ZED´s Darth  Vader  Page

My Darth Vader project started in 2005 when I bought so called "Deluxe Rubies Darth Vader helmet".
I did few modifications to it but it had too small dome and I wanted to have a life size Vader helmet.


                                                    

Soon after I bought that helmet I built a chest armour. I used black polyethene sheet because it can
be easily formed with a heat gun. I painted it with automotive paints. Material
is too soft for spray paints and so paint cracks easily. I think i´m going to make
a new glassfiber chestarmour using my old PE version as a mould.
 
In New Years Eve (2005) I ordered a Rubies Supreme Edition Darth Vader helmet
from German eBay seller. I really didn´t want to spend
1000 $ or € on fiberglas copy of Don Post Classic Action helmet. This Rubies helmet has it´s faults
(lenses etc.) but the overall look and size is good. After few modifications
it looks good enough for me. First I took new lenses from 3M safety glasses and that
made a huge difference. Original lenses are  horrible indeed.

My goal was not to make a Vader costume, only a display item to decorate my
home theater. Anyway, after I got Supreme helmet I thought that it would be nice to have
a bigger piece of Vader than just a helmet and a chest armour. So I put together a cardboard box and
styrox/styrofoam pieces and formed upper torso. Building upper torso was actually a must
because I wanted to have that blinking chestbox, which I later built from scratch and miscellanous parts.

                                     

My ROTJ style chestbox is made of wood ( my father did that part, he is a decent amateur carpenter :- )    )
and metal parts are made of aluminium and steel.
"Coinslots" are hand made and sure looks like they are. I could have them CNC machined
using my connections, but according to reference pictures the overall look of the chestbox
should not be too "clean". And DIY is a hobby for me...Red lenses are cut from same kind of rectangular
indicator lenses as blue and red ones on the box. Rectangular red and blue  lenses were easily found from Farnell´s catalogue.
Leds for those lenses are standard electronic components and Future kit FK110 "Chasing Light 3 Led" was
a cheap acquisition. The blinking  sequence is not "screen accurate" but it looks convincing enough .



                  
                                                                                  
I tried to find screen accurate rocker switches using Farnell´s and some other electronic component
distributor´s online catalogues but I didn´t find any. I think there is no (and has never been) real rocker switch
that looks like Vader´s chestbox ones. So I made rockers of clear plexiglass. A friend of mine
machined the angle and I took care of rest of the shaping with a Dremel tool.

                                                

Text under each coinslot is hand painted and on a small piece of plastic.   



                 

Recently I built a belt buckle and illuminated belt boxes. I used boxes that were  meant to be
electronic enclosures. Dimension were roughly same as in TESB version belt boxes.
Those metal knobs are made of aluminium. One of them is a real working push button
which is used as a power switch while others are dummy knobs. Belt bulcle is also made of aluminium.


My Darth Vader´s current state:

         
       
                                                                        


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