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[GardenGeek]

After almost a year being on here finally I'm starting my WIP!  Started with my initial plan.



And then started my helmet it does fit, I made it a little longer than the templates dictate, but I'm very pleased how it's started out. It has a layer of bondo on now, but will be receiving a sand and some ear caps. I had a visor tinted at a local shop, and it turned out very well. I used plastiweld to start and was let down, it ended up being far harder than the plastic on the buckets.



And plates- I work at a sign shop so I have a supply of 6mm and 3 mm sintra. I'm planning on going heavy, so I also have thighs, boot, gauntlets, neck and shnees are in the works as well. 


And my sweet backplate made by a local Merc, Tylek Ren. He took my original plan and drafted it, and fit it to my back. Connection method is Chicago screws and webbing.


Any comments or critique are appreciated Looking forward to finally putting it all together and finishing this kit   all my soft parts are done-

[Evaar'la Kal]

Concept looks cool!  It looks like you have a pretty good start on your helmet, all of the edges look really clean and nice.  Plates are looking good too!  It's a bit hard to tell because of the angle, but it looks like the lower tabs on your chest pieces may need to be bent in a little more.  And that backplate is amazing!  I can't wait to see how your kit turns out, everything looks really great so far

[corriban]

Chest plates look a bit big on you all around--may need to trim off a little bit so it fits more snug. The back plate looks incredible! And great job on the helmet

[GardenGeek]

It's a bit hard to tell because of the angle, but it looks like the lower tabs on your chest pieces may need to be bent in a little more.

Thanks after we took this picture, I did bend in the fangs some more.

Chest plates look a bit big on you all around--may need to trim off a little bit so it fits more snug. The back plate looks incredible! And great job on the helmet

Thanks for the critique- I definitely will be trimming the chest plates down now, and rebending the top I think. I took about an inch off the bottom at the last AP. The ab plate does sit height wise where it's supposed to, but I might take a bit off the sides too so it matches.

[Havelock]

I'm so excited to finally see a WIP from you.  Your kit is already looking amazing.  Great job, vod.  I can't wait to see the rest of it.  And on your design sketch, it looks like you're planning on double shoulders?  Looks great.

[Malek Dair]

Solid looking concept. I am really looking forward to seeing everything come to life, especially the buy'ce! Great job, keep it up vod!

Oya!

[mishakitty]

Once you get your soft parts on, you'll be able to see what needs to be trimmed a bit better I'd say if you can go ahead and get those done, that will definitely help with the plating arrangement.

Looking good! i REALLY love the back plate!

[GardenGeek]

I'm so excited to finally see a WIP from you.  Your kit is already looking amazing.  Great job, vod.  I can't wait to see the rest of it.  And on your design sketch, it looks like you're planning on double shoulders?  Looks great.

I'm always seeing your progress on your WIP Havelock- it's definitely inspiring me to get my shebs in gear.  Yes I am planning double shoulders, but painted different colours for interest.

 

Once you get your soft parts on, you'll be able to see what needs to be trimmed a bit better I'd say if you can go ahead and get those done, that will definitely help with the plating arrangement.

Looking good! i REALLY love the back plate!

I'm actually wearing my vest in the picture of my plates :p the bottom of the ab plate is just above my navel, and the collar plate is high enough to almost choke me. The chest plates let me move my arms together without them getting all weird. Somehow though, they still just feels too big.

[Kavryn Falco]

I think the problem is the width in the bottom half, actually.  Ladies are shaped differently than menfolk (obviously ) and it does mean that sometimes our plates need a bit of extra modification.

I think if you angle the outside of the chestplate fangs in more and (maybe) cut a bit more of the height off the belly plate, it will help a lot. Looking at your sketch, it has the plates angling in under the chest, whereas your current plates are mostly straight all the way down.

[Kris Jasra]

I'd take the height from the chest plates myself. They look to have been stretched out a bit to fit over the breast fully. This seems to be a common change as it seems to be expected that the breast sits directly under the breast plate, which it actually doesn't if one keeps to the standard proportions. This leaves the ab plate sitting much lower than normal and you end up with girth, belt and cod all squished into a tiny space. The bottom of the centre of my breastplates (not the tabs which do extend further) are actually about in line with the centre of my breast and the top of my ab is overlapping the bottom edge of my breasts.

[GardenGeek]

I'd take the height from the chest plates myself. They look to have been stretched out a bit to fit over the breast fully. This seems to be a common change as it seems to be expected that the breast sits directly under the breast plate, which it actually doesn't if one keeps to the standard proportions. This leaves the ab plate sitting much lower than normal and you end up with girth, belt and cod all squished into a tiny space. The bottom of the centre of my breastplates (not the tabs which do extend further) are actually about in line with the centre of my breast and the top of my ab is overlapping the bottom edge of my breasts.

Thanks Kris! I will definitely be keeping that in mind. Im worried that if I take off too much length, the ab plate will have to be moved up as well to keep spacing- and then I'll end up with the bottom of the ab plate far above my navel. Honestly considering just remaking my chest plates. I have no shortage of 6mm sintra.

[Ty'renn Argos]

Good work!
I'm loving your back plates!!

Keep it up!

[GardenGeek]

Recut my chest plates yesterday at the AP- I'm going to reshape them over the next few days- definitely more androgynous then last time. Im hoping to get all my plates attached to my vest this week as well. Also picked up some acrylic washes too Pics to follow


I still haven't got my chest plates- but designed some shnees and Tylek helped (read- made) them for me   this was our table mess at the sign shop where I work/where we hold our APs

[Havelock]

Nice to see some more progress.  Keep it up!

[Draceline]

I love those shnees! Are they riveted or Chicago screws?

[Malek Dair]

Great work! Those shnees look rad!

Keep it up and you'll be OM in not time flat!

Oya!

[GardenGeek]

Nice to see some more progress.  Keep it up!

Thanks Havelock! Life has been getting in the way a little bit lately, but I have a goal in mind, and I feel like I'm getting close

I love those shnees! Are they riveted or Chicago screws?

Thanks! They came out better than I could have hoped They are Chicago screwed together, and will be bondoed over on the front to hide them.  I wanted to mimic the feel of my backplate, so it didn't feel incongruous; normal plates on the front and then wicked weird backplate. I am also doing a similar shoulder pattern as well

Great work! Those shnees look rad!

Keep it up and you'll be OM in not time flat!

Oya!

That's the idea! I'd like to be OM by the end of April Oya!!

I went to the paint store yesterday and picked up some chips to get an idea of my colour spectrum- and ended up with these can't wait to get painting! I have all the paint already , but it gives me an idea for the whole kit together

[Jayrodadon]

Those shnees are rad.  I was thinking the same thing, (as we talked about before), but I was thinking one solid piece. But I must admit, those you have create a strong argument for multiple pieces.

[Da'am Keldau]

Wow! Talk about initiative! Everything looks awesome!

[Tylek Ren]

I love those shnees! Are they riveted or Chicago screws?

They are fixed schnees, we agreed that while segmented moving k ees would be amazing, it seemed a little less Star Warsy. As such, being someone who does not like to rely solely on an adhesive, I installed some countersunk chicago screws through the layers. It will be glued as well with a very light layer of bondo to fill in the minute lines.

Edit: Apparently my phone does a bad job at seeing multiple pages of posts... your question was already answered. 

[Draceline]

Edit: Apparently my phone does a bad job at seeing multiple pages of posts... your question was already answered. 

No problem at all. You gave more detail to the answer anyway, so I'm not objecting in the slightest. I like seeing how things are done. It gives me ideas.

[GardenGeek]

Edit: Apparently my phone does a bad job at seeing multiple pages of posts... your question was already answered. 

Gosh Tylek- you're late to the party :p I'm really happy with how my kit has come out so far, in a huge part because of Tylek's hard work. He's been making all the crazy stuff that's coming into my head

[Serim Merec]

Also posting in here to get updates!

I really should have been on the look out for your WIP sooner, it's coming along great! I can see that this will be a quality kit!

[GardenGeek]

Feeling like I'm getting stuff accomplished

I finally sanded down my helmet from the coat of bondo...


And then took it to work and a friend fiberglassed the inside and then I primed it again


I got some sanded it again and threw on some hollow ear caps that I carved from some scrap 3mm sintra. I wanted to be able to have some extra ventilation and be able to hear a little better. So we drilled holes through the helmet and put the vented caps over top to hide them.




After tomorrow I'll have my plates on and update with those yayyyyy. Also tomorrow is repriming my helmet and earcaps and hopefully backplate as well. Progress!

[Tenebris]

That backplate is lush, I really like the way you've taken the same shape through the shnees.