that AP wasn't TE/TE2, but then TE/TE2 wasn't being produced when I ordered mine, and AFAIK it's still not in live production.

I'm happy. Maybe next suit

[td2878]

thanks for the super fast replies guys, i think based on td252 's suit im gonna go ap as it looks awesomely close !!!!

[SethB6025]

I have AP, not a bash of AP.

There are some AP parts which are mirror imaged, with no difference from the left version, and the right version. I'm sure I'd get it wrong if I tried to name them, but suffice it to say, it's not 'as accurate' or what ever. Not something you can tell at 10 feet, but I totally understand the arguments in either direction.

I knew going in that AP wasn't TE/TE2, but then TE/TE2 wasn't being produced when I ordered mine, and AFAIK it's still not in live production.

I'm happy. Maybe next suit

Arms are the same (shoulder bell, bicep, gauntlet), shins are the same. It's a nice set, I don't know why he doesn't sculpt up some mirror image versions so the arms & shins would be different L & R.

[clutch]

I can't remember what pieces TE/GF had to fabricate. I think it was the ab-button pieces, knee boxes piece, drop boxes, hand guards, and maybe the belt?

Were these later replaced when he did the second run with the correct arm and leg pieces?

[SethB6025]

The GF/AP is from a set of TE's ROTJ armor, which had the same part issues. After the initial TE suits, the missing parts were added from tour suits & original sculpts. The parts you mentioned above were all original-sculp AFAIK. I think the ab plate was very modified from the original ROTJ cast.

[Rolf]

The GF/AP is from a set of TE's ROTJ armor, which had the same part issues. After the initial TE suits, the missing parts were added from tour suits & original sculpts. The parts you mentioned above were all original-sculp AFAIK. I think the ab plate was very modified from the original ROTJ cast.

Copy that, its the same storry ill got.

[clutch]

I almost forgot, the shoulder connectors were built by GF as well. I remember GF saying that it was still a work in progress until he got smacked by LFL. Thus the short stem at the top of the ab armor instead of the longer, ANH style.

[td2878]

is it easy to trim armor and helmet, i dont wanna mess the helmet up would it be better to go for assembled helmet and pay a little more???

[Florida_Phil]

I was going to post that I found trimming the helmet easier than the armor... but then I got to looking at my ears as I was about to test fit them. AP ears are asymetrical. I gotta figure out what is front, and what is back, and what is left, and what is right....

Any hints, or does it even matter?

[clutch]

Maybe this will help?

http://www.gotarmor.com/gotarmor2_035.htm

I say if you have the cashola, go for the finished helmet. Some really nice ones pop up from time to time. Average cost seems to be around 400 bucks.

Any helmet finshed by GF himself will be immaculate.

[td2878]

thanks for all the super fast replies!!! do you think theres still a market to sell my fx armor and rt helmet? or should i hang on to them i paid about the same for my fx suit a few years back that te was charging for his suits i know i know but i didnt know any better at the time! i wished id held off in hind sight....id rather keep the fx rather than make a substantial loss on it!

[freakengine]

do you think theres still a market to sell my fx armor and rt helmet?

Don't worry. There's definitely a market, especially for an assembled suit. Check the bay over a coupla weeks and you'll see what I mean.

[clutch]

Exactly. I did the same thing. Got a rt-mod first and about a week after it arrived, I ran into a set of GF. Sold the rt-mod almost immediately and didn't lose a cent on it. BTW, I meant to say GF (Follano) in my above post, not GH.

[td2878]

i just ordered the ap armor do i specificall have to ask for stunt or are doe he just do the stunt only?? Hes also trimming the helmet for me 4 teeth either side.

[runJEDIrun]

AP sends the ab plate as a standard TD, but you have the option of putting on all the buttons and stuff to make it a TK. so when you get it, all you have to add are the 4 white buttons on the ab and you should be set.

[TD863]

I started with GT, then got a set of GF. Then, fell out of touch with trooping once we had some children. Now they are up and running around, so I am back into the trooping when I can. Never assembled out my GF suit, so wondering on opinions here as to which is better for a Sandie - GF or AP? And, if majority opinion is AP is best route for Sandie, I can always assemble the GF for a classic shiny Trooper, so would appreciate if anyone could get me contact info how to get an AP.

Cheers.

TD863, out.

[TD-1536]

I started with GT, then got a set of GF. Then, fell out of touch with trooping once we had some children. Now they are up and running around, so I am back into the trooping when I can. Never assembled out my GF suit, so wondering on opinions here as to which is better for a Sandie - GF or AP? And, if majority opinion is AP is best route for Sandie, I can always assemble the GF for a classic shiny Trooper, so would appreciate if anyone could get me contact info how to get an AP.

Cheers.

TD863, out.

Perhaps some clarification is in order, because a GF essentially IS an AP suit, just under a different name (same molds). Perhaps you mean an FX suit?