Darth Vader Supreme Costume

i will put up the pics we shot sunday, and i will also fix that cape area, put it on and snap a shot of how it looks after i fixed it, hopefully. should be easy enough to remedy

 

Really enjoy reading this thread, just wanted to say ill be back in a few months. MF and touch at the end of this month has put a solid halt on my costume plans. Next pay check after this ill be back though

I was having problems with my ESB shoulders, they seemed far too wide for me, I?ve now got some shoulder padding but when watching Empire I noticed something. Vader wears his bells really far underneath his shoulder armour. Its most noticeable when he kneels down talking to the Emperor. This is great for many reasons. Firstly it means I don?t need to be as broad in the shoulders, and secondly I was having trouble getting the bells to sit nicely. They kept moving around. If they are seated partly underneath the shoulders, the shoulders themselves will hold them in place.

I?m hopefully going to try this out later this week, fingers crossed

 

Sevv, my method of bell mounting will still work well for that application as well.

you just move the armor mount further in like you said. once the blocks are in place, a leather strap will connect them via buttonhead bolts. so you can take them off to store it.

look back through either this or the other vader thread here, for that tutorial i posted on bell mounting.

it works really well on my rots armor, and i see no reason why it wont do the same for ANY of the others as well.

 

Hey guys, total Vader costume newbie here. I have a ton of questions.

I've always been a huge fan of Darth Vader and was looking around for a Vader costume and ran across the Supreme costume by Rubies. It looks awesome. Correct me if I'm wrong but the price it seems to be a darn good place to start a costume that I'll cherish for years to come. I've read a lot of this thread (good lord is spans over 2 years!) and have learned a bit but I know I have a way to go.

First of all I'm 5'10'' and moderately toned. Can I pull off the height of Vader with some boots that add to my height? I have broad shoulders so no real problem there. I remember reading here that most people only really look at you from the shoulders up so I'm not worried about people seeing the thicker boots (plus it will be dark).

What's the quality of the included "breathing device? I suspect I'd be best off installing small speakers and an mp3 player (or two) for the breathing and quotes to rattle off.

I know the stock chest plate doesn't light up. Oh well I bet I can modifiy that before Oct 26; although I haven't seen specific instructions here yet (it's a long thread).

Has anyone paired this suit with the Darth Vader FX light saber? If so, does it look good?

What sound clips/phrases do you use? Is there a "highest quality" breathing sound clip? I'm not ready to drop the $$ on the Vortex Vader sound box just yet so I'm thinking I'll make do with clips.

Does everyone have a fan installed in the helmet? (Probably, yes) Which vent is the fan attached to? I assume the "down facing" mouth vent has the fan (with some extra screen to darken it) while the speakers are located in the "forward facing" mouth vent. How long does the fan keep you cool (function of battery life)? I'm hoping it'll keep me cool for at least 3 hours.

For those of you that have 2 mp3 players (one for voice, one for phrases) where did you put the mp3 player to control the phrases? I assume the breathing one can be tucked away pretty much anywhere.

Do you scare small children? Hahahahaha

This is an important question; what's your mobility while wearing the suit? I know it's probably dictated by the helmet and the boots. I'm a ballroom dancer (insert laugh here) and was wondering about the visibility of the helmet; I can probably cope with the boots just fine.

Any other tips you can think of are most welcome!

-Dio

 

Thanks man!

 

Q:I've always been a huge fan of Darth Vader and was looking around for a Vader costume and ran across the Supreme costume by Rubies. It looks awesome. Correct me if I'm wrong but the price it seems to be a darn good place to start a costume that I'll cherish for years to come.

A: STAY AWAY! Save your money and piece your Vader together like the rest of us have. It might take you a little longer, but you'll be glad you saved $5-$600.00!

This is my opinion. However, some Vaders in here have made theirs look very nice. IE: Lan, and Seduced, but it will take you a lot of time, and meticulous planning. Besides, even those guys swapped out 90% of their Rubies for better parts anyway.
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Q:First of all I'm 5'10'' and moderately toned. Can I pull off the height of Vader with some boots that add to my height? I have broad shoulders so no real problem there. I remember reading here that most people only really look at you from the shoulders up so I'm not worried about people seeing the thicker boots (plus it will be dark).

A:You can pull off the height, but you want to try to avoid the coined "FrankenVader" look. Work with what you have, and minimally lift the outside of the boot. You can also pair that with interior lifts sold on Ebay.
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Q:What's the quality of the included "breathing device? I suspect I'd be best off installing small speakers and an mp3 player (or two) for the breathing and quotes to rattle off.

A: One word for Rubies breathing device...GARBAGE!!! Get an MP3 Player, and a lot of us are now using the JBL On-Tour portable speakers.
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Q:I know the stock chest plate doesn't light up. Oh well I bet I can modify that before Oct 26; although I haven't seen specific instructions here yet (it's a long thread).

A: The stock Rubies chest box DOES light up. Although the blink pattern is very fast and erratic. This piece can be made to look screen-accurate with some simple mods. Replace the chest box rods with Sith Armor rods, repaint the box, insert aluminum coin slots, and replace the LED's. The guys that have done theirs on here can really help you with this mod. I bought a Portumac chest box after I screwed up my Rubies trying to mod mine.
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Q:Has anyone paired this suit with the Darth Vader FX light saber? If so, does it look good?

A: Yes, most of us have a Vader FX Saber and it looks great, and really adds to the effect of the costume. However, on our belts, we have something different. Some here also have Luxeon sabers which make even the FX look stupid.
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Q: What sound clips/phrases do you use? Is there a "highest quality" breathing sound clip? I'm not ready to drop the $$ on the Vortex Vader sound box just yet so I'm thinking I'll make do with clips.

A: I run a Vortex V2, and don't use phrases at all. However, Seduced has a ton of clips he uses in costume he can send you. He can also send you a decent breathing file to loop.
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Q: Does everyone have a fan installed in the helmet? (Probably, yes) Which vent is the fan attached to? I assume the "down facing" mouth vent has the fan (with some extra screen to darken it) while the speakers are located in the "forward facing" mouth vent. How long does the fan keep you cool (function of battery life)? I'm hoping it'll keep me cool for at least 3 hours.

A: Most of us all have fans in our helmets. I have 2 fans on both grills. One blowing fresh air in, and one blowing old air out. The speakers usually sit beside our chest boxes. Especially if you ever plan on using a Vortex, because you would get feedback if it were in the helmet next to your headset mic.

The fans usually last about 3-4 hours. This all depends on the voltage, and size of

 

with mine, i did start with a supreme, but when you se the pics i will post i took the other day, youll notice the only parts left are the cape and robe. everything else has been replaced.

i now have a MR lid, which i can wear my headset for the hyperdyne Vortex unit on my head this time round and not hotglued in the mask like my Porty/NG lid is.

if your wanting a nice costume, then DONT start with the rubies like mysel;f anf others did, you will just end up replacing almost all of it.

if your wanting it just to do B-day parties and such, the go for a supreme, but i will warn you this, that pleather rubies suit isnt nicknamed by me THE "SAUNA SUIT" for nothin, lol

i have a leather LA suit with mesh panels and its tons cooler.

 

Isn't it interesting to ask questions on a thread about the Rubies Supreme vader costume and be advised not to buy it?

A picture is worth a thousand words as the old saying goes. So, here are some pictures of the stock rubies costume:

http://www.tranzmission.myby.co.uk/index9.htm

This guy did an awesome modification job:

http://mysite.verizon.net/jpdspd21/modifications.html

And here is a review of the costume with good information on what you get, out of the box:

http://www.wackychimp.com/supremevader/

Huzz

 

btw, the chest box does indeed light up.

Anyway, I made the velcro mods to the chest box and shoulder armor last night. That was a good enough reason to suit up entirely too
It is WAY more comfortable w/o the top straps on tight, not to mention better mobility. I still use the lower/torso strap to keep it against my body though.

 

]ok gang heres the shots i took:

[image=http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/LAN-ED-TUL/IMG_0127.jpg] [image=http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/LAN-ED-TUL/IMG_0128.jpg] [image=http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/LAN-ED-TUL/IMG_0130.jpg]
[image=http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/LAN-ED-TUL/IMG_0131.jpg] [image=http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/LAN-ED-TUL/IMG_0132.jpg] [image=http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/LAN-ED-TUL/IMG_0129.jpg]

and heres the minor issue i discovered, when the cape is pulled around in front as its supposed to be, i have a bulge of material on each side caused by the way the cape hooks up due to armor being larger than the rubies is:
[image=http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/LAN-ED-TUL/IMG_0133.jpg]
a lil PS action and you can see how its supposed to lay.
[image=http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c291/LAN-ED-TUL/IMG_0133fixed.jpg]

i think i can fix this really easily and should only take a lil time to do it today.

what y'all think?

 

Lan, I've been waiting for new pics of your suit, and I must say, that when I look at you, I don't see a guy dressed up in a Vader costume. I see Vader himself. Very nice work, and attention to detail. I hope to look just as good when I take my pics this weekend.

For those contemplating getting a Rubies, take a good look at what some time, money and effort can get you instead.

 

thank you very much for the kind words. im pleased with the way its turning out, i should solve the cape prob i mentioned sometime later today with a lil help from the wife.

only things i will do to the costume later down the road, is get the cape lined, and maybe a pair of custom leather boots, these work really good for now, so they should get me by a couple years until i run across a good deal on leather ones.

i know you guys wanted to see these pics for sometime now, but i just wanted it to be as close to done as i could get it before i did. its taken me almost 2 years, and a investment of parts on up into the 4 grand mark total now to get where it is.

of course, if you just add up the costs of what it is now in parts, thats closer to just 2500 instead of the grand total of 4 grand plus. but i like to add it all in, cuzz, in reality, it was spent to get where is it along the way.

 

Very nice Lan!

 

thanks seduced. im happy you like it.

 

Lan - that looks fabulous!

Great work! You've raised the bar for the rest of us I think. You must be very satisfied that you have gotten such great results. I bet you can't wait to get out to an event in the new costume to see how folks react. I'm looking forward to hearing how that goes!

Cheers!

Dave

 

Here's a photographic resource for you all who are considering collecting a Rubie's Deluxe/Supreme Mask.

http://thepropden.aokforums.com/rubies-darth-vader-deluxe-supreme-helmet-set-vt1214.html

A total of 18 photos of the Rubie's with and without the mask, from different angles, so you can make an informed decision.

Sample:

[image=http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b138/csmaclaren/Vader/Rubies%20Deluxe%20Helmet%20Set/Rubies-Deluxe-Helmet-Set_1.jpg]

 

yep Huzz, im reay for the con in 3 weeks, gonna be fun for sure

 

LAN ... You're lookin Good Sir!

Like BDV said ... I see Vader there in those pics!

 

And I think that's what it comes down to. You can get a Rubies, and people will be pretty impressed, but after seeing it for a little while, you get the impression that it is just that...a costume.

What Lan, and some of the other guys have here is a top quality, replica which could easily be used in the Movie itself.

As a matter of fact, some of the replicas we own are actually better looking in person than the actual suit!

 

Hey BDV!

I'm good lookin' in person in any suit!! Ha!!!

Now did ya really think I could pass that one up?

I guess my opinion on the Rubies is, for $550 or so, you'll get an instant Vader costume that 95% of people will think looks great. If you only want it for an ocasional party or Halloween, its perfectly fine. However, if you get into this hobby, over time you'll learn to spot the inaccuracies and see what other vendors have out there to offer. And then, the bug will have bitten you!

And you may very well end up like Lan and the rest of us! Which would not be a bad thing either!

Huzz

 

I couldn't have said it better myself Huzz. Most people won't know, but then you get mixed up with people on these boards, and that's it. This board cost me a few grand for sure lol.

My cape is finished as I had it lined in satin, and hemmed. I also had Velcro straps placed overtop of the clasps that hook onto the armor so you can't see them.

The shoemaker got done installing my 1 inch lift interior, and 1 inch exterior on my boots today. Now I have to figure out how to walk in these damned things! I look retarded tryin to walk with these heels. The old lady was laughing at me today saying, "Now you know what us women go through in heels."

Anyway, my mods are done for now. I will get my finished product up on this board in about 2 days or so.

 

Thanks for the opinions. Odds are improving that I'm going to get the Rubies to start with as Halloween is just around the corner; I probably wouldn't have the time to do a complete custom job from the get go. I'm not too concerned with screen accuracy for the party. In the meantime I'll keep browsing this thread.

Also I was wondering if seduced, if you could pm me some links to some sound clips (the one's I'm finding on my own are pretty crappy). It'll help get me excited.

Any links anyone else has would also be great (for alternate costume parts etc).

 

Gee, thanks guys, im happy you guys like the costume. i worked on the cape issue.

first thing i did, as a couple of my fellow vader friends have said, porty's hooks are too big in diameter for the rubies clasps to go on all the way, i too found this out that day.

so the first thing i did, was carefully using my dremels sanding drum worked the diameter down on the inside part of the loop, the one next to neck. i worked the dremel around til i got it sanded down enough for clasps to go on and off easily, nothin more. so theres still tons of strength there, it just needed a lil taken off.

that alone made a huge diff, like i thought it would, it lays flat across the top, just doing that alone, but, it then i seen that it wasnt laying totally flat in the front goin down.

so i made a small 1/4 fold in just the leading edge of the cape about 5 to 6 inches down from clasps edge. tack sewed that together, just the leading edge nothing more,

that made the cape more contoured around the bells, and lay a bit nicer. i didnt seam any from the fold onto the cape to take the excess up, in that spot, cuz really it isnt too bad, much better than before i started the whole fix. and if i pull ever so slightly down on the cape on each side in front, that even spreads out and lays even better.

i tried to see how it worked if i moved my arms up around then dropped back to my side, before the cape would slide right off around the bells to the backside, and then i would fight to get it back around, i think you know what i mean, as i bet you have had that happen too.

but with what i did to the hooks so clasps are on there right, and the slight fold and tacking spot i did on each side, it doesnt slide off around the bells, it only goes halfway, then a slight shake, or shudder movement, and the cape returns toplace in front, pretty close to where it should be.

i think this will work out great, the wife said i might try a small fishing weight tacked to bottom leading edge to keep a light tension on that area i tacked sewed to keep the cape spread out better.

or she said, if i washed it, then used the rubies armor as a hanger, clip it on and hang dry it. the weight of the wet cape will pull it down, and when dry, should, i think, straighten that out.

really its not that bad, probably not even noticeable to anyone other than myself or her or anyone who knows what i did.

oh, she said what i did was DART the leading edge 5 to 6 inches down the front on each side.

i only took up a 1/4 inch maybe a tad more in that DART.

 

so i guess im all set and ready for the con now, just play with the vortex and keep in voice practise ans all should go well.

 

DiomedesGodshill,

If you wnat to be an Episiode III Vader, check out eBay seller sithArmor. He has very nice ROTS Vader gloves, an aluminum buckle with the ROTS pattern and, every other week or so, very nice ABS shin guards. SithArmor makes these and other pieces in versions to suit the other Vader versions too.

I have some sound clips but they are on my home PC. If you PM me an email address, I'll try to send them in the next few days. Other guys here may have better ones so you should get those guys to send you theirs too.

Huzz