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[Kris Jasra]

I was thinking I might try for a beastmaster type of look. I don't think I've quite got the hang of it so far...

Rough concept:


Flightsuit legs started:


Adding some form of fastening:


Adding belt loops:


...I may need to work on my wrangling procedure with the mini-nexu's.

Rough concept (once I'd rescued it from underneath a grumpy little nexu who I disturbed from sleep to recover my paper):


Next up tomorrow as I have a day off work - attaching fur to things. That'll be fun. Fur = toy. Right?

[Seltas Atin]

Your little nexus are way too cute. Thank you very much for that huge smile they gave me while scrolling down your topic.
I've always been impressed by crusader armors, your concept looks quite impressive as well, and I can't wait to see more of it as I'm already digging the fur.

[Kris Jasra]

Your little nexus are way too cute. Thank you very much for that huge smile they gave me while scrolling down your topic.
I've always been impressed by crusader armors, your concept looks quite impressive as well, and I can't wait to see more of it as I'm already digging the fur.

They only appear angelic, I assure you That was my hope though, can never go wrong with cats. Some of the photos may be spot the mini-nexu, but they will be there


So. I got my supplies set up. I got the fur out...


I had to apologise for shifting him. He was sulking.


And took a bit of time away from the kama to get a rough start on the bitegaunts.


Still a fair bit to do on the kama, only the leather is actually attached, the fur was just cut to size and kind of hanging in there. Then lower leg wraps to do, and I may need to take the leg in a little, it's a bit baggier than expected at the knee.
I'll get them sorted then look at soft parts for top. Armour is waiting a while for warmer weather, metalwork and 'glass & bondo work are not so nice in this temperature.

[Reyn Vok'chi]

Looking great as usual Kris  8)

[Kris Jasra]

Not much of an update today. Percy wanted cuddles. Rabbit fur (centre) and goat skin (hiding on the right) are now firmly attached and stoat (blending in on the left) is at least in situ.


Simon thoroughly approved of his feather toy. Until the silly human servant added beads and a bit of antler and then it wasn't as fun. Wood and horn don't chew so well.


Just loosely tied together some beading so I don't lose parts, will be adding it to some proper leather braiding. Probably a good thing it's not done yet as the feathers are very well chewed. And licked. And clawed. And well... dead. Definitely dead. I bought a pack of 100 for a reason. Yes Simon, I am thinking of you, menace.

[Kris Jasra]

Not much done, being scheduled for shifts for 7 days in a row at work plus two dentist appointments does not make for a productive time. I did however pick up a few bits while I was waiting for my dental appointment.

Grabbed some material to make into a sash. Tried to pin it together just to get a rough feel for how it would look when sewn and was told in no uncertain terms that it was no longer mine.


Wrestled for my sash and managed to get that, a new belt (well, old charity shop find) and soft parts of the shin armour on while he sulked. Also dug an old pouch out that fits the Early Crusader aesthetic.



Unfortunately the sulking didn't last for long enough and my kama is a tempting target.


Good news - feels like I'm getting somewhere with this despite work. Also found an old pair of hiking boots that'll do as a good base for my foot armour and the fur covers the top nicely so that's one less thing to have to buy.
Bad news - definitely need to unpick the flightuit legs from just behind the knees and take some excess material out.

[Straka Zulu]

Ah, the joys of pet "ownership"...  This gave me a much needed laugh! 

Not brave enough to go Crusader myself, but this is looking amazing so far!

[Kol Varek]

Agh, ah, so many cats... (I can't really talk  ) looks awesome!

[Evaar'la Kal]

Loving what you've done so far, and the cats are just adorable   Also, I really like how you've styled the pauldron in your concept, looks pretty neat!

[Kris Jasra]

Thanks vode. Kol - that picture is awesome

So, I got my shoes out and Minstrel helpfully reminded me that the laces were a no go.


After a bit of work, Min kept the laces out of the way as I worked... I have the base layer over the shoes. Still have to get the actual armour on them but it was raining and I didn't feel like banishing myself to the garage to cut metal.


Hopefully get a bit more done tomorrow... *praying for dry weather*

[Kris Jasra]

Well, the 'tomorrow' mentioned above turned into a lovely winter storm with lots of wind and rain and that then turned into a week of feeling sorry for myself. Still not feeling up to doing too much, but I did get something done so I'm no longer berating myself for losing a week of kit making time.

Management and Junior Management were keeping an eye on me too and didn't seem to disapprove so the collar pauldron thing must be looking somewhat right even in it's half finished (tape ftw) state.

[Draceline]

Your mini-nexus appear to be much more helpful than my little grey sand panther/Zygerrian/sarlacc hybrid. He just lays there, sleeping on the job (literally), then yells at me when he wakes up because he wants me and him to be in a different room.

[Kris Jasra]

Your mini-nexus appear to be much more helpful than my little grey sand panther/Zygerrian/sarlacc hybrid. He just lays there, sleeping on the job (literally), then yells at me when he wakes up because he wants me and him to be in a different room.

Well, the definition of helpful depends on your point of view. The sandy coloured nexu (henceforth referred to as The Supervisor) gives good moral support and watches to make sure nothing is going wrong. The dark tabby (henceforth referred to as The Junior/Assistant Manager) watches what I am doing and the attempts to take it apart. The black and white (henceforth referred to as The Manager) occasionally saunters in, offers ineffectual help and then disappears again.

So, with The Assistant Managers help, one pauldron thing is as complete as it can go without the flightsuit and neckseal being completed.

[Reyn Vok'chi]

Very nice as ever  8)

[Kris Jasra]

Management requested a cod loin before dinner. So I dutifully went outside and cut the parts (aluminium with the bottom one steel to provide some weight so it drapes right), sanded them off and brought them in for inspection.
Junior Management looked disgusted. Apparently Management had wanted some fish for the first course of dinner...
So I'll get back to rolling the outer edges and shaping them just a touch once I finish fishing I guess.


While I was out there I also started work on armouring my shoes. Got one cut and gave it a quick shaping, since it seems to fit I'll get the other side cut and shape them up properly. Junior Management is a little confused about the lack of laces to chew on. He thinks this CRL rule is terrible - he wants his laces back!




That's all for now due to a dark cloud deciding that we really did want more water dropping on us and the wind started to pick up and I didn't fancy chasing my templates around the garden.

[Kol Varek]

On a side note, only ONE picture this whole WIP has had no cats in it..oh my. Good looking work though!

[Kris Jasra]

On a side note, only ONE picture this whole WIP has had no cats in it..oh my. Good looking work though!

Thank you. I aim to keep it at just the one! Figured if I was going to make a thread to give people a chuckle, I would go all out

[Kol Varek]

You know...I can always photoshop a cat into that one picture...

[Kris Jasra]

lol. Tempting, but no, I had to fight for that paper. Anything vaguely square and flat is considered a good bed and good beds are not to be left without at least a little clinging on and mrrrowing hopefully that this time the human doesn't reeeeally want this thing they put down 10 seconds ago.

[Kris Jasra]

Junior Management had far too much energy and was being a lovely photographic blur (can nexu get high from lacquer... he did go and give my plates a good sniff, silly boy).
Aforementioned plates are complete: damaged, weathered and attached to the leather backing. I now clatter when I move - knew there was something I'd forgotten - was meaning to get some little foam sticky things, the sort you put on doors to stop them damaging a wall.
Also got the little black fur pouch and trophy braid on the left attached. And not pictured but my second shoe now has armour cut out. Yay.



Next: shape, weather and attach the boot armour.

[Kris Jasra]

Quick, have a sneaky look at the first boot, sanded, shaped and weathered, just the attaching to go. (And do you know how hard it is to take a picture when there's a pygmy nexu hanging off the wrist strap on the camera?!)


Knees are also well underway - fibreglass/resin and filler. They've got a primer and black layer on so far. They appear to have passed their first inspection though.

The Junior Manager was impressed by the size of box that came for just one can of paint (top coat for the knees). The Manager has been enjoying using the now emptied box to lounge around and watch the ongoing work.


Next: Get the other boot to the same stage and paint the knees.

[Draceline]

Boxes make good nexu traps, don't they? They are very useful when trying to keep them away from trouble.

Mine decided I was outside for too long yesterday and started telling me off when I came back in.

[Kris Jasra]

Mine decided I was outside for too long yesterday and started telling me off when I came back in.

Oh yeah. Totally been there.
On a similar note. Look at the disgust at my invasion of his windowsill to find some light to get a good close up pic of the weathering on the boot plates.

(Waving the laces however appease all my nexu)



The Supervisor requested that I check the bottom of the fur is covering all traces of the laces and I decided to do a full kit up because I could. The ankle area was apparently satisfactory. Although he did point out that parcel tape was not an acceptable material to hold up the knees.

He also decided that once up in my arms (I really did want a pic where the shoes were visible and he wasn't shifting) instead of going for a forward dismount he would instead scale down the back of the human servant...



Next: continue working on other shoe.

[Kris Jasra]

Finished The Managers back armour but she decided she wasn't going to use it for seagull protection so I'll be adding it to the back of my shoes as heel armour. (Thanks Kitala for the spikes)



Edit:
Teaser of the upcoming chest armour. The Assistant Manager tried to cover it but I got the picture while it was only slightly out of place. Really doesn't look like a 34DD from this angle does it? Chest plate is fibreglass and resin then a rondo coat so far, the ab plates are 1.2mm aluminium.

[Maldemar]

Hmm, battlecat, must resist urge to construct actual cat-armour

Also chest armour looking really good, looking forward to seeing it complete with all the boney weathering and all that jazz, but yeah glad the random metal boobekin helped you out there