Finally a (long) update! I spent a lot of time sanding down the excess bondo and working on the shape. Following that I applied a coat of white paint to see how it looked and took a step back to evaluate the project as a whole.

When I started this crazy (awesome) project, I didn’t know much going in, and I made a lot of mistakes that I can now avoid going forward. There are a lot of issues with the surface, areas where the Bondo is a little brittle, and shaping issues aplenty. On top of that I think it’s going to be a little smaller than I’d hoped.

I could definitely keep going and spend time fixing everything (well, except the size), but I’m wondering if I’d be better off starting fresh some time down the road. I’ve learned a ton from this that I can apply to new projects, and in that it was a success. I started two other pieces while I thought this over (a Boba Fett helmet and Captain America’s shield), both of which have gone so much better this time around.

I’m certainly not giving up – I’ll have a trooper bucket one day before too long – and it’d be a little sad not finishing this one, but I think moving on from this particular piece might be what’s best. What do you guys think? Have you considered restarting a project after you were already a ways in? It’s a tough call, but feels right to me right now.