[madFu]

This message concerns the recently released Hot Toys - MMS142 - TRON: Legacy: 1/6th scale Sam Flynn Collectible Figure with Light Cycle -- :doh

Not posting here to rant, but to inquire...

I can't be the only person lurking on OSW who was a bit dissatisfied with how HT could build such a beautiful bike, and compromise so completely on the figure. I understand that this was probably done to produce an economically viable, lighted action figure, but the outcome here is so far off the mark, I must do something about it.

I was so disturbed at seeing the statue for the first time that quickly opened up a TTM-18 base body that I had been holding onto, and posed it on the bike, just to see if there was something in the limits to the articulation of a traditional HT body that would have prevented them delivering a perfect experience. No such luck -- the base body is almost perfect, requiring only a little sanding of the "butt-cheeks" to make everything seamless.

Maybe I just enjoyed the movie too much, but I've found, upon owning the bike a few days that I *PREFER* the naked TTM-18 base body posed on the bike, rather than the intended statue. A figure with no clothes, no lighting effects, no accessories, no *HEAD* is better than the statue.

I'm trying to accept that I'm just not going to get a Sam Flynn in a Tron: Legacy Warrior uniform out of Hot Toys, but it's just not working.

So, now I'm inquiring. Turns out that the boots on the statue aren't made from the same PVC material as the rest of the figure. They're soft, and they appear glued on. This gave me an idea...

What if I dremel-ed off the boots, trimmed the excess off the head, and tried to produce a scratch custom? That is, hire someone more talented than me to tailor a movie-accurate body suit, and someone else to fabricate the plastic panels and collar that make up the "armor." Getting really crazy, I might just attempt to wire the figure with EL wire so it lights up properly.

Is such a thing even possible without giving up my first born? Anyone here with experience in making scratch customs this complex?

I've tried my hand at dremel-ing off the neck bits on head sculpts (did this to make a custom Riddick), and collecting clothing and accessories to make a figure (did this for my custom Steve Jobs), but never anything of this scale. Can anyone provide any guidance here so I don't get in over my head? Maybe I already am. Advice along those lines is ok too.

Thanks.

madFu

BTW, the pic is what I'm starting with...

 

[shovelchop81]

I'm not one for tailoring but I can give you some tips on EL wire as I've used it in a few 1/6 builds and especially the Titanium Man build I'm working on now. Sounds like a great project, I was going to pimp out my 12" electronic Clue figure and still have the yellow EL Wire for it, Have you thought a bout using the 12" Sam figure (by Spinmaster) and cutting him up for the armour, more articulation etc?

 

[madFu]

thanks for responding, @shovelchop81, and for the offer of help.

i enjoyed looking through the pics of your process in making the Titanium Man. it's easy to see how much you loved that figure and how much time you put into making him. i hope to do half as well.

i'm just getting started with the research on the EL wire, and i'm fascinated. what do you use as an inverter that is small enough to hide in and around a figure? i can't tell from the sites i've been to already (not many) where the batteries are in most of the rigs. also, i'm not seeing flat EL wire, is there such a thing?

good idea about the Spinmaster figure. i have one of those, and hadn't even considered it. i don't think the articulation is sufficient on it's own, but i'll have to take a look to see if i can cannibalize it for parts, especially since it lights up -- really great idea.

 

[shovelchop81]

I'm using a large inverter for TM as there's over 8 meters of EL wire there! The smaller 2x AA ones can be stripped down and hidden in different places as long as you keep the batteries linked in series. There is no flat wire but there is EL tape which is great stuff and amounts to the same thing.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/elwirecraf...28358014&_sid=739305274&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

.

 

[madFu]

sweet! and so fast. thanks.

 

[cdn_rhino]

Nice pic

That's some cool info too. Doesn't Triad Toys make some body suits that could be altered to fit your needs?

 

[madFu]

thx!

triad was the first place i looked. i like the body suits and can even find one in black, but none were textured in the same way as the 1:1 scale ones seemed to be in the movie. that's what lead me to this idea of getting a tailor to make the suits.

i'll probably start with the triad body suits tho. they should help with figuring out the paneling.

one idea i did have was to commission someone with 3d computer modeling skills to come up with the "armor" and then have those 3d printed by these guys:

http://www.visionproto.com/home

apparently, this is who sean dabbs uses on his proto head sculpts. probably pretty expensive, but a thought to consider.

 

[Alejandro_rg]

The Tron Cycle looks mighty cool, I would have pre-ordered it as soon as anounced way back when my fun finances where viable, nowdays? and with the fixed Sam sculpture?

No thanks, pass, as much as I like the bike and it's one of the best designs out there for a movie vehicle.

In fact, I like it as much as the Blade Runner's police Spinner, and even more than Akira's bike.

The fact that you want to fix HT mistake (A quite technical one, so I forgive them) of not giving Sam a flexible body just talks about vision and love for the hobby.

If you manage to pull it off, it might be one of the coolest bashes for 2012 (or 13)

 

[madFu]

The fact that you want to fix HT mistake (A quite technical one, so I forgive them) of not giving Sam a flexible body just talks about vision and love for the hobby.

If you manage to pull it off, it might be one of the coolest bashes for 2012 (or 13)

thanks for the support @Garaballo. hadn't thought about it that way before. i generally take my time with my bashes and customs, so 2013 is probably the right call.

so, after a little digging, i've started the work. extracted the boots intact from the statue last night and ordered some Triad Hero 2.0 body suits.

what's already apparent from the boot design (and how far into the boot the statue's calves went) is that i'm going to have to put together a custom HT leg + boot to make it work, or i'll have to dremel out the boots themselves so they'll accept a regular HT leg. the boot is partially hollow, which is good (maybe enough room to light the boot), but somehow, the bottom of the bodysuit is going to have to press-fit into the top of the boot, as opposed to the way HT boots and clothing usually works.

maybe i'll treat it like the way HT did the initial Joker's socks, with the sock not extending to the foot and stopping at the angle ball. something to think about. :think