The Imperial Shipyards

Imperial Creative Engineering => Custom Figures => Topic started by: Darth More on November 20, 2016, 03:03:27 PM

Title: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimoidian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: Darth More on November 20, 2016, 03:03:27 PM: In this topic I show you how I complete action figures, that are missing parts, with either original or custom resin parts.

List of Contents:

Page 1:

- Galactic Marines - 21st Star Corps: Completing - First entry (Reply #0)

- Completing Action Figures with Original Parts (by chance) - Reply #2

- Hasbro's Customer Service: Broken parts & missing accessories - Reply #6 - #8

- "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope!" - Leg swap - Reply #9

- Fodder: A Star Wars Action Figure Bundle - Reply #13

Page 2:

- When Plastic Turns into Rubber: Taking Apart Action Figures - Reply #21

Page 3:

- It's time for some sewing: VC120 Rebel Soldier (Hoth) - Reply #30

- What you can find at your local tailor's - even for free if you kindly ask... - Reply #38

Some years ago there was an Asian seller on eBay who sold 5 Galactic Marines from Hasbro's 30th Anniversary Collection for just $9.99 (and free shipping!!) You might know who I mean.
(I don't want to say "back in the good old days, when everything was so much cheaper...")
The only bad thing about this was what the figures came without the helmet, backpack and blaster!

They actually came like this:

(http://i.imgur.com/rqkR9M6.jpg)

So I thought restoring them would pay off and fun to do when I only paid $2 for each figure.

This is how I made it:

1. Making a mold of the original part.
2. Casting/Pouring resin into the mold.
3. Spray-painting a primer (black) onto the parts
4. Painting the parts in similar/identical colors
I use the acrylic colors from CITADEL by Games Workshop and I can recommend them to you!

(http://i.imgur.com/N7inCPQ.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/wwj4Gbv.jpg)

Detailed front view: Painted custom helmet
(http://i.imgur.com/wkxW4Fl.jpg)

Detailed view from the back: Painted and weathered cutsom backpack
(http://i.imgur.com/0jXXrg5.jpg)

Comparsion (front): Original figure (left); Custom figure (right)
(http://i.imgur.com/HCDPxMY.jpg)

Comparsion (back): Original figure (left); Custom figure (right)
(http://i.imgur.com/I7m2oUk.jpg)
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures
Post by: JDeck on November 20, 2016, 05:06:32 PM: Your resin parts look great! I'd really like to know how this process is done, there's sertain parts I can never have enough of. I understand it takes a lot of money and hard work to do it right.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures
Post by: Darth More on November 21, 2016, 02:26:17 PM: Thanks again JDeck! Yes, you will get an idea of how to make your own parts by following this thread ;)

A couple months ago I got a second lose TBS Galen Marek figure from eBay. The second figure was missing some parts. Fortunately Hasbro was so kind to include some extra accessories with this figure! So before I purchased the incomplete figure I made sure that I could complete it with the original accessries. Now, I got both versions next to each other. For the one on the left I paid 10€/$11 and for the second lose one just 6€/$6.60.
I was just lucky here, but I think it's still worth sharing...

(http://i.imgur.com/kfBKcc4.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/oSjgpvP.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/TBPnPTH.jpg?1)
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures
Post by: FialaFernbrugg on November 26, 2016, 06:58:42 AM: Your resin parts are fantastic as well as the paint job and the weathering of the parts.
Excellent work.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures
Post by: Tamer on November 28, 2016, 03:36:59 AM: Very nice tutorial. Let me go share this one too.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures
Post by: Foxtrot Delta on December 02, 2016, 05:51:30 PM: Those parts are near identical, real nice paint job
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Hasbro's Great Consumer Service
Post by: Darth More on August 02, 2017, 02:35:09 PM: @FialaFernbrugg: Thank you very much, mate! The pressure plate helps a lot to get the air bubbles out of the molds!

@Tamer: Thank you, Sir! :)

@Foxtrot Delta: Thank you very much! I am glad you like it!

So is there an alternative to resin parts...? There certainly is!

One alternative to resin parts is of course the Bay! You can find many original parts on eBay.

And recently I discovered another option: Hasbro's Generous Consumer Service

Here's the full story:

A couple months ago I bought a used TBS6 Speeder Bike with Biker Scout for just 10€/~$11.40.
Despite this great price three parts were either missing or broken:

(http://i.imgur.com/BugOX1g.jpg)

Unfortunately the Speeder Bike's right handlebar was broken, the Bike's display stand and the Biker's pistol were missing!

Since I wanted to complete this great set somehow I contacted Hasbro's Consumer Service here in Germany. I had contacted them before in order to receive the leg replacements for TCW AT-TE or some missing sticker sheets. It has always been a great experience with Hasbro's Customer Service.
But with my request for these extra parts I was already expecting they couldn't help me out this time...

So I wrote them and asked if they actually "sold" loose parts of their Star Wars products. I emphasized that I bought this set loose and that it was NOT new when I got it.
The message took more than three weeks to be answered. I had to write a second e-mail to remind them and achieve a reply.
Since I attached some pictures to the e-mail I assume their spam filter deleted it.
So they apologized for their late answer and immediately asked me for an address where they could send the missing parts!

I was totally surprised! Before I gave them my shipping address I also asked them if they still had Greedo's pistol in stock, too, because my used TBS6 Greedo also came without it. When the package arrived just 3 days later the packing slip said that Greedo's pistol was out of stock.

Take a look what they sent me (almost for free!)! I only had to pay a handling charge of 4€:

(http://i.imgur.com/GGk1l1E.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/UNylJIx.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/k6YEH19.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/dfGQb97.jpg)

(http://i.imgur.com/sIPYFM4.jpg)

And now it is complete, again! And I got an extra Speeder Bike (althogh still broken)!
A huge thank goes out to Hasbro and their amazing Consumer Service!

If you need original parts from Hasbro try it yourself and ask Hasbro for help!

I learned that there is only one precondition:

The product mustn't be retired. So as far as I know you can get every extra part for their current products.

Cheers!

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Hasbro's Great Consumer Service
Post by: FialaFernbrugg on August 25, 2017, 09:39:07 AM: Your persistence paid off.
4€ for a completely new Speeder bike is really awesome.
Thank you for the information about the Hasbro Generous Consumer Service.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Hasbro's Great Consumer Service
Post by: Darth More on March 16, 2018, 06:56:38 AM: @FialaFernbrugg: Yes, that's right. I'm very thankful for Hasbro's generous customer service.

Here are the other figures, which Hasbro's customer service helped me to complete:

(https://i.imgur.com/C03xUml.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/XCaPRQn.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/7HDIrJ4.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/PlYuLBg.jpg)

I bought these figures from viperskingdom on eBay. They were all incoplete. You can still find some of them and others in his eBay store:

http://stores.ebay.com/viperkingdom/_i.html?_nkw=star+wars+6&submit=Search&_sop=2&_sid=1010532271&_sc=1 (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5575055288&toolid=10001&campid=5337373868&customid=&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fstores.ebay.com%2Fviperkingdom%2F_i.html%3F_nkw%3Dstar%2Bwars%2B6%26submit%3DSearch%26_sop%3D2%26_sid%3D1010532271%26_sc%3D1)

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi....
Post by: Darth More on March 16, 2018, 07:07:21 AM: "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope!"

Leg swap:

In 2014 I bought 4x TVC VC02 Leia (Hoth Outfit) for $6.99 each from good ole' tunghori on eBay.
When I sold one of them last year I recognized that something was wrong with two units of this beauty...

(https://i.imgur.com/tN2jJzD.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/OKPaQQr.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/gkf3Fs7.jpg)

Your help would be very appreciated! I've never taken apart an action figure, yet. Do you think there is a way to take the hips and legs apart and interchnge both upper legs? Is it possible to fix this with boiling water or hot air?

Thank you very much for your support!

Update: See how this turned out on page 2, Reply #23 by follwing this link:

http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10179.15

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi....
Post by: FialaFernbrugg on March 17, 2018, 08:57:50 AM: That is an interesting manufacturing defect.
I wish I could help you but I have no experience with disassembling action figures.

It is great that you were able to complete so many awesome figures with the help of the customer service.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi....
Post by: Jedi Minstrel on March 17, 2018, 11:16:30 PM: You can use boiling water and I've done it even with running hot water. And I mean hot. I used the sink in the garage, right next to the water heater. Makes a difference. Once you pull the limb out, I would cut the end a little so that you can fit it into the hole a little easier. I would practice on other figures that aren't very important to you first. Good luck!
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi....
Post by: Tamer on March 18, 2018, 08:57:41 AM: Boiling water and heat gun are the best ways to get those apart, but yes practice with some crappy figures until you feel pretty confident. Great advice here.

Good ole Tunghori. Oh well you can't complain about his prices!
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Custom Action Figure Bundle
Post by: Darth More on March 27, 2018, 12:19:31 PM: @FialaFernbrugg: Yes, indeed! And I'm even more surpprised that tunghori sent me two copies with the exact reverse defect after all! If he had sent me just one error I would not be able to fix it with original parts.
And yes, I'm very thankful for Hasbro's great support! So if any other member on ISY needs original parts almost for free, that's the place to start searching. That's why I shared this.

@JediMinstrel and @Tamer: Thank you very much for the quick response and your helpful advice! I'll definitely try to fix TVC Leia with boiling water and luckily I got some fodder to practice with last week:

I found this bundle on eBay and got it for 50€/~$60 including shipping. It includes 63 figures...or at least what's left of them:

(https://i.imgur.com/uaoM7Wr.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/ZcjOwva.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/FtsKv8H.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/3rTYvK8.jpg)

The pre-owner apparently is a child and I asked his/her mom for more parts and accessories, but she said that's all she got. That means more work for me, but it's also going to be a lot of fun!
If you look close you'll find many different figures from many great sets, which were released between 2006-2009. Whoever played with these, it was a true battle...there's is actually not a single figure left, that is complete! None of them...

(https://i.imgur.com/YnvkpwX.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/dlTSTLH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/FhscetU.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/QQGgxnX.jpg)

And I already got specific plans with these here:

(https://i.imgur.com/dqhsA43.jpg)

This is actually the second fodder I got and should supply me with enough material for the coming years. I'm very happy to have found it fairly cheap compared to what the figures had cost once. So stay tuned for constant custom action...

Here's a sneak peek of what I'm going to do with them:

- Mandalorian repaint
- Kal Skirata
- Stormtrooper repaints
- Jedi Master Cin Drallig
- Clone Trooper Customs:
-- 327th Airborne Trooper
-- 327th BARC Trooper
-- 327th AT-RT Driver
-- AT-RT Driver Shock Trooper
-- 212th Attack Battalion Heavy Clone Trooper
-- 501st Legion Sharpshooter (ROTS videogame)
-- Kashyyyk Trooper with more camo deco
-- AT-RT Driver (41st Elite Corps) with alternatice camo deco
-- 607th Legion Clone Trooper

Best regards from Germany!

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Custom Action Figure Bundle
Post by: FialaFernbrugg on March 30, 2018, 01:53:23 AM: wow
Those figures saw a lot of action.
I hope you can restore some of them.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Custom Action Figure Bundle
Post by: Darth More on March 30, 2018, 02:30:31 AM: @FialaFernbrugg: Yes, indeed! I'll post some pictures of my attempts of taking figures apart with boiling water next week. Thanks for your comment and have a nice Easter weekend!

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Custom Action Figure Bundle
Post by: Tamer on March 30, 2018, 07:34:17 AM: And wow that is one epic lot of figures. I love thinking of how these were played with. And now you get to tlc em back together.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Custom Action Figure Bundle
Post by: talonreap on March 30, 2018, 11:44:34 AM: Whoa, nice haul!! Good luck on piecing them together! Can't wait to see what customs you make from all of them.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Custom Action Figure Bundle
Post by: Starchaser on March 30, 2018, 10:11:47 PM: Two comments:
1. Great bunch of fodder, that will give you loads of opportunity.
2. "Boil and pop" is process I use often. Heating water in a tea kettle (electric or otherwise) is a great way to get the heat you want. You have let the figures soak for about thirty seconds then be careful the water is hot (and can collect in their joints and cavities), but the plastic can start to harden up fairly quickly so you have to be ready to go. Sometimes I need to rewarm one part and pop the opposite (usually the "male" end) into the freezer for a few seconds to reassemble. Hope that helps. :)
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Custom Action Figure Bundle
Post by: (SID) on April 02, 2018, 07:32:31 AM: Hahahah 0/

Yeah man those kinda lots are the ENTIRE reason I stopped "collecting" and toy hunting.

What you got is treasure chest. Pasts alone resale is 3x what you paid. Hahaha

I'd rather spend my money on stuff this then some 4ft 14lbs $550 yadadada
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Custom Action Figure Bundle
Post by: Darth More on April 05, 2018, 06:04:20 AM: Thank you for all the comments guys! By the way: How much would you have been willing to spend on this particular fodder?

@Tamer: That's what I thought, too, when I found them online! The child who owned them before must be lucky to have such generous parents. His toys on the other hand weren't so lucky though... lvva It's like ToyStory.

@talonreap: Thanks buddy! Me too! It's gonna be tons of fun - and tricky I suppose!

@Starchaser: Thanks for your reply, mate!
Two answers:
1. Thank you! I was lucky I got them.
2. Thank you even more for taking the time to write down this precious advice! I will post some pics over the next days and keep you updated on me experimenting with boiling water and PVC ;D

@(SID): Haha that comment made my day! Thanks a lot SID! That's a good point! How much would you spend for a bunch of fodder like this one?

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: When Plastic Turns Into Rubber...
Post by: Darth More on April 07, 2018, 12:48:26 PM: When Plastic Turns into Rubber...

"Cooking is...nothing, but chemistry!"

First off all, I would like to espceially thank Jedi Minstrel, Tamer and Starchaser for your great support on this topic!

So after I received such great feedback on here, I couldn't wait much longer to try the boiling water technique in order to take action figures apart carefully and without breaking anything.
The feedback was VERY helpful and worked right away after I also put some closer thoughts into it!
And that's why I appreciate the community on here so much! Thank you all for your support and take a look at the results for yourself:

(https://i.imgur.com/MGarsMS.jpg)

So I quickly found some suitable figures for this experiment in my fodder that I shared in my last post.

(https://i.imgur.com/YvB8gXs.jpg)

I also needed to re-assemble two figures of that bundle. I wish I shot a video of me trying to put the Hoth Rebel Soldier back together without heating it before...it was a pain in my hands!

(https://i.imgur.com/BLTtVH7.jpg)

And this is what you need:

- a cooking pot
- water - just a little more than necessary to cover the parts you want to take apart
- tongs - to get the parts out of the hot water without burning your fingers
- gloves - makes it easier to work with the hot parts and putting them together
- energy: heat - water with a temperature of about 158-176 °F

(https://i.imgur.com/e5qBN9n.jpg)

I didn't want to throw the figures right into boiling water. Therefore I put them into the water right away so that they heat up evenly. The water doesn't even have to reach 100 °C/212 °F. A water temperature of about 60-70 °C/158-176 °F are enough to make the plastic soft enough to take it apart.Small bubbles gather on the surface of the parts while heating up:
I also tried to remove paint with this technique, but it did not work. Aceton/desinfectant/alcohol or magic erasers should work though.

(https://i.imgur.com/OPb7gMx.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/rMSDxlm.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/yQBULG5.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/xzNKEqt.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/3buXJjd.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/CInzmsq.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/2WDM5TQ.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/ClStcGf.jpg)

And putting them back together just works the same way:

(https://i.imgur.com/E5y583s.jpg)

Conclusion:

As I mentioned in my "call for help post" (Reply #9) I had never taken apart an action figure before. And once the figures were heated up evenly I was really surprised how easy it was to just pull all limbs apart.

Putting them together is a little more tricky though (it always is... ;))

Make sure you get an order and start with the torso and move on from there to the parts that are farest away - e.g. the forearms/hands.

For the hips: I recommend to you to heat up the hip and both upper legs together.

For all other parts: Just heat up the "negative" - if you also heat up the positive, it might become too soft to be pushed into the negative properly.

The right order to put all parts back together is important:

(https://i.imgur.com/oxdHydL.jpg)

If you heat up plastic, it will always loose some softener. I could see a layer of a shiny substance after "cooking" the figures. I assume that the loss of softener make the plastic more porous and dull/frosted/mat over time - if it's heated up and cooled down several times.

This was a very exciting and fun project! Thank you so much for your great support!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Best regards from Germany!

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: When Plastic Turns Into Rubber...
Post by: Tamer on April 08, 2018, 04:41:49 AM: Looks like you did good. Once again this is a nice resource. Let me go share this to the front pages. And thank you for the kind comments.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: When Plastic Turns Into Rubber...
Post by: Darth More on April 08, 2018, 05:59:32 AM: @Tamer: Yes, it worked very well! Thank you so much for your advice! The same fixing technique worked also for Leia right away...

When Plastic Turns into Rubber:

"The princess is fixe...I mean saved, now!"

(https://i.imgur.com/YnuctOh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/gkf3Fs7.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/e5qBN9n.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/eoaSQ0r.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/zZ0uHjA.jpg)

This picture was taken right after the first "bath" when both upper legs were detached from the torso:

(https://i.imgur.com/EWfCsNT.jpg)

Both upper legs were then exchanged:

(https://i.imgur.com/U9E8NBS.jpg)

Positive (upper leg) and negative (hip) were heated again and re-attached by rotating the swivel back and forth while pushing it into the negative. That way the edge of the upper leg's rim could get into the negative, again - a little tricky, but not too difficult!

(https://i.imgur.com/epRrPbh.jpg)

Problem solved!

(https://i.imgur.com/QMwRIgT.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/OKVaGGs.png)

Again, thank you so much guys! The princess was saved successfully!

Have a good Sunday everyone!

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: When Plastic Turns Into Rubber...
Post by: The Spectre on April 08, 2018, 06:51:11 AM: I have been using the boil n' pop method for well over 2 decades (I am a science buff and knew of the properties of the vinyl being used in toys) and even spread the word about it on the old Tomart forums in the mid 90's since people used to just cut the heads and limbs off of figures and re-glue them when making customs. It makes customization incredibly easy.

I developed a simplified version about 15 years ago- I just microwave a bowl of water for 5 minutes and submerge the figures in it after removing it from the microwave. This enables me to work on figures outside of the kitchen.

This is VERY important!- Dedicate one microwave safe bowl for this as chemicals leach out of the plastic and will render the bowl toxic. Do not eat anything out of that bowl as no amount of cleaning will ensure that all of the toxic chemicals have been eradicated. I would take the same care with whatever pot you used in your experiments as well since you noted a change in the water afterwards. You do not want to get sick from your hobby.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: When Plastic Turns Into Rubber...
Post by: (SID) on April 08, 2018, 11:59:56 AM: Thanks for the whole write up. Very cool and fun. I wish visual guides on sites had the exploded view of all the parts like you've posted.

Sooo many figures are only available on lots like you got because the super articulation causes too many parts... To "loose"

I've bought sooo many parts lots that I have soo many figures I don't know how to put together (or what's missing)... I guess that's the price I pay for not collecting after ROTS for many years.

Just remember with boil pop you don't want to keep them in too long or else a few negative outcomes will happen...

1. The figure will "shrink" The limbs will shorten and the torso/pelvis will loose its shape and/or crack. Which can cause your waists to stick like glue to torsos (trick keep spinning waist every so often then return to boil) (same goes for any leg/arm joints)

2. The colors of the plastic WILL change color... This is a good/bad thing considering outcome. So if you want to keep those exact shades of browns, whites, blues etc. Or only want to "restore" a figure use caution enough to know less time/heat the better.

3. SCULPTING. Yes. Boil it... Since its running take advantage. For years I tired everything to cure but most attempts I would get melted or distorted plastic... Oven, heat gun, hair drier etc. I've even tried all the other compounds/products out there... But just boiling sculpty is not only the easiest but the quickest... You just watch until it starts to "whiten". The best part of this Tactic is you can take your time and go layer by layer. It's the same rules after all of boil and pop (listed above)

--

Bonus:

You mentioned getting paint off figures... Mix vinegar with water (I keep it in a spray bottle) warm it just a bit and with a toothbrush it should come off... If you really need it off just add a few drops of dish soap or laundry detergent and let it sit for only a couple Mins each attempt. Too long with substances or submerged will alter both the plastic (stiffness) and fade the color.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: When Plastic Turns Into Rubber...
Post by: Forceflow on April 08, 2018, 04:33:13 PM: I'm a big proponent of hair driers to soften/pop off joints and clothing. Good for quick adjustments or test fitting. Boiling is certainly the best for total disassembly, though.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: When Plastic Turns Into Rubber...
Post by: Tamer on April 09, 2018, 02:46:17 AM: Great fix on the Leia.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: When Plastic Turns Into Rubber...
Post by: FialaFernbrugg on April 09, 2018, 09:34:25 AM: That's what I call a very informative and well-structured tutorial.
It is fascinating to see how clever some of these figures are engineered (for example the Han Solo belt).
Thank you for sharing this great tutorial with us.

-Christoph
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: When Plastic Turns Into Rubber...
Post by: Darth More on April 22, 2018, 06:26:39 AM: @The Spectre: First off: Thank you so much for your instant reply! That's a very good and important point you make here. Well, 20 years of boiling experience is actually longer than I even collect Star Wars stuff. I appreciate your advice very much and I will use a bowl which is suitable to be used in microwaves, for future projects like this.
The mixture of plastic for toys sold in the European Union is actually different from the materials used for the U.S. - Europe has even stricter rules for companies allowing them to use even less softener for toys. My chemistry teacher used to say: "The quantity makes the poison."
But you are right without a doubt - it's not healthy over time and I thank you a lot for your concern about me having used a cooking pot for it.

@(SID): Thank you so much (SID)! I'm glad to hear that! I myself was inspired by the awesome illustrations of DK books (illustrated encyclopedias and guides). And you make another very good point here: The chance to loose parts is definitely higher for super-articulated action figures than for figures with less articulation. That's something I had never thought of...probably because I don't play with them like some kids do. Still, I've always been afraid of loosing one of the many accessories some figures come with! ;)

And I see you gained a ton of experience about boiling, too! That's why I'm so thankful that you shared your knowledge with me in advance. I knew I didn't want to literally "boil" the figures. It's enough to just heaten them up to about 70 °C/158 °F. That's still a lot of energy and I definitely do not want the parts to sit there for too long!

Thank you and also for the guidance on how to remove paint! I'll certainly try it with vinegar!

@Forceflow: Using a hair dryer to remove single limps and parts sounds like a very efficient method! Thank you for your support and for your comment! I think I'm well prepared for similar projects in the future because of your great feedback on here!

@Tamer: Thank you so much! I could add the update on Leia right away thanks to your quick response!

@FialaFernbrugg: Thank you my firend! It was a very exciting experience for me, too, and I'm glad I took the time to share it! The secrets behind articulation of action toys are mysteriously, indeed, espcially the mechanisms of Transformers toys.
I'm looking forward to sharing some pics and background information about the prototypes I got recently. So stay tuned for those!

@all: I want to thank you all once again for your support! I didn't expect that this topic would receive so much reception! FialaFernbrugg was confident about it though and he was right!

Thank you so much and please apologize that I didn't find the time to answer you ealier.

Have a good Sunday everyone!

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Time for some sewing...
Post by: Darth More on July 13, 2018, 01:21:26 PM: It's time for some sewing...

So we stay on Hoth for now!

At the beginning of June 2018 eBay seller tunghori started selling the VC120 Rebel Soldier (Hoth).
Right at first sight I knew something was missing, but I didn't know what - being that excited to see him sell this figure and hit the buy-it-now button without hesitating! Then I took a closer look and recognized the obvious: The soft goods skirt is missing. But, hey, don't tell me the odds. So I wrote him and asked if all units he got came like this. The answer obviously...is YES:

(https://i.imgur.com/tWKC2Vc.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/XMr1zyZ.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/KRjmCGH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/CwTYcDp.jpg)

So I take this occasion to do some more sewing...stay tuned to see these great figures being completed.

I hope this tutorial is useful for everyone who also bought the VC120 Rebel Soldier from tunghori...

Oh, and one thing I'd like to say about the VC120 Rebel Soldier (Hoth):

It DOES feel (and smell) like The Vintage Collection from 2010-2012! It's good to have this feeling back...

You can get yours by following this link to tunghori's eBay store:

https://www.ebay.com/str/Star-Wars-Army-Store?_trksid=p2047675.l2563 (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5575055288&toolid=10001&campid=5337373868&customid=&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fstr%2FStar-Wars-Army-Store%3F_trksid%3Dp2047675.l2563)

Have a great weekend everyone!

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Time for some sewing...
Post by: Tamer on July 14, 2018, 04:32:05 AM: interesting to see how you solve this one. Off to let folks know Tunghori still has some great stuff.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Time for some sewing...
Post by: Darth More on July 14, 2018, 06:25:01 AM: Haha, thanks Tamer. I'm sure tunghori would appreciate the free add. He probably made so much money by now, that he doesn't even care. There are so many people following him and guarantee constant buisness for him. He got around $1,400 from me alone over the last eight years...and recently he rose prices for his figures...who knows where they even come from.
I must say, that I avoid buying much from him since he sells some figures even above the MRSP.

Right when you posted my "reminder", I went to a tailor's shop around the corner and asked for some scrap of cloth. Unfortunately they didn't have any, which really surprised me.
Now, I have to continue my search on Monday because all other tailor's are closed now.

I just thought this tutorial would be useful for everyone who also bought the VC120 Rebel Soldier from him...

Cheers!
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Time for some sewing...
Post by: Darth More on July 14, 2018, 06:42:28 AM: I just went to the tailor's shop around the corner on this nice and sunny Saturday to ask them for some scrap of cloth. I was quite surprised when they told me, they didn't have any left. The scrap they have is usually that little, that they throw it right away. So I have to continue my search on Monday because all other tailor's around me are closed on weekends.

Today, I continued with the next step: Making a stencil

And this is what you need for this 3-minute-task:

(https://i.imgur.com/VoZaqUH.jpg)

1: pair of compasses
2: pair of precision scissors
3: tape measure
4: graph paper for stencil

#1: VC120 Rebel Soldier (Hoth)
#2: SOTDS Rebel Soldier from Defense of Hoth Multipack (Target, 2010)

(https://i.imgur.com/dr0NGY1.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/0UJn2JT.jpg)

The stencil's measures are 8 cm x 1.5 cm. The final piece of cloth will be shorter though (about 6 cm x 1.5 cm should do). I'll add a loop though to attach at the waist.

Stay tuned for more progress next week! I hope to find some suitable pieces of cloth, then!

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Time for some sewing...
Post by: Tamer on July 15, 2018, 05:02:19 AM: Looks like you have it well covered. I am off to share your update.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Time for some sewing...
Post by: Sjefke on July 15, 2018, 09:25:28 AM: Just go to your local fabric store like JoAnnes.
They’ll let you buy as little as 2 inches of fabric, and they have scraps.
Clarification
2 inches long
36 inches wide.
It’ll still cost less than a buck, and Lord knows. You’ll want to have enough for the first 2 or 3 screw ups.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Time for some sewing...
Post by: Starchaser on July 16, 2018, 03:27:47 PM: Thanks for sharing. Good luck with the scrap hunt!
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Time for some sewing...
Post by: hemble on July 18, 2018, 12:36:33 AM: Great work mate.

Ron
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: What you can find at your local tailor's
Post by: Darth More on July 19, 2018, 11:05:15 AM: @Tamer: Thank you for sharing the project, Tamer!

@Sjefke: Wow, that is very generous! Thank you so much for the hint! Unfortunately JoAnnes is not located in Germany as far as I know. But I went to two of the nearby tailor's shops and found what I was looking for (see images below).

@Starchaser: Thank you for commenting Starchaser! It's always very appreciated to get feedback from you! And indeed, I got lucky on my hunt for scrap (see images below).

@hemble: Thank you, Ron!

So I assumed it wouldn't take long for me to find what I was looking for - even in a new city. Back home I also got some scrap of fabric, of which an entire bag was given to me when I kindly asked.

I got more than I could ask for and here is what I found this time:

Not only were these sheets of fabric given to me, but also some chunks of leather and other cutting loss. These different colors and textures bring many new opportunities for new customs...I'll take this scrap to mighty Jabba:

(https://i.imgur.com/aSb7FCX.jpg)

Many ideas come to my mind right in the moment when I see new and different pieces and materials. The tailor was very nice to me and wanted to give me even more than I eventually took with me.

And here's some foreshadowing of what's to come for future projects:

I got Kir Kanos and Carnor Jax (TAC Comic Pack, Crimson Empire) twice on eBay for about $3.80 USD each. They're not comlete though and are in need of a cape.
In the meantime you can still get yours by following the link. You'll find the exact offer I found on ebay, too. Recommendation: Compare prices from this seller before placing your order:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Star-Wars-Kir-Kanos-CARNOR-JAX-Crimson-Empire-Royal-Guard-30th-Anniversary/201623163588?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D52935%26meid%3D94686f897e844b6daceeab4dc438e574%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D201621990230%26itm%3D201623163588&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851 (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5575055288&toolid=10001&campid=5337373868&customid=&mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FStar-Wars-Kir-Kanos-CARNOR-JAX-Crimson-Empire-Royal-Guard-30th-Anniversary%2F201623163588%3F_trkparms%3Daid%253D555018%2526algo%253DPL.SIM%2526ao%253D2%2526asc%253D52935%2526meid%253D94686f897e844b6daceeab4dc438e574%2526pid%253D100005%2526rk%253D2%2526rkt%253D12%2526sd%253D201621990230%2526itm%253D201623163588%26_trksid%3Dp2047675.c100005.m1851)

(https://i.imgur.com/bUOJrko.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/i1e7L3L.jpg)

So they soon will look more like the TBS (former Walmart Exclusive) Emperor's Royal Guard.

I got this TBS P.I #02 Leia (Slave Outfit) loose for about $7 USD. Unfortunately her skirt got already torn and I think Hasbro didn't quite choose the original cloth and color of Carrie's costume anyway. So this is the third surprise that was given to me:

(https://i.imgur.com/fsA1JIe.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/IbLR1nH.png)
I do not own this image. Use only for reference.
Source: Wookieepedia
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Navel

And last, but not least I got the leftovers of two white shirts in order to complete the VC120 Rebel Soldier (Hoth). So stay tuned for the next update.

(https://i.imgur.com/W6n7XFr.jpg)

Personal Story:
I'm going to go to visit the tailor tomorrow, again, to appropriately thank her for all these materials she gave to me. Because all I could give to her was the loose change I got with me (2,50€). So she will receive a gift card and a cake tomorrow, too.
She told me to return in September when she closes her shop. I think that's quite sad. She told me that her business is struggling - times have changed and people rather throw their clothes away and buy new ones instead of having them repaired or adjusted. So she is going to give me even more materials...

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: What you can find at your local tailor's...
Post by: ghostskull18 on July 19, 2018, 06:38:39 PM: Very cool, an that is a very nice thing that you are doing for the tailor
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: What you can find at your local tailor's...
Post by: Tamer on July 20, 2018, 04:59:56 AM: Looks like you are ready to roll! I am anxious to see how some of this turns out.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: What you can find at your local tailor's...
Post by: FialaFernbrugg on July 21, 2018, 08:47:58 AM: The fabric sheets you got look fantastic.
The red fabric you have chosen for Kir Kanos and Kanor Carnor Jax is the perfect choice.
I can't wait to see the finished figures.

oh and btw:
thank you for the detailed "how to make a skirt for the Rebel Soldier" tutorial.
Very informative as always.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: What you can find at your local tailor's...
Post by: Darth More on July 31, 2018, 02:06:31 PM: ghostskull18: Thank you very much! She was quite surprised because she hadn't expected me to return before September as she told me to (more on that later). And she really appreciated the card I wrote her. So that made her day and my day for a second time!

Tamer: Thank you Shawn! Yes, I am. Which of them are you most excited about to see completed? Please let me know so that I can prioritize them ;)

FialaFernbrugg: Thank you very much my friend! Now, you got some pieces of those fabric, too! And I'm curious to see what you'll use them for. And you're very welocome!

Thank you all for your feedback! It's always very appreciated!

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Adding soft goods to VC120 Rebel Soldier
Post by: Darth More on July 31, 2018, 02:10:05 PM: (https://i.imgur.com/R4yocJm.jpg)

So knowing how to properly disassemble action figures helped for this project, too. Again, thank you everyone for the great support! This time around I heated up some water in a water heater and filled it into an old jar instead of a pot.

And also here have been made some smart designs for the connector of hips and torso:

(https://i.imgur.com/v96wyus.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/2LWtuWm.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/SUw8LQw.jpg)

This square socket keeps the belt from rotating:

(https://i.imgur.com/zD37UAk.jpg)

And the connector pin of VC120 is not only quite wide, but also long so it was tricky to take the torso apart even with hot water!

New stencil: for the actual piece of cloth, I knew I had to make another stencil before.

(https://i.imgur.com/aKgEyzr.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/C6F70vc.jpg)

I translated the countours of the stencil with a fine pencil.
The arrow in the picture shows a weakness of this cloth I was already expecting it to have:
The fibers of the cloth are fraying.

(https://i.imgur.com/lV6gIig.jpg)

I really like the shade of white and the texture of this fabric, though!

(https://i.imgur.com/k6LMW4O.jpg)

Putting the piece of cloth onto the socket for the first time actually looked quite promising to me:
The secind stencil is 1.3 cm wide, which is 2 mm shorter than the first stencil. This with is more accurate to the original.

(https://i.imgur.com/v7PiMRD.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/4MSbb6n.jpg)

Hasbro's soft goods are sewed from the reverse side for seamless stichings. That's all the secret behind it and very easy to make for a nice effect.
When I was done sewing it had already turned dark outside. So I took the following pictures with my ceiling lights on. And I will probably take them, again, because the parts look too yellow like that:

(https://i.imgur.com/26pjHCA.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/0nW1465.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/4XYCDWj.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/78YhErq.jpg)

I haven't re-assembled the figure, yet, because I'm not happy with the result at all. I need to find a way that the fabric doesn't fray anymore...for my first attempt of making softgoods for action figures myself, I say it turned out okay. The seams look like the ones from Hasbro, but this shirt's fabric is not suitable for this task. I do like its texture and the fact tha it's mat and not shining like the fabric Hasbro used.

I really hoped to finish this project today, but it still is a work in progress.
Spoiler alert: I'll also model a skirt out of sculpting clay because I got two Rebel Soldiers without it and I'm curious to see how VC120 looks like with a sculpted one...

Let's see how the next attempts turn out. My sister has a sewing machine and I think I ask her if I can use it.

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: What you can find at your local tailor's...
Post by: (SID) on July 31, 2018, 07:15:13 PM: Wow looks great.

You could try to "bead" a thick

An line of acrylic paint along the edges (and seams) to mimic the appearance of cloth. Don't know if that makes sense? I'm talking artificial hem line. :P

Another option would be to glue on small rubber bands as the fake hem.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: What you can find at your local tailor's...
Post by: Darth More on August 01, 2018, 01:58:51 AM: Thank you very much (SID)! I was so tired that I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. And I was also a bit frustrated by the result of my experiment. Thank you for your comment and your advice! I was also thinking of using a little paint so seal the edges, which would probably work better than glue. And I'm sure adding seams with a sewing machine would keep the fabric from fraying.
Once I can borrow a sewing machine from my sister I also think of sewing a octothorp pattern as seen on some other parts of the Hoth Rebel Soldiers' costume.
Anyhow the text edit is now complete on my lastest entry.

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: What you can find at your local tailor's...
Post by: Tamer on August 01, 2018, 04:40:40 AM: The next time we ask Hasbro Questions we should ask them what type of material they use for the soft goods on their action figures. Hopefully I will remember this when the time comes.

This is a most excellent tutorial. I know you weren't satisfied with the results because of the fabric, but wow your method is just spot on. Off to share.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: What you can find at your local tailor's...
Post by: customjedi on August 01, 2018, 12:31:51 PM: A poly/cotton knit such as Interlock won't be as susceptible to fraying. The most recent version of the 3.75 Royal Guard used that type (or similar) fabric. The other thing you could do is apply a fray stop liquid to the cut edge, though you'd want to test that out first as it can affect the look of the edge of fabric in some cases.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: What you can find at your local tailor's...
Post by: hemble on August 02, 2018, 11:42:12 PM: Great looking soft goods mate. With the fraying I use PVA and get a brush and brush the PVA over the area's that you want to cut and let it dry and when you cut it, it won't fray as the PVA glue hold it in place.

Ron.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: What you can find at your local tailor's...
Post by: Darth More on August 03, 2018, 03:51:14 PM: @Tamer: Yes, that's actually an interesting question! But I suppose they won't answer that. At the most they will say, they use a variety of synthetic favrics. I'll remind you when the next opportunity comes. And I think customjedi knows the answer already! :D
And thank you for your thumbs up! That gives me motivation to try, again!

@customjedi: Thank you so much for this great advice! I'm just at the beginning of this topic and still got so much to learn about different fabrics, stencils and sewing. It seems you know quite a bit about this! I appreciate your feedback very much! I'll try to get differen fabrics and this liquid.

@hemble: Thank you mate! I'll try that out! I actually thought of adding acrylic paint to the damaged skirt. Or I'll get some PVA and do it all again, which will be a bit of work, but a lot of fun, too - that's for sure!

Thank you so much for your replies, gentlemen! And have a good weekend!

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: What you can find at your local tailor's...
Post by: FialaFernbrugg on August 10, 2018, 02:21:28 AM: The soft goods skirt looks great so far.
Thank you for the detailed tutorial and the stencil.

You could try to remove the fringes with a lighter. I tried that on some of my customs.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: What you can find at your local tailor's...
Post by: Darth More on September 15, 2020, 12:50:50 PM: FialaFernbrugg: Thanks so much, buddy! I really need to finally finish that project and will definitely try to burn the fringes. I think I got the right cotton cloth that won't burn that easily.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Darth More on September 15, 2020, 01:00:53 PM: 1/18 scale lightsabers cheap on ebay

I used to check ebay power sellers etoystores (https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fm.html%3F_ssn%3Detoystores%26_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3Dlightsaber%26_sop%3D15&campid=5337377665&toolid=10001&customid=), cutesource (https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fm.html%3F_ssn%3Dcutesource%26LH_PrefLoc%3D%26_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp2499338.m570.l1313%26_nkw%3Dstar%2Bwars%26_sacat%3D0&campid=5337377665&toolid=10001&customid=) and wiwus (https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2FLot-Lightsaber-Blue-weapon-For-3-75-Star-Wars-Clone-Trooper-Figure-boy-toy%2F353068867420%3Fhash%3Ditem52348b5f5c%3Ag%3AhTMAAOSwalde2ecH&campid=5337377665&toolid=10001&customid=) on a regular basis, but over the last months I got busy with other stuff. Meanwhile they listed more and more different sets of lightsabers and other accessories. The blue and green ones are sold as "genuine", but the red ones are nothing behind regarding quality.
They also seem to change their names on ebay on a regular basis or open dozens of different stores just to confuse you finding the best offer. So take your time and compare prices. It pays off!

So if you need to complete your action figures with lightsabers and blasters or need some acessories for your custom figures, they might have something for you!

I used a few of the red lightsabers for my latest custom figures of Darth Sion (http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10186.msg221266#msg221266) and General Grievous (http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10513.msg221347#msg221347).

Unfortunately, all green lightsabers have sold out quickly, but I contacted etoyshop and he told me, that he's going to relist them again. All other sets can still be found. Until then you can also refer to purpletoy2008 (https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fm.html%3F_ssn%3Dpurpletoy2008%26LH_PrefLoc%3D%26_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp2499338.m570.l1313%26_nkw%3Dlightsaber%26_sacat%3D0&campid=5337377665&toolid=10001&customid=), but I don't have any experience with this seller and shipping is $4.99. The others offer FREE international shipping.

(https://i.imgur.com/zf8XzD4.jpg)

Here are some listings that I used and that pay off the most:

(https://i.imgur.com/fD18Wc8.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/rZHBGWU.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/WSD8chg.jpg)
Beware the DC-17 blasters and red lightsabers are probably NOT AUTHENTIC!
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Tamer on September 16, 2020, 03:03:54 AM: Thanks for taking the time to put this together. Off to share it on the front pages.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Darth More on September 25, 2020, 09:27:11 AM: Thanks for sharing this, Tamer! I think there are quite a few people out there looking for loose lightsabers. My order has passed the Dutch customs already. They arrived in Amsterdam, NL (interesting) and have been forwarded to Frankfurt a.M., DE. So I might receive them tomorrow and will share pictures. Cannot wait to paint the hilts of the blue ones!
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Tamer on September 26, 2020, 07:17:05 AM: It will be great to see what you think of your order. Everyone needs a new lightsaber for their figures.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Darth More on October 02, 2020, 07:33:44 AM: The lot of loose lightsabers in red and blue arrived here by mail on Saturday.

The plastic of the red ones is clear. The material of the blue lightsabers is less translucent (like the one of ROTS & TLC General Grievous). They still glow when photographed with flash though (see second picture).
I don't remember ever seeing this red lightsaber on an official release by Hasbro, but I'm almost certain that the blue lightsabers are the real deal.

Most of the red lightsaber however came bent and with some small spots of black paint. The paint can be removed by rubbing them off and hot water will straighten them.

They came in the usual plastic envelope/folded plastic bag, which I didn't take a picture of.

(https://i.imgur.com/I08J6Fm.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/LqOlYge.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/O9zya10.jpg)

I cannot wait to paint the hilts of some of the blue lightsabers and make a blue double-bladed one for a planned custom of Satele Shan!

- Darth More
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Starchaser on October 02, 2020, 10:49:22 AM: Good for you! I'm excited that you are doing a Satele Shan custom, I've been contemplating her as well. As far as the red saber goes, I know there was a blue saber with that hilt released (just had it sitting on my desk last week - but it got put away), I'm not sure about a red version, though it vaguely runs in my mind that I've seen one. Anyway - no matter, you've got a great batch of sabers to work with.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Darth More on October 02, 2020, 12:46:37 PM: Starchaser: Thanks buddy! I thought the red ones looked quite similar to Obi-Wan's Ep. I hilt, but not quite. So your hint is extremely helpful because I now think that all lightsabers offered are made with the original molds. They probably just took red plastic instead of blue for these. I'm going to ask the seller for a little refund because none of the red lightsabers came flawless and I overpaid for them compared to their other offers. (I didn't discover the best ones before I had already purchased the first 10 red lightsabers, was too excited to have found them separately/without a Vader figure).
So now I can give all the red sabers back to the 10 Vaders and make four of them the official lightsabers of my dark side version of General Grievous (http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10513.msg221347#msg221347).
I really hope some of these sellers will restock the green lightsabers, too. Meanwhile I try to find the perfect base for Satele Shan. Serra Keto is also on my list. At least I have all 3 lightsabers for both ladies to start with. lol
Thanks again and have a nice weekend!

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Starchaser on October 02, 2020, 02:40:21 PM: Quote from: Darth More on October 02, 2020, 12:46:37 PM
Starchaser: Thanks buddy! I thought the red ones looked quite similar to Obi-Wan's Ep. I hilt, but not quite. So your hint is extremely helpful because I now think that all lightsabers offered are made with the original molds. They probably just took red plastic instead of blue for these. I'm going to ask the seller for a little refund because none of the red lightsabers came flawless and I overpaid for them compared to their other offers. (I didn't discover the best ones before I had already purchased the first 10 red lightsabers, was too excited to have found them separately/without a Vader figure).
So now I can give all the red sabers back to the 10 Vaders and make four of them the official lightsabers of my dark side version of General Grievous (http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10513.msg221347#msg221347).
I really hope some of these sellers will restock the green lightsabers, too. Meanwhile I try to find the perfect base for Satele Shan. Serra Keto is also on my list. At least I have all 3 lightsabers for both ladies to start with. lol
Thanks again and have a nice weekend!

- Philipp

Serra's on mine as well - I wish Hasbro had gotten to these two figures.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Darth More on October 03, 2020, 01:08:45 AM: Starchaser: Yes, Hasbro have missed dozens of opportunities...I wish they paid more attention to character of video games and media like The Clone Wars, again. It seems only the 6 inch line gets that kind of love. But Eric of the brand team told me that they are aware that characters of videogames have become more popular during the last decade (since the end of Comic Packs). Too bad that he only works on The Black Series though...

Do you have any suggestion which body to use for Serra? I'm going to use a TBS Bastila body for Satele, which I got for 8€.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Tamer on October 03, 2020, 07:48:19 AM: Cool deal, I need to go get this on the front pages too.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Darth More on October 21, 2020, 12:24:00 AM: Last week I learned a lot about ebay power seller etoystores with almost 60,000 transactions.

1) I wrote him concerning the bent red lightsabers. And he recommended me trying to straighten them first (which I did with hot water). I'm not complaining. That's a smart recommendation and FREE shipping from China is also not a matter of course. But with 50 cents a piece it would be nice to receive them straight still.

2) Green lightsabers are still out of stock. I so wish I had become aware of these offers earlier. Instead I ordered 60 more of the blue lightsabers for 30 ct/pc. Interesting to note is that etoystores has a supplier. I wonder who this is and will ask him. IF he tells me I'll ket you know. It's always thrilling to learn about the structures of the factories producing our favorite toys...
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Tamer on October 21, 2020, 02:27:47 AM: Interesting. I look forward to seeing if they share how they get them.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Darth More on October 28, 2020, 07:40:47 AM: I received my latest set of lightsabers a week ago and re-discovered it today when I brought the trash to the containers and recognized this envelope was still sealed. I almost threw them away! Last week was a little stressful, that's probably why it landed in the bag with some loose plastic stuff.

Interesting to note this time is, that etoystores sent me a little variety of lightsabers:

24x generic lightsaber (e.g. General Grievous)
14x Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber
2x Obi-Wan Kenobi's lightsaber

That's quite odd because I didn't order 3 different designs, only 2x20 generic lightsabers for $4.99 each. Maybe etoystores wanted to do me a favor, but I think he's rather running out of stock.
I still am happy with them. Got a couple Obi-Wan figures, which need to be completed. And I'm sure there are a few Anakins missing one as well.

(https://i.imgur.com/1VOoDVu.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/IpraL5w.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Zh9RGNM.jpg)

Also interesting to note is that the set of blue lightsabers, I received recently, is darker than the first one:

(https://i.imgur.com/5yglGbM.jpg)
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Eyositer on October 28, 2020, 02:57:16 PM: Good thing you didn’t throw them out lol. That’s a lot of lightsabers!
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Tamer on October 29, 2020, 03:11:00 AM: Glad you didn't throw the bag away!
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Starchaser on October 29, 2020, 11:24:59 PM: Thanks for the update! As for the Serra body, I haven't really had the time to work on designing her yet, but I'll let you know when (and if) I ever get to her.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Darth More on November 11, 2020, 03:37:30 AM: Eyositer: Yes, I'm really glad, too! I throw most of the stuff in the bin seperately. Got a bag for loose plastic packaging and stuff. So fortunately I recognized the unopened plastic envelope with air-bubble foil inside, which I always seperate. I never thought I would have so many extra lightsabers to complete loose action figures! Thanks for your comment!

Tamer: Yeah, would've been 40 lightsabers wasted. Glad I never swith off my brain, which doesn't mean I never make mistakes. ;D

Starchaser: Thanks for checking by! I keep my fingers crossed that you'll find time to make her reality! I might've found a body (TAC Bultar Swan), only need a head now.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Tamer on November 11, 2020, 07:28:15 AM: My wife almost threw away her engagement ring as I kind of hid it in another birthday present I got her. I had to really work hard to get her to go back to the trash and look through the gift bag one more time. Kinda ruined the moment, but she did say yes.

And we are still married 22 years later. Still its a good lesson to look through the whole parcel before you trash it!
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: FialaFernbrugg on November 14, 2020, 01:25:12 AM: I'm glad you didn't throw them away. That would have been an expensive mistake.
The casting quality of the blue sabres looks very good.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Darth More on January 24, 2021, 03:17:49 AM: Tamer: Wow, that's a really poignant story. Sorry for my late reaction. Don't know if I will ever buy a ring. But I think you did well hiding your ring for her and your wife did well saying yes. Sometimes you find gold in places you least expect it. Congratulations to your long lasting bound & best wishes for every day coming.

FialaFernbrugg: Thanks for your comment! Yeah, it would've been 5 bucks straight to the trash plus all the fuel wasted to get it from HongKong to Germany. The seller was nice enough to send me an extra 20 blue ones for a set that I believed to have gotten lost after 7 weeks. So none of them were thrown away by me, yet. Reminds me of these cocktail sticks and straws that are thrown away by the billions each year. More to come soon.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Darth More on March 23, 2021, 02:13:38 AM: What used to be sold as "prototype" is a complete product now!

(https://i.imgur.com/xAfCIPY.gif)

Various different accounts (probably run by the same people) sell incredible amounts of lightsabers for your 3.75" action figures on ebay now (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Star-Wars-Lightsaber-Gun-Weapon-for-3-75-Clone-Trooper-Figure-Accessories-Toys/313377224404?var=612255417425&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5337373868&customid=&toolid=10001&mkevt=1)!
This time around the hilts are finally painted! And the colors of the blades look great! They're available in 4 different colors: light blue, (slightly) dark(er) blue, light green and red.
They're made of the same mold so all the hilts are the same. But you can still apply some custom paint modifications to make them look different.
You can buy 100 pcs of either one color or an equally mixed bag of all 4 different ones for as low as 40 cents each!
Sets of 5, 8, 10, 16, 32 and 64 lightsabers can also be selected, but I share the cheapest offer for you, which is the set of 100 lightsabers. And don't worry, I don't get a penny to promote this, but this is a hot source for your custom fodder and extra accessories! So get some while supplies last!

Here's the link:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Star-Wars-Lightsaber-Gun-Weapon-for-3-75-Clone-Trooper-Figure-Accessories-Toys/313377224404?var=612255417425 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Star-Wars-Lightsaber-Gun-Weapon-for-3-75-Clone-Trooper-Figure-Accessories-Toys/313377224404?var=612255417425&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5337373868&customid=&toolid=10001&mkevt=1)

(https://i.imgur.com/aioXFfY.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/vL8XxtI.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/N28FpGi.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/euEB750.png)
General Grievous - The Mother-Collector of Lightsabers

Grievous certainly likes that offer! My second batch of lightsabers with 25 pieces of each color is on its way for $39.99 and FREE SHIPPING. Both times I entered ebay using our forum's link on the frontpage and I really hope the affiliate stuff worked.

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Tamer on March 23, 2021, 03:02:15 AM: Very nice. Time to go get this on the front pages.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Starchaser on March 24, 2021, 05:31:51 PM: Thanks for the heads up!
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Darth More on March 25, 2021, 01:13:43 AM: Tamer: Thanks for sharing the modified link! I hope the affiliate links make a difference and help the forum a bit.

The quality of the lightsabers sold by this seller is phenomenal! No inclusions in the blades, to dirt, no scratches just clear colors and well-applied silver paint.

Starchaser:Thanks for commenting! I've always dreamed of having so many extra lightsabers left in my parts bin. I'm going to modify some of them. I started making some double-bladed ones in blue for the generic Jedi Temple Jedi from the original Battlefront II videogame.
If Hasbro won't release a Satele Shan, I'll customize one myself. But Serra Keto is first on my list.
For some off reason my to-do list gets longer and longer...is anybody familiar with this phenomenon?

(https://i.imgur.com/AqCPln3.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ruY3RI1.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/4sFanlq.jpg)

Update: 07/12/2022

I ordered some clear acrylic rods on AliExpress for some custom lightsaber blades. I also want to light some of them up. Another reason why I cannot wait to continue working on them!
I shared more images on the thread about my experiences with AliExpress (http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10896.msg229813#msg229813).

(https://i.imgur.com/sWN6Kk6.jpg)
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Tamer on March 25, 2021, 03:00:01 AM: These look great. Great idea on the double versions. Off to share your update on the front pages.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Don on March 25, 2021, 08:30:33 PM: Enjoying this thread! Tempted by the lightsabers now that you're starting to make other thingsd out of them!
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Darth More on March 26, 2021, 11:41:34 AM: Thank you, Don. Well, you don't have to spend $40. Here's a set of five unpainted "prototype" lightsabers for less than $5 shipped:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-5-prototype-Lightsaber-For-Star-Wars-Clone-Trooper-3-75-Action-Figure-Toy/383876774297
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Starchaser on March 26, 2021, 11:59:44 AM: The double sabers are a great idea and they are looking good. I might need to do a couple, or a saber-staff.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: loose lightsabers cheap on ebay!
Post by: Darth More on May 08, 2021, 04:10:02 PM: Starchaser: Thank you! Yes, I can really recommend to you to do so! I don't regret getting over 250 sabers over the past 6 months. These unpainted lightsabers are perfect to be customized and I'll use the painted ones for future custom projects. I'm especially happy with so many extra red and green lightsabers since they had gone for crazy money on ebay before.
Blue lightsabers for some reason weren't in such a high demand. I'm looking forward to tackling some of the Jedi customs on my list, soon! But first, I'll share a background character of my favorite Star Wars game below:
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimodian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: Darth More on May 08, 2021, 04:26:24 PM: Neimoidian Commander - Revenge of the Sith

Source: Revenge of the Sith videogame

(https://i.imgur.com/rKCMZTs.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/kTwQN5s.jpg)
Screenshot from the original Star Wars game for Nintendo DS consoles. See images at the end for source and more reference material.

Neimoidian Gunnery Battalion

"'What happened?'"
"Some kind of weapons malfunction, from the looks of it, sir!"
-- A Neimoidian councillor and a Neimoidian guard

The Neimoidian Gunnery Battalion, also known as the Royal Guard, was a Separatist military unit created by the Separatist Council of the Confederacy of Independent Systems to provide important officials with sentient guards when it was too risky to use droids that were vulnerable to centralized deactivation.
Source: Wookieepedia
Read the full article on here (https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Neimoidian_Gunnery_Battalion).

First, I wanted to share this custom on my main thread of custom figures (http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10186.msg198186#msg198186), but since this figure was missing a couple parts, I thought I show you how I replaced them here.
As you might already know, Revenge of the Sith is my favorite Episode of the Prequel Trilogy.
Therefore the videogame to this final Episode of the Lucas' Saga is my favorite of all times. I have it for XBOX360 and my brother used to play it on his Nintendo DS. That's how I recognized that there were some differences in both versions of the game. This brass color Neimoidian Warrior only appears in the portable version of the game.
And to me they are Neimoidian Commanders. We got two different Neimoidian Warriors from Hasbro so far, which is an absolute blessing compared to the poor selection and variety of today's Vintage Collection, but back in 2005 Hasbro made no cuts on expenses to even give us the most extreme "blink and you miss them" characters.

(https://i.imgur.com/5yXdUu1.jpg)
Source: Wookieepedia

So here's my take on the Neimoidian Commander and you'll see throughout the following pictures that I also added some details of my own. During the process I thought of adding a second metal color to go with the brass dry-brush.

But first, I had to complete this figure, which I found on eBay for 4,75€. I especially like to use figures like this that are incomplete and even played with for my customs.

Completing the figure: Replicating the missing helmet and finding a nice blaster for him

(https://i.imgur.com/p2bEnSH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/veOcPbn.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/RskLfv8.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/6uB8q5e.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/VX2Xyfh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/G2q8jGn.jpg)

I found this blaster for him, which I believe belongs to a TCW figure. I only have it once and I didn't want to sacrifice it, so I replicated it the same way that I did with the helmet:

(https://i.imgur.com/5gafeEZ.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Zf5qvSS.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/TCkQZ3D.jpg)

You can see my full tutorial on molding & casting by following this link (http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10633.msg213019#msg213019). Special thanks to Clonehead for sharing some of his tips & tricks on this interesting topic. I actually opened the helmet's mold live when I was talking to FialaFernbrugg and it was a great surprise for both of us to see that the helmet was casted well. And also the details on the blaster came out better than expected even though I got some slight lagging in the cast.

Priming the figure & accessories:

(https://i.imgur.com/Jc0oiVv.jpg)
Here are some pictures of the "black series" stage of the figure. And since JDeck is a fan of Samurai and Ninjas I thought I share this as part of the process.

Materials and Paints I used:

(https://i.imgur.com/G5Ch3uj.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/QurtJgH.jpg)

Primer (acrylic):
- Vallejo's Black Airbrush Primer

humbrol (enamel):
- Brass MET 54 for the armor
- Polished Steel 27003 for the blaster rifle
- Gun Metal 27004 (30%) & Revell's Iron 91 (70%) to paint the details on chest plate of the armor

Revell
- Green SM 384 (20%) & Iron 91 (80%) to paint the scope's lenses in green metallic

Varnish Seal:
- Vallejo's Satin Airbrush Varnish

Painted figure:

(https://i.imgur.com/XmwQApW.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/iMSJ2xB.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/hSnlOvl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/5F0s7Gw.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/dt2dqnM.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/0ez74xD.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/di0FsrR.jpg)

Varnished figure:

When I tried to varnish the figure, the enamel paint started dissolving, again. So I decided to stop sealing the metal colors with an acrylic varnish. Instead, I finally sealed blue Snaggletooth (http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10186.msg218047#msg218047), which I painted with acrylic paints by Citadel.
You can take a look at the full making of Snaggletooth here (http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10186.msg218047#msg218047).

(https://i.imgur.com/xNcFClE.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/JyMSD4Q.jpg)

Maybe I'll try to seal the Neimoidian Commander with a spray-varnish later on. Even though I don't touch the figures a lot, the metal enamel paint by humbrol tends to be quite sensitive and rub off rather quickly.

Reference Material:

Wizards of the Coast is owned by Hasbro and released a brass metallic version of the Neimoidian for their MINIATURES tabletop game, which is a great reference:

(https://i.imgur.com/q2dHvqw.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/eSmQCvp.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/4UeyRTq.jpg)

Here's a full gameplay of the story mode played with Anakin on Nintendo DS:

Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (DS) - Longplay (Anakin) by Tsunao the Faker on YouTube:

And here are some more screenshots I've taken from the video above:

(https://i.imgur.com/8LEw8VM.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/B957kNI.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/K5XPgtC.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/VnPrUw1.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/58KcYh2.jpg)
Source: Kingdom Hearts Unlimited Wiki (https://kingdom-hearts-unlimited.fandom.com/wiki/Neimoidian_Gunnery_Battalion)

(https://i.imgur.com/ifZiuyA.jpg)

If you got any questions, please let me know by leaving a comment below.

- Philipp
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimodian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: Starchaser on May 08, 2021, 11:50:54 PM: Nice! I really appreciate the detailed tutorial as well. The parts turned out really well and its cool that FF was part of the reveal:)
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimodian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: Darth More on May 09, 2021, 04:38:48 AM: Thank you Starchaser. Yes, I pressed the Epoxy clay into the mold in the morning and spent the rest of the Friday at the desk. The clay needs about 2.5 hours to cure. And I was looking forward to open the mold in the evening when I was talking to Christoph. I showed him all projects I'm working on at the moment. They include 2 dioramas and 3 custom figures. One of them was the Neimoidian Commander.
I added pictures this morning and will add the paints I used as well. Doing some tests on the varnishes I got recently (http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10416.msg224735#msg224735).

Again, thank you for being one member on here keeping the forum and threads alive. I'm always happy to read your comments, that makes all the editing worth the effort!
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimoidian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: Tamer on May 09, 2021, 05:37:22 AM: Wow, you did a great job casting up the parts you needed. That paint work is just fantastic too. Looks spot on to me. Off to share this on the front pages.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimodian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: Starchaser on May 11, 2021, 01:50:38 PM: Quote from: Darth More on May 09, 2021, 04:38:48 AM
Thank you Starchaser. Yes, I pressed the Epoxy clay into the mold in the morning and spent the rest of the Friday at the desk. The clay needs about 2.5 hours to cure. And I was looking forward to open the mold in the evening when I was talking to Christoph. I showed him all projects I'm working on at the moment. They include 2 dioramas and 3 custom figures. One of them was the Neimoidian Commander.
I added pictures this morning and will add the paints I used as well. Doing some tests on the varnishes I got recently (http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10416.msg224735#msg224735).

Again, thank you for being one member on here keeping the forum and threads alive. I'm always happy to read your comments, that makes all the editing worth the effort!

Thanks Philipp, I know how I feel when I post something and there is little acknowledgement. I can always count on Tamer, but if I just wanted to "put it out there" I would use pintrest or some other "looky-loo" format. The thread is to share ideas, inspiration and feedback - at least that's what I think. Some of our folks are really brilliant and have their own Facebook and websites and such to showcase their amazing work. I'm more of a "tinkerer" - dipping in when I have some time and an idea I like. I enjoy Star Wars and I enjoy customizing, and think I have enough artistic talent to not embarrass myself and even inspire something occasionally, but my life is full and I will never master the craft like some of our amazing artists. That being said, I try to comment, though not with the depth that most entries deserve, because I believe that acknowledging the investment to create and post deserves to be acknowledged, and I'd rather say something than not say something because I can't say all that could or should be said.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimoidian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: JDeck on May 11, 2021, 04:47:47 PM: Very cool nemoidian. The castings came out perfectly and the paint selection is great. Yeah they do have a samurai look to them. Like the layers of plated armor, and of course the helmet. They also remind me of 16-17th century dutch armor. The Trade Federation/ Nemoidians were loosely base on the Dutch East india company, which was a trading company that used it's own military force to obtain a monopoly in the worldwide spice trade during the 17th century.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimoidian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: FialaFernbrugg on May 15, 2021, 05:16:32 AM: The Neimoidian Commander turned out great. The recasted parts look fantastic and the paint job is phenomenal.
It is very impressive how much work you put in your posts.
Excellent work as always.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimoidian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: Darth More on May 15, 2021, 06:11:02 AM: Tamer: Thanks for sharing & the compliment! Sometimes enamel paints are the best way to go when it comes to dry-brushing. And as it turned out, I rather leave it like that because the satin varnish takes away the metal pigments again...

Starchaser: Well, I do my best to keep up and comment on as many projects shared as possible. Yes, I love Pinterest. I had the app on my old phone, but haven't logged in there since. In fact I like Pinterest a lot more than Instagram. I leave Instagram to all the bling-bling models and rich lifestyle boyz. Pinterest is for the creative minds out there. But I guess most users are where most bare skin is at. But there are also incredible customizers on Insta.
I'll have to see what I do with my accounts outside this forum. Imperialshipyards is like a home to me, I'll always stay here and really appreciate Tamer's daily featuring.

I love understatements! Well said - and I really enjoy following your projects on here. Thanks for the welcome on here. I'm really glad to be part of this small & happy community now.

JDeck: I'm once again impressed by your in-depth knowledge about history! That's exactly what they look like! I remember John Smith wearing such a helmet in Disney's Pocahontas! Thanks so much for your comment and the really interesting hint!

FialaFernbrugg: Thank you so much for the spontaneous talk. Just when I was writing this comment I had to go get my coffee. Thanks for the compliment! I'm also happy with the quality of these rather simple and cheap re-casts. Well, I know many truly skilled artists out there don't see dry-brushing as skill to be proud of. But I'm surprised by the results one can achieve with this simple technique every time again. I'm satisfied with this enamel metal tone. In my opinion it does justice to the character as he appeared in the game. And I could well see a Neimoidian in this exact armor on Mustafar or Cato Neimoidia. And yeah I try to provide as much background inforamtion as possible for everyone who wants to try this out as well.

By the way, I also spelled it "Neimodian" before - only recognized the difference when I read the headline on Wookieepedia. Thanks for your comments guys!
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimoidian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: JDeck on May 15, 2021, 05:04:13 PM: Yeah you probably know the Dutch East India company better as the Verenigde Oost-idische Compagnie or VOC. they were the largest company in world history, worth in today's money over 7 Trillion Dollars. Unlike the British East India company the VOC was granted powers to wage war and create fortifications. Jan Pieterszoon Coen, the Governor General of the Indies once said, " We cannot make war without trade, nor trade without war", So I guess that's why Lucas modeled the Trade Federation after them, they were insanely powerful and corrupt, which lead to their downfall. Anyway I found a picture of 17th century dutch armor and if you squint your eyes it looks exactly like a nemoidian. I'll remove it, I just wanted you to see it. But again great work on them.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimoidian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: Darth More on May 16, 2021, 12:40:07 AM: Wow, that's a nice insight into the history of the Netherlands and roots of Star Wars. It's always interesting to see what else inspired George Lucas. I find this very inspiring and some fellow customizers may as well, so please leave the image here if that's okay with you.
I'm definitely reading more about the VOC's history. This morning I watched some tutorials on sculpting as I'm working on a Felucia diorama at the moment.
Thank you so much for sharing your historical knowledge here! This is so much fun and makes me wish I could travel to the Netherlands again and visit some museums there. But bless the internet in this case as we can get almost all information here as well.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimoidian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: Darth More on August 04, 2021, 03:54:36 AM: I added some more reference pictures to my Neimoidian Commander (http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=10179.msg224825#msg224825).
It's interesting how many variations Wizards of the Coast made for their MINIATURES tabletop game. And makes me wonder how much more concept art exists of my favorite Episode: Revenge of the Sith

(https://i.imgur.com/4UeyRTq.jpg)

You can join the discussion on the Star Wars Miniatures series here (http://www.imperialshipyards.net/SMF/index.php?topic=5098.msg78361#msg78361).
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimoidian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: Darth More on July 19, 2023, 05:41:37 AM: I know I'm Captain Obvious here, but I took the time to get all my custom fodder together. With the few extra hands and helmet I got over the years, I was able to complete some figures.
Sometimes it pays off to go through the custom inventory.
Do you trade any loose parts on Facebook or elsewhere? Tipoca City Traders seem to be very serious about it. I don't like most FB groups because most of my posts were never published.

Hands are tough for me to cast in resin. But I know that there's flexible resin (like rubber) available for 3D printers. So that might be the right solution for me down the road.

(https://i.imgur.com/UwJu4YJ.jpg)
I was able to complete all the troops above with original parts.
(https://i.imgur.com/rzFsGiO.jpg)
Finally completed the Anti-Hailfire Squad
(https://i.imgur.com/4zaKTay.jpg)
Just two head-swaps between troops from 2 different lots completed 2 more 327th Troopers!
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimoidian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: RC-1136 on July 19, 2023, 06:16:03 AM: I don't know if he ships to international buyers but this is a great source for hands...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/295783728780?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=ns5tTz8rR8O&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=TAkS0fVoQqK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY (https://www.ebay.com/itm/295783728780?mkcid=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&ssspo=ns5tTz8rR8O&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=TAkS0fVoQqK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY&siteid=0&campid=5337377665&customid=&toolid=10001)
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimoidian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: Tamer on July 19, 2023, 09:11:16 AM: Figures look good. Glad you were able to complete em.
Title: Re: Restoring Star Wars Action Figures: Neimoidian Commander - Revenge of the Sith
Post by: Starchaser on July 21, 2023, 12:21:40 PM: You have to be patient to complete figures sometimes. Good job finishing up trooper units.