Customizing Indy Figures

Webley&Whip

New member
Here's a site that specializes in diecast:

http://www.diecastdirect.com/types/cars.htm

You can sort by decade (i.e. '30s) or scale (i.e. 1:18). If you sort by the former, make sure as you scan through the cars that you are looking for 1:18 scale. If you are sorting by the latter, look for cars from the '30s. I notice Maisto has a few in 1:18, from the '30s; that are reasonable: $29.99ish.

Can anyone identify some of the vehicles from the films; like Dietrich/Belloq's car in the truck/ark chase, the car Shortround was driving in TOD or any of the (several) vehicles from TLC?
 

Snakes

Member
I know this sounds kinda crazy, but has anyone tried cutting off the gunbelt on one figure and gluing it back together on another fig? I really like my Deluxe Horse Indy with the Pitfall head (perfect fit by the way, no tape), except for his lousy gunbelt. (It's really flimsy, soft plastic and the holster is almost all the way behind Indy.)
 

Kooshmeister

New member
Webley&Whip said:
I noticed that the Pirates of the Carribean line looks compatible. Get a few of the cannibal chief for a dio, or even some of the Chinese pirates.

Funny you should mention that. My two German soldiers are being displayed on the same shelf as my Pirates figures. They're flanking Norrington and Beckett. :D

The Hasbro figures are a liiiiittle bigger than the Zizzle ones, though.
 

Lambonius

New member
Does anyone have any suggestions for doing paint touch-ups? Like what kind of paint to use (I assume it's acrylic but I don't want to be wrong on that), how to remove paint from the figures, color suggestions, etc? I'd really appreciate it if you guys could make some suggestions, since you seem to be the experts when it comes to customs. I haven't done any modifications like this before, but I have an art background and could easily handle some paint touch-ups. Any help would be greatly appreciated! :)
 

Billy Ray

Well-known member
I've found straight acetone to be the best way of easily removing factory paint on figures...just be very careful with it. I have used this to completely strip paint from Hasbro's 12" figure's heads.

You might get by with a little nail polish remover (which contains acetone) if you are just trying to remove a small area of paint, though it may require some extra elbow grease.
 

The Golden Idol

New member
Billy Ray said:
I've found straight acetone to be the best way of easily removing factory paint on figures...just be very careful with it. I have used this to completely strip paint from Hasbro's 12" figure's heads.

You might get by with a little nail polish remover (which contains acetone) if you are just trying to remove a small area of paint, though it may require some extra elbow grease.

Where can I buy this "elbow grease"?

:p
 

Lambonius

New member
Agent Spalko said:
Why do you want to remove the paint? Acrylic can be painted directly over it and it's much easier.

I want to make sure detail painting like the eyes and things are staying within the lines of the sculpt. The factory paint apps are really bad about being misaligned, and I figure a strip and repaint would be the best way to go. Also, I've seen one or two figures (which I passed over without buying) that have decent paint jobs except for one or two random splotches and smears on the base plastic. I dunno, I just figured it'd be good to know how to do it to expand my options for touch-ups. :hat:
 

Billy Ray

Well-known member
Agent Spalko said:
Just had an idea. You could also print out the crate on paper and glue it onto some balsa wood.

I did this very thing yesterday and it came out great! Much nicer looking than the cardboard, version 1.0 crate.

It was still drying last night, held together with rubber bands, so I didn't get a chance to take pics...will post some when I get home today.

Thanks for the inspiration!
 

Billy Ray

Well-known member
As promised, pics of the new Ark crate (and one w/my custom Raiders Indy with updated head):

Indy_040.jpg


Indy_046.jpg


Indy_047.jpg


Indy_048.jpg


Indy_049.jpg


Indy_050.jpg
 

SPECTER

New member
Anyone have any tips for painting stubble im kinda new to customizing figures i have only done 2. im aiming for this

indiana_jones_temple_of_doom.jpg
 

Billy Ray

Well-known member
doesitmatter said:
That head is fantastic! Which one was it before the repaint?

It is the deluxe Pitfall Indy head...and it's not a repaint! I already had one, but I saw this one on the pegs today and had to buy it! I live the look of grim determination he has.

Indy_045.jpg
 

Marty Jones

Member
Nice job on the Ark crate. I might have to try something like that for myself. Do you have the dimensions for it?

By the way, I love the look your Indy figure has there. Looks like you found one with a good likeness and a little personality to boot. :)
 
Did you cut the printouts into strips and glue them onto each strip of balsa wood or are the sides a solid piece of wood that you glued the paper onto?
 

Billy Ray

Well-known member
Did you cut the printouts into strips and glue them onto each strip of balsa wood or are the sides a solid piece of wood that you glued the paper onto?

The sides are just solid with the images from soloboy5 glued to them. I used thinner strips pieces of balsa for the support frame pieces around the edges.

Nice job on the Ark crate. I might have to try something like that for myself. Do you have the dimensions for it?

By the way, I love the look your Indy figure has there. Looks like you found one with a good likeness and a little personality to boot.

I just cut the wood to the same dimensions as the images. The dimensions are given on soloboy5's instruction page.

BTW, he also has posted instructions for making a really cool Staff of Ra!

Yeah, it's the best Raiders era Indy likeness I have seen, I couldn't pass it up! The "Cairo Indy" standing behind him has the head first Pitfall Indy I bought.
 
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