Sean Anwalt's Mk V build

[PaiganBoi]

Sean Anwalt, personally I find it's not too bad. I use a finer grit paper to smooth out and not remove a lot of material.
Others who have used kwik seal may not agree with me.

 

[TurboCharizard]

Thanks, Dirtdives!

I think I've figured a better way to get those pesky gaps filled better, but I wanna run it past you guys first:

I'm using kwik seal fill in my gaps, as the mighty EVIL TED has directed, but some of my seams have *HORRENDOUSLY HUGE* gaps, like, fit a coin through them big. I've got like, 2 or 3 of them. My idea is this: can I take a card or something, lay it on the outside of the piece, fill the gap from the inside, and then remove the card and STILL have a smooth surface? Maybe let the kwik seal set for a few minutes before removing the card?

[cutaway to TurboCharizard crying in the corner]

Add material not filler, you'll thank me later, especially if you're using Kwik Seal for that method. Look at the cure time information and the maximum gap that it can fill listed for the product, those two are heavily correlated because of volume of material going into the gap if you just pour it in, some may take days to set up, it might never fully cure, who knows! It also shrinks as it does cure so you'll bowing and low spots which will draw your eye to the patch job.

Take the approach of cutting wedges, gluing them in place, sanding or trimming down excess and then gap filling on the small gaps between the wedge and the original piece. Best case scenario you can even blend the wedge into the surface with careful sanding, worst case you save a bunch of money and heartbreak on filler material by using scrap foam that you have laying around anyway.

 

[Sean Anwalt]

Thanks, TurboCharizard and I never meant to leave you crying in the corner. Your advice is always welcome.

I think that's probably a good idea using extra material. We'll see. Did you have any if this kind of problem on your build?

 

[TurboCharizard]

Thanks, TurboCharizard and I never meant to leave you crying in the corner. Your advice is always welcome.

I think that's probably a good idea using extra material. We'll see. Did you have any if this kind of problem on your build?

Not so much on the Spartan build but I definitely used it on the Soldier's Bow in my BotW Link build to bridge the gap between the 3D printed parts and the foam cladding on the top of the bow arms. For large gaps (anything greater than 5mm), definitely use this technique with floormat offcut, under that I just use strips of craft foam.

An important disclaimer here though is do not use hot glue or other adhesive that is softened by heat when adding the shim/wedge. You'll be sanding and blending it even and hot glue doesn't take that well, contact cement or CA glue is king here. For your purposes on an armour piece I'd lean toward contact cement to maintain a bit of flexibility, for a prop like my bow though it was CA and kicker which is more rigid. Experiment though! This sort of stuff is fun and there is definitely no right way of doing things.

 

[Sean Anwalt]

So I've got most of the gaps figured out, and they are mostly going ok. But now I have another question I want to pose to everybody, and I'm hoping it's not a fool question.

Is it too soon to separate the chest from the back pack if I have yet to seal any of the foam?

 

[Dirtdives2424]

Separate? why?

 

[FANGS]

Maybe they aren't getting along.

 

[Dirtdives2424]

Ok.......leave the comedy to the pros.....

but I will give it to you.....it was a little funny. Nice play on words.

 

[FANGS]

Listen pal, you're looking at the person who successfully derailed the entire 501st Legion Council on several occasions amongst other things. I am Queen of the Derailers. Don't you forget it. The only thing keeping me in line is Cadet. True story. I don't like putting him in to the situation where he has to tell me to behave, well, sometimes.

 

[Dirtdives2424]

Do you have photos of that.....that would be something......The derailng of the 501st........not.........not.......not of Cadet putting you in line......that's a totally different web-sight...

 

[FANGS]

I can provide references.

 

[TurboCharizard]

Ladies and gentlemen, can we please give Mr. Anwalt his thread back please?

 

[Dirtdives2424]

Provided they are 501st approved references......right?

 

[TurboCharizard]

Provided they are 501st approved references......right?

 

[Dirtdives2424]

Ladies and gentlemen, can we please give Mr. Anwalt his thread back please?

wow......just wow. This coming from the one who posted "Dibs on the position of CO of Fireteam Off The Rails"

 

[Schankerz]

I don’t even know who you are Turbo...I AM AGHAST

 

[FANGS]

Right? Geesh. I doesn't count when it is a thread of a Derailer.

I've asked for said references and will provide them in due course. I present to you members of the Legion Command team I was on.

 

[Dirtdives2424]

Well.......that's just all cut and dry for me now.........

 

[Sean Anwalt]

STARGATE! *woot woot*!

So, about taking the chest away from the backpack... I have some details to attend to inside the armour (installing nuclear power supply, rebreather system, etc...), and it will be easier to get access if the pieces are apart. But I don't want the thing to warp or something. Just wondering if that's going to be a problem; I've never worked in foam before.

*EDIT: FANGS, none of those posts served as an actual reference.... just saying.

 

[Dirtdives2424]

That shouldn't be a problem. I not only separated my chest from the back, I spliced in more foam to increase the depth of the whole thing. As for warping, none.Even if it does, a hit of the heat-gun can bring it back to where you need.