Alright, I have retired for the day.
I'll be doing from now on these daily updates, these help me too to keep track on my progress and to get more done... and if someone's interested, you can see more closely how I (n00b) work.
First - the people finished renovating the roof! That means I'll be able to work bit more from now on!
Not that much progress today.
I covered helmet in rondo.
To explain why do I like to cover the outside with rondo - that layer of rondo on the helmet smoothed it a lot! I will quickly get rid off that shiny outerlayer, but it's a lot smoother.
It'll be just easier and faster to me tto work with bondo to make it round and smooth.
Also, initially I planned leaving helmet for the end, as last part to work on. I thought should I not finish everything, it's better to not have helmet than not have a forearm, shoulder or thigh or such.
However, lately I really wanted to cover up that ugly pink AND I kind of want to finish the helmet to see the end result.
Also - I ordered fans - they should come tomorrow. First I didn't want to use fans, but now I really thought about using them as they could be very helpful. If my visor would fog - turn them on, if I'd get too hot inside - turn them on. Better to have them and not need them rather than need them and not have them.
Still - I'm very confident I'll finish the whole costume in the remaining two months (and few days more).
As for the forearm - here you can see it covered in layer of bondo with little bit of resin - I like to add even just tiny bit of resin to make the bondo more fluid so it's easier to apply and it's actually smoother.
Here you can see when I sanded just that one layer of bondo. I'm actually very happy how it looks now, just after that one layer.
It covered many edged and made it smoother.
Sure, I'll have to use more bondo but I'm happy how it looks just after that one layer.
I'm confident to say I could finish it tomorrow or day after tomorrow.
- - - Updated - - -
Thank you very much.
I know somehow using decals could be easier and faster, but I rather use stencils and paint on them. It looks them more real to me, because it looks the same as the paint and not like a sticker.
I make my templates digitally - print them out on paper, cut them out, trace on the armor part on the tape, then cut out the tape and spray the paint.
Here you can see the prepared cut out tape to paint, and then the result.
There were some imperfections, but it was very easy to fix.
Now, that's a slick visor!
Thank you.
You just take your time. That forearm is simply stunning.
When you are building such things with lots of parts, there is a tendency to get sick and tired of the monotonous sanding and finishing. The temptation is to get rougher and rush it as you get closer to the end. Just slow down and spend as much time as is needed on each individual piece to get it looking lovely. If you are looking at it thinking, "that's pretty good, but that lump is annoying me", then stick with it kid, fix that lump.
If the rest of the suit is as good if not better than that forearm, yours will be the talk of the town.
You have my attention.
SB
Thanks! I'm taking my time, as much as I can. I don't want to rush it - I'm already investing my time into this build and making something fast would feel like I just wasted my time overall. :/
Yeah. I totally agree about that it just becomes monotonous when you're sanding, filling and sanding again. That's why I prefer to work on one part at the time... Maybe two, but not more.
If I was sanding all parts, sure, there would still be progress, but I rather focus on one part to finish it - after it's finished it feels like actual progress and it's very motivation to do more.
Then I can happily move to the other part. And so on.
Doing all parts at the same time wouldn't feel so good, rather as "sanding forever".
I'm just trying to make this build as good as I can and as in-game accurate as I can especially that I'm doing Palmer cosplay. I dunno, making characters is to me more like there is more pressure to make it as believable as I can since it's a character. I will still make some personal details as Palmer's armor is very similar to what I always was having in the games, so I can just merge it, haha.
But yeah... Actually, I'm quite perfectionist when it comes to these things. Such lump would irritate me forever.
I know I could have still worked on that forearm piece and all other pieces - I could be so picky that I'd be working on one piece forever.
It isn't the point, then I would finish it, if I'd focus too much on the details.
I still see imperfections on the forearm piece, but I'm satisfied with how it looks and after I'll weather it, these imperfections won't be visible anyway.
Thank you very much, means a lot coming from you - the Iron Man master!
