1/6 SSC ESB/ROTJ Darth Vader Modification Thread

[jagzz]

Crazy crazy!!! Best vader I've seen!

 

[Wor-Gar]

... and I'm finally done.

Great Vader...


... and don't make me laugh.

 

[Kamandi]

@agonistes86 - Very nice results. Went through your last several posts, still feel like there's more. Care to list your recipe?

 

[Sturtrup]

Outstanding my friend...

 

[agonistes86]

Sorry speechless again.

Crazy crazy!!! Best vader I've seen!

Thanks, guys.

Great Vader...


... and don't make me laugh.

I did chuckle a bit internally writing that. Perhaps a better way to put it is that other than the dome by hurricane, I can't think of anything to upgrade until there are newer parts on the market , e.g., a HT ESB Vader. The chest could have a better shape, as could the shoulder bells...

@agonistes86 - Very nice results. Went through your last several posts, still feel like there's more. Care to list your recipe?

Sure, been a while since I updated the list I think:

• Mask: kaiyodo
• Dome: SSC DX (shortened)
• Chest armor: kaiyodo
• Shoulder bells: SSC DX (shortened)
• Belt and chest box: SSC DX
• Codpiece: SSC DX (modified)
• Boots & shin armor: kaiyodo, with faux leather boot sleeves and straps
• Cape & tunic: self made
• Bodysuit: SSC ROTJ
• Body: upper body from SSC DX, heavily slimmed down, midsection from advanced TT, lower body from Kaustic heroic
• Gloves: TFA Snowtrooper, with sleeves added (SSC DX suit for top, faux leather for bottom)

Outstanding my friend...

Thanks. Coming from you with your perfect ANH version, that's high praise.

 

[parrasmaniac]

CONGRATULATIONS

That is an awesome Vader.

Really happy that you shared the recipe, and I am suprised to know that you actually used the SSC Deluxe dome!

I am using a Hot Toys head on my Vader, since I rather his mask to SSC, and never thougth of using SSC dome... what do you think, maybe Hot Toys mask plus SSC dome is a good mix?

Thanks a lot for sharing.

 

[agonistes86]

CONGRATULATIONS

That is an awesome Vader.

Really happy that you shared the recipe, and I am suprised to know that you actually used the SSC Deluxe dome!

I am using a Hot Toys head on my Vader, since I rather his mask to SSC, and never thougth of using SSC dome... what do you think, maybe Hot Toys mask plus SSC dome is a good mix?

Thanks a lot for sharing.

Thanks, man. I never owned the HT sculpt (or anything else other than the bodysuit, for that matter), so I really can't give an opinion whether that would work. Surely, some people on here tried it out, though.

 

[matrix69]

Made some new gloves for my Vader. I used the TFA Snowtrooper relaxed hands, painted them black, and added new sleeves/cuffs to it.
Now the only thing missing is the new hurricane dome, and I'm finally done.

And an outtake from the shoot:

Awesome...that old kaiyodo mask is still the most accurate thus far..

 

[parrasmaniac]

thanks for your reply agonistes86.

So I throw the question: has anyone tried the SSC Deluxe dome on the Hot Toys mask? would love to see how that turns out...
before doing some unnecessary carnage!

Maybe matrix or any other expert! thanks a lot guys.

 

[matrix69]

thanks for your reply agonistes86.

So I throw the question: has anyone tried the SSC Deluxe dome on the Hot Toys mask? would love to see how that turns out...
before doing some unnecessary carnage!

Maybe matrix or any other expert! thanks a lot guys.

The SS dome is too small and won't fit onto the HT mask..

 

[parrasmaniac]

thank you very much, matrix.

 

[Ahab]

Nibblin' away at this guy...

 

[earthdog]

Anyone have pics of the HT head attached to the Sideshow body?

 

[Chakaman]

Agonistes86, that looks like a guy in the suit. Fantastic stuff. I wish I had access to the Kaiyodo parts.


I've started to kitbash an Empire Strikes Back Vader. I have quite a few face masks and domes(Hasbro, HT, SSC), trying to figure out the best combination.


Here is the Sideshow ESB/ROTJ mask with the HT ANH dome.





I need to make some adjustments, was hoping to get some opinions from you guys.

 

[TaliBane]

Does the non-Anakin-head facemask separate also? The one major issue with the SSC that always jumps out at me is the oversize grill triangle. If it splits, you could dremel/sand down the lower part to make the triangle smaller. Sounds tough to do, but I did it on a Hasbro Vader reboot I did some time ago.

 

[davejames]

Hey there Chakaman, I've got one of those Kaiyodo kits and you can have it for free if you want it. I didn't know people were still modding those things with the new HT Vaders available, but if you or someone else still wants to use them I guess the one I have might as well not go to waste.

 

[paulcarson]

I'd love the kaiyodo kit. I've not been able to get one at a decent price. More so since I'm still looking for work.

 

[TaliBane]

Hey there Chakaman, I've got one of those Kaiyodo kits and you can have it for free if you want it. I didn't know people were still modding those things with the new HT Vaders available, but if you or someone else still wants to use them I guess the one I have might as well not go to waste.

If you know how to do a good paint job, the Kaiyodo kits are still superior to the HT pieces. The HT helmets are slightly oversized and facemask still not as accurate as the Kaiyodo sculpt (I was really unimpressed with the HT ANH helmet in-hand, but it can be modded to look very nice) and stuff like the boots/boot armor and chest armor are more accurate on the Kaiyodo. Matrix even did a great job using the Kaiyodo gloves.

The main problem with the Kaiyodo is you have to go to the work of finishing it (removing flashing, fitting things like the chin spikes, sourcing other parts where the Kaiyodo parts won't work etc.) and then paint it very cleanly, and also there is really still no dome that perfectly matches the Kaiyodo mask though supposedly Hurricane has one in the works.

The Kaiyodo is also currently one of the only options that will yield a roughly 13" screen accurate Vader that has correctly proportioned parts (many of the HT and SSC 13 1/2" - 14" Vader parts are slightly overscaled for their oversize height.) Though most don't seem to care that many of these 1/6 Vaders are 1/2" to 1" too tall - that whole "imposing on the shelf" thing.

 

[davejames]

I don't know, I've studied that Kaiyodo mask and even after being modded and fixed up it still looks a bit off to me. It's asymmetrical, but in the opposite way that it should be (his right cheek is bigger than the left, and the mouth droops down on the right side instead of on the left, etc).

I see your point about the more accurately scaled sizes though. I'm just more than happy with the results people are getting with the HT Vaders and find those to be already enough of a massive improvement over the SS Vaders we had to work with before.

 

[TaliBane]

I don't know, I've studied that Kaiyodo mask and even after being modded and fixed up it still looks a bit off to me. It's asymmetrical, but in the opposite way that it should be (his right cheek is bigger than the left, and the mouth droops down on the right side instead of on the left, etc).

I see your point about the more accurately scaled sizes though. I'm just more than happy with the results people are getting with the HT Vaders and find those to be already enough of a massive improvement over the SS Vaders we had to work with before.

Yeah, I guess I actually have the Hurricane modded Kaiyodo facemask which has many improvements. I still think at a glance the Kaiyodo facemask just nails Vader (look at Matrix's custom fig) - the HT just has that odd fox thing under fairly flat lighting, though it's not that noticeable under Detolf lighting that most people have, and the high gloss/brighter paint of the RO reissue hides it even more.

And yeah it's oversized, but the whole HT fig is oversized so it's in proportion if you're okay with the 13 1/2"+ height.