Customizing Star Wars Minis 10

"He Doesn't Like You . . ."

By Jack Irons

Welcome to the tenth in a series of articles about customizing Star Wars Miniatures. During the course of creating customs, I'll often refer to past techniques and articles, so be sure to dip into the archive as needed.

For our second project, we're going to take a single figure and use the techniques we've covered to give it a more dynamic pose. Ponda Baba became a miniature in the Universe set, and his sculpt lends itself well to customizing. All you need for the job is the Ponda Baba fig and the basic tools (see article 1).

We're going to change the Aqualish thug's pose so that instead of looking like he's standing at a bar, he looks like he's about to fire his blaster at Luke Skywalker. The first step is simply cutting the arms. Make the cuts as straight as possible where the arms meet the shoulder.

The next cut is the most difficult step in this customization. On the back of the fig, you'll notice that the jacket hangs over the back of the pants. Carefully cut underneath the jacket about 1/8 of an inch deep. Take care not to cut the jacket. Make the cut at a slight angle and only under the part where the jacket hangs over in the back.

Now on the front of the fig, make a straight cut where the torso meets the pants. Take care not to cut all the way through and accidentally cut the overhang of the jacket. You'll need to make the cut deep enough to reach the previous cut. (Remember, it's always better to cut too little than too much; you can always cut more if needed.) When finished, you should have cut the fig in half. The top half will be flat across with a small bit in the back that hangs down. The bottom half should be completely flat.

Hold the arms in position and check to see how the reposition will work (see article 5). Both arms will need to have a small amount cut away to make the correct angle. Carefully remove a small wedge from each. Again, it's better to remove too little than too much. Afterward, check the reposition of the torso to the legs. It's always best to check this before you glue anything because it helps prevent troubles down the road.

The arms and torso can be simply glued into their new positions, but if you want a better hold, it's best to pin them into place (see articles 6 and 7). Put the pins in the shoulders and bottom of the torso. In each area, place them as close to the center as possible.

Now we'll begin to make Ponda Baba's pose more dynamic. When you connect the torso to the legs, rotate the top half slightly. Don't rotate it too much -- just enough to give the impression that he is turning. Once you settle on the correct amount of rotation, lift the two pieces slightly apart and add glue. Push them back into place and allow them to dry.

After the torso and legs have dried, place the right arm in the pin and bend it into position so that it looks like he's going to fire the blaster at someone straight ahead. Keep adjusting the arm until it looks correct, then pull it slightly apart, add glue, and push the pieces back together. Repeat with his left arm, but position this arm so that it's slightly back.

Depending on how much you cut away from the arms and the angled cut you made under the jacket, you might have some gaps. Fill them in with contour putty or two-part epoxy (see article 8). Be sure to use only enough to fill each gap completely, and allow it to dry.

Once the filler is dry, touch up those parts with paint (see articles 2 and 3). The jacket is a light orange color with a light wash of black and a dry brush of pale yellow. For the pants, you can paint the area black and then dry-brush that area with light brown and dark brown. Ponda Baba is now ready for his meeting with Obi-Wan Kenobi -- and the Jedi master's lightsaber!

Next Time

In the next article on customizing Star Wars Miniatures, we'll work on a more advanced project involving a vehicle and its rider. Get ready to make the Snowtrooper on Blizzard Force Speeder Bike!

About the Author

Jack Irons is an artist and graphic designer. He has been fan of Star Wars since he was four, when his dad took his sister and him to a matinee on the second day of its release. He posts regularly on the Star Wars Miniatures Game boards under the name "ironlightsaber" and often works with other board members on projects such as the Lost Twenty fan set. Jack lives in the middle of the U.S. with his wife Ruth and their son.