gwood1234

Look up Burkbench Designs on Facebook - Clive makes them and they’re excellent quality

Hi rentailor - yes it’s a very different build to the norm as it’s more than just a Hero TK. It was great fun to put together especially matching the smallest paint rubs and defects on the lid so it was as close as I could make it to the original Promo :)

Hi guys, just gauging info of how many troopers have a cleared TK with armour from Andy Rodgers (DA Props / BFA / Shed Of Glittering Delights)? I'll kick off with myself who has a Centurion level cleared Stunt TK and also a Hero Promo Trooper.

Updated with new images.

Hi guys, thought I'd share this as I've recently cleared as the LFL Promo Trooper and thought it'd be good to start a build thread to show my research. After being a Stunt TK for about a year I've had tons of fun wearing my ANH Stunt TK but wanted to stand out as something unique. I've always loved the Promo Trooper which is somewhat of a mystery. Although it was never featured in the film it was used heavily in the promotional run-up to the 1977 release and is still in use today in Lucasfilm merchandising. SO WHAT IS THE PROMO TROOPER? In 1976 Lucasfilm commissioned several studio shots of the stars of the film including a Stormtrooper. Presumably because of availability of the props, this particular trooper featured a few notable differences to the costume. Instead of the standard issue E-11 this Stormtrooper is seen with an SE14r blaster, probably because the screen-used Sterling rifles were in storage in the UK and not available for the shoot. The other major difference is the holster which is smaller and a different design to the ones used in the film. Apart from this handful of studio shots there is little known about the origin of this costume which was probably thrown together from parts they had after filming had completed. THE BUILD Using my current DA Props ANH Stunt TK as the base for the armour I bought a new Hero style lid, again from DA Props. The actual Promo Trooper lid is still in the LFL archives and can be seen here. It's great to see it's still in good shape although the bubble lenses have been lost... Using these photos as reference I followed every detail - even down to the gaps in the ears! THE BLASTER The SE14r blaster was a challenge to track down. My original plan to commission a 3D print was a problem as most of the files out there are based on the newer Rogue One Deathtrooper version which has more detail and looks completely different the Promo version. Finally I managed to find a resin kit on ebay although this needed a lot of work. The front barrel 'fin' was missing so this had to be added. I crafted this from a piece of ABS and glued in place. I also wanted to replace the resin scope for a real 4x20 scope which meant removing and retooling the scope mount. Really happy with the finished result - it has a really nice weight to it too. THE HOLSTER Again, this was a tricky accessory to track down although I was lucky enough to get help from Clive Barzillia (Burkbench Designs) to get one custom made. The detail on this is incredible, even down to the leather which is brown tan dyed black. Once this arrived it was just a case of adding the two extra rivets to the belt. FINISHED! Really thrilled to bits with how this turned out! I even managed to recreate one of the original studio poses below - I'm on the left and the original 1976 shot on the right! Here's some more recent shots:

No worries - sorry I wasn't trying to cause offense, just passionate about trying to support my armour maker.

But if this a poll to see what people are wearing in 2018 then why is it biased to only the approved list? I find it odd that no-one has heard of Andy Rodgers or DA Props when so many troopers have one of more of his kits? I hope someone else will chime in to support him.

Fair point but there's so few UK armour makers I think it's unfair to leave out one of the longest standing and with so many troopers wearing them that can't vote for their armour?

No problem - I'm just keen to support my armour maker which I'm delighted with and it's a shame that he's not on the list.

DA Props deserves a place on here - if we get enough support for him can we get him added please?

Apparently he was on the list last year but for some reason has been missed out?

Andy Rodgers is a UK armour maker that ships worldwide - he's been making kits for over 15 years I believe and there's countless Tie Pilots, TDs and TKs that can vouch for him.

Disappointed that DA Props aren't listed here. I have a Centurion level TK from Andy Rodgers - a highly respected armour maker that deserves a place on the list.

Thanks for the replies - I'm waiting on some advice regarding clearance but in the meantime I've discovered some that are thinner so might give those a try. The main problem is they are vey thick, about 3mm, and also very dark green which makes it worse. Failing that I'll have to go back to flat lenses or maybe even smoked. Will post an update in case anyone has a similar problem.

Hi, so I recently upgraded my ANH Stunt to ANH Hero but after trooping in my new lid which has bubble lenses I've discovered it causes me migraines! I was hoping to go in for the LFL Promo trooper so I can carry my SE-14r with correct holster (which I have already) but is there an option for me to install flat lenses? I can't troop with those bubbles lenses again as I had a horrible experience with them. Any advice much appreciated!