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[Rhue_Shofytt]

Hi all, I’m Rhue!

I’ve been on the forums for a few years now and have amassed a small horde of armor bits and bobs, but I was never able to settle on a color scheme or armor design that really felt like me. However, I’m now only a few weeks away from graduating from college, so I’ve been channeling my senioritis into coming up with some new armor designs.

The plan is to do a medium kit, legacy-style, with a blaster pistol as my main weapon. I definitely want to add a rifle and some sort of short sword/beskad down the road as well. My primary armor color will be white, with maroon accents and various shades of brown/black for the soft parts. The concept art below isn’t entirely accurate, it just conveys the general armor placement that I’m going for. I will also be adding maroon accents to all the armor pieces, not just the chest plate.



Armor:
I started templating with the chest armor. I like the look of sharp, angled panels better than smooth curves, so I decided to go with that approach. I started with a messy first draft:



Then made a second draft and added the collar and ab plates. Any feedback on the proportions would be appreciated, specifically the width of the chest plate up between my shoulders and the size of the collar plate.



For the backplate, I want to include a spinal detail like in the sketch below. If I get the thumbs up, I also want to add LEDs behind the individual vertebrae so it looks like the suit is actively doing something to protect my spine. I don’t want it to look too “generic sci-fi” though, so let me know if I should modify it to make it more swarzy.



The tabs on either side will wrap around my torso and connect to the sides of the chest plate. I haven’t decided on an attachment method yet but I was considering using nylon straps and industrial snaps mounted on the inside surfaces of the chest and back plates. For the other armor pieces, I basically just tried to carry through some angular elements like I used in the chest and back plates. Gauntlets will be based on the live-action Bo-Katan gaunts.



Since taking that photo I have scaled up the knees slightly but the overall shape is the same.

Helmet:
I have a half-finished cardboard base that I’ll be using, and I’ll pick up a bike helmet for the dome instead of trying to do it myself. The cardboard will get a few coats of resin on the outside and resin/fiberglass cloth on the inside to make sure it won’t warp before adding bondo, primer, etc.



Soft Parts:
I have a couple yards of 2-way stretch denim from Joann for the flightsuit that I’ll have access to once I move back home. I also have the Simplicity 8277 pattern that I started modifying last summer, but it still needs some work before I’m ready to start working with the denim. For my vest, I picked out some natural-colored duck cloth, also from Joann. I love contrasting topstitching and want to incorporate it into my design, so I’m looking at getting the Sionnach Studios Bo-Katan flak vest pattern (as long as it’s acceptable for use on custom modern-era kits).

I’ll be using a pair of brown Timberland Pros I already own that are super comfy, and I’m planning on making boot plates to cover the laces and logos on the heel. And finally, I also have a pair of fingerless black paintball gloves that I attacked with a seam-ripper to get the logo patches off.

Next Steps:

• Confirm if spinal detail is acceptable
• Finalize flightsuit pattern, dye fabric, and start sewing flightsuit/vest
• ??

Thanks for taking the time to read all of this!!

[Odran Krayt]

Looks like a good start! I'd recommend getting a flak vest done as well before shaping the final plates, since having it on will have a different fit than a t-shirt. But overall, looks like you have a solid concept, and a pretty good handle on how to put it together

[Rhue_Shofytt]

Looks like a good start! I'd recommend getting a flak vest done as well before shaping the final plates, since having it on will have a different fit than a t-shirt. But overall, looks like you have a solid concept, and a pretty good handle on how to put it together

Thank you!

And yes, I'm definitely going to hold off on cutting any of my templates out until I've got my base layers all sorted out.

[Vercopaanir]

Love you design!

The collar plate does look a smidge narrow.  I think a two inch gap is the max distance you can have between the collar and shoulder so you might want to widen it a bit at the top.  Maybe reflect the chest angle?  It would be more of an hourglass shape but it should put you in range without re-doing everything.  Or move your shoulder up onto the top of the shoulder and add a few smaller plates out to the edge.  This is a legacy kit so overlapping plates is kinda the thing. 

I can't speak to the back plate.  See if you can track down your local Ruus'alor and ask them.  They should be able to get you sorted.  Should probably ask them if denim is an acceptable material too.  Don't think we see it anywhere in Star Wars.   I would hate for you to put the time and effort into it only to have it turned down.

Absolutely love your angles and can't wait to see this come to life.   

[Rhue_Shofytt]

Tysm for the encouragement  And I'll definitely look into shifting the position of the collar plate around a little bit. I had no idea about that 2" rule either, so that will be good to keep in mind.

Should probably ask them if denim is an acceptable material too.  Don't think we see it anywhere in Star Wars.   I would hate for you to put the time and effort into it only to have it turned down.

Yeah so I just realized that I forgot to specify that it's white denim, not regular blue-jeans denim haha (I know mandos are basically space cowboys but I'm not quite that into the yeehaw aesthetic  ). I also forgot to say that I'm gonna dye it black, so once it's dyed it should look like regular ol' cotton twill.

[Odran Krayt]

My flightsuit is black denim and it passed fine in both app and reapp, I think the big thing is avoiding the clear jeans design and the blue jeans blue.

[A'Vhekad]

Hi Rhue!

I'm your friendly, neighborhood Haran'galaar ruus'alor!  Thank you for posting up a WIP thread!  Makes it much easier to help you avoid any pitfalls!  Hopefully by the time you make it back to San Diego we will be closer to having in person armor parties again.

I like the look of your design so far!  Kind of Old Repbulic/Shae Vizla on the chestplate.  I would agree with your assessment that the collar plate is a bit narrow.  Tapering it and the chest outward a bit would give a little better look.  I would suggest adding your shoulder plates on next so that you can get a better feel for how the entire shoulder area will look.

Your shin plates look short as well, depending on how you want them to look in reality versus what the template makes them look like.  It will depend on what boots you are going to go with as well.

Denim is not a problem at all.  My vest is light weight tan denim.  As long as you aren't going for an '80s acid washed look...

I'm looking forward to seeing how your construction comes together!  While I'm familiar with the technique that you are planning to use, almost all of the locals use Sintra construction or 3D printed parts.

[Rhue_Shofytt]

Hi A'Vhekad, nice to meet you! Thanks for the feedback too! 

Do you have a ballpark estimate for how much material I should add to each side of the collar plate? Am I looking at adding like 1/4" or more like 1-2"?

I don't have my boots with me right now or I'd drop a photo of me wearing them with the shin templates on, but they're 6" Timberlands so they come up about an inch or two above my ankle.



For now, I was taking inspiration from the animated version of Bo-Katan's armor, specifically with regard to how her shin armor starts several inches above her ankle:



That's the idea anyways. Once I get home and can try on the templates and the boots together I can adjust the length if they're too short.

Also, thanks for the confirmation about the denim! Definitely not going for 80's vibes 

[A'Vhekad]

Do you have a ballpark estimate for how much material I should add to each side of the collar plate? Am I looking at adding like 1/4" or more like 1-2"?

Not a ton, as then the armor would be a lot chunkier looking, which I get the feeling isn't the look you are going for.  Also, exact measurement would depend on proportions...  But something like this possibly?

[Rhue_Shofytt]

Ok so I got a chance to mess around with the width of the chest plate a little bit this week. Originally I was just going to try and add some triangular wedges along the major fold lines of the template but that got messy so I just made a new one.  I ended up adding a little more than 3/4" to each side.

I also cut out a new collar plate and widened the gap between the bottom of the collar and the top edge of the chest plate. I think I'm going to adjust the collar plate "arms" so they follow the chest plate lines a little better as opposed to curving in towards my neck.

     

Before/After:

     

I also finished my initial template for the backplate! It looks wider in the photo than it does IRL, I have plenty of lateral arm mobility in it. The trauma plate panel on the left side is going to get mirrored on my right side, I'm just lazy and didn't add it.



I asked this in the female armor section and didn't get a response so maybe I'll get one here, but is there a requirement for where the bottom edge of the cod plate needs to be located? I'm planning on using a design similar to the animated Bo-Katan's cod but I wasn't sure how much freedom I have to shift it up/down.

[Vercopaanir]

I like the new width of the chest plate.  Just be sure you can raise both your arms up without them being pushed out by it.   

As to the cod...I went with a armored loin cloth so I am no expert.  If you look at Boba it runs from the waist items to just between the legs.  If you look at Bo Katan, hers almost sits between the hips and does not go down as far but I wouldn't go any higher then hers for sure.  So I think you have  a little bit of room to work with.   Your ruus' will correct me if I am wrong. 

Good luck and keep building. 

[Tramp Graphics]

I was reading the Q&A forum and the question about Bo Katan’s “cod piece”, such as its is actually counts as I such, and the answer was no. It is not considered a cod piece by MMC regs.

I have a question about:

Is the highlighted piece approvable as a cod piece for a custom post imperial build?

It counts as a piece of lower body armor for the 4 pieces needed if you don't have a cod, but no it does not count as a cod.

[Rhue_Shofytt]

I like the new width of the chest plate.  Just be sure you can raise both your arms up without them being pushed out by it.   

As to the cod...I went with a armored loin cloth so I am no expert.  If you look at Boba it runs from the waist items to just between the legs.  If you look at Bo Katan, hers almost sits between the hips and does not go down as far but I wouldn't go any higher then hers for sure.  So I think you have  a little bit of room to work with.   Your ruus' will correct me if I am wrong. 

Good luck and keep building. 

I was originally going to do a loincloth too but I realized that it just didn't fit the ~~vibe~~ I had in mind for the kit lol  I made a quick mockup and positioned it about where hers sits and it wasn't too uncomfortable, so I think you're right about not going higher than hers. I did get a reply on my other thread from Falke, who said that there isn't a hard and fast rule, but since flat cods aren't allowed, logic dictates that they have to be low enough to need shaping in the first place.

I was reading the Q&A forum and the question about Bo Katan’s “cod piece”, such as its is actually counts as I such, and the answer was no. It is not considered a cod piece by MMC regs.

I'm planning on using a design similar to the animated Bo-Katan's cod but I wasn't sure how much freedom I have to shift it up/down.

Wrong Bo-Katan vod. Thanks tho.

[Rhue_Shofytt]

Quick updates!

The more I looked at the pointy ab plate the less I liked it, so I swapped it out for one that's flatter across the bottom like the traditional Fett-style ab. It's wider and a little shorter so my mobility is  better, and I think it looks more proportional. The new trauma plate design is TBD.

I did hear somewhere that the bottom of the ab and the bottom of the backplate are supposed to line up, is that just a rule of thumb to ensure the backplate is roughly long enough?



I also got my cheek templates drafted! It took a couple iterations but I'm really happy with the way they turned out. I felt very legit posing in the mirror with my paper half-helmet and paper chest armor 

   

I went ahead and bought the Bo-Katan vest pattern from Sionnach studios because it was just too cool to pass up. I am planning on replacing the back velcro closure with a side zipper and a snap at the back of the neck though, I hate velcro   

I also went down a "what kinds of seams do you use to make pants" rabbit-hole yesterday (apparently the answer is mostly welt and mock flat-fell seams) because I really want the flight suit construction to be sturdy. I'm thinking about adding a panel of stretch suede on the inner thighs, kind of like what full seat riding breeches have.

At any rate, I'm flying home next weekend so I should be able to pick up my flightsuit pattern mockup and hopefully start making some real progress!

[Tramp Graphics]

Quick updates!

The more I looked at the pointy ab plate the less I liked it, so I swapped it out for one that's flatter across the bottom like the traditional Fett-style ab. It's wider and a little shorter so my mobility is  better, and I think it looks more proportional. The new trauma plate design is TBD.

I did hear somewhere that the bottom of the ab and the bottom of the backplate are supposed to line up, is that just a rule of thumb to ensure the backplate is roughly long enough?



I also got my cheek templates drafted! It took a couple iterations but I'm really happy with the way they turned out. I felt very legit posing in the mirror with my paper half-helmet and paper chest armor 

   

I went ahead and bought the Bo-Katan vest pattern from Sionnach studios because it was just too cool to pass up. I am planning on replacing the back velcro closure with a side zipper and a snap at the back of the neck though, I hate velcro   

I also went down a "what kinds of seams do you use to make pants" rabbit-hole yesterday (apparently the answer is mostly welt and mock flat-fell seams) because I really want the flight suit construction to be sturdy. I'm thinking about adding a panel of stretch suede on the inner thighs, kind of like what full seat riding breeches have.

At any rate, I'm flying home next weekend so I should be able to pick up my flightsuit pattern mockup and hopefully start making some real progress!

The Modern CRLs don’t say anything about the bottoms of the ab and back plates lining up. However,  they do say that neither  can extend past the bottom edge of the vest nor touch the waist items.