An attempt at Swamp Trooper Bucket: Opinions Appreciated

[Mithras]

Hello, everyone.

 

Perhaps a little background is in order. Briefly, Boudicca and I had talked about doing a TX program at some point, and I had been looking at several options, since none of my costumes are "armored" at the moment. Boudicca had intended to do a TB first, but given the recent bizzarre chain of events in the TB detachment, she found herself less than enthusiastic about continuing down that road until leadership and policies change... and in possession of a rough cut KS kit. She gave it to me, and suggested that it might be a good opportunity to try my hand at beginning a Swamp Trooper, something I'd been weighing on and off for a long time.

 

At any rate, it's already been documented here that this kit was a disaster, and that the quality of the kits in general is becoming worse and worse. The plastic was poorly cast - too thin in many key areas, with considerable divots and gaps and very easy tearing; the color of white ABS provided for the kit was actually two-tone (the visor was one color, the main body of the helmet another); the greeblies needed replacement with more accurate parts, etc. To top it all off, there were no instructions provided, and the online tutorial for the helmet is -average- at best (and that, excuse my bluntness, is to put it politely.) Unfortunately, it's currently the only game in time for anyone with a medium to large head. The new SC kits which I had pinned my own hopes on have too small a dome to be worn by someone with a noggin such as my own, and the Lonewolf kits are still some way off.

 

Anyway, after a great deal of struggling with this, I have managed to cobble something together that actually seems more and more to look like the genuine article. At this stage, after much shimming, sanding, bondo, painting, sanding, and repainting, following by the latex weathering method to reveal portions of the white armor beneath, I -think- I have something that is approaching usable. I'd be very grateful for your thoughts - please, be kind if you can help it, because this is the first piece helmet I've had to completely build up from scratch (though having to rebuild my Gunner bucket came close, at least the pieces had already been trimmed by the previous owner.)

 

The paint color is the closest I could find to an accurate shade; the recommended shade often quoted here is unfortunately no longer manufactured by Krylon. The undercoat is a standard Gloss White Rustoleum, since the original ABS had to be completely repainted after sanding and gluing, and of course due to the non-uniform color of the white cap.

 

There are some areas I'd like to touch up (there is a small amount of bondo visible in the right earwell which needs a spot of white or green paint, for example), but I am generally happy with the result. Still needs that small touchup, perhaps a polish, decals, snout greeblies and a visor.

 

In short: what do you think. Is this troopable, or have I done all I can with this, and should I chuck it/keep it as a trophy of war instead?

 

Front View:

 

Rear View:

 

 

Left Side Profile:

 

Right Side Profile:

 

 

-Alex

[izzi[TX]]

Looks like it would probably be troopable. I'd cut down on the amount of white showing to make the weathering look a bit more natural.

 

-iz

[Mithras]

Thanks for the feedback, Izzi. Definitely going to re-do the weathering.

 

-Alex