My technique for making cool dents

So back in high school when I built my first Fett suit, I bought a set of vacuuformed armor. I think it was sentra? Anyways, the armor was all smooth and had no preformed dents. So I found a neat way to make dents and make them look blaster burned. Sorry I dont have any pics, but I will explain as clearly as I can.
Before painting, I held a lighter under the backside of the armor where I wanted the dent. I held it just a little ways form the actual armor until the area underneath turned black and the plastic became pliable. I then gently pushed from the top of the armor until the dent was the depth and size that I wanted. I then let it cool off and it hardened up again. Then, after making all the dents I wanted, and after painting, I used my finger to smear some of the soot form the underside of the armor where I had held the lighter and rubbed it around the area on the front of the armor. It came out looking like realistic blaster burns. I dont believe you could use this techniques with anything but sentra armor though. But I liked they way it turned out. Hopes this helps!

This is how i did my armor 4-5 years ago... Its a good nice and REALISTIC look.







And me in the sunset.

Sorry to be off-topic, but that is an amazing sandtrooper, TMP. Even the pauldron is weathered!
nice job!

For blaster hit effects, we used to form the dent, paint it, then set off a firecracker inside the dent. Clear coat over the powder burns and it looks great.

Just don't go using M80s...blows a BIG hole in the plasitc

Neat trick! I've used the following. Heated up spoon, boiled golf ball, shotgun field load minus the pellets (STAY WAY BACK and do not do unless you know exactly how to!), and one of those "super mitts" they advertise for cooking. You can microwave it a use your fingers to mold the armor or make dints and dings.

great blaster hits effect and nice sandtrooper / stormtrooper armor mix.

Heatgun works great too.

I usually use a heat gun to heat the surface and then use the rounded back of a screwdriver handle to push a dent into the plastic. I'll try the lighter next time.