Hot Toys predators: neck shortening?

[OM1D]

I know P. has a method, and there might be others I haven't found yet. But I was wondering if there are newer or better ways of shortening the neck? Are there maybe even methods where you don't have to cut any of the part-of-the-headsculpt neck? Maybe cutting the pegs, or the middle part, lonestanding neck piece? I want to shorten the necks with minimal butchery, basically.

TL;DR: What's the best, least figure intrusive way to shorten a Hot Toys predator's neck?

 

[P.]

in my memory you're the first one even speaking about the issue, except for rare cases of putting old P2 head on new P2 body

 

[danoscustoms]

I know P. has a method, and there might be others I haven't found yet. But I was wondering if there are newer or better ways of shortening the neck? Are there maybe even methods where you don't have to cut any of the part-of-the-headsculpt neck? Maybe cutting the pegs, or the middle part, lonestanding neck piece? I want to shorten the necks with minimal butchery, basically.

TL;DR: What's the best, least figure intrusive way to shorten a Hot Toys predator's neck?

Perhaps u can share some pics of what u have!! Mine doesn't have those issues!!


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[P.]

Mine doesn't have those issues!!

...told ya

 

[OM1D]

Perhaps u can share some pics of what u have!! Mine doesn't have those issues!!

Well, IMO all of the HT preds have slightly longer necks than their real life motifs, but most of it is barely noticeable and fixable by head pose and dread placement.

However, one HT predator in particular, the Falconer, is ridiculously long-necked. I haven't gotten it yet but will probably buy him in the coming weeks (along with Tracker) and first thing I want to do is fix its giraffitis. Made this comparison pic using pics online:




Spot the difference. Is there a way to fix it without butchering the figure?

...told ya

Guess it's you and I, mate.

 

[danoscustoms]

Well, IMO all of the HT preds have slightly longer necks than their real life motifs, but most of it is barely noticeable and fixable by head pose and dread placement.

However, one HT predator in particular, the Falconer, is ridiculously long-necked. I haven't gotten it yet but will probably buy him in the coming weeks (along with Tracker) and first thing I want to do is fix its giraffitis. Made this comparison pic using pics online:
View attachment 248400

Spot the difference. Is there a way to fix it without butchering the figure?



Guess it's you and I, mate...

Oh well, if we go for that yes!! But I wouldn't stress too much about it!! Remember the actors hunch and look forward in the suit.. That's why I repaint and re sculpt most of my figures, but in terms of modifying the pegs, I wouldn't go that way..


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[OM1D]

That's why I repaint and re sculpt most of my figures, but in terms of modifying the pegs, I wouldn't go that way..

If you were to shorten it, how would you go about? Is there a non figure-intrusive way, or at least with minimal butchery?

 

[P.]

Guess it's you and I, mate.

 

[danoscustoms]

in my memory you're the first one even speaking about the issue, except for rare cases of putting old P2 head on new P2 body

Hey P, where did u get that guardian mask??


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[P.]

Hey P, where did u get that guardian mask??

where everybody gets it -

it just got a lense replacement and was bent, cut from inside (cheeks area) and got a sculpted chin to fit the new P2 head.

 

[danoscustoms]

where everybody gets it -

it just got a lense replacement and was bent and got a sculpted chin to fit the new P2 head.

Yeah, but mine doesn't get all the way to the back to the crown of the crest!!

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[P.]

well... mine does't do it completely, but does a little more

and the original Gort didn't have it fitting, too, you can see it on a photo.

i added some text to my post: mask was cut from inside, and an artificial mouth&chin, like on Tsang predators, were sculpted. that helped to put the helmet deeper and to elongate the face (making a pig mug shape, like Winston predators were, and thus changing the angle of mask fitting).

Spoiler

did the same for Boar (my off-the-movie variant of it, i didn't go all the way to make him a movie copy, like V-Raptor did, instead made him fully equipped).

 

[OM1D]

Nothing? Is butchery the only way?

 

[P.]

Is butchery the only way?

but seriously, think about it this way: if the heads were shorter, they would be sculpted like that anyway, just check any human HT head that is put on and doesn't have a presculpted neck

 

[OM1D]

Thanks brother. I guess this the way to go.

How do you cut the necks, I mean, with what kind of tool? And how do you create the even concave shape on the shortened neck's base?

Also, some of the figures, based on your pics, have a middle-peg/separate neck piece that is painted in the predator's color, while a few have a plastic ditto. What is that? Do all preds have one? Can that piece be shortened instead of the head-neck piece?

 

[P.]

2) old predators before P1 had another head constuction. their heads were hollow, and their necks had another post.
green body on the left shows it.

what you saw was my way of putting old repainted P2 head on a old repainted P1 body who already had a new neck construction. that was a standart human head peg filling the empty old head
so it's not a standart thing, and you'll never meet those old predators i think. unless you'll want to find an old P2 head and a repainter.

1) i'll try to either find my old post with pics or find those old pics and write a guide again.
oh here it is. no instruction there, i just put instruments on photos, so they speak for themselves.

as you see, cutting gives only 1/3 of length win. making a wide cone inside the neck (to fit the neck itself and swivel on it) gives another 2/3, because the neck post goes much deeper into the head.
the napkin filling of the head (after all cuts) is used to prevent the neck peg falling out of the neck post and being lost inside the head.
very important thing! when i used a drill (diameter = neck peg bigger diameter, so that it goes deep into the dead), i was veeeery careful. because if you just push and push, it will fall into the head void and may drill through head's top. once it went through neck, i didn't push it, just moved it slightly up and down to clean the edges of a hole.

but i do advice you to get a random predator neck first and investigate its construction and try to shorten it and glue back. may be you'll find a way i tried it with Berserker, i didn't succeed, the plastic is very resisting to cutting, and there is no place inside to return both peg holders back. but you might find a way, and it will cost you only one neck for all experiments. instead of a head.

Hot Toys Predators 2011 Classic Predator Figure 1 6 Neck | eBay

 

[danoscustoms]

2) old predators before P1 had another head constuction. their heads were hollow, and their necks had another post.
green body on the left shows it.

what you saw was my way of putting old repainted P2 head on a old repainted P1 body who already had a new neck construction. that was a standart human head peg filling the empty old head
so it's not a standart thing, and you'll never meet those old predators i think. unless you'll want to find an old P2 head and a repainter.

1) i'll try to either find my old post with pics or find those old pics and write a guide again.
oh here it is. no instruction there, i just put instruments on photos, so they speak for themselves.





as you see, cutting gives only 1/3 of length win. making a wide cone inside the neck (to fit the neck itself and swivel on it) gives another 2/3, because the neck post goes much deeper into the head.
the napkin filling of the head (after all cuts) is used to prevent the neck peg falling out of the neck post and being lost inside the head.
very important thing! when i used a drill (diameter = neck peg bigger diameter, so that it goes deep into the dead), i was veeeery careful. because if you just push and push, it will fall into the head void and may drill through head's top. once it went through neck, i didn't push it, just moved it slightly up and down to clean the edges of a hole.

but i do advice you to get a random predator neck first and investigate its construction and try to shorten it and glue back. may be you'll find a way i tried it with Berserker, i didn't succeed, the plastic is very resisting to cutting, and there is no place inside to return both peg holders back. but you might find a way, and it will cost you only one neck for all experiments. instead of a head.

Hot Toys Predators 2011 Classic Predator Figure 1 6 Neck | eBay

Awesome work, I'll prolly be doing this to mine as well


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