My Lifesize Han Solo in Carbonite Project - 1st Attempt * Picture Intensive *

By the way, here is the end result of my "Lifesize Boba Fett Project - 1st Attempt".

I finished the final touches, which consisted of weathering the jumpsuit with some black and sand colored charcoal. The mannequin looks good and I get allot of compliments when my friends come over and see it.



I would say he is about 99% complete and will most likely stay that way for some time.

so far so good! the face looks a whole lot better than the one i made myself, so you'd definitely good on that front

Excellent progress, can't wait to see it finished.
Let me know if you need a casting of the feet so you don't have to bother sculpting it from foam.

Ely

Looks great o far! I've been wanting to do that myself. It'd be great hanging in my office offset with orange backlighting.

Originally Posted by VashDstampede

Excellent progress, can't wait to see it finished.
Let me know if you need a casting of the feet so you don't have to bother sculpting it from foam.

Ely

speaking of... i meant to ask you a while ago. any chance of you doing partial castings of yours?

i'd LOVE to get face/hands/feet. i'm perfectly happy with my body, but the rest could use some love

Wow, I've always wanted to do one of these! Looking great so far!

VashDstampede, if you did castings of face/hands/feet, about how much would they run?

They run about $500.00, used to be $450.00 but Resin can be expensive. shipping costs are low as well in fact he can ship it via Greyhound, that's right Greyhound for $70.00 THAT IS A STEAL!!!! C

Originally Posted by Cerillo

They run about $500.00, used to be $450.00 but Resin can be expensive. shipping costs are low as well in fact he can ship it via Greyhound, that's right Greyhound for $70.00 THAT IS A STEAL!!!! C

that's all for a full front though, not just the hands/feet/face as separate parts.

i think that's a neat option that hasn't been explored. scratch build the body, but have the hands/feet/face in resin.

I think this is a great idea.... castings of the smaller parts and just scratch building the body.

I don't want to take away from azheat01's progress, so please PM me for questions/suggestions/ideas since I've never thought about selling just parts.

For azheat01, let me know if you want the toes, I'll just charge you shipping plus a couple of bucks for the resin.

Here is a comaparison, just for quick reference. I still have to start shaping the body and legs.

Cool! It's coming out pretty good.

a fellow member was doing this a while back, but i don't think he finished his. I'll have to try this too, because this looks awesome.

Looking good! Which I had the room to even start one...hehe!!

Wow - seems like you have laid some great groundwork on this. Please keep the pics coming.

I did a little more work today. I started sculpting the foam body and boots and did a base wash of glue over all the foam pieces. I am also building up the neck so it transitions from the plaster face cast to the foam body.

I have a liitle more sculpting to do on the wrists which will be connected to the plastic hands.

I am also going to use my hot glue gun to apply strips in various places to create the "frozen running water" effect.

More to come.............

It was a busy week and I got side tracked, so I did not get as much done as I wanted. I managed to get the shirt cut, fitted, and I just finished setting it.

Hopefully I can get the pants done tomorrow and then start setting the hands.

Thanks for posting this step by step & possibly setting a template for the rest of us who want to accomplish this! Great job so far. Take your time! You will do fine!

Set the pants today and did another wash of glue. Some of my dimensions are off, but too late to fix them now. I want to get the glue poured as soon as possible, it takes a few days to dry.

I think it will come together once I mount the hands, pour the glue, and start painting.

This is an awesome scratchbuild!

I can't wait until you have those side panels ready for casting! I'm waiting I'm waiting! lol

Did you make the mold of the face or were you able to buy that somewhere? It looks just like Harrison's face in ROTJ!

I got the face mold from eBay some time ago, it's really not that bad and did not cost much.

If anyone has a picture or 2 of their scratch built HIC, I would love to see them, especally if anyone built side panels from scratch. I am looking at a few different ideas.

Thanks!

This looks great and doesn't look that hard to do. Great job keep the progress pics coming!

Does anyone have any good picutres of the side panels of HIC? I am looking for some better pictures and did quite a few searches on-line, but nothing.

Thanks.

What's you email mate? I've got some pics of the side panels...

AMAZING!!!!!!



Keep on with this great job.




Alfredo

azheat i just messaged ya

I am truly impressed with this project.I am really jealous too.hahaha Great work bro.

Well, I think I finished the last detail before I pour the base. I wanted to add the illusion the hands and fingers dragged out the carbonite when Han Solo was frozen. So I made a plaster/glue mixture and made the area behind the hands and fingers.

Once this dries I am going to give it a coat or two and pour the base.

What do you think? (And no, as you can obviously see, it's not screen accurate, I'm not that talented).

I think that's a nice touch! Once the hands and "carbonite" are painted the same color, I think it will look very realistic! Great project.

Wow your project is coming along great! Can't wait to see the final product.

I did notice one thing - and PLEASE I am not trying to be uber geeky or calling you out -

Solo's head (from the shots I've seen) is cocked slightly to the left (his right). Were you planning to move yours that way, or are you going to keep it as is?

I would hate to see you complete this only to realize that you wanted to tilt it.

Again - fantastic work!

No, I noticed that as well. But the person who made it had it cast in such a way that if I tilted it, the neck would not have lined up with the body the way I wanted it to. I am fine with the way it is, considering the cost.

I thought about altering the cast, but I was worried if I messed it up I would need to buy another.

Gotcha. Well, it looks fantastic so far - you have some great goundwork. Keep those pics coming!

So far it looks amazing. Can't wait to see the finished project.

Thanks for the comments guys, and thanks for the info TD2253! Those are great reference pictures.

Today I poured the base, I am deciding whether I want to texturize this base once it hardens a little more, or pour a top coat and texturize that one. Not sure.

I also have an idea for the side panels which I will post soon.

this looks awsome ,I can't wait to see the final results,great job

This is a cool project and I'm lovin the way it's coming together. It's got me wanting to do one once my Fett outfit is finished. Thing is if I could get around to doing one, I think the Mrs would throw a wobbler as I can't see her agreeing to have it mounted on our living room wall

I am not sure what type of oscilloscope they used for this but I think it was a vintage HP oscilloscope or a rack mounted power transformer of some sort. I was searching online to see if I could buy just the front bezel or panel cover but I've only seen something close but not screen accurate. Here is an actual screen capture from ESB when Lando was kneeled down to check his vital signs. I tried to capture it with most of the lights on and I tried to make it lighter that the actual movie shot.

That is looking awesome! The only thing I notice right now is the shape of Harrison's right hand, it needs to be closed a little more

Yeah, I know the hands are not correct, but after playing with them, I decided to leave them alone. I saw a thread from another member who did a great job changing the hands, but I did not feel like cutting them, so I went as is. I tried to heat them up and bend them, but that was not going to work.

Anyway, for the texture I am going to use some 3 feet by 2 feet pieces of tissue paper, then coat them with a light 2 part epoxy. I think that will give the carbonite a nice texture.

I am winging this one since it is my first attempt. I think down the road I will do it again, I learned quite a bite that will help next time.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

TIGHT!!!

Azheat01,

I can't wait to see the finished project! Fantastic job so far! Check with SGT. Fang to see if he still sells the side panels for the carbonite Solo.

Hey Azheat01,

You can also try to cut out the outline of the side panels and the greeblies out of craft foam and then maybe reinforce it with resin or fiberglass. Just a suggestion...

Thanks, I may look into doing that!

Awsome i want one!

I love the progress you're making, cant wait to see it all done, great work!

Azheat,

Here is pic of an oscilloscope screen that looks close.

http://i13.ebayimg.com/04/i/06/a5/cc/a2_1_b.JPG

Thanks again, that gives me a good reference!

Reference photos and blueprints

Awesome reference pictures! I doubt mine will turn out anything like that!

OK, it was a busy week, but I did have time to work on my "proposed" side panels. For those who are "screen accurate only" or other faint of heart hardcore fabricators, be forewarned, shield your eyes now!

I have a few other little details to put on it, then I will paint. You can see I drilled 3 holes on the top for my LEDs. Just about everyting on this came from Home Depot, with the exception of the switch for the LEDs and the LEDs themselves (not pictured). I used some washers, handles, nut caps, and I have a few other odds and ends to still put on. The inlay details are made of Sintra. I am not sure exactly how I want to paint this, but I have some ideas.

I am going to have 4 panels like this, and 4 slightly different.

Again, this is for the budget conscious and those like me who have no fabricating skills at all!

Input/suggesstions are always appreciated.

Thanks.

The post of the sterilite pieces didn't look that great. However your latest post looks awesome. I know it's not screen accurate, but wow!! Great job.

You're doing a ver commendable job on this project. I'm sure you will love it once you're done. While I don't have the time or the space to try it I'm glad you do. It looks great so far!

-Matt

Thanks guys, and I agree Solochaser, when I saw the bins, I had a vision, but I was not sure if it would turn out like I thought. I did a test with the LEDs and it looks awesome, I cant' wait to get it all together. Once I add the extra pieces and get it painted, I think I will be happy with how they turn out.

I may make some changes as I go.

Ok I just thumbed thru this thread and that was all I needed to know ... well... WOW!!!! That's all there is to say.... WOW!!!!

Hey Azheat01,

The panels are looking great! Awesome work man!

-Gene

Either that, or someone break into the exhibit its staying at, and cast molds of the side panels...

Or ask Unkie George if we can.... through 501st Channels of course.. Im sure he wouldnt mind as long as the original isnt damaged in any way

awesome work man!!!

a tribute to you

While at work the other day, I thought of your thread and decided to make this for you.

http://www.darthgoat.com/arturo/images/solo.AVI

Once again, very impressive work!

Originally Posted by SEEKER

awesome work man!!!

a tribute to you

While at work the other day, I thought of your thread and decided to make this for you.

http://www.darthgoat.com/arturo/images/solo.AVI

nice viddy there Turo

I like the HIC, much easier to build than mine!

Originally Posted by SEEKER

awesome work man!!!

a tribute to you

While at work the other day, I thought of your thread and decided to make this for you.

http://www.darthgoat.com/arturo/images/solo.AVI

Looking great man!

Ok, the base finally finished drying and I was able to start the texture. As mentioned before I used some basic tissue paper. It worked out nice, but you have to be real careful as the paper tears easy when you start to set it.

I like the overal effect and think it will look really good when painted. I am going to give it a single coat tomorrow just to seal everything. I used about 10 large sheets of paper. One of the things I did notice though is I did not account for the border around the box, but oh well, this is my first attempt!

You can really see the detail in the second picture.





By the way, any thoughts on some good spray paing colors. I would like to paint the sides one color, maybe a gunmetal, and Han and the carbonite a gloss silver.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

I thought about the paint and was thinking "gunmetal" for the carbonite and body, gloss, and "steel" or "silver" for the cabinet and panels. Any suggestions?

you should cast them in case anyone else would be interested in making one as well,never know when a member might get the urge to make on too......gears spinning in head

I thought about that, but I have zero casting abilities and no experience working wth resin. I also need to find the origins of these panels as to avoid recasting without permission. Maybe I can find a good tutorial online or someone can send me instructions.


If someone wants to PM me regarding casting, that is fine, I don't want this thread to be hijacked.

Thanks!

Awesome deal on the panels Azheat! Can't wait to see it all come together!

Did a little work on the panels today. They needed to be sanded a bit and then I added handles. I also drilled the holes for the LEDs. I need to add the on/off switch to this one. Once I finish the other ones I want to get these mounted so I can start painting. I will have 4 with handles and 4 without.

Sorry for the ****** pictures, the lighting was bad.

Looks Really good
guess I know what I am doing with my Tax rebate when it comes in May lol

That's looking excellent! If you don't mind me asking what have you used to seal the wood so the paint doesn't sink in and reveal the wood grain beneath?

Thanks SinisterFett. For the wood I am just using a two coat primer.

I should have the base coat on tonight.

Well, I've waited months to get to this point and I couldn't be happier! I finished sanding everything and put on the first coat of primer. I think it looks awesome and I'm excited about finishing.









I think the texture came out nice also. Now I am off to Wal-Mart to buy the silver, clear coat, and gunmetal. Once I finish with the silver and gunmetal, I'm going to hand brush some details on the side panels.

So, what do you tihink? Not bad so far, considering I am under $300.00 for this project.

I need some help. I was looking at HIC and thought about the colors again. I was thinking it may be possible to leave Han and the carbonite primer grey and just coat it in clear gloss. I keep looking at reference pictures and think it may not look right if I painted it silver.

I will still do the box a diiferent color.

What do you think?

Thats is just coming out GREAT..Looks just awesome....any idea how much it weighs? jjv5150

Not sure on the weight, but it really isn't all that heavy.

Wasn't the one icons did pewter in color?

Originally Posted by azheat01

I need some help. I was looking at HIC and thought about the colors again. I was thinking it may be possible to leave Han and the carbonite primer grey and just coat it in clear gloss. I keep looking at reference pictures and think it may not look right if I painted it silver.

I will still do the box a diiferent color.

What do you think?

yeah silver wouldn't look right but I dont know if primer would look right either. the carbonite looks darker but with a metalic sheen. what if you mixed the primer with silver? But I must say so far I am blown away by your project. it looks awsome.

azheat01....Very Nice Job!!!

Hey Azheat01,

For the paint...how about using Rustoleum's Hammered mettalic paints? I haven't tried them myself but thought I'd bring it up anyway. BTW, it's looking like the real thing dude!

-Gene

I don't know if I would use the hammered paint. I think you should stick with the silver. Krylon nad Colorplace make great silver sprays.

looking great so far!

lol make a giant mold when you are finished and make casts of it rofl

Almost there! Looks awesome!

The color looks great!

F'ing sweet , looks great well done,well done

Wow dude that looks awesome!!!Great Job!

P.S Is it really heavy?

lookin sweet my man. lookin forward to when its finished

Thanks for the comments guys!

Silver Fett, it has weight, but it's not ridculously heavy. I was able to move it by myself, which was awkward only becasue of how long and wide it is. Also, it's not solid throughout. I am going to weigh it when I'm done.

On another note, I have been having trouble deciding on the cabinet and panel color schemes. I have been researching photos and noticed it seems many of the HIC's are all painted one color. I keep referring to the pictures TD2253 posted.

I decided that the cabinet, since it appears to be a stand alone item, needs a different color. I don't believe, and don't like, how the cabinet and panels are sometimes the same color as the carbonite. It just needs a sublte color change so the two seperate. Also, I think the control panels should look different than the cabinet color. So, I am going to paint the cabinet Dark Smoke Grey and then highlight the panels with silver, black, and white.

At least, that's the plan for now!