Getting Closer - Buildup Continues

Welcome back. It's been a few days, a busy week, but here is the next update one what I've been doing on my massive Rubie's Vader Conversion. We are getting into details here enough that it may be important to note the look I am going for is ESB - "Empire Strikes Back" Vader, as the helmets looks varied in each movie.

If you remember, I had two beach pails, and cut the bottom off of each, then covered each of them with fiberglass. Here is the result of that. I have to attach the smaller, inner piece to the mask, and the larger, outer piece to the helmet.

Here's where I will hopefully be attaching the connector to the mask. I will have to figure out how to get it attached at the correct angle. That's going to take some tricky machinations.

Progress so far

Here we see how the helmet looks after some filler, sanding, and priming. I'm pretty happy with how it is going so far, considering I completely removed the round 'mohawk' and replaced it with a 'squarer' one...

Side views...

Overall Progress

Just a top view of the four pieces I have so far...

Now It's time to get back to work! Enough admiring what's done.. back to the grind...

Locating defects...

Here i have used my favorite red paint pen to mark out where things need work. Pinholes, places that need filler, and area's that need sanding, etc.

Filing

Began filing the 'nose line' which on he old Rubie's somehow got translated into a 'fourth notch.' Also started the markings for the three notches. Will most likely dremel them later.

Hand spread filler

The time of large globs of filler is over.. now I have 'hand spread' the filler with my finger (hey sometimes its just the right tool for the job!) Will let this dry and start on the next session of work later

At some point very soon i will have to begin rebuilding vader's 'TEETH' out of styrene stock and sheet.
Also I am about ready to order screen-accurate metal tusks' to stick forward from the piping on either side of the 'mouth.'