Mech/Exoskeleton Build (Full-Size )

[GMer56]

Hullo!
It's been a while since I've been online proper, as my attention has wandered away from costuming type stuff,but with the advent of Skeletonic's Suit and the Sagawa Electronics suit I decided to try my hand at it. Buying a few supplies here and there over the past few months has netted me something I'm rather proud of. My phone camera quality not so much XD.

I'm using cardboard as mock-up paneling: planning to hand-rivet some galvanized steel flashing,or if it is too heavy I'll go with corrugated plastic:


You could say I have a handle on the situation with those pauldrons:


I had a little fun and made some stencils. The head houses a webcam connected to my tablet, which will be controlled by a rod attached to a bike helmet. That white handle on the front is 3/4" PVC for scale, and that fluorescent light sits at about 6'7".


The Legs are standing off to once side, currently without paneling. The mecha stands an estimated 7'6" at the shoulder, so assembly indoors is probably going to be a no-no. I'll either have to wait till spring or shovel out my driveway rather well. Besides, naked mecha leg photos sounds too risque to post XD

The entire thing weighs probably about 10-20 lbs. I'll post more pics once I get the super secret elbow joint control rods under cloth. It was a pain in the bum to figure out a way different from Skeletonics and I'm not giving up that secret so easily.
So hopefully in the next few weeks I'll get the leg panels done, then freeze my goolies off to make a video of the completed suit.

 

[MasterSensei]

Re: Mecha suit project

A Mech!? Thats something we don't see everyday... Subbed

 

[TwinMustang]

Re: Mecha suit project

Yeah, I'm in on this goodness too.

 

[Crimmson]

GMer56 i hope you get this baby going. Do you have any renderings of the what its going to look like? That second link is much further along than the first.

 

[GMer56]

Necro post!
I can't leave this project forever on the back burner, it takes up a lot of space in my garage! I also can't store it outside because I am still on the cardboard stage. Because of some silly weather I've been iced in and my play money dried up :'(
But I just got my tax return back, so you can guess it is going towards... besides some necessary irl things.

This was the idea. Nothing fancy, just some basic covering:

A few aesthetic concepts (aw yea, madox 00 head):


But over the past month I've done a bit more research and found some lovely concept art from Bubblegum Crisis that has just the sort of chunky legs I like:

I'll be working on it tomorrow. I plan to have at least the shins completed with temp covering, if not all the way up to the hips. Connecting the two will be... difficult because the top and bottom halves were supposed to be two entirely separate suits... Plus there is the 24 hr dry time on "gorilla glue"

 

[Crimmson]

Man, you went way back with bubblegum crisis GMer56, which unit is on the bottom the unit 01 pic. do you have any other reference pics.




edit:
i know you didnt ask for this but maybe you can still use it. i made this morning it is just the
lower left leg front cover shin and foot

unit 01.obj

 

[Jason 078]

We'll have to get together at D*Con when I get my Timberwolf finished for a kick-shebs photoshoot.

 

[GMer56]

i know you didnt ask for this but maybe you can still use it. i made this morning it is just the
lower left leg front cover shin and foot

unit 01.obj

I can always use more inspiration! I'm also going to be nicking a bit from Madox 00 and 01:

But I also horde reference pics too: XD



But for the most part I'll probably end up free-forming cardboard then trace the parts onto the steel.

We'll have to get together at D*Con when I get my Timberwolf finished for a kick-shebs photoshoot.

While I would love to -and I do have a van to transport it- that's a 17 hour drive and about $225 in gas... one way. Never mind lodging and food But since this mecha is going to be cheaper than a "battlebot"... you can imagine what purposes I might put it to and potential fundraising ideas that may ensue. Probably need one of these among other things:


Update! Now it is red:

 

[Crimmson]

I can always use more inspiration! I'm also going to be nicking a bit from Madox 00 and 01:
View attachment 239499 View attachment 239500
But I also horde reference pics too: XD

View attachment 239498

But for the most part I'll probably end up free-forming cardboard then trace the parts onto the steel.



While I would love to -and I do have a van to transport it- that's a 17 hour drive and about $225 in gas... one way. Never mind lodging and food But since this mecha is going to be cheaper than a "battlebot"... you can imagine what purposes I might put it to and potential fundraising ideas that may ensue. Probably need one of these among other things:
View attachment 239497

Update! Now it is red:
View attachment 239501

glad not glad that the server derping hasnt happened only to me. glad to help and i hope you get this awesomeness done.

 

[MasterSensei]

Looking great mate!!

 

[GMer56]

Its sunny out, so I figured to take some good pics while I worked on it a bit.

1. 

Added some wheels to the stasis dock (support rack thingy) along with some nifty brakes to keep it from rolling around.


And working on the frame to support the cardboard mockup: the cardboard is currently just flopping around. Pics of that maybe after lunch.

*edit: after lunch*

Hey, how'd it get so dark? All well. Garage was bright enough to get a pic of the frame. 100 linear ft of PVC!



Got the torso on the stasis dock under a tarp just next to the driveway. If the cardboard melts in the rain it won't be too much of a setback...

 

[Crimmson]

Perfect color choice, makes me want to build one.

 

[GMer56]

You do that and I'll have to challenge you to a mecha duel of honor like megabots vs kuratas. Lol.

Thinking about a different color scheme. Perhaps a little more local, like the "Green mountain boys" uniform.

 

[Crimmson]

You do that and I'll have to challenge you to a mecha duel of honor like megabots vs kuratas. Lol.

Thinking about a different color scheme. Perhaps a little more local, like the "Green mountain boys" uniform.

View attachment 240177

Hmmm. I would if i wasnt prepping bubblegum crisis files for my daughters halloween costume. Have you seen the kotobukiya frame arms. They are insane!!!!
I also have a lot of gundam raw files if you want look at them.

edit:
GMer56, so my girls dont want bubble gum crisis halloween suits any more soooo......
what are the rules to this challenge, with the exception of time limit since i am gone for 2 weeks to work then back for one week. do i have to be able to wear it or just static? and does it have to be original design or one available.

 

[GMer56]

No pictures for this update. Had to spend a lot o time rebuilding the frame because I installed one of the PVC modules backwards, warping the entire thing. Did get some flashing an rivets tho.

 

[GMer56]

I started putting the flashing on, then realized I need a lot of 1-1/4" bolts to secure the flashing to the frame. Looks like I get to go on a trip to town this afternoon.


(Yes, I now some of the metal got folded the wrong way. Happens to the best of us)
Probably put duct tape on the pointy bits to prevent injury. Also the aluminum makes lots of fun wobbly sounds. But it seems like a step backwards after discarding the cardboard paneling. All well.

GMer56, so my girls dont want bubble gum crisis halloween suits any more soooo......
what are the rules to this challenge, with the exception of time limit since i am gone for 2 weeks to work then back for one week. do i have to be able to wear it or just static? and does it have to be original design or one available.

Honestly, the "challenge" was just me being facetious. Considering this a costume is perhaps a bit of a misnomer: its more for safe 'n cheap piloted robo-combat. So do what you like.

In other news, the local inventor's guild just gave me a $1000 scholarship and 2 months of free reign in their facilities starting in June to build this and/or a second mech! Neat! When I make my guild presentation I wonder if I'll make it to the local news?
Once I get a second one done I just need some victims-er... pilots... to mount up and fight each other. This aint gonna be a namby pamby costume that takes 20 minutes to suit up. Hop in, strap in and fightin'!


But the workshop gnome is forever watching O.O

 

[GMer56]

Update: Made some a-door-able progress.

Some warping at the top of the door. That will be fixed when I put on the door ventilation cupola. The door side panels are going to be a joy *sarcasm*

 

[GMer56]

Threw together a quick render of the final armor design. Gonna need to get some steer horns from somwhere


At a thrift store I found some *ahem* "reference material"



Planning some work on it this afternoon and maybe visit the inventor's guild to check their facilities. Will edit this post with any updates.

*edit*
Wobbled the other metal torso bit onto the frame. That makes all the large pieces done (the side bits are 12ft segments folded!)


Messy garage XD


Next: arm covering.

 

[GMer56]

Finally a nice sunny day! Time for some work:

Prepped the access door for the ventilation cupola.

In order to move it around I have to wear it. Fun!

I remembered where I put the shins and dug em out (look away victorian children, for they are naked shins!):


Got some snowboard straps at a thrift store:



Modified the shins and bolted em on. Would've tested them out and made a video but during the pre-flight check I found out I didn't glue a few bits.



Still haven't attached anything to the pelvis:



Mockup of a head design ala Madox-00. About 2 months worth of Iced tea mix.



Its a little small XD



At least I figured out how it fits together.
Would've done more, but before I started I had to clean my garage. It needed a spring cleaning anyway.

 

[MasterSensei]

Why doesnt this have enough love?