Star Wars 1/12 Scale Speeder Bike with Scout Trooper, Fully Painted Model Kit (Return of the Jedi version)

 It has been a long time since the last fully-painted Star Wars model kit was posted in the Shire Works blog. Now, another one has finally been completed. And it has taken  a bit longer than usual because it's a two-in-one combo namely the 1/12 scale Star Wars Scout Trooper and Speeder Bike. So essentially there are two separate kits in this set comprising the Imperial Scout Trooper as well as the Aratech 74-Z Military Speeder Bike.

 A YouTube video of showcasing a 30 degree view of the completed project can be seen above while detailed photos of the Scout Trooper are shown below.

 Meanwhile detailed photos of the Aratech 74-Z Military Speeder Bike are shown below.

 Fully painted to resemble the Scout Trooper and Speeder Bike as seen in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, this Star Wars 1/12 scale model kit retails for RM799 inclusive of shipping which will be on a cash-on-delivery basis to selected public malls in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. The reason for a face-to-face meet up to hand over the product is due to the extremely fragile nature of a fully-painted and completed work. 

 Also included is a Bandai Action Base 2 (color depends on availability), which will be needed to prop up and display the model kit. Interested parties please email us at shireworks@gmail.com for more info on the purchasing process.

 If you are interested to view videos of other projects from our resident painter FourEyedMonster, do check out his YouTube channel via the following line (click here) or click on the banner immediately below this paragraph. Thanks dear readers for taking the time to view this post. See you again in our next post. Until then, stay safe and be well.

Star Wars 1/12 Scale C-3PO, Fully Painted Model Kit (Empire Strikes Back version)

All fully painted Star Wars model kits offered by Shire Works thus far has been vehicles until now. Presented here is the fully painted Bandai 1/12 scale C-3PO as completed by Shire Work's resident painter. A fair bit of thought and effort is required to get the kit to closely resemble Threepio in the movies. Even then, there are many variations be it the Tatooine sand-weathered or bright and shiny final scene look in A New Hope; the slightly weathered/semi-gloss look in Empire Strikes Back; or even the damaged one eye-out-of-socket look in Return of the Jedi. Shown here is the Empire Strikes Back version.

Bandai Star Wars 1/12 scale C-3PO model kit; fully painted

Originally, the model kit came in glossy, plasticky gold parts. However the kit has been worked on to changed Threepio's overall look into one that is predominantly semi-gloss (or satin) with moderate to minimal weathering in parts. Comprising effects such as panel lining, light battle damage and oil leaks, weathering was done carefully to prevent any of the said effects from overwhelming the semi-gloss gold look on Threepio.

A satin or semi-gloss finish to Threepio's arnour provides a mid-level shine

Proportion-wise, this Bandai model kit of Threepio looks spot on

In the original trilogy, Threepio sports a silver right leg (from below the knee)

There is more than meets the eye to C-3PO at first glance. For example, all the innards in C-3PO's midriff have been repainted by hand. And if Threepio's back panel is removed, his instrumentation panel will be revealed. Fun fact: this exposed instrumentation panel with its gold, silver, red and white doohickeys was first seen in Empire Strikes Back.

C-3PO back panel exposed; it was painted with gold, silver, white and red hues

Each and every individual wire on Threepio's midriff was painted with acrylics

 
As an Empire Strikes Back version, Threepio armor is neither too shiny nor too dull as how the protocol droid looked in the rebel base on Hoth in Empire Strikes Back. Weathering was deliberately dialed down so that Threepio retained an almost-new-but-not-quite shine to his gold plated armor.  

Back view of the fully painted Bandai Star Wars 1/12 scale C-3PO

Photographing Threepio was a challenge in itself due to his shiny armor

Fully painted 1/12 scale Star Wars C-3PO model kit

Fully painted to resemble Threepio as he was in Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back, this Bandai 1/12 scale kit retails for RM539 inclusive of shipping which will be on a cash-on-delivery basis to selected public malls in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. For interested parties, please email us at shireworks@gmail.com for more info on the purchasing process.

Star Wars 1/48 Scale Snowspeeder, Fully Painted Model Kit (Wedge Antilles and Wes Janson version)

Before 2017 officially ends, Shire Works is proud to add to its list of fully painted model kits for sale i.e. the Bandai 1/48 scale Star Wars Snowspeeder as seen during the Battle of Hoth scene in Star Wars Episode IV: The Empire Strikes Back.

Fully painted Bandai 1/48 scale Snowspeeder [Wedge Antilles and Wes Janson version]

Specifically, this version is a recreation of the snowspeeder piloted by Wedge Antilles and Wes Janson during the iconic battle against Imperial AT-AT walkers on the planet Hoth. As such the identification stripes on the hull were painted in orange red. In addition, pilot uniforms and helmets were painted to mimic the ones worn by Wedge and Janson.

Wedge Antilles is painted in detail and can be seen through the clear plastic on the canopy

Upper left air brake flap deployed ... initiate banking turn to the left

Appropriate decal markings (e.g. inverted ZZ symbol) were applied onto the snowspeeder's hull

More closeup shots of the pilots, this time with Wes Janson's showing through the canopy 'glass' clearly

No detail has been left untouched as can be seen by the freehand paint job on both the pilots as well as the cockpit interior (see three immediate shots below).

Rebel Alliance snowspeeder pilots: Wedge Antilles (left) and Wes Janson (right)

Cockpit interior of the 1/48 scale Snowspeeder prior to being assembled

This is how both pilots looked against the cockpit interior before the canopy was fixed onto the hull

Meticulous research was carried out to ensure that the paint chip and grime streak effects closely mimic those found on the studio snowspeeder. In essence, this fully painted version is based as closely as possible on how the actual studio model looks like.

As such, the snowspeeder shown here is NOT a version that was painted on the whim and fancy of our resident painter's personal interpretation of how a space-faring vehicle should look like. Such versions will eventually be offered in Shire Work's fully painted range. But when they are, a description will be added to denote that the painter has used creative license in the final depiction of the model kit's paint job.That wasn't the case here.

Lower hull of the snowspeeder is exposed as it banks to the left

Finally, a photographic closeup of Wes "Good Shot" Janson

Closeup view of the rear power generator, cooling fins and insulators

To simulate snow on Hoth, the base has been painted in shades of white. And the snowspeeder's pose is based on that of an airborne craft banking to the left. For this, its upper left and bottom two air brake flaps are deployed. This pose was inspired by the Battle of Hoth scene in which Janson had just deployed the tow cable and Wedge was piloting the snowspeeder in a leftwards banking turn. Here then are a series of photographic shots of the snowspeeder taken from eight different angles for a limited 360 degree view.

As with all fully painted model kits on offer, this piece will be a limited one-of-a-kind offering. It was painted by our resident painter whose collection of works can be seen at his personal miniature/model kit painting blog site http://foureyed-monster.blogspot.my  

Fully painted to resemble the snowspeeder piloted by Wedge Antilles and Wes Janson in Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back, this Bandai Star Wars 1/48 Scale Snowspeeder retails for RM599 inclusive of shipping which will be on a cash-on-delivery basis to selected public malls in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. The reason for a face-to-face meet up to hand over the product is due to the extremely fragile nature of a fully-painted and completed work. For interested parties, please email us at shireworks@gmail.com for more info on the purchasing process. And finally with the new year almost here, here's wishing you and your loved ones all the best for 2018.