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[Siphyr]

Hey y’all! I’m looking to build my first Mercs quality mando costume and I could really use some help! I’ve built one before, but it was out of EVA foam and got smooshed flat. I’m also a broke college student, so I have a pretty finite budget.

I’d love some info on sourcing materials, DIY hacks, upcycling, anything that can help me save some money. Also, if anyone has any broken/severely damaged stuff they want to sell, I would LOVE to work something out with you

[szamora]

I'm in a similar boat. If you're cool with sanding and painting the armor yourself, you can get relatively affordable raw 3D prints off Etsy. I bought my helmet for $45, plus the visor material which was around $15. Granted, the cheapest option is the gunslinger-style Din Djarin helmet-- you can get different styles, but they're more expensive. However, if you have access to a 3D printer (your college may have some) you can buy a digital file of your choice helmet and print it yourself.

[Tramp Graphics]

There are also a number of resin cast helmets available, as well as Vacuums formed ABS armors available as well. For the full DIY route, you have multiple options for materials, including 3mm-6mm Sintra or 1/6" ABS sheets, both of which are thermal plastic. There are also several YouTube tutorials on how to make a helmet out of 5 gallon buckets and hardhats/bicycle helmets.

[Merky]

Hi! I highly recommend getting in touch with your local clan. I know SOMETIMES they have sintra resources for recruits and/or will do a bulk order for everyone and it comes out to pretty cheap per person for a large sheet. If you have worked with EVA foam, sintra is in my opinion easier to work with and can be a cheaper option if you are going modern style plates. If you are going for post-imperial style plates, there are some 3D prints that are raw that are a little cheaper but 3D prints will always need to be finished so you no longer see print lines. But once again someone in your local clan may have a printer and be able to do it for the same price/cheaper then Etsy.


Biggest tip for saving money while working on a kit is to go in with a plan, take your time, do not rush things, be patient, and work closely with your clans Ruus team. Doing so will make sure you are doing things correctly, not having to go back and do things again costing time and resources, as well as building a kit that you love.

Happy building! 

[Karl Dha'Werda]

Hey Vod, echoing Merky getting in contact with your local clan (Meshurok Clan) will be the most helpful for you.  There may even be some Vod closer in the tri-cities area across over in Washington from your current location there in Moscow/Lewiston.  Random but some years ago my wife and I took highway 12 and drove from Rexburg past Lewiston/Clarksville up to Yakima one trip.

Since you are up a ways from Boise area, I'd recommend reaching out to local sign shops in the area like Cutting Edge Signs or Image 360 Moscow to see if they have any 3mm / 1/4" sintra (might call it a different name) as those are local.  They might have some scrap pieces that would work for your kit.  I'd suggest a Modern Era kit for ease of availability and cost as a poor college student.  If you make a kit without a backplate you should be able to get all the pieces templated on a 24"x24" sheet.  I've also seen some Vode order it online like Amazon for delivery to more rural locations.  This section (Female Armor) you've posted in has lots of great tutorials for chest plates and how to make darts or other curve chest plates.

There are some more affordable options for making a helmet, such as using a plastic 5 gallon bucket.  What you sacrifice with the cost being less, is it will take more of your time to make.  Fiber Resin route less time but more $$.  PLA/3D print means lots of sanding, I mean a lot of sanding.  I'd recommend instead of grabbing black series helmet is to wait for May 4th this year and look for sales in the $100-120 range for a good fiber resin helmet.  They are out there.

I help build my brother, Gravlax's kit on a budget back in 2019 (total $500).  You can always do for less with more time devoted from doing it yourself, but that at least gives you a good budget to work with.  Now if you already have a good pair of boots to use you could drop off the $150 value and then your only big expense would be the helmet.

Good luck to you Vod and feel free to reach out with any questions.