TerranCmdr
Well-Known Member
I was in Harbor Freight a while back and came across these. I remembered someone had figured out this is the exact lamp used in Andor and at $5 a pop I decided to grab a few to make my own Star Wars-y lanterns. I ended up making 3, two as gifts for my buddies and one for myself. It was a fun process and relatively easy to accomplish! I've detailed some of the steps below.
![vlcsnap-2024-04-30-10h32m27s304.jpg vlcsnap-2024-04-30-10h32m27s304.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457746-19795c526cefef0d4816ddd7cc4b6771.jpg)
Disassembling the lamps was relatively easy. Unscrew the bottom, remove the four screws, then one single long screw holds the top and bottom together. There's a captive nut at the top that can be accessed by unscrewing the very top piece. From there, I decided to remove the handles and the nubs they attach to and fill with Bondo spot filler. I then broke out my collection oftrash greeblies and slapped a few on for some visual interest. I painted two of the lamps in grey and one in brown; it was at this stage that I decided that one was going to be inspired by the Endor bunker charges.
![PXL_20240405_235633965.jpg PXL_20240405_235633965.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457754-32be82e79fa0a2b3323f18190f216ec6.jpg)
![PXL_20240406_000733052.jpg PXL_20240406_000733052.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457767-744e5eabe33bc3a29b4a3c231a39e0ae.jpg)
![PXL_20240406_030428057.jpg PXL_20240406_030428057.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457755-82316bfe1e10233837b2ddbdb8439bfe.jpg)
Once the base coats were on I did some hand masking to make some various shapes on the lamps. I went with red as the main color for mine and purple for the other. The Endor charge obviously was relatively locked in as far as design so I masked off the areas to paint red and yellow respectively. The proportions obviously are slightly different so things didn't line up perfectly but I think they ended up looking good nonetheless. After the base colors were down I went to town weathering them with sandpaper, brillo pads, and a large metal file.
![PXL_20240409_180109142.jpg PXL_20240409_180109142.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457756-6de008158a41f7771d91ea4a753e6cbb.jpg)
![PXL_20240411_222146234.jpg PXL_20240411_222146234.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457757-8d5756ff0fd4be38a4e578e04076147b.jpg)
![PXL_20240411_222900842.jpg PXL_20240411_222900842.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457758-0c55bdedfa70a6d2563156d32a0998df.jpg)
![PXL_20240411_222942572.jpg PXL_20240411_222942572.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457759-dbaeab218634a0c43ad780bb999db556.jpg)
![PXL_20240412_194926892.jpg PXL_20240412_194926892.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457760-44e4ef47b3b1657568759bd610da4e7d.jpg)
![PXL_20240416_204645402.jpg PXL_20240416_204645402.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457761-320940e80414712c7ab6e212cd891734.jpg)
I wanted some lettering on these so after some quick designing in Illustrator I cut some masks out of removable vinyl. They worked out great, save for one area on the Endor charge that for some reason the paint didn't cure properly and a lot of it pulled off from the masking. I actually don't mind it though, it added some weathering that I think looks pretty good. For the lettering I used an Ubese font as I thought it looked coolest. I honsetly don't remember what I wrote for all the labels, I believe some say "light" and some say "activate." I also wanted some accurate-ish greeblies for the Endor charge and designed and printed some side vents for it that I painted silver and glued on.
![PXL_20240425_042518585.jpg PXL_20240425_042518585.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457763-7862da761073d40fdd9f6192ab897d3f.jpg)
![PXL_20240421_161839113.jpg PXL_20240421_161839113.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457762-c0724fb9f91e3b02478e8263dd4076d4.jpg)
Finally I hit them all with a weathering pass using acrylics. I may have gone slightly overboard but I wanted them to be very "used" looking. I went a lot lighter on the weathering for the Endor charge. I also quickly sanded the clear parts to give them a more diffused look. Overall very pleased with how these turned out and my friends love 'em! I took mine camping this weekend and it was very handy!
![PXL_20240426_063728646.jpg PXL_20240426_063728646.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457764-ba32c0b2ded0a87ac448217b5dae6d3b.jpg)
![PXL_20240428_030725519.jpg PXL_20240428_030725519.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457748-d8f3861f57db87b18017a199b13ca927.jpg)
![PXL_20240428_030742722.jpg PXL_20240428_030742722.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457749-727e6a58b5f4393349c37899e7b947a9.jpg)
![PXL_20240426_165740804.jpg PXL_20240426_165740804.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457765-b472de9569c1cd7dd0ebdd3bdf31a264.jpg)
![PXL_20240426_165754812.jpg PXL_20240426_165754812.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457766-d6a6fbdd69ec75249e5291202e8b37e3.jpg)
![PXL_20240426_162443636.jpg PXL_20240426_162443636.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457747-b098132ccf14c9d50bc8ac5379521809.jpg)
![vlcsnap-2024-04-30-10h32m27s304.jpg vlcsnap-2024-04-30-10h32m27s304.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457746-19795c526cefef0d4816ddd7cc4b6771.jpg)
Disassembling the lamps was relatively easy. Unscrew the bottom, remove the four screws, then one single long screw holds the top and bottom together. There's a captive nut at the top that can be accessed by unscrewing the very top piece. From there, I decided to remove the handles and the nubs they attach to and fill with Bondo spot filler. I then broke out my collection of
![PXL_20240405_235633965.jpg PXL_20240405_235633965.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457754-32be82e79fa0a2b3323f18190f216ec6.jpg)
![PXL_20240406_000733052.jpg PXL_20240406_000733052.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457767-744e5eabe33bc3a29b4a3c231a39e0ae.jpg)
![PXL_20240406_030428057.jpg PXL_20240406_030428057.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457755-82316bfe1e10233837b2ddbdb8439bfe.jpg)
Once the base coats were on I did some hand masking to make some various shapes on the lamps. I went with red as the main color for mine and purple for the other. The Endor charge obviously was relatively locked in as far as design so I masked off the areas to paint red and yellow respectively. The proportions obviously are slightly different so things didn't line up perfectly but I think they ended up looking good nonetheless. After the base colors were down I went to town weathering them with sandpaper, brillo pads, and a large metal file.
![PXL_20240409_180109142.jpg PXL_20240409_180109142.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457756-6de008158a41f7771d91ea4a753e6cbb.jpg)
![PXL_20240411_222146234.jpg PXL_20240411_222146234.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457757-8d5756ff0fd4be38a4e578e04076147b.jpg)
![PXL_20240411_222900842.jpg PXL_20240411_222900842.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457758-0c55bdedfa70a6d2563156d32a0998df.jpg)
![PXL_20240411_222942572.jpg PXL_20240411_222942572.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457759-dbaeab218634a0c43ad780bb999db556.jpg)
![PXL_20240412_194926892.jpg PXL_20240412_194926892.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457760-44e4ef47b3b1657568759bd610da4e7d.jpg)
![PXL_20240416_204645402.jpg PXL_20240416_204645402.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457761-320940e80414712c7ab6e212cd891734.jpg)
I wanted some lettering on these so after some quick designing in Illustrator I cut some masks out of removable vinyl. They worked out great, save for one area on the Endor charge that for some reason the paint didn't cure properly and a lot of it pulled off from the masking. I actually don't mind it though, it added some weathering that I think looks pretty good. For the lettering I used an Ubese font as I thought it looked coolest. I honsetly don't remember what I wrote for all the labels, I believe some say "light" and some say "activate." I also wanted some accurate-ish greeblies for the Endor charge and designed and printed some side vents for it that I painted silver and glued on.
![PXL_20240425_042518585.jpg PXL_20240425_042518585.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457763-7862da761073d40fdd9f6192ab897d3f.jpg)
![PXL_20240421_161839113.jpg PXL_20240421_161839113.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457762-c0724fb9f91e3b02478e8263dd4076d4.jpg)
Finally I hit them all with a weathering pass using acrylics. I may have gone slightly overboard but I wanted them to be very "used" looking. I went a lot lighter on the weathering for the Endor charge. I also quickly sanded the clear parts to give them a more diffused look. Overall very pleased with how these turned out and my friends love 'em! I took mine camping this weekend and it was very handy!
![PXL_20240426_063728646.jpg PXL_20240426_063728646.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457764-ba32c0b2ded0a87ac448217b5dae6d3b.jpg)
![PXL_20240428_030725519.jpg PXL_20240428_030725519.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457748-d8f3861f57db87b18017a199b13ca927.jpg)
![PXL_20240428_030742722.jpg PXL_20240428_030742722.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457749-727e6a58b5f4393349c37899e7b947a9.jpg)
![PXL_20240426_165740804.jpg PXL_20240426_165740804.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457765-b472de9569c1cd7dd0ebdd3bdf31a264.jpg)
![PXL_20240426_165754812.jpg PXL_20240426_165754812.jpg](https://therpf-f28a.kxcdn.com/forums/data/attachments/1457/1457766-d6a6fbdd69ec75249e5291202e8b37e3.jpg)
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