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[hazelspikes]

Hi! 

I figured I'd start my WIP for making my armor. It's my first time doing anything like this (besides sewing a dress about 5 years ago) so I'm nervous excited.

I want to do an original character armor using Bo-Katan's S4 Rebel's design. Here's my MandoMaker concept:



I have a flight suit (scrubs), flak vest, kama, and loincloth already. Hopefully I haven't gained too much weight >.>



The kama and loincloth will have some armor plates too. The backplate well be segmented instead of one piece. I'll probably get some Chelsea boots instead of using the (too big) military boots a local vod gave to me. That leaves making/purchasing girth, ammo belts, holsters. Not sure what they'll look like yet. I made a beskad using a training kukri. A vod may make me a Verpine rifle (and a Jocasta Nu rifle for my Jedi). I'll use a Power 5 from my 501st costumes for a sidearm as well.

Nite Owl helmet is almost done. My partner just needs to put the jaig eyes stencil on it so I can spray them on and touch up the splatters. My character stole their buir's armor and painted over her old color scheme. So that's why there's purple weathering.



Here's my opening thoughts:

• Ordered 2 sheets of 24x48 sintra (3 mm). Thanks Amazon for giving me a free prime trial for 2 day shipping 
• I printed Fett-style and Vira's angled style templates.
• I've read GoldenCat's awesome S4 Rebel's Bo-Katan's WIP and analysis.
• Does anyone has PDF templates of the Nite Owl kit that they're willing to share? If not, I can adjust Boba's templates since Bo-Katan's is similar.
• I have a lot of help locally. The trick is to find time to do it. I live in an apartment with 2 cats, my partner, and a balcony. The neighbors won't appreciate me cutting and shaping sintra on the balcony though. I see many armor parties in my future.

[hazelspikes]

Alright! I printed out paper templates in anticipation of the sintra arriving tomorrow.



I know I cut the dart out of the chest template. Oops. That can be printed later.

I'd prefer a gorget style for the collar and am examining options.

Any placement/sizing advice is greatly appreciated!

[hazelspikes]

Update! Helmet is done (besides visor and padding).





I have most of the armor sketched out onto plastic. The knees, kama armor, and backplate still need sketched out. When there's an armor party, I'll cut out what I have and then will sketch the missing parts on the rest of the plastic.

[hazelspikes]

Got my armor cut out and grounded into shape.











I forgot to tape the template together for the collar and belly plates and cut them as one big plate. So now I have 2 separate pieces for both. Oops. That's fixable. I'll trim and bond them together so they're 1 piece.

Next is sanding it all. I'll probably do the whole thing again with knees, boots, and backplate before heat forming everything. Honestly, heat forming is what makes me the most nervous. But I have local helpers

[hazelspikes]

Got around to sanding the plates that were already cut.

Traced the collar, belly, and knees. Will cut them out next armor party (don't want to choke the apartment neighbors with sintra dust on the balcony).

[osukaru]

this is looking really nice so far

[hazelspikes]

this is looking really nice so far

Thank you vod!

Cut out the plates. Excited to grind them smooth. Bad news is that I need a new flak vest because I gained too much weight. >__>

Still not sure how I want to segment the back plate. It'd be nice since I have a curved spine/hunchback and then I'd be able to sit. The trick is where to cut.









Getting the knees clean will be an...adventure.

[hazelspikes]

Happy New Year! Got a lot of work done this weekend.













Getting there. Not sure about the belly plate shape under the chest plates. But I may be able to start heat forming?

[Veris Bralor]

Great progress.
I have often seen the need to trim the ab plate down more after things get mounted, so don't worry too much. It does look like the bottom of the ab isn't currently very straight. But high chances they're will still be some sanding to be done after everything is mounted.

[hazelspikes]

Great progress.
I have often seen the need to trim the ab plate down more after things get mounted, so don't worry too much. It does look like the bottom of the ab isn't currently very straight. But high chances they're will still be some sanding to be done after everything is mounted.

Thank you! The sanding and shaping never ends.

[Ronin Tavic]

great start so far! another tip is to add a bevel to the edge of your plates, it'll help give them definition and look a little more finished 

[Nika]

Looking good! I'm doing similar chest plates! I just need to cut mine out.

[hazelspikes]

Did some heat forming over the weekend. Text update - no pics because we were all busy and didn't want to stop and model. But my local vode helped a lot!

Got my collar,  shoulders, boot plates, and shins formed. Leaving my knees alone and will pad them.

The chest plates I had cut are too small. Printed the angled templates at 120% and they look better. So I'll redo those. At least I have the shaping plan down. My vod made the dart creases by carefully cutting the plate and bending them into place. Just don't cut all the way through! Then fill with bondo. 

Also segmented my back plate but haven't formed it.

To Do:

• Cut and sand bigger chest plates
• Shape chest plates
• Heat form ab plate
• Heat form back plate
• Tweak left boot plate (slightly off center at the moment)
• Fill in gaps in the chest and shins with bondo
• Sand/bevel/finish

[zc29]

This looks so good! What are you using for heat forming and to cut the sintra? Do you recommend the 3mm or do you think something thicker would be better? Also where did you get your flak vest? I’m about to start a kit, so thanks for any help you can provide!

[D'shon Lorra]

Your WIP reads like an instruction manual. You rock! Thank you for sharing it with us - as a complete cosplay noob, I see you as one to emulate. Happy thoughts that I can get going, too.

Please keep it up for us toddling along behind you.