activation email

[Sentinel]

Are you on spring break next week? We could get together and do some armor stuff if you are going to be back in the Eldon, Southeast Iowa next week.
GJ

[Dragon Sunkiller]

Tobias, nice to meet more Iowa vod! Thanks for the tips, and I do actually have hand armor, I just haven't decided on how to mount it on the mesh yet... Tips?

John, sorry, but my spring break was last week. Where are you going to be this weekend? I'm staying around the Cedar Falls area, but I can't remember where you said you live currently. I think getting together sometime would be great to help each other get our armor up to specs.

About the helmet, I had bondoed all of the seams and it looked absolutely amazing after I primered it.... and then my dad got a little too excited with the electric sander and rattled it all out.  So, my plan is to sand it down, rebondo it, bondo the visor to make it narrow, and repaint it. I'm just planning on using this as a temp helmet (unless it is deemed acceptable when I'm finished) and replacing it with the Boba Hasbro helmet when it comes out if it is allowed. I really like the included voice amps.

Again, thanks for all the tips vod!

-Rich

[Sentinel]

Hmmm, You might just want to get a helmet from one of the builders here. Pretty sure DSB does payment options and has some pretty sweet buckets.  Just gut out the voice gizmo from the clone helmet and smack it into the new one.  Ask around, there are tutorials for that.  Just don't want to see you waste $$ on a boba hasbro and have to mod the snot out of it.
GJ

[Dragon Sunkiller]

Thanks for the tip vod, I'll definitely consider that. I'm working on improvements as you read this before my fiance gets out of class. Then it's off to the gym to run a couple miles and work out for an hour! (This is why my flight suit and vest are a little big on me. I've been toning up like crazy! LOL!)

[Sentinel]

whats your work out routine trying to get a good one going myself

[Dragon Sunkiller]

I'll PM it to you. If anyone else wants it, just ask. 

[Sentinel]

Go right ahead. I've dropped some but need something different.
Thanks
GJ

[Dragon Sunkiller]

PM sent!

[TheMandoMan]

I wouldn't mind a few pointers on how to become less fat than I am.   

[Tobias Creed]

The best way to attach it would be two snaps on the plate arranged vertically.

[Ke'pare Onduro]

As for sanding, electric sanders are nice, but a sheet of 100 grit and a sheet of 22 grit, a cup of water, and some hands on time works better for detailed stuff.  And as long as you aren't using glassbondo or rondo, it should sand down easily.  It's also easier on the bucket.  Also very cathartic.

[Dragon Sunkiller]

Yeah, when I make the final one, or touch this one up, I'm doing it by hand and hiding all of the power tools from my dad (his name is Tim after all...  )
Currently, I have 3 snaps on the backplate, and am adding 8 magnets. I also hold it on with my belt once I get it on. The hardest part is getting it on the vest by myself. I still haven't figured out a way that works.

Raltho, I'll have to get John to PM me back what I sent him, because it didn't save in my outbox, and I don't want to type it up again.  It's long...

[Dragon Sunkiller]

UPDATE!!!!

Last night I bought some material at Hobby Lobby on sale and made a kama and sash for my costume that turned out pretty well, considering it was all done on the floor of my dorm room.  I'll try to get some pics in the next day or two. I'm currently trying to affix all of the magnets to my vest and it's taking time. It all looks a lot better already! Now I just need the leather gaunts, fix the visor a little for now, and figure out how to make some spats out of my scrap material. (Tips anyone?)

[Saz]

Think of boomerangs in the flat shape.

[Saberan Vhette]

That's a cool set of armor you have there. I think with a Mando bucket it will be a suit to be reckoned with! Love the chain mail!

[Dragon Sunkiller]

Thanks a lot Saberan! That really makes me feel good about it! I'm going to tweak this helmet some next weekend to make it look more mando until I can get a Jango helmet (Anyone know of any helmets that are close in size to the Hasbro clone bucket?). I'm going to bondo the visor to make it more of a T, and color the outsides of the "triangle" on the face black to make it even more like a T visor.

Currently, I'm trying to finish putting the last couple of plates' magnets on the flight suit to add to the stability and alignment of the armor. Working AMAZING so far. Also, I'm working on spats right now. As soon as I get the spats and magnets finished, I'll post some new pics with them on, the sash, and kama I made. I should finish the magnets and spats by tomorrow night definitely.

Oh, and I just have to add, GO PANTHERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sentinel]

yea yea I'll have to give it to ya on the Panthers, very nice 3 pointer.

[Dragon Sunkiller]

Alrighty, update time! Here are some pics! I added spats to the suit, a sash, a kama, a $*^# ton of magnets for stability, and adjusted a few pieces of armor. The thigh plates aren't on right now because I don't have straps for them until I go home and make them. Also, I'll be making leather gaunts and hopefully mandoing the helmet up more. I have an idea that I hope works. If not, then I'll have to think of something else. Although, I did get told by a 501st Vader, Rob Roberts, owner of Limited Edition Comics, that he couldn't tell what my helmet was made from. He actually asked me what I made it from, because he didn't think it looked like the Hasbro clone, which made me feel good. Anywho, here are some quick pics for now. Let me know what you think! Oh, and yes, my back plate was falling off. I'm going to break down and make straps for it. Only thing I can come up with.

[Saz]

If you are going to use straps for the backplate, I'd use them for the chest and belly as well as they still seem to be sitting too low and too spaced.

[Sentinel]

What is your vest made out of? Is it I think double lined or thick enough to support the weight of the metal plates?  I'd toss some velcro on that too maybe??
GJ

[Dragon Sunkiller]

I'm going to have to move the snaps on the vest around some. I'll probably end up making a new vest before I try to become official. Right now, the plans are to take the sides in quite a bit so that I can cinch it down tight. Hopefully that will help with the plates also. The vest is made out of a single layer of canvas material. I'm thinking it's not heavy enough though, but it will work for now until I find some vinyl.

[Sentinel]

joann's has been having some sales on the stuff. I'm heading that way today I'll check it out

[Ke'pare Onduro]

That backplate actually looks upside down to me.  That, or it's just too wide.  I'm also a little confused as to the purpose of a maille cape with a backplate.  It just seems redundant to me, but YMMV.

[Dragon Sunkiller]

Yeah, I've been thinking about ditching the cape, or maybe just attaching it over one shoulder, instead of both so it looks more like a Boba cape. We'll see, but yeah, I think the back plate looks cooler. Thanks for the input!

[Slade Kel]

Hrm. Much of your plate placement issues can probably be blamed on the vest. If you don't want to make a new one from scratch Joanne's carries this stuff (I cannot for the life of me remember what it's called) that you can iron onto the inside of the fabric to reinforce it. Whoever is working in the fabric department of your local Joanne's will likely be able to help you find it.

That said, it does look like your plates could with with just a little more shaping. As has been mentioned, the better the plates fit to the contours of your body, the better they'll look. Definitely look into some vambrace-style bracers, even in leather, to cover up those forearms. It was common enough to wear such with chain maille back in the day anyway . For the backplate, it's sitting too low on your back. That curvy part at the top should be almost around your neck, to the two 'arms' at the top curve over your shoulders.

I actually like the backplate under the maille cape, though I'd suggest a different type of material used to hold the cape on. That cream colored stuff just kind of sticks out like a tiger at a petting zoo. Hmmm...what else? I'd say some red trimming on the kama would tie it in nicely to the rest of the kit, and the same for the chest plates. With everything else trimmed in red, both of them seem kind of lonely just plain black.

Also, I'd strongly consider ditching the clone bucket, as others have suggested. I've tried going that route myself, and trust me, building a helmet from scratch would be easier and less time consuming than modding one of those monstrosities enough to make the mercs acceptable. 

Kora Solusar offered up these links to find cheap Rubies 2pc Jango helmets: this one and this one. Both are $32.99 plus shipping, which is the cheapest that can be found until Halloween time. Also, M-DSB, as someone else noted here I think, offers excellent buckets, extremely durable and nice looking, and they do offer payment plans.

That said, I think your kit has some real promise here. With a little cleaning up, it'll look great .