I hope someone finds this helpful
1st note, these are pull on, not hinged.
i modified the WOF templates a bit to make the inner shell and outer shell each 1 pattern
lower1 lower2 upper1 upper2then taped them together
the cutouts on the inner shell don't make it easier to glue together, its to keep the stress down. i noticed that with one solid inner shell i had a noticeable line on the outer shell. make sure that inner shell covers the cutouts from the outer.
use posterboard and paperclips for your proof of concept. it may appear larger that you want, but these are to be pulled on.
put your gloves and flight suit on when checking the size.
I am using a home depot bucket for the natural curve.
removing the handle at this point might make going forward easier.
optionalish. i sanded the bucket before placing the pattern. i found it easier than sanding individual parts
i used a scrap page of cardstock to square up a straight line down to keep the part from warping.
trace and cut out the modified pattern onto the bucket.
check your work. i had to retrace the cut-outs, because i wasn't paying attention.
dont cut the parts directly from the bucket. cutout a larger area and trim them flat. use a straight edge when ever possible.
sand the decal off of the parts (if you didn't do the optionalish step) .
glueing the parts together without sanding will cause the glue to bond to the decal and your project will fall apart.
a good wet dry sandpaper like (
https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Pro-Grade-Precision-3-2-3-in-x-9-in-150-Grit-Medium-Advanced-Sanding-Sheets-6-Pack-127150PGP-6/205415882) makes the process easier as the decal will gunk up the sandpaper rather quickly. this stuff is great i have washed and re-washed this paper and have used the same piece for a year or more.
be careful using a lower grit paper as you can easily score the plastic and it may break.
use duct tape to hold the outer shell closed.
insert the inner shell make sure everything fits correctly. trace where the inner shell lays. remove the inner shell and apply the glue. i used e-6000.
i gives me much more time to get everything into place before clamping.
if you just clamp the ends the middle of the seam can pillow
this is not ideal. for each seam
you will need: 2 strips of wood 1" - 1.5" wide and at least as long as the seam to be clamped.
2 spring clips or clamps, 1 for each side
1 strip of wood goes inside the vambrace roughly centered along the seam, the other goes on the outside. then clamp in place.
do the same for the seam on the other side.
leave until the glue is cured.
Note: you can "treat" the parts by clamping this way before you glue them together.
leave it clamped for 15-30 min or so, then remove the clamps
remove the inner shell
apply the glue
reclamp.
the parts want to lay flatter than what they are being clamped into. this will give you about 10 min or where the inner shell has a tighter curve then it would otherwise.
apply the glue and clamp.
can you really have too many spring clamps?
no. you can't.
let it cure. NOTE: It took 4 days for the E-6000 to cure. it was cold and rainy all week.
trim excess
Sand down any pillowed areas
bondo as needed. i recommend using a blade to remove excess bondo before it completely cures. it saves a TON of time sanding. super glue and baking soda work well for sealing the ends
basic vambrace is done.
add details, comms, and or weapons platform.
prime and paint
yes, that gauntlet shoots bubbles
https://i.imgur.com/Wrlclir.mp4