pandatrooper

This is what I usually do. - primer (Let dry 5 mins between coats, 2-3 coats) - top coat (I let the primer dry for about 30 mins before top coating (top coat is 3-5 coats for a helmet, letting dry 5 mins in between each coat). The best way to layer paint is to actually still have it be slightly tacky between coats, this promotes adhesion. If leave it for a week and then top coat it again, and you chip the helmet, this is where the chip will occur - between the separate layers of paint. You can use this to your advantage if you want the chipped look. Mask the chips, paint it khaki and let it dry a week before top coating white. After the top coat is done, leave it a week to cure fully.

I can see building a static one, like the guy in Japan that built a lifesize Gundam robot. But a walking one would be a hazard (imagine being inside when it trips and falls over!)

White is accurate. Looking good!

I would get the proper left and right shins. Matching forearms and biceps you could get away with but not shins.

Yes thats the one. You can see the small indent in this digital pic. In the printed photo in the book you can see a circle where the brad or split rivet would be. Its on the upper most corner of the thigh strip. Confirmed its there for sure.

I don't have the photo to post, but if you look on page 203 of the Making of SW book at the large photo of the TKs discovering 3po and R2 in the control room, you can see the TK pointing his blaster at 3po has his ammo strip attached with a small split rivet or brad of some kind. Its clear there its not just glued on.

For your body size, go with ATA. It will be much easier to trim down than AM.

Trim your armor a little more carefully abd see if you can join the seams first. Cut some straight edged 1 piece strips from thinner plastic (you can use the AM trimmings, just use the thinner ones), sand the glue residue from your current shims and just glue them the new ones in the proper places. Or you can try and skip the inner shims and just go with cover strips, making sure you overlap the seam properly.

Here's what I see is not quite right / could be improved: - Your cuts need to be neater and more consistent. You've trimmed off and left 7mm, but it's not an accurate 7mm consistently down the length of the forearm. The cut looks rather wavy, so in some spots you have 7mm of plastic to glue to, and in others you don't. Also, in the case of AM armor, the ridge is only on one side (for the arms) and so the 7mm doesn't really matter. You could have made it 10 or 12mm, which meant more material would need to be trimmed off the other side. - Your halves are not touching. This isn't 100% required but it will make assembly easier IMO. Leaving gaps also makes your armor bigger than you sized it, which isn't good if you sized it correctly when test fitting / taping. If the cuts were nice and straight, you could tape them and drop a bead of plastic weld down the seam and join the halves (like a plastic model kit). But you can't because there's a big gap between the 2 halves and I'm not sure why you have the gap there at all. - The inner shims are not a consistent strip running the length of the arm. You're using small sections, which isn't the way I would do it. I would use a consistent shim (straight and parallel cuts on both sides) that fits OVER the seam you're trying to cover. Ideally, half the shim should cover one half of the arm, the other part covers the other half. Right now, I see that most of the shim is glued on the curved side of the arm, and only a tiny bit is glued on the other. Of the part that is glued to the ridge side, it's not reaching all the way up the inside of the ridge. - Also, when you glue one side of the arm, the other side will probably be not even close to touching. If you simply force it to touch, and tape / glue it, you're putting a lot of pressure on the first glue join, and that's what is causing it to pop open. When I glue one side, I would use a heat gun to gently heat along the limb an inch or so on either side of the seam, and bend the armor so that the other side touches. This makes a huge difference and will make assembling the other side much easier. Take a look at my inner AM shims Both sides glued at the seam Inner shim is glued the length of the seam Using Plastic weld will help, in that it bonds quicker and is designed to bond ABS plastic. But you need to work fast with it. I usually use plastic weld inside (if possible) and E6000 on the outer cover strips.

I would proceed as described. I usually glue an inner shim (which is really optional, I don't think the original screen used suits did it on the limbs but I feel it makes assembly easier / stronger) and let it cure, before doing the cover strips. Also, I'm not sure why but you have increased the gap / spacing of your halves, yet you left only 7mm for the shim to grab? It's not a lot of plastic. The thin width works fine if you run some plastic weld joining the halves before you glue the inner shim, but if you leave a big gap like that, you're right - the plastic doesn't have much to grab.

Welcome. It would help to know what kit / amor make you're building. If its an FX style kit, the shoulders will already be huge. If it's a screen look derived kit, the shoulders are likely smaller. You could try and stretch them out by heating but it depends on what type you have. Stretching them out will also make them more shallow / narrower. They'll be wider (looking from the side) but will be less deep. They also won't get any taller. Might want to consider AM or RT mod shoulders?

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Glue the cover strip on the outside back of the shin. You're going to need a heatgun to reshape the shins to make them close at the back. At least thats how I do it.

I personally don't think people will simply "drop" what they have and switch. Not everyone can afford to buy another set of armor just because it has the lineage. Sure, it could be the most accurate armor in terms of screen lineage, but there are many other factors. What price will the suit be? What materials have been used? Quality of craftsmanship / production / manufacturing? Quality of service? Can they deliver? How well did they capture the detail? Did they do a good job with creating molds / bucks? Do they have the equipment and skills to vacuform? Will they include everything you need (rubber trim, etc.) or do you need to buy all of that separately? Will it be trimmed? Every maker has their own pros and cons and I think its great that there are still and will continue to be many options. Have a very low budget don't care too much about accuracy? You can probably pick up an older legit FX kit for cheap. Want something a step above that? How about ATA styrene? Want ABS? There's ATA, AP, TMC, TM, CFO, etc. A bigger trooper? There's RT-mod and AM. The most ANH accurate so far and great craftsmanship / quality? TM. Want the suit that has direct lineage to ANH, then get the Simon one. I don't think everyone will upgrade just because a newer more accurate suit is available. Just because a new Lamborghini comes out every year doesn't mean I can't drive my Toyota. It works just fine for what I need.

Krylon Dover white looks a lot like aged white paint. I did a lot of paint tests with about 6 different types of white, Dover white is the closest.

Props to you Tray for a prompt reply, customer service and support. I have a few TMC and other MC items and the quality and service is generally very good. Hope this works out for everyone.

Personally, I would just sand it down and polish it. Its ABS and can handle it.

Yes. Snap in the bicep, velcro in the forearm. Not screen accurate at all but it works for me.

Sand with wet sand 600, 800, 1000, then polish it with Novus or cut polish. I have repaired ABS from serious cuts or damage or Dremeled returns and you can't tell it was ever even damaged after polishing.

Clever idea, Jim.

Detailed tutorial here ------

Can you use shorter ear bolts?

I've read that the helmets were often repainted and mixed and matched (eg: ears were removed to use on other lids etc.). Perhaps this helmet was completed (Hdpe painted white), used, then RE painted via another coat of red primer to promote adhesion, then painted white again? The red could have gotten inside when it was resprayed and gotten into thd lid via the eye openings?

Cool concept, thanks for sharing Mark!

Hadn't noticed this E-11 blaster kit before. http://www.doopydoos.com/stormtrooper-e-11-complete-anh-e-11-blaster-kit-offer-2685-p.asp