One of the vehicles of Episode 2 fascinated me when I first saw it and I had at once the great hope, that Hasbro releases this vehicle also. Clearly said, it is the “Daddy” of the later legendary AT-AT. Meanwhile I received the message, that they considers to build it. But until these vehicles are released, it is possible that still 1 to 2 years will pass.
I didn´t want to wait such long, so I took my Micro-Machines AT-TE, a vernier caliper, a calculator, paper, pencil and calculated each measure, each detail and made an accurate drawing from it. Then, I took 1,5mm thick Polystyrene-plates and cut all the pieces according to the drawing.
It was a real smooth work while watching TV, because I didn’t need a saw. Just a steel-ruler and a cutter-knife. The lines, which I draw with the pencil on the Polystyrene, I just had to follow again with the cutter-knife and finally broke it apart exactly and clean. I stuck the parts with the special polystyrol-glue. For the ball-cannons, I bought 5cm thick wooden balls, and 5cm Acrylglasballs from 2 half balls each (the same kind like my cannonballs of the Republic Gunship; just a smaller diameter) and 1cm thick wooden round sticks.
First, I made the wooden balls into a diameter of 46mm (except the stern-balls, they are in no housing),
abraded and painted them dark grey. Then I cut for each of the 4 front ball-cannons an Acrylglasdome into half and mounted it with the wooden ball and the counter-part oft the entire Acrylglasdome together again.
When fixing the domes together, I used no glue, because the danger was too high,
that the wooden ball stick into the Acrylglasball forever.
Then, I cut 4 pieces of the wooden round sticks with a length of 10cm each and mounted it into the already
existing holes of the wooden ball. At the top of the cannons, I drilled a 3cm deep hole into
(Finally, it is a cannon!).
Finally, I mounted the balls into the AT-TE. The balls are turn able vertical and horizontal in 90° each.
The cannon on top is made of Polystyrene and a part of the rocket-tube of the Republic Gunship.
It is turn able horizontal in 360°.
All 6 legs are moveable, but because of a secure stand, they are fixed with screws.
All in all, the hulk was ready after 4 weeks (about 28 evenings a´ 4 hours). Finally I painted it grey
and sticked on the left and the right side the insignia of the Republic on, also a driver and the canonier.
The AT-TE is planed to be placed in a later CLONE WARS diorama.
