Got the Chiller exclusive glow version -- and am really liking this kit. I'll build the glow figure as is, and leave it 100% glow (no paint) -- but am making some modifications for the non-glow figure and base.

To start with, I'm reworking the head. Pics show the work so far. Will post more as I make progress. The major thing is to add a little to the upper bridge of the nose to change the angle, and then build up the brow. Though I didn't stop there....

Original head:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2725/4110909449_ea03ab430e_m.jpg
Resculpt started:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2687/4110909683_385ea56b06_m.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2770/4111675306_6d33423ffc_m.jpg

PLEASE tell me this will be made available to the rest of us FrankenFans... :D

PLEASE tell me this will be made available to the rest of us FrankenFans... :D

Sorry, DinoMike. Due to the current state of the garage kit biz, this is just going to be my own build-up.

wish I had your talent.....

Dont know about you,but I'm going to cut about 1/2 inch off those legs.guy is way too tall.

Looks great so far Terry...and if you have to break out the putty to fill the seam in the head anyway...why not try to correct a few things while your at it...right?

Keep us posted and thanks for sharing the pics!

MMM

If you want to try to reshape the kit parts, pick up one of the glow Chiller specials. Its the same price as the regular kit but with two complete figures... that way if you fudge it up you have extra parts!

Has anyone tried to reposition the feet so that they nore closley resemble the box picture? I would think it would be an easy fix.
What type of putty do ypu use Terry? I use Squadrom White putty for seams, will this work for re-sculpting?
Thanks!

I plan to do that,and thin the door and paint it in Black and White as in the photo.The fingers on the hand also need to be repositioned.

Has anyone tried to reposition the feet so that they nore closley resemble the box picture? I would think it would be an easy fix.
What type of putty do ypu use Terry? I use Squadrom White putty for seams, will this work for re-sculpting?
Thanks!
Louspal,
You'd be better off using something like AVES Apoxie Sculpt. It doesn't shrink as much as Squadron...I've used AVES with GREAT results!

MMM

Nice...I'd been thinking about doing the same B&W painted to match the photo.

I'm using Aves. Yes, a half inch off the bottom of the legs will work wonders -- but the arms are just a smidge too long as well. The sleeves are right -- there's just too much arm sticking out of 'em -- I've shaved a quarter inch off them, and the proportions now look much better. Adjusting the position of the feet is no biggie. The fingers can be repositioned a bit with just a little heat and some careful pressure. the photo of Karloff on the instruction sheet is just about the same scale as the kit -- great for comparing and adjusting. The door as constructed seems too complicated to thin down -- but I am cutting away a bit of the floor. There's just too much base here for my tastes (and shelf space). Pictures eventually....

Great work as always Terry! :thumbsup: I'm thinking about making something to put in the empty space to the left of the door. The photo shows a large trunk but maybe some kinda electrical lab gizmo instead. Looking forward to seeing more pics!

There are many good putties that will work for sculpting and repositioning. Aves, Procrete, Milliput, Tamiya Epoxy Putty and even most hardware store A+B plumbers putty sticks

Sorry, DinoMike. Due to the current state of the garage kit biz, this is just going to be my own build-up.

Oh well, doesn't hurt to ask. :D Great looking resculpt!

Looking Good Terry :thumbsup: Please post more pictures...
I'm doing a little resculpting myself and making the forehead higher
covering the forehead hair which I'll paint in after...
Fun Times Man :thumbsup:
Mcdee

Pics of the work so far. Did all the changes mentioned previously -- also added some texture to the base with Aves and modeling paste. A little clean-up and it'll be ready for priming and painting. (Some parts just placed on the base -- not all glued yet.)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2723/4113536925_78f1f2d41a.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2744/4113537069_6bd7335359.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2611/4114305712_239c99cae7.jpg

Impressive....

Wow nice work. He sure doesn't look like Odo from Star Trek now!

Like what has been done to the base as well. .. much more focus on the figure.

Nice work,
Thanks for posting the pics.

Dave

Your changes really look good. I'm interested to see how it looks once it's painted. Should be very cool!! I really like the rework on the base.:thumbsup: - Denis

Terry,
So you said you shortened his arms and legs just a bit? I think it makes a HUGE difference. He now seems more in proportion...

Also, I agree with what you did on the base by making it smaller...it adds to the overall look of the kit and makes the eye focus more on Frank...

Nice job so far!

MMM

Wow! Love the re-do of the head! Looks great! The base also looks much better! Kudos!:thumbsup:

The angling of the boots ABSOLUTELY MAKES the pose superior.

Looks great!

Has anyone looked to see if the door needs a latch mechanism? I mean, there's a handle and a keyhole, but no latch.

Man, I've got to get one of these!
Looking fantastic:thumbsup: Can't wait to see him painted up!

A.U.

Louspal,
You'd be better off using something like AVES Apoxie Sculpt. It doesn't shrink as much as Squadron...I've used AVES with GREAT results!

MMM

MMM,
I've been wanting to try this Aves I've read so much about but can't seem to find a place to purchase it. Any online places that you know of?????

Yes one of the builds on here addressed the lack of a bolt to the door...

Just order it from the company's website.

http://www.avesstudio.com/Products/Apoxie_Sculpt/apoxie_sculpt.html

Just order it from the company's website.

http://www.avesstudio.com/Products/Apoxie_Sculpt/apoxie_sculpt.html

Many Thanks!:)

Guess I mis-read the site. Didn't think they sold direct to the consumer, only to distributors. I'll definately get some ordered.

A.U.

I bought from them a few years ago, and I think the easiest way to order is by phone, but they give you four options here on this link :

http://www.avesstudio.com/Order_Now/order_now.html

Starship Modeler also carries Aves...

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/newshop/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=75

Rob
Iwata Padawan

Done!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2541/4121479284_c0b048c7b3.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2709/4121479654_0e28c4ebfd.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2467/4121479570_5e3c8afab9.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2639/4120706303_2a548bffbd.jpg

Comparison of out of box glow figure (I didn't even fix the hand position -- what the heck -- he's not going on the base...) with my altered Frankie:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2548/4121479994_b0db51061f.jpg

More (and bigger) pics here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/scaryterry/sets/72157622820789196/

Thats very very good work. The changes to the legs/feet really make the figure look more realistic and less like a cigar store wooden indian.

Looks fantastic! All of your mods have taken an already great kit to the next level and beyond! Exellent sir!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Has anyone addressed that rather large gap between the shoe halves? They look like they're supposed to be there, the way they're molded, but I doubt the real boots Karloff wore had them.

Has everyone just filled these with putty and moved on?

Awesome work Terry! Simply AWESOME!!!
Love the comparison pics as well....this turned out really GREAT!!! :thumbsup:

Thanks for sharing those pics!

MMM

Looks Great!!

Wow. The improvement seen in the side by side is astounding!

nailed it!

Thanks for all the kind words. I didn't have time to post about the painting other than showing the pics, so if you don't mind, I'll make a few comments now.

Before painting, I added a little grit to the wall and floor with acrylic modeling paste. I then hit everything with a coat of gray primer -- and when that was done, with a coat of flat black from the spray can. Using black as a base made the paint job incredibly simple and fast.

I drybrushed the wall with various shades of gray, trying to match the look of the source photograph. For the floor, I wanted to treat it like old worn, weathered wood, so I did a light gray with hints of browns mixed in -- drybrushed again. I wanted to make sure I avoided the new polished wood floor look I'd seen on some build ups -- just didn't look right to me. The door was drybrushed in dark browns. Metal parts drybrushed w/ a metallic brass paint. One could do a lot of modifications to that door -- but I just decided to paint it as is -- the figure is really my focus.

For the figure, I punched up the spray can black with some brushed on mars black acrylic -- then lightly drybrushed a little gray on the boots and suit (it's much darker looking in person -- the pics make it seem more gray than it is). For the skin tones, I took my lead from the color home movie footage from "Son of..." -- but mostly from the Rolf Armstrong portrait of Boris from "Bride of..." The pic (and discussions of it) reveals the make up as a light aquamarine -- with a hint -- just a hint -- of green. You can't see it in the pics, but I did a very light reddish wash over that to bring out some details (using a wash of a complimentary color always does interesting things to a skin tone). Details of hair and nails knocked in w/ mars black and a smaller brush.

Name plate was also hit with a coat of black. I painted the raised letters w/ a white basecoat -- then yellow -- then a mid-range orange followed by red on the upper part of the letters.

Painting went VERY quick on this.

As for the boots -- it seemed to me that seam down the middle is meant to be there.....

The seams in the boots are indeed suppose to be there.

Absolutely AMAZING!!!!!:thumbsup:

Has anyone addressed that rather large gap between the shoe halves? They look like they're supposed to be there, the way they're molded, but I doubt the real boots Karloff wore had them.

Has everyone just filled these with putty and moved on?The seams in the boots are indeed suppose to be there.Yes, the seams are supposed to be there, though perhaps not quite as pronounced as they are sculpted on the kit:

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w297/Zombie_61/Miscellaneous/Frankenstein_boots.jpg

Also, the top of the boots (the area that encloses the feet, that is, not the tops of the legs) are a bit flatter than they're sculpted on the kit. (The above photos were taken from publicity photos for the 1931 film; different boots were used for each of the Karloff Frankenstein films.)

IMO Scary Terry's deceptively "simple" modifications have gone a long way towards improving the overall look of the kit and making the Monster's proportions not only more realistic but a much closer match to the iconic photo that was the basis/inspiration for this kit.

Terry, when you shortened the legs, did you remove some from the bottom of the pants? Or did you take out a section higher on the legs, leaving the pants "cuffs" intact.

Agree with posted comments - the alterations did much to improve the kit. Nice job Terry!

Thanks for sharing your techniques.
Love your built-up.

Terry, when you shortened the legs, did you remove some from the bottom of the pants? Or did you take out a section higher on the legs, leaving the pants "cuffs" intact.

I cut off the bottom of the pants. Did a little resculpting with Aves to make them match up with the boots better....

Thanks to all for the kind comments!

Excellent job Terry! One of the best build ups I've seen so far.