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[Peregrinus]

As I said in my main armour planning thread, I'm doing a few “quick-n-dirty” pieces out of sintra, both to get used to my templates and work the bugs out, and to have something wearable sooner than it'll take to have my proper kits finished.

For this first pair, I used the WizardOfFlight templates and 1mm sintra. I used the right gauntlet template and mirrored it for the left, as a flamethrower would add more complexity than I want for these.



The right one in progress, upper and lower clamshells:

(inner)


(outer)
[came out bad, need to reshoot]
[came out bad, need to reshoot]

On the right gaunt, the upper box and side piece are the ROTJ versions:





[came out bad, need to reshoot]

...although cleaner and with different detailing/armament.

The left one is still nebulous. Might do something derivative of the Clone compad...

[Chow Yun Fett/Jarkiv Vaird]

I've got 3mm sintra.  How are you doing with the heating and folding and such?  How do you keep the lines clean?  Or is it just that much easier with 1mm sintra?  And where the heck did you find those templates?  I have no idea where to find them... 8(

[Chow Yun Fett/Jarkiv Vaird]

Oh, it's looking good, btw... 8P

[GreatSkyRiver Falco]

templates are off the home page, left side top.

is it 1mm? how is it to get the sharp creases?

not bad so far.

[Peregrinus]

They're over at the Dented Helmet. Here's a direct link to the relevent section.

There's been a little trial and error with the 1mm sintra, but I have a lot so mistakes have not been buzzkills. It's thinner and -- especially for the smaller pieces -- heats up faster under the heat gun. The corners can curl a little too easily sometimes. I made cardstock forms, taped one edge of the sintra flush to one edge of the form, heated the sintra gently until it could be pulled over to the other edge, taped it down over there, then continued to gently heat it uniformly until it relaxed into shape. Then I shocked it in the freezer.

For the outer pieces, I've learned the best way to deal with the fiddly stuff is to mark the template on the inside as I did with the helmet pieces, leave a good half-inch or so around the outside, and not cut out the insets or holes. Once I've got it so it drapes in a cylinder over the form, I cut out the holes and insets with an x-acto knife (but not for the projecting bit on the lower outer). Then, as for the inner pieces, taped down securely (including over the holes and insets) and gently heated until it relaxes into shape.

My first attempt resulted in curling egdes for the holes and insets, so...

The box pieces I grooved inside the fold lines and superglued them into position. I'm going to see how a hair-iron does to apply more targetted heating to work curved bits on them.

I'll be taking plenty more pictures, especially of the forming of the left gauntlet (I completely forgot for the right), coming next week.

--Jonah

[GreatSkyRiver Falco]

at one mm, can you just bend it like card without heat?

[Peregrinus]

Not that far, not without potentially overstressing it. And it will want to snap back the second one lets go. WIth heat, it softens enough you can manhandle it into position for the second heating. If your'e talking about the sharper creases, I didn't use heat there, but did score a groove on the inside of the fold almost all the way through, so just the PVC skin on the outside is what's bending.

--Jonah

[Kora]

For the record, my second kit was made out of 1mm and bending it (for the forms required) without heating would result in snapping. Just takes very patient heating (or in my case BWAHAHHIGHHEAT!!!11! . .. . .yeah. . .I don't recommend my method. XD)

[redkraytdragon]

Looks like you're off to a great start Jonah. Keep up the good work. I'll definitely be keeping my eye on this thread! 

[Slade Kel]

Good to see you getting into the actual production phase. That was you at DCon last year that showed me your concept art in the badge line, right? Regardless, it looks like you're doing a fantastic job here so far. I look forward to seeing these finished, and the rest of the kit as well .

[Peregrinus]

Good to see you getting into the actual production phase. That was you at DCon last year that showed me your concept art in the badge line, right? Regardless, it looks like you're doing a fantastic job here so far. I look forward to seeing these finished, and the rest of the kit as well .

'Twas I indeed, Slade. These are not for that kit that I showed you. Even though I came up with that concept first, that costume will take significantly longer to complete, so I brainstormed up a placeholder concept that I actually have grown quite fond of. I'll actually have a sketch up in the planning thread soon showing better what I'm working toward.

--Jonah

[Peregrinus]

Hokay! So. I've had a lot of other things competing for my attention this last week, but I've managed to get some things done, and am geared up for more. First up --

The side box for the right gauntlet, getting closer:


Rather than just have the tube running through the hollow housing, I decided to carry over a design cue from the ESB version of the side box by having side braces that will hold it in position:


The main pieces in position, more or less. The secondary tube needs to be cut at an angle, and both need the compression fittings on the end for the hoses to attach to, but you get the idea:


Side-by-side with the more ESB-style left gauntlet side box. I have all the greebles for that off to the side being worked on, but there's not much to see for those yet:


Some views of the right gauntlet upper box, all glued together, pilot holes for the mini-missiles drilled, and about half the edges and corners filed round:






And inside:


More cleanup coming over the next couple days...

--Jonah

[Kyran Koter]

Wow.  for quick and dirty these look great.

[Kora]

Quick is a relative term with Pere. . . .*chuckle*

Also, where the pics of the darts you were mentioning? I believe you said something about wanting those to be looked at or some such. *prod*

[Slade Kel]

'Twas I indeed, Slade. These are not fo rthat kit that I showed you. Even though I came up with that concept first, that costume will take significantly longer to complete, so I brainstormed up a placeholder concept that I actually have grown quite fond of. I'll actually have a sketch up in the planning thread soon showing better what I'm working toward.

--Jonah

Aha, I see. Well, I shall be looking for that new sketch. I'm interested to see what you've come up with.

[Peregrinus]

As I've said in my other WIP threads, I'm way overdue for updating, but have been online less and less over the last couple months, culminating with my computer dying rather spectacularly a couple weeks ago. I am back now, armed with a new power supply and hard drive. I need to see what pics I managed to upload to Photobucket before my old drive got killed, but I should be back with pics soon.

I went back and re-thunk how I was shaping things, starting with making a one-piece form instead of upper and lower half-forms. I'm going to wrap sintra almost all the way around before cutting it back to what is actually needed for the gaunts. Wasteful, yes. But can't be helped at this stage.

--Jonah

[Peregrinus]

So I let my gauntlet work languish as I was being distracted by real life and -- eventually -- more recent work on my helmet and armor and other projects. I finally recently revisited these, though. Very definitely in the middle of things, here's a partial rundown of where I am...

Right gauntlet you saw me working on previous. I'm in the midst of redoing the clamshells. Here's a shot of how the lower halves look on that form:



I have separate forms for the upper and lower halves, wrapping the cardstock all the way around to the opposite side of the half the form is for. Things like sintra and cardstock want to be flat. Even once you've curved them, the edges will still want to be flat, and tend to resist the curvature you can get the rest of the material to take. So I avoid that issue by having those edges as far from the working area as possible. In the picture above, I've already trimmed away a lot of the excess sintra, once I'd gotten it to take its shape. Next step is to trace the templates and cut the pieces.

Meanwhile, the right side box has gotten a bit closer. I printed out a picture taken of the right ROTJ gauntlet at the Magic of Myth exhibition that had a laser caliper used on it. I scaled it so the dots that were supposed to be an inch apart actually were, and checked the pipe fittings I was trying out for fit. The ones that were an exact (or almost exact, in a couple spots) are seen here:



I took that for rough comparison. I still need to do some cutting and grinding and so forth before it's ready to be painted. I got all of those pieces at my local Ace Hardware. From left to right they are:

•1/4" flare nut
•1/8" close pipe nipple
•1/8" female-to-female threaded pipe coupling
•1/4" diameter brass tubing

I also have the braided hose for the suit hookups, and 1/4" copper tubing to join the flare nut to the hose. I need to grab a flaring tool first. Thought I had one, but I don't.

I'll have pictures of my left gauntlet progress up tomorrow... *looks at clock* Sorry -- later today.

--Jonah

[Kel Toi]

Just found this wip, loving it bud. Real attention to detail and skill!

[Peregrinus]

Couple shots of the right gaunt upper power connector. Reinforcing the inside and getting ready to fit the attachment bits:





And an actual update on the left gauntlet that I'd been letting intimidate me. Here's the inner clamshell piece on the form with the alignment markings for the outer piece drawn on:



And the outer piece after being curved around the inner piece, with the template in position for tracing:



Somewhere in that mess of tape and clamps is a gauntlet-like object...:



The left lower clamshell partway through cleanup after all the layers have been glued together:



Lot of minor defects to smooth and fill, but it's off to a good start:





Hoping to keep up the pace. I like visible progress.

--Jonah

[Swift]

Looking great Jonah! I'm curious though, how did you get the curve on the shells so perfect? I'm working on my own WOF gauntlets, using PVC, and it's hard to get them so precise.

[Peregrinus]

A good form (the cardstock foms I use are okay. I'll invest more into it once I've got the sizing figured out better), a heat gun that you've had some practice with, and about three times as much sintra as you need. I mercifully didn't show all my failures. *heh* Since I use 1mm, it has a very narrow window between "not quite hot enough to form properly" and "curling, melting mess". FOr the right lower clamshell, I got it on the second try. For the left lower, I got the inner on the second and the outer on the third. For the right upper... well, I'm about to make my third attempt (there's a change in the curvature from front to back, so it needs to stretch somewhat, and it's been a nightmare getting it to form right).

In other news. I've got the reinforcing bands on the inside of the lower left clamshell and have run into a fresh problem. I don't ave forearms like Popeye, but I am fairly strong. The left gauntlet -- even with the gaps for the side closures, still is digging into my arm slightly at the elbow end. Add flight suit and such and I'm not sure I'll be able to get them closed. I'll make 'em work, but I'll be taking the WOF templates I used and re-drafting them. The gaunts are the right length, but need to have more girth at the forearm ends...

--Jonah

[Kora]

One of these days I'm going to snap and just make you use cup halves as something until you finally finish fiddling with other stuff.

[Niabi]

Nice stuff vod

[Tracyn Ordo]

That looks great so far. Keep up the good work

[Peregrinus]

Teeny update. Got the power connector glued and reinforced and ready for final hardware and painting and such.





That's a simple plastic hose splice from Ace Hardware in the back. It's quite firmly anchored in place on the inside with plumbers' epoxy putty.

Here it is lined up with the gauntlet box...



Almost the same as the last one, I know, but the edges have been sanded round, the inside's been reinforced, and that gap between top and front has been filled and ground smooth. Plus, of course, the above-mentioned hose barb.

Here's mine (bottom), made from the WoF template. From looking at the various gauntlets, it's ROTJ style. Above it is one of the IOA/redkraytdragon connectors. I'd have to ask Will, but I think he made an ESB-style one.



And while I'm at it, I got the copper tubing for the hose fittings for the side box flared:



Finished assembly, with the flare nut and a bit of brass tubing as a sleeve over the copper tubing to hold the nut in place (and add a bit more girth to snug the fitting inside the hose):



Here's a quick mock-up of how it all goes together:



I still need to cut down the threaded connector a bit more. Then I still have to paint everything. But it's a step closer...

--Jonah