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Adam Savage’s Tested
The Pursuit of the Perfect X-Wing
⏱ 21 min video · 3 min read18 Jun 2026Worth watching
TL;DR
At Wonderfest 2026, model maker Jason Eaton walks Norm through his latest studio-scale Red 5 X-Wing build and a series of inventive welding droid sculptures, explaining his iterative approach to achieving screen-accurate detail. The interview covers electronics, decal technique, 3D printing workflow, and a 1/5-scale landspeeder replica built from CAD data of the one-to-one Tunisia prop.
Key points
1
Jason's latest X-Wing is studio-scale, built for personal satisfaction rather than strict ILM accuracy, featuring an Arduino lighting system with two modes: cruise (dimmer magenta NeoPixel rings) and S-foils-open attack mode (white-hot brighter output).
2
The cockpit contains a Form 4-printed optically clear resin visor and a custom Mark Hamill likeness sculpt; pinstriping is achieved with professionally silk-screened water-slide decals from Micro Scale in California, softened with Solvaset to eliminate any raised edges.
3
Jason is building one welding droid per month from January through at least May 2026, using Star Wars helmet castings (Boba Fett, C-3PO, 2-1B, Stormtrooper, Imperial gunner) combined with random kit turrets, inspired by two ILM-made but never-filmed droids sold through Prop Store.
4
The 1/5-scale landspeeder was created from solid CAD data measured from the one-to-one Peterson Museum prop, milled in Renshape, then rotocast in resin; paint panel lines were masked with tape before spraying and pulling, giving a clean Tunisia-era appearance rather than the heavily weathered current state of the original.
5
Jason balances 3D printing (Rhino, Form 4) with traditional kit-bashing due to five hand surgeries limiting prolonged hand work; he uses digital tools primarily to generate base forms quickly so he can get to the detail-adding stage he finds most enjoyable.
Actionable insights
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Use Solvaset decal softener to melt water-slide decals flush over textured or printed surfaces, eliminating raised edges that would reveal the decal boundary.
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For complex organic or structural base forms, use 3D printing (Rhino + Form 4) to generate the shape quickly, then apply traditional kit parts and hand detailing on top to preserve the tactile, creative stage of the build.
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Impose a constraint-based monthly creative challenge (one model per month with fixed rules like helmet-plus-turret combinations) to use up accumulated parts, exercise creativity, and maintain consistent output alongside larger replica projects.
Notable quotes
“This hobby is lovely in that there's always something new reference wise percolating to the surface to tell you what you did wrong last time. And I never get tired of making the X-Wing.”
“It's like the Flying Circus from World War I. It's like everybody's got their own massively colorful different livery and I have this unrealistic fantasy that I'm going to build one of each.”
“I made it up. Don't think that that's canon. Please, don't beat me up.”
Worth watching?
✅
Worth watching the full video?
Watch if you are into film prop modeling or Star Wars miniatures -- seeing the X-Wing lighting modes, cockpit detail, and droid series in person adds real value beyond what the summary can convey.
Saved you some time? The creator still deserves a like.
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