RvB Tex Armor and Undersuit: ENGAGE

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grimdog14

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Hi guys!
As you can tell from my "noob" title, I am rather new to this forum, so if there's anything I should know please don't hesitate to make me aware. I also welcome suggestions and healthy criticism, please do not be afraid! I have not posted much but I have been lurking and learning the tricks of the trade as best as I can, so hopefully I don't act too stupidly.

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I've started on my Tex armor and been working on it for about three weeks now, but school is very demanding and so my project is going slowly. I have a handplate pepped, and the other is in the later stages of pepping. I've gathered the majority of the materials needed for the undersuit as well. Pictures will be posted when I am done with my handplate peps.

I'm going to be putting a great deal of focus into the undersuit, as I believe a good undersuit really makes the armor look more intricate and realistic.
Here are my ideas, please make suggestions and voice your opinions if it's not too much of a bother :)
I might use athletic clothing for the base. A long-sleeved (turtleneck?) breathable black top, as well as some athletic leggings.
These are a little more expensive than I'm looking for, but are what I have in mind. I've bought some thin leather to sew onto these in a specific pattern that I haven't determined yet, though I have a couple references I might base it off of. I also have some Model Magic (an air drying molding material that has worked fantastically for me in the past) and some closed cell foam left over from a separate costume that I'll use to pad things/ carve details into.

That's all I've got so far! I can't wait until summer when I can really dig into this
 

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looking forward to seeing this build just a recomendation when it comes to peping us hot glue to build your armor is easy to use and dries very quickly like in 12 seconds
 
I have in fact been using hot glue. I was a little worried because it's gummy and doesn't work so well with sanding, good to know that it's recommended!
 
When it comes to pepping (with cardstock), I use the brush-on superglue. I was already into EVA foam, where hot glue is a must IMO, and when I started pepping, I just figured I would stick with the myriad of glue guns I had (ranging from the cheap $5 Wal-Mart ones to my treasured Butane powered beast). It did not work for me so well. I blame that mainly on the fact that I was making High Definition items, and the tabs are way too small to be accurate with the glue gun. That and I noticed that it would sometimes create a bit of a gap due to the thickness of the glue. Also, like you stated, sanding hot glue is not a fun task whereas superglue is perfect for that.

All in all, it is a personal opinion. Use whatever works for you and remember to post pics!
 
I'll definitely experiment with superglue, it sounds like something I'd use more than hot glue for pepping. Thanks for your suggestion! Pics will be up tomorrow afternoon/night if all goes well :)
 
Messed up on a hand plate piece, and it's driving me crazy so pictures might not be posted until tomorrow when I fix it. Sorry!!
 
I promised pictures and here they are.

First pep I tried is absolutely horrendous (the one that's numbered.) It was my first ever pep and I'm definitely making a new left handplate cause this one sucks. Second one IS ALMOST DONE, and is done enough for me to feel comfortable posting a pic. I feel like it's much better than the first, but could still be improved. I had to use hot glue on these because it turned out I didn't have any superglue on hand (thought I did...) and it's definitely annoying me. As you can see it has a tendency to end up in places it shouldn't be. I got some on the outside of the pep which is driving me insane. I also realize that those holes in the second plate aren't cut out yet. I know it's a questionable method but I'm going to cut those out w/ scissors. I feel like having those in there gives the pep extra stability for the whole scoring, bending, and gluing process. If you guys have any tips for pepping, don't hesitate to let me know!

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I've got some holes in this one where a tab got torn. As I said, not finished. Also I just used my xacto knife for scoring, which made very rough lines. Any tips for making smoother scores?

Not taking a close up on the first one cause I'm remaking it because it sucks.
 

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Looks like the links are dead.
Just fyi though, if you're pepping, Elmers is the BEST glue for pep. Hands down. It has a very fast dry time, but just enough time for adjustment. It's $3 from Walmart. It doesn't stick your fingers together, and isn't in the slightest bit messy.
I pour some into a foil bowl and use a toothpick to dab a little onto the tabs assuring a full contact, and the longer its in the bowl, the tackier it gets and better to use. I think you may have an easier time with it than with superglue, or hot glue. I think they're both like using a nail to staple papers together. Sure it works but it's a little extreme.
 
Huh that's weird, they show on my computer. I'll fix it. Thanks for the advice, I've got some elmer's glue so I'll try it out.
 
Links are dead for me too... what hosting service are you using? Photobucket works best. Sounds interesting, though.
 
Yep I see them now! Looking better on the second one, the superglue seems to be making things a lot more difficult for you though.
 
Thanks!! That helped a bunch. I do agree with you now, superglue and hot glue especially seem to be harder to work with. I stuck with hot glue for my handplate and because you have to glob it on the tab without nearly as much control as is needed, it ends up leaking out or being really bulky. I will definitely try elmers when remaking my first handplate. Thanks for the video!!

Also I'm starting to consider these handplates as practice pieces and I am learning a lot as I go along, so I might end up remaking both of the handplates if my next one is better than these. :)
 
Aside from Elmers, I'd recommend Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue. It's what I use. It's cheap and available at Michaels, holds after about 10 seconds on all but the most trying folds, and sticks to skin about as well as Elmers. I've found that Elmers dries a lot slower. And as with all glues, less is more. Just use a nice thin line or small dab.
 
I use this glue too and I think it's great...besides, I pepped my entire armor with less than one bottle and half...
 
Okay guys school is back and I've been super busy. Don't follow this thread unless you are prepared to wait great amounts of time for things to get done. I also don't really have a looming date that this things needs to get done by, and I'm spending vast amounts of time being picky about stuff I make because I actually can without repercussions, and I'd like this to come out as best as it can. I apologize and hope it's not much of a bother for any of you.
 
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