JSConnolly
Active Member
All of this discussions on the DL-44 Blaster takes me WAAAYYYY Back to "Return of the Jedi" when I was JUST out of High School.
I dressed as "Han Solo" and my girlfriend, Debbie dressed as "Princess Leia". Our Friend TIM Was Dressed as "Darth Vader".
We went to the Premier of RotJ and went to the back of the line like everyone else. But the THEATER Manager saw us and came OUT SIDE to get us and said, "OHHHH NO! YOU GUYS Look AWESOME! YOU All need to come to the LOBBY for PHOTOS! And we will GIVE You PREMIER SEATS to the Movie! LOL We were treated like Hollywood Celebs! It was SO COOL!
Well BACK THEN, we didn't KNOW much about WHAT the actual "PROPS" were made from! So I went to the nearest "TOYS R' US" store to get one of the old "Kenner Blasters" which WERE All Black back then! As they were made from Plastic, {and ME being a "Modeler"!} I set to work on "CORRECTING" the Blaster, using as MANY "Screen Grab Photos" from Books, Magazines, Etc. as I could to Grind, Sand and shape the blaster, getting it as "ACCURATE" as I could?!
I even weathered it with Silver and "Metalizer" and Military Modeling, "Grime Paints" to give it a "Used, Weathered" Look!
THEN I set about getting some dark brown leather to make the Holster and Belt assemblies!
I went to a local thrift/Good Will store to get old, brown leather belts and I found a dark brown "Leather Coat" to make the softer, larger parts! I had my Dad help me make the "Hoster Pattern" so it conformed to my leg AND was at the right "Reach" for that "Han Solo Quick Grab"!
I already knew how to sew, and used my mom's old Singer Sewing Machine to sew the "Greeblie Pockets" and what not. I used several small plastic "Tubes" from the hard ware store to make the "Droid Caller" and I even added the small red "Push Button" on the side!
I also made those small "Battery" thingies that go into the square pockets and used a small "Nitrus" Booster Cylinder for "Rocket Cars" and painted it Blueish Green!
I had to craft the Buckles out of Thick Aluminum Sheet and Brass and use Metal Rivets to hold it all together! Again my Dad was a HUGE Help to me! GODS I SO WISH I still had it all, because it really did turn out pretty cool for back then!
At the local, "Thrift Stores" I Found and old Black Cotton Jacket with LOTS of Pockets, and took the sleeves off to make Han's "Vest", found dark Blue pants and sewed the "Stripes" down the sides {With Mom's Help of course!} and MADE the his Off-White Shirt from a Smooth, cotton "Long Underwear" shirt. And my Dad's Knee High Black Boots completed the look!
MAN It was SO FUN to finally stand in front of a Mirror and SEE "Han Solo" looking back at me!
Now I am NO WHERE NEAR as Good Looking as Harrison Ford is OR as Cool... But I DID do a pretty Damned good Job with my VERY FIRST "Cos-Play" { We didn't CALL It that back then! To US it was just "DRESSING UP! } Costume AND what we had to work with for "References" back then!
WOW Have TIMES CHANGED!
NOW I am DEEP Into my "DARTH VADER" Costume... But The DL-44 Is for my Oldest Grand Son For Christmas! I plan to make the Holster later on, But the LONG RANGE Plan is... My Oldest Grand Son "ONYX" will be Han, His Younger, Blonde Haired Brother "Phoenix" will be "LUKE", Their Sister "WILLOW" will of course be "Leia"!
And GRANDPA will be "THE DARK LORD of the SITH"!!!
THIS is going to be SO FUN!
Here are Pics of my Youngest Grand Son "Phoenix" from a couple of years back as the Former "Jedi in Training/Padawan" and Un-Known "HIDDEN" Brother to "Jyn Erso" turned "Bounty Hunter" who is looking for the "Dark Lord" who took his right arm in a Light Saber Fight some years before!
I THINK he looks PRETTY COOL?! What do YOU all think?
This Costume was done in LESS then a WEEK'S Time! I made the "Jedi Cloak" and "Cyber-Arm" and "Atmosphere
Breather" mask! The Rest is a Dyed "Karate Gi" and the BOOTS look ALOT Like X-Wing Fighter Pilot Boots, ALSO Found at the local "Good Will" store!
I dressed as "Han Solo" and my girlfriend, Debbie dressed as "Princess Leia". Our Friend TIM Was Dressed as "Darth Vader".
We went to the Premier of RotJ and went to the back of the line like everyone else. But the THEATER Manager saw us and came OUT SIDE to get us and said, "OHHHH NO! YOU GUYS Look AWESOME! YOU All need to come to the LOBBY for PHOTOS! And we will GIVE You PREMIER SEATS to the Movie! LOL We were treated like Hollywood Celebs! It was SO COOL!
Well BACK THEN, we didn't KNOW much about WHAT the actual "PROPS" were made from! So I went to the nearest "TOYS R' US" store to get one of the old "Kenner Blasters" which WERE All Black back then! As they were made from Plastic, {and ME being a "Modeler"!} I set to work on "CORRECTING" the Blaster, using as MANY "Screen Grab Photos" from Books, Magazines, Etc. as I could to Grind, Sand and shape the blaster, getting it as "ACCURATE" as I could?!
I even weathered it with Silver and "Metalizer" and Military Modeling, "Grime Paints" to give it a "Used, Weathered" Look!
THEN I set about getting some dark brown leather to make the Holster and Belt assemblies!
I went to a local thrift/Good Will store to get old, brown leather belts and I found a dark brown "Leather Coat" to make the softer, larger parts! I had my Dad help me make the "Hoster Pattern" so it conformed to my leg AND was at the right "Reach" for that "Han Solo Quick Grab"!
I already knew how to sew, and used my mom's old Singer Sewing Machine to sew the "Greeblie Pockets" and what not. I used several small plastic "Tubes" from the hard ware store to make the "Droid Caller" and I even added the small red "Push Button" on the side!
I also made those small "Battery" thingies that go into the square pockets and used a small "Nitrus" Booster Cylinder for "Rocket Cars" and painted it Blueish Green!
I had to craft the Buckles out of Thick Aluminum Sheet and Brass and use Metal Rivets to hold it all together! Again my Dad was a HUGE Help to me! GODS I SO WISH I still had it all, because it really did turn out pretty cool for back then!
At the local, "Thrift Stores" I Found and old Black Cotton Jacket with LOTS of Pockets, and took the sleeves off to make Han's "Vest", found dark Blue pants and sewed the "Stripes" down the sides {With Mom's Help of course!} and MADE the his Off-White Shirt from a Smooth, cotton "Long Underwear" shirt. And my Dad's Knee High Black Boots completed the look!
MAN It was SO FUN to finally stand in front of a Mirror and SEE "Han Solo" looking back at me!
Now I am NO WHERE NEAR as Good Looking as Harrison Ford is OR as Cool... But I DID do a pretty Damned good Job with my VERY FIRST "Cos-Play" { We didn't CALL It that back then! To US it was just "DRESSING UP!
} Costume AND what we had to work with for "References" back then!WOW Have TIMES CHANGED!
NOW I am DEEP Into my "DARTH VADER" Costume... But The DL-44 Is for my Oldest Grand Son For Christmas! I plan to make the Holster later on, But the LONG RANGE Plan is... My Oldest Grand Son "ONYX" will be Han, His Younger, Blonde Haired Brother "Phoenix" will be "LUKE", Their Sister "WILLOW" will of course be "Leia"!
And GRANDPA will be "THE DARK LORD of the SITH"!!!
THIS is going to be SO FUN!
Here are Pics of my Youngest Grand Son "Phoenix" from a couple of years back as the Former "Jedi in Training/Padawan" and Un-Known "HIDDEN" Brother to "Jyn Erso" turned "Bounty Hunter" who is looking for the "Dark Lord" who took his right arm in a Light Saber Fight some years before!
I THINK he looks PRETTY COOL?!
What do YOU all think?This Costume was done in LESS then a WEEK'S Time! I made the "Jedi Cloak" and "Cyber-Arm" and "Atmosphere
