# PL Mummy Progress



## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

Here's a start:









Please forgive the mess. 

I'm still working on it. It'll get a nice wash in, at least, the cracks and crevices. After that, a nice coat of clear matte spray. I still have a way to go with it, but I'm in no hurry. I have some Aves Apoxie putty coming, to help with the seams in the sarsophagus (couldn't find it locally). I can't wait to try that stuff. 

I wish I would have discovered figure modeling a long time ago. I'm having a blast! I think I enjoy doing the bases as much as the figure itself.


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## the Dabbler (Feb 17, 2005)

Aha ! See that you car-boat-space guys, one more for our side of the figure building persuasion ! :thumbsup:


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Looking good already...one thing you might like to try on the figure itself is drilling out the mouth and the hole in the side of his head. I did this on mine and made something resembling the remains of his brain out of putty to fit inside. This gives a look more like the film where you can see right through his head in places.


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

The base looks good so far!

As a Car/Space type of guy myself, I find that your personality comes out more when you build a figure. You can throw in that "Extra Bit" of "You" into your build when you decide that the figure should be wearing blue instead of red, change the pose, add things to the base, change the base, replace the base, replace the heads, arms, and legs....whatever you want to do, I think the figures reflect the builder the best out of all the model kits.

Seems like with the other models, save for Model Rail Roading, the closest you can get to "Adding Personality" is to superdetail a kit or do an extreme custom job. Appart from that, at the end of the build, it's just another model car, boat, or airplane.


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

I think it would be kool to do a diorama where the Three Stooges walk into a tomb with both the PL Mummy and the Aurora Mummy rising up and comming towards them. If you used the right sand and so on, all the bases could be somewhat hidden and blended into the new base so that the scene looked correct. It would be a challenge, but it would look terrific!


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

the Dabbler said:


> Aha ! See that you car-boat-space guys, one more for our side of the figure building persuasion ! :thumbsup:


I'm a car, boat, plane guy myself, although it's been a good while since I've built a plane. 20 years ago, I had a bunch (then came "mad wife syndrome" and the whole collection [12 planes - 6 cars] went in one fell swoop).  I'm glad I'm rid of that one.  the wife not the collection...


miniature sun said:


> Looking good already...one thing you might like to try on the figure itself is drilling out the mouth and the hole in the side of his head.


Thanks! I was thinking about getting the Dremel out for that. I believe ChrisW's is done in a similar fashion. It really adds to the kit.
I always thought they removed the brains. 


MadCap Romanian said:


> The base looks good so far!


Thanks! I'm looking forward to the burnt umber wash for the details and cracks. I can spray Future without thinning, correct?

That diorama idea would be great!


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## frankenstyrene (Oct 5, 2006)

MadCap Romanian said:


> You can throw in that "Extra Bit" of "You" into your build


I do by thinning acrylics with spit.

(hope no WF judges read this)


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## the Dabbler (Feb 17, 2005)

Eeeeeww ! That's gross !! :freak: 

As for brains, I think the "movie" Mummy was buried alive and came back to claim his lost beloved, so his brains would still be intact.


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

As long as it's ONLY spit.....I won't get into the details!


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

MadCap Romanian said:


> As long as it's ONLY spit.....I won't get into the details!


 

Dabbler, I didn't know the Mummy was buried alive. His brain would be in tact, but more like a raisin than a brain. *idea* *runs to cupboard and finds box of raisins* *checks raisin against projected scale size of dehydrated brain* *thinks to himself "...just might work..."* :freak:

Anyone ever resin cast a raisin?


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## otto (Jan 1, 1970)

PLASTIC RAISINS! Have you gone mad? Use real raisins....it will look more like a raisin than a plastic one, probably more like a brain too. just clump about four together.... bwaahaaaahaa...and if you ever get hungry you can eat his brains


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## frankenstyrene (Oct 5, 2006)

A resin raisin? That's against all reason. Now a raisin made out of rosin, that's different. Oops, my raisin bread has risen from the toaster. Gonna put chocolate Riesens on it. ok I'm done now


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## frankenstyrene (Oct 5, 2006)

MadCap Romanian said:


> As long as it's ONLY spit.....I won't get into the details!


 You don't ask, I won't tell.


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

frankenstyrene said:


> A resin raisin? That's against all reason. Now a raisin made out of rosin, that's different. Oops, my raisin bread has risen from the toaster. Gonna put chocolate Riesens on it. ok I'm done now


thank Heaven... I wouldn't have been able to take any more.


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

Hate to sound crazy, but you guys can check out my "Stash" in the "Let's see your stash" thread. (Everyone's been looking at this thread all day and night, so I figured I'd just say that there's other thingsto see on Hobby Talk too! )


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

Honestly... we're WAY off topic anyway.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

miniature sun said:


> ...one thing you might like to try on the figure itself is drilling out the mouth and the hole in the side of his head. I did this on mine and made something resembling the remains of his brain out of putty to fit inside.


I saw a build-up online somewhere where the modeler stated he used a stick of chewing gum for the brain. While he was trying to figure out what to use, he took the gum out of his mouth and was going to throw it away when he realized it was the right size and roughly the right shape, so he "sculpted" it a bit and set it aside for a few days to let it harden, then painted it and glued it in. Surprisingly, it looked good.



MadCap Romanian said:


> I think it would be kool to do a diorama where the Three Stooges walk into a tomb with both the PL Mummy and the Aurora Mummy rising up and comming towards them.


That's the reason I have an Aurora Mummy and the Three Stooges kits in my collection. One of these days I plan to do a dio with the Mummy sneaking up behind the boys. 



frankenstyrene said:


> A resin raisin? That's against all reason. Now a raisin made out of rosin, that's different. Oops, my raisin bread has risen from the toaster. Gonna put chocolate Riesens on it. ok I'm done now


With all the bad jokes on this forum, you're really _raisin'_ the stakes.


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

I guess one can over-do a wash. I used black on top of a bunt umber, to darken it, when I probably should have just used the brown again. When I removed the excess, the wash was still too dark. 

I guess this one will take a bit longer than expected. Live and learn.


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

Do another wash in the original bandage colour. If a wash doesn't work out, mix the bandage colour with a 50% mixture of clear paint.


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

Thanks for the suggestion. It's the base I'm working on, at the moment. I think I might have it figured out. I sprayed the base with clear again, then used another brown wash in the cracks between the stones. It's looking better. I'll get it, I'm sure. 

I just got the aves putty in today. I did some seam filling on the sarcophagus as well. I think the Aves is pretty good. It seems easier to use than Squadron. I like the way it "works". I just need to get used to knowing which tools to use for applying it. I have a set of wax carvers that seem like they'll work pretty well.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

One tip about using Aves Apoxie Sculpt--after mixing it thoroughly, let it sit for about 30 minutes before using it; doing this greatly reduces the chances of it sticking to tools and fingers as you're working it. Also, a little water goes a long way when it comes to smoothing--too much, and you'll end up with a gooey mess instead of clean sculpting and seam finishing.

Oops, I guess that's _two_ tips.


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

Thanks for the tips! I didn't wait for long after it was mixed and it was pretty sticky. I used the Aves solvent on a Q-Tip, to smooth it. I'll use water next time and save the solvent for when it's really needed.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

kit-junkie said:


> Thanks for the tips! I didn't wait for long after it was mixed and it was pretty sticky.


Always happy to share what little knowledge I have.  I had the same problem when I first tried to use it; 30 minutes of patience makes all the difference in the world.



kit-junkie said:


> I used the Aves solvent on a Q-Tip, to smooth it. I'll use water next time and save the solvent for when it's really needed.


I bought a small container of solvent when I bought the Aves (just in case) and I haven't had to use it yet. As long as the Aves is still workable, water works just fine.


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

*Progress shot 2*










Here's the next shot. I don't know if you can tell, but there's a hint of gold dry brushed in a few places. You can barely see it on the center line of the lid and on the hammer(?) thing in the hand. I'm going to coat the sarcophagus with clear matte before I do the bandages in and on it. I have to think about he best way to pull that off. I think I'm going with masking fluid, but I've not used it before. I'll probably need to use it for th mummy as well. Any tips on that?

I still need to tone down the wash in the cracks on the base, I think.


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

That bad, huh?


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## MonsterModelMan (Dec 20, 2000)

Heck...I think it is coming along GREAT! I just don't have any suggestions as to how to accomplish what you are trying to do. I haven't given it enough thought.
It is always a good idea to clear coat your work before moving to another step. I've never used masking fluids. Some of the "experts" I'm sure will chime in.

Good luck! Keep posting us WIP pics for sure! 

MMM


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## modelgeek (Jul 14, 2005)

No not at all bad!!! Very Nice!!! :thumbsup: ...Jeff


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## frankenstyrene (Oct 5, 2006)

I do not know this kit - is the sarcophagus supposed to be wood? If so your paintup looks real enough. And the gold is a nice, subtle touch.

The only quibble I'd point out is the boldness of the wash in between the stones. It's looking a bit dark, imo; but I know your not nearly done with shading it all in yet. So far so good!


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

Yeah, the sarcophagus is wooden. I know I need to work on toning down the wash on the base. I probably should have left the cracks the color of the base coat (medium brown). Maybe dry brushing the lighter color will work to tone it down some.


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## frankenstyrene (Oct 5, 2006)

That's exactly what I was thinking; just a quick drybrush of a lighter color will knock down the dark to the lowest points in the cracks, where it should be that dark.


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## Roy Kirchoff (Jan 1, 1970)

KJ, So far things look super. Great WIPS, thanks for sharing.


RK


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

Thanks for all the kind words (I was thinking I'd stunk up the place)!

Update: Toned down the cracks in the base. They weren't as bad as the photo--it seems the contrast was set too high. I started cutting away the liquid mask on the sarcophagus only to realize it's much easier to just paint the darned bandages on using a long bristled brush and properly thinned paint. The mask started pulling the paint off in places. I'll have to see how the mummy goes. That's going to be a tough one to get right without some sort of masking.


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

Haven't had much time to work on the kit, lately. I'll probably do some more tomorrow. I have started the mummy. He looks pretty gruesome. I hope the bandages go well. That will take a bit of patience, as I'll be free handing the bandages. I did them on the coffin. They're turning out pretty well. New photos coming soon.


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

*Further Progress*

You can see I chose to not follow the painting recommendation in the instructions. I chose to research real mummies and try to use flesh colors that are similar to some I saw in museum photos. I added a bit of light gray, dark red and flesh colored dry brushing for effect.









I hand painted the bandages on. These shots are of the first step. I'll add some dry brushing and a wash to bring out the details. The bandage color is actually sandstone to start with, not white. 









The toned down base and the sarcophagus with bandages started:









I've found that parts 24 through 26--the tendons and additional connecting bandage for the mummy's mid section--are sized improperly and will be difficult to fit correctly. Does anyone who has built this kit have any suggestions for that?


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## frankenstyrene (Oct 5, 2006)

KJ - everything ok on your end?


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

Yes Sir. Everything is wonderful. Thanks for asking! I received the package a couple days ago. Sorry, I forgot to let you know. I've been busy and it completely slipped my mind. 

I don't know which kit I should do after this one. 

For those who don't know, Frankenstyrene was kind enough to help me find a few luminator kits at a reasonable price. I still need Frankenstein. Anyone?


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## frankenstyrene (Oct 5, 2006)

kit-junkie said:


> I've been busy and it completely slipped my mind.


Don't apologize, I understand. The only reason I was able to do any modeling today is b/c the wife is already at her mom's and I'm heading over there tomorrow. Enjoy 'em (personally I'd like to see what you do with the Mummy, but you'll probably be mummied out soon).


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

I could do another mummy. The Luminator mummy is completely different. I can take a different approach to painting the bandages.


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

Okay, so I'm about to give up on the flippin' tendons in the mummy's mid section. The parts were engineered like an afterthought, with the incorrect dimensions and poor instruction for placement. I don't feel like messing with them, honestly. I was able to fit the bandage in place, with some trimming. Now comes the filling...

Here are a few more photos:









Here you can see the bandage, fit in place after trimming. I still have to finish it up.









Still have a bit to finish up. The mummy isn't glued in place. You can see the paper "shim" under the heel of the foot in the sarcophagus. I think, standing this guy up will require some putty (or something).









*I wish these photos showed the dry brushed areas on the mummy better.*

I'm enjoying ths build, so far, but I'm a bit frustrated with the tendon issue. I'm not entering any contests, so I'll probably leave them off. I don't think anyone but us will know. 

I might even finish it this weekend.


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

Do the photos seem too dark? I'm looking at them on my desktop, instead of my laptop, and they look a bit dark to me. I had the light positioned farther away this time, so I could put the foam core behind the model.


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

*Hopefully these are better...*




























Anyone have a suggestion on how to fasten the mummy in place rigidly? The left foot (in the coffin) has a pin that fits into a hole in the bottom of the coffin. The right foot fits over a pin that comes from he base. If the feet are just glued flat, the mummy will look like it's falling backward. I need some suggestions.


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## SUNGOD (Jan 20, 2006)

Nice job! I've got that kit myself in need of finishing but it never ceases to amaze me how bad the head sculpt is to the rest of the kit. The sarcophagus, mummy's body and base are well sculpted but the sculptor must have been on vacation when it came to the head.
Anyone know who owns the moulds for this now? It would be great if Monarch or Moebius could reissue it with a better sculpted head.


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

Thank you! There are more issues than the head sculpt. I'm still thinking about how to fasten the mummy to the base. So far, the best I have is to use Aves putty under the feet and prop it up until the Aves hardens. I don't know how well this will adhere, though.

It wouldn't be hard to do a replacement head. There would be no major surgery to perform for installation, anyway.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

SUNGOD said:


> Anyone know who owns the moulds for this now? It would be great if Monarch or Moebius could reissue it with a better sculpted head.


RC2 bought Polar Lights and AMT was their styrene kit division, so, presumably, AMT owns the molds. However, AMT is being sold, so whoever becomes their new owner would take possession of the molds (as long as they're part of the deal, that is--rumor has it they had a buyer who was only interested in the molds, etc., for their car kits).



kit-junkie said:


> So far, the best I have is to use Aves putty under the feet and prop it up until the Aves hardens. I don't know how well this will adhere, though.


If you mean Aves Apoxie Sculpt, it's basically an epoxy putty so it should do well.


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## ChrisW (Jan 1, 1970)

KJ - re: your choice of color for the mummy's flesh - if you freeze-frame the movie when they first open the casket you'll see that the flesh color is very dark and oily, much like your choice of color. I'd say you were VERY close to accurate color match.


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## Gerry-Lynn (Mar 20, 2002)

KJ - Looking Great! Have you thought of using latex molding stuff to make the tendens? Kind of gives a "Dead" look to them.

SunGod - The original sculpted head; as well as the rest of it; is well done - The Sculptor (Jim Gorman - Not sure if he was the one) did an Excellent job. I think some of the detail was lost when it was being molded.

Gerry-Lynn


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## kit-junkie (Apr 8, 2005)

ChrisW said:


> KJ - re: your choice of color for the mummy's flesh - if you freeze-frame the movie when they first open the casket you'll see that the flesh color is very dark and oily, much like your choice of color. I'd say you were VERY close to accurate color match.


Thanks. I don't really remember what the mummy looked like in the movie. I haven't seen it in a long while. The "oily" look was completely by accident. I brush painted the Future over the entire mummy, before I did the washes. Somehow, the clear matte finish didn't cover it well, or blended with it. I've sprayed the matte finish three times.

How are the images for all of you? I ask because when I view them on my laptop (the one I prepared the images on), they look fine. That is, I can see the color variations in the skin. On my desktop machine, the photos look very dark to me. Maybe this monitor is getting old. There is quite a bit of color being lost in the images, in the first place, due to poor lighting and amateur photography. 



Gerry-Lynn said:


> KJ - Looking Great! Have you thought of using latex molding stuff to make the tendens? Kind of gives a "Dead" look to them.
> Gerry-Lynn


 Thanks for the compliment, Gerry! 

The latex would be a neat idea, but I don't want to hassle with it too much, honestly. Not to be rude, but these parts should have fit well in the first place. It's still a fine piece, without the tendons.

Here are the last shots again (so you don't have to bounce to the previous page).


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