My Star Wars Builds, Derwent engine, Vader, Fett, blue milk cups, & more!

[shenphong]

I've been really bad at sharing and updating my builds so having a centralized thread would be benificial in assisting me to share builds from my own kit and others. First off, Darth Vader.

Back in 2017, I acquired the GH ANH and ROTJ helmet molds along with the Darth Vader armor. I haven't shared too much on it but have finally started to get time to begin working on the molds and castings this past year.

Experimenting with various manufacture gelcoat and fiberglass systems, testing spray gel coat application vs brush on, making my own mixtures and so on. Here are some of my results.

I'm going to start producing my own lenses for the helmets but for the time being, here's an ANH helmet build I've been commissioned to do for a client. This helmet will only be for display, not trooping. Trimmed and then painted with duplicolor automotive black and brushed with acrylic silver first.

 

[shenphong]

Helmet was then weathered with acrylics, C-scar added as well as tusks. I do not recall the maker of the tusks, just something I've had in a baggy for the past few years.

The client wanted to have a glossier finish on the helmet, while I advised against it, definitely easier to go with what the client wants. Plus, it should offer a layer of protection and can be dulled down with some light sanding or steel wool later.

Shine slightly sanded down.

 

[shenphong]

At the same time of this commission, I was contacted by the Cloud City Garrison 501st group if I could donate a helmet to them to build up and feature in their charity raffle to benefit the Magic Wheelchair organization. Gladly said yes and gave me a chance to play with tinting my gel coats with the FPH Boba Fett helmet casts.

Jim did a great job doing a quick build in time to be raffled for Rose City Comic Con, doing the Proto Fett version.

 

[vader45]

Are you finishing helmets now?

 

[shenphong]

only rarely, this was a special request.

 

[shenphong]

My ROTS Vader reveal built earlier this year for a client. I'll be starting another build on this, this winter as well as working on my GH ROTJ reveal base.

 

[presleysprops]

Can I buy an ANH Darth Vader raw cast helmet?

 

[shenphong]

feel free to message me about what you're looking for.

 

[illbethere1]

No disrespect but with other unmodified authentic offerings out there now, Its got to put a dappening on a mold everytone knows to be innacurate.
Im guessing your aiming it the newbies at a real affordable price range.
The GH face was so bad even Sgt Fang had a hard time seeling off copies.
Avanos was experiencing the same issues.
The only consolation to the GH was the dome which had good structure with exception to the left side brow arch to the flange being highly modified (off). Gino knew this as he was showcasing the GH dome in all his prevoius life size's but dotched it once EFX offered the RB cast to him. The armor which is good but warped. You probably aware of all this but thought id comment just the same.

 

[vader45]

No disrespect but with other unmodified authentic offerings out there now, Its got to put a dappening on a mold everytone knows to be innacurate.
Im guessing your aiming it the newbies at a real affordable price range.
The GH face was so bad even Sgt Fang had a hard time seeling off copies.
Avanos was experiencing the same issues.
The only consolation to the GH was the dome which had good structure with exception to the left side brow arch to the flange being highly modified (off). Gino knew this as he was showcasing the GH dome in all his prevoius life size's but dotched it once EFX offered the RB cast to him. The armor which is good but warped. You probably aware of all this but thought id comment just the same.

What is warped on the armor?

 

[shenphong]

No disrespect but with other unmodified authentic offerings out there now, Its got to put a dappening on a mold everytone knows to be innacurate.
Im guessing your aiming it the newbies at a real affordable price range.
The GH face was so bad even Sgt Fang had a hard time seeling off copies.
Avanos was experiencing the same issues.
The only consolation to the GH was the dome which had good structure with exception to the left side brow arch to the flange being highly modified (off). Gino knew this as he was showcasing the GH dome in all his prevoius life size's but dotched it once EFX offered the RB cast to him. The armor which is good but warped. You probably aware of all this but thought id comment just the same.

Definitely can understand where you're coming from illbethere1 and yes, you can consider my offering of the GH ANH to be in the same line as say, the Darth Ugly. Though the GH ANH and the GH ROTJ are very different beasts. As for the armor, it was often stated that the armor was too wide, which is said to be the "warped" nature of the armor. Before handing off the molds to me, GH had showed me how to fix that issue and from what I'm aware, several of the last casts of the armor no longer had that issue. I can assure you none of my armor casts have the flared out chest armor being "too wide."

I will add, I've partnered with another vader fan, Scorpion Relics and a 3d modeler to help modify and update the GH ANH helmet, essentially offering a V2 which fixes some of those issues. On top of that. I've scanned in the GH ANH and working with a 3d modeler to create a digital remaster of it using it as a base.

Definitely a lot to come in 2020.

Shots of the sharper rework of the GH ANH.

Shots of GH armor being painted up:

The GH ANH helmet may not be perfect, but its definitely given me the base to create my own enhanced version of it. And with new reference shots available of various more accurate helmets, I think a future iteration will be much improved over the base.

 

[shenphong]

Continuing on the thread and my recent spurt of activity, finally acquired some fun items to continue casting and building. Very happy with this purchase. My UHER Stereo Mix 500 with original paperwork.

Pretty much new condition when I got it. The T knobs were used on various SW props including the snowtrooper and HIC.

 

[RoCKo]

I really like that you keep the GH history going on!
There might be more accurate helmets out there but after all this is still a beautiful helmet imho!

I would really love to add a GH ANH shoulder armor to my helmet whenever I have some spare cash!

 

[intwenothor]

I used to own a GH ANH helmet. It was beautifully finished and I was very happy with it. I let it go for an efx limited as I didn't have room for both to be out but I'd have kept it were there the space.

 

[shenphong]

Finally back to work on projects, a long standing 3d print piece that was modeled with keeping its asymmetry in mind.

 

[shenphong]

And for whatever reason, whether its mando, vader, or death watch, people have really been wanting chest armor pieces.

 

[shenphong]

I started this comparison 4-5 months ago as well and with the new files out after the efx and anovos helmet out, I've added 3-4 other models to the comparison list. 3d printed mando helmets

 

[shenphong]

The great helmet comparison is finally ready to start finishing up. This was a large comparison of the digital files available to the community for printing, whether free or paid. Most of these have already been printed but I need 3-4 more and the list will be complete. Helmets just off the top of my head include the Rob Pauza, Plasticarmory, 3dprintyarmory, Project 842, Great Ape Studio, Woodtech, Do3D, brokennerd, Nikko, Diaboly and a few more. I'm also including Minutefett's file just recently released though while its a digital file, its a 3d scan of what I believe is the EFX helmet and not so much a 3d modeled rendition like the rest are so when it comes in terms of accuracy, it has to be noted due to that.

 

[shenphong]

 

[shenphong]

And the last for the night, recently acquired a grail piece, a pretty good condition Derwent engine that some of you may recognize, but now with a video!

Does anyone recognize that last set of numbers, I'm assuming a serial number to it?