1/6 C-3PO Custom [Archive] - Sideshow Freaks

ChibiSchmoo

07-19-2009, 10:36 PM

I can't take credit for this idea - saw it on ebay a few years ago - but the work is all mine, at least. This is an articulated 1/6 C-3PO using the highly accurate Screamin/Kaiyodo kit. The armor is all fitted over a Hasbro GIJane body (thinnest figure I could find) and retains all the articulation of that figure - in as much as its not restricted by the armor itself. He comes out to be the same height as Sideshow's ANH Luke - which I think is pretty close to their actual heights in the films.

http://threads.rebelscum.com/photogallery/data/1322/medium/c3po23.JPG

http://threads.rebelscum.com/photogallery/data/1322/medium/c3po6.JPG

http://threads.rebelscum.com/photogallery/data//1322/c3po32.JPG

http://threads.rebelscum.com/photogallery/data//1322/c3po41.JPG

EVILFACE

07-19-2009, 10:39 PM

Pretty good work!!

plasticcrapmoneywaster

07-19-2009, 10:45 PM

Wow!! Awesome!

MANDO

07-19-2009, 10:46 PM

Wow! Pretty ingenious stuff, imo. That's a fairly decent sized task to take on. Paint apps look great and altogether it looks to be one very well executed custom. You should be proud! :rock

arnax161

07-19-2009, 10:47 PM

Outstanding work!!!

Shropt

07-20-2009, 04:32 AM

Great piece you have there. I never knew that model looked that good.

Cocoboloboy

07-20-2009, 05:00 AM

Beautiful custom there. :rock Very nice work.

galactiboy

07-20-2009, 06:56 AM

Great work, so did you have to modify the kit (cut pieces away) to make it work?

joda76

07-20-2009, 10:34 AM

Wow! Looks good to me

icruise

07-20-2009, 10:39 AM

It's a nice custom. I still think C-3PO needs to be chromed to really look right, but of course that's not really an option for an individual customizer. I'm surprised that having a 1/6 scale body "wear" the C-3PO suit actually works fairly well though.

Darthrazz

07-20-2009, 10:40 AM

Nice!! I wanted to tackle that myself, but never got around to getting a screamin kit. Did you have to "add or sculpt" pieces anywhere?

DRAXZAR

07-20-2009, 10:41 AM

This really is amazing, well done. The paint you have chosen is spot on imo and even better than the proto they show!

ChibiSchmoo

07-20-2009, 06:56 PM

Thanks everyone!

I didn't have to add anything to the kit except to fill the exposed gaps in the stomach and back of the knees - you can't see it, but there's mesh from a screen door in there underneath the wires.

The kit was actually much easier to work with and assemble on the figure than I thought. I didn't remove anything more than what you are supposed to. And when you drop the parts in hot water, the vinyl cuts like butter. Plus, its already as hollow as its going to get, so its not like I had to dremel the parts out (no dremel anyway).

The problem was the underlying figure - I had to slice extra plastic off the arms and legs and remove the front of the chest in order for the armor to fit over it. Thankfully, the GIJane body is pretty soft except for the torso. In retrospect, I should've taken more off of the upper legs because the waist-piece pinches the legs together.

The gold paint isn't quite as reflective as I would've liked (darn that lying spray paint cap! it was gold chrome!). I debated whether to weather him up or not, but thought I'd let him be for now.

ChibiSchmoo

07-20-2009, 06:58 PM

Here's one more photo showing the height compared to other figs:
http://threads.rebelscum.com/photogallery/data//1322/c3po51.JPG

Chouzi

07-20-2009, 07:01 PM

very nice!!...can move his arm alittle?... i curious how the "connectors tubes" that is located at the inner arms will behave

Wor-Gar

07-20-2009, 07:23 PM

GREAT WORK!

I was gonna have Hurricane build me one like that using the same plan several years ago -- I have the original Kaiyodo kit still -- but then the SS SW came a long and we thought... well, who knew we'd still not have the droids.

I'm surprised it fits in so well with the SS Luke. I thought the kaiyodo kits were a little smaller. Looks perfect there.

Venomous venom

07-20-2009, 07:43 PM

well done man!!!i love the details....its just need a lil bit shiny colours

d_jedi1

07-20-2009, 08:43 PM

I've thought about doing something similar... good tip on the female joe though, that will definitely help.
I used one of those kits for a Custom Stormtrooper recently and I'm fairly pleased with the results.

Batman5

07-20-2009, 09:24 PM

Wow very nice custom. It is amazing how seeing the droids next to Luke how it brings everything together in my opinion. Lovely display there!

FREEDANDEE

07-21-2009, 12:25 PM

I think it looks awesome!

icruise

07-21-2009, 12:26 PM

Does anybody know anything about the 1/4 scale version of this kit?

FlyAndFight

07-21-2009, 03:02 PM

Here's one more photo showing the height compared to other figs:
http://threads.rebelscum.com/photogallery/data//1322/c3po51.JPG

Fantastic job!! Definitely more to scale than the Hasbro one.

Qrest Fourstar

07-21-2009, 03:08 PM

Does anybody know anything about the 1/4 scale version of this kit?

I'm currently finishing one. What do you want to know?

icruise

07-21-2009, 03:13 PM

ChibiSchmoo

07-21-2009, 03:30 PM

Yes, you can get a pretty good range of movement out of the arms. The elbows and wrists can do everything they should. The shoulders are pretty limited though - they can rock forward & back, up & down just a little.

I only attached the "connector tubes" at one end so they wouldn't restrict the movement of the arms. That's why you'll notice a small space between them and the upper arms.

very nice!!...can move his arm alittle?... i curious how the "connectors tubes" that is located at the inner arms will behave

ChibiSchmoo

07-21-2009, 03:36 PM

I wondered myself if there was a clear spray gloss that might be applied over the gold I used to give it a more reflective look? I always use a brush on gloss for human eyes, but that won't work at this scale. But I thought the basic concept might translate.

If anyone finds a spray gold that does a true reflective "chrome", let me know! I had hoped the one I picked out might work, but not quite.

They sell some spray paints that are supposed to give things a chrome look, and I was wondering if that could be used in combination with some paint or stain to get closer to the movie look.

icruise

07-21-2009, 03:43 PM

It might help a bit to use a gloss, but it would probably just make it look wet, and not reflective in the way you would want. I've seen some people do chrome work on the NECA 1/4 scale Endoskeleton that looked really good, so I may have to look into how they did that. I don't know if they make gold chrome spray, or if it would be necessary to use the silver as a base and then somehow use paint to make it look gold.

Qrest Fourstar

07-21-2009, 06:42 PM

Well, I'd like to know if it's worth getting, what it looks like (is it basically the same as the 1/6 version?), and if there's anything I need to keep in mind when assembling and painting it. Also, how much did you pay for it?

They sell some spray paints that are supposed to give things a chrome look, and I was wondering if that could be used in combination with some paint or stain to get closer to the movie look.

the 1/6 model is much better for accuracy. All the Screamin' 1/6 figures are actually from a company called Kaiyodo from japan. The 1/4 figures were all new sculpts with severe degrees of innacuarcy. I have them all. accept for a couple I got here recently, I got them back in the 90's when they were first relased. The problem with the Threepio is that he isn't boxxy like he's a droid. He has more flow to the body if you take my meaning. His biggest flaw is his neck. when I got the figure, I looked it over and over and couldn't figure out what wasn't right. Then it hit me. His neck. They gave the figure this 1/2 inch long neck. I trimmed it down and stuck the stub in the color and it made a helluva difference. I also bent one of the arms. One of them is almost straight.

After wondefest(where I got a Tusken raider in a bag for $20 finally finishing my collection) I got the urge to finish all my Screamin 1/4 kits. The toughest thing about assembling him is lining up the split in the waist. I've gotten the body done. Just have to paint all the wires and paint the lower left leg silver

Chouzi

07-21-2009, 06:44 PM

Yes, you can get a pretty good range of movement out of the arms. The elbows and wrists can do everything they should. The shoulders are pretty limited though - they can rock forward & back, up & down just a little.

I only attached the "connector tubes" at one end so they wouldn't restrict the movement of the arms. That's why you'll notice a small space between them and the upper arms.

ah! got it...thanks... hehe..

i love how the three of them goes together!.. i want one too!

icruise

07-21-2009, 08:02 PM

the 1/6 model is much better for accuracy. All the Screamin' 1/6 figures are actually from a company called Kaiyodo from japan. The 1/4 figures were all new sculpts with severe degrees of innacuarcy. I have them all. accept for a couple I got here recently, I got them back in the 90's when they were first relased. The problem with the Threepio is that he isn't boxxy like he's a droid. He has more flow to the body if you take my meaning. His biggest flaw is his neck. when I got the figure, I looked it over and over and couldn't figure out what wasn't right. Then it hit me. His neck. They gave the figure this 1/2 inch long neck. I trimmed it down and stuck the stub in the color and it made a helluva difference. I also bent one of the arms. One of them is almost straight.

After wondefest(where I got a Tusken raider in a bag for $20 finally finishing my collection) I got the urge to finish all my Screamin 1/4 kits. The toughest thing about assembling him is lining up the split in the waist. I've gotten the body done. Just have to paint all the wires and paint the lower left leg silver

Post pictures when you're done, if possible.

Chew74

07-22-2009, 07:17 PM

Here's one more photo showing the height compared to other figs:
http://threads.rebelscum.com/photogallery/data//1322/c3po51.JPG

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y46/DeathJuN/20090620_e42cbc492d263fd063daQQ8wS7.jpg

That's looks better then the Medicom version! Kudos!!!

Mortar Conn

07-22-2009, 08:46 PM

Killer custom. Love to see what other projects you've done.

Puay

07-23-2009, 03:26 AM

This is indeed fantastic work. Is the R2 from Hasbro?

ChibiSchmoo

02-28-2010, 12:43 AM

Bumping my old C-3PO thread since I put together another articulated 3PO unit last week. Went with silver this time and grimed him up a bit more. Much easier to make the second time around, though I did change the recipe up a bit. I left the model kit's natural shoulder articulation in this time so he can raise his arms better, though they can't swing out to the sides now. The eyes aren't painted in yet because I'm toying with the idea of adding a lightup mechanism underneath. We'll see what happens...

http://threads.rebelscum.com/photogallery/data//1322/silver_3PO_5.JPG
http://threads.rebelscum.com/photogallery/data//1322/silver_3PO_3.JPG
http://threads.rebelscum.com/photogallery/data//1322/silver_3PO_8.JPG

wax murderer

02-28-2010, 05:38 AM

2 suggestions to punch him up a bit...
For the arm connector tubes, you can replace the original pieces with brass, available at most good hobby shops. Get the smallest diameter tube you can find, and tubing that will telescope with it. I believe you'll be able to get pretty close on the size...
To shine him up a bit, hit him with Testor's Metalilzer brass, buff him up a bit and seal with a clear gloss. It will be about as close to a chrome finish as you can get with paint. I used this method on a Horizon Iron Man kit, and it worked pretty well...PS

dh4

02-28-2010, 07:51 AM

Great custom! I may have to make one for my collection.

Crimsonbob

02-28-2010, 09:29 AM

Amazing custom jobs they look really good :peace

katkuru

02-28-2010, 12:31 PM

Nice! Are these kits expensive?

the dude person

02-28-2010, 01:26 PM

Great custom! I may have to make one for my collection.

me too... stupid Medicom people made theirs way overpriced...

Star Puffs

02-28-2010, 05:32 PM

Outstanding work.

Crimsonbob

03-01-2010, 03:07 PM

me too... stupid Medicom people made theirs way overpriced...

Aye thats why i dont buy medi cos of their silly prices :sick

Darthrazz

03-02-2010, 10:43 AM

Nice! Are these kits expensive?

They are out of production, so you would have to go the Ebay route, Just be careful, I believe they also produced a 1/4 scale Threepio as well. Also DO NOT by the recasts from overseas on Ebay, they are smaller, not too much detail and at times even smelly!:rotfl Stick to originals. These kits were made by Kaiyodo and Screamin.

ChibiSchmoo

03-02-2010, 07:13 PM

Thanks for the ideas! Do you have any pics of that Iron Man with the Testor's Metalilzer + gloss applied? I'd like to see the whole effect.

2 suggestions to punch him up a bit...
For the arm connector tubes, you can replace the original pieces with brass, available at most good hobby shops. Get the smallest diameter tube you can find, and tubing that will telescope with it. I believe you'll be able to get pretty close on the size...
To shine him up a bit, hit him with Testor's Metalilzer brass, buff him up a bit and seal with a clear gloss. It will be about as close to a chrome finish as you can get with paint. I used this method on a Horizon Iron Man kit, and it worked pretty well...PS

ChibiSchmoo

03-02-2010, 07:17 PM

Agreed! It looks like most of those recasts are resin too - so you'd have no chance getting it to fit over an articulated figure.

I think these kits retailed for somewhere around $50?? when they came out. You can get them for less than that on ebay, but they don't come up too often. However, there is a painted one that's been sitting there for awhile on BIN for $25 + shipping, but I don't think I'd want to deal with stripping the paint off.

They are out of production, so you would have to go the Ebay route, Just be careful, I believe they also produced a 1/4 scale Threepio as well. Also DO NOT by the recasts from overseas on Ebay, they are smaller, not too much detail and at times even smelly!:rotfl Stick to originals. These kits were made by Kaiyodo and Screamin.

wax murderer

03-05-2010, 08:05 PM

I'll see what I can do...PS

wax murderer

04-05-2010, 06:59 PM

As requested, here are a couple Pix of my Horizon IronMan, with Testor's Metalizer(brass) and a gloss over-spray...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/waxmurderer/DSCN0835.jpghttp://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/waxmurderer/DSCN0836.jpg
As you can see, the effect isn't bad. Not exactly chrome, but definitely a polished metallic finish. One word of advice if you want to try this. The Metalizers are a very tricky pigment. DO NOT touch them with your bare skin, as they rub off with the greatest of ease. Spray it on, give it a few hoursto dry, the buff it up with a soft cloth like an old tee shirt, then seal with gloss coat...PS

tycondrius

08-21-2012, 09:41 PM

is the og poster of this thread still about ? I sent them a pm but didn't get a reply wanted to ask some questions on how this was made

ChibiSchmoo

08-23-2012, 07:31 PM

Yeah, I'm here! Don't log in as much as I used to since they took off the members-only restriction on the customs forum. I'll try to get to your PM soon.

tycondrius

08-24-2012, 05:56 PM

Yeah, I'm here! Don't log in as much as I used to since they took off the members-only restriction on the customs forum. I'll try to get to your PM soon.
cool stuff not 100% sure it was sent correctly as I've just signed up. I spent 3 days looking for this thread over on onesixthwarriors cuz I could'nt remember where I saw it originally ;P

ChibiSchmoo

08-24-2012, 06:23 PM

Actually, if you don't mind, we can just have this conversation in the thread in case anyone else has ideas.

You asked about doing this same thing to make a 4LOM figure.

I've thought about this as well from time to time. I think the big trick will be figuring out what to do about the upper torso. I think the Hasbro version (http://www.rebelscum.com/potj124lom.asp) may just be too big to replace the C3PO chest from the kit. I'm also not sure what's inside that thing and whether it could be "wearable" by a 1/6 body underneath. I'm not sure I want to hack mine up yet to find out. Unfortunately, there aren't many other cheap alternatives.

KashKenobi

08-25-2012, 04:50 AM

Hey gang. I'm super impressed with this 3PO custom Chibi! F'n amazing. Did you ever find a thinner figure than GI Jane though? I use TTL's normally and remove their forearms and thighs. Then I replace them with thinner version that I cast. If you're putting armor over them it works to make a sleeker figure. However shaving the chest down can be kind of a b-tch. I'm only asking cause I'm thinking about tackling it and I'm pondering how posable it is.

tycondrius

08-26-2012, 04:57 AM

no probs . yeah I know what you mean I only have the one of that HBro 4-lom. so I was thinking I may just try and remodel the torso from the 3po set. (if it will work ) so did you just hollow out the sections you needed for that 3po and slip them over a black under suit how did you prevent them from slipping or was it a tight fit ?

Actually, if you don't mind, we can just have this conversation in the thread in case anyone else has ideas.

You asked about doing this same thing to make a 4LOM figure.

I've thought about this as well from time to time. I think the big trick will be figuring out what to do about the upper torso. I think the Hasbro version (http://www.rebelscum.com/potj124lom.asp) may just be too big to replace the C3PO chest from the kit. I'm also not sure what's inside that thing and whether it could be "wearable" by a 1/6 body underneath. I'm not sure I want to hack mine up yet to find out. Unfortunately, there aren't many other cheap alternatives.

tycondrius

08-27-2012, 01:41 PM

no prob. weird I thought I had replied to this anyhu . I was thinking of resculpting the 3po torso over a hack job on the hasbro one as its not to different . how did you do the arm and leg plates on yours so they wouldn't slip ?

Actually, if you don't mind, we can just have this conversation in the thread in case anyone else has ideas.

You asked about doing this same thing to make a 4LOM figure.

I've thought about this as well from time to time. I think the big trick will be figuring out what to do about the upper torso. I think the Hasbro version (http://www.rebelscum.com/potj124lom.asp) may just be too big to replace the C3PO chest from the kit. I'm also not sure what's inside that thing and whether it could be "wearable" by a 1/6 body underneath. I'm not sure I want to hack mine up yet to find out. Unfortunately, there aren't many other cheap alternatives.

ChibiSchmoo

08-27-2012, 04:31 PM

I wasn't really on the look out for other possible bodies.

I think the most important part is getting the right sized waist and legs on the donor figure. If the hips are too wide, it either won't fit in the hip armor, or that armor will pinch the legs toward each other. But you can't go too thin or then you get the opposite problem - the legs are forced apart. The upper legs (thighs) themselves should also be relatively thin.

2nd time around (the silver one), I discovered there's quite a bit of flexibility on what you do with the donor figure and the upper torso. If I remember correctly, the top of the figure's chest is missing on this one. It's just the loose arms being held in place by the shoulder armor. Then the entire assembled upper body just slides over what is left of the lower torso. So theoretically, the arms and legs/waist could come from different figures.

tycondrius

08-27-2012, 10:35 PM

cheers for the infor on that . how did you solve the issue with the leg and arm plates from slipping off once you hollowed them ?

KashKenobi

08-28-2012, 04:39 AM

Big ups Chibi. I can't wait to see more stuff from you man!

ChibiSchmoo

08-29-2012, 05:51 PM

You shouldn't have much of a problem with pieces slipping unless the donor body is really thin!

For the arms - first, I recommend you leave the upper arm piece attached to the shoulder. I did this on the silver 3PO. This retains the full range of shoulder motion that the model kit naturally has. The hand will keep the lower arm piece from sliding off. The only trick will be keeping the hand in place. On the GI Jane body I just carved down her hand until it was a snug fit for the 3PO hand to slide over. If you're using a donor body with swappable hands with pegs then you may have a different sort of challenge.

On the legs - the bottom leg piece should keep the top one from slipping off; it pretty much rests directly on top of it, there shouldn't be much of a gap in between. The lower leg piece gets pretty tight towards the foot, so I think you're fine just forcing the donor leg as deep as it will go into the lower 3PO leg, probably without its foot.

BtW, tycondrius, you mentioned "hollowing" the model. It should already be hollow. If you have one that isn't, it may be a resin recast (I'm guessing - never actually had one). And that would be more trouble than its worth.

cheers for the infor on that . how did you solve the issue with the leg and arm plates from slipping off once you hollowed them ?

kl241

08-29-2012, 05:56 PM