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[KaylinSilverfurr]

Howdy folks,

I wanted to post here so I could get some more feed-back during my build process. Thus far its only been building with card-stock so I can make sure I have correct sizing and placements, as well as styles that flow with everything.


I want to have an asymmetrical shoulder plan, so I've been working on getting something sorted out. I know the soft purple belt is obscuring the Ab plate on the dress form. I think on me it'll be different.


The other side.


Thigh plate, complete with knife holster. Because knives.

I still need to get my gauntlets, graces and knees together, but these are the preliminary plate placements after getting the initial sizing done. I've already got a sample of spray paint as well that I want to try out. I'll try and get some paint swatches done, see if I want to go a darker purple or not.

~Kaylin

[KaylinSilverfurr]

Still working on my plates with card-stock at the moment, but I wanted to do some colour swatching, as well as work out the battle damage techniques before hand so I wasn't going to mess up my paint-job as much when I started.


The base purple is the colour "Plum" by Molotow Artist spray paints, and the greys are various acrylic paints. I wanted to see which one would work the best as a complimentary colour, and so far the FolkArt Acrylic in "Ash" and the Americana in "Pewter" are my favourites. I'm thinking I can use the Pewter as a transitional colour from the Ash, even more so if I'm doing Mando'a script in places, or line-work.


And I of course had to swatch it against my vest, cloak and belt, just to make sure that things jive cohesively. I'm liking the look, and don't think the purple is too cool toned that it doesn't match with the cloak.


Watching and "Battle Damage" in natural light. The Silver under it is Rustoleum's Universal Metallic spray paint in "Dark Steel" with four layers, and I used simple masking fluid to help blot out areas before I went over it with a coat of Rustoleum Painter's Choice 2x in Satin Black. I'm not 100% happy with it, only because I ended up rubbing a lot of it off when I attempted to pull away the masking fluid. I'm not sure if perhaps I didn't have enough Masking fluid, or if it was because it was in pen format, or if the one layer of spray paint wasn't enough. The salt method works REALLY well on it though, so I may use a combo to get some of that nice try-gradient chipping that I love to see on people's kit. Not sold on the hairspray method just yet though...but I suppose its alright for light scratches.


After brushing the salt off.

~Kaylin

[iamspaceman]

I like your concept it's coming along well. the spacing looks good I like the asymmetrical look you have with the shoulders. paint techniques very, there's plenty to choose from. I like to use rubber cement and or toothpaste in conjunction with dry brush techniques and black washing for weathering applications. you can also go with a more natural effect and mix up some mud and toss it on your armor plating it'll give you a more organic look. Can't wait to see more progress.

[KaylinSilverfurr]

Hi Spaceman!

I'm actually looking forward to weathering, even if I do this perfect paint job, I'm actually not upset at the prospect of weathering and scuffing it up to make look worn. The more I look at the salt chipping, the more I'm starting to like it. With an added blackish, I think it'll bring out the edges even more.

As of tonight, I've started tracing my plates into 3mm sintra. Tomorrow I'll start cutting them out with the hot knife and super glue the layers in place before shaping. I'm starting to get really excited!

~Kaylin

I like your concept it's coming along well. the spacing looks good I like the asymmetrical look you have with the shoulders. paint techniques very, there's plenty to choose from. I like to use rubber cement and or toothpaste in conjunction with dry brush techniques and black washing for weathering applications. you can also go with a more natural effect and mix up some mud and toss it on your armor plating it'll give you a more organic look. Can't wait to see more progress.

[iamspaceman]

Excellent! Looking forward to seeing it. If you ever need help we are here for you. You can ask members of your clan, or others on the forum. Feel fee to pm me as well.

[KaylinSilverfurr]

Thank you.

I'm in constant contact with the members of my clan, and they've been very helpful with feedback. I've been browsing the forums too for inspiration and reading through all the tutorials.

~Kaylin

Excellent! Looking forward to seeing it. If you ever need help we are here for you. You can ask members of your clan, or others on the forum. Feel fee to pm me as well.

[trashcanmando]

Love your soft parts, commenting to follow!

[KaylinSilverfurr]

Thank you kindly Akaleh!

Love your soft parts, commenting to follow!

ALRIGHTY, I DID THINGS. MANDO THINGS. PLATES! *sighs*

Sorry. I managed to get some work done on my kit with the local Alor'ad in 30 degree weather. I admit I may have hit a wall several times, and had to punch through one of those walls with a loud application of Wardruna, but I got ALL my plates (minus my cod plate) cut out and ready for shaping.


This was after I had shaped my chest plates and knees and added bondo to smooth it out. I use primer as a way to find un-even edges where the bondo and sintra meet, so I can make sure I get as smooth a transition as possible, even before the battle damage.


Heat shaping my chest plates using the darting method with 3mm sintra.


As you can see, I use the darting method when it comes to rounding out my chest plates. I know I still have a bit more work to do, in that the wings closest to the Ab plate and the outer edges I need to shape a little better and bring them in. This photo was just after super gluing the edges together of my darts after heat shaping them to get the edges as close as I could.


Both "cups" shaped and glued at the dart edges, in comparison to my Ab plate. I know I still have to trim my ab plate so that it doesn't sit under my soft belt, but I deliberately made it long so that I could adjust it as necessary. Obviously the neck plate sets the tone for everything though.


With bondo added. I also did my knee plates in the same way with the darting, and they fit really well. This was just prior to me sanding them. While I was waiting for the bondo to set, I started cutting out the rest of my plates with a hot knife.


So... word to the wise. When using a hot tool to go through 3mm sintra, go SLOW. This was the result of my own impatience in trying to get all my plates cut out, and using the knife in such a way that it jumped and basically stabbed me in the palm...while it was on. Glad there was a first aid kit nearby, and that I'm up to date on my tetanus shot.


Bondo has been sanded and I've applied some sandable primer to help smooth the edges and transitions a little better.

A little later I got the neck plate and the Ab plate formed, though a little more work needs to be done to get them to lie a little nicer.
All in all, I'm super excited to be making progress!

~Kaylin

[KaylinSilverfurr]

Howdy folks,

So a small update, as I've done a few minor adjustments and made some progress on my build.


Pardon the mug. I was half awake. As you can see though, the plates need a little more work, mostly the chest plates. The outer edge needed to come in a bit more, which lead to me needing another dart in order to properly maintain the curve.


As you can see, my darts are getting cleaner and cleaner. Like the method described above, heat, crazy glue, and bondo. This time I used Smooth-On's Freeform Air instead of bondo though, as it works just as well.


Post sanding the Freeform Air. Now, looking at my chest plates in comparison to everything else I have going on, I figured they were kind of plain. I want to add a secondary plate on top, though I haven't figured out a style that I like, that looks appropriately futuristic.


That one.....or....


This one.

I know the first will be way easier to do, and looks more in line with the futuristic feel of many Mando kits I've seen out there. But the second one looks gnarly as hell, but will be a touch more difficult to do. So I'm really kind of torn.


I'm loving the way the arm plates are looking so far. That's on the left hand side, not the built up right side. I can hardly wait to start the other side.

~Kaylin

[trashcanmando]

Woah, looks amazing! I've never seen female trauma plates before, I'm excited about that.

In my humble opinion, perhaps a cross between the first and second would look good? Like if you kept the top going all the way to the edge but took off the bottom swoopy thing. Idk, I like asymmetrical designs and think the first looks kinda small, just my input.

Those shoulder plates look epic!

[Evaar'la Kal]

Wow, great work so far vod!  Everything looks like it's coming together quite nicely so far, and I really like your colour scheme. 

For the chest plate design, I would second the idea of something in between the two styles you made.  I definitely like the second style better, but I'd just be worried that the points that would stick off would poke your arms a lot. 

For the ab plate, it's okay if the belt overlaps it a bit just as long as it's still visible at the top.  For fitting purposes it should sit at or just above your belly button, so it does look like it will need a bit of a trim.

If you have any questions or just want a building buddy, I'm also in Wpg and am around pretty much all the time! 

[KaylinSilverfurr]

Thanks for the feedback guys! This really helps narrow down some of the thoughts I've been having!

I even at one point thought to shift the trauma plates to look like a coffin (because I'm going very goth/spooky mando apparently ), but I think I may reserve that for my paint job.

Akaleh: I'm just as excited about this too, and both you and Evaar'la are right in removing the swoopy design at the bottom. I plan on doing it on both chest plates, just so we're on the same page. The painter's tape and card stock was just to give me a rough template and guide to work with.

Now I just have to figure out patterns to go on the neck plate and ab plate.

Evaar'la: RE: Ab Plate. Yeah, I know it is too long right now. I deliberately made it that way so that I can re-size it. What you probably can't see it the pencil marking I made just a 1/8th of an inch just under the belt on the sintra to mark where I need to cut it. I think in total I might be trimming off at least a full inch from the bottom of my Ab plate. I wanted to have that flexibility rather than making a plate that might have been too short from the get go. That, and the belt is also holding the plate in place to keep it from falling off my dress form. Painter's tape might be good for no residue, but it doesn't stick very well.

~Kaylin

[Kryamla Redalur]

I love the style of your plates! Keep up the great work

[KaylinSilverfurr]

Thanks Kryamla!

I did a bit more work yesterday....and there was a set back, sadly.

So even with re-working my chest plates to try and get them to sit properly and not have the bottom wings sticking out, it still was just not happening. To boot, the diamond in the middle was also not lining up properly, and one of the edges was a little wonky, so I set about fixing that with a little bit of help from a friend.


First, I aligned the top on the diamond as best I could, then reinforced it with a small patch of 3mm sintra, then did the same to the bottom. As you can see, there is a significant gap at the bottom that I just couldn't fix before.


Next, I added bondo in order to fill in the gaps and smooth out the surface between the plates.


Once it was dry, it got sanded and smoothed, and the inside of the diamond got some attention with a hand file. I then cut down the middle using the points of the diamond as a guide to where I should be cutting, using both a hot knife and a rotary tool. The edges from those were then spot bondo-ed, and sanded.


While things were drying for my chest plate, I worked on my sabayons for my boots. Yes, they're actual combat boots. No, I didn't buy them. They were left over from my days in the military as when I turned in my gear when I was discharged, I was pretty adamant about not letting them go. Glad I didn't.


I also did some work on adding trauma plates to my knees as well. The darts were filled in with bondo, and then a coat of primer was applied just to make it feel like I was getting SOME work done....considering.....


I broke my neck plate trying to add my trauma plate to it. Lesson learned: apply trauma plates BEFORE you start shaping, because its a little more difficult to apply them afterwards, and if you have to apply them afterwards, make sure you do one side at a time.... and try not to glue your fingers to your project in the process.... because super glue. >.< I was able to win up another neck plate though pretty quickly.

Now....

I have not been 100% sold on my soft obi-style belt since I made it, but I figured to try and work with it as best I could. Until....


Now, this is something that I had made for a previous costume for a LARP character, but I do like the idea of a short style kama. I like the way it looks with just what I've got here too. So my question is, would something like this pass approval? Obviously I'd adjust the design to fit my current kit, and not add the knot work (because THAT was a pain in the rear end to add on stoned oil leather in the first place), but I do really like the look, and think it pairs well with a heavier design.

Thoughts?
~Kaylin

[Kryamla Redalur]

You can definitely do a short kama/loin cloth combination however, just make sure there's a little separation between the two, it can't really look too much like a skirt.

That one you have is beautiful but looks a bit Celtic in design so I'm not sure if it would entirely work for a mando.

I like how you did the chest armor, looks nice like that too!