Allfather

Loving the facial appliances. Too few people want to actually make their own these days. Always nice to see someone tackle it. This is gonna look great when done

Well, finally broke down and sent Jan an e-mail a couple days ago. Hopefully, she won't mind me asking questions so I can get this thing going again. Should be done with the family's custom Mandos this month and want to jump right back into Tol in June (want to have the costume ready for Dragon Con). More updates as they happen.

Thanks. Definitely gonna get this one done...eventually. Had too many people tell me it's perfect for me to just drop it. Looks like I'm going to have to break down and send Jan a message asking about the belt and saber, though. I really hate to pester people I don't know (even if I only "know" them from forums, I still count that as being known to me ), but seems very few other people have much opinions on this less-than-well-known character and costume. I really hope it is not stepping over the line to contact her, but I can't come up with any other ideas. I'll post whatever progress I make when I get some done.

Hey, look...thread resurrection OK...finally found a material I like the color and feel of for the main shirt and pants part. It's not any kind of vinyl (or even leather-looking at all), but the color is an almost exact match for the action figure...and it's breathable. Now I can get started on this again (as soon as I get the custom Mando armor done, anyway). Hit two other little glitches I thought you guys might be able to help me make some decisions about. 1) The belt buckle. It appears to be silver and some odd, rounded triangle shape. It will just be kind of stuck on the front instead of being an actual buckle. Planning on using a fastex buckle in the back and covering it with a rather large pouch that appears on the action figure. Anyone have any clues as to what kind of design or symbol the buckle would be? Or do I just do my best to make it look as close to the action figure as possible? 2) The saber. This thing has so many different aspects depending on which comic (and even which frame in some of the comics) it shows up in. It just changes from one pic to the other. The action figure has a completely different looking saber than any of the pictures in the comics. My idea as of now, is to do a combination of the comic and action figure saber. The action figure saber is much more to my liking, but it has a different emitter and pommel that the comic pics (the only parts of the saber that seem to stay constant throughout the panels). My thinking was to do the main body like the action figure and add the emitter and pommel style from the comics. This is the closest I could come using TCSSs' saber maker program: I would paint the wide, flat grooves black and add some black stripes across the part adjacent to the pommel as well as a couple of hex screws to make it closer to one pic in the comics. Any comments or other ideas on the saber? Thanks for your help on this long and drug out project, guys and gals. Maybe one day it will end up with a wearable costume.

Well...due to not being able to find a decent material for the shirt and pants, this is getting tabled until after Dragon*Con. Just not enough time to get it together even if I could find perfect material now. Still have to make my wife's Steampunk Leia and some sort of steampunk outfit for me (special request from a few friends). One good thing I have decided on after looking at just about every picture I can find of old Tol...color is not all that important. The color seems to range from an almost tan to almost chocolate brown, depending on who inked it (or how they felt that day). The action figure is more toupe on the sleves and pants with a darker brown, ribbed vest underneath. The darker brown of the figure matches one of the stretch vinyls I found almost perfectly and the even darker brown matches another I found. Thinking of going with a lighter weight, breathable material in the toupe color to match the figure for the sleeves and pants and using teh vinyl for the rest. Maybe a silk or soft cotton fabric. Depends on what I can find in the right color that I can afford. Hope to get this done before the end of the year so I can have it all done by next Dragon.

Got my latest samples in. The thinner, PVC stretch vinyl is wonderful. Flowing, soft, and thin. The backing is a soft black material that doesn't seem like it would irritate skin. Only problems with it are the color and the fact that it is...you know...vinyl. The brown is a bit darker than the action figure, but not too much darker than the artwork. Maybe even the same color. I'll lay the sample against the comic art to see when I get home today. As for the vinyl part...well...guess I'll just have to suffer with yet another non-breathing costume . Luckily, some of the parts that get covered with armor can probably be made with a more breatable material (upper chest and neck area). That might give a little relief (if I can make it look decent...if not, just gonna be uber hot). One of the thicker vinyls is an almost perfect match for the armor parts, color-wise. Fairly heavy stretch vinyl with a durable backing. I'm still leaning towards making the chest and shoulder armor from a light-weight plastic or fiberglass and covering it in the vinyl to get that boiled leather look. Using it to do the armor parts will also let me do the spats and bracers in the same stuff, so the color will match. Boots seem to be a tan, slip-on work boot. The spats make the actual height irrelevant as they go to under the knee and would cover any boot top anyway. Still working on finding an inexpensive pair of boots for the project. Checked the hair and mine is just about the same length as Tol's. Just need to cover up all the gray with a light brown. Same with the goatee. Got some more latex on order to do the scars on his face and don't forsee any problem with those. Lightsaber...um...still need to figure that one out. Might have to make another order from TCSS and see what I can put together. Might be able to use some of the parts from my current saber to either make me one or get some more parts and make one for me and one for the wife (she is still using one of those build-a-saber kits Radio Shack had a while back for her custom sith witch thing). We'll just have to see how that part goes and get as close as I can to what it looks like in the comics and figure. Until the next update...

Hhmm... Well, I am not about to pester someone I don't know just to ask a few fairly trivial questions about their work. Seems kinda fan-gooberish to me. Now...if any of you guys happen to actually know Jan and would not mind pointing out this thread...I certainly would not mind the assistance and insight. But, unless you know her enough to ask, please don't bother her simply for this as I can always use my best judgement for materials (or at least best from what is available to me). My samples should be in in the next couple days, so I'll have a better idea of what I can get to work with. Hope to get to the sewing part next month and get some progress pics up. Thanks for the help guys/gals.

*sighs* No one I have asked about this costume has had any helpful suggestions on the materials. Seems I am back to where I was on the Wraith costume and UBCS vests materials. Ordered a few more samples of strech vinyl. I hope they get here soon so I can start getting this put together. I really want it done for DragonCon since I am not working it this year and just want to have a couple of fairly unique costumes to sport around (and have people go "who are you supposed to be?" ). If anyone has any other ideas, I'm getting to the point of giving up on this material and going back to work on my Klingon used ship salesman or Beelzebubbuh costumes. Who would have thought it would be easier to find materials for an Imperial Knight than a minor character with limited reference?

OK, all. Still having trouble finding a decent material to make the shirt and pants for this costume from. Thanks to rising costs of ...well...everything (especially food...three teenagers, 2 adults, and one little squirt eat A LOT), I can not even think about true leather. My source for liquid leather is a wash and won't be getting any more in. I found some great, soft and supple pleather at Wal-Mart of all places, but it doesn't seem to come in brown (only black and light tan). All the other vinyls I find are either too expensive or too thick/stiff to give the proper flow. One idea I have is to do use tight weave cloth for those parts and pleather for the chest armor, vambraces, and boot spats. Would anyone have any suggestions for a good material to try that does not cost a fortune? The pictures don't necessarily look like they are leather with the nice flow, anyway. But I can't decide what would look right. Any help?

Personally, I hate when one group of costumers rags on another group for whatever petty reason. Especially when I am a part of (or at least could see myself as a part of) both groups. When this kind of bashing starts, it is nice to see a moderator actually have the gumption to stand up and drop the Mod Hammer of Doom and Postage Deletion on those who can't play nice. We all do costuming because it is fun. Period. If it was not fun, would we put so much effort and sweat (not to mention moey) into making them, going to gatherings, and wearing them to our geeky little heart's content? I think not. Bashing groups and other costumers just takes the fun out of their experience and, frankly, no one has the right to buzz-kill anyone else's fun and costuming nerdity for what usually comes off as an apparent need to feel superior. Can't we all just get along???? Sorry for the pseudo rant. Club bashing is one of my pet peeves and drives me nuts. Seen it spoil too many fun times in the past. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled thread...

I've been in the RL for a little while now. My wife is friends with a bunch of the local RL group, so she finally talked me into making a Jedi after I finished her ANH Leia costume. I have no problem doing the good guys and the bad guys. Hells, I used to do Ronon Dex from SG Atlantis one day of a con and do a Wraith the next (some days, I just wanted to kill myself and did one in the morning and the other at night ). I had fun making it and the RL locals are cool to hang out with, so I'm all for it. Besides...they didn't even blink an eye at a green and black Jedi with long, gray hair . No idea if I will ever make it officially into the 501st. Not a lot of acceptable characters I like enough to spend the money making the costume. But, the local garrison and squad is kinda on me to join, so I will probably work on one of the easier ones after I finish my latest projects of Tol Skorr and a Klingon used ship salesman .

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......... Fabric place sent me all the samples I ordered EXCEPT the stretch vinyl (the part I was most interested in). Two of the materials are a bust since they look nothing like leather (or even spandex...no sheen whatsoever). The wet look stuff is promissing, but not available in a dark brown. Going to test my vinyl/fabric spray paint on the sample of the copper colored stuff to see if the brown will work on it (works great on vinyl, so who kows). Still working on a design for the chest and shoulder armor. Hopefully, I can get a couple things cut out of wire mesh this weekend to check on sizing and how to get it on/off as easy as possible.

OK...just got in the books that were recommended to me to have the best pics of Tol's costume. Add these pics to the action figure, and I think I am pretty set for references. Couldn't find the liquid leather anywhere and no one seems to want to tell me where they get it to make the dancewear and bags they sell on the net (kinda figured as much...but didn't hurt to ask). I did find some stretch vinyl and some "wet look" spandex that I have ordered samples of. Since it is very tough to guess the material imagined for the artwork, I'm going to look for a leather-look material in dark brown, but may have to settle for some other material in the end. No way can I afford real leather to make this. Going to use some fairly stiff, silver/light gray vinyl for the armor-looking pieces on the stomache and back, under the hard armor. The chest and shoulder armor still look to be fairly rigid to me and if so, pretty easy to make. The forearm armor on the figure looks to be leather bands, but some of the pics in the comics make it look almost like Brown versions of the Imperial Knight forearm armor. Anyone want to take a look and help me decide which way to make the armor bits? Leaning towards the rigid armor, but maybe cover it in the stretch vinyl (glued down to keep the ridges and make it look like a boiled leather piece). Since I have not yet started making the costume, I'm up for any suggestions or comments. So far, the action figure is turning out to be my best reference since I can scrutinize it from any angle. Is this a fairly common practice when a figure or statuette is available? Thanks for any help/ideas.

Well...Hancock was out of the brown, too I have sent just about every manufacturer of dancewear e-mails asking where I can get the material. So far, no luck. This project just became tougher than I had anticipated, but I will keep looking.

They had some of it at the local Hancock Fabric store (well..got about 8yards at one and 4 at another. They had a little of the brown last time I was in, but it might be gone now. Going to check after work. They can't order it and I can't find any other suppliers on line, so hope they still have that piece .

Well...the library here was bust on the Clone Wars books . I'm still awaiting a responce on combining shipping from two different fleabay stores to get the Dooku (the one I thought I had bought fell through) and a couple of the others Pam said had reference pics. So...I'm on hold for getting started. While I wait for the other pics, anyone care to comment on what types of materials they think the armor parts would be made from? In the pics I have managed to find and on the figure, the chest piece seems to be fairly rigid, as do the shoulder pieces. But, I had kind of thought the same thing about Quinlon's chest piece until I saw someone do a leather version of it. I would prefer to make the pieces rigid (fiberglass or a poly resin) since I think they would look better if they kept their shape. But, I would like to get some more feedback on the armor if at all possible. The soft parts look to be a breeze. Already got feelers out for some brown liquid leather fabric (that stuff is wonderful if you have never used it...got almost a full bolt of black for a couple costume ideas I have) for the main parts and some metallic grey/silver for the ab and back armor beneath the main armor. Luckily for me, the detailing on the boots appears to be a gaiter over a tan, pull-on, work boot. This should help save me some cash since I won't have to try and redo a pair of boots or buy custom made ones for it. Any ideas for a material for the skirt/kama part, though? The action figure makes it look like a wool or synthetic crepe would work well. I'll have a better idea after I get all the pics, but it doesn't look like it is as shiny as the rest to me. All the other soft parts look leather/vinyl to me. Tested the hair style last weekend and it is definitely doable. My hair is almost the exact length for this costume and can be tied in the front like Tol's. Now, to get a temporary color that comes as close as possible to his hair color and a couple of leather bands to tie the ends in the front and I'll be set. Gonna do the scars later since they seem to be easy enough. Need to get a little more mask latex soon anyway. Any tips or advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the tip. Had not even thought of the library. Last time I was in a library looking for information, you still had to use the paper card index to find things. No computers (though some stuff was on microphish). Man...now I'm feeling old

Thanks a bunch for the info, Pam. This will help greatly with getting this going. The figure arrived yesterday and looks great. I think this is going to be a fun costume to do. Of course, only the most rabid Star Wars fans will have a clue who it is...but he looks sooooo cool I don't really care . Like I said in my PM, I hope the boots are the same in the comics as they are in the figure. Much easier to make gaiters than a complete, custom boot. Thanks again for all the help, guys and gals. I'll keep you all posted on whatever progress I make.

Thanks for the info, Pam. I always try and do my costumes as close as possible to whatever references I can find. My problem at the moment is that the comics are so old, no one has any of them in stock. I did manage to find the reprints in the Clone Wars compilations of the Republic comics, but they are a bit out of my price range for a reference just now. I ordered the comic/figure pack with him and Asajj, so that will give me some base to start with. Hopefully, I can find some of the others at the local comic convention next month (even though it is a tiny one...wish I had had this idea before last weekend so I could have looked at Planet Comicon ). I'll try and keep you guys and gals posted on how it goes.

Thanks. I have to pick up the comics he is supposed to have shown up in this weekend and the action figure so I can see how to get started. From the pics of the figure I have seen, I think I'm going to like building the armor and suit for Tol. My wife (who, by chance, also goes by LadyB or Lady Bedlam ) has already found a good product to turn my gray hair blonde and the scars will be a snap for me, so all I need to do is actually get to work on it . I hope to have it done for DragonCon this year. I want to do some new things instead of always being "that Wraith guy" or the green jedi.

Whoops...had not read your bald cap thread yet so did not see any mention of pax or castor seal. I have not used a bald cap in decades, so did not even think to look at that thread . I usually tint the latex I use to get as close as I can to what I want when making appliances. Lets me paint on any shading, tattoos, or other lines I want with acrylics. Kinda a pain in the backside to get the blending make-up to match the cured latex some times, but saves me a load of time when getting ready and dressed.

Not sure if this has been mentioned about makeup and latex bald caps/appliances, but I have found one thing to be helpful. Most bald caps and any appliances you make your self are not sealed for makeup (airbrushing it on helps immensely, though). The surface is just too slick for most cream makeups to stick to. You really need to use a castor sealor on any bare latex to give it a little extra tac for the makeup to adhere to. It is not a 100% fix and airbrushing is much better, but it does help a lot when you don't have access to an airbrush.

Hi all. Been a while since I visited here, let alone posted, but I just saw a character I would like to do and figured I'd ask around here for some help. With my long hair and goatee, it is kinda tough to find a character in Star Wars that I would be able to pull off and not have to wear a helmet (not cutting the hair for any costume). When I saw the comic/action figure 2-pack with Tol Skorr and Assajj, I knew I had found one I would like to do and could probably pull off. I know he is not approved for 501st, but I am asking for any help in finding reference pics of the character. I am picking up the action figure and it's accompanying comic this weekend and will be trying to find the other comics he has shown up in. I think with the action figure, the SW Jedi: Count Dooku comic, and the few SW: Republic comics he is supposed to be in, I should have enough pics to do the costume pretty accurately. If anyone knows of some other sources for good shots of Tol, I'd appreciate the help in making this costume as close as possible to how it appears in the comics and figure. Thanks in advance for your time and help, Tommy/BedlamX