My Tom Servo Build

LabApe

Well-Known Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
Bought a Tom Servo Kit from sledge_riprock on Ebay... Here are the Results:

ts1.jpgts2.jpgts4.jpgts3.jpgts5.jpg

I'm rather Pleased with him... he can even be puppeted, Head Swivels, and Mouth moves via controls in the "hoverskirt"
 
Nice! Just bought the same kit. Will start building soon. Any tips before we start?

buy two. if you make a mistake, you can instantly improve on the next one :).

I messed up on servo's head and had to buy a second head. although i still think i can improve on it and may eventually try again down the line.
 
Nice! Just bought the same kit. Will start building soon. Any tips before we start?

Biggest tip from me: if you're using the Testor's red metal flake paint that the guide recommends, be very careful when you start getting to the bottom of the can--I noticed that when the paint started to run low, it would occasionally shoot out large blobs of mostly metallic flakes (very little red pigment) that left raised gold splotches on the surface.
 
Thanks for the tips. I think I might be missing something on the instructions, though. My instruction disc only has eight still-frame pictures which provide useful information but not much detail as far as building technique. Specifically regarding the dome, am I to cut it off at the bottom and place it in the second lid? Also, do I re-attach the bottom plate of the gumball machine before attaching it to the barrel? Any guidance would be helpful. Thanks.
 
I found on my kit that the globe actually just screws off. No cutting required. Also, I did not replace the bottom plate on the gumball machine.
 
Replacing the bottom plate on the gumball machine would get in the way of the whole puppetry mechanism--if you were even able to remove it all in one piece in the first place. No need to hang on to it.

It's definitely possible to remove the globe without cutting anything...I think the PDF recommends using a hair dryer to loosen up the adhesive and slowly work the globe out of the base? Something like that? In any case, once the globe is removed, you'll have an identical lid on the top (as the machine usually comes with) and the bottom (glued to the base) of the dome. I think I just put a small bead of adhesive around the top lip of the base, and then pressed the flat "top" part of the second lid against it so that the concave part of the lid is facing up to receive the dome.
 
Boy is my face ruby-red (metallic flake). I thought the instruction disc was a DVD, which is why I only got eight pictures and no text when I put it in my DVD player. I was able to dig up an old CD drive and voila...should see at least a 20% decrease in stupid questions for the rest of the build! Thanks for indulging this first-timer.
 
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Really nice kit. I noticed you decided not to cut the shoulder housings to accommodate the curve of the barrel. I found that by far the hardest part of the build.
 
I bought the same kit, and my Tom Servo is just about a year old. My Tom also has the new version of the "Snack Dispenser" with the seam that goes up and down instead of around the middle.

spQlF3j.jpg


I am working on making my Tom a new head using a Snack Dispenser I got back from a friend that I gave it to 23 years ago. It has the seam that goes around in the middle.

ViFgGag.jpg
 
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Everyone already mentions what a bear the ruby red is to work with. Don't forget it gets darker and darker with more coats. Also, prime your red parts with a white primer. If you start with gray or black it will actually make the ruby red appear darker and you have even less coats to get a nice coverage.

Here is my Tom Servo at the North TX Prop party. He is mostly Joe Crow parts but I used Sledge's turbo trains and arm springs. I am happy with my Tom, but the thing that bugs me the most is I CANNOT get the gumball head perfectly centered over the barrel. I don't puppeteer with him so it doesn't matter, but when you spin his head it really shows. Note, the Crow is not mine. It belonged to the guy who had a table next to me. Obviously it is not screen accurate, but the puppeteering features were awesome. Especially the eyes. They worked beautifully! He showed me how he did it, but I wish I would have taken notes and pictures for when I finally get to Crow.

DSC_9819.jpg
 
Everyone already mentions what a bear the ruby red is to work with. Don't forget it gets darker and darker with more coats. Also, prime your red parts with a white primer. If you start with gray or black it will actually make the ruby red appear darker and you have even less coats to get a nice coverage.

Here is my Tom Servo at the North TX Prop party. He is mostly Joe Crow parts but I used Sledge's turbo trains and arm springs. I am happy with my Tom, but the thing that bugs me the most is I CANNOT get the gumball head perfectly centered over the barrel. I don't puppeteer with him so it doesn't matter, but when you spin his head it really shows. Note, the Crow is not mine. It belonged to the guy who had a table next to me. Obviously it is not screen accurate, but the puppeteering features were awesome. Especially the eyes. They worked beautifully! He showed me how he did it, but I wish I would have taken notes and pictures for when I finally get to Crow.

View attachment 1456582
I found this trying to figure out how to make my own Servo and i instantly recognized this. Have you ever taken it to Alamo City Comic Con?
 
I found this trying to figure out how to make my own Servo and i instantly recognized this. Have you ever taken it to Alamo City Comic Con?

Nope. He has never been south of Roanoke for the North Texas Prop Party. Must have been one of his replica brothers.
 

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