A Star Wars fan admires his handmade fire pit, a replica of a TIE Fighter used by Darth Vader's menacing imperial fleet. /CFP

Gary Malins, 37, grew up enthralled by spaceships and iconic scenes from the classic science fiction franchise. /CFP

He began experimenting with disused gas bottles to make miniature models of a fighting vessel used by Vader, the masked villain of the series. /CFP