War Machine Armor

[DR4296]

OK, I've got several parts from this armor pepped, resined, and now rondoed. I still have quite a bit more to go. I'm using Dubean33's files. And I've got a couple of questions.:

1) I've actually made TWO sets of the arm guns. When I'd finished pepping the first set, I realized they were too small when compared to the forearms. So, I just finished rondoing the second set. (I did cut the pepped file in half, rondoed it, and then did my best to reglue it back together. Rondoed over the seams in a rather crude way. Hoping it will look good sanded.) And I just looked... at both sets... and despite the fact that I used separate "right" and "left" gun files from Dubean33, the shapes of the guns are identical ??
I can't tell from my reference photos (the ones of the War Machine Action Figure that are posted somewhere earlier in this thread) if that's how they really are? I'm assuming "no" ??

2) I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to attach the forearm, bicep, and shoulder together. When comparing the pep files to those Action Figure photos... it looks like I'm "missing" some small circle (joint?) just underneath the shoulder? (OK, I think I can work around that, though I'm tempted to make a piece that looks like that, just for accuracy's sake.) But it also looks like the forearm is missing a circular joint piece that the bicep may connect to as well? I guess I'm toying with the idea of making that joint too... extending it off of the forearm.

But I thought I'd ask if anybody's gotten to the point of assembling / wearing the finished armor who can give me some advice on connecting the various arm pieces? (I'm kind of worried about how I'm going to "hold up" that forearm.)


Thanks!

-= Dave =-

 

[DR4296]

OK, I've got several parts from this armor pepped, resined, and now rondoed. I still have quite a bit more to go. I'm using Dubean33's files. And I've got a couple of questions.:

1) I've actually made TWO sets of the arm guns. When I'd finished pepping the first set, I realized they were too small when compared to the forearms. So, I just finished rondoing the second set. (I did cut the pepped file in half, rondoed it, and then did my best to reglue it back together. Rondoed over the seams in a rather crude way. Hoping it will look good sanded.) And I just looked... at both sets... and despite the fact that I used separate "right" and "left" gun files from Dubean33, the shapes of the guns are identical ??
I can't tell from my reference photos (the ones of the War Machine Action Figure that are posted somewhere earlier in this thread) if that's how they really are? I'm assuming "no" ??

2) I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to attach the forearm, bicep, and shoulder together. When comparing the pep files to those Action Figure photos... it looks like I'm "missing" some small circle (joint?) just underneath the shoulder? (OK, I think I can work around that, though I'm tempted to make a piece that looks like that, just for accuracy's sake.) But it also looks like the forearm is missing a circular joint piece that the bicep may connect to as well? I guess I'm toying with the idea of making that joint too... extending it off of the forearm.

But I thought I'd ask if anybody's gotten to the point of assembling / wearing the finished armor who can give me some advice on connecting the various arm pieces? (I'm kind of worried about how I'm going to "hold up" that forearm.)


Thanks!

-= Dave =-

OK, to answer my own first question.... it would seem that even though the original files are named "left" and "right", I need to figure out which one is correct and then use "invert pattern" to create the other one.

And as for #2, I have no idea how folks are getting that forearm to stay put on their arms. I may or may not build off of / extend the forearm and bicep in order to create a hinge.


-= Dave =-

 

[MartinSosaFel]

¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿NECK??????????? I need it!

 

[kaos0423]

You guys are epic.

I can't believe this stuff... I just sort of stumbled on it today and have been reading this thread for most of the day (while still working) LOL!

I can't wait to get started... however I do have a question about the sizing.

I'm 6'6" and 250lbs - needless to say my rendition of WM will be a monster!

I'm just using the viewer, and I'm assuming that because of that; I won't be able to resize the pep to fit me, correct? I need the developer software to make those kind of changes, yes?

 

[J326]

You guys are epic.

I can't believe this stuff... I just sort of stumbled on it today and have been reading this thread for most of the day (while still working) LOL!

I can't wait to get started... however I do have a question about the sizing.

I'm 6'6" and 250lbs - needless to say my rendition of WM will be a monster!

I'm just using the viewer, and I'm assuming that because of that; I won't be able to resize the pep to fit me, correct? I need the developer software to make those kind of changes, yes?

you can download Pepakura designer 3 for free and still be able to use the scale function, you just won't be able to save any changes you make, but the resize and print is really all you need from designer if you're only going to pep things

 

[ironmaided]

my progress so far...

need to harden my thigh and shin parts...and pep the shoulders and the arms....

nice pepakura file btw...

 

[Dr Kool01]

Is the Mini Gun done?

 

[DR4296]

I have a question for those who have completed their armor and have worn it already: I'm assuming you removed the "soles" on the boot-feet -- that you didn't actually resin and rondo those -- and then attached the remaining "upper parts" to whatever pair of shoes or boots that you decided to wear underneath?

 

[Lord Tofu]

hello guys i need just a little help with my warmachine suit i made the front and back plate took awhile but i did it but now i think its a bit to big

What do you guys think ? the chest cover my shoulders?

sorry if i look like i want to kill just been working on that for two weeks so if it is to big then back to the drawing board

ps don't be mean about it either its my first pep project

 

[maungas]

Hi guys.

I tried making the WM helmet for my kid. It is too big for him. His about 43 inches tall and thin.
How do I rescale it to fit him? Can someone help?

 

[J326]

Hi guys.

I tried making the WM helmet for my kid. It is too big for him. His about 43 inches tall and thin.
How do I rescale it to fit him? Can someone help?

not much info to go by for head scaling. but usually people just measure the height of the head from top to just below the chin and then add about 10-20 mm to that to account for the padding and to cover the chin when talking inside the helmet.

 

[DR4296]

Couple of questions regarding this War Machine pep-armor:

1) I recall reading somewhere where someone had made the armor hard enough so that you could actually sit down in it (without damaging the cod-piece). Has anybody here actually done that? Can you elaborate? (I've made mine with a very thin layer of bondo and then have overlaid that with a single layer of fiber cloth and resin. But I'm scared to death of the idea of trying to sit down in the thing. I'd hate to wreck a piece this close to Halloween!)

2) Is there a pep of a neck-piece somewhere? Maybe one for Iron Man that people are using for this build as well? I'm tempted just to run without it. (Will be wearing a black mock turtle neck anyways.) But I thought, if I had the time this week...and if the pep file didn't have 1000+ folds <grin!>, maybe I'd work it in.

3) Has anybody figured out...ummm.... a.... "restroom solution" for the cod-piece? I mean, I'm binding everything with 10/32 bolts, nuts, and fender washers. For some connections where it might be hard for me to put on the nuts once I'm in half the armor, I'm going to use wing-nuts. But still, it looks like some of my events coming up this weekend will be 2 hour + events. I originally was thinking I'd just take the wing nuts off the left side of the cod-piece and lower the whole thing. But now I'm thinking I need to actually attach the cod-piece to my belt, in order to hold it up. So, that'd be a few extra nuts I'd need to remove. And you know darned well that if I'd do that in the bathroom, I'd drop and lose the nuts on the floor. Perhaps some sort of hatch with velcro on it ?? An amusing problem to try to solve, I know!


Thanks very much!

 

[DR4296]

My build of this armor / these files

Well, here are a couple of quick snapshots of my build of this armor / these files.

[Note that I am well aware that my faceplate didn't turn out correct. By the time I discovered it was way too wide to actually fit at the sides on the helmet, it was really too late for me to do anything about it (that helmet pep file is a killer... took me forever to do it... had to do it TWICE because it was too small the first time). Also, yes, the abdomen doesn't exactly tuck under the chest very well. I struggle with beer-gut-itis. ]

I have some friends who are supposed to send me some better shots, including some at night. If I get them I'll post a couple of the best ones here.

I took second place in the Adult Costume division of the Independence, MO Halloween parade. At that event, I ended up having to wear this costume for four hours and walked 2+ miles! I'm happy to say that the only thing that fell off this costume during the parade was the last-minute-store-bought ammunition bandolier for the mini-gun!

Lessons I learned during this build:
1) A nice, thick layer of rondo is best for parts that won't really be moving much at all (such as the forearms / guns and the chest / back area).

2) Any parts that are going to be moving / twisting / turning are better off using fiberglass. In my case, I painted a thin layer of rondo on first, thinking that would do the trick, but I soon reinforced the top and bottom edges of the thighs and shins with a strip of fibercloth, which made them MUCH stronger.

The bottom of my left shin actually hit the ground with each step I made all weekend. If you looked at it right now, you wouldn't see any signs of damage. I backed the abdomen and cod-piece completely with fibercloth (over that thin rondo layer) and I was amazed -- I had to ride in the back of a pickup truck in this costume three times. Each time, I'd slide myself in on my butt and legs, and then out again. The butt of the codpiece just has light scratches to the paint. Talk about durable!)

3) A warning to anybody who wants to use EL tape to light up the eyes: During the day, I could see just fine through those slits. But at night, the glow from the EL tape actually bounced off the eye-slits themselves enough to make their edges glow. I couldn't see much of anything. Thankfully, my erroneous faceplate build left large gaps at the side which I could look out through.

4) I was very happy with how all connections I made with belts (as in, the type you wear with pants) and small bots/washers/nuts worked. Everything held up fine.

5) Despite the fact that I had lined the insides of the biceps and forearms with thick foam (like the kind that hard drives come packed in at my day-job), those parts kept slowly slipping down. That was a mild annoyance. If I had to do it all over again, I'd somehow rig up a belt system on those.

6) Having a "faithful squire" on the days that you wear this = priceless! My wife helped me in a huge way.... not only with helping me put on the arms and the head, but she also performed the only emergency repair we really had to make: At one point during this build, I had to resize the code-piece. I had to shorten the long strip between the front and the back. So I simply cut it in two, then overlapped the pieces and hot glued them. I then reinforced that (or tried to, at least) with bondo and fiberlgass.

However, the cod-piece fell apart on me at one point while wearing it. My wife came to the rescue with some duct tape. One long piece of duct tape was all that was needed to keep it together for many hours there-after. And, thankfully, the gray of the duct tape did blend in somewhat with the gray of my paint job. (And since most of the repair was "underneath" me, the repair wasn't very noticeable anyways.)


The comments and photo-ops from parents and kids were AMAZING !! And I think I only made one small child actually cry... and only one teenager tried to be a doofus and mess with me. I guess that's the bonus you get for making a costume of a VERY COOL character!


I'd like to thank everybody on the 405th.com forums who answered my sometimes pain-in-the-a** questions...and to Dubean33 for the pep files.... and to Ben Streeper for his rondo how-to videos! I feel like I've been through a short engineering class! You guys are terrific!

 

[carnage]

Very good Job over all I especially like the gatling gun.
I see what you mean about the face plate however. You kinda look like a War machine meets Ninja Turtle lol

 

[enri714]

incredible
that seems to you mine?

 

[DR4296]

Very good Job over all I especially like the gatling gun.
I see what you mean about the face plate however. You kinda look like a War machine meets Ninja Turtle lol

Thanks very much! That gatling gun was built from a pep found by scouring through these forums. I just decided to shrink it by about half before building it. Now if only the stupid store-bought bullets hadn't fallen-off. <sigh>

Ha! You're the second person today to point out to me the Ninja Turtle similarity! Gotta have a sense of humor when it comes to the flaws and failures! I'm something of a perfectionist, but when faced with a hard deadline, I think if I didn't switch to "humor mode", I'd go insane!

 

[SPARTAN1803]

hope this isnt a necro post being this hasnt been posted on in a month but this armor looks awesome im definetly gonna have to try the war machine variant. great work guys!

 

[Propcustomz]

Nice work. Me likey.

 

[cable]

hey mate cheers for the pep designs it worked out well, i like how the jaw comes off, it was extremely hard to fold and bend and put together some of the parts in the eye piece and front of jaw, but cheers, im having a little trouble with uploading more pics to this site

 

[alexwazz]

Here i am,my name is Alessandro and i come from Turin in Italy.
First i want to say a big THANK YOU to Dubean33 and the others pepmakers for all the great job that they've made^____^

This is my first armor that i've made of War Machine.