Don't like ads? Help support the Mercs by becoming a Supporter or Auxiliary Member today! (You will need to be logged into the store)
Official Members also get to use the forum ad-free - so kit up and join us!

 Ca'tra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor

  • 18 Replies
  • 2546 Views
Ca'tra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor
« on: Sep 30, 2021, 12:57 AM »
Su 'cuy! I've finally gotten my soft parts far enough that I think I can start sizing. For most of the armor, I'll be using the WOF Boba Fett templates. Going for something sort of simple the first time around. Right now I'm thinking the ab plate might need to be a little shorter. And I need to figure out what I'm doing with the shoulders so they're the right proportion compared to the helmet. Any suggestions on sizing and spacing? Also, I've been wondering about the collar piece. How far over the shoulders should it go? Thanks vode!



If you want to check out my other WIP threads, here are some links. (Still need to update the soft parts thread.)

Concept: https://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=204700.msg2238509#msg2238509

Helmet: https://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=205036.msg2241155#msg2241155

Soft Parts: https://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=205883.msg2245813#msg2245813


« Last Edit: Oct 12, 2021, 04:07 PM by Catra Veshok » Logged

Second Son


    *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • 1186
  • Awards Special Weapons EnviroOps Special Operations Brigade Member
Re: Cat'ra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor
« Reply #1 on: Sep 30, 2021, 11:56 AM »
I was thinking that the chest and ab plates may all be too tall and wide for your torso, but then I was thinking they will need a little extra length to allow for fitting and shaping around your body. Reshaping the material (when you get to actual plate making) to fit your specific body shape will change the outer edges somewhat. If you use darts at the outer edges that will pull the lower extension slightly outward and upward, and if you dish the plates any that will pull all the edges toward the center of the curvature slightly. All that will affect the bottom profile and the spacing at the ab plate - It may make sense to get the overall size of the upper plates set, then work the chest pieces to the right size and shape, and come back and re-do the ab plate shape 'live'. 
A good idea that I'm blatantly stealing from elsewhere - half-size paper mockups of your chest plates can help you practice the cuts and folds etc to figure out where you need to start making alterations  - then go full size in cardboard or chipboard to dial it in before cutting anything out of your armor material.
 That will probably save you time, material($$$), and frustration in the long run.


For the collar piece - I don't think there is a hard fast rule.  Canon Fett has the collar tied to the back plate, but there are many approved kits that don't. It'll come down to your preference and how it feels on you, whether you have a back plate or a cape, how it looks etc.  I would recommend starting with more than you think you'll need and cut it down as you go - it's harder to cut something a bit longer than it is to cut it a little shorter.

Re: Cat'ra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor
« Reply #2 on: Sep 30, 2021, 03:01 PM »
Thanks very much for the advice, vod! That's really helpful.


A good idea that I'm blatantly stealing from elsewhere - half-size paper mockups of your chest plates can help you practice the cuts and folds etc to figure out where you need to start making alterations  - then go full size in cardboard or chipboard to dial it in before cutting anything out of your armor material.
 That will probably save you time, material($$$), and frustration in the long run.


I'm curious, why do mockups half-size? Just so it's less flimsy since you're using paper?

Logged

Second Son


    *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • 1186
  • Awards Special Weapons EnviroOps Special Operations Brigade Member
Re: Cat'ra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor
« Reply #3 on: Sep 30, 2021, 08:43 PM »

I'm curious, why do mockups half-size? Just so it's less flimsy since you're using paper?

that, there's less material used, it's easier to manipulate and get the feel for the alterations with lower stakes and less pressure to 'get it right'. I went with half because it's easy to scale, but any scale smaller than full would accomplish the goal.

Re: Cat'ra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor
« Reply #4 on: Oct 12, 2021, 04:11 PM »
that, there's less material used, it's easier to manipulate and get the feel for the alterations with lower stakes and less pressure to 'get it right'. I went with half because it's easy to scale, but any scale smaller than full would accomplish the goal.

Okay, makes sense. Thanks!  :like:

Logged
Re: Ca'tra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor
« Reply #5 on: Oct 21, 2021, 02:00 AM »
I finally got my flak vest to a point where I could try out the top plates on it. I cut templates out of posterboard and curved them a bit to get a better idea of how this sizing would sit. I think the ab plate will just have to be scaled down to a smaller percentage than everything else. And I made the collar plate narrower because I have narrow shoulders. I was concerned this would leave too much of a gap between that and the pauldrons, but it came to a little less than 2 inches. Actually, maybe I should measure that on top of the shoulder too. I measured it at the front of the shoulder.

Also, I kind of like this red color. Future kit maybe  ;D





Logged

Fabian


    *
  • 805
  • The guy on the bounty puk is not me I promise
Re: Ca'tra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor
« Reply #6 on: Oct 21, 2021, 02:57 AM »
Looking Good

Logged
This is the way
Mando name : Azrud Shurd
Up to date WIP: https://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=207106.msg2255614#msg2255614

I’d like to offer you moral support, but I have questionable morals.
Re: Ca'tra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor
« Reply #7 on: Oct 22, 2021, 04:54 PM »

Logged

Cattriss Wren


    *
  • 596
  • "Vurel verburyc, draar solus"
Re: Ca'tra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor
« Reply #8 on: Oct 29, 2021, 10:26 PM »
Very nice! :like:

Logged
my armor. http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=203296.0

 "Mandalorians don't make threats. We make promises"
 
"Everyone has a struggle in life. The key is turning that struggle into your weapon."

Aster Veris


    *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • 918
  • "Monarch of mud"
  • Awards EnviroOps Beastmaster Brigade Member
Re: Ca'tra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor
« Reply #9 on: Nov 03, 2021, 04:01 PM »
vest looks great! the plates may be a little bit too wide, it ultimately comes down to how comfortable they are. move your arms around a lot, sit in different positions and see if the plates hinder your movement.

Logged

OM #2630 | BM #394 | they/them | mav oya'la clan |IG: @ plant.alorian | Aster WIP
Re: Ca'tra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor
« Reply #10 on: Nov 05, 2021, 01:55 PM »
vest looks great! the plates may be a little bit too wide, it ultimately comes down to how comfortable they are. move your arms around a lot, sit in different positions and see if the plates hinder your movement.

I think you're right. I'll have to do some adjusting. I tried out the armor on Halloween (as I'll show in the next post.) Thanks vod!

Logged
Re: Ca'tra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor
« Reply #11 on: Nov 05, 2021, 04:57 PM »
Okay, here's an update finally, and probably the only one for this month because I'm tackling NaNoWriMo!  :D So yes, the plates turned out to be a bit big and will need some trimming and shaping. But here's my process to the point I'm at now.

First of all, I forgot to show how I modified the template for the shoulder pieces. I both lengthened and narrowed the shape.



First piece cut out! Yay!



And here's how I arranged the pieces to cut out. I thought it would be a good idea to leave enough space between that I could cut past the marked lines for cleaner corners.



After holding the collar piece up to myself, I realized it was too wide for moving my arms, which I hadn't noticed with the posterboard template. So I trimmed it down.



Next morning I took a dremel to it. Months ago, I was debating whether to get 3mm or 6mm sintra. I decided on the latter. But once it arrived, I worried it would look too thick and bulky. So my solution has been trimming the edges at a slant, and using that as a design element.



Then I took a heat gun to it. I'm discovering with most of these materials I've used for helmet and armor that they take awhile to heat up enough to shape, but once they do, they can quickly get too hot and melty... and let off bad fumes. So be CAREFUL and wear a RESPIRATOR, my fellow foundlings, with a filter that can block chlorine gas (and maybe other things?) if you're working with sintra or other PVC stuff.
This is kind of like making a grilled cheese sandwich.  It takes forever to heat up, and then you burn it.  :rolleyes:



I cut the ab plate shorter and a little narrower to try and fit between the chest plates and not go over the flak vest edge. So it ends up at a smaller scale than the rest of the pieces.

Then . . . oops. I tried to pry this out of the sintra too soon. The smaller section is what tends to break first, I've discovered. I'll have to recut this one. I just used it for Halloween though, and pretended it was durasteel that got too close to a lightsaber before my character started replacing armor pieces with beskar.  ;D



Here it is after some heat forming. More will need to be done, as you will see.



Trimmed the top outside corners of the chest plates so they'd look better with the narrower collar and also allow more mobility.



Dremeled the edges and melted the crack in the ab plate a little so it would sell the lightsaber idea better.  :laugh: NOTE: As I said before, for any fellow foundlings out there, you want to be CAREFUL with getting sintra too hot because of fumes. Do research on whatever material you're using. In my case, a friendly Mando on the FB forum warned me about sintra letting off chlorine gas.

Also, I think I'll need to go over the dremeled edges with some kind of filler because inside the sintra is foam cells, so the texture is kind of rough.



Black primer before the metallic paint because that makes the metallic layer look more . . . metallic. Really, it makes a difference!





I tried out some weathering on the broken piece for fun and effect. Later I'll cut out a new beskar piece.  ;D I scraped a rock and a crumpled piece of newspaper on it and  chucked the rock at it a few times, which left a few little nicks.



Ta daaa!




Okay... This attachment method was another temporary thing. But I learned some things. First of all, I need something that closes somewhere not in the front. (See my soft parts thread: http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=205883.msg2245813#msg2245813 ) I had some sticky back industrial strength velcro on hand. So I tacked a bunch of that onto the back of the armor plates and pressed it onto the vest. Then I started sewing on the vest ones because I REFUSED to go around half the day on Halloween with velcro losing its stick to the cloth and having armor fall off. Well, sewing and super sticky stuff don't mix well, sewing machine or by hand. My solution? No, not duct tape.

Staples.

Well, It held up for a day. Might hold up for longer. But I'll have to come up with something more secure for the actual soft piece I end up using to hold the armor. Like velcro that isn't sticky that I can actually sew on.



So here's how it fits currently. I did a trunk or treat for a few hours with a service organization I'm part of, and that helped me get a feel for what needs fixing. Yes, it's a bit wide. The middle outside corners of the chest plates dug into my arms and the plates rubbed into each other. So, some trimming down and further shaping are in order. But a lot of trunk or treaters were excited to see a Mando (in progress)! And the armor and helmet held up to hits from a combat grade lightsaber and a cheap Walmart Darksaber while dueling.  ;D





Well, thanks for all your input and support so far, ner vode! See you on the other side of NaNoWriMo!

(I'm half tempted to include this post in my word count. But no...  :laugh: )


« Last Edit: Nov 06, 2021, 01:38 AM by Catra Veshok » Logged

Aster Veris


    *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • 918
  • "Monarch of mud"
  • Awards EnviroOps Beastmaster Brigade Member
Re: Ca'tra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor
« Reply #12 on: Nov 06, 2021, 03:37 AM »
For the edges of the sintra, sand with a high grit and use filler primer. It shouldn't give you that much trouble. For the velcro, I've used hot glue or gorilla glue for quick fixes. I use this really strong velcro that doesn't come without the sticky side so I couldn't sew it and that's the solution I came up with. But make sure you really want the velcro like that, it's a commitment.
You understand what your plates need to be comfortable and I think you're doing really well!

Good luck with your writing!

Logged

OM #2630 | BM #394 | they/them | mav oya'la clan |IG: @ plant.alorian | Aster WIP

Cattriss Wren


    *
  • 596
  • "Vurel verburyc, draar solus"
Re: Ca'tra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor
« Reply #13 on: Nov 09, 2021, 01:33 PM »
That looks awesome Cat'ra!! I really like the paint. So shiny!

Logged
my armor. http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=203296.0

 "Mandalorians don't make threats. We make promises"
 
"Everyone has a struggle in life. The key is turning that struggle into your weapon."
Re: Ca'tra Veshok FIrst Kit Armor
« Reply #14 on: Nov 09, 2021, 07:57 PM »
For the edges of the sintra, sand with a high grit and use filler primer. It shouldn't give you that much trouble. For the velcro, I've used hot glue or gorilla glue for quick fixes. I use this really strong velcro that doesn't come without the sticky side so I couldn't sew it and that's the solution I came up with. But make sure you really want the velcro like that, it's a commitment.
You understand what your plates need to be comfortable and I think you're doing really well!

Good luck with your writing!

Thanks for the ideas!  Maybe I'll try some of that filler primer on my helmet, too.

Logged
 


Don't like ads? Help support the Mercs by becoming a Supporter or Auxiliary Member today! (You will need to be logged into the store)
Official Members also get to use the forum ad-free - so kit up and join us!




Powered by EzPortal