try borrowing a vac table set up! I have seen some really small dosmetic vac table set ups. the storage issue will be ur bucks I think. they WILL take up loads of space, and can get quite heavy. I am considering gettin storage space just to store these as my wife is slowly but VERY surely losing her patience with me.
looking at the armour, the gentle curves are going to be a major nightmare to sculpt from clay - but thats just MHO
nothing quite satisfying (and frustrating!) then sculpting ur own armour. but I think this armour would be quite complex (curves and symmetry wise), quite a lot (looks like there are even more components than on a clone trooper) and you will have the same problems the clone armourers have - trying to translate a 2D picture into 3D armour. Just ask any of em; that is a major headache in itself
in terms of economy - there really isnt going to be a cheap way to do this. however, having a vac table comes in handy if u are into all sorts of prop making - and it will pay for itself eventually.
