Guys,
It's very encouraging to read all this feedback. I studied some screenshots and ended up getting bit by the accuracy bug again.
This is an earlier progress shot comparison (I've since moved past this point and sanded things down and made the sides of the domecap less parallel, etc.)
I'm not set up for either FG or vacforming, but I'm inquiring into someone who has very good experience in this aspect for advice and possible help.
I have a few questions, if I may:
1. Fans - I understand some costumers prefer the larger FX because of an issue of air flow and fan installment. I don't know if this is just a good technical sounding excuse for covering up their inability to recognize the FX's inaccuracy, but let's say for now the TE/AP/TM, etc. are too "small" for the type of fans these costumers say they want to put in. Is there any merit to this arguement? And where, exactly, do the fans get installed? I can create a variant of this helmet that is deeper that would allow more air, or I could make a version where the two chin buldges are larger. But I've also noticed some powerful and quiet laptop fans starting to get adopted. Should I just ignore the whole notion of creating an FX-friendly replacement?
2. I'm not set up to be a perpetual vendor because I have to rely on a third party to make these and ship them. I live in apartment and use the kitchen sink (literally) for hand-sanding and sculpting, so my tools and materials compete for kitchen counter space with my kitchen stuff. I have no garage. So if I were to look forward, depending on the time and availability of a vac-former to help me, I'd say we might do a very short run as a first try. I'd make sure these only took weeks to ship once completed, as the T*E 30th Anniv. run was supposed to ship similarly but took a year to finally get out the door (no offense to T*E).
3. Given (2), why would anyone want this when TE/TE2, etc. helmets actually have lineage and mine does not? Is it an availability issue?
4. In my observation, the stormtrooper helmet is the most recast possible. I don't know if recasters/copiers feel the right to just copy them because they're "LFL property" or something. I understand even the FX has been recast (no accounting for taste) but if the FX - a fan sculpt - has been copied, what's to say people would honor a purely fan-made original sculpt?
5. The trapeziums on the temples - are they supposed to be parallel with the ground, or are they supposed to angle forward? Or is the angle forward dependent on backplate positioning?
6. The pinch on the left (as you look at it) tube (wearer's right) where the ears are attached. Does this pinch exist on the other side of the face as well?
Please pardon the newb questions as I've honestly not studied stormtroopers much at all. Up till now, I've merely just glanced and moved onto things darker and more metallic.