Upgrading the Rebel persona: uniform tunic

Over the years, I’ve acquired a number of different ‘in-universe’ garments. Some are based on examples from film or print sources, some are extrapolations based on planetary styles, some are just attempts to apply the generic ‘galactic aesthetic’ to my everyday wardrobe.

But so far, I haven’t tried to outright copy a specific example…the closest I’d come was the ‘bib’-front shirt I whipped up for the debut of my ‘Citizen Olis’ persona in 2017, meant to be a local take on the style worn by the Rebel ‘fleet troopers’ and Yavin communications officers seen in Episode IV:

Continue reading “Upgrading the Rebel persona: uniform tunic”

More galactic whittling – Republic cruiser

I was always intrigued by the Radiant VII, the first starship we see on-screen in the Prequels.

radiant7
The obvious Corellian Engineering Corporation design elements to connect it with the Tantive IV, the red paintjob, and that sweet, sweet Ben Burtt engine sound – what’s not to like?

I was reminded recently that MicroMachines included this craft—technically a Consular-class cruiser—as part of the Action Fleet line back in ’99, but they’re way out of my budget on eBay, so I opted to while away a few hours of quarantine in a galactic-folksy way and make my own!20200814_130147 Continue reading “More galactic whittling – Republic cruiser”

Project: Jedi ‘SCUBA tank’

This project has spent far too much time in the WIP drawer, but I’m happy to say that after a recent bit of prime scavenging, it’s finally finished up!
A99-finished20200805-1.jpgAfter assembling my first functional kit (Silo, washout Jedi from the Agricultural Corps) for Star Wars living history purposes in 2016, I first got the idea to add some Jedi accoutrements about two years ago. I was using the impression to teach mini survival workshops, and since Silo didn’t have a lightsaber, I figured he should at least have some recognizable Jedi gear in his belt pouches to help sell the impression. I reckoned the Aquata A99 breather would be a good fit, since I could use it as a prop to underline the first element of the Rule of Threes—you can’t last three minutes without breathable air.
I couldn’t wait to get started on a new project, so I pulled out my reference books and…immediately ran into a roadblock. Continue reading “Project: Jedi ‘SCUBA tank’”

Project: B1 battle droid arm (part 1)

In the last several years of browsing Star Wars crafting topics on social media, I’ve determined that about 95% of replicas (especially 3D-printed ones) I’ve seen are of weapons, helmets, and armor associated with a tiny range of recognizable-to-the-public Face Characters or nameless Troopers. You will almost never see mundane artifacts replicated in the prop-building community…as one RPF user asked while seeking info on how to replicate a Kloo horn, “Anyone have any ideas or did nobody ever care because it’s not a lightsaber?”

As I was brainstorming my NRAC (New Republic Archeological Corps) persona last year, I began thinking about what kinds of artifacts I could potentially show off at a convention booth, hands-on interpretive historical talk, or similar venue/event. With Naboo’s focus on arts and learning, and the presence of a notable institution of higher education (Theed University—which coincidentally has the same initials as my alma mater), I felt confident in basing my NRAC impression on a Naboo background. I then began thinking what kinds of items would likely be collected or excavated by a Naboo archeological student, or possibly artifacts that could’ve been passed down through the family.
Around the same time, I saw someone online post pictures of a 1:1 3D-printed B1 battle droid:B1 il_794xN1521245503_mg8s.jpg‘Wow!’ I thought, ‘that would be amazing to display!’ Unfortunately, I was also living in a very small apartment at the time, and there was no way I had the space to store an almost-2-meter-tall figure I might use for a handful of events each year (if I was lucky!). Also, in terms of realism, what are the odds that my archeologist persona would have a complete B1 droid?
‘Okay’, I said. ‘How about just, like, an…arm?’ Continue reading “Project: B1 battle droid arm (part 1)”

Galactic whittling – shaak

After thinking about other possible pieces of pocket trash, I eventually decided that my partizan and archeologist personas could use a little memento of home. Enter the noble shaak, Naboo’s tick-like ‘space cow’ (meant to be designed as a sheep analogue).

shaakR20200522_125034 Continue reading “Galactic whittling – shaak”

A295 rifle conversion update 2

Quarantine projects continue! It took a while to figure out and execute, but after my usual lull, I again have something worth sharing! While molding and casting the familiar V8 greeblies on the front of the receiver was pretty straightforward, these side greeblies on the rear receiver were another story.
a295sidegreebs Continue reading “A295 rifle conversion update 2”

More Galactic Whittling – V35 landspeeder

Because research and living history are never complete (one’s persona can always be improved), as part of my continuing efforts in refinement, I am always on the lookout for more goodies to put in my pockets to flesh out or embellish my personas, and as I’ve said before, I’m a big fan of whittling. It’s easy to pick up, requires a little brainpower but is still relaxing in the moment, and the end results–like this V-35 landspeeder–are lots of fun to show off. Why did I decide to whittle this vehicle specifically? Continue reading “More Galactic Whittling – V35 landspeeder”

A295 rifle conversion update

The quarantine project queue continues apace! It’s been a couple months since I started my functional A295 blaster rifle project, so I thought it was time for an update on how things are progressing.
Since I’m not scratchbuilding a prop gun, the steps to convert from StG44 to A295 are actually relatively simple, and most everything is reversible:

-Step 1: cut off the protruding rod* (okay, that one’s not reversible 😉

gas20200307
*fun fact: since it doesn’t have a cleaning rod or ramrod, this post originally allowed three soldiers to make a tripod and keep their rifles out of the muck.

Continue reading “A295 rifle conversion update”

Project: vintage thermos facelift

Greetings from quarantine!
thermal b4While the world may presently find itself in the grip of a pandemic, one silver lining does exist. While it can be stressful in other ways, a month-long quarantine lockdown has the unexpected benefit of suddenly giving crafty-minded folks a lot of time with which to finish ‘backburner’ projects, and so—as several of my other WIP projects are currently stalled due to quarantine-created supply-bottlenecks—I thought I would share one item I have been able to finish up during the current situation.
Back in December or January(?) I snagged the above gaudy orange thermos from the thrift shop for (I think) $2. It didn’t look especially Star Wars-y at first, but my ‘propmaking eye’ saw that it had definite potential, and I’m very pleased with how it turned out! Continue reading “Project: vintage thermos facelift”

An authentic Medpac at long last!

In the spirit of my New Year, New Gear tradition, I recently finished up an essential piece of my in-universe survival/hiking kit.  Some 20 months ago, I made a discovery – I noticed that the health powerups in Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy were essentially the same design as one from an early SWRPG sourcebook:

a bit of digging turned up similar designs in the Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology and the more recent SWRPG Revised Core Rulebook (2002):

As my backpack’s current first aid kit has been stashed in a repurposed extension cord waterproof safety box, I’ve been thinking about what I could use as a container for my medical supplies that would better fit the in-universe aesthetic. Continue reading “An authentic Medpac at long last!”