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[Sirus the Red]

For those of you who don't know, I'm very new around here, so hello to anyone I have yet to meet (which is most of you!). After a few sketches, I have a pretty solid idea of where I want to go with my first build, though there are a few details I'm still fuzzy on. My color scheme is going to be primarily dark red (Very dark, almost black) and Silver, with black patterns and soft parts.

I want an ARC trooper-style pauldron on my left shoulder, and some kind of cloth around my neck and shoulder area, though I'm not sure if I want it to be a scarf, a full cloak, or anything in-between. I also plan on incorporating a long kama, as I have always loved them.

As for gauntlets, I would ideally like one to have some kind of blade to extend from it, but seeing as how this is my first build, I'll probably start simple and build up from there. I am thinking about building a mount for my touch-screen cell phone into the other gauntlet though, to make it look like a datapad or something. I have a few ideas for that, but again, basics first.

I'm going for an assassin-like vibe for this build, so I want to stay somewhere in the light-medium spectrum of armor classification. I'm a martial artist and a bit of a swordsman in real life, and I want my armor to reflect that vibe, as well as appear very agile.

Which brings me to weapons, of which I have decided on two so far: I'm going to make a blastsword (look it up on wookiepedia, I love it!) and some kind of heavy pistol, perhaps with a small bayonet on it.

I plan on making most of the armor out of trashcan/storage bin plastic I got from Wal-Mart, as there is no source of Sintra available near me to my knowledge. I also ordered myself a Rubies 2 piece Jango helmet from Amazon today. It should be here within a day or so, and I'm excited!

Right now I'm still cutting the plastic down into workable sheets, and I'm also tracing a few templates for the chest pieces onto them. I just have a few questions for everyone here before I do something wrong:
1) What major changes should be made to my Rubies Jango 2 piece when it comes in, before I get to customizing it?
2) Any advice on working with this trashcan plastic?
3) I see people talking about how they like to cut plastic with a dremel. I have a dremel, but is there any particular bit I should be using?
4) Any advice on molding the armor to hold a shape that conforms to me? I recently acquired a heat gun, and I'm wondering if there's a particular way to use it that I should be aware of.

Thanks for reading, I'll try to have pics up soon, either of WIP or, at the very least, concept sketches to help get my idea across.

[Einn_Karel]

4) im not sure how well it will work for the particular plastic you are using, but thermal shock is one of the best ways to get parts to form. basically you heat up the part to the point that it is pliable, then hold it in the shape you want, and then while holding it in shape, dunk it in cold water. important to note, make sure you dont over heat the plastic, otherwise it could fracture in the cold water.

as far as 1 and 2 go, use the search feature, there are countless work in progress threads on both topics. i personally would recommend reading as many as you can before your eyes start to bleed. information is key, and the more you read the more you know what works, and more importantly, what doesnt work

i will be keeping up with this thread, you choice color pallet sounds pretty wicked!

[Sirus the Red]

4) im not sure how well it will work for the particular plastic you are using, but thermal shock is one of the best ways to get parts to form. basically you heat up the part to the point that it is pliable, then hold it in the shape you want, and then while holding it in shape, dunk it in cold water. important to note, make sure you dont over heat the plastic, otherwise it could fracture in the cold water.

as far as 1 and 2 go, use the search feature, there are countless work in progress threads on both topics. i personally would recommend reading as many as you can before your eyes start to bleed. information is key, and the more you read the more you know what works, and more importantly, what doesnt work

i will be keeping up with this thread, you choice color pallet sounds pretty wicked!

Thermal shock sounds like a good way to go. I've already done quite a bit of forum browsing, and I've seen that come up a few times. As far as one and two go, truth be told I wanted to bring it up in this thread so that when the time comes to do it myself I could just post here with any immediate questions and worries. I appreciate the tips though, and I'm glad you like the idea!

[Sirus the Red]

Mini-update time!

I spent most of the day Photoshoping, printing, and cutting out pieces of armor that I acquired from one of the Jango templates I found from the main page, so many thanks to whoever put those up! After a bit more cutting I'll go ahead and trace them onto my plastic and get to cutting that!

Also, I ordered myself a Rubies Jango 2-piece last night, it should be here tomorrow or Thursday, and I can't wait to get my hands on it! As of right now, the only major modifications I plan on making to it (besides paint) Would be an additional blade-antenna thing (I could have sworn I saw someone sporting what I was looking for on here, but I can't find them now that I want to give them credit!) and I also plan on extending the visor trim a bit past the bottom of the helmet and sharpening the tips so that they are kind of reminiscent of fangs or somesuch. It looked rather cool when I drew it out, hopefully that will translate to the actual helmet! Which reminds me, I still need to post those concept sketches, hopefully I can get those in by Thursday.

Also, I mentioned above that I want to incorporate my cell phone into my gauntlet as kind of a datapad. I figure I would show you guys a few images of it so you can get a better idea of where I'm coming from.

Unfortunately, I have no idea how to upload images here. Either it's not working or I am extremely kriffing stupid, so maybe someone can help a shiny out with that.

These extremely obnoxious links will have to do until then, sorry for all the garbage!
Flat
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&authuser=0&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbnid=FlSPgZxzol2m-M:&imgrefurl=http://mobileseeker.net/%3Fattachment_id%3D648&docid=HEvDpD1x60QI2M&imgurl=http://mobileseeker.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Kyocera-Echo-01.jpg&w=575&h=409&ei=wHDqT4uLB4mE8ASZjf3qBQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=443&sig=103910226580678550811&page=2&tbnh=128&tbnw=180&start=32&ndsp=36&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:32,i:206&tx=71&ty=67

Folds out to Dual Screen!
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&authuser=0&biw=1600&bih=775&tbm=isch&tbnid=rriP3B62Ca03fM:&imgrefurl=http://www.sizlopedia.com/2011/03/28/sprint-to-sell-kyocera-echo-from-17th-april/&docid=i2kLZr9oseuPjM&imgurl=http://www.sizlopedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Kyocera-Echo.jpg&w=500&h=451&ei=wHDqT4uLB4mE8ASZjf3qBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=369&vpy=449&dur=94&hovh=213&hovw=236&tx=157&ty=215&sig=103910226580678550811&page=2&tbnh=133&tbnw=149&start=32&ndsp=36&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:32,i:203

The Dual screen may or may not function while attached to a gauntlet, but if I can get it to work, it would be cool!

[Niabi]

http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=560.0  That should help Vod

[Sirus the Red]

Thanks vod! I just made a photobucket account so that next time I have something to show I won't have to flood the page with links. Expect some actual WIP pics soon!

[Sirus the Red]

Just got my Rubies 2 Piece today, and I think my fiance was almost as excited as I was! She can't wait for me to finish my build, partially so I can help her with hers when the time comes. I didn't get a lot of actual work done concerning my kit, but I did get a job! That's something right? Now I'll have a source of money that I can just throw right into the kit.

[Sirus the Red]

Okay, so after a bit of cutting, tracing, and more cutting I'm actually starting to get somewhere! I've got my chest, shoulders, and cod piece cut out, though I'm probably gonna slim the cod down a bit, give it more of an angled and mobile look to it. Check it out!



I also plan on editing the standard shoulder a bit, nothin fancy, just more...pointy. Also, I have a quick question: If I plan on having a full mantle to go with my ARC style pauldron, do I need a collar piece to be under that, even though between that and the cloak/cowl thing I plan on adding you won't be able to see it at all? Just curious, I can't quite remember the collar requirements.

Also, I mentioned concept sketches before. I wanted to redo them on my tablet, which I may still do, but until then here's a pic straight from the sketchbook:



Note: I wasn't entirely focused on accuracy of plate designs in this sketch, as most of this was drawn without looking at references. Also, this was done in pen, so I kind of drew right over old stuff when I had a better idea. And pay little attention to the feet, that day was not a good day for feet, lol.

Another question, that blade-looking thing on the side of the helmet, I've seen it before, somewhere on this forum, but I have no idea what it is! It looks really nice, and fits my kit, but does anybody have any idea what it does!? If anything?

I plan on doing a segmented backplate with an incorporated jet system ( not nearly as bulky as a jet pack, but allows me to close distances) I also plan on having boosters on the back of my shin plates, and I fancied the idea of elbow jets as well (Which would make for one heck of a punch!)

I'm looking forward to feedback from you guys, and please tell me if I'm overstepping any bounds with these ideas! I'd rather know now than find out once I have work started on something!

[BobaFiend]

As for gauntlets, I would ideally like one to have some kind of blade to extend from it, but seeing as how this is my first build, I'll probably start simple and build up from there.

Anything spring loaded or sharp and pokey is not allowed for an approved costume per CRLs as it presents a danger to those around you, especially when you have restricted peripheral vision

I am thinking about building a mount for my touch-screen cell phone into the other gauntlet though, to make it look like a datapad or something. I have a few ideas for that, but again, basics first.

Remember that in the Original Trilogy there were no touch screens. Everything was press buttons and simple 2D LCD screens. Bascially think 70's tech and a retro vision of what a dirty future might be. IMO touch screen gaunts don't fit this vision but you can do it if your really want so long as the device is completely enclosed and hidden.

I plan on making most of the armor out of trashcan/storage bin plastic I got from Wal-Mart, as there is no source of Sintra available near me to my knowledge.

Trash cans are great for your first build and getting a skill set built up but they do not hold their shape properly. You will be able to heat them up and bend them but they will return to their original orientation over time because of how the totes/ trash cans are made. I buy all my Sintra online on USplastics.com. It's called expanded PVC foamboard.

I also ordered myself a Rubies 2 piece Jango helmet from Amazon today. It should be here within a day or so, and I'm excited!

This is really the same deal as the trash can armor.  Good for a first build to get skills but beyond that it's really not that useful.  The helmet is the centerpiece of the costume and the first place people look.  I would recommend upgrading to an Asok helmet or M-DSB if you can find someone reselling one. 

[Sirus the Red]

Thanks for the feedback Bobafiend! But as far as the phone idea, I do recall seeing several examples and mentions of datapads with touch screen technology,, mainly in the expande universe. Rest assured, I plan on integrating it into the gauntlet in such a way that its not recognizable as a phone. As far as my building materials I plan on upgrading everything to sintra eventually, and thanks for the source!

[Ralin Voth]

You can do a fixed blade on your gauntlet, but it should be made of a softer material so that it is less likely to injure a bystander. Spring loaded is a no-no.

You can use your phone, as long as it's completely enclosed inside it's mount so you can't see it other than the screen.

Also check your local sign shop for sintra. They'll usually sell you a sheet at a good price.

If you put in the work and the effort, a 2-piece can be a great bucket if it's the right size for you. I've more than once told someone "Nice bucket, can I see it?" then looked inside only to see it was a J2P. Bondo'ing the seam and smoothing it out perfectly, and adding a steel craft ring to the edge of the bucket are the keys to making it look it's best.

Segmented back plates are popular for their flexibility. Cool idea with the jump jets on it too. That could look really awesome. Also, take a look at Cad Bane as he has the leg jets like you're talking about adding. I don't think I've ever seen anyone add jets to their arms, but I don't see why you couldn't. Although in reality I think it would make for a badly dislocated shoulder! =p

Even with all that other stuff you'll still need a collar plate. As for the shoulders, you can do them almost any way you want. I even know of a guy who cut a salad bowl in half and used each half as a shoulder bell!

[Sirus the Red]

Thanks Ralin! I was NOT planning on making the blade spring loaded, I was thinking that I would hide some kind of knob that I can use to slide it in and out at will. Also, what softer materials would you recommend that would also be durable?

Thanks for the sintra tip, I'll keep an eye out.

Also, can you send me a link to something that explains what you mean about the steel craft ring? I haven't found any mention of that on the tutorials I've viewed concerning RJ2Ps.

Cad Bane was definitely an inspiration for the jets, though I plan on having mine on the back of the leg instead of the sides. I feel like that would make more sense for what I want. I figure the elbow jets would mainly be for stability bursts, though I could only imagine what would happen if I activated them in the middle of a punch!

[Ralin Voth]

I'd use a piece of sintra myself. I've seen it used on other kits, so you should be fine. I imagine you could find a kid's rubber knife and use the blade off that too. I seem to remember a guy with a rubber knife he got that was for paint ball or airsoft for up close kills, that would work too. Just don't use metal or wood, and don't give it a pointy tip, just round it off a bit.

Here's a tutorial for a craft ring on a one piece. It's the same principle. Some people don't mind the look of the J2P, but I find it looks more aggressive all flared out. It's up to you though. I got mine from Tandy leather, it was the only local place that i could find that had them in large enough sizes.

http://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=27431.msg388435#msg388435

[Sirus the Red]

Ok, small update time! I'm sorry I'm not able to post more of these, between my other costuming projects and the (finally successful) search for employment, I'm only able to work on my kit in small bursts, though I'm pretty much always thinking about it. I finally scored some sintra after hunting down a local sign shop that I had passed about a million times in my life, so I'm pretty much condemning all of my plastic bin armor to template status and re-cutting my pieces out of sintra. I also nabbed about 10 feet of 4" pvc pipe that I intend to convert into gauntlets and snin/knee armor, as well as some pipe fittings that seemed perfect for my integrated jetpack idea. I'm still working on finalizing a design for my backplate, but I figure it will end up changing once I go to construct it anyway. I also finished cutting out the vent holes in my Jango 2 piece, and am learning how to use bondo via trial and error on the range finder. I tried just bonding the seams, and hated how it was turning out, so I slapped it with a heavy coat of the stuff and am sanding it down back to shape. Hopefully by the time that's all done I'll be ready to bondo my bucket together! I'll post some more pics once I start shaping!

[Sirus the Red]

Hello again! Sorry for the wait between updates, I've been busy with work and I had to finish a scythe commission within a rather small amount of time, so that kind of sucked up my Mando time. I haven't forgotten about it for a second though, and I've been keeping my eye out for goodies lately. Here are a couple of things I found at an Army Navy store while Me and my brother were shopping for airsoft gear.



Pardon the low quality, my brother isn't the best photographer. Anyway, this is a flight suit that I found there for $50. It was a little loose, but I don't know if that's bad or not. My question is does it look good to you guys? Does it look like it has the right fit and look to it? On a side note, I've been curious if there are any better alternatives to a flight suit out there for someone who lives in Florida. I've heard about Dickies coveralls, scrubs, and even underarmor being used as alternatives, but I'm willing to sacrifice some comfort to make this kit look great. I'd love some input though!



These are some pouches I found after looking around. Apparently they're used police belt pouches, and some of them certainly look used, though you can't really tell in the picture. I forget how much they were, but I recall it not being too bad. I was curious if these would be acceptable for my kit. I kind of like the look of them, and there is an entire bin of belts that these can hook onto if I decide to get them.

I found other small goodies there as well, but these are what stuck out for me. I'll be in the area tomorrow, and I would like to pick some this stuff up before it disappears. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't wasting my money on something I couldn't use.

Also, I finally got to cutting my armor out of sintra now that I have it. It's kind of disappearing fast, mainly because I'm sharing the same sheet with 3 other people, but we'll probably be picking more up soon. Anyway, I did my first run of shaping the other night, and I still have a lot to learn, but here's a pic of how most of it came out.



Pardon the poor alignment, it was 1 AM after a long day of work, and we had to wake up in a few hours for the next shift. Also, the tape I used to keep the armor in place was not sticking very well. And before you say it, I am well aware of the "Rule of Thumb", and the armor looks a lot better when it's following that rule. You can tell that some of the bends aren't completely smooth, I plan on fixing that. I'm shaping it with a heat gun and I'm using the hottest setting and focusing on where it will bend the most, please feel free to yell at me if I'm doing it wrong or suggest a better method.

I also started working on my backplate, which I plan on integrating jet thrusters into. I tried shaping it to mold to my back perfectly, which didn't go so well. It fits decently well, but it isn't very smooth or pretty. I think I'm just going to mess with the design a bit, maybe slim it down some, and try not curving it to much. It will still curve to fit my back some, but I'm not going to make it as severe as what I tried before. Also, the flatter it is the easier building the rest of it around my pvc thrusters will be, as a flatter surface will be much easier for a sintra n00b like me to work on.

Anyway, I'll have a bit more free time coming up, so I'll try to update more frequently. Please lay on the feedback!

[Niabi]

I use a Dickies cover all its great (but then i would say that  )

I dont see a problem with those pouches

Plates : This is what im seeing.

collar plate needs to move up so its closer to your neck.. then all the other plates need to move up so they are have correct spacing. the top of the chest plates need to line up with the outside edges of the collar plate so they may need a small trim.

Not a bad begging Vod keep at it and you will get there

[Sirus the Red]

I was thinking the same thing about the collar plate, it definitely needs to be moved up and the rest of the armor will move with it. I need to get a picture with them placed better posted up here. I will note that I plan on having a scarf or something wrapped around my shoulders low enough that it will probably cover that collar plate, but that's no excuse to not get it right anyway! I might take another swing at shaping later tonight once it cools off, my workspace has no air conditioning minus a small fan.

[BobaFiend]

FYI the end of the ab plate should lay right on or just above your navel.  They really only cover your upper chest and belly. The space below on Fett is covered by the cod, girth, and ammo belts.

[Sirus the Red]

Yes, I realize, that's about where it sits when it's all put on correctly. Thanks for the feedback though!

[Sirus the Red]

So me and some local shinies got together again last night and got some more work done. I'm still not terribly great at this heat shaping thing, but I'm slowly getting better! I also picked up my flight suit and belt along with some pouches yesterday, here's a pic of most of my progress thus far:



I need to adjust my chest plates to match up with my collar, though I'm wondering if I can actually trim some of the left side of the collar down and move it over to the right so I can more easily mount my left pauldron, which is reminiscent of an ARC pauldron, and is kind of large. I'm also attempting to work on my backplate with integrated thrusters. I don't have any pictures yet of my pauldrons or back plate, I'll make sure to get some soon. I also need to get started with securing and bondoing my helmet.

Here's a closer look at my belt and pouches:



I picked all of it up at Al's Army and Navy store in Orlando. I like the texture on the everything, and it's all used, and looks pretty well weathered. Also, most of the stuff I buy at conventions is small stuff like buttons and other nic-nacs, which will all fit nicely in the pouches. My wallet also fits pretty snugly in one of them, so it all seems pretty convenient.

Speaking of nic-nacs, I stumbled upon a few boxes miscellaneous plastic airsoft pieces at Al's Army Navy. I found a few possible treasures while I was digging, and though I didn't pick any up while I was there (spent enough money on the flight suit and belt and pouches) I'll certainly keep them in mind. Have a look:



I might find a use for those someday for helmet or weapon greeblies.

Also, after browsing the PVC section of Home Depot, I stumbled upon some lovely looking couplings that remind me of grenades. I know they don't have the classic thermal detonator look, but they do kind of remind me of some of the flash or emp grenades I've seen while playing Republic Commando.



I know I'm going for an Assassin build, but I think that a flash nade would be very handy for a quick getaway or a rapid breach. Let me know what you guys think on that idea.

And finally, here's a sketch of the blast sword I plan on making for my kit:



I plan on constructing it primarily out of MDF, though the barrel will probably be PVC pipe. The blade itself will probably be half an inch thick, and though I'm not sure quite how long I want it, around 3 feet is probably a safe bet. Here's hoping I'll have more to post soon, I look forward to everyone's feedback!

[Sirus the Red]

Alright, so my backplate has been giving me some trouble over the last few days. As I have mentioned earlier, I wanted a jet pack to be integrated into my backplate for a more mobile, streamlined look. I actually kind of dislike calling it a jet pack, because the way I would want it to be used is to kid of keep me at a hover a few feet off the ground and propel me forward at great speed, with some minor jumping capability, but that's not super important to the build. Anyway, I finally came up with something that looks like it might work, here's a few shots of it:



It's kind of got the classic Star Wars boxy look to it, but it still takes up much less room then most if not all other jet packs and such that I've seen. I plan on having some nozzles poking out of those openings at an angle to give the look that it won't take you straight up, as well as adding some greebs, but not too much as to keep the streamlined look. The openings on the side facing up will probably be extended at a downward angle to close those holes up. I did this last night, and there was nobody up to hold it up to my back to give an indication of it's size and where I want it, but I'll try to get some of that up soon!

My next major challenge with this thing is going to be shaping it to curve to my back. I don't plan on getting a major curve on it, enough so that it looks like it fits me well, but it probably won't be anything to drastic just to avoid complications with how everything comes together. I was also thinking it would be cool to rig some orange lights in my nozzles once I get them in, to give the appearance that this thing is ready to take off whenever. I personally have no experience in such things, but I have a neighbor who puts the glowy lights in the Disney World costumes, so I will be calling upon his knowledge if I do decide to do that!

Also, now that I look at it, these wouldn't make bad back sheaths for dual blades or something. Might have to remember that for any future builds!

[Remo Jadd]

Trim the sides of the Chestplates down so they are even with the collarplate.

[Sirus the Red]

If I keep the collar plate the way it is, the chest plates will certainly be trimmed down to match. I would like an opinion or two on redesigning the collar plate by taking some of the left section off and moving it all over to the right so that I can mount my ARC-ish pauldron without the collar interfering.

[Remo Jadd]

Depending on how far the pauldron comes down, you could always cut the collar into segments and remove what would be covered under the pauldron.

[Sirus the Red]

That's kind of what I was alluding to. I'll play with it. Does the collar piece look to small as it is now, or are my chest plates just to big?