Ironman Foam Builds (info added on page 1 for foam builds) Update on helmet.

[captaincaliflour]

I agree it would be crazy...but the rig I thought up would let you put it on suitcase style...obviously not completely screen accurate but it would fold open and over your body and then still be movable which I think would be pretty badass...what are you using for your undersuit? I'm looking into undersuits for my other armors as well

 

[drack]

I have some thermal underwear simple as that. I will be modifying it of course to get it nice and tight. Now my new glue gun has turned up I should be able to get Masterchief finished then will hit my Ironan suit. Should be able to get the torso finished pretty quick so once all the parts are ready will attach them to the top. I will be doing a step by step on how I make it all work. Oh also I never showed it in the thread but I have a foam under-undersuit that adds to my physique cause the chest didn't look right. The advantage of this is I have housing for the battery pack needed for the arc reactor.

 

[captaincaliflour]

I hope you do some sort of example of how you made that lol cause I need to do one too and the only notion I got is EL wire cause it's cheap and simple and uses small batteries...

 

[PigBenis]

Dude just REPSECT !!! my second project is going to be iron man and you showed me that foam is the better thing to do it .... i guess i have to learn how to work with foam ... SO MUCH EPICNESS !

 

[drack]

Update of sorts.

So guys as some of you know my armour building days started with the Ironman MK VI pep but found I wasn't so good with glassed armour and turned to foam. I have had a few nights lately where I had time to revisit the build but in foam instead and this has become, IMO, my best work so far. So here it is........


You will notice that I have been trying out snap fasteners (US) or poppers (UK) to join my armour pieces. They work perfectly. Its easier to snap the armour in place, they hold well and if you need to take the armour off fast you just pull at the part and off it pops. Of course the snaps don't work with all armour parts and side release buckles will still be needed for most. If you are going to try them out I suggest cutting a hole for a 3mm thick piece of plastic to fix the snaps onto as the foam is too soft to be able to snap the 2 parts together. You can see in the pics the white platforms under the snaps. For the waist I used traditional side release buckles.

Here you can see I used 3 snaps to make sure the collar aligned correctly. There is a snap at the top of the adjoining parts but didn't get it in the pic.

I still have some detailing to do on these parts but am more than happy with how this came out.

You may notice the torso is a little on the large side but I have done this because from all the builds I have seen out there the helmet always looks a little too big. I made the torso that little bit bigger to hopefully balance the helmet size out (well I know it looks right because I tried my MK V helmet on to make sure my plan worked).
I will also be pulling the rib section in a bit too but wanted to spend my time getting my pics online
Hopefully I can update you this weekend with the arms as I have started the biceps and shoulders already.

Tom.

 

[TheRabbit]

Armor looks pretty awesome all snapped together, I never would have thought to use those little snaps for holding armor together, good ingenuity!

 

[Toja]

very good!!!

 

[DBmike]

I can see I'm in for a treat when I get to your house later

 

[drack]

Armor looks pretty awesome all snapped together, I never would have thought to use those little snaps for holding armor together, good ingenuity!

Thank you Rabbit. I must confess it wasn't my idea really it was Toja's as I saw he used a couple of snaps on his shoulder pads.

very good!!!

Cheers Toja and thank you for the popper/snap fasteren idea it worked much better than I had thought for this build

I can see I'm in for a treat when I get to your house later

Yes you are but what about my suit?

 

[Hyperballistik]

Wow man that Torso looks great, are the snaps easy to attach together when putting on the armor, just out of curiosity?, I ended up using rare earth magnets to hold my pieces together because I couldn't see where the 2 parts of armor joined together when wearing parts of my armor and with the magnets they just end up joining together perfect everytime, you may want to try it out on those hard to see or reach areas, anyways I got off subject, very nice work this will be a great looking suit when you are finished

 

[Jonus]

The snaps look awesome even when they're unsnapped! They look like they're little detail rivets or something until you see them up close.

One thing I noticed while watching The Avengers was that when Tony has the mask pulled up he really looks tiny in the suit. I think you have the right idea with making the chest a little bigger. People scale it down too much to fit their figure, but you have to remember that it's supposed to be mechanical armour with moving parts underneath. It should look bigger than you.

 

[Toja]

Thanks Tom for the mention, but you perfected the technique of adding an extra plastic very successful, I had trouble getting the snap remains in place to the point of using a more powerful glue, great.
(I hope that makes sense what I meant XDDD the Vulcan language translator does not understand)

 

[drack]

Wow man that Torso looks great, are the snaps easy to attach together when putting on the armor, just out of curiosity?, I ended up using rare earth magnets to hold my pieces together because I couldn't see where the 2 parts of armor joined together when wearing parts of my armor and with the magnets they just end up joining together perfect everytime, you may want to try it out on those hard to see or reach areas, anyways I got off subject, very nice work this will be a great looking suit when you are finished

Thank you dude. Means alot coming from you as your work is outstanding. I did think about using rare earth magnets too but the snap fasteners are so cheap I opted for them. I have had no problems putting the armour on so far by myself. I was talking to BDmike today as he was round mine and I came up with a way of adding some locaters but tbh once the suit is complete I will need assistance suiting up anyway.

The snaps look awesome even when they're unsnapped! They look like they're little detail rivets or something until you see them up close.

One thing I noticed while watching The Avengers was that when Tony has the mask pulled up he really looks tiny in the suit. I think you have the right idea with making the chest a little bigger. People scale it down too much to fit their figure, but you have to remember that it's supposed to be mechanical armour with moving parts underneath. It should look bigger than you.

Yeah I thought that after I had put them all in place. I was a bit gutted having to them put armour pieces over them.

Thanks Tom for the mention, but you perfected the technique of adding an extra plastic very successful, I had trouble getting the snap remains in place to the point of using a more powerful glue, great.
(I hope that makes sense what I meant XDDD the Vulcan language translator does not understand)

I understood what you meant mate
The glue wasn't an issue but more the fact that when you tried to push the 2 armour pieces together the foam was so soft that they wouldn't snap together so I made the plastic backings to give the snaps some support.

 

[briciius]

Stop eat stop sleep and finish it !! Damn !!!!!

 

[captaincaliflour]

Update of sorts.

Here you can see I used 3 snaps to make sure the collar aligned correctly. There is a snap at the top of the adjoining parts but didn't get it in the pic.

Lovin the look of the chest. Great details too, it really looks like a blue iron man chest fresh of the manufacturing line xD keep up the good work! I also look foreward to more work on your Mk V build

 

[drack]

Thank you guys. I will be doing this build till the end of the week end, then next week the last boot for my Masterchief suit and when that's done some of my MK V. Then I will be alternating between all suits till they are done, NO more suits till then

 

[DBmike]

Yeah I thought that after I had put them all in place. I was a bit gutted having to them put armour pieces over them.

Could always glue on some rivet heads or just stamp into the foam a rivet like detail

Either way looked awesome seeing it today and wearing it was amazing!

 

[ziffa27]

Hey drack, i have just 1 word.
Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!

Update of sorts.

So guys as some of you know my armour building days started with the Ironman MK VI pep but found I wasn't so good with glassed armour and turned to foam. I have had a few nights lately where I had time to revisit the build but in foam instead and this has become, IMO, my best work so far. So here it is........


You will notice that I have been trying out snap fasteners (US) or poppers (UK) to join my armour pieces. They work perfectly. Its easier to snap the armour in place, they hold well and if you need to take the armour off fast you just pull at the part and off it pops. Of course the snaps don't work with all armour parts and side release buckles will still be needed for most. If you are going to try them out I suggest cutting a hole for a 3mm thick piece of plastic to fix the snaps onto as the foam is too soft to be able to snap the 2 parts together. You can see in the pics the white platforms under the snaps. For the waist I used traditional side release buckles.

Here you can see I used 3 snaps to make sure the collar aligned correctly. There is a snap at the top of the adjoining parts but didn't get it in the pic.

I still have some detailing to do on these parts but am more than happy with how this came out.

You may notice the torso is a little on the large side but I have done this because from all the builds I have seen out there the helmet always looks a little too big. I made the torso that little bit bigger to hopefully balance the helmet size out (well I know it looks right because I tried my MK V helmet on to make sure my plan worked).
I will also be pulling the rib section in a bit too but wanted to spend my time getting my pics online
Hopefully I can update you this weekend with the arms as I have started the biceps and shoulders already.

Tom.

 

[drack]

Quick update. I do have one of the arms built but not taking pics till I have the elbow hinges made.
Anyways hope you like.

 

[DBmike]

Now I see why you wanted to wait to show it off. Looks brilliant!