Hi Everyone!
2016/01/26 update:
Well, there's been quite a bit of undocumented progress along the way. I found some greeblies and fitted it all up. I need to work on damage and paint.
Left gaunt:
The shooter-thingy is a hinge from a combination scanner/printer I found in my kids' daycare trash. :-D
Buttons are embellishments from some makeup case styled like a chocolate bar. The damage between the bottom two buttoms needs some additional work to look more convincing, but overall, I'm exceptionally pleased.
I am apparently incapably of applying two part epoxy without getting it everywhere.
Right gaunt:
The pens are a little too obviously pens, and do not stay in place as well as intended. Also, the knob fell off when my son knocked it onto the floor. It was applied with two part epoxy.
This side still needs some work to get it looking good, but overall, it's serviceable.
As shown below, there is no hinge. I am using the flex in the plastic to slide them on and off. The large chevron completely seals the seam, so these look like a one-piece deal.
Original Post:
I had originally included my gauntlets along with armor, but since there is a separate area, here they are! I am starting off relatively simple, and will be building on the concept as I have pieces ready to go. Right now, I have a target date in mind of Oct. 18 for my sister's "Luke or Leia" gender reveal party for neice/nephew #5!
I used a large red SOLO cup for a pattern by slowly rolling it across my paper while I traced it. I traced it out on paper first, to measure out how wide to make the wrist so I wouldn't waste my sintra. Because I wanted slip-on gaunts, this sizing was key. I scrunched my fingers together and wrapped the paper snugly around to get the measurement. If I did it again, I would make it looser. I use every bit of flex in the plastic to get them on and off as it is. Remember, the paper will give whereas the plastic is rigid.
Here it is as I started cutting it out:
Now, here's where I'd really do it differently if I repeated in the future. I wish I would have sanded all the edges down to get a nice bevel. It got a lot harder to work with once rolled, and I couldn't get to the seam at all.
I rolled them into a squashed cone. The seams allow just enough give to put them on and off, but not much. I will not be able to glue the seam together, but this was part of the plan... keep reading
The edges didn't quite match up, as expected, because my wrist and arm aren't exactly perfectly circular like a solo cup. You can avoid this problem by using an actual template, or spending more time on a cardboard mock-up, or just deal with it by trimming and sanding, as I have.
Here's how I plan to deal with the unsecured seam: I will glue only one side of this shaped cover piece so the other side can flex just enough to get the pieces on and off my arms. It also conceals any unevenness that might be left over from the imperfect pattern. Both gaunts will have this same hexagon-shield (that theme is carried throughout my armor) covering the seam, but that's the end of where I make them identical.
I show this on my left hand, but I think it will be for my right. I have prepared 3 layers of 3mm sintra in the shape on top to serve as a mounting area for something really cool and swarsy, which I have yet to identify.
And for my left hand, a different style with smaller dual mounts in the same general shape, also will be piled 3-thick in 3mm sintra.
I have the two main body pieces sanded and shaped, essentially ready to paint. The rest will have to wait until after my sister's party.
