JUSTINIAN 117
Well-Known Member
I have done that before. I actually prefer to do it that way, because there is no brushing resin, and no warping. There should always be bondo, if you are trying to get a perfect product.
Crawl, Walk, Run, and Sprint!
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Jason 078
Well-Known Member
So, after a short talk with Justinian 117, I had some insights with regards to sintra/PVC foam board as a pepakura medium. We spoke via PMs and I asked his permission to post them for others to read and reference. Here they are:
Jason-549 said:
JUSTINIAN 117 said:
Jason-549 said:
JUSTINIAN 117 said:
Jason 078
Well-Known Member
Okay, I hope this isn't a necropost, but I need to make it anyway. I am beginning my build, but in a little bit of a different way... I will be pepping it out of Sintra. Well, the helmet at any rate. If this goes well, I will look at doing the other parts as well.
To begin with, I will be doing the Low Detail version of the Mark VI Armor by Robogenesis. My reasoning for doing the LD helmet is because it doesn't have any bends. All of the parts are flat. Unfortunately, trying to bend a piece of sintra requires hot water and hot water tends to not be paper friendly. However, the LD version can be modified enough to be good.
The only real modifications I plan to make to the design are the additions of a couple of details, mostly to the rear. Also, I will probably add a four-pack of LEDs to the cheek-pieces. Oh, and a two-piece gold visor.
So, not it is time to turn this:
into this:
Wish me luck, and any help you can give, I would be appreciative of.
To begin with, I will be doing the Low Detail version of the Mark VI Armor by Robogenesis. My reasoning for doing the LD helmet is because it doesn't have any bends. All of the parts are flat. Unfortunately, trying to bend a piece of sintra requires hot water and hot water tends to not be paper friendly. However, the LD version can be modified enough to be good.
The only real modifications I plan to make to the design are the additions of a couple of details, mostly to the rear. Also, I will probably add a four-pack of LEDs to the cheek-pieces. Oh, and a two-piece gold visor.
So, not it is time to turn this:
into this:
Wish me luck, and any help you can give, I would be appreciative of.
Nintendude
Well-Known Member
Let me help you with one thing on your Sintra helmet, something you may have not thought of. Build your helmet fully from pep and brush a thin coat of resin on the outside to help the paper hold it's shape for the next stage, now take your sintra, and if you have a heat gun that would be best. But a hot blow dryer will work as well to heat up the plastic. Now put the sintra on top of the pep and with the heat gun or blow dryer, heat it and I sugest using a brush to brush down the plastic to the pep to cover everything, don't apply a lot of force if you do that you'll tear the plastic. Essentially you are vacuforming over the pep without the vacuum and using a brush instead. Now once you have the plastic formed over the pep rip the paper out of the inside. You want to make sure you have a big enough sheet to cover the entire helmet with, and you don't want the sintra to be too thin otherwise you'll have problems, this is just one way to go about doing this. My brother has a industrial size vacuformer at his work which is a sign shop so I now use it over this method.
Jason 078
Well-Known Member
Nintendude, I never even thought of doing it like that, actually. You know, I think using your suggestion, I can do the high-detail model. Heck, I might be able to do the entire thing out of sintra (the whole Armor, I mean) using this method... possibly.
I have a heat gun, though I need some brushes and resin. All I have is straight bondo. Any suggestions?
As for the big enough sheet, I'll be cutting each piece separately and bending it separately over the top of the cardstock. As for the thickness, I only work in 1/8-inch. As for the big enough sheet... well, I have about 8 or 9 sheets of 2x4 foot. I think I have enough
As for vac-forming, I don't really do that. If I wanted to make and sell something (not that this is for sale), I would rather do it by hand so it looks better.
Thanks!!! Any other help is appreciated.
I have a heat gun, though I need some brushes and resin. All I have is straight bondo. Any suggestions?
As for the big enough sheet, I'll be cutting each piece separately and bending it separately over the top of the cardstock. As for the thickness, I only work in 1/8-inch. As for the big enough sheet... well, I have about 8 or 9 sheets of 2x4 foot. I think I have enough
As for vac-forming, I don't really do that. If I wanted to make and sell something (not that this is for sale), I would rather do it by hand so it looks better.
Thanks!!! Any other help is appreciated.
Nintendude
Well-Known Member
bondo you would have a lot of trouble getting it out of the plastic and you would most likely warp the paper from the heat of just the bondo. A Sheet of 2x4 might work I don't know.
Jason 078
Well-Known Member
Okay, quick little update regarding my four-step plan. It has turned into a bit of a five-step plan. I have been looking through various files and such and have found that certain items are easier to build than others and some are not so easy as I first thought. So, I have decided to adapt and overcome. I guess it just goes with the unofficial slogan of the Army: Semper Gumbi (Always Flexible).
As I said before, I will be posting these in this thread as I finish them so as not to clutter the board or use too much bandwidth. I will also be posting blogs to detail my build.
Crawl
The initial portion of this will be a set of Star Wars: The Clone Wars Mandalorian armor. The armor itself is free of heavy details and the helmet and jetpack are simple with little curvature and free of fine details. I am planning on doing the Pre Vizsla version of the armor. The helmet and jetpack will be pepakura built and fiberglassed. The armor will be made of foam with sintra used for the pistol holsters on the thighs. The weapons will be another story. The pistols will be sliced and made of 1/8-inch sintra and the darksaber will be sliced and made of 1/8-inch sintra, 1/8-inch clear acrylic, and an EL wire kit (to be fully working and lit). The soft parts will be provided by my lovely wife (who sews) and some off-the-shelf items.
Walk
The second suit that I will be doing is a set of N7 Armor from Mass Effect 2. This armor is a little more difficult and will give me some practice with the finer details. I will be pepping and fiberglassing the helmet (open-faced variety) and including the little tube thing that goes to the backplate. The armor itself will include LED and EL wire lights. The weapons will be an interesting mix, though. Rather than the standard rifle that everyone runs around with, I plan on building sliced versions of the rifle, pistol, sniper rifle, and shotgun (in the collapsed configuration) for attachment to the armor (with lights). In addition, I will be making a clear acrylic omnitool with lights (EL and LED).
Run
The third phase of the armoring project will be what this group is here for. A suit of Mark VI Mjolnir Powered Assault Armor. The helmet will again be made of fiberglassed pepakura and will include the double visor. The armor will be foam, but will include all of the necessary lights. I also plan to make several small pieces to make the armor seem more real. These include items seen in the Alessando Baldasseroni Mk IV illustration; caution stickers, equipment data plates, barcodes, etc. Also, it will include a little personalizing, such as ‘549’ on the left chest. The weapons will include a sliced rifle attached to the back plate with magnets, a pistol attached to the hip with magnets, and a turret attached to my hands with attitude. The undersuit will include foam-created details to be as game-accurate as possible (again, thanks to my seamstress wife).
Sprint
The fourth level will include turning a pep file into a foam suit. I will be doing a set of Republic Commando Armor. The helmet will be glassed pep, as usual. The rest of the suit, including the backpack, will be made of foam as much as possible. If necessary, sintra will also be used. It will include the normal lights (EL visor, backlit number on the pack, EL hand blade, etc). The weapon will be a new thing, though. It will be a pepakura file that is made from sintra (with resin inside to give it strength). It will include the necessary LEDs and magnets to attach the various parts. The undersuit will be made in an identical fashion to a normal clone undersuit with a built in RC neckseal (thanks to foam).
Extracurricular
Depending on when the files are available, I plan to make a Darth Malgus costume as soon as possible. It would include a pepped and glassed breather assembly and gauntlets. Most of the armor would likewise be made with glassed pepakura. However, some of it would be a mix of foam and sintra (such as the chest and belt). The undersuit will be sewn and foam will be used for the details. The lightsaber will be custom-made. The makeup will be done by me (except for the contacts). The awesomeness would be naturally occurring.
Now, if you will excuse me, I have to unpack the Death Watch helmet and get started.
Jason-549, out.
As I said before, I will be posting these in this thread as I finish them so as not to clutter the board or use too much bandwidth. I will also be posting blogs to detail my build.
Crawl
The initial portion of this will be a set of Star Wars: The Clone Wars Mandalorian armor. The armor itself is free of heavy details and the helmet and jetpack are simple with little curvature and free of fine details. I am planning on doing the Pre Vizsla version of the armor. The helmet and jetpack will be pepakura built and fiberglassed. The armor will be made of foam with sintra used for the pistol holsters on the thighs. The weapons will be another story. The pistols will be sliced and made of 1/8-inch sintra and the darksaber will be sliced and made of 1/8-inch sintra, 1/8-inch clear acrylic, and an EL wire kit (to be fully working and lit). The soft parts will be provided by my lovely wife (who sews) and some off-the-shelf items.
Walk
The second suit that I will be doing is a set of N7 Armor from Mass Effect 2. This armor is a little more difficult and will give me some practice with the finer details. I will be pepping and fiberglassing the helmet (open-faced variety) and including the little tube thing that goes to the backplate. The armor itself will include LED and EL wire lights. The weapons will be an interesting mix, though. Rather than the standard rifle that everyone runs around with, I plan on building sliced versions of the rifle, pistol, sniper rifle, and shotgun (in the collapsed configuration) for attachment to the armor (with lights). In addition, I will be making a clear acrylic omnitool with lights (EL and LED).
Run
The third phase of the armoring project will be what this group is here for. A suit of Mark VI Mjolnir Powered Assault Armor. The helmet will again be made of fiberglassed pepakura and will include the double visor. The armor will be foam, but will include all of the necessary lights. I also plan to make several small pieces to make the armor seem more real. These include items seen in the Alessando Baldasseroni Mk IV illustration; caution stickers, equipment data plates, barcodes, etc. Also, it will include a little personalizing, such as ‘549’ on the left chest. The weapons will include a sliced rifle attached to the back plate with magnets, a pistol attached to the hip with magnets, and a turret attached to my hands with attitude. The undersuit will include foam-created details to be as game-accurate as possible (again, thanks to my seamstress wife).
Sprint
The fourth level will include turning a pep file into a foam suit. I will be doing a set of Republic Commando Armor. The helmet will be glassed pep, as usual. The rest of the suit, including the backpack, will be made of foam as much as possible. If necessary, sintra will also be used. It will include the normal lights (EL visor, backlit number on the pack, EL hand blade, etc). The weapon will be a new thing, though. It will be a pepakura file that is made from sintra (with resin inside to give it strength). It will include the necessary LEDs and magnets to attach the various parts. The undersuit will be made in an identical fashion to a normal clone undersuit with a built in RC neckseal (thanks to foam).
Extracurricular
Depending on when the files are available, I plan to make a Darth Malgus costume as soon as possible. It would include a pepped and glassed breather assembly and gauntlets. Most of the armor would likewise be made with glassed pepakura. However, some of it would be a mix of foam and sintra (such as the chest and belt). The undersuit will be sewn and foam will be used for the details. The lightsaber will be custom-made. The makeup will be done by me (except for the contacts). The awesomeness would be naturally occurring.
Now, if you will excuse me, I have to unpack the Death Watch helmet and get started.
Jason-549, out.
Ok, after seeing your avatar picture, I decided to check out this thread. Little did I know how much talent lay within the little freaky neon military guys head. I also am a fan of both Star Wars and Halo (Chief would win). I'm loving the planning stage I've read so far and I'll be keeping an eye on it.
Good luck on your builds!
Good luck on your builds!
Jason 078
Well-Known Member
My avatar is a picture of me in BDUs that my wife photoshopped. Thanks!
As for the project, I have the helmet unfolded (I couldn't save it, though) and printed out. Now comes the fun part of cutting it all out...
I'm sorry that I can't give credit to the person that designed the helmet, but I can't find the name of who made it. If anyone can help, I (and it's designer) would appreciate it.
As for the project, I have the helmet unfolded (I couldn't save it, though) and printed out. Now comes the fun part of cutting it all out...
I'm sorry that I can't give credit to the person that designed the helmet, but I can't find the name of who made it. If anyone can help, I (and it's designer) would appreciate it.
Jason 078
Well-Known Member
Update time. This time, it is for the Darksaber, the primary weapon of Pre Vizsla.
In my processes, I am doing helmets out of pepped sintra. My armor will be done out of foam with the occasional sintra detail. Finally, my weapons will be made out of sliced sintra and acrylic.
Here is the plan for my first weapon.
Not for a little bit of what you are seeing.
The overall length of the darksaber is 48.25 inches (122.5 cm) long, 3.854 inches (9.7 cm) high, and 1.875 inches (4.7 cm) wide. I plan to slice it into 1/8 inch (0.3 cm) slices.
The blade will be made with a pair of clear acrylic sheets over the center. The center slice is 1/8-in thinner than the acrylic to provide a trench that will hold a super bright white EL wire. This wire will simulate the blade glow through the clear acrylic. To produce the dark ‘sizzle’ effect along the blade, I will paint the acrylic gloss black while using hair (in the form of a wig) to mask along the edges.
The grip part of the hilt will be hollow to hold the EL wire power pack. One side will include a pair of 7 pound magnet to hold it shut (as well as a lip along the edge to open it). This will allow the replacement of batteries and maintenance of the power pack. Though, the EL wire will be permanently installed.
Otherwise, the hilt will be painted flat black with the tabs between the grip and blade painted gunmetal or dark gray.
In my processes, I am doing helmets out of pepped sintra. My armor will be done out of foam with the occasional sintra detail. Finally, my weapons will be made out of sliced sintra and acrylic.
Here is the plan for my first weapon.
Not for a little bit of what you are seeing.
The overall length of the darksaber is 48.25 inches (122.5 cm) long, 3.854 inches (9.7 cm) high, and 1.875 inches (4.7 cm) wide. I plan to slice it into 1/8 inch (0.3 cm) slices.
The blade will be made with a pair of clear acrylic sheets over the center. The center slice is 1/8-in thinner than the acrylic to provide a trench that will hold a super bright white EL wire. This wire will simulate the blade glow through the clear acrylic. To produce the dark ‘sizzle’ effect along the blade, I will paint the acrylic gloss black while using hair (in the form of a wig) to mask along the edges.
The grip part of the hilt will be hollow to hold the EL wire power pack. One side will include a pair of 7 pound magnet to hold it shut (as well as a lip along the edge to open it). This will allow the replacement of batteries and maintenance of the power pack. Though, the EL wire will be permanently installed.
Otherwise, the hilt will be painted flat black with the tabs between the grip and blade painted gunmetal or dark gray.
JUSTINIAN 117
Well-Known Member
That sounds great. Can't wait to see it made.
Jason 078
Well-Known Member
Okay, I was able to completely slice the darksaber and prep everything for cutting. Well, almost everything. I still need to wait for the clear acrylic to show up.
<prays to the UPS gods for speedy delivery>
You might notice a couple of things from the pictures. First, the holes in the body are for the EL wire power pack. The part (the center) has an odd cut out for the wires. The smaller parts have the hole for the power pack and some holes for the magnets I plan to use to close it.
I will be building it as far as I can at the moment and then installing the acrylin when I get it finished. For now, though. I am off to do some cutting... now, to find my box knife.
<prays to the UPS gods for speedy delivery>
You might notice a couple of things from the pictures. First, the holes in the body are for the EL wire power pack. The part (the center) has an odd cut out for the wires. The smaller parts have the hole for the power pack and some holes for the magnets I plan to use to close it.
I will be building it as far as I can at the moment and then installing the acrylin when I get it finished. For now, though. I am off to do some cutting... now, to find my box knife.
Starvinartist80
Well-Known Member
Jason,
So many things going on here, and you're doing a great job with them all. I feel the need to google some of the character references. My starwars knowlege is barely at fledgling level. But what I see I really like. Can't wait to see more.
So many things going on here, and you're doing a great job with them all. I feel the need to google some of the character references. My starwars knowlege is barely at fledgling level. But what I see I really like. Can't wait to see more.
Chaotic Tinkering
New Member
Did something like this with plaster bandages. Used them as a basis for some roman armor parts. Just remember to cover your skin with vasoline.
Jason 078
Well-Known Member
Yes,
Work sucks...
Sorry about the lack of updates, but Darth Real Life has been hounding me something terrible...
thorn696
Sr Member
I feel ya My friend, Summers are hard on me at work too. We'll see ya when we see ya.
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