You know, if someone were to fabricate an exhibit looking costume so that he could sneak into the Star Wars Exhibit, steal the real suit, and replace it with a replica that will fool the masses for years to come, it's VaderMonkey!

Waitasec... how do we know he hasn't done that already?

Impressive...most impressive

Was going through this thread again and realized I forgot to say how awesome I think this is. Amazing job my friend!

I'm going to want to build one of these stunt helmets one day. It's such a unique helmet to have.

Thank you everyone! Well it was a hit with the museum too.....they want to use it for 3 years now instead of one and then additionally to send out on tour.....who knows maybe to your town!

I'll see if I can sneak a picture of it fully dressed with the real mask and robes for everyone.

Congrats that's really good news.

That's really cool. You are one lucky dude!

Well folks a little update...

Just went to the private 'opening of the exhibit' party tonight. The exhibit is pretty cool with various sci fi items on display. Of course it was the usual "no pictures allowed policy, but I plan to sneak in to take a few in the next few days.

As for Darth, turns out I wasnt able to help dress him. My wife just had our second child and that has been keeping us quite busy as he was a little early and had to stay in the hospital for a while....

So anyway, I gave them DP's measurments to make the mannequin and I made the pieces in such a way that it was not very adjustable to avoid something looking wrong, but sadly they managed to mess it up anyway. He is about 6 inches too short and the shoulders on the mannequin are too wide and forward in orientation telling me they just hacked something together. Un-f#%@ing-believable!!

It is still a cool display but I am dissapointed especially when they had the resources to do it right. Am I too picky???

So I'll post a couple of shots in the next few days if I get back there this weekend and you all can decide for yourselves.

Are you too picky???

You can have the best stuff which is all screen used and if it's not displayed properly it won't look right. One of the essential parts of the costume on a mannequin is definately the display. No your not being picky in the slightest, that would piss me off as it will not do justice to your display.

I know I'm not too picky.....I just feel like the person dressing it didnt want the input or help to begin with.

The display looks like it was thrown together so they could move on to the next one. He's 6 inches too short, when they asked what I thought I told them this and they said "well it had to fit in the case"........

IT'S AN EIGHT FOOT CASE!!!

Honestly, I think LFL displays their stuff better. I really want to e mail an honest review of their work.

I wonder if LFL even know there are people like us who actually give damn, you'd think they'd be flattered buy us wanting to keep the standards high. but I guess I'm wrong :(

That's sad news... after all you've been doing to get it right.

Well I just mailed them my honest critique.....should be interesting

I did meet Gus Lopez tonight, very nice guy and what a great story of aquiring the original ANH Deathstar!!

Let's hear it!

Well its actually quite cool....now you all know the part about it being found outside of a record store and rescued from the trash....but how did it get there?

Well the studio that had it in storage had contacted LFL many times with no success for unpaid storage fees. They later moved a bunch of stuff out and accidentally moved the Death Star with it where it eventually was thrown out and got into the hands of a collector who offered it back to LFL.

LFL offered the collector 3 autographed photos of George Lucas and a tour of the Ranch at that time. Naturally the collector declined and offered to sell it back for monetary compensation which was turned down by LFL because they are too cheap.

In the end we all know who the winner is and LFL cant do a thing about it since the storage facility has paperwork to prove that LFL was in breach for not paying. Gus graciously loaned it to the museum for display. It is a fantastic piece. Sadly the dish is a repro as the original was lost but it looks super cool and lights up and everything.

That's great!! A score for the little guy. Thanks for sharing Mike.