Modification/Customization for the DX12 Batman Figure

[EKT]

Just paint. Lots and lots of paint. Enough coats to make the eyes a bit smaller.

Also, that's a new pic that I took this morning. It's showing off the long rayon cape as well as the new neck mod.

Hi Mag. Do you remember how many coats of paint you did? I want that look, but I don't think I'm there yet. I've done 4-5 coats, I think.

 

[nickshaw2814]

Thanks Mags. I applied a coat last night and it looked good but your pic is the eye effect I want. I applied a few more and this was the result. I don't how many coats yours took but this is with 3-4 more coats and its looks pretty decent. I may add a few more coats later though. Sorry for the crummy pics. Only have my phone :-(

 

[Maglor]

Man, the profile really is a lot better with the Medi.

 

[Maglor]

I'm dying to know the new neck mod. When are you going to post it?

I got the pics lined up, just need to annotate them.

Hi Mag. Do you remember how many coats of paint you did? I want that look, but I don't think I'm there yet. I've done 4-5 coats, I think.

Prolly about 4 or 5, but I laid in a layer along the edge of the lids that had no water in it to build it up a bit. Kind of a "MacGyver sculpting" if you will.

 

[lambo944]

I got the pics lined up, just need to annotate them.

 

[Cobraka22]

ShortRound always comes correct lol. I completely disliked the medi head on the DX 12 until I saw the first set of pic he and Elvis posted. You guys did a great job on That head as it looks 100% more natural on The dx12 than any of the other medi mods I have seen.

My favorite looks on the dx12 in no order so far are:

Maglor's dx02 face with the painted lids
Short rounds modded medi
Regular DX 12 with the angry face
Regular DX 12 with Robbie's Bruce wayne faceplate

 

[EKT]

Prolly about 4 or 5, but I laid in a layer along the edge of the lids that had no water in it to build it up a bit. Kind of a "MacGyver sculpting" if you will.

That's a pure genius! Gotta try that.

 

[Maglor]

Alternate Neck Mod:

[EDIT] I failed to mention that the whole upper armor has been heated and pressed down on the figure. That creates a nice natural slope to the shoulders, especially when the shims are in place.

To be clear, the stuff about sanding the neck is not necessary for shortening the neck. Simply shimming the armor does that. That means it is an even less permanent mod than the other neck mod since no glue seal needs to be broken if you are just going to slide in the rolled up electrical tape.

The sanding stuff is ONLY for increased articulation.

 

[Tabula Rasa]

I wouldn't have the cojones to try that without having a backup (recently botched a cowl thinning mod on Begins Batman). I shy away from the high risk mods as much as I can. Still surprised I actually cut the buckles off the gloves...
I checked on ebay and the cheapest BIN for the neck alone is $30 shipped. Ouch.
Good luck for those that do try it, and that's a fantastic job as always, Maglor.

 

[EKT]

Mag, I did the stuffing under the shoulder thing ages ago, on both HT's original release and the DX-2. Does that make me a hipster? Lol. Sanding the neck is way extreme though. I'm happy with the first neck mod you gave us.

 

[intothevoid]

Next level stuff

 

[Maglor]

Mag, I did the stuffing under the shoulder thing ages ago, on both HT's original release and the DX-2. Does that make me a hipster? Lol. Sanding the neck is way extreme though. I'm happy with the first neck mod you gave us.

Why didn't you share?

The problem with the first neck mod (which was not my invention) is that without the grommet, the neck is just kind of floating there rather than being held firmly in place. That always bugged me. Also, having the neck that deep into the neck hole really hampers neck articulation quite a bit.

This new neck mod results in the exact opposite result: A neck firmly held in place with the grommet as Hot Toys intended, and even better articulation.

I'm pretty sure it's my final mod, other than Robbie's face plate and possibly a custom cowl. Really happy with this figure now. My DX02 looks so toyish next to it. No comparison.

 

[EKT]

Why didn't you share?

The problem with the first neck mod (which was not my invention) is that without the grommet, the neck is just kind of floating there rather than being held firmly in place. That always bugged me. Also, having the neck that deep into the neck hole really hampers neck articulation quite a bit.

This new neck mod results in the exact opposite result: A neck firmly held in place with the grommet as Hot Toys intended, and even better articulation.

I'm pretty sure it's my final mod, other than Robbie's face plate and possibly a custom cowl. Really happy with this figure now. My DX02 looks so toyish next to it. No comparison.

The shoulder armor stuffing idea, I got from here. Dunno who came up with it, it was ages ago. My DX12 neck, without the grommet, can stand pretty firm in the neck socket area, the collar of the armor is pretty tight. Yes, IT DOES hinder neck articulation, but it's such an easy and simple and reversible mod.

 

[Maglor]

Lots of guys have stuffed various Batman Begins figures. I did that to my Takara Batman. But I don't know of anybody who has added hight to the shoulders the way I did on this figure. I don't think it would look good on the Begins suit because the neck already looks too long and, because of the cowl design, padding the shoulders would make the neck look even longer.

Now, I did pad the top of the shoulders on the Enterbay Batman, but that's different because there is already a noticeable gap between cowl and suit on that figure. The padding in that case was just to try and eliminate that gap.


So you really shimmed the shoulders on a TDK/R [not Begins] figure? You said you did on the DX02. Can you share more about what/how you did it?

 

[EKT]

Lots of guys have stuffed various Batman Begins figures. I did that to my Takara Batman. But I don't know of anybody who has added hight to the shoulders the way I did on this figure. I don't think it would look good on the Begins suit because the neck already looks too long and, because of the cowl design, padding the shoulders would make the neck look even longer.

Now, I did pad the top of the shoulders on the Enterbay Batman, but that's different because there is already a noticeable gap between cowl and suit on that figure. The padding in that case was just to try and eliminate that gap.


So you really shimmed the shoulders on a TDK/R [not Begins] figure? You said you did on the DX02. Can you share more about what/how you did it?

I meant, HT's first TDK suit release, and DX-02, not the Begins suit ones. Yea, I saw (or read) someone did it in the TDK suit (first release) thread, ages ago.
Very easy, didn't use those bike shims, or whatever it's called. Lift up the shoulder armor, then stuff a rolled up paper under the collarbone area. It improved the original TDK alot, but not the DX-02 (by much), because the neck is just too skinny on that figure, still looks odd, even after stuffing it.

 

[FatalError]

guy's is this stock DX12 head with custom cape?

 

[Cobraka22]

It's stock cowl with DX 02 modded faceplate and painted eyelids. The neck mod to shorten the neck. Glove, gauntlet, calves/boot mods and I'm not sure if this was before mags did some of the chest/shoulder adjustments.

 

[Maglor]

I meant, HT's first TDK suit release, and DX-02, not the Begins suit ones. Yea, I saw (or read) someone did it in the TDK suit (first release) thread, ages ago.
Very easy, didn't use those bike shims, or whatever it's called. Lift up the shoulder armor, then stuff a rolled up paper under the collarbone area. It improved the original TDK alot, but not the DX-02 (by much), because the neck is just too skinny on that figure, still looks odd, even after stuffing it.

Sorry to keep asking questions, this is all news to me. When you say "rolled up paper under the collarbone area", are you talking about the same spot I put the rubber/electrical tape, with the intent of shortening he neck?

 

[EKT]

Sorry to keep asking questions, this is all news to me. When you say "rolled up paper under the collarbone area", are you talking about the same spot I put the rubber/electrical tape, with the intent of shortening he neck?

Same intention, different execution. I didn't have to take my chest armor off.
Lift the shoulder pad up, under it, you'll see some tiny space (this is under the upper shoulder/collarbone area). Roll up some paper, or whatever's thin enough, to fit in the gap, but thick enough, that it lifts the armor. Really shove it in there. Done. Your method might give better result though, I'm not sure.

 

[Maglor]

Same intention, different execution. I didn't have to take my chest armor off.
Lift the shoulder pad up, under it, you'll see some tiny space (this is under the upper shoulder/collarbone area). Roll up some paper, or whatever's thin enough, to fit in the gap, but thick enough, that it lifts the armor. Really shove it in there. Done. Your method might give better result though, I'm not sure.

Not different execution. That's exactly what I did here:

Lift the armor, insert shim. Only difference is that I used rolled up electrical tape in the above picture instead of paper (black is better ).

The only reason I suggested the glued rubber shim and taking the armor off was that some may want the mod to be more permanent and if they plan to fix the chest anyway then they could glue in the rubber piece.

Make sense?

Anyway, had no idea that people were already doing this on older figures. Thought I had actually come up with a new idea. Pretty sure the only mod that was my invention was the ankle mod on this.