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1/12 Star Trek Horta

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  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Boston
1/12 Star Trek Horta
Posted by mach71 on Saturday, December 12, 2020 7:14 PM

I've been wanting one to go with my Spock/snakes kit and Mugato kit. I could not find one from any garage kit maker. I figured I will have to make it from scratch.

 

My 1st thought was to sculpt it, but I'm not that good at sculpting. 

 

I settled on Vac forming. 

 

From this screencap the Horta suit is actually rectangular in shape.

 

 

I settled on using aluminum foil, crushed and formed, for the master.

 

 

My 1st pull, without vacuume for a soft look:

 

 

Too soft and too flat, so I made a new master:

 

 

And used the vacuum this time:

 

 

 

Not too bad I thought, I can work with it.

 

Primed, painted, and dusted with baking soda for texture:

 

 

 

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Boston
Posted by mach71 on Saturday, December 12, 2020 7:26 PM

Next I got out the 2 part sculpting putty for the lava tubes. It has about a 45 min work time.

 

 

Some flat yellow paint:

 

 

It's starting to look like a Horta.

 

  • Member since
    August 2015
Posted by Modeltruckbuilder on Saturday, December 12, 2020 8:14 PM

Wow, I'm liking this!

As Bones would say,

"I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer."

  • Member since
    July 2014
Posted by modelcrazy on Sunday, December 13, 2020 12:51 AM

You have some ingenious ideas Mach

Steve

Building a kit from your stash is like cutting a head off a Hydra, two more take it's place.

 

 

http://www.spamodeler.com/forum/

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Sunday, December 13, 2020 2:00 AM
Makes me think of when Spock mind melds with it, "Pain!" Interesting subject, great job so far.
  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posted by Real G on Sunday, December 13, 2020 2:30 AM

Don't forget the "No kill I" etched into the base!  Big Smile

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

  • Member since
    May 2013
  • From: Indiana, USA
Posted by Greg on Sunday, December 13, 2020 9:18 AM

This is great fun to watch. Yes

Always a treat to watch a creative mind, something I wish I have but don't.

  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: Central Florida
Posted by plasticjunkie on Sunday, December 13, 2020 9:35 AM

I Looks SUPER! Will be super cool to put in a rock  setting dio with some of her eggs.Idea  

 GIFMaker.org_jy_Ayj_O

 

 

Too many models to build, not enough time in a lifetime!!

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Boston
Posted by mach71 on Sunday, December 13, 2020 12:32 PM

Thanks very much everyone!

 

I put some gloss yellow on the lava tubes, and pulled 3 more Horta's, just to see what looked good.

 

here they are with the 1/12 AMT Spock/snakes kit:

 

 

 

You can see that I have started some detail dark green shading. It's very evident on the BluRay screen caps. It would never have been seen on a 1966 RCA 25 inch TV!

 

I added some red colored epoxy to give the lava tubes some surface variation. On the other 3 have just started the lava tubes. 

I also added the "wound" from when Kirk and Spock shot at her with the phaser-2's.

 

 

 

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Boston
Posted by mach71 on Sunday, December 13, 2020 5:28 PM

Red is on the lava tubes:

 

 

Washed Momma Horta with some rust, and airbrushed some .55inch metal balls with a purpleish mist so she can have some eggs.

 

 

 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Sunday, December 13, 2020 5:47 PM

That's awesome Mach71! Cool idea and love how she's coming along.

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Boston
Posted by mach71 on Monday, December 14, 2020 9:32 PM

Thanks!,

 

This is where I am now:

 

 

 

I am going to re-work the wound a bit, and I only have 10 eggs. More are needed I think.

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: USA
Posted by keavdog on Monday, December 14, 2020 10:57 PM

Ha!  That's cool.   I like your Star Trek shelf

Thanks,

John

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Boston
Posted by mach71 on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 9:58 PM

Thanks!

 

That one of 7 Star Trek shelves.

 

I like Star Trek.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 11:26 AM

I love your Trek shelvies March71! Thanks for sharing- you have the coolest toys!!! 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    May 2013
  • From: Indiana, USA
Posted by Greg on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 5:56 PM

The Horta came out great, well done! Yes

And I like the entire shelf/dio too.

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Boston
Posted by mach71 on Thursday, December 17, 2020 1:36 PM

Thanks!

 

My wife keeps saying "Please, no more phasers". 

 

Greg, The Horta is not quite done. I need to add the shaggy bits to the bottom and I'm thinking of reworking the wound. I also need many more eggs!

  • Member since
    May 2013
  • From: Indiana, USA
Posted by Greg on Thursday, December 17, 2020 2:52 PM

At least your wife knows what a phaser is. Mine doesn't.

Smile

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Boston
Posted by mach71 on Thursday, December 31, 2020 3:47 PM

Sadly for her, she knows all too well. At last count i think i have 40? Most are TOS.

 

Not much work done, I did set up the vac former to make a few wall sections.

 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Thursday, December 31, 2020 7:18 PM

More eggs!!! I wanna Horta omelette!

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Boston
Posted by mach71 on Saturday, January 9, 2021 10:16 PM

Mmmm, Crunchy eggs!

 

A bit more work today. I started on the Shaggy Fringe buy cutting many pieces of kevlar rocket shock cord.

 

 

And painted them brown:

 

 

Next I have to figure out the best arrangment for them on the bottom of the Horta. Evenly spaced or in small groups.

 

Also I found this on ebay for $17 shipped, a bargain I could not pass up.

 

 

I'm not sure what, if anything I'll use, but it's cool.

 

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Boston
Posted by mach71 on Monday, January 11, 2021 1:02 PM

I opened the Spock box today. Spock is bigger than the AMT Spock/snakes kit Spock. So maybe 1/10 scale. No scale is listed but Spock is about 6 3/4 inches tall, and he is crouched a bit. The AMT Spock is 6 inches so 1/12.

 

 

I think the Horta is done. I got the shaggies on the bottom. I went with groups of 3 closely spaced.

 

 

 

I can easily add more if I decide, but I think this looks good.

 

Here is crouching Spock and Horta:

 

 

 

And standing:

 

 

I'm not that impressed with the Horta figure that came with Spock. She is molded into the stand and kind of soft on detail and only has 2 colors. The Spock figure is too large to go with my Horta I think.

 

  • Member since
    July 2014
  • From: Philadelphia Pa
Posted by Nino on Monday, January 11, 2021 4:18 PM

Great work on the Horta.  This is a really cool project.

One thing... You may want to review Spocks hands.  His Thumb location seems wrong to my eye.

 

      Live Long... etc.,

 

       Nino.

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Boston
Posted by mach71 on Monday, January 11, 2021 4:57 PM

Do!

 

He is alien, but not that alien!

 

I'll fix him when I get home. Don't know how I missed that!

 

Thanks!

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 11:15 AM

Oh the shock cord worked out well- mama Horta's got her hula skirt on now!!! 

Did always strike me funny, the Horta was the only female alien Kirk didn't hit on... 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    July 2014
  • From: Philadelphia Pa
Posted by Nino on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 9:00 PM

Gamera

...

Did always strike me funny, the Horta was the only female alien Kirk didn't hit on... 

 

 
It was Spocks turn for touchy-feely.
 
        Nino
  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Thursday, January 14, 2021 9:10 AM

Nino

 

 
Gamera

...

Did always strike me funny, the Horta was the only female alien Kirk didn't hit on... 

 

 

 
It was Spocks turn for touchy-feely.
 
        Nino
 

And the Horta being able to produce acid strong enough to melt rock. Don't think I'd kiss her ether. 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Boston
Posted by mach71 on Monday, January 18, 2021 8:01 PM

Nino

Great work on the Horta.  This is a really cool project.

One thing... You may want to review Spocks hands.  His Thumb location seems wrong to my eye.

 

      Live Long... etc.,

 

       Nino.

 

 

I fixed Spock!

 

 

 

On to phase 2 of this subject, Kirk.

 

I would like a Kirk and Spock figure to go with momma Horta. The AMT Spock figure might be able to be modified, But there is no 1/2 Kirk figure.

 

Time to improvise. Night Owl makes a set of standing resin legs for the AMT Spock kit, It comes with a new arm and a hand. And JT Graphics makes a "Starfleet captain head" for the AMT kit, it comes with a PE communicator grill and rank decals and a command shirt badge.

 

The only problem is Nimoy was 6ft and Shatner is 5ft 10. He just looks too tall.

1/8 inch needs to be removed. The easiest, though not perfect, solution is to remove it from below the resin leg shirt line. It's a natural separation point.

 

Time to get out the Xacto razor saw!

 

The cut was not that bad, took about 30 min. The resin is very soft.

 

 

1/8 inch marked off.

 

 

and after sanding Kirk is "dry Stacked".

 

 

 

I'll glue the AMT kit styrene to the lower resin shirt, then glue that to the legs. 

I'll probably use some sculpting putty to blend everything together.

 

Meanwhile I would like a crouching Spock to show the mind meld. The stock kit parts 

are not crouching enough.

My 1st thought is to put the styrene legs in boiling water and re bend them. But that

might distort things too much.

My 2nd thought is to cut a small wedge out of the back of Spocks knees and cold bend them. Then re glue.

Does anyone have any thoughts? Better ideas?

 

I figure I need to bend them 20 degress or so.

 

 

The black legs are the DST crouching Spock legs from the Spock/Horta action figures, 

that is where I need to get the kit legs.

 

Thanks

 

Mark

 

 

 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Monday, January 18, 2021 8:33 PM

Oh cool! I didn't even know there were aftermarket parts for those kits. Looking forward to seeing how it all comes out.

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Boston
Posted by mach71 on Monday, January 18, 2021 10:14 PM

Me too! I'm making this up as I go along.

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