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[FreemanBanana]

This is going to be my first Official Mando oriented build. I'll be aiming for the Heavy Weapons Shock infantry Brigade. I'm in no rush to get this done, it's just a hobby for me. So I thought I'd set my goal and work towards it.

Head - Standard Helmet with a flip down blast shield. I've done a scratch build before, but this time I'm not doing a scratch dome. Probably use a skateboard helmet or a hard hat. I have both.
Neck - Standard collar plate with some neck armor. Plan is to cut small rectangles out of plastic and button to my baklava.
Upper Torso - Chest plates and abdomen with a regular diamond. Nothing special here.
Full shoulder - A larger than normal shoulder to cover my entire shoulder. Still working out the shaping.
Bicep - Going for enclosed biceps that slip on over my forearm.
Forearm - Gauntlets with an extended elbow to avoid elbow armor itself.
Glove - Handplate armor on the back side.
Back - Back plate with a back pack of sorts.
Groin - Cod plate, standard template.
Thigh - Enclosed thighs much like my bicep plan.
Knee - Extended shin armor, AKA shnees
Shin - Shnees is the plan. I'm going enclosed on this also. Have not thought of a comprehensive plan yet. May make the back removable or something so it is easy to slip on.
Boot - Since I will have laces, definitely going for boot armor. Probably use some surplus army boots or walmart safety boots. Both appear to work.
Backside - Butt plate, standard.



So that's the plan. I've scattered some pics around threads on here already while I've been working on some of it. So I'll just repost them here.

Starting with my thread on my backpack/shoulder cannon idea.

So I have been thinking this through for awhile. I think I have a half decent idea down!

Start with a character model, thanks to google.



Take this picture of a 'sliding hinge'.



Alright, so this is where my thinking started to come together. This should allow the cannon to move up, then rotate down in front of the user.



Add some minor details. The indented piece would be the bottom portion of the cannon that is cut away from the hinge to slide. The hinge would attach to the shoulder area and the back plate. I've also thought about putting a dowel at the bottom, possibly magnets, to lock it in the down position.

I haven't hammered out the specifics. But the idea is to mount to the back plate and have the back plate suspended with a harness under the vest. That way the weight is dispersed.



Here it is colored in.



The idea is that it will slide down and lock into the bottom of the backpack.



But then slide up, hinge/rotate forward, and then slide back towards the user.



I've been toying with the idea of a shoulder mounted cannon for awhile. Just thought I could get some input on the idea/mechanics of it. I'm still figuring out the material of choice. I'm looking for very thin wall PVC, but I may go a different route because even that is weighing more than I had previously expected.

Also, I have thought about helmet clearance quite a bit. Using my last bucket as a reference, I measure it out on my backplate and marked the general location of the bottom of the ear on my dome. It seems like there should be plenty meat left on the backplate to mount the receiving area for the cannon. Of course, in the upright position, the clearance would not be an issue.

I've also thought of adding something to the other side of the back piece to help create a more even weight distribution and uniform look. Like a spare energy reserve. Some tubes, maybe some odd ball stuff in there. Still throwing around detailed ideas. I'm just trying to work on the mechanics and core functions. To give a more to scale perspective, I was thinking of a 2-3" cannon barrel. I have yet to completely decide.

Any input is appreciated. No criticism or critique will be without a reply.

I'm using the WOL templates, large size (I'm 6'2) but I will have to do some trimming. I'm only about 175 lb, so these are sized a little wide for me.



Cut out the chest and shaped them.



Tried to resin the back side to give some stability to them.



I primed them



In the end though, I didn't like how they turned out so I scrapped them. The reinforcement wasn't quite what I wanted and I didn't shape them enough after I got the size right. So this is what I used to test my paint on.

I did try my hand at weathering in a thread.

Hey guys, just doing a couple trial pieces to see how the paint works together. If I need to sand it more before I paint, sand the primer better, see if it peels when it bends, ect. Anyway, here are some photos of one of the chest pieces painted and weathered. I learned quite a bit from it, but I would like some feedback. Feel free to edit it in paint, circle major flaws, ect.

Left is filler primer, right is painted. I used Rustoleum products. I used the toothpaste method for weathering. I will say I did not water down my black wash (acrylic paint+water) enough and it dried too fast, I was not able to remove as much as I was aiming for. So it is a little darker than I expected. Also, I did some sanding on the edges of the white and it gave the black wash something to dig into.













I think some of the weathering could stand to be improved. The major ding in the middle looks goofy to me personally. Critiques are welcomed.

I then improved my weathering technique on the other side.

An update. Did my second chest plate and tried to document it better so I could get some more opinions. It was pre primed, so I just sanded it down.



First coat of metallic silver



Second coat of metallic silver



My masking fluid of choice



Toothpaste masking



First coat of white



Second coat of white



Dried over night and time to wipe off and rinse the piece



Masking removed



Sand paper weathering in small spots



Started to black wash



Then a little more black wash. Can't see it much, but it is there around the weathering and I was happy with that.

The templates look a little goofy purely based on the fact that the dome is making it curve a little funny. But I believe this should work for my helmet dome this time around.

I went ahead and brought it home, since there was no reference to judge the size by. So here are some pictures with the 'inner surface' template from the WOL templates.







The dome doesn't appear to be much larger than my old mando helmet I have lying around. But it doesn't exactly meet up in the rear, which is an easy fix. Does it look alright from the side? Or is it too high in the rear of the dome?

Just a reference shot of some random google image


Hmmm. I tried to do some adjusting with the angle. The fitment of the paper is a bit off due to the helmet extending further than just the dome area. But does this look better?







I think after I trim the helmet down, the second adjustment would be better for the dome shape. Is that an accurate assumption?

I have quite a few more pieces cut out, trimmed, and shaped. (Cod, backplate, buttplate) I will have to get some photos. I'm working on using magnets to attach the pieces to my vest. However, I'm not sure if I prefer the magnets to snaps. It is definitely easy to attach yourself though.

I'll update this slowly, but feel free to comment.


EDIT: To avoid a double post, I found some additional photos of me brain storming the back pack piece.

This is my back plate.



I measure up the overlap of my old bucket and such, I boxed out the area where I would like the cannon to be stored at.



I think the shape is pretty good. The fitment is nice. Needs to be trimmed around the collar, but I haven't gotten a test fit pic yet, so that's something I'll get to today.



Anyways, here's the barrel material I will probably end up using. PVC pipe. Sizing up the bit I got out of the dumpster at work



I made a lighter stand in (it's brown paper bag material, I use it for masking cars when I paint them)





I took a spare box and made another cylinder to be a bit bigger than the barrel.



This is to close up the top of that box



Put the cylinder inside of the box, attached the top cover, and now it looks like a decent receiver for the barrel.







That would be in the down position. Giving myself an idea of how it looks on the back piece



I don't plan on making it out of cardboard. But this is to get the mechanical portion of it sorted out. I don't want to spend time, effort, and money using plastic and such only to run into sizing or function issues. I'm going to work on mounting the plates to the vest so I can get a better idea of where I can mount the hinge on my armor and then complete this mock up.

I do also plan on offsetting the weight and adding details and such to the other side. Possible an energy tank of sorts. It's planned to be a large beam rifle.

[Jaing Vau]

Coming along good so far! I like the idea for the shoulder mounted cannon. Definitely original the way its stored. I want to see this pulled off  8)

[FreemanBanana]

Coming along good so far! I like the idea for the shoulder mounted cannon. Definitely original the way its stored. I want to see this pulled off  8)

  Don't we all? haha

Yeah, I haven't seen a lot of shoulder cannons. And I really hope it works out. I just have no interest in carrying a large cannon around in my hands. I've been there and at cons it gets annoying for me personally. As far as the storing, it's the best thing I could think of. That way it stays put and doesn't swing around or anything. With it upright I'm hoping it will make moving around at cons easier.

If you have any ideas as to mounting or anything, let me know. I can always use some advice.

[Cin Vhe'rang]

Conceptually, the shoulder cannon sounds awesome.  I'd like to see if you're able to operate it while in armor, though- your kit will be more restricting than you think.  Maybe you could automate it, if you have some knowledge of fancy motors and such?  It would certainly make life easier, not to mention looking cool as shebs. 

[Dred Malachore]

Agreed, this looks freaking cool! The only problem I would expect is to be able to reach back to grab it

[FreemanBanana]

I plan on making the right shoulder armor quite small to give a larger range of motion. I will have to work out the handle. I think that is going to be the key point. As far as automation goes, I think that's out of the question. That would be a large servo and be quite heavy I'd imagine.

I'm working on the shoulder cannon still. I haven't been working on it as much as I hoped. I have some wicked bad allergies.

[Svik Katora]

Looks cool, make sure the mechanism is sturdy, I see much potential for bumping into things.

[FreemanBanana]

Looks cool, make sure the mechanism is sturdy, I see much potential for bumping into things.

Yes. The whole point to having the cannon rotate straight up is to avoid having a large area occupied all the time. But the downside is it goes straight up... I was just rough drafting some sizing and to make it look decent, in my mind, it needs to be about the length of my arm. Putting that from my shoulder straight up goes around 8.5'. I only have 8' ceilings in my house, so I presume there will be some running into things, even at a con. (Low lying decorations)

As for the hinging mechanism, I plan on using either thicker plastic or metal. I have plenty of scrap metal around. But like I said, I'm still trying to figure it out myself. So any suggestions are gladly accepted.

[Runi Kyramud]

Looking good vod more then I can say at least. I'm just wondering were you'll put the handle for that canon? My thoughts would be just an inch or less from the shoulder and just above your shoulder bell. That way it would give you the most movement for polling.

[FreemanBanana]

Looking good vod more then I can say at least. I'm just wondering were you'll put the handle for that canon? My thoughts would be just an inch or less from the shoulder and just above your shoulder bell. That way it would give you the most movement for polling.

Essentially, yes. That's what I was thinking. Just above the shoulder. I'm not sure on the styling of the handle though. Since it will be a goofy angle to grab it over my shoulder yet still make it look decent when it is in the 'firing' position. I should only have to extend the cannon upward about 8 inches or so. It won't be recessed very far within the backpack. At least, not according to my plan.

Unfortunately, I've been very sick with allergies or a cold or something. I haven't really had the energy to work on this after work. Hopefully this weekend will provide me with some energy and time to start working on it more. I'm trying to find something with a cool shape to use on the other side of the pack. Haven't found anything that jumps out to me as back pack worthy yet.

Also, I am going to tape together my plates and such over my flight suit and vest to see how the sizing is and get some feed back on it. I know the chest plates are too large to say the least. That's why I painted them and I'm just going to call them test pieces. I'll recut new pieces after the sizing is fixed.

So the immediate plan of action:

1. Try on pieces that are already cut out.
2. Finish working on backpack cannon mechanism.
3. Move on to more pieces.

The upper body is pretty much the only thing I'm using the templates for. I want to keep a very traditional chest and helmet so you can tell this is a Mandalorian and not possibly something else.

So look for progress shots this time tomorrow. Hoping to have time today.

Just adding this for kicks.

[Epyon Ca'tra]

Not sure if you ever played the tabletop RPG Rifts,, but the shoulder cannon reminds me of the Glitter Boy suit, so badshebs.





Looking forward to seeing what you come up with, especially on the shoulder cannon!

[FreemanBanana]

I got a fascination with mechs. So that's where the shoulder cannon is really coming from. Also, never played Rifts. I'll be working on my kit this evening actually! Bout to nerd out!

[Niabi]

Not sure if you ever played the tabletop RPG Rifts,, but the shoulder cannon reminds me of the Glitter Boy suit, so badshebs.





Looking forward to seeing what you come up with, especially on the shoulder cannon!

thats what i was thinking Man i loved my Glitter Boy suit,

[FreemanBanana]

So a googling of Glitter boy suit comes up 50/50 with awesome mech suits with shoulder cannons and pixie dust toting men.

1. RG-14 Rapid Acceleration Electromagnetic Rail Gun (1): The famous "Boom Gun" is a unique rail gun that can accelerate its flechette style rounds to a speed of Mach 2 and actually creates a sonic boom when fired. The weapon is the most powerful Pre-Rifts weapon to survive the Time of Rifts and has not yet been successfully duplicated or seen as a worthwhile item for duplication (other comparable weapons exist without the detriments of a sonic boom and shock waves to be overcome). The weapon is attached to the back and right shoulder of the armor. When not in use, the gun is flipped back and stored in a upward position. When needed for combat, the GB's operater simply reaches back, grasps the handle and pulls forward. The blast is so powerful that without the automatic stabilization system, the Glitter Boy would be thrown to the ground and knocked back 30 feet.

I do like this. I'll try and use it as I work out how this is going to work. EDIT: I did some more reading on this. The idea is the same actually! haha. Although, I assume a super advanced robot has an automated cannon deployment method. I had thought about making the cannon a rail gun. But that didn't seem Swarzy to me. I thought a large laser cannon was more in-universe than a rail gun. It also negates the need for ammo.

I've changed my mechanism idea a bit.

So I started to work on it with PVC since it essentially worked out with my cardboard/paper model I made.

First, I started with the receiver. I took a piece of PVC and cut it down the back. Heated it up. Flared it. That way when the cannon returns to the 'holster' it has an easier time getting in. Also, it should prevent some paint scraping. Probably line in the inside with something like cloth to prevent chipping too much.



Trimmed it down. Used a piece of scrap from the trash can and gave it some extra shape. To get an idea. It's just taped on for now.



Plan to close up the bottom. Used a dowel to get the cannon in there straight.



I trimmed the pipe down to 'size'. It's just rough for now.



And then I notched the pipe.



What you don't see is me trying the mechanism. The difference here is the weight of PVC vs paper/cardboard. The original idea was to have the pivot mounted to the shoulder. That really doesn't work out though. The plastic that the armor is made of will not support the cannon pivoting from there. It's too much weight. So I've changed the idea of the mechanism.

I decided to try and mount the mechanism to the bottom of the receiver like so:



This should keep the slit in the cannon to a minimum too. Essentially just a 90* opening from the rear to the bottom so the slide can be utilized.



Colored in and add some stabilizers on the shoulder.



Should still rotate the same, but hopefully the back pack provides a more stable pivot than the shoulder



And of course, return to rest fully seated



I think this should be slightly better mostly for the fact of how it's mounted. I can add straps and such under the flak vest and armor to hold the back piece snug. This will make the back piece and the collar separate too. Which I had not thought of before I started to mount it.

I think the receiver will be pipe, possibly some 2.5" or 3" if I can find something I like, with some sort of padding around it for the cannon to recess into.

None the less, the idea stays the same. But like I've said before, it's open to changes and probably will be different by the time it's functional.

[Jin'thal Ca'vallas]

I have to say I am surprised by the RIFTS references..... I did so enjoy my RIFTS campaign many moons ago, having also been a player with experience with this particular suit of power armor. Having said that, your concept is very much inspired by the Boom gun on the standard glitter boy power armor suit. A rail gun that fired 7 inch long mega damage projectile at a speed of about Mach 8 or 9 creating a sonic boom, thus the name Boom Gun. For further variations of this fine weapon see Palladium's North America book.

I will now watch this build with great interest....