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[Ka'ra Pitat Woorkem]

Okay, so the idea with this is to model it slightly after the Clone Wars Arc Trooper armors.  IE, heavy plastic plate, coupled with Wraparound Kama and Collar plating, in addition to near full coverage plating.  (I'm intending the design to be a heavy assault set.) 


There is my basic design from the Mando Maker.  Silver, grey and deep green plate with brown soft bits.  For construction, I'm planning on having for volume vs durability: a semi-molded set of plate armor in a bowl, filled with foam with another plastic back for the inner surface.  That'd give the armor decent structure for it's intended design as heavy armor, as well as add structure.  I'm thinking of limiting it though to maybe 1/8th of an inch for weight.  For weapons:  Vibro-blade short sword and modded nerf guns.  (Painted with lights and lasers.)  I'll hopefully get some 'of plate' sketches up for overall design and assembly.

[Kardos Shantiel]

I like the scheme and plan for it! Look forward to seeing your progress.

[Malakier Vhett]

Sounds like a good plan. I'm interested to see how this works out. I'm actually planning on eventually making a suit modeled loosely after ARC armor. One note: though you didn't say anything about it in your weapon description, no functioning lightsabers are allowed. I mention it because you seem to have one in your picture.

[Ka'ra Pitat Woorkem]

Oh yes, I am aware of that.  I just like lightsabers.  I'll have some Illustrator style sketches laid out here shortly.  I've got armor plating templates coming out the wazoo though for this one.  LOTS of plating.  Hopefully I can find a light enough material that won't crack from medium level use.  (Running, tumbling, etc.)



Updated image to show an upgraded concept.

[Jorad Werde]

most of us use sintra (expanded cell PVC foam board) the 6mm thickness is relatively durable.  It probably won't really hold up to running jumping and rolling on the ground, but it will hold up to most trooping conditions and is light enough not to bother most people.  If you really want something that can hold up to rolling around, running and the like you'll want to go with thin guage metal (14-18 guage is the range most people go for) The higher the number, the thinner the guage.  14-18 is about 1.2-1.5mm thick and can really take a poundnig.  Depeding on how many plates you plan on having it shouldn't be TOO heavy.  If you want to go with metal but are worried about weight talk to Dresden Acacin, his kit is basically the mando equivelent of the heavy Iron Man Suit...it's...well it's impressive.

[Ka'ra Pitat Woorkem]

Is there a way to coat the Sintra in resin to make it harder?  I know that'd make it more brittle, but I'm just trying to think of different techniques.

[TrooperJasher]

thin gauge metal (14-18 guage is the range most people go for) The higher the number, the thinner the gauge.  14-18 is about 1.2-1.5mm thick and can really take a pounding. 

Actually the higher the number the thicker the metal. I personally use 22 gauge, and it is thick enough for running around in. It's also pretty easy to work with as well. Kyraam also makes great armor, and I have made around 20 pauldrons that look similar to what you have in your concept. I personally prefer working with metal over plastic, not because of realism or anything like that, I get what I want quicker and better looking with metal than I can with plastic.

Give me a shout if you need any help.

[Ka'ra Pitat Woorkem]

Well, I'm only really looking to build one suit for display and wear, so I'd really only want to have to spend the time and effort on it once, thus the durability.  But since I don't have a job, money is an issue for me, so I'd have to go cheap.  I'm working on some things currently, so I hope to have a little bit of money by the end of the year.  I will admit to having not the slightest clue on how to start working with metal over plastic, so alot of the pieces I'd have to give measurements and plans to someone else to manufacture. 

Heck, I like the slimmer profile jetpacks alot, ala Jengo's Arena style.  But I'm also planning on making my suit a 'heavy arms' specialist.  Lots of specialties like shown in my initial concepts.  Here is a list so far.

Gauntlets:
Standard issue Flame thrower.  Fire is reasonably safe to work with so long as you're not stupid, but is there a way to safely get a small flame thrower?  IE, a jet lighter? 
Braided cable wire:  I'm thinking of using this in a small pulley style pack about the size of a cigarette case.  Mount it above and behind the flame thrower on the back of the forearm.
Underside deployable dagger:  Think Assassins Creed here.  Hidden by two longer plates underneath the wrist, its 'activated' by a pull tab and a ring held in place by a small button.  The middle finger's tip armor cap would have a slight hook on the pad that'd depress the button and grab the ring.  When the wrist is moved back, thus clearing the action as it were, the blade would spring forth.  (Think sort of a spiderman action.)  Its an easy enough mechanism to figure out since it works just like the toy missiles action figures seem to be infested with nowadays.

Just think of it as a pre-cocked nerf gun action.  The ring would be the trigger pull and with a two section dagger, it'd have pleanty of reach.  Since it'd probably be made from plastic, it should be fine and not dangerous.

[Malakier Vhett]

Actually the higher the number the thicker the metal. I personally use 22 gauge, and it is thick enough for running around in. It's also pretty easy to work with as well. Kyraam also makes great armor, and I have made around 20 pauldrons that look similar to what you have in your concept. I personally prefer working with metal over plastic, not because of realism or anything like that, I get what I want quicker and better looking with metal than I can with plastic.

Give me a shout if you need any help.

Blatently wrong. 20 gauge is less then 1/2 as thick as 10 gauge. Your average sheetmetal roof edge (like you might buy at home depot) is 26 gauge, MAYBE 24 (I have also seen 28 gauge, but that's damn near foil).  I did sheetmetal work for 6 years building A/C ductwork, custom sheetmetal trim, and putting up sheetmetal siding. I have a lot of experiance with the stuff (actually why I have little interest building my own suit of steel armor. I might commission it, but I don't want to make it myself...I know exactly what a pain in the shebs it is). For armor, I wouldn't use anything thinner then 18 gauge, and 14 or 16 would be better

For referance:

[Ka'ra Pitat Woorkem]

Very informative.  I've actually been wondering about thicknesses of metal in terms of gauges.

[Kris Jasra]

I use 18 gauge and I also live in a reenactment house, while I've never tried actually fighting or rolling in my armour I can say that one of our reenactment blades barely left any dents in my gauntlets when we tried to add some weathering... As such I'd be pretty confident that it'd stand up to any type of running and rolling around.
Before that I used 6mm sintra, while I've never had anything crack (and I have fallen over at least once) I was still a lot more careful and wary while wearing it.
I'm not sure about the prices where you are, but there's not too big a difference in the UK of the price between a metal sheet and a sintra sheet of the same size, so unless you have a sign maker nearby that will give you free sintra offcuts, I'd suggest if you're really wanting durability that you look into the costs of both materials as they may be closer than you expect.

[Jorad Werde]

If you do want to go the metal rout and can't afford to buy already made metal armor...and CAN find someone to help you shape it, a good source for sheet metal is old filing cabinets, if you can find an office that is throwing one out or getting rid of one in some kind of sale a 2-4 drawer cabinet should be more than enough material to make armor (depending on how much armor you want to make)

[Ka'ra Pitat Woorkem]

Well, my armor is going to be functional as armor.  If I'm going to make it as a costume, its going to be the best I can do.  Iron skin, right?  I don't much care for the traditional 'light' armor, too flimsy, too much open area for a bolt, bullet or blade to slip through.  My style is a heavy plate armor.  Plate upon plate, upon plate in a dragonscale format, with a larger plate over it.  So I'll be needing a LOT of material.

[Dynas]

You MAY be able to run, but tumbling in armor without breaking stuff isnt going happen.

[Kris Jasra]

Well, my armor is going to be functional as armor.  If I'm going to make it as a costume, its going to be the best I can do.  Iron skin, right?  I don't much care for the traditional 'light' armor, too flimsy, too much open area for a bolt, bullet or blade to slip through.  My style is a heavy plate armor.  Plate upon plate, upon plate in a dragonscale format, with a larger plate over it.  So I'll be needing a LOT of material.

You're aiming for a frontline soldier type then? If so I'd suggest Legacy style. It's already got the overlapping plates and if you use all the traditional parts of a legacy kit then you'd not be needing that many more to take it into walking tank mode.
I've got a medium/heavy kit and a light kit in production. Both work with their backstory/role, so if you haven't already I'd suggest you also work to the strengths of extra heavy armour, such as having lots of damage, a large load out etc, rather than being a medic or scout

[Ka'ra Pitat Woorkem]

I already have five weapons in my loadout planned, and thats just the carry weapons.  I still need alot of fiddly bits for the gauntlets though...  I do have a question.  I've seen alot of different helm designs on this forum, and the two that have caught my eye are the 'lookalike' Boba style helmets with the curved cheek pieces, and the ones with the circle plates for ears.  I'm personally kind of wanting to do a mashup of physical styles.  I might just make a new helmet model to illustrate.

EDIT:  Oooooh, I just saw pictures of the Legacy styles reference.  Very nice.  And not really frontline, more like 'come in from the flank and frag them all in a few seconds' type.  XD  Would the approvers accept a mixed armor?  Modern with legacy plates?

EDIT 2:  So I'd had an idea based off of a game I love and enjoy greatly, Halo ODST.  Romeo's helm, the sniper of the group, had an interesting flip down visor I want to try and adapt to a Mando helm.  Koju Agu AKA Romeo.  What I was thinking was the range finger is good and all, but so many of them look fragile.  To my eyes, its among the most charactaristic features of a mandalorian helmet other than the customization of them, despite its fragility.  But since I'm wanting to make a walking assault tank Mando, I'd need something a little more... well substantial.  So theres my thought.  I am wanting to make it so that when its flipped down it has an LED light that goes on, as well as making it with a parascope inside it so I can see out of one eye.  Make it an actual functioning monocular.

[TrooperJasher]

Modern and legacy are the same era, you can mix and match all you want.

[Ka'ra Pitat Woorkem]

Oh, I didn't know that.  It is good to know though.  Legionair armor, here I come.

[Atin Vhekadla]

Well, I'm only really looking to build one suit for display and wear, so I'd really only want to have to spend the time and effort on it once, thus the durability.  But since I don't have a job, money is an issue for me, so I'd have to go cheap.  I'm working on some things currently, so I hope to have a little bit of money by the end of the year.  I will admit to having not the slightest clue on how to start working with metal over plastic, so alot of the pieces I'd have to give measurements and plans to someone else to manufacture. 

Heck, I like the slimmer profile jetpacks alot, ala Jengo's Arena style.  But I'm also planning on making my suit a 'heavy arms' specialist.  Lots of specialties like shown in my initial concepts.  Here is a list so far.

Gauntlets:
Standard issue Flame thrower.  Fire is reasonably safe to work with so long as you're not stupid, but is there a way to safely get a small flame thrower?  IE, a jet lighter? 
Braided cable wire:  I'm thinking of using this in a small pulley style pack about the size of a cigarette case.  Mount it above and behind the flame thrower on the back of the forearm.
Underside deployable dagger:  Think Assassins Creed here.  Hidden by two longer plates underneath the wrist, its 'activated' by a pull tab and a ring held in place by a small button.  The middle finger's tip armor cap would have a slight hook on the pad that'd depress the button and grab the ring.  When the wrist is moved back, thus clearing the action as it were, the blade would spring forth.  (Think sort of a spiderman action.)  Its an easy enough mechanism to figure out since it works just like the toy missiles action figures seem to be infested with nowadays.

Just think of it as a pre-cocked nerf gun action.  The ring would be the trigger pull and with a two section dagger, it'd have pleanty of reach.  Since it'd probably be made from plastic, it should be fine and not dangerous.

Unfortunately, you won't be able to do an Assassin's Creed blade. All canon references are either knuckle plate blades or blades mounted on top of the gauntlets. I wanted to do the same thing and was told it would look too much like an Assassin's Creed crossover. Also, the blade has to be manual or gravity driven. Spring loaded weapons are not allowed. Also, if you were planning on having a functional flamethrower, that also would not be allowed.

[Ka'ra Pitat Woorkem]

Well, darn to the flame thrower and blade.  Oh well, I was wondering how in the world I was going to make them anyway.  XD  Oh well, good to know ahead of time.

[Ka'ra Pitat Woorkem]

Okay, so I had a few 'joke' ideas for the jetpack backpack, and I wanted to gauge the general reaction for it.  For a standard jetpack, we have three tubes connected by a formed box essentially.  Pretty easy for prop makers to use.  The ideas I had involved enlarging the center tube's circumference, making it hollow with a screw off cone cap, and putting in a small removable thermos. 

The other idea I had, was to do more or less the same with the two outer tubes, only put a small button press spigot above the ball nozzles, which would be hollow, for a drink dispensor.  The thruster nozzles would just be there for show.  I figure since we'll probably be out there in the hot sun sometimes for hours, having a chilled drink handy would be well... handy. 

[Atin Vhekadla]

That would be pretty hilarious haha. I say go for it!

[Ka'ra Pitat Woorkem]

For my reference.  And I hope these are the correct translations.  I got them from the Karin Travis Dictionary, so hopefully they work.  Also, theres no real word for Revolution in the Mando'a dictionary.
     Quotes: 
Child of Honor:  Ade Be Ijaat
Hope for a better future:  Vercopaanir jate'shya vencuyot.

(This one will be on the sen'tra.)  History is like an endless Waltz.  The three drumbeats of War, Peace, Revolution continue on forever.  : Ruyot as kyr redalur.  Ehn brokar akaan, naak, joruur jurir kotir, taabir akay nakar'tuur.  (Literal:  History like end dance.  Three beats of war, peace, to gather and bear arms to defeat/overpower, marches until the unknown day.

Light enemy up:  Nau aru'e 'ur  (Attack.) 
Boring:  mirshepar'la  (Brain devouring.) 
Peace of mind: mirjahaal

Okay, so I had a question about painting order.  I'm looking to make my armor weather normally, but start pristine. What would be the order?  Primer, base silver coat, sealer, then clear primer, color 1, color 2 w/ stencil, then sealer?

[Atin Vhekadla]

Okay, so I had a question about painting order.  I'm looking to make my armor weather normally, but start pristine. What would be the order?  Primer, base silver coat, sealer, then clear primer, color 1, color 2 w/ stencil, then sealer?

Yes. And repeat each step a couple of times. You only need one layer of primer, then do a silver followed by a clear coat (repeat 2-3 times), then your base color. Basically do 2-3 coats of each color, and seal each one with a clear coat.

[Naasad Tal]

DO NOT clear coat in between, it's an extra step that isn't necessary & will cause more issues & more work. I don't clear coat any of my paint because you end up getting some of your best weathering naturally.

Painting steps should go as follows:

Primer
Silver
masking fluid (minute amounts at the high points & corners)
1st layer
more masking fluid (VERY thin amount added to the perimeter of the previous masking fluid)
2nd layer or top coat

You can add as many layers of colors/paint as you want I've seen one paint scheme that had at least 4 different colors under her top coat & it gave the armor a VERY weathered, well worn look. after you apply your final (or top) coat, you can use a fine sandpaper to give natural looking scratches to the armor. I also drug my plates thru the landscaping rocks around my house to go a little further

Another step to adding an additional level of weathering is a black wash. This is done by mixing black (or brown) acrylic paint with a dilutant like water or rubbing alcohol (I use the rubbing alcohol) & then sponging it on the entire plate, waiting a few seconds then wiping it off.

Hopefully this helps, if you need any more pointers PLEASE feel free to PM me & I would be more than happy to lend experienced advice.