Replacing Sideshow Stormtrooper mic tips?

[canofhumdingers]

I've been looking at comparisons between Sideshow and Hot Toys stormies. And, while I think most people would agree the hot toys are the better overall figure, I think the Sideshow ones still hold up pretty well. The one glaring issue is the laughably giganto mic tips. Has anyone ever customized this to a more accurate mic tip? I've only got one trooper (the "desert sands" sandtrooper). I still love how he looks in my display, but those mic tips have always been the one thing I wish I could change about the figure.

I've thought once or twice about taking some needle nose pliers and yanking them out to replace them. I'm fairly confident I could create something more accurate myself, but I've got no idea how they're attached and I'm too afraid to take the plunge. I don't want to pull the whole helmet apart, but if the mic tips can be removed fairly easily, I'd definitely go for it.

So, anyone ever yanked the mics out of a Sideshow stormtrooper helmet?

 

[jkno]

I've been looking at comparisons between Sideshow and Hot Toys stormies. And, while I think most people would agree the hot toys are the better overall figure, I think the Sideshow ones still hold up pretty well. The one glaring issue is the laughably giganto mic tips. Has anyone ever customized this to a more accurate mic tip? I've only got one trooper (the "desert sands" sandtrooper). I still love how he looks in my display, but those mic tips have always been the one thing I wish I could change about the figure.

I've thought once or twice about taking some needle nose pliers and yanking them out to replace them. I'm fairly confident I could create something more accurate myself, but I've got no idea how they're attached and I'm too afraid to take the plunge. I don't want to pull the whole helmet apart, but if the mic tips can be removed fairly easily, I'd definitely go for it.

So, anyone ever yanked the mics out of a Sideshow stormtrooper helmet?

Darken/weather them a bit, and make the margin a bit thicker in black and they will look slightly better. Though weathering or completely changing the mic tips won't improve the SSC figure too much, they have too many flaws, the mic tips are just a tiny part of those issues.

 

[canofhumdingers]

I dunno, I guess I'm just not as picky or knowledgeable about stormtroopers as I am some other things (like Darth Vader). I think the Sideshow stormies look fine with a little work. On the one I've got, I reshaped the chest armor which made a world of difference. And really the only thing left that bugs me is the mics. I've thought about painting them, and I'm sure that would help. But replacing them with something smaller would be so much better. Like I said, I'm just afraid to try removing them without more knowledge of how to go about that...

Does anyone know how they're attached? Are they just glued on? Do they have a peg that sticks into a hole?

 

[Cavlcade]

I dunno, I guess I'm just not as picky or knowledgeable about stormtroopers as I am some other things (like Darth Vader). I think the Sideshow stormies look fine with a little work. On the one I've got, I reshaped the chest armor which made a world of difference. And really the only thing left that bugs me is the mics. I've thought about painting them, and I'm sure that would help. But replacing them with something smaller would be so much better. Like I said, I'm just afraid to try removing them without more knowledge of how to go about that...

Does anyone know how they're attached? Are they just glued on? Do they have a peg that sticks into a hole?

Many moons ago I replaced the mic tips, as far as I could tell they are part of the helmet sculpt. I ended up grinding them off with a dremel and replacing them with tips from a cheap stormtrooper fridge magnet helmet:

Ultimately I found the best option was to replace the whole figure with a HT figure.

 

[galactiboy]

Ultimately I found the best option was to replace the whole figure with a HT figure.

9 times out of 10 this statement holds true

 

[canofhumdingers]

Yeah, like I said in the first post, I'm sure the hot toys are better. But that's not in the cards for me anytime soon. And I still think SS troops look decent. But those mic tips just really stand out in a bad way.

@cavlcade - that looks so good. Sad to hear they're integrated in the sculpt. I might try repainting them first before I go all out with my Dremel... I was really hoping they were a separate piece that could be pulled out or off or something.

EDIT

Side by side, personally I think the SS troops still hold up just fine. Yes, I KNOW the HTs are better/more accurate/higher quality/etc., but it's just not a big enough difference for me to go spending a few hundred bucks I don't have on. except those mics...

 

[jjosdom]

I too, don't feel the need to spend hundreds of dollars to upgrade my sandtroopers. I have 4, and though I know HotToys may be a better figure, I think Sideshow did a fantastic job for it's time. It's always easier to improve on something that has already been made.

 

[jkno]

Ultimately I found the best option was to replace the whole figure with a HT figure.

Same here. Didn't even look back at the SSC Sandies when sold them.

 

[Shanester]

If you are happy, what else matters? I did replace my TKs with HT, but I still have my SSC TDs. I think they hold up. I think we all agree HT is better, but I already feel okay with my SSC TDs.

 

[canofhumdingers]

I tried darkening the mics with a wash and thickening the black rims. I may touch it up some more, but I think it's a massive improvement.

Sorry for the lousy cell phone pics.

Before:

After:

 

[Shanester]

I agree, that is a nice improvement.

 

[jkno]

I tried darkening the mics with a wash and thickening the black rims. I may touch it up some more, but I think it's a massive improvement.

Exactly what I mentioned in post no #2. It improves the look a bit.

 

[canofhumdingers]

Yep, that's where I got the idea. I figured I'd try your idea first before I got more extreme with a dremel tool or something. And it's enough of an improvement that I'm totally happy with the figure now. Like I said before, I know the figure isn't a perfect duplicate of the actual on screen trooper. But those two giant silver dots were the only inaccuracy that really jumped out at me on the shelf. With that issue fixed, all I see on the shelf is a sweet looking sandtrooper.

Now if I could ever find the disposable income to replace my old Sideshow Vader with a HT R1 Vader....