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 Urala WIP

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Urala


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Urala WIP
« on: Jul 23, 2020, 08:30 PM »
Urala here, getting started on my first kit!

This WIP can also be referred to as a 'Multitude of Mock-Ups' because I like making practice versions of the various pieces. I joke that at the end of this process I'll have two kits, one will be the real deal and the other will be a monstrosity of  bedsheets, cardboard, and tape   :P

To start, I made some concept art! I got feedback to go with a lighter armor color as opposed to darker.
I have yet to decide, blue-green (left)  or full-blue (right) armor color schemes?

The weapon on the back is a tri-wing boomerang as opposed to the classic shape. I like the tri-wing style and think a vibro-blade version would be cool but I am not sure if it’s still too earthy, I'll have to check on that...

I ordered dark brown scrubs for the flight suit, washed them, removed the pockets and I tailored the pants to fit better.
I still have to tailor the shirt and add sleeve extensions.


I also made a mock-up of the kama. I have yet to decide if I want snap buttons or a belt-buckle style to close it; sewing pins do not hold very well. I notice that many other kamas have a slit in the back. Mine has one however it is not very obvious (its hardly visible in this photo). Do I need to change it?
The kama will be made of black fabric instead of couch-clover floral.


The vest has taken two mock-ups to get correct but this version fits pretty well. A few more adjustments and it will be perfect! It will also be made of a tough black fabric.


Currently, the only finished-finished piece is the neck seal in the photo above. It is made of a stretchy material so I can slide it over my head before putting on my vest. The mockup of the neck seal was bright orange and, to quote my brother, "the layout looks cool but the colors? Eeuuugh:laugh:

Takeaways:
- washing fabric before sewing with it is usually a good idea
- actually pay attention when watching YouTube tutorials
- when taking in pant legs, take from both sides. Taking it in from one side can make it bunch up or look funny
- be careful when trying on items that have been pinned (ow ow ow ow)

« Last Edit: Jul 23, 2020, 09:08 PM by Urala » Logged

Evaar'la Kal


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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #1 on: Jul 27, 2020, 12:58 PM »
Great start so far!  Personally I like the light blue on the right but in the end it comes down to whatever you prefer  :)

Between the mockups you will almost definitely have an entire second kit haha

Good luck with the build!

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Urala


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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #2 on: Aug 07, 2020, 04:00 PM »
Moving on from mockups!
As I continue to work on the soft parts, I have decided to leave weathering to the end so that everything (soft parts, armor, etc) can be weathered together and consistently.

Flight suit
Hemmed the pants and trimmed them down to fit perfectly. Initially I planned to have the sleeves to appear one singular sleeve and then I tried it on inside out and looked in the mirror and....oh hey double-sleeves look pretty nice.



Kama and Flak Vest
Finished! Hooray! (unless there are things to fix I missed)
The back of the vest and the Kama are not connected, it just appears so. Do I need to fix that even though I plan on wearing a belt over it?




I also added some fancy ties to the loops on the Kama out of scraps from making the slight suit sleeves!


Up Next
I am back in the planning phase for what to make next that can easily be packed (I'm moving soon).
Options: make a small blaster, make half chaps, or learn to hand-sew gloves because why not?

I found some handles from a jump rope that would make amazing ends for blasters! Here is a concept sketch and I am looking for other parts to add to it.




I am also not sure if I want to use the brown boots in the photos (Costco, very comfy) or some black boots with laces that need covering. Regardless, I think that leather half-chaps look cool and am working on some concept art for those too.

Takeaways:
- write down changes made to mock-ups so that they aren't forgotten when making the final piece
- take a break when frustrated
- if an unwanted  hold is cut in fabric: "patch it now or pay for it later"
- be careful, long hair and Velcro don't mix (aaaaaarg!)

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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #3 on: Aug 08, 2020, 11:46 AM »
I really like your soft parts so far  :like: nice job! Can’t wait to see how this turns out!

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Sabine


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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #4 on: Aug 10, 2020, 10:29 AM »
Very nice! The kama and flak overlapping in back should be fine, you'll just want to make sure your back plate is not overlapped by your girth/sash/belt (whatever you choose for your waist items).

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Urala


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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #5 on: Aug 30, 2020, 11:03 PM »
Thanks everyone for all the feedback so far, you all are amazing!
Because I live in an apartment and have have a smaller workspace at the moment, I am going to work on a blaster or two but I need some help!

Found materials for blasters:
- A pair of plastic handles from a jump-rope (got the idea of using old toys from someone who had used an old recorder-flute on a blaster!)
- two old water guns



Looking at the style and layout of the water guns, I think that the jump rope handle goes well with the green one but not so much with the pink. The pink is much more geometric and when combined with the orange handle, it looks too much like two separate items.
I may still modify and keep the pink gun to make a tiny blaster (like a Sneaky-Cricket from Men In Black type blaster). I also attached a piece cut off from the green gun to see how it looks because, waste not.



The combination of the orange and green pieces is good but still needs one more piece to connect them and balance the blaster as a whole.
Furthermore, the green gun itself needs some extra modifications. There are a lot of bumps and grooves that do not appear functional and don't work as decoration so that means some filling and sanding is in order.
I’ve edited the photo with the changes I want to make.



I have never worked with cutting, sanding, or gluing plastic pieces so I am at a loss of what materials to use. At the moment I am using poster putty to hold the pieces in place, although it isn't listed, it is definitely a no-no for an attachment method  :P

What glue should I use to attach the plastic pieces together?
What would be best to fill in the unnecessary gaps that can be sanded down and painted later?
Is there anything else I need to know?
What is a good stir-fry sauce? (Not related but still a question I must deal with)


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Celtkhan


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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #6 on: Aug 31, 2020, 10:17 AM »
Glue: superglue might be a bit brittle; for load-bearing surfaces, you’r probably want to use epoxy, weldbond, or E6000. You can also just put a screw or rivet in it for a mechanical join.

Gap-filler: bondo would work, although I might use Green Stuff (brand name Kneadatite Blue/Yellow) instead; it’s a two-part epoxy putty and you can sculpt it before it cures. It’s very popular among miniature makers for creating or modifying miniatures.

Anything else: probably. It’s easier to address the Known Unknowns than the Unknown Unknowns.

Stir-Fry: my wife mainly uses a soy sauce with garlic and ginger, although she also has a recipe based on mirin instead. I’ll see if I can’t get her recipes later.

Edit: 2 parts Soy Sauce, 1 part rice wine vinegar, 1 part brown sugar OR honey, 1 part roasted sesame oil, ginger and garlic to taste.

« Last Edit: Aug 31, 2020, 01:59 PM by Celtkhan » Logged

Urala


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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #7 on: Sep 26, 2020, 09:51 PM »
ANNOUNCEMENT:  friends, we're going Post-Imperial

Why? Because I like the style and whenever I imagine the character this kit will bring out, this era just fits for them and their story. New era of course means, new concept art! And we're going with light blue as the armor color!



Plus a breakdown of the half-chaps I want to make, some details on the helmet, and, best of all, the tri-wing boomerang is a go!!



The Tri-Wing: First and foremost, this thing will not fly.  It is only going to be a picture -prop or cool thing to show others. I am planning on weighting one wing so that the Bernoulli-Principle is cancelled out and it is no longer a functioning boomerang. I would love to have it light up around the edges and possibly buzz with mini vibrations.

As of right now, the chest plates, helmet, and tri-wing are all currently still in planning/sketching/designing phase and will probably be outsourced to the younger brother (engineering student  :P).

In the meantime, I've made some progress on my blaster!
Thanks for all the putty suggestions, I went with Kneadatite/Green Stuff (I may use some later for DnD models :D). It worked great, sanded nicely, and is currently holding up well!
I am still looking for The Final Piece to balance everything out once I add on the old jump rope handle as the barrel. I may go looking for more unsuspecting toys to use....



In other collecting news: I have started a greeblie pile! Currently it is just some pieces I pried off the toy gun (or broke, oops) and a bunch of old mechanical pencils. Which, you know what those are great for? ....me neither, anybody got any suggestions?
I may try cutting some and gluing them together to look like shells or cartridges for the blaster.



Final comments:
- Celtkhan, the stir fry sauce was perfect!
- this greeblie pile could potentially become a mountain...

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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #8 on: Sep 28, 2020, 02:02 PM »
I really like those colors you picked out!

On the topic of your Tri-Blade Boomerang, it would look awesome if it could light up. I'm almost finished with a light up spear. I just used some EL wire I got off of amazon, and did a bunch of soldering to get the batteries and electronics and everything to fit. Heres a pic:

You should be able to squeeze the electronics onto it somewhere, but this is just 1 lighting option.
Also, a while back, I saw someone make some hand darts or something similar out of a pen, so anything is possible.

Good Luck!

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Urala


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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #9 on: Dec 15, 2020, 10:28 PM »
*crawls from beneath a pile of textbooks, mugs, and abused pens* I survived!
The 'short break for midterms' turned into the rest of the semester, oops!

I really like those colors you picked out!

On the topic of your Tri-Blade Boomerang, it would look awesome if it could light up. I'm almost finished with a light up spear. I just used some EL wire I got off of amazon, and did a bunch of soldering to get the batteries and electronics and everything to fit. Heres a pic:

You should be able to squeeze the electronics onto it somewhere, but this is just 1 lighting option.
Also, a while back, I saw someone make some hand darts or something similar out of a pen, so anything is possible.

Good Luck!

First, the spear looks amazing, great job. Second: mindreader! I wanted the tri-wing to light up and wow the EL wire is perfect for the job! Gonna have to put it on the supply list. Using the pens/mechanical pencils as darts is a great suggestion, thanks!

Updates
Blaster Changes: I had to make changes because my original plan of adding a third piece on to the blaster not going to work. I tried using another piece from a toy but it could not create a cohesive transition and therefore it wouldn’t be strong. I didn’t want to worry about the blaster falling apart so I used some more putty and with careful sculpting, created a way for the barrel and base to fit together nicely.



Grayscale pic to get an idea of what it will look like once it gets warm enough for spray paint to work again (which wont be for a while, bummer).
 


The blaster will be smaller overall but I am not upset, I wanted the tri-wing boomerang to be the main weapon anyways. Plus, this is the first toy I have ever ‘modified’ and part of the fun of creating a prop is the creating process! I am thinking once it gets approved I will go back and make a separate post showing the whole process beginning to end.

PLATES?
Deciding to go post imperial meant picking a style of plates. While the Armorer’s, Paz's, and Din’s V2/Silver plates are cool, I liked Din’s Red/V1 plates the best. This lead to few problems though:
1) Only the Armorer’s chest plates could be modified to fit a bust. The V1/Red plates were designed to lay flat on Din’s chest.
2) Lots of people are 3D printing their Post Imperial plates which means no paper templates for sintra versions with detailed measurements or proportioning.
Still really really wanting the V1/Red style, there was only one thing left to do: Make my own curve-conscious plate pattern with only a few pictures from the show and from 3D printed versions as reference.



I spent a month of trying, failing, trying again, failing again but better. Finally I created a pattern I was pretty confident about, transferred it to cardboard to get an idea of how it would fit and.... it was too big  :(
Although it fit against me almost perfectly and I could swing and cross my arms, my chest plate's proportions did not match those in the pictures. 
Finals end Thursday so hopefully on Friday I'll have time to try again and show it off to get some feedback!

Final Takeaways:
- Uhhh there's no collar plate right? The V2/Silver version doesn’t have one. It probably would have been easier to size if there was one!  :P
- Me. Take me away I’m tired, I’m stressed from finals, I almost microwaved a salad yesterday.

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Kuyan Jai'galaar


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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #10 on: Jan 03, 2021, 11:04 PM »
So I’m also attempting the same Din Djarin non-beskar chest plate. (My dad’s doing the same but he’ll have a WAAAAY easier time with it.  :) )

What I did was design an origami mock-up then make it again with larger paper. I’m planning on basing my templates off of that. Not sure if that’ll help you with any scale details, but here’s a picture anyway.



Absolutely love your concept, by the way! Looks like it’s going to be a great kit!

« Last Edit: Jan 04, 2021, 07:01 PM by Kuyan Jai’galaar » Logged
“Chase away the dark, put the stars to shame and dare to touch the sky.”

Urala


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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #11 on: Jan 04, 2021, 07:47 PM »
At long last, I have a cardboard mock-up of my pattern for the female version of the post imperial/Din Djarin V1/Red chest plates that I am proud of and would love some feedback on it!



Here is an altered image of roughly what it would look like with bondo smoothing over the darts.



So I’m also attempting the same Din Djarin non-beskar chest plate. (My dad’s doing the same but he’ll have a WAAAAY easier time with it.  :) )

What I did was design an origami mock-up then make it again with larger paper. I’m planning on basing my templates off of that.


You made it an origami mock-up? That is so cool!  :porg2:

Pending if what I have planned working on sintra, here is how I put my template/pattern together:
(Quick note: none of these pics are to scale/work as a pattern. I threw them together to help explain how I created the pattern.)

I started with a modern (Boba Fett) template in my ‘size’ and flipped the two plates so that the former outer edges created the midline and the top was flat.



I set the plates on my chest where they would typically sit if I was making a modern kit and added a few inches to the top and marked where to put the chest diamond (I put mine over my heart)
I then drew the downward crease by connecting the top corner of the tabs to the top of the side curves (marked with green dots) and then extended the line.
I pinched the paper to create darts as needed and the orange lines mark where my darts meet. I placed one slightly above the downward crease and another ending just below the second green dot.



My plan was to create a chest plate consisting of 2 pectoral pieces attached on top of a midline piece and the ab/stomach piece attaching underneath the three of them. (Ideally) careful and precise creases create the defined downward triangle on the chest portion. The darts allow for the plate as a whole to better conform to my body. I do not recommend having the darts cross or be a part of the crease, it made the plates look funny.




Final questions:
First and foremost, think this will work with sintra?
Second, I know that Din's plates have additional side panels and I'm debating whether to cut separate pieces to attach or making additional creases in the plate in order to create the effect. Any recommendations?


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Kuyan Jai'galaar


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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #12 on: Jan 04, 2021, 08:51 PM »
YOU HAVE DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE (at least in my opinion)! That looks ori’kandosii! 

Personally, I’ve never worked with sintra but I’ve read (and my dad’s told me a bit about it) that it can be melted into shape? So the pattern should work with it.....I’ve really got no clue though....

I actually didn’t realize there were no side things on it until you mentioned adding them. It honestly looks really good as is, but adding the side pieces might take a bit of curve off the front surface of the plate and make it look a bit more like Din’s plates (if you flattened the darts out a bit).

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Awall


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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #13 on: Jan 09, 2021, 05:28 PM »
Keep up the great work executing your concept!

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Urala


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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #14 on: Jan 28, 2021, 08:23 PM »
YOU HAVE DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE (at least in my opinion)! That looks ori’kandosii! 

Keep up the great work executing your concept!

Thanks guys!

A few weeks ago I purchased some sintra and began moving forward with the plan!
To get used to working the material, I tested how long it took to heat, how easy it was to shape, and how well it held a shape.
Want to create some texture for weathering, I also experimented with pressing different tools/shapes into a spot of heated sintra. I found that it helps to support the plate from the back so that the tool (in this case a screw driver) leaves an imprint but doesn't create a dent or punch through.



After experimenting on scrap pieces, I created a pair of thigh plates. In the spirit of less-is-more, I made just two 'blast marks'.



After the thigh plates, I moved on to creating the chest plate! And the answer to 'will this pattern work on sintra' is... yes? It required some last minute changes but overall turned out great! I went ahead with trimming some pieces to create the outside edges of the pectoral plates and like the definition it creates.




Since I was not sure it would work, I did not take more pictures. Beyond the standard 'trace on sintra, cut out, heat up, bend and shape' instructions, the biggest takeaway is how to create the downward crease. I strongly, strongly, strongly recommend making the downward crease before shaping it to the body otherwise it is not as crisp or precise. Here's how I did it:
  • draw the crease onto the flat plate so you know where it is supposed to go.
  • place the plate on a table with the edge lined up with the line drawn on the plate.
  • heat along the line and once it is warm enough, bend the plate along the line using the table to create a crisp crease.
  • gently heat the plate as a whole and unfold the crease to the point where it conforms/sits well and continue with heating and shaping the rest of the plate to fit.

Currently it is being held together with ductape, I only had a tiny bit of glue which I used to attach the edges around the sides. Once I get them attached, I will add the ab plate and begin the process of bondo+sanding.

I also found an old fencing chest protector! With some obvious trimming and a little shaping, could I use this as my back plate? Is it 2/3 coverage? I'm worried it is a little short...



Until next time!

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Senra Qiin


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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #15 on: Jan 29, 2021, 12:19 PM »
Those marks look good! :like:

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Evaar'la Kal


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Re: Urala WIP
« Reply #16 on: Feb 01, 2021, 09:38 AM »
Great job shaping that chest plate!  Must have taken forever lol

Fencing gear picture is broken, but as a general rule sports equipment of any kind is not approvable.

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