1/6 SSC ESB/ROTJ Darth Vader Modification Thread

[Dr. Odd]

Thanks guys! Following Matrix's formula, the body is a mash up of both SS bodies, the bodysuit is from SS's ANH, the mask, chest armor, and boots are kaiyodo.

 

[generalgrevious]

great job DR.odd. here is a photo of the one I did some time back

 

[matrix69]

After seing all the awesome Darth Vader customs using the Kayiodo parts I had to make one.
So two weeks ago I got one from ebay and I started customizing my SS Vader.

I used the face mask, shoulder armor, grieves and boot feet (the last two you cannot see them on the pics.)
Painted everything and made them fit the modded SS body.

The dome isn't fixed yet as I have to trim a bit of the flare.

Here's my custom vader currently, have a few more things to finish but he's nearly complete
Thanks to Matrix for all the advice, and thanks to Galactiboy for painting the mask and chest armor!

Aweasome vaders Love the pose dr.odd

 

[Ahab]

Here's a quick and inexpensive helmet mod for those looking for something different from their SSC Vader.
I was in Downtown Disney (at DStreet)a couple months back and came across a 14 inch vader with light up saber and sound. I picked it up for $30 bucks. I tried to find the picture of the packaging with Vader inside online, but no luck ( I think its since been repackaged in blue...)
Attached is the sacrificed Vader and packaging...

I removed the bucket on stuck it on the SSC Deluxe. Even though the new dome shares some ROTS flavor, it fits surprisingly well and somehow gives it the ESB vibe it was lacking. Not perfect, but not bad all...

I know there is not a lot of detail or contrast in the photos of the Vader on display, but it is faithful to how someone looking at my collection would see it.



Cheers,

 

[TaliBane]

^^ That 14" figure is not a bad Vader but the dome looks a little small on the SSC to my eye.

 

[shocktrooper_au]

My first thought

 

[Sturtrup]

Here's a quick and inexpensive helmet mod for those looking for something different from their SSC Vader.
I was in Downtown Disney (at DStreet)a couple months back and came across a 14 inch vader with light up saber and sound. I picked it up for $30 bucks. I tried to find the picture of the packaging with Vader inside online, but no luck ( I think its since been repackaged in blue...)
Attached is the sacrificed Vader and packaging...

I removed the bucket on stuck it on the SSC Deluxe. Even though the new dome shares some ROTS flavor, it fits surprisingly well and somehow gives it the ESB vibe it was lacking. Not perfect, but not bad all...

I know there is not a lot of detail or contrast in the photos of the Vader on display, but it is faithful to how someone looking at my collection would see it.



Cheers,

I wanna support your research of new parts to give at Vader a different likness. Everyone can find the quality and the flaw of each parts but this is of minor relevance. Keep the research!! Thanks for sharing!!

 

[Pixelpiper]

My first thought

Yup, an extreme example, but I didn't like the results at all. It's not often that no pictures are better than pictures, but this is one of those situations, IMO. Even though they're tiny and super dark, the pin-headed look comes through.

 

[Ahab]

I wanna support your research of new parts to give at Vader a different likness. Everyone can find the quality and the flaw of each parts but this is of minor relevance. Keep the research!! Thanks for sharing!!

Indeed!
You know its strange, but the "dome" portion of the helmet is significantly bigger/broader than on the SS Vader... The main issue I have now is the length of the bell portion (which is about an 1/8 inch too short...) That's a much easier mod. Like all things Vader, the work in progress continues...
Cheers

 

[Sturtrup]

Indeed!
You know its strange, but the "dome" portion of the helmet is significantly bigger/broader than on the SS Vader... The main issue I have now is the length of the bell portion (which is about an 1/8 inch too short...) That's a much easier mod. Like all things Vader, the work in progress continues...
Cheers

I think that the less travelled roads are the most interesting. Every minor change can produce a big improve so I hope to see soon new pictures of your wip. Forward!

 

[shocktrooper_au]

I wanna support your research of new parts to give at Vader a different likness. Everyone can find the quality and the flaw of each parts but this is of minor relevance. Keep the research!! Thanks for sharing!!

Absolutely, didn't mean to discourage with my photo reply and my photo was an extreme perception, without people experimenting many of my figures would stuck in their stock world hideousness

 

[Sturtrup]

Absolutely, didn't mean to discourage with my photo reply and my photo was an extreme perception, without people experimenting many of my figures would stuck in their stock world hideousness

 

[TaliBane]

I have managed to very affordably assemble all the parts to make a couple of Kaiyodo-based Vaders, including a full Hurricane ESB helmet (which is absoluetly gorgeous) a sealed original Kaiyodo plus SSC DX Vader parts such as chest box, jumpsuit and codpiece.

The only issue I'm having is the scale - of the Kaiyodo facemask. I can see why people shy away from the hasbro dome - it is too big. But... isn't the Hasbro dome the correct 1/6 scale, the reason everyone used it? Or was that just because both the SSC Vaders were oversized?

The question I had is doesn't the Kaiyodo facemask scale the Vader out a bit too short? You can see on Elvis's Vader the facemask seems slightly too small for the body overall, but not sure what height his is:

After seing all the awesome Darth Vader customs using the Kayiodo parts I had to make one.
So two weeks ago I got one from ebay and I started customizing my SS Vader.

I used the face mask, shoulder armor, grieves and boot feet (the last two you cannot see them on the pics.)
Painted everything and made them fit the modded SS body.

The dome isn't fixed yet as I have to trim a bit of the flare.

The pic below has me really confused - when I precisely scaled the chestbox, codpiece and Kaiyodo chest armor and made it full size, maybe it's lens distortion or something (every pic has some,) but this Vader appears maybe 12 1/2" - 12 3/4" (i.e. 6'-3" - 6'-5" tall) and the stormie 11 1/4" (maybe because he's a smidge further back?,) instead of what appears to be the "consensus" correct heights of 13 1/4" and 12" respectively.

Pretty happy with this guy now, waiting to get a Lforigno cape and that will be the cherry on top
View attachment 166102]

It's confusing to me because I know Too Much Garlic has stated that the Kaiyodo scales to the perfect size. Maybe I just don't remember the relative helmet sizes, but I took a pic of the Kaiyodo-based Vader (Hurricane's amazing piece, which has modded SSC helmet - and in this pic it hasn't been dusted, glossed or the dome adjusted) beside the HT stormie helmet:

As comparison, below is my (yes, really crappy) Hasbro Vader reboot (hey - it's a Hasbro) to show how much bigger it is relative to the HT stormie, obviously using the Hasbro dome:



Is the Hasbro dome on the right in scale with the HT stormie, or too big? Is the Kaiyodo right? Part of me wants to say it looks a bit 1/7 but then I change my mind and think maybe it's right. It's not that often you see a 1:1 Vader helmet next to a stormie helmet, so if anyone has a pic (I know jkno has them) please post them.

I'm really wanting a 13" - 13 1/4" tall Vader so it's correct, not a 12- 12 1/4" Vader, and I guess I just want to hear that the Kaiyodo isn't too small to achieve that.

 

[mrshurricane]

I have managed to very affordably assemble all the parts to make a couple of Kaiyodo-based Vaders, including a full Hurricane ESB helmet (which is absoluetly gorgeous) a sealed original Kaiyodo plus SSC DX Vader parts such as chest box, jumpsuit and codpiece.

The only issue I'm having is the scale - of the Kaiyodo facemask. I can see why people shy away from the hasbro dome - it is too big. But... isn't the Hasbro dome the correct 1/6 scale, the reason everyone used it? Or was that just because both the SSC Vaders were oversized?

The question I had is doesn't the Kaiyodo facemask scale the Vader out a bit too short? You can see on Elvis's Vader the facemask seems slightly too small for the body overall, but not sure what height his is:



The pic below has me really confused - when I precisely scaled the chestbox, codpiece and Kaiyodo chest armor and made it full size, maybe it's lens distortion or something (every pic has some,) but this Vader appears not much above 12" (maybe 12 1/4" - ie. not too much above 6' tall) and the stormie about 11" (maybe because he's a smidge further back?,) instead of the correct 13" - 13 1/4" and 12" respectively.




It's confusing to me because I know Too Much Garlic has stated that the Kaiyodo scales to the perfect size. Maybe I just don't remember the relative helmet sizes, but I took a pic of the Kaiyodo-based Vader (Hurricane's amazing piece, which has modded SSC helmet - and in this pic it hasn't been dusted, glossed or the dome adjusted) beside the HT stormie helmet:

As comparison, below is my (yes, really crappy) Hasbro Vader reboot (hey - it's a Hasbro) to show how much bigger it is relative to the HT stormie, obviously using the Hasbro dome:



Is the Hasbro dome on the right in scale with the HT stormie, or too big? Is the Kaiyodo right? Part of me wants to say it looks a bit 1/7 but then I change my mind and think maybe it's right. It's not that often you see a 1:1 Vader helmet next to a stormie helmet, so if anyone has a pic (I know jkno has them) please post them.

I'm really wanting a 13" - 13 1/4" tall Vader so it's correct, not a 12- 12 1/4" Vader, and I guess I just want to hear that the Kaiyodo isn't too small to achieve that.

Too much garlic is right the kaiyodo is extremely close we have an ESB 20th century fox full size helmet which is cast , I think directly from the Esb movie molds. I know H took all measurement to alter the kaiyodo from this as well as the Dx dome modifications .i think the ssc are just too big and the sideshow armor is too large too, but chest boxes are very close to correct. From my biased point of view all the custom vaders in this thread look by far the best using the kaiyodo mask. So don't worry it looks excellent.

 

[TaliBane]

Too much garlic is right the kaiyodo is extremely close we have an ESB 20th century fox full size helmet which is cast , I think directly from the Esb movie molds. I know H took all measurement to alter the kaiyodo from this as well as the Dx dome modifications .i think the ssc are just too big and the sideshow armor is too large too, but chest boxes are very close to correct. From my biased point of view all the custom vaders in this thread look by far the best using the kaiyodo mask. So don't worry it looks excellent.

Yeah, I know TMG mentioned it was right but I just remember the Vader helmet seeming larger next to a stormie helmet than the proportions seen in my pics but maybe I'm not recalling right. The Hasbro dome certainly looks like a bio-dome on the Kaiyodo facemask.

I just don't want to have to scale down all my figures a bit to make Vader look right. 11" stormtroopers aren't exactly going to tower over HT Leia.

Nothing's perfect I know but I really was hoping to achieve a 13 1/4" Vader. Maybe I can and not have to make the '12 1/2" Vader' vs. 'pinhead Vader' choice.

But thanks again for the Vader helmet - quality-wise it really is on-par with anything HT or SSC produces... but it's actually accurate!

 

[parrasmaniac]

maybe matrix can help here...

could any fellow member that can do it, try the ANH Hot Toys Vader head, on a standard or modified SSC Deluxe Vader?

I am wondering how that would look...

Thanks!!

 

[matrix69]

maybe matrix can help here...

could any fellow member that can do it, try the ANH Hot Toys Vader head, on a standard or modified SSC Deluxe Vader?

I am wondering how that would look...

Thanks!!

Here's the HT head on the SS deluxe,everything is stock except for the chest box/belt which are from the SS anh version. You would have to the mod the neck peg on the deluxe for the head to fit but i think it makes a huge improvement.. View attachment 228966View attachment 228967View attachment 228965

 

[parrasmaniac]

well that is of great help for me, matrix, thank you.

I own the Deluxe Vader, and my plan is to:

- get the SSC ANH bodysuit. I can get it reasonable price, here in Spain, and from the pics I have seen, I rather the SSC ANH to the Hot toys 2 piece bodysuit.
- make the SSC body a bit bulkier, and a bit shorter.
- get the Hot Toys ANH sculpt. That will be expensive...

I can then patiently wait for a new ESB head to come out in the future... with a fair enough looking Vader on the shelf.
Thing is, I cannot go and get a full new Vader... I have to try and improve what I got!

 

[parrasmaniac]

and I forgot to ask: in which way does the neck peg have to be modified? is that an easy mod?

thanks again...

this is the vader look I am going for.

 

[matrix69]

The ball joint/peg is slightly bigger on the SS but it should be easy to unplug it and replace it with the HT one.