wingnut65 Posted February 6, 2015 Author Posted February 6, 2015 (edited) Scott, I'm not too surprised that your mask is in my research files. Yours and TrainWreck's threads were very helpful in giving me ideas of how to get this done. I tried to find pictures that were straight on, but some are looking downward, which will probably skew my results for measuring alignments. But, your observation that the hero tooth shows a little more upper lip, so to speak, than others. This actually may help me as I make my adjustments. Greg, By all means, get that Stormtrooper done and have fun with it. I can't wait for that time to come for me. Since my kit should arrive in June, I'm hoping to be finished before Halloween at the latest No, I'm not planning on any separate threads for my project. It will be hard enough to remember what I post here and finding time to keep this one updated. This is why I started this in the general T R Discussion section instead of the mask section. But have no worries, I will post info on the robes and wraps. I'm hoping to try some dyeing this weekend. Edited June 5, 2019 by wingnut65 Quote
wingnut65 Posted February 7, 2015 Author Posted February 7, 2015 (edited) Glad you like them, Kelly. I am a very visual person and looking at photos really helps me understand how to do something. I hope the more photos I can show will help someone on their project. BTW, Sit down and strap yourself in, here come a bunch more... Painting The Greeblies! The CRL calls the greeblies to be "nine metal or simulated metal detail pieces". There is no specific requirement for them to be weathered, but we all know they should be. There are two ways to weather things: 1) Painting or finishing it the color you want for the item and then dry brushing on the weathered look, or as I have read numerous times in blaster build threads, 2) paint the item the base color you want to have showing through, and then top coat it with the color you want the item. Afterwards, use sandpaper, turpentine or just scrape off the top layer of paint to expose the base coat. On the blaster builds, many use liquid latex or even toothpaste on the base coat where they want the base coat to be exposed. After painting the top coat, they just clean off the latex or toothpaste and the blaster is weathered. I bought a tube of Silver Leaf "Rub 'n Buff" from Michaels to give it a try. On the bare white resin, it worked great. But, when I primed a head spike and used the Rub n Buff, I could not get complete coverage. Even after letting it dry a couple hours, adding more silver just wiped off what was already on there. This is basically what I was aiming for, but it was just left too much base color still exposed. (NOTE: All resin pieces were washed before any finish was applied.) 043 I decided that spray paint would be the way to go. I grabbed the only dark colored primer I had on the shelf Rust-Oleum's 'Rusty Metal Primer'. This should really help those resin pieces from rusting in the harsh non-rusting desert environment!! I picked up a can of Ace Hardware's 'Chrome Aluminum' for the top coat. 044 The ends of the eye stalks that came with my kit have unique rings around the face of it. (Nice detail, Dustin!) I was afraid that the primer I was using might fill in these grooves, so I used my standard Imperial-Issued Blue Tape to cover the ends for priming. 045 All the resin pieces were sanded down smooth and all the irregularities that I knew would eventually bother me, were filled in and also sanded smooth, including my head spike I used to test finishing methods. I screwed all the resin pieces down to wood strips for ease in handling 046 It took several rounds of Prime - Sand - Prime - Sand, until I was satisfied with the results. This was just after sanding and getting ready for more paint. (Note: I know these could be worn, torn and battered, but the years of model building in me still strives for the glass smooth finish!) 047 I removed the blue tape and hit them all with a couple coats of silver. I let them dry a couple days after my first attempt and mounting them to the face left finger prints. 048 I really wish I had taken a picture with them all mounted to the mask, but I just moved on with the build! Making Mask Improvements I've read many threads on building a Tusken Mask. Several members were just not satisfied with how the basic mask looked and they performed Major Plastic Surgery to get the mask to be more precise. I am interested in getting mine closer to the shape of the screen used masks, but not motivated enough to perform major surgery. I chose a different path! The mouth should be a little bit wider than the mask has it. On the hero mask, the outside edge of the mouth is close to the width of the outside of the eye stalks and just inside the blood spitters. This means I need to saw-cut the mask, manipulate the cheeks and glue it all back in place and filling in all the holes that I created. Or not! 049 I cut some pieces of a big block of green floral foam I had laying around and I created my new cheeks. I sanded the inside to match the curve of the mask and used E600 to glue them on. NOTE: I did experiment with the glue first on the foam and nothing melted! I know some glues just eat away Styrofoam, so please test is first! 050 The foam is thick at the front, but tapers down as it goes back. 051 I used a Stanley Surform rasp plane to shape the foam, but any file or sandpaper will work. 052 A little off the sides, a little off the bottom, a little off the front - and a sanding block to finish it off. NOTE: Mouth hole will be enlarged before this is finished. 053 Not too bad! 054 This is also the step where I cut the holes on the side for peripheral vision. I cut mine 1-1/2" tall by 3/4" wide (38 mm x 19 mm). I intentionally cut them larger and will cover up what I don't want to be exposed. It is easier now to cut and cover than to wish later that the holes were bigger. 055 Just so no white plastic is exposed around the eyes and blood spitters, I used the Rusty Metal Primer. EDIT: I ended up wrapping vinyl around the eyes and this paint was not needed! 056 Now it's time to figure out how to attack the mouth! 057 Next Up, Is it Plastic Surgery, or Dentistry? Edited June 7, 2019 by wingnut65 photo linx 1 Quote
mutter Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 Nice job on the paint! I would love to see them mounted. I started on my mask as well, yet to create a thread and I do not want to hijack yours. Before you start on the mouth, take a look at the distances between the mouth and eyes and blood spitters and eyes. I wish I had mocked up photos to elaborate. In my opinion, the blood spitters could drop about a 1/2 inch lower from the eyes and the mouth probably a good inch lower from the eyes. There are a lot of threads where people complain they can't fit all of the leather between the eyes and tooth. Just wanted to point this out before you begin. Your build has been incredible! I've been using your notes to guide mine. Thank you! Quote
wingnut65 Posted February 10, 2015 Author Posted February 10, 2015 (edited) mutter, glad to hear your mask arrived and you've started on the path to the 501st. Feel free to post a few pix here if you want. The more info to help others get some good looking Tuskens, the better. You are correct on the spacing of all the pieces on this mask. After I ordered mine, I read how Darth Voorhees and TrainWreck performed what I would consider, Major Plastic Surgery, to improve the spacing and shape of the mask. For a first mask build, I didn't want to perform that much of reconstructive surgery. Maybe next time... As my first step into the 501st, I decided to attempt a happy medium on facial alterations to modify the mask, making adjustments that others may possibly feel more comfortable in attempting. Adding the foam cheeks was the first step and a little dentistry is the second. I'm getting close to the mouth leather and the adjustments I made may help get it all in. EDIT: Then again, maybe I should do it this time! Surgery pix forthcoming... Stay tuned for an update... Edited June 7, 2019 by wingnut65 Quote
wingnut65 Posted February 18, 2015 Author Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) Before I get into making any more mask adjustments, I'll share some comedy from when I thought I had a pretty good idea on how to wrap the leather around the mouth... When I put the Christmas decorations back in the attic, I found part of a roll of brown vinyl from a stool upholstery project about 15 years ago. Perfect color for many projects - mask, bandoliers! Since I don't want to ruin the leather that came with my kit, I came up with the idea of using a strip of my found vinyl for testing how to wrap the mouth. HINT: THIS DID NOT WORK I cut enough vinyl to go all the way around the snout. Rubber banded it in place and tucked it all inside! 058 - Just to find out that THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO DO IT! It looks like this guy got stung by a swarm of bees! 059 - I laughed so hard that I had to share this. It was also at this time that I realized that the Rusty Metal Primer paint that I used on the mask was too red and I repainted it brown, closer to the vinyl color. I'm not convinced this step is really needed as I ended up covering the eyes and spitter locations with more vinyl. I'll have to do some more research on the mouth wrap process! On with the mask! Edited June 7, 2019 by wingnut65 photo linx Quote
Tusken RTT Posted February 18, 2015 Posted February 18, 2015 Funny stuff! Yea the mouth is a nightmare for sure; the only thing I found that worked was to glue pleats basically first in the vinyl in 4 sections, then laid them all around the mouth. I tried and tried to get it right by cramming it through the hole (vulgar I know), and it was just a mess. Quote
Plastic Fury Posted February 18, 2015 Posted February 18, 2015 I am enjoying your build and your attention to detail. I will have to add your thread to Trainwrecks for when I start my helmet here soon. I have always been meticulous in anything I work on/build and figured my Tusken would be no different although I think many think it's just an easy costume to do. Just depends on your attention to detail and you have a good eye for it. Not surprised you are/were a modeler, I built models for many years myself.I look forward to seeing the finished project. Quote
wingnut65 Posted February 18, 2015 Author Posted February 18, 2015 Funny stuff! Yea the mouth is a nightmare for sure; the only thing I found that worked was to glue pleats basically first in the vinyl in 4 sections, then laid them all around the mouth. I tried and tried to get it right by cramming it through the hole (vulgar I know), and it was just a mess. I agree, Scott. I think that pleats are the secret to getting it to look right. I also had my mouth hole a little too small when I tried cramming it all in. I am enjoying your build and your attention to detail. I will have to add your thread to Trainwrecks for when I start my helmet here soon. I have always been meticulous in anything I work on/build and figured my Tusken would be no different although I think many think it's just an easy costume to do. Just depends on your attention to detail and you have a good eye for it. Not surprised you are/were a modeler, I built models for many years myself. I look forward to seeing the finished project. Thanks for your confidence, Seann. Its not done yet, but I'm working on it. The Tusken may be considered easy for those that have been around for a while and seeing them up close, but for us newbies, it is a challenge. Especially as a first time costume. My model building experience has really been helpful trying to figure out what I'm doing here. Being a meticulous perfectionist does have its draw backs. And it might be that since I play architect in real life, that I am always focused on being detail oriented. I just need to remember to keep taking progress pictures along the way. Good Luck on your Tusken project! Quote
wingnut65 Posted February 18, 2015 Author Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) Is it Plastic Surgery, or Dentistry? As jtechlove and mutter noted, there are some masks that have the tooth up high on the face, looking more like a nose. During my research, I came up with a ratio of the distance between the eyes to the distance between the blood spitters, the eyes and the tooth. On most all the masks, the tooth was located just below the centerline of the and a couple had 80% of the tooth below the centerline. 042 Well, looks like my first mounting location is centered between the spitters and looking more like a nose. Since I cannot raise the eyes and spitters any higher and still see out, my options are 1) lower the whole bottom half of the face, or 2) lower the tooth enough to look more realistic. There are other threads here by Darth Voorhees and TrainWreck that document will this procedure. For my first mask, I didn't want to be that adventurous. I decided on option 2, a little Dental Procedure! 060 With the cheeks shaped just like I want them, I will direct my surgery to just the upper bridgework to realign the tooth. 061 Using a thin flush cut saw, I cut all the way through the upper bridge, stopping just before the nose. (TIP: It is best not to be wearing the mask when this step is performed!) 062 Did the same cut on the other side. Both cuts go all the way to the mouth opening. 063 A little more trimming with the aviation tin snips! 064 ... and a little off the other side! 065 ... And there is enough room for the tooth to move downward. 066 I screwed the tooth back on for a test fit. Looks like this surgery may just work! 067 I must apologize for not following orders, but I used 5-minute epoxy for this step so I didn't have to hold the pieces together until the standard regulation E6000 glue had time to dry. 068 Knowing that 5-minute epoxy really isn't, I used string to hold the dental procedure in place until the epoxy had plenty of time to harden 069 Epoxy dried overnight and the repair is solid. But, now the flat mounting area for the tooth is behind the face of the mouth. 070 All it needs is a little wood spacer to make it all flush again. I used a piece of paneling because it was rigid enough to screw through, but still very light weight. 071 Now for the cosmetic plastic surgery to fill in the gaps and to cover the wood. EDIT: On the next page, I had to trim the nose and this piece of wood to be the same size as the back of the tooth. This piece is about 1/2" too tall. If you are following this dental surgery for your mask, do this now, instead of later... 072 I needed the bottom piece to fill the gaps and to connect the sides of the mouth together for strength. I have absolutely no earthly idea why I covered the piece of wood since it will all be covered with vinyl before it is done. 073 This step brought the mounting area for the tooth out flush with the rest of the mouth. This also shows how the surgery turned out and it shows the grooves around the eyes were not filled during painting. 074 I decided to add more plastic over the whole snout to hold all the seams together to strengthen it. I put on lots of E6000 and tied it down to dry overnight. The sheet plastic I'm using is a thin plastic 'For Sale' sign. 075 I didn't realize that the glue would affect the thin plastic so much, but I guess this just gives some more grip for the glue to hold the leather straps. 076 A little off the front and this step is Done! 077 It was a little work, but the results are much better from where I started. 078 Thanks for checking in. I hope you come back for the next step in my adventurous path to the 501st! Next Up, Adding Leather! Edited June 8, 2019 by wingnut65 photo linx 4 Quote
wingnut65 Posted February 20, 2015 Author Posted February 20, 2015 (edited) Thanks, garbz and mutter, I'm working as much as time will allow. Work and Life keep getting in the way! Now I need some help on locating the head spikes. I was going to call them horns, but the CRL calls them spikes... As I searched the Clan forum before I started my build, I found that Karpouzian had asked the same question. Chris was kind enough to dig through his notes and find where he had them bookmarked. On 10/17/2014 at 6:18 PM, vt357 said: Found the reference: They are 2.75" up from the top of the installed aluminum eyes and 5.5" apart. The rear spikes are 5.25" from the front spikes & they are 4.5" apart, roughly center to center. I used these measurements on my mask and was very pleased with the result. This places the rear spikes closer to the top of the head instead of far back. But the reference pictures of the OT masks seem to match this whereas the prequel masks have them further back. I used these dimensions, but I'm not convinced that I have them right. I don't know if the spacing from the top of the eyes would be different for different mask types, but mine just looks too far forward to me. What do you think??? 079 Edited June 5, 2019 by wingnut65 Quote
Arcturus1020 Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 I think the front spike is positioned too far forward but the rear spike looks pretty good. Brian posted this great profile image up before: Quote
garbz Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 I just noticed that one image is flipped... Quote
wingnut65 Posted February 23, 2015 Author Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) On 2/20/2015 at 3:00 PM, garbz said: I just noticed that one image is flipped... Yep, looks like it is flipped Yes, I will be moving the head spikes further back on the head. I ran it past my GML and he agrees it ain't quite right. Looking at this image from the LFL Archives, I think the left-to-right spacing of the back spikes are very close to the same spacing as the front spikes. Looks like I need to break out the double sided tape and move them around until they look good. Edited June 5, 2019 by wingnut65 1 Quote
wingnut65 Posted February 25, 2015 Author Posted February 25, 2015 (edited) I moved all the head spikes back about 1" (25 mm) and I like them much better 080 From looking at the LFL Archive picture above, I decided to move the rear spikes apart to match the front spikes at 5.5" apart (140 mm) 081 Progress is getting exciting right now. Next Progress Update, Adding Leather! Edited June 5, 2019 by wingnut65 2 Quote
Arcturus1020 Posted February 26, 2015 Posted February 26, 2015 Looks great! Nice job repositioning those spikes! Now, before you start wrapping, make sure you drill some holes in the styrene/plastic for ventilation. This helpful tip came to me by a long-time costumer (MrFett) and it absolutely helps get the trapped heat out quicker--even through the wraps. Also think about if you're going to put a fan(s) in and placement of that. Now is the time to start making those decisions. It's looking great! 2 Quote
wingnut65 Posted February 26, 2015 Author Posted February 26, 2015 (edited) Glad you approve, Scott! Good point, James. I've seen some put holes in the cap, but I don't want the form of the circle to be visible through the wraps, so probably only 1/2" or 3/4". What would the norm be? As for a fan, the only place I have is in the snout. On this hard hat, I cannot use the plastic liners that came with it. All I have is the hat sitting directly on my head and foam on the front and back (for now) to hold it secure on my head. I don't have any space between my head and the hat to place a top mounted fan. I was going to research fans to see if a TK fan setup might work in a Tusken mask. What are my fan options if not installing on top?? Edited June 5, 2019 by wingnut65 spacing issues Quote
zhunter Posted February 26, 2015 Posted February 26, 2015 Looking good. The attention to detail on the mask is great!! You mentioned using "an old pair of sneakers" for the footwear. You need to use boots. No skin or pants should be visible. Here's how I made mine: http://dz9588.com/tusken-raider/tusken-boots/#.VO6rPy653io Did you wash your monks cloth before sewing it?? I ask casue this stuff shrinks alot when washed. Quote
wingnut65 Posted February 26, 2015 Author Posted February 26, 2015 (edited) Thanks for the support, Oscar! One of the efforts in this build is to see if I cam keep the budget as low as possible, mainly to keep peace in the family. Having twins going to college next year is enough of an expense on the pocket. I love how you did your boots and I feel I can get the same look with being creative and using existing shoes as the starting point. When I'm done, hopefully everybody will think they are boots, especially the for the costume approval. If not, I will go back and start with boots. EDIT: My concept for shoes and wraps work perfectly. Nobody can tell that they are not one-piece boots! The robes are coming along well. I will be dyeing them soon and will post updates. Edited June 7, 2019 by wingnut65 1 Quote
zhunter Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 Np man!For the shoes you could make "Sleeves" and attach them to the shoes via velcro and have the wraps over hang a bit to hide the seam. Quote
Arcturus1020 Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 I'm anxiously waiting for another update as I just received a new helmet kit from Dustin because you've inspired me. Oh, and I know a LOT of Tuskens in our area who are using Crocs as a base for their feet—there's even one person who's using slippers. 1 Quote
xalxe Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 I'm anxiously waiting for another update as I just received a new helmet kit from Dustin because you've inspired me. Oh, and I know a LOT of Tuskens in our area who are using Crocs as a base for their feet—there's even one person who's using slippers. I saw one guy use chuck Taylor's. I want to know how they wrapped them. I love my chucks. Quote
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