Re: Thorssoli's Episode VII Builds (TIE Pilot Test Fitting Page 11)
Amazing work rate bro...sleep is for wimps!
Maybe. But sometimes it gets us all.
I'm overdue for an update, so here goes...
I got tired of having the stack of snowtrooper pack parts kicking around the shop, so I went ahead and stuck them all together:
The detail panels on the sides will be cast separately so they can be added on after the rest of the pack is built:
I'm also going to make the rear hatch as a separate part so it can be hinged:
This way I can use it to carry snacks. Snacks are good.
On the TIE Pilot front, I've finally sourced the just-right rubber hose:
After drilling out the middle of one of the aerators, it's perfect:
I've also decided that I had the wrong shape for the little earplug knob detail for the right side of the helmet. So I made a handful of castings and adjusted them all accordingly:
Then I stuck them all to a piece of cardboard, built a sprue, and gave them all a glossy coat of paint:
Once the paint was dry, I built up some mold walls and filled them with silicone:
Once the silicone had cured, the cardboard mold box was removed:
Then it was just a matter of cutting out the prototypes and sprues:
I used two halves from a snapped paint stir stick to brace the rubber and keep everything straight once it was strapped closed again:
Then I filled the mold with resin by injecting it into the fill holes on either end:
The castings came out pretty good:
And once I dust off my helmet and paint the little silver bits, they'll be perfect:
That was the very last mold I needed to make for the TIE fighter pilot. Woot! Time to start something else.
Back to Phasma, my friend Liz (aka
Hydra) is helping me out by making the cape. Here's a great shot of her work in progress at this point:
She's been doing a great job of nailing down all of the weird little details that make this piece a much bigger deal than you'd ever expect:
I still have to make a couple more plates for the ankles and the caps for the toes. Then there's going to be two tiny little details (the chest tabs and the boxes on the left calf) and it'll just be a matter of trimming and painting.
Speaking of starting something else, since I can't leave well enough alone, I've also started making parts for the Z-6 Riot Baton:
This one is going to be a fun build.
Stay tuned...