Trooper Peter

Exciting news indeed. Any idea whether the new 2008 FX Helmet is going to be the "Hero" or "Stunt" version? If they are reducing the helmet size to match the original film size, I wonder if they are going the giving the "squarish" looking Helmet dome some brand new reshaping.

Is that so? I'll head back to the FISD forum and check up this DVD teaser image. Thanks for the heads up Rolf.

Congratulations Chuck, TD 1196.

My apologies for this untimely response and my deepest gratitude, Seth and Mike for your informative replies. Alright, my Sandtrooper armor is going to done to comply with CANON Screen Accuracy in the prevailing MEPD Deployment guide. The best alternative in lieu of having simulated Blaster Shot (and/or Lightsaber Slash) marks is to HEAVILY weather my Sandtrooper armor with the Woodland Scenics Pigments and some Fuller's Earth so that my end result will resemble something like : a Sandtrooper who spent some time in the middle of the Tatooine desert searching for the jettisoned escape pod. OK understood, from you're coming from. I'm looking forward to see my profile pic included in the prestigious MEPD Deployed Gallery in this year.

Congratulations Detachment Leader, Mike TK/TD 1536 and to your appointed MEPD Command Team members. I can foresee great things ahead for the MEPD in 2008. Well I've got this one to you. But it is normally circulated around people who are working in the Finance and Accounts function of a company (sorry if it ain't fart related ) and no offence to any MEPD members who are Accountants, Finance Managers or Chief Financial Officers. This joke is told in the context of a tropical country (where I'm from) which does not experience any snow. When a tightwad - best bet a Finance person decides to buy everyone in the office lunch and/or dinner treat, these weather conditions will occur depending on their level of tightwad-ness : ....it drizzles, when a Junior Finance Executive gives the treat. .....it rains, when a Senior Finance Executive gives the treat. .....it pours, when a Finance Manager gives the treat. ...and when, a super tightwad (e.g. the organization's Group Financial Controller) gives everyone a good dinner treat, a freak Snowstorm or Blizzard hits the town!!!

TK 8269, I've sent you a PM on this.

Congratulations to you Mike, TD-1536 on being the new MEPD Detachment Leader for the year ahead. ..and a kudos to you Seth for a job well done in your tenure as the MEPD Detachment Leader.

Gentlemen, I'm starting work on my Sandtrooper Squad Officer project and will be working towards earning the coveted MEPD Deployed Trooper status when this project is completed, sometime in 2008. It is time to play in the DIRT and to be DIRTY all over now that I've completed my spanking clean Snowtrooper Commander costume here : and recently earned my Blizzard Force Deployment Status Yes, only the Snowtrooper Grunts are required to play in the Snow and get dirty, but not so much their Commanders! I've checked the MEPD-Sandtrooper Requirement Listing and need to clarify this point here - is Battle Damaged effects applied onto the Helmet and Armor acceptable for MEPD Deployment? I'm referring to simulated Blaster Shot (and/or Lightsaber Slash) marks added onto specific parts of the Helmet and Armor, where it is most likely that a Sandtrooper is to sustain, in the line of active duty. I've also seen the MEPD Deployed Troopers Gallery and noticed that Battle Damaged effect on TD armor is extremely small in numbers, which bring me to seek clarification here. Will appreciate your valuable inputs on this before I proceed to Dremel out identified areas on my existing FX Armor, as part of the process of bringing it up to Sandtrooper armor spec before adding the oh-so-important DIRT and WEATHERING. Yeah I'll also be upgrading the inaccurate FX bucket to a more accurate ANH styled Stunt Stormtrooper bucket in this project. Cheers, -Peter

Welcome to the 501st Legion, Harry "TD 6521".

Well done Harry - Great looking Sandtrooper (AP armor), Backpack, weathering and your long awaited T-21 BFG. I sincerely agree with you on the part on being ready for the 501st only when you're official for the MEPD. Your pics are truly inspiring. Remember that when the day your Snowtrooper costume is ready, please do strike these poses on the Snow too.

Good going Zac and thanks for sharing the pics of your TM Sandtrooper armor. Please do share with us the pics of your TM armor after you've got it weathered.

Troopermaster, PM sent.

Thanks for sharing BraksBuddy Hey at least you get the chance to be immortalized as a Sandtrooper and wear those cool props and get immortalized 30 years later!

Seth, thanks for sharing this great pic of how you applied Fuller's Earth on your TD Armor. Upon closer inspection I can see how it adds the sandy surface texture to your armor.

oh.. that's a kid in an oversized clone armour... bad casting and mod... ...either that or he is inventing a new form of Bell Bottom clonetrooper calf armor. The kid should've stuck to being a Biker Scout...

RoCKo that is so Sweeeeet looking. I'll save this pic and e-mail it to my friend as a guide when he adds this kit to his Hasbro Blaster. I can imagine how it will look like if you add a bit of weathering to it like drybrushing the edges to simulate exposed metal.

Harry PM sent.

Hey Harry thanks for posting this up. I'm glad my fellow 501st Outpost member-to-be purchased this conversion kit to bring his Hasbro blaster up to mark to go hand in hand with his TK Armor when it is completed.

Thanks for explaning your sandblasting weathering technique, BH 3356.

Looks similar to what I'll be using, which I purchased the kit from a fellow 501st member and not from eBay. Best Recommended for use with Hasbro's Blastech E-11 though.

You're absolutely right on this. I won't take the risk of working with cheap-o's but with the 3 recommended Woodland Scenic Liquid Pigment Colors - Raw Umber (# C1221), Burnt Umber (# C1222) and Yellow Ocher (# C1223) to weather my recently acquired set of FX Stormtrooper Armor , which is currently pending the necessary parts to convert it to Sandtrooper Armor configuration (and weaponry too since this DH-17 prop happened to be on loan ) : Just a quick question, did any TDs here used Fuller's Earth in a dusty tan /gray color to weather your armor? Is this a weathering necessity?

Looks pretty well done. You've mentioned you've used sandblasting, pardon me if I ask what does this process entails? From your pics it looks similar to airbrushing the weathering on your FX Stormtrooper Bucket. Thanks.

Yep keep this sensitive info as vague or as low profile as possible.

Hi RoCKo, Thanks for reaffirming Chris "TK409" Bartlett's superb website. I'm currently studying his Sandtrooper armor weathering techniques. Hmm....not sure whether the Tempera/Craft paints are available here in Malaysia or not...

Hey Mike "TD-1536" Thanks for the URL link the weathering Tutorial. I've already saved it under my Favourites. Yeah I remembered seeing this great Weathering Tutorial a couple of months back when the tought of doing a Sandtrooper costume haven't crossed my mind yet. I'll see whether the art supply shops over here in Malaysia have these Woodland Scenics' Earth Colors Liquid Pigments : recommended 4 oz. bottles of Raw Umber (mfg. part # C1221), Yellow Ocher (mfg. part # C1223), and Burnt Umber (mfg. part # C1222) available here. Otherwise I'll source for some close substitutes that is of the matching colors.