Building a HIC prop?

miqt

Hunter
Here we go HIC builders. Lets get those blueprints and pics up to start, Ill put the blueprint up here shortly. I don't know where it came from ORIGINALLY. If anyones got a problem with it, Ill remove it.
Don't know if these specs have any relation to the studio prop....just getting rolling in my research too
but if we help each other out.....It'll be easier for all of us.
CarbBlueprint.jpg
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To my knowledge two boxes were built. One with a rectangular shape and one with a trapezoid shape on the sides.

My guess is:

Trapezoid: ESB
Rectangular (90° sides): ROTJ (The prop we see when Leia starts to meld Han out of the carbonite).
 
Correct, two were built.

I´ve found a Pic that might be interesting, found in an old Lucasfilm-mag. That´s the rectangular one...

The pic was made in the 90ies in the Lucasfilm archive:

lucasfilm-archive_fett_HIC.jpg
 
Good pic!

Here is another one I've found but I'm unsere whom to give credit so plz let me know if I should remove it!

fesb34ud3.gif


The perspective is a little tricky but you definately see there is a trapezoid shape. But I'm unsere if this is just the case on the top panel or really the sides.
 
Well, im not convinced the whole IC han solo is a mold of the full HIC from the movies. I think that the details of han may be, but the rest the textures are not (rest of textured surface and the sides etc).

The IC's dont have sharp enough edges, and they have too much texture on the surface.

Theres a pic in the freezing chamber, where they show han and he has a LOT of water on it. Well they sculpted that into the IC's, and its not thre in the movie stills, which makes me think that they only molded hans body, and put it on a quick box mock up.

Everyone can have their theories, thats mine:)

But i _DO_ know where you can get a nice center piece for anyone building a HIC display, at a reasonable price:)
 
I've compared some high-res full front shots of the actual prop with my the cast I've got here and they match up almost dead on.

In some spots the lines on the cast are less sharp and less pronounced than on the screenused piece. In other spots it's is the other way round.

But then in other areas there are some things that seem to be present on the cast but NOT on the screenused piece.

The overall amount of texture is 99 % the same.

My conculsion:

It would be more difficult and time consuming to just only cast the details of the face and the body and leaving the rest of the surrounding are aside in order to just rebuilt it at the Illusive Concepts shop.

For the reason that LFL has NEVER allowed a licensed product to be a 100 % 1:1 copy, I think the guys back in the day made the following:

They've put some little amounts of clay on the original here and there in some areas where only the texture is in order to eliminate some characteristic features and in other areas to further pronunce them.

This way they can slightly alter the look in order to execute the politics of LFL not to bring a 100 % 1:1 prop to the fans.

Then they molded the whole thing . After molding they cleaned the original (removed the clay they added or whatever material they used) prop and voila, you have a slightly altered version which is now not 100 % the same as the orginal.

This would be the easiest way to do it. I think it wouldn't be suitable for the IC guys if they only molded the body without the textured surrounding area in order to resculpt that area in their shop.

Sounds a little weird but again, I'm german native speaker so plz. forgive my clumsy style of express myself.

Here is a quick comparison:

The red dots should mark a detail which is present on BOTH pieces. The green dots should illustrate spots which are more pronounced on the cast then on the screenused prop (and vice versa).

hiccomp1.gif
 
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Just wanna say that this is great stuff guys....keep it coming.
remember to go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HICBuilders
get resources and share them here! I hope to start my HIC box
this fall. Im also toying with the idea of having the box able to
take a few different front panels. One con could be a HIC, then
a Jar-Jar in carbonite, any number of SW creatures that you
can pick up a mask for (sculpt hands and body etc). That way
you get FULL use of the prop. Im SLOWLY putting together
custom mandos.....it'd be way wrong for my wife and i to cart
along a HIC (for Bobas only). Also have to look into doing a
starwarsified wheeled dolly so that it can "float" along with us.
keep the good info flowing gang!
Mike
 
Im likely going to do a boba in carbonite. Though I dont forsee making a mold. I dont forsee a real market for it, and it would have to sell 5-10 to make it worth it.

I would suggest using the pink foam from home depot, for the body, maybe with a sintra around it. It would be strong and light, and solid, so it wouldnt dent.

And sintra can be rub and buffed, so you could make the chrome surface.
 
I'm building a rectangular one at the moment. Started out with a VERY broken HIC cast that I picked up in May or June.

100_3033.jpg


100_2994.jpg


100_3280.jpg


100_3283-1.jpg


made out of MDF and lots of bondo. I fixed all the cracks and filled in all the screw holes. It's further along now than in the pictures I have posted. I'm currently putting some KILZ on the sides so seal them and will hopefully have the whole thing primed by the end of the week!

-Matt
 
Hey Jawa, I see you're active on the Yahoo HIC group too.....cool.
Ive put my name on the list for those HIC decals also. Here are the
decals that I got from TK 4510 over on white armor....Ive been waiting
for a chance to show these off they're very good. The only thing is Id
prefer to have those lines of script (and all of them) as a rub-on application, but noone seems to so them that way...even waterslide
would be more to my liking. These are really good though so here they are:
HICDecals.gif
 
Ah those are nice! I am actually ordering a set tomorrow for mine. Once payday rolls around I'm picking up a set of Angela's panels that she has set aside for me. Just need to figure out how to get the right lights for the hero panel.
 
Some have used a piece of 'frosted' plastic and a blinking LED for that panel. Others have suggested using EL sheet since its available in the right color...don't know how to make EL blink though...I think EL sheet does not energize fast like a LED but Im not sure. Im thinking of doing 2 hero panels at the top of both sides...the 'idealized' version of the ESB
HIC. They only had one on the original prop right? and they moved in from side to side as needed? I think thats how the story goes on that.
Mike
 
Yeah, blinking LED is the route I've been considering going down. As for how they did the original, I really am not sure. I lucked into the panel I have basically for free so I just started building because I figured it was a waste otherwise.
 
These pics and all the info is great. I'm getting my HIC molded front in black on Tuesday then it's on to start building the box, panels, lights etc. I'm sure I'll give you all a shout once I get going on it. I want it to look as movie accurate as possible.
 
PFB -Angela is the gents wifes name...he uses her email etc.
PM me for his name and contact info. I have a full set of his
panels. They are well priced and very well cast (even the
smallest greebs are really quite good....and there are some
SMALL greebs). Im going with the angular sides like the ones
on the "King blueprint" I put up on the first post.
Make sure you check the HIC builders group at Yahoo guys.
The message format there sucks (imo) but there are some
real pearls of wisdom and some talented prop makers participating.
I'm still in the planning stages of my HIC. I think Ill start with
a PVC square tubing rigid skeleton and skin it with .125 HIPS.
Lots of angled .125 braces cut to the angles req'd by
the blueprint. It'd be simpler with maple plywood I guess, but
Im just no good with wood. Its easy to get 4x8 sheets
of styrene where I am and I find it easier to work with.
Oromatoko: That pic you posted....is that the ESB or the
ROTJ HIC? by the way the panels are recessed Im thinking
its the ESB hero panel but unsure.
Mike
 
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Cool thanks. I'm gonna go for the angled box as well. I'll probably build the frame out of steel just because I just started welding and I'm always looking for an excuse to fuse some metal together.
 
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