eFX A New Hope Darth Vader Helmet

[GINO]

@vaderdarth:
All this alternate mold nonsense needs to stop.
There is only one ANH Vader style mold in the archives, the one we've been referring to as the Baker mold.
It's the same mold that produced the SL and DJ.
To insinuate otherwise is just another means to try to discredit or create doubt in regards to the eFX offering.
This is just another shade of you insinuating that eFX or myself is not being honest and that is unacceptable.

It has been said many times over in this thread, that there was absolute minimal necessary clean up performed on both versions of helmet necessary for mass production (of course more on the limited version).

Aspects that were filled in or sanded off were deliberate, extremely minimal, and performed to ensure smooth manufacture as well as pleasing the greatest number of eFX customers.

A casting like the SL will have more of the boogers/scratches/air bubbles, but the eFX has the correct shapes.
So which is considered better? I suppose it's a matter of preference.
I personally would prefer a casting that had most of those warts and a correct shape (the eFX), than a casting that had all of the warts and an incorrect shape (the SL).
Pleasing everyone is an impossible task, but pleasing the greater majority is achievable and I think we've done that successfully.

And I'm confident that 99% of the people who were lucky enough to get either version will be more than satisfied, and find that it exceeds their expectations.



.

 

[Peacefrog35]

Man that is good enough for me. I can't wait to get my limited. I'm also pleased that though a little cleaned up, it will still have the wavy surfaces of the original. Thanks for clearing that up for me yesterday Gino!

 

[GINO]

Man that is good enough for me. I can't wait to get my limited. I'm also pleased that though a little cleaned up, it will still have the wavy surfaces of the original. Thanks for clearing that up for me yesterday Gino!

No problem. :thumbsup

 

[vaderdarth]

I can accept that gino. I only ask about the mould possibility based on your own description of the mould versus other people's description. I've also been told the mould for the ANH helmet was possibly a different color in early years. That is my other curiosity. That would actually insist multiples...........however, I cannot sit here and state such a thing as fact because I did not hold the moulds myself and didn't notice the color. Out of curiosity what was the color of the mould? I know you might have mentioned it earlier, but I can't recall and don't want to wade back thru the muck to find it.

I accept that everything had to be cleaned up. I'm curious specifically about the divot on vader's left dome brow. Did that disappear completely from the mould or was it due to filling in/clean up on purpose? I only ask because it's the first thing I look for in these better helmets. I know for a fact that it was prominent on the screen helmet. It's in every shot in the film that is taken from the front. But I can't see it on either of the eFX photos. Is it there but not visible in the pics, or is it just removed for production?

Dave

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

Dave, I have one question for you: Have you ever molded and cast anything in fiberglass? I do not know the process, and will not pretend to. I have no idea how much mold can deteriorate over time, if any. There were not hundreds of helmets pulled from the Baker mold, so how bad could it be?

 

[KaanE]

It's all about what silicone have you used and if you take care when making casts.

 

[vaderdarth]

Qui, yes I have and though I don't consider myself an expert, I know multiple experts in the field and they all confirmed what I have written about that process.

As for how many helmets have ever been pulled from the Baker moulds, let's not even guess since the mould is in the lab used for teaching both LFL and students from other agencies. As it was told to me by more than one individual, the student learning the process of casting in fiberglass gets to choose a mould and let's face it, what mould would look the most familiar and iconic to whomever walks thru the mould shop? I don't just mean us fan boys, I mean anybody that sees that particular mould. I know it's a negative, but you can imagine someone saying, I want to work with that one because it kinda looks like Darth Vader........etc etc...

There is no way of knowing how many have been cast, but by the same token, if it were only 15 pulls from the last 35 yrs........that is a bit different than lets say 50 pulls. There is no definitive way to know. Not everyone that has a casting is on this board I'd be willing to bet and not everyone that has one would be necessarily honest about actually having one. I'm not sure they were technically supposed to leave the grounds in all cases.

I don't want it to sound like I have any facts about the numbers, but then again, I'm betting that LFL doesn't either.

Dave

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

LFL also recognizes the value of those molds now and what would stop them from having pulled a mask and dome from them, cast them up and made another mold for mass consumption from that pull? Just spitballing here, but that way, you preserve the original mold and can beat up on the other.

 

[vaderdarth]

Exactly my earlier point, but who's to say they didn't do likewise for eFX? It would still retain some details but be missing others wouldn't it? They might not want a licensed piece to be passed off as identical to the original either. I know it's all theoretical, but it's fun to think about.

 

[GINO]

@vaderdarth:
It's theoretical to you, because you aren't involved and only guessing at things that the people directly involved DO have the answers for.
And what you are saying is wrong.

You've asked the questions, you've been given answers to the best of which we are willing to answer.
You're continued posts are becoming more trolling and baiting in nature.


.

 

[Dark-Side]

I have molds in silicon rubber where I always used fiberglass with polyester resin and after 50 pulls are still new.
The worst material for the silicon rubber is the urethane resin...
But I don't think they used it for the Vader helmets.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Exactly my earlier point, but who's to say they didn't do likewise for eFX? It would still retain some details but be missing others wouldn't it? They might not want a licensed piece to be passed off as identical to the original either. I know it's all theoretical, but it's fun to think about.

I think that's going a bit in the wrong direction. Sure, they could have made a duplicate to use for trainees to play around with, which could explain the difference in colors that people remember the mold being in, or they just remember wrong, but I doubt very much that eFX wouldn't have been granted access to the original Baker mold. And hearing how they made the casts, it sounds like they were asked to be careful.

 

[Juansith]

I can accept that gino. I only ask about the mould possibility based on your own description of the mould versus other people's description. I've also been told the mould for the ANH helmet was possibly a different color in early years. That is my other curiosity. That would actually insist multiples...........however, I cannot sit here and state such a thing as fact because I did not hold the moulds myself and didn't notice the color. Out of curiosity what was the color of the mould? I know you might have mentioned it earlier, but I can't recall and don't want to wade back thru the muck to find it.

I accept that everything had to be cleaned up. I'm curious specifically about the divot on vader's left dome brow. Did that disappear completely from the mould or was it due to filling in/clean up on purpose? I only ask because it's the first thing I look for in these better helmets. I know for a fact that it was prominent on the screen helmet. It's in every shot in the film that is taken from the front. But I can't see it on either of the eFX photos. Is it there but not visible in the pics, or is it just removed for production?

Dave

You mention that divot in way that sounds like if the EFX doesnt have it then its no better than the other helmets youve seen that do get the divot.
Ok...... Why?
Is that flaw part of creative vision of the Vader Helmet?, like the Dent on the Boba?.
If the answer is no ( which im SURE it will), then, well it shouldnt even be there, now is it???, dont get me wrong, its cool to have all the bumps and dents the original has, but if many of those didnt make it... So what?.

Maybe the divot is there on the EFX, but again we rely too much on pics.

The fact that the production used Vader was cracked and bumped and damaged during the shooting doesnt mean that those flaws now become THE MOST important thing about the Lid.Maybe that bump was intentionally made for the helmet, maybe, but most of those great dents and bumps werent that important because, sadly, didnt make it to the sequel .

whats important about the helmet?, the geometry and the Features, they are all there, perfectly ( even better than others on the top 5).
Plus, most of the bumps and texture the original has, maybe not all of them, i guess as a licensed object they discovered that many of those would look as a flaw made on the production of the EFX.

Heres something that could be useful, a bump map, so we can all know which dents and bumps are originally there. Because this is the first time i heard of the famous divot, but again, every day it comes a new bump that is more important than the other.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

You mention that divot in way that sounds like if the EFX doesnt have it then its no better than the other helmets youve seen that do get the divot.
Ok...... Why?
Is that flaw part of creative vision of the Vader Helmet?, like the Dent on the Boba?.
If the answer is no ( which im SURE it will), then, well it shouldnt even be there, now is it???, dont get me wrong, its cool to have all the bumps and dents the original has, but if many of those didnt make it... So what?.

The fact that the production used Vader was cracked and bumped and damaged during the shooting doesnt mean that those flaws now become THE MOST important thing about the Lid.

Actually... it does. That's what many people want. Exactly as seen on screen with all the scratches and dents. Those who don't want that can just get the other eFX or any other sanitized helmet.

 

[Prop Collector]

Who has the best price on this right now?

 

[Peacefrog35]

Actually... it does. That's what many people want. Exactly as seen on screen with all the scratches and dents. Those who don't want that can just get the other eFX or any other sanitized helmet.

I think the EFX limted has more of the details than even the other sanitized helmets including the wavy dome surface. I do understand what your point is though. The bumps and dents are what alot of people really want.

It all comes down to the individual, do you want the prop vader helmet or do you want the helmet Vader was supposed to have worn? The good thing.......there's no wrong answer!:thumbsup

 

[Juansith]

Actually... it does. That's what many people want. Exactly as seen on screen with all the scratches and dents. Those who don't want that can just get the other eFX or any other sanitized helmet.

Again, how do you know they wont be there?.
And from previous posts, i dont get the feeling that even the "experts" would come to an agreement about which bumps.

I would like a bump map from the so called "experts".

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Again, how do you know they wont be there?.
And from previous posts, i dont get the feeling that even the "experts" would come to an agreement about which bumps.

I would like a bump map from the so called "experts".

Because it has been very clearly stated that stuff was removed, even on the Legend. Minimal, sure, but still removed. So I don't even need to theorize about that. It's stated black on white.

Of course there are no agreements on all the bumps. Hell, if it hadn't been for these other helmets that are now being dumped on here... not many people would have even known about them and would have been satisfied with the Limited version thinking that was the be-all-end-all.

And you won't see a bump map from anyone. Not only because of recasters previously copying everything that was posted of such details, but also because... it would be impossible to do. When you've spent 5 years studying high end castings and compared to details seen in pictures and screen captures, do get back to me on whether you think it would be a possible task to do.

 

[jcoffman99]

Byan just posted on Rebelscum that the Limited Edition is now sold out.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Congrats to all those owners as well. :cheers