Vader Costume...

Ok. I've always wanted a Darth Vader Costume. I've searched the forums here, but, being new, I'm not quite sure what is good, what is accurate and so forth.

It is all rather overwhelming. There are some peices for sale on E-bay, but again, its hard to figure out where to start, since I'll have to build the outfit peicemeal. I'm not made of money.

I know the most expensive peices will be the helmet, and the leather 'suit'. Those I'll likely have to get last.

But my question is, how to know if any of this will 'fit'? The armor, the helmet, etc. I'm not a small guy. 6'6", 235lbs, so I should at least have the imposing figure in the costume.

What to do about glasses? I don't like contacts, but can one aquire perscription lenses for the helmet?

I know the vast majority of you have far more knowledge than I, so I'm hoiping for a little assistance. Basically on where I should start, and what pieces to look out for.



**Update. See my post on 4/1/06 for my beginnings towards Vader**

**Update 4/26/06. New shoulder armor!**

**Update 5/7/06 Bodysuit!**

**Update 5/15/06 Almost done!**

Originally posted by SHalamar@Feb 12 2006, 06:23 PM
Ok. I've always wanted a Darth Vader Costume.Â* I've searched the forums here, but, being new, I'm not quite sure what is good, what is accurate and so forth.

It is all rather overwhelming.Â* There are some peices for sale on E-bay, but again, its hard to figure out where to start, since I'll have to build the outfit peicemeal.Â* I'm not made of money.

I know the most expensive peices will be the helmet, and the leather 'suit'.Â* Those I'll likely have to get last.

But my question is, how to know if any of this will 'fit'?Â* The armor, the helmet, etc.Â* I'm not a small guy.Â* 6'6", 235lbs, so I should at least have the imposing figure in the costume.

What to do about glasses?Â* I don't like contacts, but can one aquire perscription lenses for the helmet?

I know the vast majority of you have far more knowledge than I, so I'm hoiping for a little assistance.Â* Â* Basically on where I should start, and what pieces to look out for.

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At 6'6" you should fit everything okay I would think. I don't wear glasses but there is room in my Rubies Supreme for them if I did. You might be able to permanently mount a pair of lenses behind the helmets' lenses so you don't have to worry about them.

PM sent on places to look.

A loaded question that has been asked many times before...so don't feel bad! Personally, I think the 1st question you have to ask yourself is "What do I want to accomplish?"...In other words, do you want a reasonable facsimile of Vader...or do you want to look like you just walked off the screen?

If you want something that looks close....there's many options. There's a plethora of GT and GT clone items on ebay and elsewhere...these items look the part but typically these items are slightly undersized and have different details and proportions that are not screen accurate. However, when you suit up....99% of the people out there won't notice the differences. They'll see Darth Vader! Plus, these items are generally far less expensive and more plentiful than screen accurate pieces. You can find them in the JY here, ebay, etc...

Armor pieces with some pedigree are few and far between.....you really have to keep your eyes peeled...

Also depends on your wallet....you can easily spend $800 - $1000 on a quality helmet alone.

My advice.....research, research, research....then decide what you're going to buy....

Yes, yesss, to KevVader you listen.

If all you need to do is look like Vader, go with GT.

Originally posted by DarkLordSalvo@Feb 12 2006, 11:35 AM
Yes, yesss, to KevVader you listen.

If all you need to do is look like Vader, go with GT.

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Hrm. Someone is selling a set of GT armor on ebay right now. Unpainted, untrimmed and the like. I would, of course, love to look accurate, but I imagine that those peices will be nigh impossibnle to find, and will break my bank account.

Other than GT, what else should I look for? And If I dared to post ebay links, I'd ask advice on a chest armor/helmet for sale.

Originally posted by SHalamar+Feb 12 2006, 01:42 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SHalamar &#064; Feb 12 2006, 01:42 PM)</div>

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@Feb 12 2006, 11:35 AM
Yes, yesss, to KevVader you listen.

If all you need to do is look like Vader, go with GT.

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Hrm. Someone is selling a set of GT armor on ebay right now. Unpainted, untrimmed and the like. I would, of course, love to look accurate, but I imagine that those peices will be nigh impossibnle to find, and will break my bank account.

Other than GT, what else should I look for? And If I dared to post ebay links, I&#39;d ask advice on a chest armor/helmet for sale.

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As per the CoC, you can&#39;t post links to live auctions. However, you can pm for info...

Originally posted by SHalamar@Feb 12 2006, 08:23 PM
Ok. I&#39;ve always wanted a Darth Vader Costume.Â* I&#39;ve searched the forums here, but, being new, I&#39;m not quite sure what is good, what is accurate and so forth.

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Well, if you want a quick costume you could go the Rubies route... though, it is not very accurate and the armor pieces, I&#39;ve been told, are a bit flimsy.

The DPCA is also reported to be an excellent helmet, if you plan to wear the costume for longer periods of time. It is made of leightweigh vinyl and several are up for sale on eBay atm.

Though, I would seriously recommend you to acquire the helmet first. That is the main part of the Vader costume and will most likely inspire you to get the rest of the costume and armor - but in the meantime you have a cool Vader helmet sitting on display, until you have the rest to complete the costume.

There are several helmets to choose from, but I would simply advise you to go after the one you like the best, since no one can really agree what the best and most accurate helmet is. The price is another matter. The top quality fiberglass version go for &#036;800+. Be prepared to spend that much on the helmet, as a minimum.

You can never do too much research.

Good luck with your search and acquisition of the baddest evil dude in the Universe. .)

Hi SHalamar,

What version of Vader do you want to be? ANH, ESB, ROTJ or ROTS?

After you&#39;ve made that decision, study the components, because there are differences between them, Helmet, chest box, belt boxes, buckle, gloves......

In my opinion, I&#39;d suggest that you get the most accurate parts you can from the get go. The reason I say this is because it will become an obsession and, if you don&#39;t get the "good stuff" you eventially will, so it will essentially cost more.

I hope you understand what I&#39;m trying to say, I lack the skills of putting what I want to say into a coherent post sometimes

Cheers,

Kraig

Originally posted by yakcam@Feb 12 2006, 11:40 PM
I hope you understand what I&#39;m trying to say, I lack the skills of putting what I want to say into a coherent post sometimes

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Well, I just wanted to say you made perfect sense to me.

No point in cutting corners, &#39;cause it will end up haunting you later. If you go for accurate, then there is no substitute. But if you just want "Vader"... then the cheapest alternative is the Rubies Vader. I&#39;m not advocating this, &#39;cause I think you will regret buying it later, if you are like me: an accurate nut&#33; .)

I wanted Vader since I was six years old, finally I broke down and bought a rubies.
Lots of folks dont like rubies and thats o.k. I read thread after thread, on board after board. I realized that an actual "walked off the screen Vader" was a huge investment, and something that I could aquire a piece at a time. So with this being said, the most sensible route for me was to get the rubies, and start to replace each part a piece at a time... That way, my Vader display will always look complete to a novice, and eventually I will have the "walked off the screen Vader"


Kell

I&#39;m thinking either ESB, or ROTJ. Probably ESB< as that movies feels more like the &#39;Vader&#39; Movie to me.

As for the Rubies costume, when I saw it, I wanted it. The more I saw it, the less I liked it. It seemed.. off.. to me. It wasn&#39;t quite right. So I never picked it up. So I&#39;ll do the peicemeal route.

Asw for the Helmet. Aie. I know that those can go for a great deal. And will be the serious crimp in my budget. But I have to start somewhere.. right? :P

Originally posted by SHalamar@Feb 13 2006, 12:52 AM
Asw for the Helmet. Aie.Â* I know that those can go for a great deal.Â* And will be the serious crimp in my budget.Â* But I have to start somewhere.. right?Â* :P

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Yes, start with the helmet. That&#39;s always a good place to begin, imo. .)

I have seen amazing things done w/ the rubies helmet. Allot of work though since it&#39;s not very good out of the box. But it isn&#39;t allot of money for the mask, nor is it very much money to fix; does take allot of skill and research though. There&#39;s a really decent site on modifying it. The reason I personally like this route is b/c if I spent 800 on a fiberglass helmet, I don&#39;t think I&#39;d ever wear it out of fear of it getting broken, scratched, chipped ect.

I started out with a Rubies and I regret it. I have spent a lot of &#036;&#036; on upgrades. Here is what I have replaced/upgraded:

1. Spent money to upgrade m Rubies helemt PLUS I bought a cKing fiberglass lid that cost &#036;750 (and I got a deal on that)
2. New Leather Gloves
3. GT Shoulder Armor, about to be replaced by Gino armor
4. New 2 piece leather Suit
5. New Satin Lined Cape and Pleated Robe
6 Installed Cape Hook and Chain on Rubies armor, plus new paint job on Rubies armor
7. Bought a chestbox kit, have yet to finish
8. I replaced the back of my one piece Rubies suit with a breathable mesh material.

Thats all I can think of right now.

My advice, go for quality and do not try and save by going a cheaper route. If you get a cheap costume you will inevitably want a better one, trust me. Once the accuracy bug bites the accuracy disease spreads like a toxic poison.

Originally posted by SHalamar@Feb 12 2006, 12:23 PM
I&#39;m not a small guy.Â* 6&#39;6", 235lbs, so I should at least have the imposing figure in the costume.

What to do about glasses?Â* I don&#39;t like contacts, but can one aquire perscription lenses for the helmet?

Hi

To answer some of your questions....I think your size makes you a perfect Vader. I am 6&#39;3" and about 315 lbs, and plan on getting 4" of lifts and heels to get myself to the "canon" size of 6&#39;7". As it stands I already tower over most of the guys in the squad, so a little extra height can&#39;t hurt. And to honest (don&#39;t take this the wrong way) but Stormtrooper armor would probably look silly on someone of your size. Vader is perfect

As for eyesight, you might want to get a helmet and try it on yourself before you commit. I have horrible eyesight (20/200 with astigmatism) but your vision is greatly limited in the mask Other guys have done the contacts, or taped lenses from old glasses in their mask, but you may find that for what you need to see, you don&#39;t need anything. You won&#39;t be reading books or programming computers in a costume.What you CAN see might be good enough.

Originally posted by IanL@Feb 12 2006, 07:59 PM
Hi

To answer some of your questions....I think your size makes you a perfect Vader.Â* I am 6&#39;3" and about 315 lbs, and plan on getting 4" of lifts and heels to get myself to the "canon" size of 6&#39;7".Â* As it stands I already tower over most of the guys in the squad, so a little extra height can&#39;t hurt.Â* And to honest (don&#39;t take this the wrong way) but Stormtrooper armor would probably look silly on someone of your size.Â* Vader is perfect

As for eyesight, you might want to get a helmet and try it on yourself before you commit.Â* I have horrible eyesight (20/200 with astigmatism) but your vision is greatly limited in the maskÂ* Other guys have done the contacts, or taped lenses from old glasses in their mask, but you may find that for what you need to see, you don&#39;t need anything.Â* You won&#39;t be reading books or programming computers in a costume.What you CAN see might be good enough.

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Actually, Because of my hieght, I never ever considered Stormtrooper armor. I&#39;m just too tall.

As for the glasses, I need glasses to be able to walk without seriously injuring myself. I&#39;ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Still have to find a helmet first. Budgetwise, I may have to get a Rubies supreme and alter it, or see if I can snag a damaged MR one.

Originally posted by SHalamar@Feb 12 2006, 11:52 PM
As for the glasses, I need glasses to be able to walk without seriously injuring myself.Â* I&#39;ll cross that bridge when I come to it.Â* Still have to find a helmet first.Â* Budgetwise, I may have to get a Rubies supreme and alter it, or see if I can snag a damaged MR one.

The Rubies can be a good helemt with a lot of work. I did mine and I am pleased with it and wear it trooping a lot.

Originally posted by DarthKahnt@Feb 12 2006, 09:40 PM
The Rubies can be a good helemt with a lot of work. I did mine and I am pleased with it and wear it trooping a lot.

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How much does it take to mod one? I&#39;ve seen some of the &#39;walk throughs&#39;, but sadly, I don&#39;t always have the time for all the extensive work that would go into it. Some, yes, but there&#39;s a lot on the rubies to do.

(That and the wife looks at me funny when I mention all the work that would have to go into it.)

Truthfully, for trooping purposes, good, careful prep work and a careful repaint will improve a Rubies Supreme quite a bit. Then maybe replace the lenses so they aren&#39;t all warpy. Might set you back maybe &#036;200 including the price of the helmet.

Just my 2 cents.

(oh, and if she&#39;s anything like my wife, bring up how much time they spend everyday with their makeup and she&#39;ll never bring up "how much work" goes into making your props look "perfect" again... or get you a night on the ol&#39; couch. Either one.

Originally posted by SHalamar+Feb 13 2006, 04:51 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SHalamar &#064; Feb 13 2006, 04:51 AM)</div>

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@Feb 12 2006, 09:40 PM
The Rubies can be a good helemt with a lot of work. I did mine and I am pleased with it and wear it trooping a lot.

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How much does it take to mod one? I&#39;ve seen some of the &#39;walk throughs&#39;, but sadly, I don&#39;t always have the time for all the extensive work that would go into it. Some, yes, but there&#39;s a lot on the rubies to do.

(That and the wife looks at me funny when I mention all the work that would have to go into it.)

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My Girlfriend can&#39;t understand why i took my rubies apart to upgrade it, i explained it was not good enough as is out of the box but it falls upon ears that don&#39;t quite understand . That being said, it is alot of work to do it and slow due to needing to get it as perfect as possible. But there aer plenty of guys on the RPF who could offer advice. I would not have started mine without the extensive help/advice i did get (and am still getting) This is where i am with it so far, only difference is i&#39;ve now filled the eye sockets for the new lenses http://www.rpf.invisionzone.com/inde...owtopic=103589

Heres what my rubies test helmet looks like todate. Everytime i learn somthing new or find somthing not right i work it out on this helmet. Now i think i am about ready to do another rubies befor i start working on the reveled vader i have been kicking around. Till i master what i am doing then i will suplt a vader helmet from all i have learned.

Originally posted by GundamZeppelin@Feb 13 2006, 01:31 PM
Heres what my rubies test helmet looks like todate. Everytime i learn somthing new or find somthing not right i work it out on this helmet. Now i think i am about ready to do another rubies befor i start working on the reveled vader i have been kicking around. Till i master what i am doing then i will suplt a vader helmet from all i have learned.

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Excellent mod-job&#33;

Did you remove the nose on that thing? It looks like it. I have followed many mods on the Rubies and that is always one of the things done to it, however, that just makes the helmet less accurate... all you have to do is to fill the seam-line and then it&#39;ll be perfect. Taking out the nose plug and you will get a too thin nose ridge and a too large nose area. Just thought I would pass that on. (If I&#39;m wrong about this, please let me know&#33

I will definitely be interested in seeing an original sculpt. Please keep us updated on that project if you go forward with it. .)

If you are going for a ESB Vader, I wouldn&#39;t think you would want to get a "damaged" MR helmet at that price. Besides, the MR helmet is ROTS, not ESB.

I am part of the 501st. Since I do quit a bit of trooping, I bought a DP CA helmet. It is perfect&#33; Light weight, and fairly easy to see through with a lense upgrade. I am planning on pulling the padding out, and replacing it with pluming insulation strips. I am also going to install possibly 2 cpu fans....this is a MUST if you plan on trooping with your lid&#33; It will prevent the lenses from fogging up, and making you go blind

And since I do troop a lot, I bought a set of 2005 GT armor...(I know Kev&#33 I think that the GT is the best for trooping....looks good, inexpensive. If you want to know where I got it, send me a PM.

But most of all, like it was said before, do your reseacrh, and you will come out with a kick a&#036;&#036; Vader&#33;&#33; However, HAVE FUN&#33;

VFF

Originally posted by SHalamar@Feb 13 2006, 12:51 AM

How much does it take to mod one?Â* I&#39;ve seen some of the &#39;walk throughs&#39;, but sadly, I don&#39;t always have the time for all the extensive work that would go into it.Â* Some, yes, but there&#39;s a lot on the rubies to do.

(That and the wife looks at me funny when I mention all the work that would have to go into it.)

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Well a repaint and new lenses would do a world of good but I personally would not be happy with that. To do a good job requires time and patience but it&#39;s worth it in the end.

Originally posted by GundamZeppelin@Feb 13 2006, 07:31 AM
Heres what my rubies test helmet looks like todate. Everytime i learn somthing new or find somthing not right i work it out on this helmet. Now i think i am about ready to do another rubies befor i start working on the reveled vader i have been kicking around. Till i master what i am doing then i will suplt a vader helmet from all i have learned.

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Looks good man&#33; What did you use for clear coat?