WAR MACHINE! My First Build...Assistance Required Please!

[DISCL0SUR3]

Hi All,
I've been lurking for a couple of months, tossing around the idea of building a War Machine costume for this years Halloween contest. I've decided to take the plunge and have embarked on this mission armed with as much knowledge as I could gather, however, I have no doubts there will be hiccups along the way. I'm using the CASCO War Machine HD file for the helmet and Sharks Pep body armor.

So far I've invested approximately 35 hours of build time if you take into consideration that 2/3's of that was cutting out the pieces...grrr. I'm actually considering purchasing a CraftRobo moving forward as I find the meticulous cutting is very taxing. I actually developed a blister on my finger which is now swollen and numb after a 14 hour cutting marathon. I've read good things about the CraftRobo in comparison to the Cricut, would ya'll agree?

I'm attaching a couple of pics to show my progression thus far, as you can see it's still a little rough...please be easy on me as this is my first

My next question is regarding finish quality before moving on to the resining. How perfect does this paper model have to be in order to move forward? Can the incosistencies be worked out with bondo and sanding or am I better off starting from scratch and get it perfect?

Thanks in advance for all the help guys!

Vernon

 

[Darkrider9]

Nice pep work for your first build!

The CraftROBO is a great investment especially if you plan on making a full suit or more. If you are set on finishing this it is worth it to pick one up, I recommend the Silhouette SD.

Lastly, the paper model doesn't have to be perfect, almost all of the warps that come out during pepping can be fixed with bondo or possibly even with the first coat of resin if you get your supports in right. I wouldn't restart a piece due to warpage unless it was clearly noticeable, like the entire helmet is leaning far to the left, etc. You definately don't have to restart, I can't seem to find any errors in your helmet. Great work!

 

[DISCL0SUR3]

Nice pep work for your first build!

The CraftROBO is a great investment especially if you plan on making a full suit or more. If you are set on finishing this it is worth it to pick one up, I recommend the Silhouette SD.

Lastly, the paper model doesn't have to be perfect, almost all of the warps that come out during pepping can be fixed with bondo or possibly even with the first coat of resin if you get your supports in right. I wouldn't restart a piece due to warpage unless it was clearly noticeable, like the entire helmet is leaning far to the left, etc. You definately don't have to restart, I can't seem to find any errors in your helmet. Great work!

Thanks for the compliment...and for the advice. So the Silhouette SD is a CraftRobo Model? I'm definitely going to pick one up if I can find a supplier

Put in another 4 to 6 hours today, it's hard to keep track of time once you get working on this thing. I discovered a number of fundamental errors that needed to be corrected. First of all, the ear pieces were convex instead of concave making it very difficult to add the grooved piece. Must have gotten my peaks and valleys mixed up.

The second mistake I discovered was the very front of the jaw...again convex instead of concave. It also had to be reversed to add the "grill" looking thing. I'm definitely learning as I go, it's great to know that I'm not going to have to start over....although I may want to once I get my CraftRobo. Here are the final results of today's efforts...just about ready for resin I think.

 

[DISCL0SUR3]

Update!

Hey guys, just a little update. Upon finishing my first attempt at the War Machine helmet I realized it was WAYY too small so....downloaded the helmet tester and built it at a 1.04696 scale and I think I nailed it. I can barely squeeze the thing on to my head but I still have about 1-1.5" of clearance above and behind my head for padding and electronics.

I'll post a side by side comparison of the two helmets, it's almost hilarious how small the first one is, I convinced myself that somehow it would fit as I downloaded the "Larger" HD file. The truth is, I knew about half way through but developed a serious case of the "denials"

Anyhow, on to some serious building now. I've made a bunch of mistakes at the tune of about 3-4 hours each to fix that I will NEVER make again and....I ordered a Silhouette SD today which should be coming sometime next week. I'm eagerly anticipating it's arrival as you can imagine.

Here's the two helmets side by side, my first attempt on the left and the size that I actually need in a test helmet version on the right:

 

[DISCL0SUR3]

UPDATE!! Change of plans, I have decided to hold off on the War Machine and have opted instead to build a Mark IV suit. The reason for this decision is that a bunch of us have decided to go as the Avengers for Halloween this year, War Machine isn't as recognizable so....maybe next year. I'll start another thread with my new project and will post the link here. As always, comments and suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

Link to new thread: http://www.405th.com/showthread.php/32570-HD-IronMan-Mark-IV-Build-Log-Pic-Intensive!?p=536502#post536502

 

[Ironhide]

*lol*Me and my roommate want to go next year in carnival as avenger too. Well then I'm curious on your ironman creation. I will keep an eye on that.

 

[Bountyknight]

ok first off this is nice pep work dude i would love to help you build a suit or what ever you know how to find me but wow freat work (freat means freaking great)