Argonauts Predator 2
1×6 scale vinyl kit
A very good rendition of this character, easy to assemble and very well cast with accurate details and no casting floors.
Firstly, I cut out out the excess vinyl sprues and arm sockets. Some pre-assembly is required- the arm gauntlet with the blades, the net launcher on the left leg, plasma cannon I glued on the rail at the back, spine covering armour, dreadlocks along the side of the head and the long lower tusks of the mandibles. These I pinned in place and secured with super glue.
With vinyl kits, after any excess has been trimmed away, it is simply a matter of heating the sockets with a hair dryer and firmly pushing the joints inside, same also for attaching the head, legs and torso.
The accessories, I scratch built, apart from the disc cutter weapon, which is supplied with the kit. This is cast in white metal, in two parts.
The helmet was cast out of epoxy resin, made from a latex moulding taken from the head from a masked predator kit.
This was primed and painted, with electrical wire for the connecting pipes.
The spear is scratch built, using a dish mop wooden handle for the main shaft, with cotton bud plastic sticks for the bars.
The centre sections are from the other masked predator kit, which came with the spear weapon.
(I only used the centre parts from the supplied spear, because the scale was wrong and the vinyl Shaft extensions are warped!)
The spear tips are cut down fishing hooks super glued together.
Grooves are cut along the shaft, then the assembled spear bars are super glued in place.
After general assembly, the whole kit is carefully washed with detergent before painting begins.
I began with the top half of the figure, applying ivory white base coat followed by the burgundy red stripe pattern of the skin. Finally for the skin, the black "horn" details are
added along with 3mm black brush bristles around the the side and top of the head and also around the shoulders, following the markings as shown in the reference photos of the movie costume.
There is sculpted wire mesh covering the body, legs and right arm, I painted this in dark brown. (not sure of the actual colour of the mesh, the original predator had black mesh)
The armour has a blue patina on top of copper, so this is created using metallic blue with black wash applied into the details, then finally the copper finish is dry brushed to the raised areas with a full coat on the edges and polished areas.
For the highly polished areas, metalic gold is blended in for a brighter effect.
All paints are applied by paint brushes.
Humbrol and revel enamel paints were used with acrylic clear coat to seal the armour.
Lastly, the completed figure is screwed through the feet onto it's perspex base, along with it's accessories.
1×6 scale vinyl kit
A very good rendition of this character, easy to assemble and very well cast with accurate details and no casting floors.
Firstly, I cut out out the excess vinyl sprues and arm sockets. Some pre-assembly is required- the arm gauntlet with the blades, the net launcher on the left leg, plasma cannon I glued on the rail at the back, spine covering armour, dreadlocks along the side of the head and the long lower tusks of the mandibles. These I pinned in place and secured with super glue.
With vinyl kits, after any excess has been trimmed away, it is simply a matter of heating the sockets with a hair dryer and firmly pushing the joints inside, same also for attaching the head, legs and torso.
The accessories, I scratch built, apart from the disc cutter weapon, which is supplied with the kit. This is cast in white metal, in two parts.
The helmet was cast out of epoxy resin, made from a latex moulding taken from the head from a masked predator kit.
This was primed and painted, with electrical wire for the connecting pipes.
The spear is scratch built, using a dish mop wooden handle for the main shaft, with cotton bud plastic sticks for the bars.
The centre sections are from the other masked predator kit, which came with the spear weapon.
(I only used the centre parts from the supplied spear, because the scale was wrong and the vinyl Shaft extensions are warped!)
The spear tips are cut down fishing hooks super glued together.
Grooves are cut along the shaft, then the assembled spear bars are super glued in place.
After general assembly, the whole kit is carefully washed with detergent before painting begins.
I began with the top half of the figure, applying ivory white base coat followed by the burgundy red stripe pattern of the skin. Finally for the skin, the black "horn" details are
added along with 3mm black brush bristles around the the side and top of the head and also around the shoulders, following the markings as shown in the reference photos of the movie costume.
There is sculpted wire mesh covering the body, legs and right arm, I painted this in dark brown. (not sure of the actual colour of the mesh, the original predator had black mesh)
The armour has a blue patina on top of copper, so this is created using metallic blue with black wash applied into the details, then finally the copper finish is dry brushed to the raised areas with a full coat on the edges and polished areas.
For the highly polished areas, metalic gold is blended in for a brighter effect.
All paints are applied by paint brushes.
Humbrol and revel enamel paints were used with acrylic clear coat to seal the armour.
Lastly, the completed figure is screwed through the feet onto it's perspex base, along with it's accessories.
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