B1TMAP's Mark V Build - Pepped/Mixed Materials (Jorge Based).

[B1TMAP]

Thanks starvinartist80, I brought you guys photos to explain how I do things!

Here is one of the problem area's. I chopped this open with a knife.



Here is the front bill that also has a void that i've removed the paper. This one was HUGE so I was afraid as I cut away.


I have now back filled the area. I used some really hot rondo so that it would stay in place and help fix the fact that the fibreglass didn't get resin on it.


Here is how it looks on the front of the bill as well



Tomorrow I will be putting some normal bondo on top and start to sand it down.

 

[Toacrabman]

You know I kinda like your method of just completely removing a problem area, like an edge that sticks up too much, or something that cant be fixed with filler, or bondo.

 

[thorn696]

Nice fix for filling in voids, Thanks for the tip. I'm looking froward to you're next post.

 

[B1TMAP]

Here is the front void after it has dried, and with a coat of red sand-able primer. I briefly sanded it to flatten out the high points, I still need to fill it in a bit.



Rear


and a crappy [iPhone 4] Flash photo, I hate camera flashes. This shows the front, I love how it is coming together. I will be chopping the side fins off and rebuilding them with foam and cardboard. I will also likely remove a bunch of the area right around the visor to rebuild it with cardboard.

 

[Starvinartist80]

...I hate camera flashes.

There is an easy fix for your flash problems. take a small piece of tracing paper or wax paper and place it in front of the flash when you take the picture. It will defuse the light across your subject. I use the technique on all my pics.

 

[B1TMAP]

I was using my iPhone, so the flash is tiny which causes its own set of issues. I have a fairly nice flash for my Digital SLR that I can bounce off of things to get a nice well lit image minus all the ugly glare. I however don't feel that the helmet is yet at a state that would be worth using my SLR on.

Thanks for the tip though guh, i'm sitting here waiting for primer to dry wanting to be building and finishing the helmet. I literally am at a point where I wish I could be ready to make my mould. I think I will look into picking up some smooth on on monday, so I at least have it around and ready.

 

[B1TMAP]

So, the weather is becoming inclimental here, and I've realized I need to start to focus on some other parts or I will end up smashing and restarting this helmet (which would really be a waste now wouldn't it!)

Today I realized that every time I turn it upside down to start fixing and detailing the bottom I damage the smoothness of the top. So I will be finishing the top and moving to the bottom and front jaw.

I started to do just that by final sanding and spraying a metallic silver spray to the top of the head. Despite the fact that I will be using this as a master to build moulds from I want to still paint it up as practice.






I also decided to buy a key for Pep Designer, I've started re-unfolding the shin's I am going to use. I've found that I prefer to have specific types of folds for some parts, and I enjoy making big pieces with lots of folds over small fiddly bits. I have been working with Rhinoc's Jorge shin, and I have cut it down to 43 parts on 10 pages, which is down something like 3 pages?

 

[B1TMAP]

No words, running out the door on my way to work. Here's a 1000 words worth of picture.

 

[B1TMAP]

Last time I left you with just a shin piece pepped, however not fully assembled. I have since finished assembly and even completed a knee cap!

The kneecap part however is warped during resin/rondo, I may take a heat gun to fix it, however I'm considering just making a master mould sculpt out of foam, or the end piece out of EVA. If you make a knee part out of EVA it will hurt MUCH less if you ever need to go on your knee's. Much easier to pad it as well.



I reinforced the front panel of the thigh with heavy card stock (cereal box cardboard) and then sloshed resin around on the inside, It wasn't the plan, I just happened to mix up the batch a bit weird so I tossed it into the part and sloshed it around instead of painting it on.


I then painted the outside with resin, so it is completely hardened, I also was able to get the inside with a nice coat of rondo. Much quicker and easier then fibreglass, and it will be easier to sand/etc as it will be essentially bond inside and out.



On todays docket is sanding the coat of bond I got on the outside, and starting to smooth the whole part.

Question for the readers, do you guys normally just make one shin and cast them twice, or should I make both peps? The only real difference I can readily see is the placement of the light on the front panel.

 

[Iron Panda]

i feel your pain man, been doing a lot of patch up work myself

 

[B1TMAP]

this pep piece turned out awesome, and the work on it is going great, however looking at the piece, and then looking at reference pictures... It's just not close at all. I wouldn't normally care except for that the actual part is pretty freaked awesome looking. Anyone have suggestions? I'm considering just sculpting the part entirely from another material (perhaps foam blocks and or wood?)

 

[B1TMAP]

Ok, long time no posts. I went for a lil vacation. Enjoyed driving 15 hours this last week!

Here is the new reach shin, Rundown unfolded by Brandon McClain,


Reach shin by Tim Gauthier, on Flickr

 

[B1TMAP]

Hello everyone, nope I didn't disappear. Here is the resined and basic bondo covered shin.

I've fibre glassed the inside and started smoothing the shin. This is about the third coat of bondo.

From paper to bondo by Tim Gauthier, on Flickr

And then a bunch of sanding and a coat of primer later.

Spray to grey by Tim Gauthier, on Flickr

Still a couple of super minor spots to fix up but overall this part is actually pretty close to done!

Spray to grey by Tim Gauthier, on Flickr


I've been normally using rust-check primer which I love, but I grabbed some no name crap from Crappy Tire, I'm not a fan. It takes way longer to dry and comes off easily. Definitely going to have to head to Walmart and grab more of the "good" stuff. Though I'm considering buying my materials from a distributor now, in higher volumes and at a greater discounted price. When you guys build things to make a mould of, do you build 2 shin masters? Or can you just build one and then cast 2 copies?

 

[B1TMAP]

I called the local distributor of smooth-on products. going to need to wait until pay-day to buy the smooth-cast and rebound, in all about $380.00 CAD. Not bad, that'll be enough for my whole suit.

I've decided to try and just make one calf part and then double it up, doing some details after to make them different. I've also thought that I'll make a really good pull of this part in resin and use that to build a bit more detail and then pull my final mould from that. For the jorge type leg I am thinking that I will build an add-on part that I cast separately and put on after.

Anyhow, here's what I got done today (hey I took my last day of vacation seriously, and played xbox!). I took the detailed area's that are black in game, I figure that the black stuff is likely some cool composite material, so I used a rubber bed-liner spray on material to get that textured look. I also cut the primer and a bit of the bond down with an exact blade to help get a bit of a detail line when I cast it, make it easier to clean up and file the final detail line.


Paint it black by Tim Gauthier, on Flickr


you can really see the texture and detail in this shot.

Paint it black by Tim Gauthier, on Flickr