Modification/Customization for the DX12 Batman Figure

[Maglor]

Also, 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.

The sanding stuff is ONLY for increased articulation.

 

[vik2001]

Great mods maglor.
When doing shoulder pad mods how long do u stick him in the freezer for?

 

[LipSmack]

Great mods maglor.
When doing shoulder pad mods how long do u stick him in the freezer for?

3-4 hours depending on the temperature

 

[BrooklynWolf X]

3-4 hours depending on the temperature

I didn't even take that long. I blew dried it, re shaped, then immediately used the blow dryer again with the cool air option.

 

[nickshaw2814]

Yeah I think I left it in for a few minutes tops

 

[EKT]

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.

I missed that part. No one seems to remember the mod though. You can take credit for this helpful thread.

 

[LipSmack]

I was kidding...

 

[plasmid303]

After working on this thing for about a week, I'm finally at a place with my mods where I feel pretty good about showing it. Still incomplete. Critiques welcome.

-painted eye lids.
- open mouth face plate mod. Used the teethy face plate, removed the teeth, and reshaped the opening so that it's smaller. I think it looks Bale when he's talking.

-Realigned the chest plate
-Did my own collar kevlar connector mod. Now the curve is more accurate and closer to the center
-painted the ab straps
-gauntlet mod (heat and bend, not cut)
-glove mod
-ankle mod

-My own shoulder plates mod. They are now each comprised of two pieces, like on the actual suit. I like to position them so that there's no gap between the layers. Personal preference.
I also reshaped them so that the "arrow" tip curves inward towards the collar, instead of sticking up like on the stock.

Also reshaped the rest of the plates so that they curve back as they go down.

- My own neck mod. You can see a few examples in the photos above. A lot of times in the movie, the cowl sits so low on Bale's neck that the neck armor kinda rides up on the cowl. I really liked that look, so I replicated it as best as I could.
Involved reshaping the cowl itself, using heat, to bend the lower edges inward so that they taper more.
And then I carved into the armor on the back of the neck, bent it outward so that the back of the cowl could rest inside of it.

Now it doesn't just float on top of the neck and hang over the back like the stock on (on the right. Photo by Agen)

 

[BrooklynWolf X]

After working on this thing for about a week, I'm finally at a place with my mods where I feel pretty good about showing it. Still incomplete. Critiques welcome.

-painted eye lids.
- open mouth face plate mod. Used the teethy face plate, removed the teeth, and reshaped the opening so that it's smaller. I think it looks Bale when he's talking.

-Realigned the chest plate
-Did my own collar kevlar connector mod. Now the curve is more accurate and closer to the center
-painted the ab straps
-gauntlet mod (heat and bend, not cut)
-glove mod
-ankle mod

-My own shoulder plates mod. They are now each comprised of two pieces, like on the actual suit. I like to position them so that there's no gap between the layers. Personal preference.
I also reshaped them so that the "arrow" tip curves inward towards the collar, instead of sticking up like on the stock.

Also reshaped the rest of the plates so that they curve back as they go down.

- My own neck mod. You can see a few examples in the photos above. A lot of times in the movie, the cowl sits so low on Bale's neck that the neck armor kinda rides up on the cowl. I really liked that look, so I replicated it as best as I could.
Involved reshaping the cowl itself, using heat, to bend the lower edges inward so that they taper more.
And then I carved into the armor on the back of the neck, bent it outward so that the back of the cowl could rest inside of it.

Now it doesn't just float on top of the neck and hang over the back like the stock on (on the right. Photo by Agen)

Nice. Real extensive mods. Regarding the neck though, as nicely sculpted as it is, I do wonder why ht didn't go full Monty and face us a rubber neck, akin to medicoms Tdk outing. Only this time, it'd be more accurate. I understand what you are trying to do, but won't it hinder the head if you wanna tilt it back?

As for everything else, real nice. How did you separate the shoulder plates?

 

[plasmid303]

Nice. Real extensive mods. Regarding the neck though, as nicely sculpted as it is, I do wonder why ht didn't go full Monty and face us a rubber neck, akin to medicoms Tdk outing. Only this time, it'd be more accurate. I understand what you are trying to do, but won't it hinder the head if you wanna tilt it back?

As for everything else, real nice. How did you separate the shoulder plates?

Thanks. Yeah I really wish it were a rubber or cloth-covered neck.

The articulation isn't hindered as long as I set the cowl over the neck armor in the back, like so.

As for the shoulder plates, I cut them carefully at the edge of the top plate. For now I'm kinda cheating because if the bottom plate moves out too much, you can see where the plastic was cut. I'm going to try and sculpt onto the bottom plate to make it look more seamless.

 

[BrooklynWolf X]

Thanks. Yeah I really wish it were a rubber or cloth-covered neck.

The articulation isn't hindered as long as I set the cowl over the neck armor in the back, like so.


As for the shoulder plates, I cut them carefully at the edge of the top plate. For now I'm kinda cheating because if the bottom plate moves out too much, you can see where the plastic was cut. I'm going to try and sculpt onto the bottom plate to make it look more seamless.

Ah i see. Not bad at all my man.

 

[Jackhepburn]

How do you freeze the shoulder pads after squeezing them in place? So you put it back on the figure after glueing etc, heat up the shoulder pads, squeeze into shape, then take them back off to go in the freezer?

 

[Gipetto0812]

Very nicely done Plasmid!

Absolutely love your neck mod as well as the shoulder plates being in 2 pieces now. Only thing I'd recommend now is to do the widening of the bottom of the gauntlets so that they are over the gloves a bit. Having no seam or visible joint at the wrist just adds something extra if that makes sense. But over all great work!

I have to ask though, since you have the stock cape on in these pics, what are your thoughts on it? Or is it just a place holder u til you put in the custom cape??

 

[Ninjaknight]

Nice mods Plasmid!

Any pics for the bending elbow mod?

 

[plasmid303]

Thanks, guys.

How do you freeze the shoulder pads after squeezing them in place? So you put it back on the figure after glueing etc, heat up the shoulder pads, squeeze into shape, then take them back off to go in the freezer?

I just put the entire figure in the freezer lol. It only takes a few minutes for the pads to harden. That way it really forms around the bicep.

the lower plates aren't glued onto the top plates on mine. They just grip onto the bicep (like in the movie), with the help of some double sided tape. This works pretty well.

I'll take some pictures of the whole set up later.

Very nicely done Plasmid!

Absolutely love your neck mod as well as the shoulder plates being in 2 pieces now. Only thing I'd recommend now is to do the widening of the bottom of the gauntlets so that they are over the gloves a bit. Having no seam or visible joint at the wrist just adds something extra if that makes sense. But over all great work!

I have to ask though, since you have the stock cape on in these pics, what are your thoughts on it? Or is it just a place holder u til you put in the custom cape??

Thanks, I will try widening the gauntlet opening some more.

As for the cape, its easily HT's best one yet, but it doesn't have the weight to make it hang and drape off the shoulders naturally. For now it's unmodified, with some considerable futzing to make it look okay. I want to keep the figure as inclusive as possible by using and modifying only what was available on the stock figure itself, so no custom cape for me.

I want to try water treating it to get more realistic folds and hang, but I'm not sure the material absorbs water very well.

Nice mods Plasmid!

Any pics for the bending elbow mod?

I will take some pics later. It just involved dipping the upper tip of the gauntlet (where the elbow pad is) into hot water, and bending it inwards. Then you freeze it so it keeps that shape even after posing the arms a bunch.

 

[Jackhepburn]

Thanks, guys.



I just the entire figure in the freezer lol. It only takes a few minutes for the pads to harden. That way it really forms around the bicep.

the lower plates aren't glued onto the top plates on mine. They just grip onto the bicep (like in the movie), with the help of some double sided tape. This works pretty well.

I'll take some pictures of the whole set up later.

Thanks for the info

Now I'll add this to the list of mods I'm going to do

 

[Animal Mother.]

For those that painted the eye lids, is there a way to take the eyballs out first, or were you just that careful? I have really shaky hands, so I know it would be really hard not to get any paint on the eye itself.

 

[Maglor]

After working on this thing for about a week, I'm finally at a place with my mods where I feel pretty good about showing it. Still incomplete. Critiques welcome.

-painted eye lids.
- open mouth face plate mod. Used the teethy face plate, removed the teeth, and reshaped the opening so that it's smaller. I think it looks Bale when he's talking.

-Realigned the chest plate
-Did my own collar kevlar connector mod. Now the curve is more accurate and closer to the center
-painted the ab straps
-gauntlet mod (heat and bend, not cut)
-glove mod
-ankle mod


-My own shoulder plates mod. They are now each comprised of two pieces, like on the actual suit. I like to position them so that there's no gap between the layers. Personal preference.
I also reshaped them so that the "arrow" tip curves inward towards the collar, instead of sticking up like on the stock.


Also reshaped the rest of the plates so that they curve back as they go down.

- My own neck mod. You can see a few examples in the photos above. A lot of times in the movie, the cowl sits so low on Bale's neck that the neck armor kinda rides up on the cowl. I really liked that look, so I replicated it as best as I could.
Involved reshaping the cowl itself, using heat, to bend the lower edges inward so that they taper more.
And then I carved into the armor on the back of the neck, bent it outward so that the back of the cowl could rest inside of it.

Now it doesn't just float on top of the neck and hang over the back like the stock on (on the right. Photo by Agen)

Nice work man.

Not sure how I feel about your neck mod. I like that the gap that is sometimes visible from the side is gone, but I fear that the already undersized head looks even smaller...

The shoulders look great. With more info I might consider doing that one.


Could you elaborate on what you did for the kevlar connectors? A simple heat and reshape?

 

[plasmid303]

Nice work man.

Not sure how I feel about your neck mod. I like that the gap that is sometimes visible from the side is gone, but I fear that the already undersized head looks even smaller...

The shoulders look great. With more info I might consider doing that one.


Could you elaborate on what you did for the kevlar connectors? A simple heat and reshape?

Yeah I understand what you mean about the undersized cowl. Dammit HT

However I don't think the neck mod exacerbates the problem. If that's a concern, then at the very least, I think bending only the back edge of the cowl inward is very necessary because the shape of the stock cowl is mostly wrong. It doesn't taper inward enough on the sides and the back. Only bending in the back would leave the stock appearance intact except for the back of the cowl. That's where the mod, imo, is most important.

The cowl in the movie almost never hangs over the back of the neck guard. It pretty much always sits inside the neck, so to speak, except when Bale is doing extreme stunts or movements.

I will make a brief guide on what I did for the shoulder pads and kevlar connectors tomorrow morning, for those interested.

 

[CTO15]

Anybody have a good tip for removing superglue without damaging the figure. I was realigning the cheat plate, and some excess glue is on the left pec