Star Wars Inspired Custom Contraband Box

robertsonick

Well-Known Member
Hi all,

I always like painting things up to look like they’d fit in amongst the Star Wars universe. To fit with the specific aesthetic of the films that I love so much.
It’s hard to get right!

So on the first day of January this year I had some time off work and decided I wanted to make my masterpiece... or, I should say, I wanted to try as hard as I could to not mess up and make something I could be proud of.

The idea was simple: buy a cheap steel toolbox from the hardware store and make it look like it’s been kicking around the Star Wars universe since who-knows-when.
In my head I had it in possession of Boba Fett, in the sleeping quarters of Slave I - it’s been owned by several people, used for various things, but now it finds itself there as a case to hold some cool stuff.

2e4ba77f55e0e7709ca539caacc99461.jpg


So that is what I started with. I removed the cheap lock from the top and the terrible carry handles from the sides - threw them away - and drilled out the hinges to remove the lid.

I walked around the hardware store looking for my spray paint colour palette - trying to keep within the aesthetic of the universe.
Once I had what I needed at that point I had to think about the design.
I’d just started watching Rebels for the first time and there’s a lot of checkerboard in that so I thought I’d figure out how to spray that so it looks good. I figured out a technique.

35db6b612ee1491f9b07f673d833f332.jpg

58460a67dcf1455abe4b82e0ad80a663.jpg

c511ba784bb6f568f7c02dd7bf5d5b4c.jpg


Took me ages to plan for and get right but I did it.
I went for a cream for the base coat and was going to spray the checkerboard and sides a dark red.
I’d be using toothpaste to mimic chipped paint - a staple of the SW aesthetic!

That’s all for right now - I’ll put the rest up soon!
I’m looking at the (pretty much, kinda...) finished thing right now and I can’t wait to show everyone.

Nick.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hi all,

I always like painting things up to look like they’d fit in amongst the Star Wars universe. To fit with the specific aesthetic of the films that I love so much.
It’s hard to get right!

So on the first day of January this year I had some time off work and decided I wanted to make my masterpiece... or, I should say, I wanted to try as hard as I could to not mess up and make something I could be proud of.

The idea was simple: buy a cheap steel toolbox from the hardware store and make it look like it’s been kicking around the Star Wars universe since who-knows-when.
In my head I had it in possession of Boba Fett, in the sleeping quarters of Slave I - it’s been owned by several people, used for various things, but now it finds itself there as a case to hold some cool stuff.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180518/2e4ba77f55e0e7709ca539caacc99461.jpg

So that is what I started with. I removed the cheap lock from the top and the terrible carry handles from the sides - threw them away - and drilled out the hinges to remove the lid.

I walked around the hardware store looking for my spray paint colour palette - trying to keep within the aesthetic of the universe.
Once I had what I needed at that point I had to think about the design.
I’d just started watching Rebels for the first time and there’s a lot of checkerboard in that so I thought I’d figure out how to spray that so it looks good. I figured out a technique.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180518/35db6b612ee1491f9b07f673d833f332.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180518/58460a67dcf1455abe4b82e0ad80a663.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180518/c511ba784bb6f568f7c02dd7bf5d5b4c.jpg

Took me ages to plan for and get right but I did it.
I went for a cream for the base coat and was going to spray the checkerboard and sides a dark red.
I’d be using toothpaste to mimic chipped paint - a staple of the SW aesthetic!

That’s all for right now - I’ll put the rest up soon!
I’m looking at the (pretty much, kinda...) finished thing right now and I can’t wait to show everyone.

Nick.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is really cool can’t wait to see where this goes


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thanks Grif!

Next up was the lid. I made this design up as I went along, just adding tape and building up layers of colour as I went along.

c44191a506dae3795c38d7e40c4753f1.jpg

c1b5e8a8e62f28b0289fc73b1aa3831a.jpg

a883ae244215db8b91628f3fb6666c48.jpg

1d335293a4e27754a3946b6c230a8925.jpg

3d077826f809bb03ad3955a06e7486b7.jpg


I was pretty happy with how clean and symmetrical I was getting everything. I knew so could hide mistakes with the heavy weathering I was going to do but I wanted as good a base as possible.
The first mistake I made was spraying the silver stripe a solid colour without masking chips with toothpaste - which lead me to add the additional layer over it. A happy accident, it turned out.

I knew that I wanted the box to feel like it had had several owners, all leaving their own mark on it over time. It also needed some serious reinforcement due to the flimsy construction of the original box. I initially had used epoxy to glue strips of flat and angle aluminium in there but it would just break off so easily - turns out I didn’t need it anyway.

So, I purchased a cheap plank of pine, cut two lengths and attacked them with a hammer and a blow torch.

c2acd648dd0dbc0104584a2593763303.jpg


I used epoxy (better stuff this time) to initially hold them in-place inside.

e6471eb5bc6c5a9c2581c91cbac4f184.jpg


After that had dried, I marked and drilled six holes either side of the box to bolt them in. I also begun my weathering on the outside - acrylic washes, dirt, shoe polish... other stuff but at this point I think it was just that stuff. Getting the initial layers down.

97b0aae448fe15fb0bfff514ca3f074b.jpg


And on the lid, with the latch I had found placed on there to get an idea of how it was looking.

7e6720d79f45930b5c9d25128997b83e.jpg


That latch - I think the type is called a hasp and post, maybe? - that thing was a godsend!
I thought I was going to have to use some cheap thing and paint it and bend it and it was going to suck. Because I needed it to be mounted to the top and fold over - I didn’t think what I needed existed until...

d857138fbe14be9df398b6556363f9a5.jpg


I didn’t get a before photo - it’s a product made by Master, I believe - but here it is after I added two pieces of aluminium to cover the maker’s logo and a boring empty spot - helping it look a little more ‘Star Warsy’ and I put a brass bolt through the end. I added to that later on but for this point, it’s how it was.

That’ll do for now - hope this is an enjoyable read, as all of your build threads are to me!

Nick.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Next up I bolted the internal timber into place.

99f1091592e2f9adcf6d5296e132e8e1.jpg


Then I attached the latch to the lid and, using a better quality set of hinges, the lid to the body.

fbd5c98dc95b088e869c4794f2930b3d.jpg

8a27a8260d7aee7b75d481862635f371.jpg


In the construction of this I’ve used different methods of attaching things - bolts of different threads, heads and materials, with either regular or dome nuts, etc. or I’ve used rivets. The rivets have been a problem because there is so little clearance between the lid and body but I’ve found if I grind the rivet down a little I can get away with it.

Anyway, it was time to think about the handles. I searched online for ages trying to find the right ones. I didn’t know what I was looking for but I figured I’d know it when I saw it.
That turned out to be true - I saw a set of antique brass case handles on eBay and then had to deal with the agonising wait for them to arrive... Once they did, I marked and drilled the holes and gave them a test fit.

ba5f39fccb3aa27dd7417b6274f19535.jpg


I thought they looked great - BUT - the sides were a little plain-looking. Also, this is thin plate steel on this box so if I just bolted them on as it was I’d pick it up and everything would wobble and bend so I wanted to add some big pieces of aluminium, the same size as the side of the box, to act as a big reinforcement/washer.
Solid idea, but how to I make them fit the aesthetic and narrative of the box? This was January I’m pretty sure... maybe Feb... anyway, point is, I’d seen The Last Jedi at this point and I was pretty sure I’d noticed the door to Luke’s hut was made from a part of his X-Wing.
I decided to copy that in a way so I got the aluminium, cut it to size, heated and hammered it as best I could and sprayed a design to make it look like these pieces had been cut from the wings of a ship.

b7a3d60e3635d2e4b45531cba93c9dcb.jpg


And after the first weathering pass.

84dec3961faa5082432845c788adcb47.jpg


I then held them in place, drilled the holes through to line up with the holes in the handles and decided the outside needed something too.

466b37699a769b30df14b359c9278bb5.jpg


I went to my Grandad’s workshop and found some blackwood that was the perfect thickness to not protrude further than the lid of the box.

1628b90a30b66867dd1fd90d7f5a14a8.jpg


And by the time I got them all installed in union and I was happy with it I was feeling really awesome about how it was all working out!

b71a28c42235bd4bab1c44233fe97853.jpg


As you can see I also painted some hardware yellow, weathered it and added them to the unused space at the bottom as a tie-down spot.

That’s it for now - I’m sorry it’s so long, I just wanted to get it all up in decent detail before I forget it or whatever. I hope it’s interesting to everyone.

Thanks again,

Nick.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Awesome job. VERY creative. The whole time I was scrolling through and following along with the progress I kept hoping at some point during the painting and aging you would have included a couple blaster fire marks, as if the box had been used as a shield when you were being shot at.
 
Awesome job. VERY creative. The whole time I was scrolling through and following along with the progress I kept hoping at some point during the painting and aging you would have included a couple blaster fire marks, as if the box had been used as a shield when you were being shot at.

Thank you!

Haha well, that’s an awesome idea! If I can figure out how to do that effect I’d certainly add it.
As it stands right now I’ve been trying to build layers of weathering so it really feels like it’s been around and seen some weird stuff - next time I cut myself I’ll get some blood on there, I’ll add blaster fire to the list!

I’m going to write up the next part soon - I hope you continue to enjoy the process.

Nick.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hi again,

Next up I worked on the interior. I painted the inside of the lid a nice dirty white and FINALLY came up with a way to hold the lid open.

c5545093a67d454dfe9e48033e085d1b.jpg


I know that using leather straps seems obvious but I had initially wanted something more mechanical. Every type of strut I care across just wouldn’t work based on the folded lip on the box and however I attached it would prevent closure when the nuts or bolts hit the box, leaving the lid ajar.
So I scrapped them all and cut up a strap that was used for my Indiana Jones gas mask bag.

The dirty white lid was just a whim, thought it would look alright and would make whatever I mounted in there stand out.

What I mounted was this:

293cad385c483f3992e7be29b9c19ea1.jpg


I knew I wanted to be able to mount things to the lid so I googled around and found this brilliant rigid MOLLE panel.
The thing is, it’s made from some type of composite, I’d love to come across someone with a CNC who could mill me one from aluminium! It’d be way more apt.

The next thing was I got a Boba Fett cape to fold up and line the bottom of the box and I finally came across a lock that I liked.

4584abc6f8fae639a31e6b62d73bf72c.jpg


I used epoxy putty to cover up the lettering on the body and sprayed it blue and weathered that.

6559ca9180ed929eac5ea02320a6e39d.jpg


25afa58a4e7a6d352c4b06ebcf7939b2.jpg


I still need to do something to the key to make it look less conventional.

I’ll take some photos of how it is right now and then I’ll say what I’ve done, what I want to do and ask what you guys think I should do.

Thanks again,

Nick.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
This brings us to the state of the box right now.

I’ve wanted to add some finer details but I’ve been wary of graffiti or anything like that because I think I’ll mess it up. Something that seemed to fit was a brass label plate from a very old drill press that I nailed on and adds a nice subtle bit of detail.

db5d4964bc7c1351e8dcf18600762d78.jpg


I mentioned a few posts back about a bolt I added to the end of the latch for some interest at what was a boring blank spot - I pulled it back off and added some various detailed washers with some small amounts of paint and I filled the philips head with epoxy putty, sanded it flush and painted it with nail polish.

355ffbdc834ec60cbe9c98e2bd5454c2.jpg


Here’s the whole latch, weathered and with some blue on there - more nail polish - ‘cos why not!

0edf867ac55d80b3c43705d3febd4eb9.jpg


Here’s the whole thing! With the Boba Fett cape and Han’s gloves, it seems to work. Notice the leather riveted on to the front edge to help with closing and because maybe someone along the line needed it a little more padded or quieter or something?

6df9ccbfe6202dc8b3e58c1827696691.jpg


Close-up on the inside of the lid and the mounting panel. Added some colour to the dome nuts.

28092b142482ee9567124e5216e7b59d.jpg


Here’s some detail on the panels cut from the wing of a downed ship.

195e94966ed1437e1c55298a85a1c427.jpg

6a12b1693cb89dc9016684308e847f3c.jpg


Here you can see I’ve added corner protectors that I weathered with a blow torch and sand paper and a hammer and stuff!
Also there are countersunk washers on the bolts that hold the straps inside and a bit of yellow on two of them.
Leather pieces on the tie-down bars.
Various weathering by throwing rocks, hitting with tools, spilling coffee, leaving outside in the elements, black and brown shoe polish, amongst other things.

d7b4231242342a8bea31441d8d48ce4b.jpg


And the back!

e7f4c3bcc70aa4fc0ff03415d417aee5.jpg


So that’s where I’m at right now.

I want to add a few more things, I’m thinking of a strip of wood across the lid and the back - the lid is still a bit too flexible - I would like to strengthen it.
I want more layers of detail and I want to add more obvious artefacts left by the theoretical previous owners - what do you guys think that could be?
What would you do next? What don’t you like?
Am I crazy? - all answers I would enjoy receiving.

Thanks so much for checking this out everyone. I’ll update as I go.

Nick.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Printing some paper labels in aurabesh, make them look old and worn, pull them/some partially of, so that only part of them remain.
Sort of some old storage labels with what has been packed in them one day a long time ago.
 
Printing some paper labels in aurabesh, make them look old and worn, pull them/some partially of, so that only part of them remain.
Sort of some old storage labels with what has been packed in them one day a long time ago.

Thank you, Lichtbringer - you really have brought the licht to something I’d wanted to do, but lacked both a computer and printer. Also, the skill to make them up!

Great idea though, mate - thanks so much for having a look and if you know anywhere I can get aurebesh labels, please let me know.

N.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Maybe ask in the WTB forum? Or someone who is able to help sees this thread and chimes in.

First you should think about what labels you want - size and style, and if you want some special text or just some random blabla.
If then someone wants to help, you can point him better in the needed direction.
 
Maybe ask in the WTB forum? Or someone who is able to help sees this thread and chimes in.

First you should think about what labels you want - size and style, and if you want some special text or just some random blabla.
If then someone wants to help, you can point him better in the needed direction.

Good thinking! I’ve actually had an idea that could be cool.
I want to carve something into the timber on the inside, too.
Maybe when I see Solo in a few days I’ll get some more ideas.

N.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I just saw the thread about all of the different currency and gaming pieces for the Sabaac game in Solo - perhaps some awesome and varied currency could look cool glued somewhere in the box?
Is there any real-world currency that looks especially cool?
Or what about those challenge coins they make?

N.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
there are some star wars coins that were in star wars monopoly sets, could be used to add some in universe filler

the 1000 credit coin is from the 1996 Star Wars Limited Collector's Edition Monopoly set.

[h=3][/h]Galactic Empire Coruscant Credit coin

1000Credits.jpg


these coins are from the Star Wars Monopoly Collector's Cd-Rom Edition

Alderaan credit coin, Ord Mantell Credit coin and Bespin credit coin

troKj4J.jpg


this is from the star wars monopoly episode 1 collector's edition

Galactic Republic Coruscant Credit coin.


star wars ce ep1 token.jpg

you can find then on ebay
 
Last edited:
there are some star wars coins that were in star wars monopoly sets, could be used to add some in universe filler

the 1000 credit coin is from the 1996 Star Wars Limited Collector's Edition Monopoly set.

[h=3][/h]Galactic Empire Coruscant Credit coin

View attachment 819044


these coins are from the Star Wars Monopoly Collector's Cd-Rom Edition

Alderaan credit coin, Ord Mantell Credit coin and Bespin credit coin

View attachment 819045


this is from the star wars monopoly episode 1 collector's edition

Galactic Republic Coruscant Credit coin.


View attachment 819047

you can find then on ebay

Some of those are really cool, I’m going to do that! Thanks for the tip.

N.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
This thread is more than 5 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.
Back
Top