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!

 Second Son Second Kit

  • 16 Replies
  • 806 Views

Second Son


    *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • 890
  • Awards Special Operations Brigade Member
Second Son Second Kit
« on: Jan 30, 2023, 08:37 PM »
Well. I'm looking at Post Imperial for a second kit. I want to re-do the helmet color scheme from my absolute first foray into the Mando world, and use it on an official kit.
For the rest of the armor, the Look I'm currently feeling is "assembled from a few different sets of Mandalorian armor". I'm looking to walk a line between the COTW scrapper look and the more polished Kryze examples - mis matched colors and individual plate styles, but still a set of Mando plates, with no imperial scrounging. I'm planning to only use colors I already have in stock, and use current fabric and workwear supplies for soft kit. I have a Black Series Deathwatch helmet, but I have not committed to using it for this kit just yet.

I've drawn and mocked up a variant of the live action deathwatch chest plate, tested it for size, and double checked with the application approval team that it meets the design aesthetics for a PI chest plate.



I'm pretty sure I have what I want for my chest plate colors, and what I want my primary vest color to be. The arm and leg plate colors are not 100% fixed. I'm torn between having everything look like I just got dusted it off and put it on, or having the various color schemes peeking out from a newer paint job. Either way, I'm going to let the design flow as I work on it and see where I end up. Worst case scenario, I hate it and layer another paint scheme on top. I think the part I'm hung up on is the flightsuit color.

I'm looking at going one of these two directions:
 
 

The remaining plates are variations on my existing designs, as are the gauntlets. I may have accidentally sort of begun making the hard parts, just a little bit.


I've put a hard pause on that, since I haven't actually finished the soft kit. Even though I "know what I'm doing" (ha!) I intend to follow the prevailing wisdom and get that all sorted out before I go further.
I've got the beginnings of soft kit for either option - for the blue I have a set of coveralls and a matching work shirt that I would slice up and reassemble.
For the grey I would re-use the charcoal scrubs I used for my very first 'flightsuit' and similarly convert it into a PI style.
Neither option has less work involved, so it comes down to grey or blue.

Meanwhile, I have plenty of other stuff to work on for the flagship kit. See you all later with some sort of progress, sometime soon.

Jennari


    *
  • *
  • 714
  • "I am the best. Always was." - Jango Fett
  • Awards Celebration Anaheim 2022
Re: Second Son Second Kit
« Reply #1 on: Jan 30, 2023, 08:43 PM »
Beautiful start! Love the kit design!  :like:

trashcanmando


    *
  • *
  • *
  • 747
  • This is all Karen Traviss' fault. they/them
Re: Second Son Second Kit
« Reply #2 on: Jan 31, 2023, 01:12 PM »
Awesome! Loving this already!

Logged
Re: Second Son Second Kit
« Reply #3 on: Jan 31, 2023, 04:39 PM »
Amazing work as always. 

I can't wait to see more!

Logged

Vercopaanir


    *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • 1160
  • Fix'em or Finish'em
  • Awards Ground Pounder - Official Member with the most recorded invasions Award for 10 official invasions. Award for 50 official invasions. Award for 25 official invasions. 15+ invasions
Re: Second Son Second Kit
« Reply #4 on: Feb 01, 2023, 08:24 PM »
Your smithing is amazing and makes me just a touch jealous.  Keep up the good work!

Logged
Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened. -Dr. Seuss

Ursa Wren WIP
WIP Armor
WIP Helmet
WIP Weapons Post Imperial Build

Kandosii Tor


    *
  • *
  • *
  • 1218
  • MMCC 1164
  • Awards Award for 10 official invasions.
Re: Second Son Second Kit
« Reply #5 on: Feb 02, 2023, 11:55 AM »
Loving the chestplate design!

Logged

Fenn Beviin


    *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • 2080
  • MMCC #: 2116
  • Awards Mandalorian Protector Brigade Member
Re: Second Son Second Kit
« Reply #6 on: Feb 02, 2023, 01:01 PM »
Interesting!

Just my 2 cents here - but the checkered chest plate with everything else feels like a lot going on. What about making the ab plate the checkered portion?

Logged
"Try not to become a man of success, but a man of value."

Instagram: mythos_fenn_shysa

Mythos Fenn Arms (A Sales Thread): https://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=174182.msg2066382#new

Fenn Shysa WIP: http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=80765.0

SEE-5 blaster pistol and misc blasters: http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=110659.msg1820500

Second Son


    *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • 890
  • Awards Special Operations Brigade Member
Re: Second Son Second Kit
« Reply #7 on: Feb 20, 2023, 12:51 AM »
Thanks vode.   

Apparently I'm a liar about not doing more hard parts. I got some new tools and had to try them out. I got some inexpensive radius dollys, in straight and curved shapes. They really make a difference when finishing edges.

I also tried out some simple annealing to work thicker stock than I have before - it worked well enough.
Like before, I'm doing a brass chest diamond. I think it turned out ok.


I riveted the belly plate to the lower extension - I countersunk the holes and then filed away until they were as clean as I could get them.



It was just warm enough outside to push a speedpaint, so I did a quick color set that my final color scheme will go over - I want to show a little bit of history/lineage with this piece, to lean into the Post Imp / scrapper feel. Colors selected by Mrs. Second Son, who continues to be a very good sport.


Self-etching primer, Winter Grey, and Summersquash.
For a 'throwaway' design, I really like how it turned out. The stripe thing is maybe a little trendy but it actually looks pretty dang good.

I also started doing some other parts. I had a spare modern back plate with a slightly more truncated base design, and clipped off the shoulder tabs to turn into the collar bits - Epaulettes is the term I've heard and I like it.

It runs the danger of being a little small, even by PI standards but I can add some coverage.

I've been giving some thought to my two knees and two shins scheme, and decided to add a little variety and flexibility. So, I shaped up a spare butt plate like my Modern kit's with nice edge radiuses thanks to the new dollys(didn't snap any pics of that yet) and a very brief cod plate. The design is a more male-ish variant on the PI cod worn by Koska and Bo - it's clearly identified as a cod plate in the Understanding Post-Imperial Armor Guide in the Jadd Halls of Knowledge.

The funky markings along the top are from experimenting with a shrinking tool. The ridges I made by tracing a line with a blunted cold chisel and hammer - it put a nice bend and added stiffness, and made the plate a bit more visually interesting without much extra effort.
Pardon the "mugshot"

I'm thinking that with a butt plate, cod, one tall shin, one knee and shin plate set, and a second knee plate that I can make some choices and have some flex in the plates I wear for any given appearance. I'm thinking about how I'll do the mounting to allow for that flexiblity (it probably won't be magnets).


The final bit I got up to over the weekend was to lay down the first of my 'real' colors - a nice dark gray.

I'm experimenting with scattered salt for chipping in addition to my old standby of liquid latex. Almost all of the base colors will be invisible, but hopefully the shadow of the painted stripe and a bit of the layering around some chips and dents will show that story in a really cool, subtle way.

I'm really enjoying the design freedom of PI and not having to stress about every single thing affecting my chances at becoming an official member - this second kit is turning into something of a test kitchen for new tools and techniques. I can and will get it approved, but if something fails along the way I won't be too put out. I'm not setting any hard deadlines for anything either, since I have other stuff to do on my Modern kit as well.

trashcanmando


    *
  • *
  • *
  • 747
  • This is all Karen Traviss' fault. they/them
Re: Second Son Second Kit
« Reply #8 on: Feb 20, 2023, 08:51 AM »
This is looking gorgeous! You're lighting a fire under me to get working on my own metal plates!

Logged

Bowfanny


    *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • 9864
  • When in doubt, be kind.
  • Awards Order of the Ori'Ramikad Celebration Chicago Award for 25 official invasions. 11+ Invasion Report Appearances Award for 10 official invasions.
Re: Second Son Second Kit
« Reply #9 on: Feb 21, 2023, 07:40 PM »
Looking awesome so far!

Logged
It is not who you are but the service you do for others that defines you.
QMU#084

Second Son


    *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • 890
  • Awards Special Operations Brigade Member
Re: Second Son Second Kit
« Reply #10 on: Feb 22, 2023, 09:47 PM »
This is looking gorgeous! You're lighting a fire under me to get working on my own metal plates!
You won't be disappointed in how metal takes paint and weathering.

Looking awesome so far!
  Thanks vod. Having too much fun.

I got some real enjoyment out of doing the paint and chipping on the chest plate.
If I were going to repeat the job, I would change up the order of operations a little, and take longer between layers, but I'm satisfied with the outcome.






One little detail I put in - I masked off the center of the Iron Heart from the beginning, and then ran all my layers.



I'll hold off on washes and space grime until I have my soft kit wearable and more hard parts done.


Speaking of soft kit, I've been working on blocking out the parts. I'm trying to use up the fabric stash so I'm planning on only using stuff I have on hand.

I'm using my very first helmet as the basis for the new kit helmet colors, I like how it goes with the chest plate so far.
I'm going back and forth on the teal and dark gray for the cape. I think I'll need to get a few more plates painted before I make the final call.



That's it for now. Gonna see where inspiration and time to work on stuff takes me next.

trashcanmando


    *
  • *
  • *
  • 747
  • This is all Karen Traviss' fault. they/them
Re: Second Son Second Kit
« Reply #11 on: Feb 23, 2023, 06:43 AM »
Kandosii!  :o That's really gorgeous!

Logged

Second Son


    *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • 890
  • Awards Special Operations Brigade Member
Re: Second Son Second Kit
« Reply #12 on: Feb 25, 2023, 01:03 AM »
Thanks vod.
Looks like inspiration hit faster than I anticipated.

I have some slightly heavier and more shoulder-bell type plates that I'm thinking of using. Shown here in profile and elevation with a Fett style shoulder for comparison - the coverage is similar, but I feel like  the domed shaping is more in line with the PI era aesthetic. It's got a little flair in the profile - it's not a strictly Mandalorian Official  Screen Used Type but I think it looks sufficiently in-universe that I won't have issues. 


I dug out my very first vest, rolled the bottom up to a more PI hem height, and pinned it. Then I mocked up placement of my upper body armor and threw on my OG bucket for proportion.  I'l probably use the vest as the base for a pattern but it'll get tailored more.


Chest is feeling good overall. Fit and proportion are good so far.



Shoulders feel good, back plate could use a bit more shape. Jill was wondering what I was doing.


PI back plates tend to be very brief; I'm unsure if this one is too small. The width is good, I spent some time making sure it wasn't wider than the chest plate. It covers 2/3 of the area covered by the vest (mockup), at least. With a cummerbund, gun belt and a butt plate the back shouldn't feel too bare. Plus I'm planning on a cape.
My plan for the weekend involves a little bit of hammer time on the back plate and epaulettes and fussing over the position of my back plate.  I may give in to the urge I've been feeling to make a tasset out of a spare plate. 
Or I could actually get some progress made on a soft kit to go behind these plates.

Vercopaanir


    *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • 1160
  • Fix'em or Finish'em
  • Awards Ground Pounder - Official Member with the most recorded invasions Award for 10 official invasions. Award for 50 official invasions. Award for 25 official invasions. 15+ invasions
Re: Second Son Second Kit
« Reply #13 on: Feb 26, 2023, 08:13 AM »
Nice work!

You may need to pad those shoulder out a bit more to avoid the bobble head look but that design looks like it fits very nicely into this era. 

Keep up the good work!  :like:

Logged
Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened. -Dr. Seuss

Ursa Wren WIP
WIP Armor
WIP Helmet
WIP Weapons Post Imperial Build

Second Son


    *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • 890
  • Awards Special Operations Brigade Member
Re: Second Son Second Kit
« Reply #14 on: Feb 27, 2023, 02:45 PM »
Nice work!

You may need to pad those shoulder out a bit more to avoid the bobble head look but that design looks like it fits very nicely into this era. 

Keep up the good work!  :like:
Good point. I think that I'll add some cap sleeves with some padding in to bulk up the shoulders. It's not strictly 100% down with PI styles we've seen on screen but I think there's a bit of latitude with a custom that I can work with.

So, back plates are evil. I think it's looking better.

Gonna pause here and figure some other stuff out before I commit to prevent spending more time on a potential no-go.
Adding the counter curve makes it feel better against my back. I'll see about a test photo later on to see if it looks better too.




On the definitely plus side, I've gotten a better feel on shaping the lower edge of knees to give it more visual body.


That will go a long way towards The Look. I need to sort some side greebs and get a connection method planned.

Trying to keep some forward progress.

 


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