Putting a back on your Drop Boxes (For the Black Hole or Shadow Trooper)

[ELP[501st]]

first let me say that filling in the drop boxes with bondo, or expanding foam and then sanding them down and coating with with a Rustolium primer, High Gloss Black and then a few coats of a gloss finish would probably be easier if you like painting - If you don't like paining (like me), and have the extra parts then here's a pretty easy mod.

 

EDIT: Please don't fill your drop boxes in with bondo or foam - they'll look like crap and bondo is heavy and how are you going to attach them?

What Was I Thinking?!!?

Instead grab some extra ABS trim from your kit, or some Sintra and trace out the shape of your drop box, cut it out, glue it to the back, paint if needed and you're done. Sorry for the idiot suggestion ...

 

Easier still might be buying the white ones that go on sale on the FISD every once and a while. They are $6 each - $12 for a pair (I think) and would probably be simple to paint and install.

 

But here is what I did:

 

Materials:

4 drop boxes (2 on my kit and 2 extra) for your kit (I have an AM kit)

e6000

sandpaper

weights

scissors

 

 

Outline:

Basically we're going to trim one drop box to fit as the back portion of the drop box on my kit. Sounds easy ...

One big point to think through is how to attach your new drop boxes. I continued to use the same strap system and placed the back over it (this means I left a gap at the top of the backing to let the strap out without affecting the fit of the back). It would be just as easy to cut a hole, or attach the strapping to the out side of the new back.

 

Step 1)

Trim 2 of the 4 drop boxes.

 

here's what I ended up with:

 

Rough Trim

 

 

 

Fit after rough trim:

 

 

 

 

2) Sand down and level the edges of the newly trimmed back pieces

 

 

 

 

3) TRICKY! Sand both edges of the current drop box and newly trimmed back piece, apply E6000 and pressure.

- This step is tricky due to a slight curve on the face of the drop box. basically any weight or pressure is not evenly distributed and the parts have a tendency to shift slightly if too much pressure or weight is applied. All the clamps I had applied too much pressure

 

 

 

 

4) Basically Done.

Everything needs a slight clean (E6000 pulls off surfaces similar to silicon caulking) but I now have 2 black drop boxes with a back on them.

 

 

 

 

Overall it's pretty easy, Took maybe 1.5 hours ... And best of all I didn't have to paint a thing! Yippee!!!

 

Hope that helps.

 

Any ideas or comments are welcome.

 

Thanks.

[defiance7x13[TX]]

Awesome Idea, but where did you get your extra set of AM boxes?

[ELP[501st]]

Awesome Idea, but where did you get your extra set of AM boxes?

When I first joined up there was a 'parts' order made within the detachment. I asked if I could have the drop boxes as I was looking for a way to rig up my Ipod for easy access / sound effects and tunes (long story short it's a silly idea) so I used them to put a back on the ones with my kit.

 

The ones that sometimes go up for sale on FISD are custom sized to slip into the drop boxes from a number of kits (I believe) so they might be an easy option if you're looking at doing this.

[defiance7x13[TX]]

When I first joined up there was a 'parts' order made within the detachment. I asked if I could have the drop boxes as I was looking for a way to rig up my Ipod for easy access / sound effects and tunes (long story short it's a silly idea) so I used them to put a back on the ones with my kit.

 

The ones that sometimes go up for sale on FISD are custom sized to slip into the drop boxes from a number of kits (I believe) so they might be an easy option if you're looking at doing this.

 

Thanks for the Info Matt. I was thinking about picking up another pair of those White Inner boxes you are talking about. That is what I used on my AM TK and figured I could just painting them gloss black to match the suit.

[ELP[501st]]

Thanks for the Info Matt. I was thinking about picking up another pair of those White Inner boxes you are talking about. That is what I used on my AM TK and figured I could just painting them gloss black to match the suit.

 

Sorry does that mean you have a TK? If so are you in the 501st? Even if you're just a TK you can get access to the 501st portion on these boards.

[Rotccole]

Nice idea brother.

[Panzerjunky]

What is fisd????

[Dropkick[CMD-XO]]

6 hours ago, Panzerjunky said:

What is fisd????

First Imperial Stormtrooper detachment. Or whitearmor.net