Possible spoiler if you haven’t seen "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
Okay, you had your chance. Disney recently released a video from Star Wars Collectibles that shows a step-by-step glimpse into how Darth Vader's melted helmet made the transition from the sketchpad and into the personal collections of 500 deep-pocketed fans.
Designers created a replica prop that is virtually identical to the one in Kylo Ren's personal collection. I mean, I'm certainly one for family nostalgia, but I draw the line at biomedical devices. And preserved skin art tattoos -- dead people skin that’s framed, and on your walls.
A CAD file is created as the prop is scanned with a 3D scanning arm to create a digital model. According to the makers, the original prop was used to create the replicas.
The model is cleaned up, and then sent to a 3D printer which builds the replica using what appears to be a laser sintering process.
The late-Vader’s headgear is removed from the build bed, cleaned up and cured as a part of the post-processing before it is painted.
The piece weighs 2.4 lbs, and is about 16 by 12 inches in size.
The pieces are available from PropShop, but will cost diehard fans $3,500 each. But get your orders in quick, the company says that it’s only going to print a limited edition run of 500 units.
Excuse me, I have to go and get an advance on my next check. Okay, two advances...
