NOTE: Most people don't realise just how big the original mask in the movie was so it can be a suprise to buy an accurate sized one. Let's just say if you are shorter than 6ft, the full size mask is going to make you look like a bobblehead. I know, I have seen it and it's not pretty. One popular method (As used by Vaderkinde of the Meditation Chamber website..she's only 5ft2..) is to use the 3/4 sized mask.

Just so you get an idea of the size difference, below are two masks. The one on the left is the FULL SIZE Rubies Supreme & the other is the 3/4 sized. or STANDARD Rubies.

The Supreme FULL SIZE really is HUGE!!!

All the store bought Vader masks (Including the Supreme) are made of injection moulded plastic and are all ONE color. Black!. Unfortunatly in the movie Darth vaders mask was not all black even though sometimes it does look it. It's a two tone black and gun metal scheme which finds it's roots back to the early camera tests for Star Wars A New Hope. As Darth Vaders costume was mostly black the original movie crew had difficulty picking up the costume and masks details clearly on film due to the lighting so the two tone scheme was implemented to make the costume film better.

Before painting the mask I trimmed about an inch off the neck as it was badly warped. (This also finds it's roots in the original prop. The Vader Supreme made by Rubies actually uses the original cast from Empire Strikes Back & warped during manufacture as the prop builders from the original movie were not entirely used to working with fiberglass. It was still an early process then in prop manufacture) I also removed the lenses completely and retrimmed the eye holes to remove the edges inside. So now it needs repainting. Now some people don't paint theirs and unless you are a detail junky, it's fine not to but there are going to be other modifications needed to make it right. I prepaired my mask by first removing the tusks, eye lenses and internal lining. Then lightly sanded the whole mask before applying a layer of all black auto paint from a rattle can as a base coat. Then using gloss black and Gun metal grey, I masked off the relevant parts and painted the two tone scheme. (As below) (Note: I found this pic during my research and can't remember where I found it.. If you know please e-mail me and let me know so I can give credit. If it's yours and don't want me to show it here, i will remove it at request)

My mask after trimming and repainting looked like this.........

Not bad eh?.. The trimming of the neck also made it a lot easier to wear and stopped the edges rubbing on my armor. The vent on the mouth part was horrible and totally see through (See pics on my costume page) so I cut out a pice of the black filter foam from a vacumn cleaner and hot glued it in place (See below). I also added a $5 breathing device easily found on Ebay along with a 12V CPU computer fan wired to a 9V battery insdide the top of the mask. Even though it's only wired to 9v it runs about 3/4 speed which is adequate to keep it cooler and stop the lenses fogging up while wearing. The original lenses had a weird "Bubble effect" the reason for this I don't know but it's nasty looking so these need replacing also. I cut out some clear flexible plastic and covered it with cling window tint (Several layers) then simply taped them in place. Kinda looks funky from the inside but from the outside looks perfect.

So far so good. I got dressed up in all the parts I had completed so far to check for fit, form and function and to of couse show the wife and kids and came accross a HUGE! problem. (Again it was the wife who pointed this out.... By the way her name is Shannon... a lot more polite than saying "The Wife" all the time.) The back of the mask is missing a VERY important piece. THE NECKBRACE. Not having one totally ruins the whole look of the piece as you can very clearly see the neck and back of head. I have no idea why this has never been included in a store bought mask before. (See pic)

I looked on Ebay and an average neckbrace cost about $150. Now that's just silly so I decided to make one of those too. Mine is made from the same Sintra PVC my cod and armor are made from and was again suprisingly easily. First I needed some reference pics so I scoured the web for something that would help. I didn't come up with much. For example......

Not much to work with but it helped. I kinda knew what it looked like but found a good pic on Ebay of someone elses prop. (Unfortunatly I can't have it here as it's not my property) I made a paper template of an approximate shape. It doesn't really have to be that accurate as it's not really ever been seen properly anyway and most of it is hidden under the helmet. I checked for fit and then traced the design onto Sintra PVC which I shaped and sanded just as I had done with the armor.

The idea for making the texture was actually my wifes idea. She had an old pair of fishnet stockings which I stretched over the plastic and glued in place with several layers of clear drying decoupage glue (Elmers will do) then cut away the excess once dry. It worked brilliantly. For the detailed pieces, I cut out more Sintra and glued them in place. All the raised details including the hairpin shaped accents are actually only cut out card from a cereal packet :) .

Then I sprayed the whiole thing Matt Black, foam lined the interier with sticky back craft foam and covered the top and bottom with heavy duty fuel line sliced along the middle and simply slipped over. I also used store bought tree studs and screw on pop rivets and screwed them in place.

The neck brace is secured & held in place using 4 small brass thumbscrews from Lowes (About 50c each) with a screw behind drilled through the mask. It doesn't damage the mask at all and makes it easy to remove but also really secure while being worn.

The mask now look's so much better from below and behind. I also cut the neck off a turtle neck sweater (Black one) to cover any other areas which may need hiding.