Jonboy2312

I'm delighted you like it so far I did some more today: It's described in more detail in this topic: http://www.mepd.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=35564#35564 I think I'll keep the sculpting updates there, as it doesn't really have anything SPECIFICALLY in common with my SE sandy Photos of the complete SE armor build will go here, my helmet making stuff will go there

Glad you guys like ^^ Here's how it looked today before I covered it up for the night (it's past midnight here...) - reshaped tubes, more defined "cheekbones" (under 'goggle' corners, just in front of 'tears'), rough work on the chin started. Right after taking the photos, I added a sharper corner to the 'goggle' of the warped eye. I'd be delighted and most grateful if you guys could give it a good, hard look and try to find any obvious mistakes that I can still fix. I'd like to give it the final cleanup and smoothening treatment so that I can cast the plaster mould off it (no vacuforming tools... thus I only do fiberglass ) Force willing, I might even make it in time for the Dagobah con, first weekend of August. Aw come on now... I think everyone knows each other's opinions by now and I think it's better to avoid the topic alltogether. I respect both you and Paul and I hate seeing you argue

Some progress... but still a lot of work to be done - I'll move the 'goggle' section between the visors forward by some 5 milimeters, and work on the tubes.

Thank you! I'm honored you had a look I hope you don't mind I printed photos of some of your helmets, among others, for reference (there's about 70 prints all over the table and on the opposing wall, LOL ) My focus for today would be the bulges - I want to bring them closer, enlarge and perfect the openings for mic tips. Then, the tubes will need some more careful shaping, and afterwards, I believe, just general smoothening and I'll be able to cast a plaster mould (no vacuforming equipment so I work with fiberglass) Whew... If there's anything obviously wrong that you see, please tell me, I need all the help I can get

Thanks a lot!

Some might already know I've restarted my helmet sculpt project - it's going pretty okay (you can see it here: http://www.mepd.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2889&start=15 ), but I'd be most grateful for some dimensions I don't have. They would really help me a lot. Can anyone please provide me with the dimensions indicated above? Centimeters would be best, I don't have any rulers withinches on them.

Aye, that costume dates back to 2002 and was tailored for local Emperor's Hammer TIE Corps conventions, and it got me into the 501st sometime in early 2003 (or earlier...). It was also the first costume in the Polish Outpost (I was the first member). For the little trooping session on the photo, it was worn by a friend, though, hence it's way too loose. Now, back on the topic of my armor - here's how the new sculpt looks like right now. There's still a lot of work to be done with the bulges, the tubes, and the chin, but it's getting there. Certainly more of a proper trooper look than the previous bucket I made, I think. If you see something wrong with it, please tell me!

Woohoo! The clay arrived yesterday and we're now two days into sculpting the faceplate for my #2 bucket. I'm snapping pictures along the way, and I'll put up a collage when the sculpt is finished - it still needs a LOT of work, though. I can already FEEL it to be way, way more accurate than my first helmet. Proportions, dimensions, details - getting very close to the real thing now. (a flatter, more vertical, wider face). The general shape is okay now, and tomorrow my wife and I will be working on the chin area and the bulges.

I know, I hear about it a lot, but sadly, it's not available in my part of the world. I got a local brand glue instead, one made specifically for hard plastics such as ABS or Styrene (stated specifically in the leaflet). Melts the surface and thus 'welds' them together like superglue does soft plastics. I used this brand's epoxy glue before for other projects and it was the best I've ever worked with, so this new glue should be just perfect Keep your fingers crossed

I think you're right about that - I've noted it down That should also help me move, LOL My priority for now, however, is to get and weather my boots (ordered a pair from CABoots). I have more of my 'desert sand' hobby paint and some air refreshener (caboots for ya) standing by. I'm delighted that you like I was afraid at first that any attempt at a sandy with 'normal' TK parts would get me lynched around here But that's how SE sandys go. Aside from the lipped armor, I'm also thinking of making a cut in my biceps to ease movement a bit, like the trooper scanning the horizon through his binoculars in SE (he's on one of the images cycled in this forum's banner). The problem is, he's the ONLY trooper with such a cut...

Here's a little update - new legs and other misc. parts from TK-560 (IMHO, they're excellent!). Thanks a lot, Jim! Even though they're a close fit with almost no gaps, I can move more freely than with my previous fiberglass attempt. I'm most happy with the new legs. The only problem I have is glueing. The velcros on the left shin, the shim on the left thigh, and the velcro on the right thigh all came off near the end of today's trooping session. I need a better glue

You sure it's not a Lucasfilm promo pic? joking, of course... But it does look dead-on accurate Well what can I say - it's a masterpiece.

My art store is out of clay, they'll have it back in stock next week. I wish I could already start sculpting again... BTW, would you guys be interested in photos from the process?

Doesn't... the more I look at it the more I hate the helmet And the arms... and the legs, but thankfully I'm replacing these now anyway. I'm putting big hopes in my #2 helmet project, though. I'm doing a lot of careful studying, doodling and sketching to get it right this time. With the previous one, I've made three crucial mistakes. 1- the back of the helmet doesn't reach low enough. When seen from the side, the bottom curve should follow an arc. The facial part should be flatter, more vertical (and thus, the bulges should also be far shorter). I made the same mistake as the FX sculptor, making the "snout" stick out too much. Despite the optical illusion that suggests otherwise, the face should really be flatter and more vertical. Moreover, it should be wider. My #1 helmet has the exact same width at tube level as the originals, but is much narrower at the dome. It's lacking horizontal dimension throughout most of the faceplate. The PASGT helmet dome I cut up and used just doesn't have the right proportions, so I'll just sculpt one from scratch this time. Here's a quick doodle of what I want from my #2 helmet. I'm still not sure whether or not I should replicate all of AA's mistakes, or should I make it a bit cleaner...

Paul, you're the GOD when it comes to sculpting and producing these things... ever since the first time I saw your creations I've been most impressed, and your Hero helmet is, IMHO, one of your more jawdroping pieces. I feel really stupid, though. That old misunderstanding - I didn't know too much about the armor making world back then, to me your uber-accurate armor, AA's molds having been "thrown out" and you being English too equalled "oh my God, he must have been the lucky person who picked those old molds". I guess that's what I wanted to hear when you said you had "all the ANH molds". I feel uber stupid... But that just proves how your armor is, IMHO, better than AA's reproduction. It's THE thing. I admire your work, the passion you have for it, the knowledge and expertise. Seriously, you're my idol, the Master i watch and try to learn from. I learned a lot from you since my first attempts at making an armor myself and I feel very, very.... small I guess I'll just shut up and admire your works...

AHHHHH!!!! just kiddin`! it´s good to see at least one trooper wear the SE sandy! and you say it´s custom sculpted??? looks great so far! is this the first costume you custom build like this? I'm deligted you guys actually like it It's not my first armor built, as I've made a Jin-Roh armor before, but it's my first stormtrooper and definitely my first attempt with fiberglass. I had some help from a friend who owns an SDS set, I took measurements directly off his armor, but the shoulder bells and all limb parts are fully mine. It's not a complete success, as I've ended up buying a few parts from Tk-560, and my thigh armor hurts my legs pretty bad - hence I bought new legs, too... they should arrive this week. I'm MOST grateful to him that he actually agreed to help me out... when I meet him I'll bow to him like the Ewoks did to C3PO, LOL! I'm not entirely satisfied with my bucket, either, and I'll do another one. My current helmet has some very good watching/photographing angles, but some others angles are worse. Clay sculpting is the most pleasant part of the process and I just can't wait to give it a shot again LOL! I know, but I got lazy. Those will arrive with the parts I ordered (that means the front belt panel, the knee minibelt and the legs) Oh, and by the way... Looks like we stole the show when we trooped through that motorshow on saturday Here's a scan from today's newspaper - it says "Imperial stormtroopers from "Star Wars" provided security for the event"

Well, I'm new here... I've been working on a custom-sculpted armor for half a year now at least. I always wanted a sandtrooper, but since my bucket ended up with a bit of an Oakley-esque ROTJ look, I decided on an SE sandtrooper look (please don't kill me!) That's how it looks now, as per this saturday: Still unfinished and missing parts. I figured some details would be a pain to make in fiberglass so I just ordered them, together with a new set of vacuformed legs... still waiting for the packet, should arrive this week - I'm most excited! Please tell me what you think, any comments and suggestions are most welcome

Hello! I'm ID-1226 of the Polish Outpost, new around here, and building a TD of course Hoping to learn a bunch of useful things