
- STEP 001 > Well I scraped my initial idea and created this new sketch for the Ultimate Sarlacc Pit 🙂 I decided to make a stand alone instead of placing it on the shelf next to Jabba's Palace. I just did not really have the height I needed to place the skiffs at a proper distance. Here you can see that the 2 skiffs will be on each side of the Sarlacc Pit and behind will be a custom Sail Barge where I will be able to place Slave Leia at her cannon, R2 Lightsaber and some more guards.
- STEP 002 > So here you can see the basic box I created using 5 sheets of foam core. They were bonded using a hot glue gun - the best invention I discovered last year 🙂 The measurements are 26" high X 40" wide X 20" deep
- STEP 003 > Next step I glued foam core rectangles that will act as a support for the wire mesh.
- STEP 004 > It's hard to see but the entire surface is now covered with wire mesh. Found at any art supply store, you can wrinkle it to give it a rocky like surface. The Sarlacc Beak is just a mock up for scale - not the finished version - LOL
- STEP 005 > Next step is to cover the entire screen mesh with plaster bandages. This creates a base for when it comes time to paint a layer of plaster of paris.
- STEP 006 > Here is a close up of the Sarlacc Pit area. I examined and took notes from my jedi laserdisc. The base is like a trampoline shape, this is where the beak will pop out from. Above this will be the 3 rings of spiked tongues.
- STEP 007 > Now this is the boring repetitive part 🙁 Using sculpy - or your favourite clay like material - make about 100 little balls. These when squished will become the little "tongues" that surround the Sarlacc Beak. If you pause the video during a close up of the pit you will understand what I'm talking about 🙂 x
- STEP 008 > After you squish your balls into a tongue shape, Place them in a circle and join them together. This is what the first ring of tongues will look like once hardened. I added textured details before cooking the sculpy in the oven. This is what will be placed on top of the "Trampoline" base - see picture in Step 006.
- STEP 009 > Boy am I sick and tired of making those tongues - LOL - all 96 of them. This is what the 3 levels look like - a lot of work but I think it makes it worth it no? All that's missing now are the 96 little thorns - oh nooooooooooo !
- STEP 010 > This is what the tongue circle looks like when put in it's appropriate place
- STEP 011 > Now it's time to make the "rock" crater that the Sarlacc calls his nesting place. These rubber rock moulds can be bought in any hobby store. They are scaled for miniature train sets but work wonders in the Star Wars universe as well 🙂 Step 1: brush soapy water into the moulds so the plaster will not stick.
- STEP 012 > This is the easy part - LOL. Pour plaster of paris into the moulds and wait till the plaster hardens.
- STEP 013 > Tada - Like magic we have rocky cliff chunks when we remove the plaster from the moulds.
- STEP 014 > Now it's time to place all our rock pieces into an interesting shape. Kinda like a puzzle, what piece looks good here, what works better there etc...
- STEP 015 > After you decided where all the pieces go, mix some plaster of paris and pour it into the cracks filling the seams and gluing everything together. Also paint a coat of plaster of paris onto the exposed bandages to make a smooth landscape. Now we are getting close to a finished pit - what do you think?
- STEP 016 > Now it's time to paint the plaster and super sculpy using watered down latex paint.
- STEP 017 > I thought making tongues was boring - Try saving your cat's toe nail clippings - LOL. Just kidding, I actually made these 95 thorns out of super sculpy. This is what happens when you leave them too long in the oven. They stink and turn black - LOL - great now I have to paint them 🙁
- STEP 018 > Now we're cooking, this is what the thorns look like glued into the tongues holes and painted with latex white and beige paint.
- STEP 019 > Next step is to find some sawdust. I used my circular saw and cut up press wood. I find that it looks a lot like sand when used in a diorama.
- STEP 020 > To keep the sawdust from blowing away, paint the plaster with 50% water + 50% white glue. After sprinkling the sawdust over the glue we get this cool sandy texture.

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