"Imperial AT-Hauler" by thewriteguy - NOW COMPLETE!!!

We are pleased to announce that Howard Wen aka thewriteguy has completed his Imperial AT Hauler from Solo: A Star Wars Story. It's made from cardboard, paperboard, wood coffee stirrers, toothpicks, and clear plastic sheet. It's designed to be a Hasbro-style toy: It features a claw mechanism to grab, hold, and release Hasbro's Imperial AT-DT walker toy. The completed piece is just phenomenal and we had to share pictures of his completed project. Like thewriteguy's 1:18 scale U-wing, he has released the templates and building plan photos for this AT Hauler for FREE!

To make your own, visit his tutorial:

https://imgur.com/a/DKzVj1y

Solo: A Star Wars Story "Imperial AT Hauler" Building Plans by thewriteguy

  

This is a prototype for the Imperial AT Hauler from Solo: A Star Wars Story. It's made from cardboard, paperboard, wood coffee stirrers, toothpicks, and clear plastic sheet. It's designed to be a Hasbro-style toy: It features a claw mechanism to grab, hold, and release Hasbro's Imperial AT-DT walker toy.

Like thewriteguy's 1:18 scale U-wing, he intends to release the templates and building plan photos for this AT Hauler for free!

To make your own, visit his tutorial:

https://imgur.com/a/DKzVj1y

Vintage Style Cardback Kit by thewriteguy

Last week we received an email from Star Wars customizer Howard Wen aka thewriteguy informing us of a Vintage Style Cardback Kit that he recently created. Some of you may remember the epic plans for his cardboard 1:18 scale U-Wing that he  shared with all of our readers so they could make a better scaled version of the Rogue One vehicle at home. We thought it was great how he released his plans to the public so everyone could download them for free. 

His latest kit includes pre-made layer stacks that work on Paint-NET (a free image editor for Windows) that gives you the ability to make cardbacks of your own. Basically, all you need to do is add a photo or artwork, turn "on" or "off" layer categories for figure frame and nameplate sizes, bar frame effects, etc., and you can generate a Vintage-style cardback design with ease in no time at all. The result will be a cardback in 6" x 9" size, 300 dpi. He even included instructions for how to glue your printed cardback design onto card stock.

If you are interested in taking advantage of this awesome offer just click the links below!

http://www.mediafire.com/file/qj9cdgmxca6o8bu/

If you use another image editor, like Photoshop, then you can download just the templates.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/tjl7hb9vvevk82l/

You can check out examples of cards created with his layer stack kit here:

https://imgur.com/gallery/NOWwu

UPDATED: "1:18 scale U-Wing Build-It-Yourself-Kit" by thewriteguy

Not too long ago we featured the 1:18 scale U-Wing build-it-yourself-kit by thewriteguy, Howard Wen. He updated his online album with over 200 photos of the vehicle playset fully painted. Many of these pictures feature action figures of the entire Rogue One crew.

Also, this ship now has push-button sound FX. He put together YouTube photo videos showing people how to take the sound board from Revell’s U-Wing model to use in their own 1:18 scale U-Wing.

He is finally, absolutely finished with his project! 

This 1:18 scale U-Wing (from ROGUE ONE and the fourth season of STAR WARS: REBELS) is made from cardboard and paperboard. It’s designed for the 3.75” action figures. The building plans I designed are free for all Star Wars fans who want to make one of their own. 

Templates (Building plans and photo guide) 

http://www.mediafire.com/file/todzssgzqyqy48u/U-wing_1-18_scale_templates_w_UPDATES_1_and_2.zip 

Accessory Pack (Building plans for the inside elements) http://www.mediafire.com/file/v90cence644d3y1/U-wing_1-18_scale_accessory_pack.zip 

Paint Guide (How to prep and paint cardboard models) http://www.mediafire.com/file/bcoq2p5o28z51l5/U-wing_1-18_scale_paint_guide.pdf 

Alternate Engine Build 

(Build the mid- and end sections of the engines so you won’t need to paint them) 

http://www.mediafire.com/file/tu7cl7m19ze4j6e/U-wing_1-18_scale_alternate_engine_midsection_and_end.pdf 

Sound Add-on (Implement the sound board from Revell’s U-Wing model) http://www.mediafire.com/file/tvi784qvqab8q7d/U-wing_1-18_scale_Revell_sound_addon.pdf 

Archive (Archived photos showing the original design and build process) 

http://imgur.com/a/P8OP2

Rogue One U-Wing 1:18 (for 3.75" figures) by thewriteguy

Recently, Star Wars customizer Howard Wen aka thewriteguy contacted us with information on how we could share the plans for his 1:18 scale U-Wing that he made out of cardboard so all of our readers could make a better scaled version of the Rogue One vehicle at home. He released the plans to the public so everyone can download them for free.

The day that thewriteguy reached out to us, he had just released a separate Accessory Pack for the vehicle that includes plans for building things that go inside this 1:18 scale U-Wing. The update includes information on how to build the pilot seats, a troop bench, and other interior design elements from the U-Wing as you see them in the movie that turn the large cardboard toy model into a true playset for your 3.75” figures.

The materials that this U-Wing is made from are simple, cheap, and easily acquired (shipping boxes, food packages, etc.). This philosophy extended to the tools as well. There is nothing expensive, hard to find, or “exotic” about the tools he used to make this U-Wing playset. As for the glue, a hot glue gun could be used, but the writeguy stated that he avoided using it, because hot glue tends to dry too quick for him to handle the cardboard pieces or position them correctly before the glue dries. He suggested using school glue because it is designed for paper, and that’s what cardboard is -- two thick paper sheets that sandwich a corrugated (fluted) sheet between them. The only other kind of glue he used was super glue (not pictured). You should use this when gluing together the plastic cups that make up the engines, and when gluing plastic detailing pieces onto these cups. Don’t use super glue on the cardboard or paperboard. Super glue doesn’t work as well on paper and damages this material. 

A cutting tip: Cut your cardboard against two large-sized sheets of scrap cardboard. Even if you are working on a cutting board table that has a surface that can withstand cuts, you will get cleaner, straighter cuts if you cut against two layers of cardboard. This also helps to keep the blade of the utility knife sharp, since it won’t get worn out faster running against the harder surface of the tabletop.

Building materials: 

Shipping boxes; and cereal, cookie/snack boxes pulled from recycling bins.

Wood coffee stirrers and paper coffee cup sleeves pulled from coffeehouse trash. 

4 salt containers (main engine housings). 

4 tall yogurt cups (engine mid-sections). 

4 stout yogurt cups (joiner between engine main and mid-sections). 

4 plastic “shot glass” cups (engine ends). 

1 white poster board (top body plating sections). 

1 white project board (wings). 

2 marker pens (cannons).

Plastic wire ties (engine detailing - wiring and junction boxes). 

1 lid from Pringles can.

This Accessory Pack includes these decals (which thewriteguy intentionally designed in old-school Kenner style). After you've built and painted your interior components, just print this sheet in color on 8.5 x 11", cut these decals out, and stick them on with glue stick or spray-on glue. (There's an Easter Egg hidden in these -- can you find it?)

Link to the free download for all Star Wars fans who want to make a U-Wing of their own:

 http://www.mediafire.com/file/todzssgzqyqy48u/U-wing_1-18_scale_templates_w_UPDATES_1_and_2.zip

The Accessory Pack, a separate ZIP package, that contains plans and photo guides for building things that go inside this 1:18 scale U-Wing: 

http://www.mediafire.com/file/v90cence644d3y1/U-wing_1-18_scale_accessory_pack.zip

Photo album and download links to the 1:18 scale U-Wing build-it-yourself kit:

http://imgur.com/a/VCxsf

http://imgur.com/a/P8OP2