The Imperial Shipyards
Imperial Creative Engineering => Custom Figures => Topic started by: DocOutlands on June 04, 2009, 11:36:37 AM
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You know how sometimes you get a crazy fragment of an idea that you need to capture before it escapes so you can come back to it later? I'm getting some of those in fairly quick succession. I figured I'd start a Datapad on here, so folks can see my crazy fragments and maybe toss in comments or warnings, thus allowing me to benefit from multiple creative centers.
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sounds good to me, Doc. Let me guess, you are planning to concoct a chocolate and mushroom omlett?
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Detcharges - we already got 'em! Came in a Han Solo Endor fig and one of the accessory packs. I have some. I'll be making molds of them.
Detpacks - the RC's favorite door-knocker! Also features prominently in the Battlefront arsenal. They are your basic timebomb - semi-cylindrical explosives, electronics panel, and everything. I've got an ammo-container somewhere in my shop - I think it is a Heller piece - that is a pair of joined cylinders. One of the bundles of mixed action fig pieces I got was a belt with scads of electronic boxes on it. The belt was waaaaay too big for a SW fig, but the boxes can be cut free and thinned down for other projects - like door-controls, light-bridge controls, or...detpacks!! So, I'm going to try trimming down one of the console boxes to fit onto the ammo-canister and then cast them. ARCs and RCs need plenty of ways to make things go boom!
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sounds good to me, Doc. Let me guess, you are planning to concoct a chocolate and mushroom omlett?
I'm hoping that's a warning to NOT go that route...
;D
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Detcharges - we already got 'em! Came in a Han Solo Endor fig and one of the accessory packs. I have some. I'll be making molds of them.
Detpacks - the RC's favorite door-knocker! Also features prominently in the Battlefront arsenal. They are your basic timebomb - semi-cylindrical explosives, electronics panel, and everything. I've got an ammo-container somewhere in my shop - I think it is a Heller piece - that is a pair of joined cylinders. One of the bundles of mixed action fig pieces I got was a belt with scads of electronic boxes on it. The belt was waaaaay too big for a SW fig, but the boxes can be cut free and thinned down for other projects - like door-controls, light-bridge controls, or...detpacks!! So, I'm going to try trimming down one of the console boxes to fit onto the ammo-canister and then cast them. ARCs and RCs need plenty of ways to make things go boom!
Now you are talking about modification to parts prior to casting. Way to go, Doc. You are learning too fast.
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Goes with the detpacks.
Wife brought home some of the "short can" soft-drinks today. It occurred to me that I could primer-paint several of them and mount them upside down in a row to create a bulk-material storage facility. This implies manufacturing...which implies "legitimate target" during wartime! So of course, my brain started generating a inner monologue/voice-over from the clone involved, about how the Seps had spotted them making planetfall two days ago and all targets were on high alert and their security sweeps wouldn't stop until they found something. So the commandos were leaving some not-quite-obvious presents behind to be found, in the form of detpacks/demo charges. Security would find them and defuse them, then go their merry way, hopefully never finding the sabotaged valves and programming that would result in an unusable facility.
Wow - I think that could be a photonovella, actually...
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Ok, ideas I have a plenty. One thing I would like to see is a small portable Echo base screen, like the one that came with the Saga Hoth Riekan except a smaller version. I saw that new TLC Ugnaught's data stand and thought these would look awesome if they had a kind of transparent etched plexiglass screen like the Riekan version. I would love it if these would light up with LED lights too. I know that our Sarge and Rodger both have played around with these screens, but haven't seen anything in a smaller more portable version. I also want to see a small light up base one could put under a holo figure to make it light up like that great Halo Cortana figure. I have more ideas, just not the fingers to do em!
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I have got a small light up base or two that I will dig out and show you guys. I will try to get that done, tonight.
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I would also love to see a semi curved Echo Base type screen too! I don't know how one would pull that one off though. Sounds good on the light up base. I am kicking myself for not buying that Cortana fig. If I do see one on the bay on the cheap I am gonna pick it up and see what the holo vader looks like on it.
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I bought one of those Cortana's for my buddy. Am now wishing I had bought the other one for ME!!
I actually have an idea for that very thing, as I planned to use it in my bacta-tank dio. 12v accent-lighting from the auto-center of WalMart. I already have the little light fixture. IIRC, I took some shots of the bacta tank with the lights on it. I'll have to see if I can find the pics...
I've got an idea or three on the holodisplay console. Nothing firm enough to commit to photons *yet* other than I'm thinking a clear report cover might be the starting point for a smaller one.
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sweet Doc. I can't wait to see the pics.
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Ok, ideas I have a plenty. One thing I would like to see is a small portable Echo base screen, like the one that came with the Saga Hoth Riekan except a smaller version. I saw that new TLC Ugnaught's data stand and thought these would look awesome if they had a kind of transparent etched plexiglass screen like the Riekan version. I would love it if these would light up with LED lights too. I know that our Sarge and Rodger both have played around with these screens, but haven't seen anything in a smaller more portable version. I also want to see a small light up base one could put under a holo figure to make it light up like that great Halo Cortana figure. I have more ideas, just not the fingers to do em!
Ok, I've done some more thinking. (DUCK!!)
For a light-up base - LED tap-lights with the dome painted a transparent blue inside. LEDs don't get hot. Now, drawback to this is the curved dome makes it hard to hold a figure, plus you have to push on the dome to turn it on and off. But it is a base to start with! Was there ever an action-fig-sized holocommunicator made? One that held a fig on its? Seems like I saw a holographic fig or two posed on them, but those may have been customs. IF one of those units is available - either from a fig or from a costume set - it could easily be refitted with the guts from a taplight.
You know, I think that right there would make someone a minor fortune, if they could pull that off from a mechanical standpoint.
On the portable display - you are thinking basically a Reiken screen downsized to something more the size of the Ugnaught's control station or the consoles from Wat Tambor or Lushros Dofine figs? I saw a lighting approach the other day that would most likely work with something like this, too.
I don't think a curved screen would be difficult to make, given Rodger's approach. I'd love to see what he could do with that idea!
And you KNOW I'm looking at all this with an eye toward how I can make them castable so I can quickly and easily repeat the process and corner the market and RULE THE GALAX- ahem. Yes...*after* i finish the Yakfinities entry. Sheesh!
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on the domed push lights all you need to do is remove the plastic cover that comes with it and replace it with a flat one or raised flat platform which is clear...
Plexiglass is easy to work with and you can get it at almost any thickness. An easy way to etch either clear plastic or glass is to get one of those cheap aerosol etching can which spray out a fine spray of grit for doing glassware.
Another idea I'm thinking about doing:
I've got an evo trooper with only a few ideas to do with it. One sugested by narc on st6 was to do a "mustafar trooper" I took that thought and renamed it the "lava trooper"... so I'm thining about using the hot glue and tin foil trick to make spashes or globs of cooled lava stuck to the figure which can be removed. And painting the figure in a red/black color scheme. AND suping up the armor just a bit.
The other thought I had was to make a "High Altitude Trooper" and use the Cobra C.L.A.W. as the backpack/jetpack base....
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Spud, you must have been listening to my gears churning - I was going to locate one of those taplights and see if it had the clearance for repalcing the dome with flat plexi. I *believe* it does, but want to double check.
Thanks for the tip on the etching!
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those are some good sounding ideas, Spud!
have you ever seen those cubes with laser etched designs inside? for those, they make a battery powered light base that would work for holo figures pretty well. I have a couple of em that I got for a good price, somewhere around here. I will dig one out and see.
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OK guys, here are those two little light boxes that I told you about.
This first one is a custom made box with a white christmas tree looking bulb in it and a clicker switch on a cord. It was made to support and light up a large marble. It was a wedding present from a former employer?
It looks ok with this Holo vader fig posed over the hole.
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The second one came with one of those laser etched glass cubes that I was telling you about, takes three AA batteries, and was bought out of the clearance isle at walmart for $3.
The box is the perfect size for a figure, has a reflective faceted light area and a plastic cover plate, but it changes color from red to yellow to blue using bright LED bulbs. I shot all of these pics when it was on the blue bulb which seemed almost perfect. Have you guys seen anything like this?
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i rekon if you put a blue filter over the light it'll diffuse some of the light and look even better
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Yep. I would like that first one to be a little brighter, though. If I could find one like that second one that would stay on the blue or modify it to stay blue, it would be perfect.
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Nice idea, I would worry a little on the heat of the bulb incase a person would forget to shut it off.
, I made similar bases for Koto kits, I used led and small Christmas lights for the small villages, this sparks my memory on some old projects, I use dLEDS and Lexan for the lumination parts, I will see if I can find any old pics.
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I'll be sure to check in occasionally on here, Doc. Hoping to see some great stuff from you. Good Luck!
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http://armorcast.com/store/index.php?cPath=36 (http://armorcast.com/store/index.php?cPath=36)
Wargaming scenery. This particular page has bits for converting soda/beer/juice/Pringles cans into storage tanks! Now this fits right into my dio idea. I was all but writing the story part as I talked it thru to Brendan as we cooked supper tonight. I need to commit the words to computer and start storyboarding it out.
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I really like the looks of the bottom one with the grid it actually looks like a holo generator, if it was recessed into the floor of a bridge diorama it would look awesome!
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The BAT helmet I got has - to me - very Mando lines to it in the front. I'm thinking about casting it up so I can start researching out a satisfactory combo to use as a wearable helmet. Once I do that, I'll combine the originals and cast up a whole new Mando helmet! Hopefully, I'll find one that can take the flip-up visor, in case an end-user decides they want to add one. Good bounty-hunter material, that.
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That sounds like a killer combo, Doc! That one could be a winner, for sure!
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Ought to be a smooth, easy cast, too. No real undercuts on it, iirc.
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Yeah buddy! You guys are finding some great stuff. I liked that one Clint found with the etched glass cover. I wonder if you could get it "stuck" on the blue setting? I hope to see you do some of the smaller ones too Doc. You have a customer if they work out!
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The Cobra BAT figure does look like a mando helmet! I'm assuming you've seen my "mad bat" mando android trooper.... Making the bat helmet removable may be a little dificult though because of it's tiny size. It's very small...
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It is, at that. I'm sure I can work with it to score something credible. And yeah - I saw the Mad-Bat. Kool idea!
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This seemed like the right place to put this, since Doc, here, is a droid fan.
I took a shot of this set, in a Disney store, during our last Branson trip.
(http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/510/15811215.jpg)
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Are they close to SW size? I'm gettin some ideas...
;D
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Yes they are. I figured that you would.
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they are neat and with a coat of paint, you'd never know they were cartoony
Spuda,
as far as the bat for mando head, I suggest looking for the older ARAH head or the spytroops one, its huge, a little more curved, but still
and if you want it a little bigger you could always hydrospan the mold.
I need about 5 more of the old arah heads, if you do cast them, :)
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they are neat and with a coat of paint, you'd never know they were cartoony
Spuda,
as far as the bat for mando head, I suggest looking for the older ARAH head or the spytroops one, its huge, a little more curved, but still
and if you want it a little bigger you could always hydrospan the mold.
I need about 5 more of the old arah heads, if you do cast them, :)
Hydrospan? Please explain.
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I will, but before I do. . .are you really wanting to go down this road?
it will open avenues in casting that are much wider.
but then again, if you master it, so much the better, then I never have to learn to cast, :)
hydrospan is a different type of mold making compound
depend on what you want you shrink or enlarge the target cat by, I've hear 100%
Its most often used, in my limited experience, in making 6 inch figure stuff shrink down to 4 inch scale.
I'll try to find a tutorial, :)
http://sculpt.com/catalog_98/CastingMaterials/HydroSpan.htm
here is the product... I'm not sure which kind you use to get it exactly right, but JFAK(if you see him around) actually had an online store where he sold nothing but diminished parts.
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iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinteresting.....
and what is an "arah" head?
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Now that is just crazy. Tamer, this is the costly secret that could lead to a correctly scaled walker. you would have to reassemble the pieces but. Imagine the custom 12 inch clones that I could make with this.
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Yepper that does sound interesting. I imagine one could probably make a killing producing walkers fo that size! I can imagine the molds cost and then the amont of material for a pour. Still, I would be interested if it seems the molding would do ok.
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If only you could get the hydrospan in a smaller-than-THREE-GALLON option...
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I feel that way about all the molding stuff.
ARAH is joe speak for a real american hero, its the 80's joe figures.
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Have you ever heard of anyone using that hydrospan stuff, Simon?
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Confused by acronyms or "smaller than 3 gallons"? ;D
Thanks for the clarification!
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I thought I saw a Wall-E droid set like that at TRU when I was there.
I've heard of some people shrinking certain figure heads down to 3 3/4 size but it loses some detail. Over at GTG there are a couple people who do this.
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Take a look at this, Doc. This is a cadet McCoy Star Trek fig that included an office chair, a control panel from the bridge, a seperate belt, and a tricorder, a data pad, and a phaser. All that and a crappy fig for $4 in the clearance isle.
I know that one or two of those componants might interest you.
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...at least!
;D
These backwoods stores don't know how to put stuff on clearance. Plus, I've only seen the ST figs at TRU, 60+ miles away.
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Take a look at this, Doc. This is a cadet McCoy Star Trek fig that included an office chair, a control panel from the bridge, a seperate belt, and a tricorder, a data pad, and a phaser. All that and a crappy fig for $4 in the clearance isle.
I know that one or two of those componants might interest you.
If you come across Young Spock , Sulu, or Uhura I'd be interested at $4.
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Take a look at this, Doc. This is a cadet McCoy Star Trek fig that included an office chair, a control panel from the bridge, a seperate belt, and a tricorder, a data pad, and a phaser. All that and a crappy fig for $4 in the clearance isle.
I know that one or two of those componants might interest you.
If you come across Young Spock , Sulu, or Uhura I'd be interested at $4.
I'll look, next time I get to blue springs. I didnt see a spock, though.
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yeah, I keep telling myself I would pick up all the guys with bridge pieces if they go down to say, a dollar a fig.
Hell at a dollar a fig, I'd probably buy them all, :(
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I got to looking at a couple of things over the past few days. I've decided I will be revisiting my Admiral Solo custom I did oh so long ago. Here's what I'm looking at doing - a Captain Needa fig with an Indy head - specifically, the head from the body with the RPG7. I might see if I can go on and turn him into an Admiral Solo, tweak the rank and code-cylinders and all. Just a thought - quick updated idea of an old custom.
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Here's an idea I had - and tried and liked. I'll get a pic of it later.
B'arin Apma, Mandalorian. Wussy-looking head ("too baby-faced to be a Mando," says my son). Fast fix? Slap a Rahm Kota head on him. Instant badass. However, the Samurai hairclub of his interferes with the helmet. A trip to the xacto barber is in order...
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I had idea for admiral solo, well kind of.
Basically an alternate timeline where he didn't leave the empire and eventually was made commander of the executor.
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I did a "What-If Solo" back when, prolly my first custom. POTJ or POTF2 Solo headswapped with Admiral Piett and General Lando cape. I'd like to come back at it again, with an "Old Indy" head and a Needa body or somesuch. I see Admiral Pellaeon as that "what-if" Solo.
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Gotta get my notes together, or I'm gonna start forgetting stuff!
vehicles:
IFT - repaint/upgrade guns for contest, add lights?
2-seat hybrid speeder - add Skyhawk engines?
Mando "Joemobile" speeder - find suitable engines, add rack for jetpack, build ion cannon, build net-gun (prolly not for comp. - too involved!)
Mamba airspeeder w/ astromech
Rebound speeder - add control vanes forward, engine from swampskimmer
FANG airspeeder - add 6 Lego engine pods
Swoop-chopper - add control vanes forward
figs:
4 for Jules
pilot for each swoop/speeder & passengers as appropriate
Fixer - repaint, four basic arms, scavenge arms/tools from FX-6 & IG Lancer...
Commander Kurgan & Scout - Dengar torso, Wuher head, limbs TBD; Gotal head, jumpsuited body, slip-on armor OR snowtrooper torso, limbs TBD
IFT crew - use Kashyyyk Scouts for body; replace helmets with heads and wearable AOTC finheads; add ATTE Gunner head armor, add visor if possible
Imperial Sniper Team - tissue-paper cloaks, Kashyyyk Trooper belts (molded if possible!), make wider visor
Outland Station denizens:
Doc Betteo - Wuher body, Uncle Owen head and jacket, Emperor's cane, Indy satchel, datapad, commlink
Farzell - repaint/bash Ugnaught
Tanner Dane - Comic-Pack Bultar Swann body & head, Stass Allie arms & legs?
T'Nadar - jawa body, Kabe head & hands (modded), Wioslea feet (modded)
Walon Vau - black-armored Mando, Baron Fel head
molds:
figure heads
Lobot's desktop computer
R2's shipping containers
- mold took-kit flat
terrain:
Farzeel's shop
tapcaf on station
repaint styro bits with acrylic base to cover styro origins
bulk liquid containers, inc. valving and hose (take WIP pics for tutorial)
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doc all that sounds awesome! can't wait to see your fighter tank custom and figs to go with it. if you want to make those scout/kashyyyk troopers super articulated let me know and i'll give you my gi-joe splicing recipee and technique secret.
please tell us more about the mando-speeder!
what are the Skyhawk engines you are talking about? is that a joe vehicle i'm not familiar with?
after reading all your stuff about fixer I'm thinking about making myself a version of that, perhaps using the jawa treadwheel droid as a base...
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Devin,
the skyhawk is the little green vehicle for the joes, with skids for landing and two rotating engines in the back, not sure if it was renamed when it was released for the 25th line.
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25th renamed it the "G.H.O.S.T.Hawk" - they *just* rereleased it this month or last.
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ahhh i remember that one... those engines would be perfect for a speeder/swoop/bike
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Yeah, that's what we were thinking. I likes 'em so much, I may have to buy several of those vehicles for parts!!
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Comment from Knox Eisley on Yakpub this morning:
Are we going to next find out how Han feels about universal health care coverage? Too funny.
to which I responded:
Great, Knox... Thanks to your question, I can hear *my* Muse giggling maniacally in the background!!
(considering I have half a dozen FX-6 *&* Fx-7 droids, two "Chopper" droids, and 2 or 3 2-1B surgeons...and that General Dodonna looks like a doctor... I'm all set to stage a friggin Galactic Hospital episode right there!)
Then I got to thinking about injured figures that are available... Ponda Baba (missing right arm), Bespin Duel Luke (missing right hand), Anakin (missing right hand), Mustafar Anakin (burnt toasty) and got to thinking how funny it would look with the first three sitting in a hospital corridor trading comments about how they all managed to lose the exact part of their anatomy to dudes swinging glowing sticks... Or the triage doc watching Ani-toast being wheeled in and asking "Is he missing his right arm, too?? Billing will never believe this - we'll be audited for sure!"
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....
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Thanks to Sinje's awesome Grevious over on RS that uses a lot of IG86 joints... I started wondering if an IG Lancer could be used to contribute joints to give articulation to an older 2-1b (since I like the POTF2 version over the clunky ROTS version).
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figs:
ARC Trooper - add ball-jointed hips from ATTE Gunner
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Here's an idea I had - and tried and liked. I'll get a pic of it later.
B'arin Apma, Mandalorian. Wussy-looking head ("too baby-faced to be a Mando," says my son). Fast fix? Slap a Rahm Kota head on him. Instant badass. However, the Samurai hairclub of his interferes with the helmet. A trip to the xacto barber is in order...
Apparently the baby-face thing was an actual issue with the figure... I have no idea where I read this, but I read that Karen Travis (who wrote the Republic Commando novels) thought the figure's head sculpt was too young to be Walon Vau (same with what could have been Kal Skirata), so rather than re-sculpt the heads, they just gave the characters new names for the Mando multi-pack. Time for a little head-chop-replace customizing, I think!
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For my Vau custom, I'm considering trying the Baron Fel head from the comic pack.
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Doc,
Karen describes Vau as having a long, gaunt and bony face and really short hair. Maybe a re-worked Rahm Kota will do?
I was thinking to use a Tarkin head for Kal Skirata...
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Swoop-ganger:
head - ROTJ Tin Rebel Trooper
body - Sgt. Stone (RoC Joe fig)