Superjedi's GMH as ESB for Terrantula

Hi my fine feathered Fett friends!
(. . . feathered???. . .)

THE BEGINNING: May 19, 2013:

A couple of days ago I received one of Asok's GMH helmet kits for a commission job.
I'm painting this one as an ESB helmet for member Terrantula. Hi, Scott!
(Anyone ever notice how many Scotts and Chrises there are on TDH??????)
I got to meet him down at C VI in Orlando last summer and he's in the process
of upgrading his Fett costume, which looked great! So I'm glad to be able to
do this bucket for him.

Asok has done a terrific job with the GMH. The cast is clean and very sturdy,
and the accessories (ears, RF, MQ-1) are crisp with sharp detail. If you've
read his thread, you know that the helmet is cold cast as well. The aluminum
RF stalk is a nice addition to a great kit!

Since I'm doing this one as ESB, I'll be filling the existing PP2 damage, then
adding the ESB physical damage. So the cold cast will be primered over as
I prep the helmet for a topical paint job. The parts on the RF ear that remain
bare metal will retain the cold cast finish though.



In these shots, I've trimmed the helmet already, and have done the first
application of putty to fill in the physical damage. I used a combination of
tools to get the helmet prepped. I used my Dremel with a cutting wheel, a
rotary sanding drum, and a "bullet" shaped grinding stone. For the keyslots,
I drill them with a small drill bit, then connect the holes, and finish them
with a couple of jewelers' files and emery boards. I might have used some
conventional explosives here and there too. . . can't recall.



Once the putty is dry, I'll sand it down and look for places that need a second
application. Then, it's on to primer!



Scott has also ordered a brass Borden from Mojo. I'm waiting to Dremel out the
resin Borden until I have the metal one in hand. That way, I can be sure I'm making
the hole in the cheek precisely the right size.
Much more to come!

Ahh, how very excellent - more eye candy from the 'Layer-opical' master! Looking forward to the paint up Eric, and the cold cast finish always interested me - I always felt I would actually basecoat over the cold cast finish if I ever encountered one too - I just feel it would enable the closer accuracy and more solid paint adhesion. But can't wait to see your handywork.

As for the feathers, that feathered boa was only donned that one time, and it was for a fancy dress party I swear!

Cool..
Look forward to your paint-ups Eric!! and ESB to boot!
Both Bordens are being shipped together bruv.

Ill be watching this as my ASOK GMH is also going to ESB.

Unless you want to do another one...

Originally Posted by Rhapsodyred99

Ill be watching this as my ASOK GMH is also going to ESB.

Unless you want to do another one...

x2

Very nice! I love Superjedi threads!

If anyone's planning to do the GMH as an ESB helmet, I think it's a really good base
to work from. It's just these early prep stages that require a little extra time.
Filling the damage isn't hard, you just need to be patient so that you do a
thorough job.

Gav, thanks for the reply regarding the Bordens!

Originally Posted by Jayvee

As for the feathers, that feathered boa was only donned that one time, and it was for a fancy dress party I swear!

What you do on your own time is your business, Jonny!

UPDATE: May 19, 2013

No pics for this update. I sanded the putty and found several low spots, which is
no big surprise. I tend to use pretty thin layers of putty. I want to be certain it
cures all the way through.
I did a second application and should be able to get it sanded later this evening.
Hoping to get the helmet in primer tomorrow afternoon!

The ROTJ needs this same damage repair as well...for the guys looking to go ROTJ

Are you just using regular old Bondo for the filling?

It's similar to Bondo. It's a glazing putty that I bought when I was in
the Air Force, stationed in Germany. I'll have to look at the tube to see
what the name is. But it goes on nice and smooth and sands like a dream.

So it is a single part putty not a 2 part that you have to mix like regular Bondo is?

Yeah, it just comes in a tube. It's called Motip and it looks like this:

Started using Tamiya filler this week...and I like it alot more then the bondo filler!

YAAAYYYYYY!!!!!! So pumped for this build thread

Thanks Eric!!!!!

And here we go again... Another great Superjedi helmet paint job thread. And it's ESB! You can't find better than this!

Thanks for following along! We haven't even gotten started yet. . .

UPDATE: May 21, 2013

Quickie update today. The second round of putty was sanded and everything
looked good. So that means primer time!

I used Duplicolor self-etching primer for this bucket. I've used it before and it's
a really rugged product. I figured with the helmet being cold cast, the etching
property of this primer would give it some really good bite.

Here's the helmet in a shot that I will call "Big Boba, Little Boba."



Yep, that's my car. My wife got me the vanity plate as a coming home present
when I was in the USAF stationed in Korea back in 2009. If anyone's ever in
eastern Virginia and you see that plate, you'll know whose car it is!

Tomorrow evening I'll sand the primer, and begin the color coats on the rear panels
(of the helmet. . . not the car!)

Osan or Kunsan or one of the smaller bases? (we've had this discussion before havent we?!?!) I just got back from Osan.

I like that primer....used it for a TK.

I was at Kunsan from Jun 08-Jun 09. I went up to Osan a couple times
during my time there. Couldn't believe you guys had a Chili's there!

I didnt believe it at first either...lotta nice-aties there....popeyes chicken etc...

They have a Popeyes in Korea, but not in Pennsylvania? Man that is messed up. I want me some Popeyes.

They have one off base and one on base...LMAO...you can drive to Maryland theres one on I95 at the Maryland house rest stop

I don't want it that bad. If I'm driving for food that far I have some issues. Although I would like to find a sonic somewhere close. I love me some cherry limeade.
How did this thread turn into one about food? Oh, it was me sorry bout that.

Why am I so hungry?

UPDATE: May 23, 2013

First color! Got the back panels masked off and sprayed a couple of light
coats of Floquil Concrete. Here she is unmasked.



I usually mask everything off just for neatness. At this stage, I could paint the whole
helmet Concrete and it wouldn't really matter. The masking gets more complex with
each new color application.



The back panels will dry for 24 hours, and when I get home from work tomorrow
I'll begin stenciling and masking for the dark green!

Great progress. I'm excited for the next update.

in for updates!

great work bro

Thanks guys! Gettin' ramped up now.

UPDATE: May 25, 2013

Pretty good sized update for today. This contains a lot of work that was done over the last
couple of days. Once the Concrete was dry on the back panels, I began to stencil the
separation between the base color and the dark green. I use Winsor & Newton masking
fluid for this step. This is the only layered area on the helmet. Here are a couple of shots.



In these pics, the slightly darker shiny areas are the dried masking fluid. Winsor & Newton
is untinted, but I've never had a problem telling where it is, even with a coat of paint over it.



Once the W & N was dry, I masked off the remainder of the helmet. Once again, this is simply
for neatness. I try to contain my painted areas as much as possible. Good ol' blue painters tape
and some Glad cling wrap makes short work of masking larger areas.



I have never found an out-of-the-bottle color that I like for the back panels on the ESB.
This is one of the few custom colors that I mix. I start with a 1/2 oz. bottle of Testors
Model Master Acryl Euro I Dark Green, and to that I add approximately 65-75 drops of
Polly Scale BAR Blue. Yes, I count the drops. I find that this gives the Euro green
just enough of a kick over into the blue-green range to look really nice.



When I airbrush this custom green, I don't try to get 100% coverage. I begin with a medium
coat that's kind of cloudy. I leave it just a bit translucent. Then using some reference pics
of the helmet, I begin to darken certain areas. This is like "built in" weathering.



After letting it dry for several hours, I unmask. I use a rubber cement eraser to remove the
masking fluid. It does an amazing job. . . it's like magic!





I began the detail painting with the left panel. To start with, I go back with some Concrete and a fine
brush and touch up the edges of certain areas. I just study the reference pics and tweak the edges until
I think they look good.
I also take my custom blue-green and a small brush and add in those subtle, darker patches that are
scattered over the back panels. Since the base coat is airbrushed, applying the same color with a brush
gives a denser application, so it appears slightly darker.

I stencil the gray areas the same way that I stencil for the dark green. Then I add the gray, using
Polly Scale SP Lark Dark Gray with a 000 brush.



To finish off the panel, I use some Floquil Bright Silver with that same size brush. The physical
scratches have been added in the picture below. I use a compass point and scratch right thru
the paint to the gelcoat.



Whew!! I think that's enough for today.
Tomorrow I'll work on the right panel. There's a lot more happening on that panel, with that
enormous silver area, and I usually have to do it in several sittings. Otherwise my eyes catch on fire.

So pretty. It really is great watching your paint ups Eric, as because I tend to layer, watching the topical or "layer-optical" (to steal your own word), is a good change and shows just how to get fantastic results with different methods. Splendid work as always my good man! :-)

Thanks Jonny. I need to keep my layered skills sharp to do a ROTJ helmet (at some point.)

UPDATE: May 26, 2013

First stage of the right panel is complete. This is just the blocking in of the silver.
I actually did the small gray areas first, just to have some reference landmarks for when
I go back to do the detailing. The shape of the whole area will become more defined as
I begin to add the rest of the gray, as well as some additional dark green.



My arm fell asleep from doing this part!

Great helmet!

Looking amazing.....

Thanks! Welcome to TDH, Moscou.

UPDATE: May 27, 2013

Back panels done *whew*
Here are a couple of shots of the right panel. I've added the contrasting color on
the silver damage. In the pics below, you can see that it's very subtle depending
on the viewing angle.



Nearly invisible above. . .



. . . but rotate the helmet slightly, and it becomes visible.

There are several other small areas where this pale color will be applied. The dent will have
some of this color added, as well as the curve of the right mandible, and a couple other
spots here and there.

Next stage will be to mask off the back panels and lay down the base color for the dome
and lower cheeks! It will slowly start to look more like Boba over the next few days.

Hey Scott, hope you had a good time at PCC!

What color is this pale color you are using to make that contrast in the silver?

Looks amazing Eric!!! And yes, I did enjoy PCC quite a bit. Went in my Tusken and had my first troop with my daughter which was a blast!!!




Thanks again Eric for the amazing paintup, and Asok for the super fast turn around on the GMH!!!!

Terrantula

Scott, the "BatMando" turned out great! I remember going to the Phoenix Con with Farva and some 501st guys
in 2008, right before I left to go to Korea. I guess it's grown into a pretty big show since then.
Glad you had fun with your daughter!

Originally Posted by Predatormv

What color is this pale color you are using to make that contrast in the silver?

Pred, the color I use is one of those acrylic craft paints (Delta, or Ceramcoat. . . don't have it in front
of me right now) called Blue Wisp. It's a very very very pale blue gray.

Ah ok cool. Thanks.

Now that I see this I see why you like addition damage...and the control. Looking good bud!

Thanks, F4R.

UPDATE: May 28, 2013

Got the base green down on the dome and cheeks yesterday afternoon and let it dry
overnight. So now I can begin the dome damage. This will be several updates with
lots of silver and gray.

I don't know why, but I always begin my dome detailing at the back.



The silver and gray areas are pretty simple back here, but I get to add a lot of
physical scratches, which is fun!



I'll continue working around counterclockwise until the dome is done. Once I get all the damage
placed I'll have landmarks to begin the darkening/lightening of the base green. The colors won't
look so stark once I complete that part.

Stunning work my friend, just stunning!!!!

Terrantula

Very nice SJ

Thanks, guys. Scott, I just saw a little while ago that the metal Bordens
are starting to show up. Hopefully yours will get here soon!

UPDATE: May 29, 2013

Round and round we go. Got a bit more done on the dome today.



Next I'll move in front of the right ear and get that little "humped" area, then the cat scratch!
That's one of my favorite features on the ESB.

How do you not show brush strokes in the silver...any time I do a large area it shows strokes and such...

Well, I think a lot of credit goes to the paint. Floquil is excellent for leveling and not
showing brush strokes.
I make sure that my brush is well saturated with paint. Not so much that the paint
will "blob" when I touch it to the helmet, just so that I can get a nice smooth stroke.
I begin by painting a portion of the outline of an area, then when it seems that the
brush is almost dry, I go back and feather the outline into the area a bit.
Working quickly helps. I have found that if I overlap the areas slightly, and blend
them together while the paint is still wet, it really helps to eliminate brush strokes.

HRM....silvers mainly dont work for me with brushing larger areas....but yeh the floquils work pretty well

That's one of the things that impresses me about Superjedi's work. He can make a topical paintjob not actually look topical. If I tried something like that, at best it might result in something that looked worthy of being sold in a Walgreen's toy section...

Wolfsburg, thanks! It's not something that happened overnight. I've been doing this for
quite a while now, and it's a lot of trial and error-finding out what works well and what doesn't.

UPDATE: May 30, 2013

Not as big an update as I had planned. My throat is feeling a little gross today. Hope I'm not
coming down with something.

I got the cat scratch and surrounding areas stenciled on, and got the silver painted before I
decided that I'll pause here for the day. Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel better and get the gray
areas done. It looks a little weird right now, but these are the "in between" stages that are
associated with a topical paint job.



If everything goes according to plan (insert evil laugh here) I should get to the dent
sometime on Saturday.

UPDATE: May 31, 2013

Feeling OK, so back to work Superjedi, you slacker!

Got the remainder of the cat scratch done, as well as the surrounding areas.



Also did the smaller area above the turn signals.



I did the very fine scratches all through this area, too.

Next up. . . the dent!

UPDATE: June 1, 2013

Dentage!
Continuing to move around the dome, I've reached the dent. Arguably the most
recognizable feature of the helmet, there's a ton of juicy detail to apply.
As with the other sections done with a topical paint job, it begins with the main
silver area blocked in.



After working in the gray, along with the big streak coming back from the dent,
the nearly finished damage looks like this.



There will be some final detailing added at the end of the project. The area surrounding
the dent will receive some pastel weathering, a couple spots of slightly lightened green,
and some of that contrasting pale color within the silver.

Only a couple more damage sections to apply to the dome, then it'll be on to the cheeks!

UPDATE: June 2, 2013

I love weekends, I can really get a lot done.
OK, several steps for this update. After the dent and streak were done, I did the
smaller area under the streak, and the big area on top of the dome.





That completed all the major damage sections on the dome. There are a few minor details
left to do, but I need to get the killstripes on first in order to make sure they're positioned right.

It probably isn't obvious in the shots above, but I have also misted on some lightened green
on the dome and lower cheeks. The patterns are very diffuse, but it helps to break up the
one-dimensional look of the base green. It's sort of visible in the pics as a kind of blotchy look
to the finish, but once a clear coat is applied, the reflectivity will be evened out, and the
color difference should be slightly more apparent. It's a subtle effect overall, and it's more
readily visible to the eye.

After "blotching" the dome and cheeks, I did the upper cheeks with PRR Brunswick Green. This
was applied in 2 coats with a 1/2 inch flat brush. If I remember right, the upper cheeks were
brush painted on the original. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong.)



I did the detail painting on the right cheek first. Still using my Bright Silver, and 2 different
grays: my custom gray on the lower cheek, and SP Lark Dark Gray on the upper cheek.
In the shots above and below, I've also chipped out the physical damage using an X-acto blade.



Next up is the left cheek.

UPDATE #2: June 2, 2013

Whew! As the sun begins to sink slowly in the west. . . I'm done for the weekend.
I got the left inner cheek done. This part of the helmet contains the third and final
custom mixed color that I use. It's a blend of SP Lark and the dark green mixture
that I use on the back panels. It's just different enough from the "standard" custom
gray to be visually different.



It's weird that the gray damage on this part of the helmet is two different shades,
but it's one of those cool details that's fun to capture.
Tomorrow I'll do the upper left cheek, then the helmet will receive a quick spritz of
Testors Dull Coat to seal the paint work thus far. After that. . . killstripes.

Gettin' there, Scott!

Eric,

I can't even describe how amazed I am by your work and can't wait to troop this work of art....that is if I don't put it in a glass display case

Hey Scott, glad you're enjoying the progress.
Little more work done today, but nothing really to show picture-wise.

I did some adjusting of the dome/cheek misting. When I sprayed the
Dull Coat on yesterday, it appeared to have absorbed most of the lighter color.
No big deal, just reapplied some of the lighter green today. I started losing
the light in my hobby room as I was getting finished, so tomorrow I'll evaluate
how it looks, and possibly reapply some of the original darker base green in
certain spots. The dome/cheek color is really muddied up, and it might take
2 or 3 passes with varied shades till I get it where I want it.
It's a process!

Originally Posted by superjedi

Hey Scott, glad you're enjoying the progress.

He's not the only one!

Gorgeous paint up!

Thanks fellas. Biggish update today.

UPDATE: June 6, 2013

Killstripes!

I've taken a little extra time with the killstripe stage to show the complete method I use
to apply them. So this post is a little pic heavy.

First off, measurements. I've come to a "standard" group of measurements for putting the
ESB killstripes onto a GMH helmet. These are absolutely not cast in stone, I just think they
give the best looking result. I space the bottom of the killstripes 6.5 mm above the red band.
Each stripe is 27 mm tall by 8 mm wide, and there's a 6 mm space between each stripe.
To position them on the dome, it's just a matter of carefully checking the reference pics.

I cut a strip of blue painter's tape 6.5 mm wide and apply it to the dome.



After checking and rechecking the positions of the stripes, I begin to lay out some tape
to mark the spaces between the stripes. I use Tamiya masking tape for this, and it just
so happens that it's exactly 6 mm wide!



Then, I make a pencil mark on each piece of Tamiya tape, and lay a strip of blue painter's tape
across the top so that each stripe comes out to 27 mm tall.



Then using the reference pics, I apply some masking fluid to mark out the chips within the
stripes. I use Winsor & Newton and a Microbrush.



After that, I mask the entire helmet off with plastic wrap and tape. I don't take any chances
at this stage. I've done too much work on the helmet to risk any yellow spatter!



The last thing I do before airbrushing is to burnish all the edges of the tape. This really helps
to get those corners down nice and tight. I've forgotten to do this step before and usually wind
up with yellow paint that has bled thru a little bit, leading to some tedious touchups afterwards.
I use a small burnishing tool that I picked up from Michael's. Not sure what its intended purpose
is, but it works great for Fett helmets!



Now it's on to airbrush time. I use Polly Scale UP Armor Yellow to do the stripes. I always do
a couple of light coats rather than try to get solid coverage with a single coat. This also helps
prevent bleed through. Today, I did 3 light coats for these stripes.

After putting the basic yellow down, I go back with an orangey-red color (I've used different
ones in the past, depending on what I have on hand) and tone the back half of the killstripe run.
Once that's done, the helmet looks like this.



When everything's nice and dry, I unmask the helmet in reverse order. I begin by removing
the plastic wrap.



Then I use a rubber cement pickup to rub the masking fluid off, and finally, carefully peel
up the tape between and around the stripes. Here's the final result!



Now I'll be able to do the gray and silver damage that is mingled in between the stripes, and
make sure the position is really accurate. Here are another couple of views of the killstripes.



Still a tiny bit of yellow to add in the "voids" in a couple of the stripes, and I'll do that
with my 000 brush.



So it's getting there now. Next up will be the damage areas within the stripes, the odd
faded color beneath the stripes, and finally. . . some red for those crazy mandibles!
Thanks for following along so far.

This is just absolutely terrible.

I'll tell you what I can do, but only because I feel bad for Terrantula. I've got an untouched ASOK CC GMH sitting here. You go ahead and finish that one up and send it to me and I'll send you this brand new one so you can try again, hopefully doing a better job this time. I'll dispose of that one for you to make sure it doesn't get seen in public causing you any further embarrassment.

Excellent tutorial, Eric! I encourage you to do a separate thread with your accurate step-by-step killstripe tutorial as a reference for others and maybe one of the admins will make it a 'sticky'. Keep up the excellent work!

OK, superjedi, I answered your question, now you gotta answer mine

You use POG (Panzer Olive Green?) for the dome and cheeks. Who makes the color you use? Is it a Pollyscale color as well?

Polyscale color

Originally Posted by MisterFubar

This is just absolutely terrible.

I'll tell you what I can do, but only because I feel bad for Terrantula. I've got an untouched ASOK CC GMH sitting here. You go ahead and finish that one up and send it to me and I'll send you this brand new one so you can try again, hopefully doing a better job this time. I'll dispose of that one for you to make sure it doesn't get seen in public causing you any further embarrassment.

lol, I appreciate the support MisterFubar

Eric,

This is looking incredible. Smile goes ear to ear right now!!!

Thanks for everything!!
Scott

After sitting in traffic on my way home from work for an hour and 15 minutes, I can
always count on TDH for a grin.

MisterFubar, you'll have to discuss any changes to this deal with Terrantula! But I'm pretty
much positive that he won't go for it.

Raf, thanks! Don't know if the killstripe post is "sticky worthy" or not. Just trying to help out
the members where I can.

Necronaut, by the time I'm done with the misting coats and weathering, the base green for the
dome/cheeks is really nothing like how it looks coming out of the bottle. I use both darker and
lighter mixtures during the process, so the base green is very "muddied" at the end of the process.
But yes, I use PollyScale acrylics almost exclusively, with a couple of Tamiya acrylics for some
of the details.

Personally I like the look of the "muddied" green because, to my eye, it makes it look like old oxidized paint. Not so fresh and pristine...

I agree. I'll be getting that same look for my recently painted and clear-coated armor parts while I wait for my Pollyscale paints to arrive in the mail. I've got a brand-new GMH waiting for its paint job, and I will be following your past ESB WIP's very closely for guidance, superjedi!

One final question. I hear that an ESB helmet's been used on a Star Wars exhibition tour... which one? I'd like to start compiling some reference material before I paint.

Necronaut, TDH's galleries are full of excellent reference pics of all Boba's various costumes,
from Pre-Pro through ROTJ.

Here's just one gallery with a ton of ESB helmet shots:

Art of Star Wars 2002-07-10 - The Dented Helmet Gallery

Check out more of the galleries for a wealth of info.

UPDATE: June 8, 2013

Today's session ends all the "basic" painting on the dome.
I finished the network of silver and gray damage in between the killstripes.
I also did the fade below the stripes. It's always been my theory that this
is masking tape residue. I don't have any facts to back this up, it just has that look.
To do the fade, I use very watered down PollyScale Concrete with a size 0 brush.
I apply it in several passes, letting the color develop slowly with each application.
It's basically a pale beige wash that's strategically applied, rather than covering
an entire surface. It has a very subtle appearance, but it is on the screen used
helmet, so it goes on my replicas.



That's probably gonna be it for today, as my wife and I have some plans this afternoon with
her family. But tomorrow. . . base red for the mandibles! After the red goes on, it will really
transform the appearance of the entire helmet.

Beautiful Eric, just a splendid job as always brother! :-)

Beautiful work!

Thanks guys.

UPDATE: June 9, 2013

The sea of green has been parted! Let there be red.



Got the base coat down on the mandibles earlier. Now it's really starting to take
on the Fett look.



This stage involves the most complex masking of the entire project. It actually takes
longer to mask everything off than it does to airbrush the mandibles! But that's how
it goes.



Tomorrow I'll begin adding the gray/silver/maroonish damage areas to the red sections.
I'll begin with the keyslot section, then work my way around until everything behind the
ear platforms is done. The front of the mandibles will be last.



At this point, the only thing I'll be using my airbrush for is to do the ears. I generally
don't work on the ears till after the main part of the helmet is done.

Entering the home stretch now, Scott!

Great work!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 2

Ah yes, the step where boba gets his lovely application of lipstick... That sassy little bounty hunter.. Awesome bud!

Truely beautiful art. It is a pleasure to see it being created and thank you for your lesson on killstripes!

Thanks guys!

Originally Posted by Jayvee

Ah yes, the step where boba gets his lovely application of lipstick... That sassy little bounty hunter.. Awesome bud!

You like that Jonny, wait till I put the mascara on!

UPDATE: June 10, 2013

The detailing continues. I've started the damage on the red areas with the keyslot section.
Still using my SP Lark Dk Gray and silver, but also add some PRR Maroon to set off the gray.



This process will continue around the "hat band" and onto the mandibles. Every day gets
a little bit closer now.

Very nice work!!!

Thanks 22!

UPDATE: June 11, 2013

Moving onto the hatband now. I've got the central portion done. There's a lot
of fairly intricate stuff going on in this relatively small section of the helmet.



From here, I'll keep working outward toward both ear platforms. If everything goes OK, I should
have all the detailing behind the ears done by Friday. Then, it's on to the front!

SICK Detail.

Thanks for following along Redboy!

UPDATE: June 14, 2013

Going a bit slower than anticipated, but I had to take time to celebrate Mrs. Superjedi's
birthday yesterday!

I've also encountered a problem with my good digital camera, so pics for the next few
updates will be from my phone.

I worked around behind the right ear. Still using the same gray/silver/maroon as on the
keyslots and the rest of the band and mandible areas.



Next will be the portions behind the left ear. The white "thumbprints" will come much later
at the end of final weathering and sealing.

UPDATE: June 15, 2013

Still using my phone cam. . . so pics are kind of hit or miss.

Making lots of progress thanks to the weekend. I've gotten everything behind the ear
platforms done, and I've moved on to the front of the mandibles. I started at the left
corner of the visor.



Lots of detail crammed into that little corner! I also started moving across the "eyebrow" section
above the visor cutout. I'm halfway across the front at this point.



I'll continue across the eyebrow area and then that will leave the mandibles themselves.
Scott had requested that I install one of Mojo's replica Borden connectors, too. I'll be
drilling out the molded-in Borden at some point and installing the crisp, beautiful brass one.

Excellent........

This is a MUST WATCH thread folks. most impressive

Thanks guys. Getting closer. . .

UPDATE: June 16, 2013

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!

Alright, now down to the serious business of mandible-ness. OK, maybe not quite so serious.
Half of Boba's face is now complete.



For those who are familiar with the helmet as it exists today, you'll notice that there are some
areas that seem to have some damage "missing." I'm doing this as the screen used version, so
when I do the mandibles, I compare the reference pics from the various AOSW and MOM exhibits
with hi-def screen caps to see which areas suffered additional damage over the years.
Here's a slightly different angle, and a slightly clearer picture (silly phone camera).



The right mandible is next, and it will take me several sessions to complete. To me, that's
the most intricate section on the entire helmet. Once the right mandible is complete, I'll work
on the ears.

While I doubt anyone is surprised in the least, this is just once again looking amazing Eric.. Mad, mad skills my good man! :-)