RoCKo

Perfect, thanks a lot! I will surely try some of your techniques when redoing mine! please feel free to cross post your build thread here, I’m sure there are lots of people not so trained in painting and building techniques who will definitely enjoy reading it! Don’t forget progress pictures...I LOVE pictures!

@sand_fox_trooper For the transparent single point tip take a look here... CLICK ME!

Holy moly! That is THE best replica I’ve seen so far! I can only echo...you did a stunning paint job! Would you mind sharing what colors you used and how you did it? I’m considering repainting my Hyperfirm for years now but always delayed it for other projects and because I wasn’t sure I could actually tackle it! But that makes me want to start right now! I guess this might become the benchmark now...

Yeah, it would be easier and definitely not as visible as a big white sheet but i'm still pretty sure i have seen a white edge on some reference pictures from my library, so i decided to try this way first. Unfortunatly i'm still in the building process so i haven't had the trays attached to really know how it will look. Most of it should be covered by the frame anyway, at least that what i think it will look like...

I personally believe the original way to attach therapy’s to the backpack frame is closet what Urs already wrote. I don’t have access to all my reference pictures atm but after studying all available pictures I came up with my personal theory that the trays were attached like this... That way it would imho also explain a lot of these weird, uneven placed trays right next to the frame on the original backpacks. I‘m unsure but if memory serves me right, I even found a picture which showed a small edge of the supporting plate in the right upper corner, or what looked to me like such a plate. That’s why I choose to leave mine that big. Well, at least to me that makes sense...

I see what’s the problem but since you’re using a completely different method to mine I can’t be of help I assume. I did my strapping just like the original strapping with brackets and elastics. You might want to consider changing your method or adjust the length of your straps. I can imagine that having some fixations on each back section could solve your problem... Sorry I can’t be of more help, I’m sure others will chime in to help.

Sorry for the waiting time, I have been here forever but don’t visit the forum on a daily base anymore! Like Dan wrote the best thing is to look at as much reference material as possible. While the Sandtrooper looks more or less like a dirty Stormtrooper with shoulder pauldron there are minor differences which are barely seen when new to all this but are very important if you decide to join the REAL sand pit! First I’d like to give you some very nice and informative websites to do some little research LOOK SIR, DROIDS STARWARSHELMETS - Stormtrooper section (don’t miss all other character sites too!) For building a Sandtrooper you can search to our forum sections, which of course concentrate an Sandtroopers but since there are only these said differences between Stormtroopers and Sandtroopers you might also want to visit our partnersite FISD - whitearmor.net which has tons of information about building a standard Stormtrooper. If you have any questions you can’t find an answer to, please drop me a PM here on the forum by clicking on my name left to this post and use the “Personal Message” button! I hope this is helpful for you!

PM sent, Chris! I hope it helps...

I can only echo! Way better! A lot more natural wear and tear... Well done!

Did you buy the radio, John???

Unfortunately I has been sold already! And even more unfortunately not to me...

Email sent!

Thanks Daniel, I assume you’re correct with your different manufactures theory! After all I’m glad it worked out in the end! I will keep that in mind with my next helmet, still one more white ABS helmet in storage before finally reaching out for the HDPE helmets. Btw. Don’t worry about your english, mate! Since we’re both no native speakers it’s absolutely no problem... Our English is still better than their German!

Naaaah, I don’t think so! I only have trooped once on a 501st meeting and once to the premiere of Episode 1. While I really enjoyed all those kids eyes around I decided to stay with just collecting. But from time to time I will come to bigger events to have a chat with fellow Star Wars enthusiasts. Btw. It’s more than overdue that the Celebration Europe gets back to good old Germany, right?!?

Thanks guys, much appreciated! I really love working on it even when it takes forever... Right now I’m hunting down the correct split rivets and single caped rivets for the armor, I really hate this metric differences, not easy to get them in the right dimensions.... accuracy nut!

Btw. for those thinking what the **** takes him so long?.?.? Yeah, I’m looking for accuracy but that’s not sooo time consuming. Like always I’m too sidetracked with other simultaneous projects. I was never good at focusing on just one... Here are just a few of my other almost finished projects... And just because a TD helmet isn’t enough to be build, I started a complete armor about two weeks ago...

Just some minor steps but getting closer... I gave it a light coat of clear gloss today after I covered all scratches with liquid latex again. (Note to myself: Don’t rub off the liquid latex too early! ) I think I call it done for now...off to the hand painting details...

The spacers aren’t glued, just drilled through the bottle and with the help of a magnet coming from inside out so I can use a washer plus nut combination to fix to my trays. Since my pack is going to be on display only I am not too worried about a perfectly solid fixation. Of course I cannot tighten the screw from inside the bottle... Nice work on the illustration! Seems to be angled on my pack too...I will incorporate that!

I think you’re right about some kind of spacer between seed trays and bottle which might be slightly angled top and bottom. Here is what I did, at least for now, on my current build...

Perfectly done! Looks like original and even has the functionality of a original radio! I did the exact same to highlight the raised letters on my radio, wax crayon, right?

I didn’t know Matt is still/again doing Stormtrooper stuff but I can’t tell anything nice about him. I assume there are more than a dozen people I know he still owes money or some items payed for but never received! Me included! I ordered a ANH helmet from him nearly ten years ago. First he was to refund my money, then he told me I would get my helmet somewhen later because he has had an accident, then he told me he would send me a ROTJ helmet (which I actually never wanted but accepted before I wouldn’t get anything) and after all this he ignored all my emails and PM for years! A few years ago he sold his moulds and told us he would never do any forming again ( I think he sold his moulds for the fourth time) From time to time he pops up and sells some helmets and even armor but I would never buy anything from him again... Maybe do some research on the FISD board before you consider buying, there is a lot of informations... Anyway, that’s just my personal experiences and thoughts about Matt (TE) but please decide yourself if you take the risk...

Iirc Constantin had his own personal storage where he hosted his images...he must have deleted them or his server is down...

I try to simulate the original detail paintings also as close to the original Davin helmet as possible... I really do hope this will work out to spend so much time on these smaller details! Can’t wait to handpaint the tube stripes...I’m really excited but not the good way...they scare me to death! I did it a couple of times before... freehand, with template, with outlines masked... nothing really convinced me yet!

Ok, here we go again... I gave it another try spray painting with a various thin coats of white. After each coat I waited for 5-10 minutes to give the paint some time to degass before applying the next coat. And guess what, it worked all good this time... Here are some pics showing the final sloppy but wrinkle free painted helmet. I might cover some scratches at a later time, I think I overdid the weathering imho!

Looks great!