I have been getting a ton of help on replacing my damaged gear, for that THANK YOU... You all know who you are...
However; now I face a quandary, ABS or Resin? The resin set (helmet and chest box) I have been turned onto is actually cheaper than Richie Armor's ABS set I looked into (the difference is about a $100), but I wonder if the ABS may hold up better over time... Any thoughts...
I am pretty cheap... Okay, I'm not really, but my wife keeps me on a short leash! And I have grown fond of living indoors... So I don't want to throw money away, but I also don't want to do this again in a year...
Thanks,
Last edited by TI-9267 on Thu Aug 07, 2008 4:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
My personal opinon is it depends on how thick the resin is. Myself i like the feel and look of resin, you get great detail with it. I have some resin buckets here and they are quite nice but if its a thin casting i would pass. I would say at least 1/8 or more to be durable. Resin will break easier then ABS and paint will chip on it. So i guess i'm trying to say is ABS is tougher and be a better choice for long term trooping but if cash is really tight resin will do the job.
I purchased a set of R.A. way back when, and it sucked!!! The helmet was HUGE!!!! The chest box was a bad pull, and did not look good at all. I ended up selling to someone right away!!! DON"T BUY IT!
BLIZZ
TI-8192 (100%)
TC-8192 (Retired - For Now)
501st / Great Lakes Garrison / Jolly Rogers
"We Fly - You DIE!"
Don't get the Richies anything. If you go ABS get a Laws kit, it's a little more but there is no better in terms of quality and accuracy. The Fang helmet is also a nice alternative but it weighs more.
I have both. The Laws kit requires better than average assembly skill to make it look as good as it can be. Anybody who tells you different is lying. However, as far as accuracy, the screen used were made of multiple pieces, as is the Laws. It is black ABS, so you could get away without painting it, but if you want glossy black, paint is the way to go. The resin bucket that I have is a Fang. It is a very nice piece and appears to be based on the DP Classic Action. For a solid resin bucket, it is not really that heavy, seriously. No multiple piece assembly required. You will need to trim, sand, prime and paint. A bit of skill and patience is required here, too. Either of these buckets are very nice, and have plenty of room for a liner, fans, mic. etc. I know nothing about RA's helmet kit aside from pics I have seen and I am not a fan. I did buy one of his chest box kits and the labor I put in to it far exceeded the cost of the kit. The pieces are sloppily pulled and you will have to fab the hell out of it to make it nice. If you can find a nice resin box, go with it. TD866 has made a nice, light rotocast one. I probably don't need to tell you to stay away from Rubies. Nowhere near accurate in size, proportion, shape or finish, and requires hours upon hours of customizing to make it even remotely passable. Good luck and hope to see you join us pilots in the hangar real soon.
Well, you could get a helmet for business casual, casual, semi-formal ,formal and semi-casual events. That means you have room for 2 more according to my calculations.
Thanks for the warning about RA... I had heard some good and some bad in the past. I am planning to get a Fang Helm and Box I am just waiting to hear back. Shimko said he has a modified TK chest and back plates he would part with so I think I am getting close. Now I just need to drop a few pound so I can get back into my flight suit... I guess I need to cut back on TeeDee's Arrogant Blaster Ale...
The resin set (helmet and chest box) I have been turned onto is actually cheaper than Richie Armor's ABS set I looked into (the difference is about a $100), but I wonder if the ABS may hold up better over time... Any thoughts... 
So I don't want to throw money away, but I also don't want to do this again in a year...
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