Opinions? VaderCoke ebay seller of Han in Carbonite (HiC)

[Generalurko]

Howdy all. I'm seriously considering doing a Han in Carbonite (HiC) build. For Han himself I really like having the accurate carbonite that surrounds him: plus it's one less step I'd have to do. And getting it accurate
However, I'm REALLY not a fan of Rubber for Han (just a personal preference). The only source I've been able to find for a "complete" Han front in a resin/fiberglass is a seller on ebay named VaderCoke who I believe also goes by Wes Coke. He sells a fiberglass one with all the carbonite texture. Quite expensive, but he does have a "make offer" that might be able to knock a couple dollars off.
Anyone have any experience with VaderCoke? Not just the quality of the products he offers but the interaction itself? I did see one thread on here where someone was not pleased (a banned member, so I can't ask them). And then others where people seem to respect Wes Coke's work (if he and VaderCoke are indeed one in the same). Or is there someone else to get a complete Han front in resin/fiberglass from?
Thanks in advance. It's such a great asset to have a community like this so we can all share are opinions, insights, and experiences.
Chris

 

[eegah]

I haven’t dealt directly with him, but have read great things about him and his products. You can search the Han in carbonite Facebook group for more feedback on him! Good luck!

 

[Generalurko]

Yeah, I've heard of the Facebook group. Unfortunately, I'm not a member of Facebook so can't view the group.

Thanks for the insight though.

 

[elro2k]

I would highly recommend joining the facebook group. I've recently been added, and it is a great resource for HIC builds. Wes is very well liked on the group, and makes great products!

 

[xingshen]

I'm in the process of getting a cast from Wes Coke. I purchased it through his Etsy store ( Wes Coke Designs ). He was very prompt with communication and has good reviews on Etsy. The listing says it will take 3 - 4 weeks to receive (he has a day job and family). That was about a week and a half ago. I'll update when it gets here.

As a side note, I also picked up a box kit, side panels and greeblie kits from Custom3D (Zenix) direct from the website. No communication but everything arrived promptly and packed well. The side panels look fantastic!

 

[Generalurko]

Yeah, I wound up going with Wes Coke too. I ordered back on the 9th, paid for the everything but the shipping as I hadn't figured out how I wanted it sent. Haven't heard from him since payment and my initial batch of questions. He seems very pleasant and knowledgable. I'll probably ping him next week to check on the status. But I'm neck-deep in work right now so I'm not in a huge hurry.

Look forward to seeing and reading your thoughts when you receive yours, xingshen. Did you get the full-carbonite one, or just the Han figure?

I also went with Zenix for all the other stuff. Everything's arrived except for the plastic greeblies that come free when you purchase the big metal greeblie set. And yeah, those panels look insanely good. If you wanted to go with the dark panels, you could just put them on there without painting. Just super clean, no seams, perfect.

When I get some time, I'm going to post some images from my research on the panels. It's crazy how many different ones have been attached. The "Hero" panel (Panel 1, top right) looks to be the only one that's consistent. There seems to be at least 2 different versions of each of the other panels from what I can tell. Sometimes they're dark, sometimes flat silver-ish. And then the greeblies are always different. There seems to be some interesting greeblies on the left side for Panels 6 and 7 (two middle panels) in the ESB hallway scene, but even with the 4K screen caps I can't make them out.

And of course, still no clear reference for the bottom and the top. Definitely something round in the two end pieces, but no idea what's in the middle. I'll probably leave those blank until we get some actual high-rez reference images on them. Whatever year that is. ;P

Probably going with Fettronics for the lights. Not quite sure how I'm going to do Panel 5 (top left)... static or a partial hero. So I haven't even contacted him yet.

Thanks for the insight!

 

[xingshen]

I didn't know there was an option for a full cast. Just went with the standard figure. Not sure how I'm going to do the carbonite. Seems like there has to be something better than spackle. The plastic greeblies come from Shapeways in a seprate box. It took like 2 or 3 days after I got my initial order to receive them. I think Zenix bought my original Volvo dash on here to make the dash panels. Funny how things come full circle. I went with the vac formed cups for the upper and lower ends just to keep it clean and finished looking. Electronics are coming from Fettronics. Hero panel and 2nd.

Looking forward to any images of the panels you might have. I'm just getting into the differences on the lay outs.

Cheers

 

[Generalurko]

Yeah, I contacted Zenix a few days ago about the plastic greeblies, since it's been a week since I received all of the other items: he said they're coming but couldn't tell me exactly when, I'm guessing because it's in Shapeways court, based on what you said that that's where they come from. I got the cups from Zenix too... I pretty much got everything he offers. And if I do the top left-side Hero, I'll probably have to go back for additional parts... namely the handles and another set of plastic greeblies.

A lot of people seem to do layer upon layer of wood/white glue to do the carbonite. Not sure how much longevity that has. Did you watch Zenix's build vid? He uses some purple spackling. I think that stuffs for like drywall? So again, not sure how well it holds up, especially with changes in temperature or it being on something that's more moveable, unlike a wall. I saw the container at Home Despot and it says it doesn't crack. Who knows? I'd just hate to put all this work into my HiC and have it start having cracks, then have to fill them and do touch-up painting.

Maybe check with Wes Coke about what he uses or suggests for the carbonite. His Han casts I believe are fiberglass, so maybe fiberglass: There was a "Bondo Fiberglass Resin 402" at WalMarts. It seemed pretty liquidy. Maybe that'll work? Here's the link on Amazon if you want to research it: Amazon.com: Bondo/dynatron 402 Fiberglass Resins - 1 Quart : Automotive

Wes also mentioned he used "Fiberglass Resin" to attach Han to the box. I'm not sure if that's the same stuff he uses, but we can ask.

I'll post here once I start uploading the panel images. They're all from the web or 4K screencaps, so it's nothing new. But it will be "collaged" together so people can see the differences. I'm super busy with work, so it might take a while for me to start an actual thread.

Take care!

 

[xingshen]

I think fiberglass would be a pain to smooth out and get a liquid like effect. Plus all the dust from sanding it would be a mess not to mention hazardous. I've seen the wood glue idea, but again not sure how it would hold up long term. I'm thinking something more flexible like a silicone or rubber. Maybe the stuff they use for doing your own tool handles ( like pliers and stuff ). I've seen it in gallon cans. Probably have to do some testing.

I did watch the Zenix vid. Some good points about seam coverage on the sides of the box. Not a fan of the scrap wood pieces for filler. My plan is to make the main board that supports the cast out of a single piece.

I've found a couple of good build threads here on The RPF. One shows all 8 panels done. Not sure how accurate they are but they look pretty good.

I hear you about work and being busy. Think this build is going to take me some time.

Take it easy!

 

[Generalurko]

See, I'd be worried about silicone or rubber... not just painting it AND keeping the paint on it, but also the longevity of it. I'm pretty sure rubber decays over time. Not as sure about silicone.

If you don't want to do resin fiberglass, maybe just ordinary resin?

Yeah, not going the scrap piece route for my box either. I'll get completely/correctly sized pieces. I was at Home Despot and BLowes, and was surprised how much the price on wood has gone up.

The panels from the SW Exhibits are pretty consistent, from what I can tell, if you search online for images. Though pieces have broken off over time. It's when you compare them to screenshots, promo photos, and BTS photos that you see they're different, and I mean different in the same movie. For RotJ, I haven't seen any Promo/BTS shots of HiC, and the Screencaps only shows the top 2 right panels (what is some call the Hero and the 2nd Hero) and they look the same as the exhibit ones.

But ESB, they're all over the place from scene to scene, sometimes in the same scene. You'll see when I post my collages.

Keep me in the loop as to what you decide about your carbonite.

 

[xingshen]

Yea, the keeping paint on it might be a problem. Saw a commercial for Flex Seal last night. Wondering if that would be like rubber or silicone. I've read about resin but haven't worked with it yet. The stuff I've seen looks very watery. Maybe that's more for casting. Used fiberglass resin for body filler before. Not sure I could get the puddled liquid look I'm picturing. Still got a lot of research to do.

Kinda leaning towards not painting the control panels. Really like the black plastic look. Might make them really stand out on the silver box. Just thinking about it. Haven't committed to anything yet.

Will definitely keep you in the loop. We'll figure this out! Maybe come up with new standard of doing this.

Have a good one!

Edit: Started researching resin epoxy. Really liking the things you can do with it. Looks like if it was applied correctly, we could skip the whole sanding process . I think the trick would be getting the right viscosity.

 

[Sean Hebein]

My HIC build (link below) is a full front cast from Wes. He is awesome to deal with and the casting itself is amazing. Can’t recommend him high enough actually. Does great work and is a great person too.

Here’s my HIC build:

New Han in Carbonite Build - With Glowing Thaw Function - COMPLETE

Hey everyone, I just finished my latest Han in Carbonite build. I had to sell my last one to fund my bee business. Now that the business is more self-sustaining, I figured it was time to build a new one. Here's the source of the parts I used: The Box The Control Panels Control Panel...

www.therpf.com

 

[Generalurko]

My HIC build (link below) is a full front cast from Wes. He is awesome to deal with and the casting itself is amazing. Can’t recommend him high enough actually. Does great work and is a great person too.

Here’s my HIC build:

New Han in Carbonite Build - With Glowing Thaw Function - COMPLETE

Hey everyone, I just finished my latest Han in Carbonite build. I had to sell my last one to fund my bee business. Now that the business is more self-sustaining, I figured it was time to build a new one. Here's the source of the parts I used: The Box The Control Panels Control Panel...

www.therpf.com

Your build looks AWESOME, Sean! I hope mine winds up looking HALF as good as yours! I take it since you did the glow, you had Wes ship it in one piece? Do you remember how much that set you back?

I'm not doing a glow, but debating about getting it cut for shipping, even with the exorbitant cost, just because I don't want to have to worry about seams. In talking with Wes, he doesn't think it's a big deal to do seams. Maybe I'll see if he can cut it in thirds? Half?

Both Xingshen and I are each debating how to do our panels. I'm thinking about doing it based on the ESB hallways scene: a Hero on each side-top (partial hero on left/Panel 5, and obviously full Hero on right/Panel 1) and have those the dull silver. Then have the rest be some kind of almost black semi-metallic (gun metal?) with the "2nd Hero" Panel (from RotJ) on the right side.

 

[stryker181]

My dealings with Wes seems to be very different than others. I found him to be extremely rude. Lacked any sort of responsible communications by making multiple promises that the item was being shipped but then ... nothing. He had no end of excuses as to why he couldn't ship what I had paid for but made more promises. In the end he arbitrarily cancelled my order, orchestrated an entire group against me on the HIC facebook builders group and made me out to be the instigator. In the end I lost money on the deal and Wes Coke or Vader Coke (eBay) pulled out of the deal and told me that I would be stuck with getting a lesser quality cast from anyone else. Apparently he is the only one making quality HIC casts. Because Wes is an admin on the Facebook HIC group, and brings in people to that site, he was worth more than I was to be a member and I was banned. Perhaps my experience is or will be different than yours but be warned that there will be continual excuses for why he can't deliver on dates that he promises and in the end you might get what you paid for.

 

[Generalurko]

Thanks Stryker. I did wind up getting a Han in Carbonite from Wes. He was never rude and was apologetic about delays. But yes, there were a lot of delays in getting the HiC. I had to ping him a lot to get updates and questions answered.
I know a few people where there always seems to be some issue or problem going on in their lives... I'll presume that's just the case with Wes: That he's not lying, just "unlucky" at times.
I'm pretty happy with the HiC I received from him and would recommend him to other... with the caveat of being aware that it's going to take a while to get it (longer than the estimate you'll get).

 

[stryker181]

I am sure that there are those out there that had a good experience (although as you mention with numerous delays) with Wes. To me after at least a half a dozen delays, with promises made that it was being shipped, to not hear what was going on without constant prodding was unacceptable. I finally gave up solidified when Wes arbitrarily cancelled the order so I never got the cast. Since he is an administrator on the HIC builder group when I provided a review of the experience he single handedly banned me from that group. Guess he didn't like being called out for constantly lying to a customer. I am in the hunt for another cast but apparently according to Wes it will only be sub-par to his offering.,

 

[john4life]

My dealings with Wes seems to be very different than others. I found him to be extremely rude. Lacked any sort of responsible communications by making multiple promises that the item was being shipped but then ... nothing. He had no end of excuses as to why he couldn't ship what I had paid for but made more promises. In the end he arbitrarily cancelled my order, orchestrated an entire group against me on the HIC facebook builders group and made me out to be the instigator. In the end I lost money on the deal and Wes Coke or Vader Coke (eBay) pulled out of the deal and told me that I would be stuck with getting a lesser quality cast from anyone else. Apparently he is the only one making quality HIC casts. Because Wes is an admin on the Facebook HIC group, and brings in people to that site, he was worth more than I was to be a member and I was banned. Perhaps my experience is or will be different than yours but be warned that there will be continual excuses for why he can't deliver on dates that he promises and in the end you might get what you paid for.

This guy was so ******* rude .I paid him over 2000.00 to make a life size Hic.I PAID HIM IMMEDIATELY.HE TOLD ME 2 months build time .excuses and lies.Well over 1 year that I finally received the items .Work was ok not great.What a fuckin horrible person he is .WARNING ONCE HE GETS YOUR MONEY UP FRONT HES IN CONTROL.So many lies and excuses if anyone wants proof I can show you messages and emails.I was professional with him and he would even curse at me .What a great business person he is .Good luck

 

[john4life]

My dealings with Wes seems to be very different than others. I found him to be extremely rude. Lacked any sort of responsible communications by making multiple promises that the item was being shipped but then ... nothing. He had no end of excuses as to why he couldn't ship what I had paid for but made more promises. In the end he arbitrarily cancelled my order, orchestrated an entire group against me on the HIC facebook builders group and made me out to be the instigator. In the end I lost money on the deal and Wes Coke or Vader Coke (eBay) pulled out of the deal and told me that I would be stuck with getting a lesser quality cast from anyone else. Apparently he is the only one making quality HIC casts. Because Wes is an admin on the Facebook HIC group, and brings in people to that site, he was worth more than I was to be a member and I was banned. Perhaps my experience is or will be different than yours but be warned that there will be continual excuses for why he can't deliver on dates that he promises and in the end you might get what you paid for.

 

[john4life]

My dealings with Wes seems to be very different than others. I found him to be extremely rude. Lacked any sort of responsible communications by making multiple promises that the item was being shipped but then ... nothing. He had no end of excuses as to why he couldn't ship what I had paid for but made more promises. In the end he arbitrarily cancelled my order, orchestrated an entire group against me on the HIC facebook builders group and made me out to be the instigator. In the end I lost money on the deal and Wes Coke or Vader Coke (eBay) pulled out of the deal and told me that I would be stuck with getting a lesser quality cast from anyone else. Apparently he is the only one making quality HIC casts. Because Wes is an admin on the Facebook HIC group, and brings in people to that site, he was worth more than I was to be a member and I was banned. Perhaps my experience is or will be different than yours but be warned that there will be continual excuses for why he can't deliver on dates that he promises and in the end you might get what you paid for.

 

[stryker181]

This guy was so ******* rude .I paid him over 2000.00 to make a life size Hic.I PAID HIM IMMEDIATELY.HE TOLD ME 2 months build time .excuses and lies.Well over 1 year that I finally received the items .Work was ok not great.What a fuckin horrible person he is .WARNING ONCE HE GETS YOUR MONEY UP FRONT HES IN CONTROL.So many lies and excuses if anyone wants proof I can show you messages and emails.I was professional with him and he would even curse at me .What a great business person he is .Good luck

I still don't know how he sells anything. He is rude and comes across as mentally unstable expecting customers to have no issues of being belittled for asking for updates on products that have been paid in full upfront. I joined the Han in Carbonite builders Facebook group where I found that he was an administrator. Needless to say he posted language that was innappropiate, unprofessional about my honest review of the transaction. He said he had no issue with a bad review but he had me removed from the group (without consulting the other administrators). I was reinstated but eventually the group administrators sided with Wes as a "contributing" member and had me banished for good. I had to block the group administrators due to agressive language that was aimed at me and stating that I was the problem. I also have coorospondance from Wes to support my claims above. To be honest the administrators in that group are no better as they supported such conduct. I know that I am implicating senior members (builders) in the Han in Carbonite community but it is the truth.