1:6 Vader Project & Digital Scan project

[Too Much Garlic]

Been working on this for some time, but have recently gotten very dissatisfied with the helmet sculpt. After having studied Vader for a while now I have really begun to see all the things that looks off in the details on the helmet, not to mention that it is a reveal helmet, which I don't like so much either.

Anyone making or knowing where I can get some more accurate looking helmets for this kit, preferably looking as the movie props rather than the reveal - and preferably as a two part helmet: face and dome with the dome preferably being resin or some other hard plastic, since vinyl just warps so annoyingly.

I have heard of the Marmit Vader looking more accurate, but since those are not available I was just hoping someone knew of other options. I'm not much of a sculptor - well, I could always try, but don't know how good the result will be.

I guess the Gentle Giant way - laser scanning a full scale helmet and then rescaling it on the comp and then have it make or carve a sculpt - would be too expensive, right?

I'm looking for both an ANH and an ESB version and any help would be appreciated.

Have fun and be well.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

So, no one can help me with this?

Well, looking around on the net I think I may have found someone, but I haven't heard back from him yet. Will post further info here, since 122 views would indicate interest in this search. Or is it just interest in the Kaiyodo Vader and people thinking that I had posted pictures of a painted one?

Cheers

 

[paulcarson]

There are a lot of us who would love to have a small scale figure which looks just like the marmit prototypes. I had actually thought about using one of the screamin kits myself having seen the sideshow figure.
I'm interested in seeing what you can come up with and will help in any way I can to make it a reality.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

I'll post here as soon as I come up with something. Am still waiting for that guy to contact me with pictures of his work.

Just a shame I can't sculpt myself and don't have the money to hire a top quality sculptor or have the helmet laser scanned, etc. :cry

But rest assured... I WILL figure something out... eventually.

In the meantime... this is what the Kaiyodo head looks like: (...SHUDDERS...)
Removed at demand.

Though, one thing I'm very proud of is the paint-job. I did that myself and it came out great. Really nothing much to it. Airbrushed the face with burnt aluminium color first and then painted matt black by hand afterwards + the little details such as the nose and tusks with chrome silver and the vents with gold and gloss red - the dome was airbrushed in matt black - before I then airbrushed on a clear coat.

The surface is smooth and glossy and wipes off easily... and has a nice mirror effect. Oh yeah... my trick with the eyes to make them seem more like lenses was to first paint them in matt black and then transparent glossy red. It gives a real life and menace to the mask. Sorry that effect doesn't translate so well into the pictures. But maybe a better camera and better lighting conditions would be able to show that off better. Will see what I can do, when I get the replacement heads I'm searching for and have them all painted up and finished.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Received word from the guy doing the custom Vader's over at the Rebelscum forums. I assume many have heard of him already and have admired his work, I know I have.

Apparently, he tried to send pictures about a week ago, but unfortunately didn't receive them then, for some odd reason. Maybe my e-mail server is acting up again: I know it likes to add filters to my incoming mail, even when I haven't told it to.

But to get on with it: he is known as Hurricane Models and can be contacted from the Rebelscum site or possibly pm me for his e-mail address and I can forward it to you. I let him know that there might be interested users here looking for replacement parts for their Vader figures and he was okay with me passing on his info to those interested.

He uses the original Kaiyodo/Screamin' face for his customs, but have made new and more accurate looking domes and I have asked for some close-up pictures of just the helmet - face and dome - and hope to receive them shortly (he's busy, so it could take a while, though).

This is all I have to share for now.

Cheers.

 

[paulcarson]

You know, the face on the last pic looks really good. I think with a decent dome on it you've got a great start to what could be a nice display piece. Well done.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Yeah, the face is sorta okay... just a few nit-picking details I don't like about it. TBH: it is pretty close to the look of the Marmit sculpt, imo. The dome however is a completely other matter. It S-U-X.

However, as stated before, I don't know how to sculpt, so I have to rely on others to do the work, meaning... where to find a better dome for this piece that fits and doesn't look off.?

Man, how I hate that I cannot sculpt... :cry that would make my life so much easier...

(Sorry, had to edit... posted information about Hurricane's custom's, which I hadn't asked permission to post. I'll ask him if I can post it and if he agrees, then I can provide the info. Until then, please hold on to your pants and ignore that gun in your back... it's all an illusion.) :lol

 

[PHArchivist]

I just displayed mine with the hat off...

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Originally posted by PHArchivist@Apr 14 2006, 03:36 AM
I just displayed mine with the hat off...

[snapback]1226047[/snapback]​

The problem with that is that I just don't like the reveal look at all... :cry otherwise great idea.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

These are just some of the areas that needs fixing up on the Kaiyodo facemask if that was to be considered for more accurate and to look more like the actual ANH & ESB hero props - indicated by the white lines:

Removed at demand.

And as you can see it is quite extensive and it is just a matter of how best to accomplish those changes without ruining anything.

The left side of the mouth should be pulled in more, the top of the cheeks should be sanded to the correct look, the reveal detail should be sanded off and several other small details.

I guess I will have to buy another Kaiyodo kit to make all those customizations too, since it would most likely require that I mold it with the customizations that can be accomplished on the vinyl head and then make a cast and make the changes that can more easily be made on a resin cast. Then it will be molded again once all the changes are made and viola: a perfect 1:6 scale facemask.

That way I will have an original and a customized version. And, I can make both ANH and ESB versions. Though, since this is basically recasting I won't offer them for sale. These will strictly be limited to my own models. Sorry about that.

And I know... you'll think I'm silly putting so much work into such a tiny piece and that I would be better off sculpting it from scratch. To that I can only say that I am far better at customizing than sculpting, so, to me that is a no-brainer.

The perfect solution would be that some LFL licenced company began to sell accurate looking 1:6 scale helmets, but that is NOT going to happen, so why bother waiting for it... and I need something to do in my spare time... and it will be fun and great practice for possible future projects.

(Just at the idea stage at this time.)

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Who am I kidding... though it could work, I guess it would cost as much as having a sculptor do a sculpt... never really considered the economical issue with my plan. Damn.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Nobody who knows anybody who could be interested in tackling this project of sculpting an über-accurate Vader face and dome in 1:6 scale or is it too ambitious and is there not really that much interest in such a project to really bother?

Can we expect a licenced version of the props and not the reveal versions as seen in the movies in this small scale in the near future? I seriously doubt it... but seriously... curse my lack of sculpting talents. :cry

 

[tk4510]

interesting..

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Will strip the paint off the face this weekend and then possibly begin work on the mouth area - the only area that can be fixed while it's vinyl. All the rest needs to be fixed when I have made a resin cast... (hehe... "when"...). Hopefully this project will not take longer than a few months...

Still hoping some sculptor turns up to ease my work, but empty my wallet... hmm... :angel

And still looking after a replacement dome or any info on how to make it myself...

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Re: 1:6 Vader Helmet Sculpt Needed (Kaiyodo/Screamin')

So long time... still searching... started sculpting and started trimming my kit... still struggling. For some odd reason the Kaiyodo people got most things right, but did things to make them wrong. For instance... the chest box... it's pretty good... however... they did something odd: they made it too small, but the funny part is that the base of the box has additional width to it and is actually the right size the box should have been. EEK. Then there are the belt boxes... they are great, the details are great... and when looking at it from the front it has the right height... but here comes the odd part: they made it two millimeters too short in length and thereby squeezed the greeblies too close together.

AAARRRGGGHHH.

+ I want to add lights to the kits... which means I have to redo both the chest box and belt boxes anyway and either getting clear plastic covers in the correct shape and size fit for sixth scale or cast the complete boxes in clear plastic. EEK :confused

I have neither the skill nor the talent to do these... and I want to be as accurate as possible and have no clue how accurate the current toy versions are... so my question is... how can I get this done? Who has the skills to do such tiny work? How the heck did they do the masters for the Kaiyodo sculpts, Marmit sculpts, toy sculpts? I'm feeling I'm losing my mind here trying to grasp how this was done. Guess I'm a talentless hack when it comes to doing such things or even imagining how it was done... :cry

Just ranting a bit... having spent the best part of today staring at these parts... knowing exactly what's wrong with them, while having not even the slightest clue how to fix it. :confused

Sorry for the ramble... I'll be quiet now.

 

[phase pistol]

Re: 1:6 Vader Helmet Sculpt Needed (Kaiyodo/Screamin')

1:6 you say? Haven't there been various vader helmets in that scale over the years, keychain toys, Bust Ups, and those Japanese Tomy mini-helmet trading models...? Are any of those adaptable?

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Re: 1:6 Vader Helmet Sculpt Needed (Kaiyodo/Screamin')

Oh... forgot to say that I'm currently sculpting my own helmet. And no... nothing produced has come even remotely close to being accurate. The best I have seen is the Kaiyodo sculpt (Marmit doesn't count as that is not available) and that is what is shown here. Gentle Giants efforts, being claimed to be laser scanned, is a complete joke.

I have seen very good sculpts in other scales made by members here, but so far nothing in sixth scale.

 

[phase pistol]

Re: 1:6 Vader Helmet Sculpt Needed (Kaiyodo/Screamin')

Oh well you answered my question. :lol

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Re: 1:6 Vader Helmet Sculpt Needed (Kaiyodo/Screamin')

Oh well you answered my question. :lol

Yes, having worked on this project for the better part of 2 years... it's honestly sad to know how many Vader merchandise that has been made and not one single accurate one. Very frustrating.

 

[phase pistol]

Re: 1:6 Vader Helmet Sculpt Needed (Kaiyodo/Screamin')

I kind of thought the Kotobukiya vinyl statues were pretty good but those are a little smaller than 1:6 I think.

It really is unfortunate. Does anybody on the board have access to stereolithography rapid-prototyping 3D printing equipment? You could print out a tiny Vader helmet. :cool

Getting proper scale on Vader figures has eluded all the companies too.. Vader is a big dude, but the sixth scale figs I've seen just use a regular body on him, and he ends up looking six feet tall. Vader's a shortie. :unsure