Misc. Batman Props

[lethyry]

Over the last couple months I've been working on a few Batman props from the films that may not be the most well known but I thought were quite cool. I'm hoping to keep updating this thread as I start/complete more props.

The first one was the "BatBolo" from Batman Forever
I was able to use some of the photos listed on the propstore site of Bolo from the film to create my own template. Using the measurements listed I was able to get my template close to the same size as the actual prop.

The template was originally one piece but I cut it into smaller pieces for the carving process. I cut the main wing section of the bolo out of 1/4" MDF as it's easy to cut and sand. Once the main shape was cut out I separated the wing template into the 2 pieces and traced the contours onto the wing. I used my dremel sanding bit and some fine sandpaper to get the contour to my liking.

Then came the hemisphere section of the bolo. This was tricky as I was trying to find a hemisphere that was the correct size and had to right dome shape. I stumbled upon a cake pop mold that was perfect for this. I fit it to the wing and added the three tabs, also made of MDF.

After various rounds of sanding/filling and priming I finished the master and got it ready for molding

I did a 2 part mold for this as a dump mold wouldn't really work. The mold came out nice so I cast up a couple in smoothcast 300.

Above is the test castings I finished with some basic black paint and a semi gloss clear coat. I think they came out quite nice. They're definitely not perfect as the way I cast these has since changed slightly.

The next Prop I did was the Riddler Bomb also from Batman Forever.
This was a build I did in a couple days. I created some templates from the available reference and started the build process.

The main body was a plastic Christmas ornament while the head was a ping pong ball. I created an Internal structure to keep the head positioned where I wanted it. The one in the movie does have electronics in it but I decided to keep this one static.

The green used was from rustoleum and the decals were hand cut out of black and white vinyl and put together

The Third Prop I did was the Batmobile Control Device from Batman Returns:

Super quick build as I only did the ball, given I couldn't find enough reference of the piece this connects to in the film.

Again made from a plastic christmas ornament with a hand bent copper wire and a Guitar audio jack on the bottom. I gave it a basic white paintjob and hand painted the red stripe on the ball even though the screen used prop uses red vinyl. I was in a time crunch and didn't have any red vinyl in the shop so this was going to do. Once that was all finished I gave it a quick weathering pass and called it finished.

Once I get some free time in the shop I will probably end up repainting this and giving it the correct red vinyl.

 

[meybrodder1]

This is the most in-depth look into the Riddler’s props I’ve seen. I feel like this could be very useful for Cosplay or research.




Tutuapp 9Apps

 

[lethyry]

A little update to this thread,

I've finally had the chance to get back to working on some more Bat Props. While a lot of people dislike the schumacher films, I have always enjoyed watching them, great costumes, great vehicles and great props.
The forever sonar rang has always been a prop I wanted for my collection. It's such a cool design and the fold out aspect always caught my eye when watching forever. So I decided to embark on making my own as it would probably be cheaper than trying to find one.

I tried to find as much solid reference as I could of the screen used ones.The reference I ended up using was master sold by Propstore a while ago , pictures of one on display, and the YouTube video from one of the prop guys who worked on Forever.

From that I made my template, I'm not sure how close I got to the actual prop, but when I compare it to screen grabs from forever of Kilmer holding it to how it looks in my hand, I'm quite pleased.

(ignore the button I added to the template, that was so off and will be done correctly on the actual piece)

I then traced that template onto some 3/8" MDF which was probably a touch too thick but I was able to thin it down on the belt sander.

I Cut out the pieces using my jig saw and began adding the contours, I found tracing the contour onto the piece and using tape as an outline has helped me get sharper contours. With the tape down, I used my dremel sanding bit to get the curves and details closer to how I wanted them to be. I then when back in for the first round of hand sanding and used my palm sander on the outside edge of the rang to give it that rounded look.

Here's where I'm currently at:

The shape is starting to get there. I'm happy with the thickness and the contours currently, obviously there is still quite a bit left to do as far as refining the lines and edges, and adding some body filler to the round domes parts, but overall I'm happy with the progress I've made and with another Canadian winter on the horizon, I should be able to get a good amount of work done on this over the next few months.

 

[MattgomeryBurns]

Amazing work! I too am a fan of the props from Batman Forever. I had this Riddler cane commissioned a few years ago.

 

[lethyry]

A little progress update on the Sonar Rang:

Over the last couple weeks I've been focusing on really nailing down both the size and shape of the "main body" of the batarang. Given both pieces have that domed/egg shape body; I've been adding and sanding away filler, trying to get both sides to match as best I can and make sure what I'm doing aligns with the reference I have.

There is still some more sanding, refining and minor amounts of filling to do but I'm happy with how this is progressing. Nailing down the "body" of the rang and putting the small detail in the right spot will take the most time to complete. But once that's done it should be smooth sailing from there.

 

[lethyry]

Another small little update to this project...

Over the past couple weeks I've left the phase of building up shapes and matching lines to images and have entered the more sanding, refining and smoothing phase.

I've been going over the reference I have quite a bit to really try and understand everything going on with the sonar rang in terms of forms, curves,angles etc. It's been a much more difficult process in comparison to the Bolo, since I was only doing one master that was cast twice to make both sides. Here I'm doing both pieces, getting them to match up both against one another as well as the reference has been tricky.

The main details I wanted to focus on since the last update was the "button" and the incised lines present on the rang. With the reference I had it was a bit tough to figure out placement, I must've mocked up the incised lines at least 20 times, many being almost identical with just small little changes based on the angle I was looking at it from. Same with the "Button"; drew the shape with a fine tip pencil and once I was happy with it I used my dremel with a fine tip bit and carved it out. I think there will probably be a few more alterations to this as I get some primer on this can really see how it looks with the light reflecting off of it.

The actual button was a small metal ball I had, I drilled out a bit from the recessed area, fit in it, and put some spot putty around it to give it a bit more seamless look.

And here is a quick mock up I did of the two pieces out together:

Like I said previously, there is still a good amount of work to be done on this piece before its ready for molding, a lot of that is small filling, sanding, priming, and a lot of wet sanding lol. These pieces need to be especially smooth given how I plan to cast these up.

 

[lethyry]

Calling the master for this guy finished...

Did the last couple wet sanding passes this AM and am very happy with where I'm leaving this!

My plan is to get this molded within the next few weeks so I can start making some castings and mess around with if I want to cold cast these or just paint them.