Judge Anderson (and Iria/Chani)

[Will Vale]

Hi folks,

I've been messing around not doing much recently - we had our club compo and the requisite rush to get something finished, then the model railway show, and then the PS4 came out. Plus Micky talked me into doing the couch to 5K running thing (4.9K as of today ) which has been taking up some of my spare time.

Anyway... I popped into my local model shop the other day for no particular reason and came out with a couple of vinyl figure kits (half price!). I bought a Halcyon Judge Anderson off eBay earlier this year and was hoping to try something a little less precious as my first vinyl kit. I ended up with "Iria" and "Sara" - both by Elfin. It took quite a bit of searching to discover that Iria is from the Japanese sci-fi movie "Zeiram" and is a re-cast of a Takeya Takayuki sculpt which was produced as both resin and vinyl kits at the end of the '90s. I wasn't able to discover the provenance of Sara - she's the chainmail-clad (unclad?) barbarian lady built by Kallisiti in the big scale group build last year. So she might not be a recast.

So I'm on questionable moral ground, but since I bought old stock I doubt I'm doing Elfin any favours and not building it or throwing it away on a point of principle seems dumb. I hope no-one is offended by this.

With that out of the way, I trimmed the vinyl parts with a scalpel after heating them in hot water. A bit scary to start with and I did manage to draw some blood, but it's quite fun once you get into the swing of it. Fit seemed pretty good, but not perfect - I reshaped a few parts, again with heat, to get better connections.

So far I've built up her legs with a thin brass rod running up each one, and packed the ankles and a small area above the knees with Miliput to locate the wire and allow it to support the vinyl. I was a bit wary of the "fill with plaster" method plus I don't have any plaster on hand.

I used Araldite to stick things together, and held them with masking tape while the glue went off. Seems OK so far! The smaller joins like the rear hair part to the head were done with thick superglue.

I'm thinking that I'd like to build Iria as a Fremen - maybe Chani, maybe someone else like Harah? I think the suit is close enough to a stillsuit that it would work as-is with the right paint job, and the connection would be made by some suitable scratchbuilt accessories - nose tube, maybe a maker hook, or Gurney Halleck's pistol which is seriously cool.

I do need to decide which head to use though - the kit has two heads, one built into Iria's cloak, and one to use without:

I think the high forehead of the cloaked head is better, but the cloak is a bit too big. I do like that it disguises the rather coquettish pose which seems to be intended to balance the ridiculous gun she comes with as well as provide some additional curviness. I think maybe cutting out the front panel of the cloak would be the best of both worlds?

Be interested to hear what people thing. Also, should I add blue LEDs behind the eyes for that inner glow, or just paint them? The brass rods would make excellent wiring

Cheers,

Will

[trickyrich]

It's great to see you have a build for one of these Vinyl figures underway...........sort of after a wee prod!

Have always been fascinated by the vinyl figurines though the painting bit scares me……..that’s why my aircraft and AFV’s have no figures in then! Though I have to paint heaps of piggies next year….don’t ask that project is a surprise!

Will follow this one with great interest!

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Big Dune fan here.....Settling in for the ride!

If she's going to be a Fremen I reckon you have to light the eyes.....Getting it right will be a challenge, but it would be the defining feature of the model if you pull it off. Without them, at a distance, she is just another sci-fi figure, but with lit blue within blue eyes, anybody who's read the books or seen the film will instantly think "Oh look.....There's a Fremen!"

Definitely agree the cloaked head is better, a cloak is an integral part of Fremen garb and the other head looks a bit too 'schoolgirly' for a Fremen IMHO.

Would be very interested to see your 'Bikini Barbarian' too.....Might she be converted to something a little more serious (yet equally sexy IMHO), like a Scythian Horse Archer?

Edited December 16, 2013 by Sgt.Squarehead

[Will Vale]

You can see Kallisti's version of Sara here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234909858-sara-and-the-chainmail-bikini-finished-a-year-later/

I have a box labelled "Elfin" but I'm sure it's the same kit. The proportions are excellent, better than Iria which is partly why I started Iria first.

On the eyes: The thing is that the book doesn't seem to suggest there's any glow. In Dune it's pretty clear that the glow is painted onto cels, but what I didn't know is that the eyes in the miniseries used transparent contact lenses with a blue fluorescent tint and illuminated them with UV lights - coolness!

More here: http://cecilia.sawneybean.com/dune/eyes.html

Since I'm not doing a film-accurate stillsuit, I don't know if I want film-accurate eyes. I guess I'll fit some wires in any case so I retain the option. I think small blue LEDs behind the eyes would do a decent job - the vinyl can act as a diffuser. Not sure how much that will show through the paint though, unless I somehow paint them with inks?

Thanks for the interest!

Will

[Sgt.Squarehead]

I'd agree the glow is Hollywood over-egging the cake, but it does the trick, and it's the best way I can think of to convey "I'm a Fremen" at a glance.

[Bengalensis]

Great project, it will be most interesting to see what you make of this one. I'm sure it will be a real pleasure to follow.

The first head is way better, the second doesn't suite her as well IMO, indeed far to "schoolgirly". I also think she should wear the cloak, not even sure it needs to be made any smaller/lighter as I just think it adds interest to her. But you have always shown us a great sense of aesthetics in your modelling so no doubt you will make a good decision here.

[stan]

Having built a load of Vinyl kits you might find it a lot easier using a hair drier to heat the parts to trim.

Also fill the legs with plaster of paris or stonecast plaster.

Glue with superglue.

Scrub all the parts with washing up liquid and rinse.

Prime with car primer or similar.

Enamel paint will not dry if painted directly on vinyl.

Edited December 17, 2013 by stan

[Will Vale]

I haven't made any progress on this (for a long time, it seems!) but I talked myself into trimming Judge Anderson and doing a test fit - I have some time off this week so might be able to get some modelling done.

The Halcyon vinyl is softer than the recast stuff, and a bit easier to trim - plus I have a temp-controlled heat gun now which is a big improvement over hot water.

Something isn't quite right about the anatomy or pose (big head?) but I think altering the collar and neck will help.

Cheers,

Will

[BobSolo]

What cool figures! Watching these builds for sure! keep at it youll get them finished eventually and it will be so worth it

[Hunter Rose]

Ooo vinyl! Will follow with interest

[Will Vale]

Thanks! I'm making progress but I can see that Anderson is going to need a bit of time with the filler. Not generally for the fit, which is good, but for pinholes and such. Vinyl is a pain to sand as well, but if I fill with CA or Miliput that will probably stabilise the surface enough that I can smooth it.

I was unhappy with the cheesy "I will break my spine, because men." pose and experimented with something a bit more sensible:

which seemed to be going in the right direction. I had to get the boots put togther to do this - they have soles/heels which you insert into the uppers. Quite tricky but with some careful trimming, heat to soften the parts and then tacking with CA around the seam they've come out OK.

I also cut her right arm at a steeper angle, so that I could rotate it forwards rather than going for the wacky arms akimbo thing, but her left arm is unmodified. I think like this she looks like she could be holding a riot shield (LH) and daystick (RH) although I'm not sure that riot shields feature in the Judges' arsenal?

That gave me confidence to cut off the tops of the lower legs at an angle, to straighten the right leg and bend the left more. More heat and cold has helped bend the ankles a bit to get everything flat on the floor - ish. The heels are rather short and need to be built up.

Obviously not entirely flat - she has the left foot raised to get the torso more-or-less straight again.

I've also shaved about 1.5mm off one side of the neck to straighten her head up - maybe a bit more is needed?

It's a bit nerve-wracking - once you trim, you can't put it back. And when you commit to glue, it really isn't coming apart again.

I need to make sure the feet stay put (they've tended to drift a bit) and then fill the legs with plaster as they're too complicated to get epoxy putty into.

Cheers,

Will

[Will Vale]

Currently doing the fiddly thing with the legs and plaster of Paris. I thought I'd got the feet well sealed up, but the soupy plaster still managed to find some tiny holes and dribble out. At least it means it got all the way down...

Have cleaned the outside before it set with plenty of cotton buds and water, hopefully I won't need to do lots of sanding and fixing tomorrow!

I've also trimmed a bit more off the left of the neck to get the head more upright, and I'm wondering about taking 2mm height out of the waist? Scary though.

Will

[Hunter Rose]

Those tweaks to the pose have made all the difference, think it looks a lot more "let judge some perps!!" and a lot less "happy birthday, Mr President..."

[one hit wonder]

I remember this Iria figure

I was shocked when I saw this figure first appears in the Japanese modelling magazine when I was a teenager.

It was so real and the sculpt is so excellent.

[Will Vale]

a lot more "let judge some perps!!" and a lot less "happy birthday, Mr President..."

That's definitely the way I want to go. To which end I've finally got rid of the silly nipples, which looked like artifacts of a teenage imagination rather than an actual woman in a leather suit. I gingerly trimmed most of the vinyl away with a knife and then filled around with CA and talc, and sanded it all back. Much better.

I also removed a 3mm band (or so) from the torso part at the waist after doing some tests in Photoshop, and I think she looks better-proportioned now:

At the same time I trimmed the collar off the neck and flattened the base to get the head to sit right. Still not totally sure if this works but it's getting better.

The waist joint is filled with CA and talc, which seems to stabilise the vinyl and makes it easier to sand - I did the same thing with the flat surfaces of the left pauldron. The dark stuff is acrylic paint I was using to check the finish, but I won't really know if more work is needed until I prime her. Luckily the belt masks the join.

The instructions suggest you fit the belt when you assemble the waist, but that would make it impossible to clean the joint (and even without my change the belt should sit below that, on the hips, leaving the seam visible). Instead I cut the belt between two of the pouches and fit a pin so I can close it after construction. I tried to do this with tiny magnets but they were too fiddly to handle!

Next job is to fill the many many pinholes on the sharp features, which I think needs to be done with 2-part putty rather than CA so I don't have to sand it. Plus clean up the neck and figure out a way to keep the head separate for painting.

Anyone have any experience with suitable primers for Halcyon vinyl? I know enamels are out, but I'd prefer to prime with a rattle can or Alclad II if I can. I'll test on scraps first but any dos and don'ts would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Will

[Yeoman1942]

Nice looking figures. The pose on Anderson is a big improvement. Is it cold in your studio? She does look a little chilly :-)

[Jockster]

Sweet as a nut Will, she looks way more 'comfortable' now! Looking forward to the painting stage!

[Will Vale]

Is it cold in your studio? She does look a little chilly :-)

Hopefully less chilly than in the earlier pictures since I removed/filled in most of the excessively visible nipples. They should be less obvious under primer - the CA is translucent which can make it look like you haven't filled something that you actually have.

Will

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Cool project Will.....Do you still plan on using the Alclad Candy Coats for this one, I reckon they would look the business for her bodysuit.

[Will Vale]

Do you mean like Jörgen's Psylocke? I'm not sure if I want to go that far, I was thinking of glossy dark blue-black with a highlight sprayed through a mesh to get a sort of high-tech fabric/carbon fibre effect. Mind you, candy blue would help give that depth.

Today I mixed up some Miliput and filled various pinholes as well as attempted to rebuild the neck where I cut the collar away.

and I thickened her left arm since it was very flat to clear the curve of the body - you can hopefully see the added areas front and back.

It needs to be smoothed, I find it hard to get a good finish with Miliput even with water and rubber brushes, but it is quite fun to do and it sands well afterward. Probably some sanding plus a finishing coat of CA+talc will sort it out, but I might need to prime to see what's going on with the surface.

I tried to add a lip to the backs of the kneepads to get a recess where they meet the leg, but it was too hard to be neat and I gave up!

I'm wondering about filling in the back of the left shoulderpad (sensible) and also cutting out the right one (less sensible) and sculpting a basic shoulder inside it? With the moved arm there's a piece of flat mating surface that's a bit naff-looking from below.

Oh, and yesterday I stuffed the torso, head and arms with tissue paper and set it in place with a bit of CA, so she's nice and solid.

Cheers,

Will

[Hunter Rose]

I really like the sound of the paint effect your going for using mesh, not heard of that before.

[Will Vale]

I saw it on BM as a car modeller's technique for doing carbon fibre without decals. I think it might work in this scale - 1/6 "action figures" with the out-of-scale fabric outfits look pretty good.

I've been tidying up some loose ends on Judge Anderson - the kneepads are glued in place now, I filled the left pauldron with Miliput and formed it against the shoulder so it just sits in the right place now. I might add a layer of Tamiya epoxy putty to create a padded lining?

I also made a rolled/piped collar from styrene rod, since that was easy to get right-ish. It means though that the bottom of the neck needs blending into the shoulders, which will be a pain unless I can do it in place and then remove it before the putty cures? Maybe with a vaseline barrier that could work.

If I was going to glue the head on before painting it'd be easier, but I think that'd be a painting nightmare?

On the right side, I cut out the inside of the eagle pauldron, brought the angle of the arm down (so it lines up better with the shoulder) and "sculpted" a continuation of the arm up into empty space. I also padded out the inside of the pauldron but it's rather messy. Not likely to be seen though:

From some angles the sculpt (not my addition) is uncannily good as you can see!

I have also filled a load of pinholes using dots of CA, these are mainly on the points of things so I've tried to clean up by slicing off the excess rather than sanding it. We'll see how good that looks under primer, I think there's a lot of messy surface still.

Cheers,

Will

[Will Vale]

Not a lot doing this weekend as we were out yesterday, then today I went for a long run and tidied up the office/modelling desk ready for some paint action.

I forgot to get Tamiya grey primer so I did some tests with Alclad II and Tamiya white on some vinyl scrap - both seem OK even with sloshing on a heavy wet coat, but we'll see what happens overnight. I'm hoping I can go with the Alclad as it's really nice to use and a lot easier than decanting Tamiya.

No pictures today, sorry - nothing's really changed apart from sticking the loose bits on some dowels for painting.

W

[Blastvader]

This is looking really good Will. Especially the way you've modified the pose.

As regards primers; have you tried Stynylrez? I picked some up last month as the weather here has been awful and I've not been able to use my normal Halfords Grey. It seems like pretty good stuff but it does require A LOT of shaking to stop it clogging up the brush if you're using a smaller needle.

[Will Vale]

I don't think I can get Stynylrez here, and importing paint is a pain in the bum.

After 12h or so of dry time, the Tamiya white primer is dry and has no solvent odour at all. The Alclad feels similarly dry, possibly my imagination but has a slight grip to the surface. It definitely still has a little solvent odour, so I think the Tamiya will be safer.

They both flex without cracking and pass the scratch test.

Will