Star Wars Desert Trooper Pauldron Pattern

(also known as Torsten Hallman GP motocross chest protector)

The original "pauldron" used in Star Wars ANH was nothing more than a Chest protector made by Torsten
Hallman. The materials were a very thin vinyl and a foam liner as well as a thin weave underside. The entire
pattern is edged with 3/4 vinyl. The only leather parts used on the "pauldron" are the neck straps. I have
attempted to duplicate the materials as best as I could. The pattern that you have here IS the exact trace of
the original chest protector that I located and cut apart. I carefully removed all the seams and traced,
measured and copied every detail of the original as closely as possible.

Materials needed:
Sewing machine
Scissors
Pins (for holding pattern together)
permanent marker (for tracing patterns)
Pencil
Ruler
straight edge

2 yards of black vinyl

1 yard of orange, or white or black vinyl for rank (there was no gray)
1 yard of black cotton weave ( for underside)
1 yard of 1/8th inch thick foam
8 x 8 inch square leather
Black Dye
Standard chrome button kit
10 inches of 1 1/8th inch elastic banding
2 spools of Standard Black thread (you will want one extra for back up)
2 small chrome buttons or rivets for under arm strap fixing

Assembly Instructions

1. Cut the leather neck straps, dye them and set them aside.

2. Cut out the basic shapes of the pattern in the materials that are called for.

3. Sew the two side flap pieces to the main shoulder piece.

4. Lay the now sewed together piece on top of 1/8 inch foam and black cotton weave and cut out the basic
shape of the pauldron leaving about an inch of clearance around the edges.

5. Slowly pin the top vinyl, middle foam and weave bottom, together.

6. Sew around the pattern almost on the edge. The three materials should now be one assembly.

7. Using a pencil and a ruler, mark the lines on the top left and right flaps.

8. Sew the "lines" onto the tops of the left and right flaps.

9. Take the leather straps and punch buttons in them in the marked areas. They lay on the shoulders right
over left or top piece facing rear. The pauldron is worn on the right shoulder.

10. Sew the straps onto the backside of the pauldron. The inner part lines up with the neck.

11. Cut a 3/4 inch wide by 6ft long piece of the black vinyl. This will be the edging and MUST be perfectly
straight.

12. Holding the edging around the outside edge of the pauldron, begin pinning every 1/2 inch and pinching
the edging all the way around the pauldron. this edging goes on the neck area too, all the way from the top of
one neck strap to the other.

13. This is the most difficult part. Sew the edging on very slowly. Stay just inside the edge of the "edging".
Keep pinching the edging together as you make your way around. reposition the needle head, as needed,
around corners. This takes a while....

14. Congratulations! if you have made it this far the rest is easy!

15. Sew the two vinyl ends of the under arm strap to the elastic band.

16. Rivet or button the under arm strap to the pauldron in the areas marked on the pattern.

17. Admire your workl!

THIS IS A BASIC I DEA OF WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU ARE DONE
 = Button placement

black leather

black leather

vinyl in black, orange, or white

black vinyl black vinyl

Sew both of these to seperate ends

of a 1.125” wide black elastic band.
Flip this to draw other half on material. It
Band should be about 8 to 9 “ long.
should look like this when done...

Note: that these buttons are smaller

than the buttons for the neck area.
See screenshots.

black vinyl

You will need about 6 to 7 feet of .75”edging

to sew around the pauldron