Here is my scratchbuilt pack. Its from a mold, but I built the mold so that still qualifies right?
The pictures are at
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/mommydawn2000/lst?.dir=/Bounty+Hunter+Armor+kit+parts/New+Jet Pack+November+2002&.src=ph&.view=
This is my newest jet pack- I thought everyone would like to see it. I made this mold a while ago and so far have only gotten a few pulls from it- mainly for the Fett costumes I built for Disney/MGM Studios (look for it at the 2003 Star Wars Weekends event). This is my copy of the pack. The body is vacuum-formed styrene and the details are resin as usual (rocket, nozzles, cylinder caps, etc.). I have also done more detailed resin parts for the ‘piano keys’ instead of leaving them as part of the vacu-form mold.
To make the vacuform mold, I started with a scan of the photo from the SW Visual Dictionary. I drew the plans in CorelDraw on top of the scanned picture and printed them out full size. (some other pics from MOM, etc. were also used for reference) The dimensions accounted for the thickness of the plastic when pulled over the mold. The form was built from Sintra plastic and PVC and then filled with foam to reinforce it. To get a complete jet pack body, I have to do 3 pulls- front, back, and top. I was able to get about 5 full sets of pulls before the plastic started to warp and bend from the heat. If I make any more copies, this mold will have to be replaced with a more sturdy one made of plaster or similar material.
I am much happier with the overall shape of this one compared to my previous versions- I think I have gotten pretty darn close to the real deal. The shape of the body works well for the Boba or Jango versions- (I am hoping to do a stubby Jango pack soon too).
I tried a different paint technique this time. I primed as usually, then did several good coats of Plasti-Coat Burnished Silver automotive spray paint. After letting that dry thoroughly for several days, I painted the whole pack with one good coat of Krylon Sage Satin (with black and red details, etc). After letting that coat dry for several days, I began lightly sanding with fine sandpaper until the silver showed through. The finished result is very realistic, especially in person.
Mark B.
Visit 'Build Your Own Boba Fett' at
www.Bradleyfett.com