pandatrooper

Check out this thread here http://forum.mepd.net/index.php?showtopic=6769&pid=84371&st=0entry84371

Just sand it with 600 grit or a scotch brite pad. Wash with detergent, rinse and air dry. Prime the helmet and let it dry, then give it 3 coats of khaki. Let it cure for a week. Mask any "chipped"areas you want to, etc. Now top coat it with 3-4 coats of white. After it cures remove any chipped areas if you masked them off. Let it cure for a week before applying decals, etc. Don't mix and match paint brands and always use light coats. Wear a mask and follow the temperature and humidity instructions.

Welcome Simon. Thanks for sharing, we appreciate this insight into stormtrooper history!

I think you should post a photo. Not sure why your armor would be like that.

I will be velcroing the icomm in my back box and run the wire to the Aker amp under my chest plate. My Aker has been disassembled and I use 2 smaller and thinner speakers under each pectoral area under the chest. I made a custom housing for it to make the whole system lower profile.

Agreed, I am very happy for you and you totally deserve to be the first Mepd swat!!! Congrats Rolf. Great work as always!!

Acrylic is water based, which doesn't stick as well as enamel or lacquer to plastic. You should also make sure to wash the inside with detergent to remove any oils or mold release agents. Best thing to do as mentioned is sand the inside to remove the loose paint, wash the inside and dry it, then paint it. You should use primer then a top coat. The "made for plastic" paints stick no better than regular.

Here's some tube strip masking templates if you want to cut your own. I made these in Adobe Illustrator from scratch, they are not based on any specific trooper or design. Print them out to size, then place them on top of sign vinyl, etc. Cut through the paper and vinyl (ideally without cutting through the vinyl backing paper) and simply weed out (remove) the inner bits on the vinyl to create the template. You can use sign vinyl, masking tape or airbrush frisket. Use a sharp Exacto / hobby blade. Here's how I paint them: http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=14806&view=findpost&p=179529 When printing these out, they should be 13/16" tall. Paint options http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=8117

What size boots do you wear? I know people that wear up to a size 11 or 12 and can still get their foot through their thigh armor when it's glued shut.

Front and back of thighs are normally glued shut. You "should" be able to get your foot through the knee opening with both sides glued. A good way to test this is to glue the front, and tape the back shut and see if you can get your foot through before gluing. Gluing the back looks a lot cleaner than velcro, and they did not use velcro on the originals.

Yes! That was built by a fan for Celebration Japan.

It looks like current ones at Walmart. Not sure why its being re released?

If you wrap the whole thing, you will lose some of the detail and sharpness of the armor. You won't be able to get it to conform into all the tight corners which will be smaller on armor than a car. You could stick small decals on that don't wrap, but then they'll look like decals. I used to work with my brother who installed that stuff at his autobody shop.

Looking sharp trooper! The only small thing I would suggest is to weather the face of the helmet a bit more. Even just bit under the eyes, in front of the ears and the valley where the cheek tubes are would add a lot character.

Well, we don't actually see any sandies getting off the shuttle - we only see it take off. Which makes me think... Vader says on the Tantive IV "send a detachment down to retrieve the droids. See to it PERSONALLY, commander..." So, it could very well have been that the commander went down to adress a local group of sandys, and spoke to them "in person" about their orders, then departed. I think the sandys are already local because they are trained and skilled enough to ride on Dewbacks which are indigenous to Tatooine.

True. But 3po and R2 were already quite dirty on the Tantive IV.

Looking good so far. I think the Move along brow is a little higher, maybe more curved in the middle. Take a look on the starwarshelmets.com site to and use those pics for reference! Nice work on the teeth too. The Move along trooper has those gaps in the teeth you have at the ends. I assume you plan to dirty this lid up too?

I love this idea! I was thinking about something like this a while ago. Great idea! I will donate a canvas triple mag pouch (no tool pouch) that I have dyed blacked, loaded with foam magazines that I would like to see go towards a TD (ideally that has not yet joined the legion but intends to go for Mepd deployed). This is a small start, but I have something bigger planned that I will offer as well.

Have you taken a look here, might be types of paint you can find in the UK. http://forum.mepd.net/index.php?showtopic=4987&pid=92517&st=20entry92517 theres Humbrol as a backup.

I say use the plastic one. I like the idea of metal frames, but unless you can modify to the same measurements as screen used then it will still be bigger, wrong size, etc. Depends on how much work you want to put into it. I say use the plastic one for now, get your pack built. You might troop in it for a year, and be bored one day and modify the metal one later to be more accurate. Then take the parts off the plastic one, and mount them on the modified metal one!

I think the TD's are too weathered to be "sent down". The script describes them as "battle hardened" so I think they are already on the planet, and they are ordered to investigate. It's only a few days from what I can gather based on what I see in ANH: Day 1: - Tantive IV is attacked, the droids bail out in the escape pod, and they crash land during the day time. - Vader orders a detachment sent down to retrieve them - the droids are shown wandering around in the day time (same day) - 3po is captured by Jawas - starting to get dark, R2 is captured (night time) Day 2: - I think the TD's find the escape pod on this morning - the droids wake up overnight in the Sand crawler - the doors open and it's day light (the next day) - they are auctioned off - Luke cleans the droids until dinner time - R2 escapes while Luke is at dinner - Luke stares at the sunset - it's too dangerous to go out at night to look for him - during the course of this day, or the next morning, the TD's find the Jawas but no droids, so they destroy the Sandcrawler. They trace the sale of the droids to the Lars homestead Day 3: - Luke and 3po go look for R2 - they find him in the desert - Luke attacked by sand people - Ben finds him - they go to Ben's house - the TD's have already been to the Lars homestead looking for the droids, and they murder the Lars. They probably figure it's best to head into town and look for Luke and the droids. - Luke and Ben find the sandcrawler destroyed - Luke goes back to the homestead to find his aunt and uncle are murdered (the sun is low in these scenes, which means it's close to the end of day) Day 4: - I think they get to the cliff overlooking Mos Eisley (a wretched hive of scum and villainy by the way...) the next day / morning - the go into town looking for transport - they meet Han and Chewie in the Cantina - the TD's are already searching the town, and are called in to check out a disturbance in the Cantina (It's Davin and the Stop that Ship! trooper that investigate) - Luke and Ben go sell the speeder - the TD's are knocking on doors looking for Luke or the droids - Garinden rats out Luke and the droids - Luke, Ben and the droids enter Docking bay 94 - the TD's march down the alley way to Docking Bay 94 and confirm with Garinden that they are inside - "Stop that ship! Blast em!" - Falcon takes off as TD's look on.

No problem Chuck.

Very cool and detailed helmet!

No. Everything is purchased separately which is a big challenge in building a sandtrooper.

Hey Chuck. How about skateboard truck bushings for the cone cylinders? http://socalskateshop.com/images/products/thumb_3625_thumb_bluegkbush.jpg For the cylinder with slots, how about this part from the Custom saber shop? http://www.thecustomsabershop.com/MHS-Gear-P395.aspx