41st Elite Clone w.i.p.

[DeafTrooper]

oh, yah...i know i'll be happy with it. he does great work. was just saying that i always thought the armor was a lot thicker, like a pvc pipe or something.

[Crimson]

Nah, if it was as thick as PVC pipe, nobody'd be able to work with it -- it'd be TOO rigid.

[DeafTrooper]

AAAARRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i was THIS close to finishing the painting on my clone helmet. but nooooo...mr klutz here dropped the helmet, which hit the paint bottle and black paint went flying everywhere. all over the helmet, table, me, carpet, etc. thank god i was using acrylic paint. now i have to do a TON of touch ups on the helmet. i need a freaking drink.

thank god the girlfriend bought a carpet shampooer recently. got all the paint out of the carpet.

[DeafTrooper]

how do you guys glue the visor in without smearing the glue over it? i was thinking of using rubber cemet to hold it in place and then using hot glue around the inside. thoughts???

[DeafTrooper]

Well, I got most of the spilled paint off of it. Finished the painting and glued the aerators on. Went and bought a smoked motorcycle helmet visor to replace the other one. I want to weather the helmet a little more before i clear coat it and then glue the visor in. Then I have to add the fan system and add the foam on the inside.

[Lou3433]

Well, I got most of the spilled paint off of it. Finished the painting and glued the aerators on. Went and bought a smoked motorcycle helmet visor to replace the other one. I want to weather the helmet a little more before i clear coat it and then glue the visor in. Then I have to add the fan system and add the foam on the inside.

Don't forget the stripes ))))))))

[DeafTrooper]

Don't forget the stripes ))))))))

not until the very end, brother. come to think of it...i do keep forgetting to eat the smarties. LOL

[Rimshot]

Looking good so far

Just figured I'd check since there isn't a back pic, but did you hit the back vent?

[DeafTrooper]

well, i was reading up on all the different weathering techniques and i wasn't too confident in my abilities to follow what everyone else had done. so, i decided that today was "take your bucket to work day". i work as a merchandiser for coca-cola (go to 4 or 5 stores a day and fill shelves, displays, coolers, etc.) and after i leave a store, my hands are pretty black from the dirt. decided that after every store, i would rub my hands all over the bucket and transfer the dirt and grime. i really like how it turned out. much more natural looking. it's a bit hard to see with the bad lighting. was very cloudy outside today.

[Wags]

I like it. Rub some more dirt (just a bit) around the recessed area of the cheeks (more so the creases) and ear caps and I think that would look perfect!!

[DeafTrooper]

thanks! yah, i had a hell of a time trying to get dirt into the cheek areas. i also want to add a little more to the entire left side. will take it to work again tomorrow.

[DeafTrooper]

started trimming the cod/butt. hope i have it looking right. look good to you guys?

[DeafTrooper]

i know there is supposed to be a bit of a gap between the cod and ab sections that the belt covers up, but exactly how much? is this about right?

[Wags]

The Gap between them is accurate. It is not required though. Maybe put a piece of elastic between them so it flexes as you move.

You could build 2 bridges between the cod and ab and add a piece of elastic with snaps to make it mobile and still comfy...

[DeafTrooper]

ok, cool! i thought it looked right, but just wanted to make sure. i think i'll leave it alone for now. if i have a problems with it later on, then maybe i'll add some elastic to it. thanks, tony!

[DeafTrooper]

got a question...does the cut on the cod/butt piece have to be exactly like shown in this pic or can i just make a cut that is somewhat close to the same shape?

[Gator Fett]

As close to that as you can get is prefered.

Here is mine from my build thread.

[Wags]

here is what I did for my wifes.

http://s193.photobucket.com/albums/z9/t ... 2QQtppZZ16

[DeafTrooper]

AARRRGGHHHH!!!!!!! "captain klutz" strikes again. accidentally dropped my bucket the other day. broke off almost all of 1 side of the "mohawk". crazy glued it back on, but there is still a visible crack. think i'll just leave it as "battle damage". don't really feel like filling the cracks in with filler and re-painting the thing again.

[DeafTrooper]

As close to that as you can get is prefered.

Here is mine from my build thread.

yah, i think mine might look like that except the tab will be a little longer. i added the snaps but haven't trimmed off the tab sections yet. snaps don't really hold that well, so i'm going to add velcro to the section also, to give it more strength.