"CLONE WARS" ARC TROOPER ECHO created by Darth Daddy (ARC TROOPER RESIN KIT BUILD)

Just tried out the "ARC Trooper Kit" from Kamino Casting to make us an ARC Trooper Echo from "The Clone Wars TV" series for our collection here at home. Unfortunately, he is no longer selling these kits, but we added one of our own to fill the vacuum and it can be found in the picture link below. We still provide you with the old tutorial for how to put the resin cast kit together.

The kits only come in 3.75". They are a great way to make ARC Trooper customs at a reduced cost. The original base figures are just too expensive on the secondary market to make customizing them practical. These kits are the best solution to that problem!

"CLONE WARS" ARC TROOPER ECHO 

created by Darth Daddy

 I photographed the "Echo" figure that was made with the resin kit next to a custom "Fives" figure that I made with the "Blitz" from the "The Clone Wars" line.

SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

KITS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

 ARC TROOPER "FIVES"

"Customizer Spotlight" Update: Peak-OB1 Custom Creations

Recently we were contacted and offered an opportunity to add some very unique custom action figures from "The Box" episode of The Clone Wars TV series to our personal collection. The figures were created by Star Wars customizer Peak-OB1 Custom Creations. We already owned his first version of Derrown and recently acquired the Cad Bane action figure from the series of figures that these newest additions were a part of. We were really excited to put these up on the shelves alongside the others.

We hope to complete the entire set one day!

"Jakoli, Sixtat, Sinrich & Mantu"

created by Peak-OB1 Custom Creations

"Derrown & Cad Bane"
created by Peak-OB1 Custom Creations

Peakob1 on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Peakob1

Clone Wars "Shadow Warrior" Padmé Amidala created by Darth Daddy

Many would agree that collectors just didn't get as many versions of Padmé Amidala in the Clone Wars action figure line as we all would have liked.  Here at home we have been toying around with the idea of addressing that shortfall, so we recently made a mold of the first Padme Amidala action figure that we got in the toy line and made a mold of the head.  After, we poured a few resin casts from the mold we created, and wallah, a limitless supply of Padmé heads we could turn into any version of her from the show that we desired.

For our first run at the character, we went for the low hanging fruit.  With us covering "Shadow Warrior" this week for our YouTube show "Customizing The Clone Wars", we jumped at the chance at making Padmé in the Naboo garb that we saw her wear in "The Phantom Menace".  We painted up one of the head casts we made, and then used the figures Hasbro has already produced as a frame to add our painted head to.  We weren't sure if we liked the body of the Phantom Menace figure better, or the 2012 version that came out more recently. Let us know your preference in the comment section below!

The Clone Wars

"Shadow Warrior" Padmé Amidala  

created by Darth Daddy

PURCHASE HEAD HERE

"CUSTOMIZING THE CLONE WARS" - EPISODE 54

Clone Wars custom action figure artists, Peak-OB1 Custom Creations & Darth Daddy of "Customs for the Kid" are back to showcase Clone Wars custom action figures from Season 4 of The Clone Wars TV series episode "Shadow Warrior".

ROGUE ONE "JYN ERSO - IMPERIAL FLIGHT CREW HELMET MODIFICATION" by Customs for the Kid

Not sure about all of you, but we had to grab a second Jyn Erso action figure from when she was disguised as an Imperial Flight crew member just so we could make this custom version of Jyn.  Only a slight helmet modification was needed to show Jyn's face through the helmet like she appeared in the film.  Grab your sharpest razor blade and with some parent supervision, slice away the thin bit of rubber to show Jyn's eyes when she wears the helmet.

We grabbed some "Death Star Walls" from a kit that Star Wars customizer, Thank The Maker, recently offered for sale on his eBay page. It's a cheap way to dress up your shelf displays.  They are perfect for photo shoots! I have a feeling we'll be using them in many photo shoots to come.  We were able to paint and assemble the kit in only a day. It can be a great craft project to entertain kids on a rainy day too!  We love these walls for their versatility. You can build them out however you like!

"JYN ERSO - IMPERIAL FLIGHT CREW 

HELMET MODIFICATION"

by Customs for the Kid

"Cassian Andor - Imperial Disguise" custom action figure by Darth Daddy

 Our custom pictured next to Hasbro's version of Jyn.

SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER

Our glued panels held in place to dry. Just before paint was added.

eBay Store

Thank The Maker on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/thankthemaker77

"CUSTOMIZING THE CLONE WARS" - EPISODE 53

Clone Wars custom action figure artists, Peak-OB1 Custom Creations along with Elias & Darth Daddy of "Customs for the Kid" are back to showcase Clone Wars custom action figures from Season 4 of The Clone Wars TV series episode "Gungan Attack" & "Prisoners".

"Death Star Walls" created by Thank The Maker

eBay Store

Thank The Maker on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/thankthemaker77

"2X-3KPR Security Patrol Droid" created by Elias

This was a droid that was only shown for a few seconds in A New Hope after R2-D2 escapes the Lars Homestead and Luke uses his binoculars to scan the horizon to search for him. While this random droid wasn't really on our radar initially, Hole In The Ground Productions had a cool resin cadt kit available at their web store, and it was just the small push we needed to add this cool piece to our home display.

2X-3KPR was owned by Owen Lars prior to the Battle of Yavin. It was responsible for patrolling the boundaries of the Lars moisture farm at night. It had been programmed to activate alarm sensors, security lighting and power fences located around the farm for this task.

It was destroyed, however, when sandtroopers came to the homestead searching for R2-D2 and C-3PO and killed Luke Skywalker's adoptive parents in broad daylight.

Elias assembled the kit and painted it up in only a few short hours. All he had to do was add the gun and the wiring from some pieces we had in our fodder.  He couldn't be any more pleased with the results!

"2X-3KPR Security Patrol Droid"

created by Elias

SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER

Light Bulb Bot

For when you just really need a roving light bulb patrolling your homestead. This little guy comes in two or three unpainted pieces and is approximately the same size as the Stove-Bot. Two different versions are available. The standard version or with a separately clear cast bulb.

$10 (standard)

$15 (clear dome)

"CUSTOMIZING THE CLONE WARS" - EPISODE 52

Clone Wars custom action figure artists, Peak-OB1 Custom Creations & Darth Daddy of "Customs for the Kid" are back to showcase Clone Wars custom action figures from Season 4 of The Clone Wars TV series episode "Water War".

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

"CUSTOMIZING THE CLONE WARS" - EPISODE 51

Clone Wars custom action figure artists, Peak-OB1 Custom Creations & Elias and Darth Daddy of "Customs for the Kid" get together to do their Season 3 Recap episode for "The Clone Wars" TV series and share a small sample of the Clone Wars custom action figures that they showcased in their earlier episodes this year.