Official Sideshow 1/6 ANH Darth Vader PHOTO Thread

[kl241]

I thought the KP body was too bulky. I'd much prefer articulation for dynamic lightsaber poses versus a bulky static look.

Tabula use boiling water or hairdryer to get it out.

 

[jedijim3002]

Thanks War. He is now 13 1/2 inches. Much more reasonable height and still looks menacing and towering over other figures. The legs were tough. Cutting into them I had reservations but I was determined to get him where I wanted.

The KP body might be better with some regular advanced arms or even CR body arms. Might even try swapping him over to the reeve body to see how that looks.

 

[Tabula Rasa]

Tabula use boiling water or hairdryer to get it out.

Yeah, I was just about to edit my post again. I used a hairdryer to get the peg out.

Still don't now about that head though. I may be able to use the hairdryer to get it on, but if I ever want to take it off again then I'd worry about it breaking.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Wor-Gar, I just got my KP02. How do you connect Vader's head? The peg is too large. This snag is holding me up converting him.


Addition: Didn't even solve that and I already have another problem. One of Vader's foot pegs stayed attached to the body, but the other one is still at the bottom of the boot. How do I get that out of there? Needle nose pliers can't get a good grip.

The KP02 peg on mine was also larger than the Sideshow peg but it fit the head no problem. I just pressed it on and it held, articulated fine. If you want, you could sand the balljoint down some so it doesn't stretch out the neck hole so much in case you want to revert back to the SS Body.

The boot issue I'm not sure about -- I had no idea those pegs inside the boots even came out -- I thought they were fixed inside the boots much like the glove pegs. On mine, both pegs remained in the boots and my figure just rests on top of them. Now I may want to get in there and remove those pegs -- might lose a little more height that way too.

Maybe use a thin screwdriver to pop it out.

 

[youbastards]

I haven't had time to take pix yet, but I did the KP body switch last week, so here is my 2 cents.

The pegs in both the Vader boots and gloves are removable. In fact, I boiled the boots, removed the pegs with pliers (it wasn't easy), and the KP ankle pegs fit right in the peg hole of the boots. I tried using the HT long ankle pegs, but they don't fit the KP legs.

The glove pegs came out pretty easily, and I actually used them in the KP arms. I took the loose pegs and inserted them into the KP arms (I had to heat the arms to make it easier), then it was much easier fitting the glove to the arms (again, boiling the glove first) AFTER the wrist peg was already fitted.

I haven't decided if I am going to keep Vader on the KP body, specifically because of the length/poseability of the arms. I'm hoping to spend some more time with Vader over the holiday weekend.

 

[Tabula Rasa]

^
Like I said in my last post; I used a hair dryer and pair of needle nose, and the boot peg came right out. The boots actually plug into the KP's foot pegs okay-ish. Better than it just resting.

As for the neck peg; I decided to stop being a wussy, and I just heated up the socket with the hair dryer to put the head on.

For the whole glove pegs not fitting well in the KP's arm sockets. I used a rotary dremel to widen the arm holes. Now they fit just like they were made for it.

Here are my before and after shots:

 

[kl241]

I like how he looked before. Those arms just look too short and bulky.

 

[Tabula Rasa]

Eh, it has it's pros and cons.
I have to like it. I didn't spend $50 on the KP for nothing.

 

[King Darkness]

A perfect Vader is in the eye of the beholder. Glad the KP mod worked for some of you, sorry it didn't for others. You shouldn't have a hard time selling your KP bodies though.

I think it looks much more like ANH Vader, Tab. Nice shots.

 

[jedijim3002]

Very nice. Next to the TK it really shows the difference.

 

[Tabula Rasa]

A perfect Vader is in the eye of the beholder. Glad the KP mod worked for some of you, sorry it didn't for others. You shouldn't have a hard time selling your KP bodies though.

I think it looks much more like ANH Vader, Tab. Nice shots.

Thanks, KD. I do like it. Sure the arms are a tad short, but the height difference really makes it worth it. I don't mind minor mods like this, but I'd never be able to do anything like what JediJim did. What with removing the abdomen part, and cutting leg sections out.

Also, like always in this hobby, pictures just don't do it justice like seeing it in person.
No matter how well photographed, things always look better in person.

 

[shockwave]

I haven't done the mod yet. Tough time removing the wrist joints. Proceed w/caution....

 

[PJB-1138]

Wait a sec. Are the arms on the Kaustic body unable to hold Vader's saber with both hands? Because that's a deal-breaker for me.

 

[Wor-Gar]

The pegs in both the Vader boots and gloves are removable.

That's funny, I had no idea. Thought each glove came with an internal peg. I gotta redress my Vader for the 4th time now.

^
Like I said in my last post; I used a hair dryer and pair of needle nose, and the boot peg came right out. The boots actually plug into the KP's foot pegs okay-ish. Better than it just resting.

As for the neck peg; I decided to stop being a wussy, and I just heated up the socket with the hair dryer to put the head on.

For the whole glove pegs not fitting well in the KP's arm sockets. I used a rotary dremel to widen the arm holes. Now they fit just like they were made for it.

Here are my before and after shots:

That before-and-after really shows the difference well... and I can see the pros and cons right there. Depends on which silhouette you think looks most like Vader.

In ANH, Vader seemed thicker and heavier to me. Perhaps it was the dirty helmet, perhaps its the robe outside the armor. The "before" looks more like ESB to me, while the "After" looks more like ANH.

 

[youbastards]

Yeah, I like the build of the KP body more than the stock body, but the arms are potentially the deal breaker for me. The arms are a good half inch too short, and the bunched up material is additional trouble for any dynamic poses. Not that Vader HAS many dynamic poses in ANH.

I had the same issue with arm length on my Luke Cage custom, it's just a design issue with the KP02 bodies. The length of the upper arm from shoulder to elbow is just too short.

 

[King Darkness]

In ANH, Vader seemed thicker and heavier to me. Perhaps it was the dirty helmet, perhaps its the robe outside the armor. The "before" looks more like ESB to me, while the "After" looks more like ANH.

Vader also had much more sloaped shoulders in ANH, he didn't have the wider, squared shoulders till ESB. Like I have been saying, Vader changes a lot, often from scene to scene, lighting, camera angle etc. Google searching images doenst really say much, watch the movies and really study Vader, espeically in ANH.

But anyway, to each their own. As long as said person is happy with their Vader thats all that matters

 

[jedijim3002]

^^Exactly. Good post. ^^

 

[Wor-Gar]

Is that Iron Fist up there?

As to arm length, on mine, the hands hang right down to the bottom of the crotch like they did on the old body. I'm not certain I have the gloves popped in all the way though. Is it that people think they look short when you have him reaching out?

I do see the problem with the material bunching up, which adds to the already crazy big biceps. My trick was to twist the sleeves really tight first, then shove the gloves on. The twisting kept the material from bunching up and looking fat and messy. Maybe try that to see if it helps.


Anyway, I think the two pictures above really illustrate what you get from either mod. Save each picture and preview them so you can click back and forth and really see the difference in build. Then decide what works for you.

Whatever the case, just remember there's another Vader coming...

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Dave Prowse's arms are actually quite long.


And they used two styles in ESB regarding the armor - bells tucked under the armor like ANH and bells level with the armor.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Dave Prowse's arms are actually quite long.

And they used two styles in ESB regarding the armor - bells tucked under the armor like ANH and bells level with the armor.

I don't know what this means. His arms look normal, hands hang at his croth like most everyone. And we were talking about the robe under or over the armor, not the shoulder "bells".