Vader build WIP

[poholio]

Hello,

This is my first post here at the RPF.
I have been reworking a Rubies Vader lid for a bit now and I have scratch-built the other armor parts. Here's what I have so far:

A question for anyone else who's scratch-built the armor: any advice/tips on how to make the pauldrons? I can't get the Sintra to bend in the correct curve, and I haven't found any extant item that fits the bill. Anyone have any luck in this area?

BTW: The stuff here is genius! Really brilliant work!
Regards,
Justin

 

[Maelstrom]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

Looks good to me, but I'm no Vader expert.

As for the shoulder bells you may have to cut the sintra so that when it bends it matches up and makes the curves. Seal the seam from the bottom with GOOP and then sand down and glazing putty the seam on top

 

[omel]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

theres a pep file done by Fierfek that you might want to try...or Stealth's foam tutorials for something similar...have you checked out the mini vader scratch built by TK171? its really great reading:thumbsup

 

[glarks]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

Depends on the movie version you are after. Looks like yours is an ESB or ROTJ model. You can find some reference data at Chest Armour and they also have templates on the armour and pauldrons. Youv'e done a great job already, they look great.

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

That center ridge needs a LOT of work. Smooth down that ridgeline on it., widen the strip in the middle. I don't want to critique it too hard as you are scratch building, but there is a LOT of reference material out there to look at.

As to your question, why not try sculpting a form from clay or something to heat the sintra over?

 

[poholio]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

Thanks for the input, guys.
I went with your advice, Maelstrom, and cut out pieces of the Sintra and matched it up, like making a globe out of paper. I'll get pics posted once I have made more progress.

 

[rkeChris]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

How are the pauldrons coming? I'm about to try the same thing. Finished major mods of a rubies supreme helmet and dome to make an AnH version. Also ready to paint my sintra armor, but been perplexed about the pauldrons.

 

[Vince]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

How are the pauldrons coming? I'm about to try the same thing. Finished major mods of a rubies supreme helmet and dome to make an AnH version. Also ready to paint my sintra armor, but been perplexed about the pauldrons.

Hey, dont mean to derail the thread but can you show us some pics of your Rubies mods?

 

[rkeChris]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

Here you go. The mask has the base grey on, but not the black yet. Actually, the paint reveals I still have some more sanding to do. Mods are: added widows peak to dome - working on better defining ridge on dome (reinforced underneath so sanding wouldn't split the dome in two) - reworked eye sockets and added rear-mounted lenses - redid the bridge/nose, removed the 4th/lowest notch and made it an edge with goes between both eye sockets - removed the plastic nose insert - widened the nose and triangle wall on the right as you look at the mask - squared off the teeth and made the lower triangle smaller.

Still got a lot of work to do... and trying to figure out the pauldrons. But for someone with no prior experience/skill in this, I'm happy so far.

 

[poholio]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

Not a whole lot of work accomplished over the winter on this, but I did play around with a pauldron idea.

The idea behind this came from some things I came across on the web concerning folding paper into spheres-thanks for the suggestion, Maelstrom.

I wanted to see how they were coming along, so I hit one with black.
These are not the greatest, and by no means screen-accurate, but in keeping with the scratch-built ethos of this project, they are coming along nicely.

 

[poholio]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

Here are a few pics of the pauldrons I managed to make, attached to the chest armor. Sorry about the quality; I took them with my phone. I will try to get some better ones on soon.

 

[omel]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

looking good so far bro! keep everyone posted with your progress.

 

[poholio]

Re: Vader build

Okay, so decided to renamed the thread, since I am now in full-blown production on the suit, with the weather being so, so fine.
Last summer I started building the chest box out of 11/16 round trim and hobby plywood. Figured I would begin plotting out the bits and pieces.

One with the aluminum rods for a test. The rods will be finished with the plastic washers pictured. I am experimenting with various items to complete the rods- so far I got some copper tubing with an OD of 3/8". Inside diameter is perfect for the 1/4" aluminum rod. Anyone have any advice/experience with scratch building these?

Before I move on, I am debating casting the whole in resin, as I have seen others here do, but I have no experience with this. Seems safer than just gluing everything to the box, but has anyone had trouble with glued pieces, or know how the original was built?

 

[poholio]

Re: Vader build

While I am at it, a couple pics of the belt assembly, about 95% finished:

And lighted:

OK, I sheepishly admit the buckle is acrylic- can't seem to find a suitable hunk of aluminum. Oh well...

 

[JUSTINIAN]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

Looks really good.

 

[poholio]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

Looks really good.

Thanks!

 

[poholio]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

Okay,
So I took a 1/4" aluminum rod, some copper tubing with appropriateinside diameter, and a few plastic washers and threw together some rods for the chest box. Still need to be finished and painted. Let me know what you think!

 

[clancampbell]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

Utterly fantastic work!

Rich

 

[poholio]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

Well,
Coming down to the rocker switches and I am curious what methods others may have employed in building them.

I started with a chunk of wood, but I am finding cutting the anngles a bit trickier than expected. Thoughts?

 

[omel]

Re: Vader pauldron advice

Well,
Coming down to the rocker switches and I am curious what methods others may have employed in building them.

I started with a chunk of wood, but I am finding cutting the anngles a bit trickier than expected. Thoughts?

made my budget version out of illustration board, using templates from...i believe Sith Training Temple..not too sure though.