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 New costumer

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Niliu


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New costumer
« on: Nov 06, 2020, 12:17 PM »
Hey all,

I'm a newbie to costume making, and I've always wanted Mando armor, ever since I was a kid. I figure now is as good a time as any to start, since I have likely a couple years to get it right before I'd have to opportunity to wear it in public. It all seems so daunting, and I just don't know where to start. I have an idea in my head (purple and black), but aside from that I don't know what to do.

Like, what bits do you start with. The under armor? Chest? Helmet? And how do I make them. It's all daunting and with my mental issues make it... challenging to work up the nerve to do it.

« Last Edit: Aug 27, 2022, 07:40 AM by Niliu » Logged
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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #1 on: Nov 06, 2020, 12:22 PM »
Hey all,

I'm a newbie to costume making, and I've always wanted Mando armor, ever since I was a kid. I figure now is as good a time as any to start, since I have likely a couple years to get it right before I'd have to opportunity to wear it in public. It all seems so daunting, and I just don't know where to start. I have an idea in my head (purple and black), but aside from that I don't know what to do.

Like, what bits do you start with. The under armor? Chest? Helmet? And how do I make them. It's all daunting and with my mental issues make it... challenging to work up the nerve to do it.
I'm not OM nor app team so take what I'm saying just as a personal opinion... I was super excited to begin and started with helmet and armor... Now, if I had to advice someone, I would start with the soft parts and build my way to the armor... So suit first then vest, belts etc.

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Celtkhan


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #2 on: Nov 06, 2020, 01:09 PM »
Niliu, like you I am completely new to costuming and working on my first kit.

Soft goods refers to all the non-armor pieces: flight suit, flak vest, leather goods, boots, etc. It is highly recommended that you complete, at the least, your flight suit and flak vest because that is what your armor plates will attach to and will need to be fitted to them. If you have access to a sewing machine, they’re also going to be the cheapest (most likely, anyway)  to make, and any errors you make can be fixed relatively easily. If you damage a Sintra plate during shaping, you may or may not have to toss it and start over.

However, if you really want to start with something else, you do have a few options. I decided to start with my helmet, blasters, and some macrobinocs because they can be built completely independently of the armor. For one thing, the helmet is THE most iconic part of the kit, and the one I was most excited to get started on.

Fair warning: it is also the most difficult, time-consuming, and expensive part of your kit as well. I’m building mine using the Bearded Mando’s tutorial and I’ve spent several months and quite a bit of money not just on the helmet, but the tools to build it. I justify the cost by saying I’ve been needing a riveter and soldering station anyway. And the Bondo, resin, and fiberglass will be useful on the rest of the kit anyway.

The most important thing you can do first, though, is RESEARCH. Design your kit, either on paper or in mandomaker. Watch youtube costuming tutorials. Read the CRLs. Then read them again and again. Dig through old threads. If you have questions that the preceding doesn’t answer, ask in the QnA forum.

Oh, and reach out to your local clan. Regional forums are at the bottom.

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Kurz


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #3 on: Nov 06, 2020, 01:41 PM »
So basically all the stuff the proper armor will be attached to, or put on over?
Exactly, and everything Celtkhan said. Plates and armor need to be formed on your vest that will be put on your suit. Basically u should work layer by layer, starting from the lower (flight suit) and build your way up to an eventual cape. Everything will sit on a lower level, so it doesn't make sense (and it might cost you money and time for redoing parts) to build something you are not 100% sure it will fit perfectly.

I would start with the flight suit, you can go the diy route (if you have sewing skills), coveralls, scrubs or generic matching pants and shirt (read crls to know exactly the go and no go). This will also depend on many factors like general weather in your area (if it's generally hot i'd stay away from heavier coveralls and go with scrubs and so on), if you think that using the bathroom will be an issue (better 2 pieces than 1). Then I will look for a vest (main plates attach there), DIY or bought (lots of good sellers here on the forum). Dont be afraid to think out of the box. I wanted something specific but i'm terribile at sewing, so I went with leather. After those 2 pieces I think all other items are pretty interchangeable. Of course as Celtkhan said you can also work at the same time on helmet, blaster etc. But I'd wait to have my main soft parts done, as you want to see the exact color they have before making the helmet (you might prefer a different shade once you put everyrhing toghether... lots of spray cans, not so many colors for suits)

« Last Edit: Nov 06, 2020, 01:45 PM by Kurz » Logged
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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #4 on: Nov 10, 2020, 04:20 AM »
I started with my helmet, as it was explained to me the helmet kind of "speaks to" the character and who they are.  Next I found a pair of cover-alls that I happened to own already within the color scheme I was after, then I bought my flak vest from K'raam Xrati in the continuous sales thread in the Mandalorian Supplies forum.  I'm still doing work on my helmet, but I've also picked out and ordered my weapons.  I suggest you create a checklist of all the pieces and parts you will need so you can visualize how much more you need and how far along you are.  When I finish my soft parts, which basically just needs a stop to Joann and time behind a sewing machine (which needs time), I'm going to do my armor plates, after that I'm going to do my ejection harness/belts, once I'm done there I'm going to finish off with my pilot's life support box.  Your clan Ruus'alor is a fantastic resource and I've sent countless PM's to mine while I was in the planning stage to get a better idea of what exactly the CRLs were talking about, also the forums and the WIPs of other builders, even the older ones from official members are a good place to get ideas of how the kit should come together.

Fenn Beviin


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #5 on: Nov 19, 2020, 01:18 PM »
Just bought my first item. Feels good, feels real now.

Got boots. Chelsea boots. I read the soft parts guide and it said those work well. I'll post a pic once I've got em.

Thinking of the "flight suit" part. I was looking at under armour or some form of long johns (two parts so I can still pee) but I think they might wind up being too form fitting for a 230 fatty like me. Scrubs a better pick?

The chelsea boots are a great look!

Honestly when it comes to choosing what to use for the flight suit, I never suggest using under armor or any sort of "skin hugging" material unless someone is building a kit from the animated Clone Wars TV show. Outside of that - the real fabric of scrubs, coveralls, or an actual flight suit is hard to beat and really helps to add to the overall realism of the kit. After all, all of the onscreen/live action Mandalorians aren't running around in skin tight clothing with armor placed on top. They all look more militaristic with their 'heavier duty' clothing.

Scrubs are a great choice for general comfort and ease of use when at conventions as a full, 1 piece flight suit makes life just slightly difficult when 'duty' calls lol

Also when it comes to putting ideas for a kit together, I always suggest using the Mando Maker or printing out coloring pages of Boba or Jango or finding line art to print of Mandalorians. This way you can play around with tangible ideas: color schemes, capes, accessories, and add minor tweaks to overall design, etc without having to fully build everything first.

That will also help you gauge which parts will be easier to start with - as you may end up wanting something very specific (maybe a purple flight suit) which might be hard to track down so it would be easier to collect the other parts of your overall design first without being so stressful.

Hopefully that helps!

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Fenn Beviin


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #6 on: Nov 24, 2020, 01:14 PM »
Helps a lot actually. I've decided on scrubs, gonna grab a set when I pick up my boots. I was also looking at your blasters and vibroknifes, think I may have found my weapons   :like:

Perfect and I just saw your PM. So PM inbound

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Fenn Beviin


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #7 on: Nov 26, 2020, 11:09 AM »
Ok, so I picked up my boots from Mark's, they also sell scrubs, but I ran into a problem or two I hope y'all can help with.

They were in the women's section, so I couldn't tell which were unisex and what was women only. The sizing was weird too. I'm an XL shirt, but when I tried the XL scrub top with a shirt underneath, it was very tight, showed my belly if I lifted my arms. Legs were a decent size, but then I started to wonder if I lose a bit of length when I attach armor plates to it, so was wondering if I should size up on both.

If you plan on attaching your plates with velcro you shouldn't lose any length on either the pants or the shirt. For the shirt, I would recommend probably going a size up if your stomach shows with raising your arms and you shouldnt be able to tell it's actually 2 pieces - though the chances you will be fully raising your arms up over your head isn't very high lol

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Arminius


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #8 on: Dec 02, 2020, 02:28 PM »
Quote
Lightsabers:
Lightsaber/darksaber hilts may be worn as trophies, but must be visibly damaged significantly as to appear unusable. Such trophies must be worn and mounted in such a way that it is no longer considered a functioning weapon.

No full bladed lightsaber/darksabers may be carried unless your character is portraying a canon lightsaber/darksaber wielding mando (i.e. Bardan Jusik, Kad Skirata, Pre Viszla, Rebels Season 3 Sabine, Rebels Season 4 Bo Katan).

Quoted directly from the CRL you can only use lightsabers as trophies and they must look heavily damaged so I don't recommend using that one for that unless you are willing to basically destroy it. You can make a damaged lightsaber hilt using a PVC tube and some wires.

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Kurz


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #9 on: Dec 02, 2020, 04:06 PM »
Random idea. I have a lightsaber I ordered back in 2015 from Ultrasabers. Can I use that in my costume somehow? Like a trophy from a beaten enemy?
As I know, lightsaber can be used as trophies, but they need to appear damaged. Like "hey, this is just something broken hanging from my belt, not an actual weapon".

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Tramp Graphics


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #10 on: Dec 03, 2020, 12:25 AM »
For my flight suit, I’m using a set of black military BDUs (battle dress uniform). The only mod I made was adding a flap of cloth and some Velcro to the collar to be able to close it up as an integral neck seal.

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Fenn Beviin


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #11 on: Dec 03, 2020, 02:13 PM »
Yea, I don't want to destroy my good lightsaber. PVC and wire idea sounds great though. Could be a good way to get practice with those materials/handmaking things.

You can go that route or you could hit up your local thrift stores for actual broken or second hand lightsabers. That is how I made the lightsaber trophies for my kit - bought 3 used lightsabers for maybe $8?

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Mythos Fenn Arms (A Sales Thread): https://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=174182.msg2066382#new

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Sylvilagus


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #12 on: Dec 04, 2020, 03:35 PM »
Ebay?

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Fenn Beviin


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #13 on: Dec 04, 2020, 06:36 PM »
Isn't eBay, like, super sketch?

Generally no, not when looking for second hand stuff like this. I buy and sell off of Ebay all the time and have had no issues

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Dar Harloc


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #14 on: Dec 05, 2020, 01:14 AM »
Edit: My computer didn't load more than the first 2 replies on this for some reason the 1st time, so I typed all this and then saw ALL the other responses. Boooooo. Sorry this is late to the party   :'(

I'm not OM nor app team so take what I'm saying just as a personal opinion... I was super excited to begin and started with helmet and armor... Now, if I had to advice someone, I would start with the soft parts and build my way to the armor... So suit first then vest, belts etc.

Yes and yes. The armor and guns are the exciting part, but you have to have the base layers. I'm new to Mando stuff myself, but I've done cosplay costumes before. Base comes first on the build.

Before that even: plan plan plan. Do some sketches, even if you're drawing skills suck and it's stick figures. The mando maker stuff here (http://www.zammap.com/mandomaker) can help a lot with that. When you feel confident you've looked at every part of it, then start looking at the parts you need and their costs so you can budget. Times that I didn't do that mistakes were made and decisions were changed and costs skyrocketed. This time I'm planning out what I'm using for each component of the suit and in what order I'll build it so I can price shop before I buy a single thing.  DO NOT FORGET TOOL costs: razor blades, enough of the right glue, any shears or specialty punches or whatever. This has bit me several times. This means planning HOW you'll build when you plan each stage. 3d printing? Need sanding and finishing materials as well as joining materials. PVC? Cutting tools and glue. Soft parts? Fabric, sewing materials, or knowing how much you're local seamstress will charge.
Measure twice. Cut once, spend once

« Last Edit: Dec 05, 2020, 01:19 AM by Ultramarine81 » Logged

jethroskull


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #15 on: Dec 23, 2020, 04:48 PM »
Go into Social Societies and look at what the 3D builder types are using. There is at least one group of them in there.

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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #16 on: Dec 23, 2020, 05:40 PM »
Social Society's are only available to official members or donators…
I've been waiting for my donation to go through for almost 3 weeks now so I can get access.

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jethroskull


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #17 on: Dec 23, 2020, 06:53 PM »
I didn't realize that... I knew Brigades were.

I've seen one particular printer in a lot of threads. If I can remember (or find) which one it was I'll add it here.

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jethroskull


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #18 on: Dec 23, 2020, 06:59 PM »
A lot of chatter regarding the Prusa i3 Mk2.5s and Mk3s with LA firmware upgrade. "Workhorses" they say.

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Celtkhan


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #19 on: Dec 23, 2020, 06:59 PM »
Ender and Prusa seem to be the most highly rated brands. I hope to get an Ender 5 Plus sometime next year. It’s a bit pricier than other entry-level models, but I really like that it has the printing capacity to handle an entire helmet without having to slice it into pieces.

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jethroskull


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #20 on: Dec 23, 2020, 07:37 PM »
Social Society's are only available to official members or donators…
I've been waiting for my donation to go through for almost 3 weeks now so I can get access.

Did you see this announcement regarding Supporter donations? It was posted about two weeks ago...
http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=196814.0

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Celtkhan


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #21 on: Dec 23, 2020, 08:04 PM »
There’s a lot of reviews on the internet about various printers and their features; I recommend you do a lot of research before you buy. From what I remember of my own research, the Ender 5 and Ender 5 Pro weren’t significantly better than the 3 for the price premium. I also remember reading that the 3Pro’s upgrades weren’t (generally) considered worth the cost over the Ender 3 base model.

The main reason I want the 5 Plus is the larger print volume; it’s so significantly different from the 5 and 5 Pro that it’s practically a different model.

That said, I do not currently own a 3d printer, so my opinions are purely theoretical.

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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #22 on: Dec 23, 2020, 11:53 PM »
Did you see this announcement regarding Supporter donations? It was posted about two weeks ago...
http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=196814.0

Yeah I did, and did submited a helpdesk ticket. I also sent a PM to tech team member a week ago, and they said they would follow up, so I'll just wait.
Anyways, cant wait to see some progress on this kit! Its good that your starting out with the soft parts, those are really important. Also, which bucket did you chose?     Edit: It just got applied and now my brains starting to hurt  :o

« Last Edit: Dec 24, 2020, 01:32 PM by Aratris » Logged

Tramp Graphics


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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #23 on: Jan 02, 2021, 12:11 PM »
Should I be concerned that an item I paid for on the 6th, I haven't heard a thing about since then. I did message the guy.

Not necessarily. It depends upon what the projected shipping date was. Some vendors have a backlog of five to six weeks, if not more.

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Re: New Costumer
« Reply #24 on: Jan 02, 2021, 06:01 PM »
Hey all,

I'm a newbie to costume making, and I've always wanted Mando armor, ever since I was a kid. I figure now is as good a time as any to start, since I have likely a couple years to get it right before I'd have to opportunity to wear it in public. It all seems so daunting, and I just don't know where to start. I have an idea in my head (purple and black), but aside from that I don't know what to do.

Like, what bits do you start with. The under armor? Chest? Helmet? And how do I make them. It's all daunting and with my mental issues make it... challenging to work up the nerve to do it.

Well for starter, familiarize yourself with the kinda guidelines outlined in the CRLs and such. You seem to have ideas so next thing I'd do is watch YouTube. MMCC has an amazing channel, Welding Geek is also incredibly helpful.

Harness the power of Mando Makers http://www.mandocreator.com/

And lastly, you're here now. Any help you need, support you'll find here. Just, ask, use the q/a portion, etc.

Cheers.

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