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[Arco'thyel Wyshla]

The fabric gauntlets look great, and I bet they breathe better than traditional gauntlets too -- that'll be real nice on long troops!

[Aster Veris]

Looking good!  It's always so rewarding when you finally have enough pieces to put on and feel like a Mandalorian.
I also have the fabric sleeves under my gauntlets.  It worked better than any other version of padding I could come up with.  Only catch was the sliding of the gauntlet around my arm, solved it by adding non-slip stuff to the sleeve. 

Did you find your shoulder?

Your colors are lovely    Enjoy the summer build time. 

Thank you!!!! And yes, I can just slip on my vest with all the plates and be half dressed up, it's wild. It feels real now  And yeah I don't have the armor yet, but it should be attached by velcro and leather straps so that *should* minimize sliding. Only time will tell. And I did find my upper arm piece! It was hiding in the mess that is my work table.

The fabric gauntlets look great, and I bet they breathe better than traditional gauntlets too -- that'll be real nice on long troops!

Thank you  I'm unsure how well they breathe because I haven't really worn everything together or for a long period of time, but yes I assume it should breathe better! I hope it does, the heat and humidity here has been gross. I guess I have to make "hot" and "cold" versions of my kit..... ugh. That's a problem for future me 

[Aster Veris]

Okay so I've been working on attaching my leg armor, and need some feedback on the shin placement. The photos suck (using the self timer feature at 2am) but the piece goes over the boot a little and is about 2-3 inches below my knee armor. Looked through the CRLs and there's not really any specific on it, so I'm assuming it's fine. Would just like someone to confirm that 



Anyway, a lot is in the making and I'll try and do a full update soon!

[K'Rom Maxx]

I love how you paint and color you choosed for that shin.    +cool weatering

Just asking can be a little taller and position lower on your boot? I'm rookie so I don't know much, just asking if that it will be good.

[Vercopaanir]

I'm kinda with Obi Maxx...wait Vod? did you change your name??? Sorry detour there.  I'm going to have to agree with Maxx on this one.  Looks just a touch short between the boot and the knee.  Maybe you could add a bit of a leg wrap?  That would bulk up the area without having to redo the plate.  That green fabric you used on your arm...could use that as leg wrap.  Hide the join between the pants and the boots and give a platform for the plate to sit.  Could do the trick visually and make the plate look "bigger" without actually changing it.  Or you can layer another plate on top to extend it. 

You're correct that the CRLs don't specify size though.  So if this is what makes you happy your cool to keep it.  The animated Bo Katan has a similarly small shin plate so just throw that into your thread as inspiration and it should be good. 

[Aster Veris]

I love how you paint and color you choosed for that shin.    +cool weatering

Just asking can be a little taller and position lower on your boot? I'm rookie so I don't know much, just asking if that it will be good.

Thank you!
Yes I think I'll move the armor up a bit. I'm not going to make a new shin piece, so placement is really the only thing I can do.
Also, love the new name! Congrats on becoming an OM 

I'm kinda with Obi Maxx...wait Vod? did you change your name??? Sorry detour there.  I'm going to have to agree with Maxx on this one.  Looks just a touch short between the boot and the knee.  Maybe you could add a bit of a leg wrap?  That would bulk up the area without having to redo the plate.  That green fabric you used on your arm...could use that as leg wrap.  Hide the join between the pants and the boots and give a platform for the plate to sit.  Could do the trick visually and make the plate look "bigger" without actually changing it.  Or you can layer another plate on top to extend it. 

You're correct that the CRLs don't specify size though.  So if this is what makes you happy your cool to keep it.  The animated Bo Katan has a similarly small shin plate so just throw that into your thread as inspiration and it should be good.

Yes, thanks for the feedback! I was totally leaving that space between my shin and knee plate empty for the chance to add something like Sabine's flares! But for getting approved I didn't want to do anything fancy or extra, you know? So there's just space for now. I also ran out of green fabric... used it all up for my cape. So I think I'll move the shin plate up a little, but I used bo katan/tcw death watch as inspiration for my armor so you're right in saying my plates look like that. Hopefully once I actually attach it with velcro it looks better and stays higher. Trying for above the boot, should make the area look better. Pictures soon!

[K'Rom Maxx]

@evening.echiveria : Thank you so much! 
I'm sure you will become OM soon.
Your kit looking so good and it is a pleasure to see your wips.
I don't have much experience but from time to time if you need me opinion I'm here to support you. 

@ Vercopaanir : Yes vod, I must choose mandalorian name not to use a jedi one. Sorry for the off topic!

[Aster Veris]

@evening.echiveria : Thank you so much! 
I'm sure you will become OM soon.
Your kit looking so good and it is a pleasure to see your wips.
I don't have much experience but from time to time if you need me opinion I'm here to support you. 

Awe, thank you so much! You've been super kind and supportive as I made my kit.


Big update 

Okay! Update on the shin armor, it's a bit above the shoe now and looks a lot like tcw Bo Katan, so I think that's good. I still have to attach both shins and the left knee to my pants via velcro, but they're pretty much done. The plate slid down a little during that second picture. This is why velcro is so important for proper placement!



I've tested out one leg of plates, and my attachment method seems to work! Did a lot of experimenting with the right thigh plate and knee plate, and I just have to repeat the same thing with the other leg. ****these photos are before I changed the shin placement****

(have a side photo but imgur stopped working. will upload when it decides to work  )

Anyone know if these socks will pass the application process? 



I also finished sewing the cape. I really need to hit it hard when it comes to weathering, so for now it's kinda awkward to have so much clean green fabric. But I like the way it hangs down my back, and with the big shoulder plates they make me look bigger than I actually am.



Sooooooo much fabric!


I'm also looking for some feedback on the sizing of my pants. I've tailored them a lot, made them bigger and smaller, and this is what is comfortable and gives me full range of motion. (Same with the shirt but I don't have pics). However, it's a little loose, but I hope it's not "baggy". Looking at some photos of Jango, I feel like I should be fine, his suit is pretty loose. But then again, I know an well fitting suit is super important! Again, I have made it smaller, and I couldn't move well. So I'm not quite sure what to do if it's too "baggy" because...... this is what fits.


BUCKET TIME!!!!
Painted, and some ears are on. I'm planning to install the rangefinder stalk this weekend. I also need to build the rangefinder piece itself, the print I ordered was supper incomplete so I'm making the missing parts out of sintra. Visor is MIA 
The tape and design on the top is a test for some jaig eyes! Those will be in gold and I'll add them when the weather is good.
 




Hey Vercopaanir, here's that plate you asked about! It's living on my upper arm, all attached with velcro and straps (but no photos........ sorry)!


Thanks so much for reading 

[Cattriss Wren]

Wow vod your doing amazing!!! I love the colors!! I am to stunned to say anything else,but wow, and I really hope my kit looks that nice very excited to see your armor finished!!

[Vercopaanir]

Ohhh!   Lovely, the drape on the cape is very nice. 

I agree with the shin placement, looks better above the boot.  Just a random question here, are you planning on leaving the pants tucked in?  Just asking because most cannon mando's don't have their pants tucked into their boots but it's not a CRL thing just a random observation.  I personally do tuck my pants into my boots but you can't see that under the half chaps on my kit ( they ride up otherwise).  Just courious

Socks are fantastic    Really complete the look 

As for your tailoring, double check it with your Ruus', but to me they look fine.  You're no baggier then Boba.  The trick is going to be getting it through apps and taking photos and explaining what you did to get where you are will make a big difference in the apps processes (They look at your build WIPs).   

Yay for the shoulder!!!    Losing bit's can be a bit disconcerting.  Finding them makes you feel like an accomplished bounty hunter. 

Bucket is coming along nicely!  This build just keeps getting better. 

[Aster Veris]

Wow vod your doing amazing!!! I love the colors!! I am to stunned to say anything else,but wow, and I really hope my kit looks that nice very excited to see your armor finished!!

Awe thank you so much!!!! You're so sweet! I really appreciate it and I bet your kit is going to look awesome

Ohhh!   Lovely, the drape on the cape is very nice. 

I agree with the shin placement, looks better above the boot.  Just a random question here, are you planning on leaving the pants tucked in?  Just asking because most cannon mando's don't have their pants tucked into their boots but it's not a CRL thing just a random observation.  I personally do tuck my pants into my boots but you can't see that under the half chaps on my kit ( they ride up otherwise).  Just courious

Socks are fantastic    Really complete the look 

As for your tailoring, double check it with your Ruus', but to me they look fine.  You're no baggier then Boba.  The trick is going to be getting it through apps and taking photos and explaining what you did to get where you are will make a big difference in the apps processes (They look at your build WIPs).   

Yay for the shoulder!!!    Losing bit's can be a bit disconcerting.  Finding them makes you feel like an accomplished bounty hunter. 

Bucket is coming along nicely!  This build just keeps getting better. 

Thank  you! You're feedback is super helpful.

So when it comes to tucking in the pants.... I guess I just assumed everyone tucked it in  but now that you point it out, I should probably not do that. Tucking them in isn't super comfortable and makes the pants look baggy. So I will fix up the edges and see how they look out of the boot! Thanks for pointing that out 

[Tramp Graphics]

Awe thank you so much!!!! You're so sweet! I really appreciate it and I bet your kit is going to look awesome

Thank  you! You're feedback is super helpful.

So when it comes to tucking in the pants.... I guess I just assumed everyone tucked it in  but now that you point it out, I should probably not do that. Tucking them in isn't super comfortable and makes the pants look baggy. So I will fix up the edges and see how they look out of the boot! Thanks for pointing that out 

That depends upon “how” you tuck them in. Another option is blousing the pant legs, like was done with BDU pants:

[Aster Veris]

That depends upon “how” you tuck them in. Another option is blousing the pant legs, like was done with BDU pants:

Thank you for the videos! I think I will just make them shorter and not tuck them in. seems pretty easy.

[Aster Veris]

Alrighty, not much has been going on, life gets in the way and I also watched Mad Max Fury Road twice in the past 24 hours.

I hemmed the pants and now have them not tucked in. I think they look much better this way.


I attached the shin plate, so the entire right leg is done. My velcro is sticky on the back so sewing it is very very slow and causes a lot of problems with my machine. But I think it looks good, much more form fitting now.



My shirt had front pockets when I bought it, so I moved one pocket to the upper arm of my left arm. It was actually pretty hard  but I'm slowly getting better at sewing!


So I tried to seal up my pant pockets and my sewing machine was freaking out, so I hand sewed half of it (and some of the leg hemming). Which is fine, I'll just add some extra weathering there to distract from my uneven stiches. I also ran out of tan thread, so the other pocket is open as of now. Hope I can find a good color match, but worst come to worse I'll just use white thread and weather it a lot.


As I said a few posts ago, my helmet print was incomplete, so I'm working on fixing the rangefinder. As you can see in the picture, the print is missing all the "inside" stuff, so I've been working on making it look like the real thing.


But my rangefinder stalk is almost good to go! My dad and I drilled some holes and installed a screw (and some washers). It works well.... except the screw is too small so the stalk keeps falling off. Hopefully we should get the right piece tomorrow and actually install it!

I've also been sanding my blaster a lot. It's getting there. I decided to not use xtc-3d on it to see if I could smooth lines without it.... and it's hard. But I'm going to do it (and use xtc-3d every time in the future  ) The new black primer makes it look VERY cool.


And today's fun socks are polar bears 


Quick question to the mandoverse: tips on fiber glassing? I think I want to reinforce the inside of my helmet and knees, and I just have NO idea where to start. What type to get? It's two parts, the material and resiny stuff, how does that work? I can figure it out myself but would love some tips from people who know what they're doing.

Thanks for reading! Oya!

[Cattriss Wren]

Pants look much better!! shirt is coming along nicely. Awesome blaster!! and love the socks

[K'Rom Maxx]

Your kit is coming along nicely. Well done vod! 

OYAAA! 

[Vercopaanir]

They said it! Looking great!

In relation to fiberglassing the inside of your knees and bucket I can offer a little advice (I have only done this twice so you might have better luck looking up a youtube video on it).  This method is a bit like pouring concrete.  The resin acts like the concrete while the fiberglass matt is similar to rebar...sorry construction analogy. 

The fiberglass matt will fray, so use very sharp scissors when cutting it and don't handle it anymore than is necessary.  It goes on a bit like paper mache.  So dip a strip (cut the mat into strips, I usually use 1.5 inch wide pieces) into the resin.  Less is more, so a light amount of resin coating the fiberglass matt works best.  Each strip should slightly overlap the previous one.  This can be laid down however you chose.  I personally laid them down in one direction and then add a strip or two in a perpendicular method.  Be aware that this will add weight to the items you are fiberglassing.  I went overboard on my bucket and it now weighs almost 5lbs which is a lot to wear on your head.  I also did two different applications with two layers of strips on each one.  One layer was plenty when I reinforced the back of my chestplate after it got run over by a car and I only ran two strips cross wise to the rest of them.

Anyways that's what I have to offer on the topic of fiberglassing.  Oh and be safe handling it, gloves (respirator if you have one) and do it outdoors.

Pants look much more fitted this way and the socks are fun.   

Good luck 

[Rhue_Shofytt]

Vercopaanir gave you good advice, I'll just reiterate some, plus a few random tips I picked up after doing the fiberglass on the inside of my bucket.

1. Plain old Bondo brand fiberglass resin and fiberglass cloth is what I use. The resin comes in a rectangular can with a screw cap. You can also get fiberglass jelly, which is the same chemical as the normal resin, but it's thicker so it doesn't drip down vertical surfaces. I got mine at Lowe's, usually it's in the paint section. Like you said, it comes in 2 parts, the resin, and a little tube of clear liquid hardener. The back of the can tells you how much hardener to add, 10 drops of hardener for 1 oz of resin. Those little paper Dixie cups are great for mixing in, about 1/4-1/3 of a Dixie cup is an oz. You can use less than 10 drops of hardener if it's really hot to give you more time before the resin starts to cure and get gummy. Its been 95°F where I live lately and I get about 20 minutes to work with the resin when I use 8 drops. You can also add more hardener if it's cold where you live.

2. The resin doesn't really add strength to whatever you're trying to reinforce. The strength comes from the fiberglass, so you don't need to use a ton of resin. I've found that using a chip brush to brush some resin onto the spot where I want to put the mat to make it stick, then laying down the fiberglass, and finally kind of "stamping" the brush across the resin until it is saturated with resin and turns translucent is a good approach. Right now my helmet is made of 2 layers of base cardboard, 2 layers of fiberglass on the inside, and 3 layers of resin on the outside, and it weighs just over 1lb. You can definitely get a strong and light helmet, you just have to be sparing with the resin.

3. Resin is very sticky, and fiberglass is very itchy. Definitely wear gloves and long sleeves if you can, when you're sticking your arm inside the bucket to get the dome you can get resin on your inner arms and that's not fun.

3b. Because the resin is really sticky, using your hands to pick up the fiberglass works since you'll inevitably end up with resin on your gloves, but it also makes the fiberglass fray more and also just gets really annoying after a while. When I did my second layer, I partially wrapped a popsicle stick in painter's tape, sticky side out, and used that to pick up my fiberglass pieces. It worked perfectly and my hands stayed much cleaner since I wasn't pressing them into the resin to stick the fiberglass down. Win win 

4. Get either a reusable respirator, or a pack of disposable painting masks. They're stuffy and make your face sweat but PPE is important  Also it might sound like overkill but if you have a pair of safety glasses it might not hurt to throw them on, I've gotten itchy eyes from the fumes before.

Hopefully that was helpful and not overwhelming!

[Arco'thyel Wyshla]

Thanks for the great advice guys! I'd also been considering fiberglass and had no idea where to begin -- I gotta save this for future reference.

The pant hem looks excellent, and I love the many-buckles aesthetic!

[Kurshi BeJahaal]

Wow, I don't check this thread for about a week and you're dang near finished haha.

So everything is looking great! I love the setup with your pants and how you tailored them. That looks awesome. I don't think there will be any issue with the shorter shin plates.

I do want to say that there's a bit of inconsistent spacing with your chest plates. Specifically between the chest and the ab. Are they permanently attached or can they be adjusted a bit? It also looks like your posture has one of your shoulders sitting lower than the other. I have the same problem, thanks skateboarding injury! It just makes your left side of the plates look a little crowded. It's likely something you can be aware of and try to lift that shoulder a bit during photos.

It's a bit annoying to have to do that, but injuries don't really care haha.

But I do love your colors and the work you're doing!

[Aster Veris]

Gosh I take a few days for myself and forget about all the comments! Thank you all for reading  I really appreciate it 

Pants look much better!! shirt is coming along nicely. Awesome blaster!! and love the socks

Thank you! I have lots of funky socks so I'll show some on my posts 

Your kit is coming along nicely. Well done vod! 

OYAAA! 

Thank you! Oya 

They said it! Looking great!

In relation to fiberglassing the inside of your knees and bucket I can offer a little advice (I have only done this twice so you might have better luck looking up a youtube video on it).  This method is a bit like pouring concrete.  The resin acts like the concrete while the fiberglass matt is similar to rebar...sorry construction analogy. 

The fiberglass matt will fray, so use very sharp scissors when cutting it and don't handle it anymore than is necessary.  It goes on a bit like paper mache.  So dip a strip (cut the mat into strips, I usually use 1.5 inch wide pieces) into the resin.  Less is more, so a light amount of resin coating the fiberglass matt works best.  Each strip should slightly overlap the previous one.  This can be laid down however you chose.  I personally laid them down in one direction and then add a strip or two in a perpendicular method.  Be aware that this will add weight to the items you are fiberglassing.  I went overboard on my bucket and it now weighs almost 5lbs which is a lot to wear on your head.  I also did two different applications with two layers of strips on each one.  One layer was plenty when I reinforced the back of my chestplate after it got run over by a car and I only ran two strips cross wise to the rest of them.

Anyways that's what I have to offer on the topic of fiberglassing.  Oh and be safe handling it, gloves (respirator if you have one) and do it outdoors.

Pants look much more fitted this way and the socks are fun.   

Good luck 

Thanks so much, especially for the tips on fiber glassing! I use my respirator for basically everything I do... I have asthma and I'm worried about getting gross stuff into my lungs. And thanks for the sock love!

Vercopaanir gave you good advice, I'll just reiterate some, plus a few random tips I picked up after doing the fiberglass on the inside of my bucket.

1. Plain old Bondo brand fiberglass resin and fiberglass cloth is what I use. The resin comes in a rectangular can with a screw cap. You can also get fiberglass jelly, which is the same chemical as the normal resin, but it's thicker so it doesn't drip down vertical surfaces. I got mine at Lowe's, usually it's in the paint section. Like you said, it comes in 2 parts, the resin, and a little tube of clear liquid hardener. The back of the can tells you how much hardener to add, 10 drops of hardener for 1 oz of resin. Those little paper Dixie cups are great for mixing in, about 1/4-1/3 of a Dixie cup is an oz. You can use less than 10 drops of hardener if it's really hot to give you more time before the resin starts to cure and get gummy. Its been 95°F where I live lately and I get about 20 minutes to work with the resin when I use 8 drops. You can also add more hardener if it's cold where you live.

2. The resin doesn't really add strength to whatever you're trying to reinforce. The strength comes from the fiberglass, so you don't need to use a ton of resin. I've found that using a chip brush to brush some resin onto the spot where I want to put the mat to make it stick, then laying down the fiberglass, and finally kind of "stamping" the brush across the resin until it is saturated with resin and turns translucent is a good approach. Right now my helmet is made of 2 layers of base cardboard, 2 layers of fiberglass on the inside, and 3 layers of resin on the outside, and it weighs just over 1lb. You can definitely get a strong and light helmet, you just have to be sparing with the resin.

3. Resin is very sticky, and fiberglass is very itchy. Definitely wear gloves and long sleeves if you can, when you're sticking your arm inside the bucket to get the dome you can get resin on your inner arms and that's not fun.

3b. Because the resin is really sticky, using your hands to pick up the fiberglass works since you'll inevitably end up with resin on your gloves, but it also makes the fiberglass fray more and also just gets really annoying after a while. When I did my second layer, I partially wrapped a popsicle stick in painter's tape, sticky side out, and used that to pick up my fiberglass pieces. It worked perfectly and my hands stayed much cleaner since I wasn't pressing them into the resin to stick the fiberglass down. Win win 

4. Get either a reusable respirator, or a pack of disposable painting masks. They're stuffy and make your face sweat but PPE is important  Also it might sound like overkill but if you have a pair of safety glasses it might not hurt to throw them on, I've gotten itchy eyes from the fumes before.

Hopefully that was helpful and not overwhelming!

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the step by step explanation, I'm always worried if I'm doing things correctly and this really helps. I will totally use a respirator and gloves, and sure I will use my safety glasses on too! PPE is super important!

Thanks for the great advice guys! I'd also been considering fiberglass and had no idea where to begin -- I gotta save this for future reference.

The pant hem looks excellent, and I love the many-buckles aesthetic!

Thank you! I feel a bit like a pirate

Wow, I don't check this thread for about a week and you're dang near finished haha.

So everything is looking great! I love the setup with your pants and how you tailored them. That looks awesome. I don't think there will be any issue with the shorter shin plates.

I do want to say that there's a bit of inconsistent spacing with your chest plates. Specifically between the chest and the ab. Are they permanently attached or can they be adjusted a bit? It also looks like your posture has one of your shoulders sitting lower than the other. I have the same problem, thanks skateboarding injury! It just makes your left side of the plates look a little crowded. It's likely something you can be aware of and try to lift that shoulder a bit during photos.

It's a bit annoying to have to do that, but injuries don't really care haha.

But I do love your colors and the work you're doing!

Thank you!
So the plates are attached with snaps (for spacing) and velcro (for support). I can move the plates around a bit (I used hot glue to put the snaps on the plates, so I just heat it up and they come off). If you could expand upon the inconsistent areas, that would be really helpful. I looked and all my plates (except around the iron heart) are my thumb's width apart, and they were spaced by my Rus'alor and Alor'ad at an in person armor party. The photos I take for this thread are honestly pretty bad (the "good lighting" photos are pretty but the armor looks all wonky due to my pose) but I can totally work on fixing the plates if you let me know where it needs fixing.
And yes my posture is TERRIBLE, that's definitely something I need to work on! But I measured and the shoulders are symmetrical. So it's a me problem and not my armor problem 

[Aster Veris]

Okay! I've been weathering things up!

I got my gold jaig eyes on my helmet


Then weathered my gloves



I did a lot more but imgur  ing hates me and won't let anything upload  So I'll update with more photos when I can! I started with my half bracers, made my rangefinder, weathered my helmet, vest, shirt, pouch, girth belt, and boots. I've been busy 
Also my gold visor finally arrived!

This post's funky socks were koala bear socks but Imgur chose violence 

Thanks for reading this short little update! Will do another post when I'm able 

[Kuyan Jai'galaar]

Dang, that helmet looks great! What did you use to add the jaig eyes?

Also…did you say gold visor?  I’ve got to see this.

[Aster Veris]

Dang, that helmet looks great! What did you use to add the jaig eyes?

Also…did you say gold visor?  I’ve got to see this.

Thank you so much!

I made the template for the jaig eyes myself. I can do a tutorial with pictures at some point if that helps, it's how I make all my templates. Basically I drew the design I wanted on regular paper, then cut out the eye design (aka the parts I wanted gold). Then I got some wax paper and stuck a few strips of painter's tape onto it. I transferred the design onto the tape by just coloring in the eye I made on the paper. I then cut out the eye on the tape/wax paper. Then I just pulled the tape off of the wax paper and now I have a stencil! The eye should stay on the wax paper while the rest comes off, and I just stuck it on my helmet and did the painting with gold spray paint.

And yes, I did say gold visor  I got one off of the forums from Kalevala visors and it's so beautiful. I haven't installed it yet but here's a silly photo I took right when I got the package. It's super smooth and clear, basically a gold mirror!

[Vercopaanir]

Jaig eyes look good! 

Partial to gold myself, though I just used a tinted window film for my visor. 

Weathering looks good too!