My Rubies Darth Vader conversion -ANH inspired.

Darctic

Well-Known Member
Hi everyone,

I was browsing through the forums a bit and I saw that it had been a while since someone had posted a Rubies Darth Vader conversion. So let me bing that right back today!

During the Christmas break I bought myself an EFX ANH helmet. And while that looked really cool on a stand I really wanted to do more with it.

I know the rubies Vaders are looked upon as a lacking costume. But I saw potential with it so I went to town to get it to look as much like the ANH Vader as I could. I kinda went with the Rogue One principle of going for the look most people remember, cause to get it nearly screen accurate would be an impossible task with the material available.

I will let the pictures do the talking! I still have some replacement parts coming in the next few weeks ( green and red chestbox buttons and beltbox screws).

Here's a rundown of what I did to it:
-replaced the rubies helmet with an EFX PCR helmet
-repainted the chestarmor ( still need to polish the black parts to give the illusion of the movie version)
- reconfigured the pauldron to fit under the chestarmor.
-repainted the chest and beltboxes with a semi matte black and dry brushed chrome silver onto it to give it a weathered effect ( I went more towards the Tour Vader costume than the movie version with the weathering)

Reconfigured the chestbox placement by removing the standard system and going for an over the jumpsuit positioning. Added velcro to keep the box flush to the suit and in position.

-removed the electronics and lights from the chestbox and repositioned the green and red buttons to reflect a more accurate position.

Not sure if I want to repaint the shin armor at this point, but it is a possibility.

Will definitely replace the screws on the beltbox to more accurate machined screws with red washers. And add a light with a chrome bezel. If I can locate more ANH accurate green pilot lights I could replace the current ones. But I don't want to do too much to them.. I could always upgrade to a more accurate belt/boxes.

At some point I would like to have my helmet repainted to give it a more hand-finished look. But that's also for down the road.

And I saved the rubies helmet that came with it to reconfigure/reshape that into an ESB/ROTJ helmet. But that's also for down the road.

Enough talk here are the pictures IMG_4660.jpgIMG_4658.jpgIMG_4652.jpgIMG_4651.jpgIMG_4649.jpgIMG_4645.jpg

Thanks for looking :)

\\Edit sorry for the double attachments I couldn't figure out how to delete the uploaded ones.//
 

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@alexmiller1 Celtic007 thanks guys! I'm pretty happy with how it looks so far! I still have a little way to go, but positive it will look even better.

Forgot to mention I obviously also switched-out the chain and basically resting that on the throat part while being hooked into the rubies cape.
 
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Nice work! Replacing the helmet alone makes it look about 1000 times better.
I agree, replacing the helmet and properly spacing the armor/accessories out to more accurate positions makes it look better. Removing the shiny plastic look from the items also helped out :)!
Thanks Too Much Garlic
 
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This is exactly what I'm planning on doing. I found a rubies for 400 and an EFX for 200-all on Craigslist. Could you detail the pauldron reconfigure process? Did you put a hardhat liner in the helmet, or is this more of a statue project? It looks amazing and can give folks like me a chance for a great Vader for a thousand or less! Thanks so much for posting!

AND IT LOOKS GREAT!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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This is exactly what I'm planning on doing. I found a rubies for 400 and an EFX for 200-all on Craigslist. Could you detail the pauldron reconfigure process? Did you put a hardhat liner in the helmet, or is this more of a statue project? It looks amazing and can give folks like me a chance for a great Vader for a thousand or less! Thanks so much for posting!

AND IT LOOKS GREAT!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks man!

I actually started out with a liner made from helmet padding for paintball helmets ( found on eBay )The pauldrons aren't quite done yet as it is more of a statue display as it stands.
But the pauldrons are a mechanism that is screwed on with the female part being on the pauldron and the male part on the underside of the chestarmor. I still intend to dremel those parts off but haven't gotten round to it. As a temporary fix I used some of the nylon strap material from the boxes belts etc ( there is just too much of it :p ) and cut two strands and attached these with ducttape. Although ideally I will mount these with velcro and a strap.

Still waiting for some replacement parts.
 
OK Update:
IMG_4996.jpgIMG_4999.jpgIMG_4967.jpgIMG_5093.jpgIMG_5084.jpg

I still need the red pilotlight cover with the chrome bezel for the belt box to be satisfied. The green and red buttons came out very dark after I glued them directling to the chestbox. I might have to put something light behind it to have them pop a bit more :) Also have some pics of me wearing the thing in there!

IMG_5003.jpg
 

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I agree! Did you end op modding it yet?

Nothing like your work on the boxes. You will be the guide for that work when i do! The plan includes what you've done, new gloves, new cape chain, satin lining and leather collar for the cape, and most importantly a helmet liner.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Nothing like your work on the boxes. You will be the guide for that work when i do! The plan includes what you've done, new gloves, new cape chain, satin lining and leather collar for the cape, and most importantly a helmet liner.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great! Yeah I need to have a leather collar added too. I think the way I will do it: I removed the original cape/hooks. I might end up putting something back into those holes again. hooking the hooks on the cape onto that and then have a seamstress add a slightly higher leather collar where the rubber/plastic capechain goes through.
 
The boxes look fantastic. I've been slowly modding my Rubies as well. Would you say the efx helmet fits ok with the Rubies pauldrons?
 
The boxes look fantastic. I've been slowly modding my Rubies as well. Would you say the efx helmet fits ok with the Rubies pauldrons?
It fits.. They need some modding and I'm not quite done with that. I haven't gotten to heatgun treatment on it yet. But so far it works. the positioning is a bit tricky. I ended up putting foam from the Rubies Dv helmet on the bottom part of the neck n the dome
 
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