A Star Wars fan spent £9,000 creating a miniature spaceship in his garden
A Star Wars fan spent £9,000 creating his dream spaceship in his garden but admitted his fiancée was a little hesitant about the unusual project.
29-year-old Chester Walsh has been an avid space enthusiast since childhood, and last June he began creating his own replica of the famous spaceship.
In a project that took three months, Chester created a spacecraft seven meters long and three meters wide, which he affectionately named "Halikon".
Chester, who works as a prop maker, described himself as “a huge Star Wars fan” and said he had been “having this idea for years.”
However, he added that his fiancée was initially skeptical about this rather unusual garden element and feared that it "would look too intimidating or overwhelming in the garden."
Fortunately, Chester explained that she was now "happy" with the overall result, and that although it was "not noticeable, we have a big enough garden that you don't have to look at it."
This massive structure consists of a frame covered with plywood and rubber, and fiberglass is used for the exterior.
Of all the components used in the ship's construction, the concrete base proved to be the most expensive, with additional costs for materials and finishing bringing the total cost to a staggering £9,000.
“Everyone thinks it’s very unusual and cool,” he said.“None of them have asked me to build one in their garden yet, but I have been asked to decorate a few spare rooms.”
“I'm a bit of a perfectionist so I'm not 100 percent happy, but overall I enjoyed putting it together and it's nice to have something like this.There are just a few nuances.” “Minor details that I would like to clarify over time.”
Inside, Chester placed monitors and a PlayStation, as well as a seating area that can be transformed into a single bed to accommodate friends.
He proudly named his unique creation "Halikon" in homage to the now-closed Florida hotel that offered a fully immersive Star Wars experience.
“I had a lot on my mind because there were always problems that needed to be solved,” he added.
“I had a lot of creative freedom because it was my own design, so I could make necessary changes for convenience if needed.” “Instead of following any strict plan.”
Chester began attending comic conventions at age 17 and spent his free time making costumes based on his favorite films.
Two years ago, he decided to “take a chance” and quit his job at a law firm to devote himself full-time to creating art and props.
Then, a little over two years ago, he took a bold step and quit his job at a law firm to pursue art and prop making full-time.
In addition to his spaceship replica, he also made costumes, including a human Shrek costume and a Ben 10 costume.
His Favorite To make, you will need flexible arms made of polyurethane rubber that look like metal, and plush cats with a wire frame that can take different poses.
“When people see me at conventions, it brings back nostalgic memories that they had forgotten about.It gives me great pleasure to see smiles on people’s faces,” he added.
Chester shared the process of creating his incredible Star Wars spaceship on social media for food photos, where he already has more than 46,000 followers under the handle @chaptersofchester.
Although he has no plans to undertake any large-scale projects in the near future, he hopes to one day build a building inspired by The Lord of the Rings.
