Today, I did find the trash cans that are mentioned to use. Total would only come to about $13. NOT BAD at all to get started on armor!! I did not pick them up yet, but at least I know where to find them.
Thanks to everyone for all this information. I am making two little boys (age 4 and 6) a boba and jango. So now it will be less costly. This is a great site!!
it IS possible, but it requires quite a bit of thought ahead of time to get it lined up properly .. and you have to do it in 2 pieces and then attach them, otherwise it gets smaller on one side than the other due to the shape of the cans.
you'll need almost an entire large trash can just for the backpiece.
My Mando-minded buddy and I have templates printed out, and two of the smaller trash cans to get started on this! He's really wanting to get going on this project, and I'm glad to have someone to kick me in the shebs to keep me going LOL Everyone has listed some great method ideas for painting and battle damage. As we're going out to get the large cans today, I made sure to come back here and see what to use for cutting, so I might try to find some tinsnips today too.
I have used Krylon Fusion for plastics spraypaint before with good results (I also custom-painted a clone trooper blaster for my daughter's costume this year), so I might try that stuff out on some scrap pieces of the trash can plastic to see how well it sticks without sanding first. Cans of that paint run about $5-6 each. Depending on how many layers you might need and colors you want, I'd guess about 2 cans at the least maybe. They have an awesome hammered metallic silver color that works good as a starter coat, then a different color on top...lightly rough out a few spots with steel wool to let some silver show through--that's what I did for my daughter's blaster, and I'm hoping it will work for this too.
I had thought a dremmel tool would be ideal for making dents and such, and I already have one