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[GoldenCat]

That is looking so cool 

[Slade Kel]

Glad to see our OG horn-head mando back in action    8)

I look forward to following your progress man, looking good so far!

Thanks vod

That is looking so cool 

And thanks GC, I try my best!

Minor update folks: I was unable to take advantage of the gorgeous weather the last three days because I've been running back and forth to the car dealership. Long story short; my car crapped out for good, so I got a new one . I paid the down payment and fees yesterday and barring disaster I'll be picking it up today. Been driving since I was 16, so half my life, and this will be my first actual new car. Today's going to be garbage weather here anyway, but tomorrow highs in the 60s, so I should be able to resume painting then.

[Slade Kel]

Updates! Weather held the one day I was super busy, but I managed to get some painting in.




Sooo, you can see the tape lifted some paint, so I had the choice to either repaint the gold or turn it into battle damage. I'm trying it out as battle damage for now and seeing where it goes. I still need to give the whole suit a blackwash and some carbon scoring.

The gauntlets are also getting some markings, and the helmet will get the same Wren clan markings my grey and yellow one does, albeit in gold, purple and red. My amazing fiance has a penchant for pepakura, so she's giving a shot at pepping one of the helmet files available. She's skittish about the actual fiberglassing part, but she does a great job at the cutting, folding and gluing stage.

More to come!

[Havelock]

Nice.  Very, very nice.

[Sep Ho'ban]

Agree with Havelock.  Circle gets a square!

[Straka Zulu]

Sick!

[Slade Kel]

Thanks guys!

Took a break from painting to wage war on my sewing machine and got some of the velcro attached to the vest. Here's a test fit of the front torso plates:


So the spacing looks large to me, but it's half an inch, and a literal thumb's width. I have some wiggle with the velcro to trim it and move the plates in if necessary, I sewed a bit in from the edges more or less on purpose. Taking a break from that, though, and might do some blackwashing. And, of course, I still have to make a diamond for this kit .

[Havelock]

Yep.  Looks good, vod.

[The Unknown Mando]

Looking good vod, keen to see it after a wash

[Kol Varek]

Some good looking armor you got going on there. Keep it up Old Guard!

[Slade Kel]

Thanks folks . Got a little teaser for you, should have more pics tomorrow, got the first wash down on everything except the shins. Going a little heavy on sections as I may or may not rejoin the brigades and jump back into the mechanics.



Also I got my vest mostly finished and mostly velcro'd! Just have to add the flaps for the shoulder plates and velcro for the back plate.

[Slade Kel]

The rest of the pictures! Except for the cod plates because they still aren't mounted on the padding.

Forgive the obvious titling, back collar, back plate and shoulders. Black-washed but lighter than the rest.




The knees, boot plates and gauntlets got the most of it, as the places mostly likely to be in the way of splashing oil and such. Shins got a lighter treatment but still more heavily washed than the other plates.







Also not pictured are the thigh plates, as they're side mounted like the Rebels mandos and will probably get some secondary weathering added once I decide how my holsters are going to go, and my tools. Brigades or no, Slade is a grease monkey and he'll have the appropriate tools. Hell, might even do a set up to send to the boss man to replace my original tools that are still part of the speeder display.

[Sep Ho'ban]

Really like the splashes of red and purple!

[Slade Kel]

Thanks! So mini-update, I finally got around to making a chest diamond . Everything else is still as previously reported. I've had to do things over and above work every day for the last five days, so I've taken it easy for the most part. Supposed to be 60s and 70s the next few days, so I'm hoping to get a clear coat down on everything tomorrow, as well as finish sewing velcro on the vest, add shoulder flaps and make the mount for the cod plate.

[Havelock]

Looking great, vod.

[Raene]

I've loved reading about your journey and craftsmanship. I'm new and I even I can tell the first wouldn't pass CRLs today.  Your recent work is truly breathtaking. What do you use for the blackwash?

[Slade Kel]

Looking great, vod.

I've loved reading about your journey and craftsmanship. I'm new and I even I can tell the first wouldn't pass CRLs today.  Your recent work is truly breathtaking. What do you use for the blackwash?

Thanks

I'm super cheap when it comes to washes, literally just fifty cent Walmart paint mixed about 30/70 paint to water. These only have a blackwash, but I typically add a lighter brownwash and occasionally a graywash for additional depth and accent. I also add a bit of black paint dry brushed and wiped off of extra detail spots like scratches or battle damage spots. In the case of the shoulder plates in particular, I didn't put enough layers of clear coat down before taping off for the tertiary red, so it peeled some of the purple off and let the gold through. I decided I liked it and just added a bit of extra blackwash around those points.

[Slade Kel]

Moderate setback. Need to start from scratch with the vest. More to come.

[Straka Zulu]

That's a bummer, but not a hard thing to do.

[Slade Kel]

Hey vode, just wanted to touch base with you all. I'm alive! I took a little time off initially to help my fiancee get some costumes sorted for a con this past weekend, and then last week I was in a car accident. I'm okay, just battered and bruised, but no internal injury and nothing that appears to be long term. My brand-new car is totalled, however D:. I don't know if it will be officially yet, as the appraiser hasn't taken a look at it, but it was pretty smashed up when EMS took me off scene. I go today to check it out and get my stuff out of it. Hopefully I'll be back to the grind soon; the first step being to make a new vest. I also have to touch up the weathering on some of the armor parts, and actually complete the gauntlets which are lacking any mounted weapons systems (wouldn't matter except there are obvious slots for them that are just empty). Hopefully I'll have some new progress for you soon. Thanks for stopping by!

[Straka Zulu]

Glad to hear you're OK. 

[Tal Akaan]

Glad you were able to walk away from it, can’t keep a good merc down! Your kit is looking great BTW!

[Slade Kel]

Glad to hear you're OK. 

Glad you were able to walk away from it, can’t keep a good merc down! Your kit is looking great BTW!

Thanks vode .

And yeah, I was hobbling, but I was able to walk myself onto the ambulance, and walking around Foxwoods Comic-Conn this weekend didn't kill me, though the 7 miles a day would've been brutal suited up . I'd already paid for tickets (non-refundable) and it was too late to cancel the hotel room so I was damned well going to enjoy the con .

[Havelock]

I'd already paid for tickets (non-refundable) and it was too late to cancel the hotel room so I was damned well going to enjoy the con .

Right on, ner'vod!

[The Unknown Mando]

Good to hear you're ok,and  no prosthetics needed