Yeah. That looks pretty good. I know what you mean about things not necessarily working right with the foam. I had my fair share of issues when I rebuilt my son's cod this last week. I wound up just using the pep cod as a template for the overall size and then I did a lot of scratch stuff. If you're unhappy with some of the way the foam joints are, you can use the 3mm craft foam sheets that you can get at Hobby Lobby or Michael's and cover those parts up with that to make it smoother.
You're chest piece is looking good though. Just out of curiosity. . . I know you said you went back to Austin for school, but why can't you do the pep work there? Is it because you're in dorms or lack of space at an apartment? Like is said. . . Just curious. Keep up the good work though.
Thanks for the comments! I think it's looking good only in the pictures though...I'm not exactly satisfied with it in real life. But then again, maybe it'll turn out good when it's finished. I'm actually familiar with the 3mm sheets. They're what I used to line my Mark VI helmet with, but I never thought of using them to smooth over the joints, so thanks for that tip. I'm really scared to do anything scratch because I'm still learning the foam technique and getting edges right is extremely difficult. I can never cut a straight angle...it always comes out choppy and uneven, even when I score it for a guideline. I've watched videos and asked 405th members about angles, and I still can't get it...
As for moving, I guess I could do pepping, but I wouldn't be able to fiberglass, resin, and bondo anything. I don't have a workshop or an area outside to work in. I mean, there is plenty of space in my apartment to do all the cutting-folding-gluing, but there is nowhere to use the respiratory-hazardous materials. I thought about the apartment's parking garage, but even then, I'd have to leave the parts out to cure, and something is bound to happen to them if I were to just leave them sitting unattended. Pepping is my preferred method, but since I can't do that, I'm doing foam as of now. On top of that, time is a huge issue. For the most part, I can only work weekends, and even then time is scarce, studying and classes and such. Despite the inability to use the toxic materials, I have found that someone else I know from my Wushu class has been interested in building armor for a long time, and he gave a non-toxic alternative suggestion using a sort of paper mache pulp. I've never heard of it before he mentioned it, and he said that someone on the 405th invented it, so I think we're gonna give it a try on Monday (since we don't have class due to Labor Day) or some weekend following. I just really wanna get most of the armor done by halloween, but I don't think that's gonna happen...