Post by admin on Feb 9, 2007 23:13:37 GMT -5
Before I dropped the money for a Nyghtcraft mantle, I wanted to take a stab at making my own. I'll admit that the Nyghtcraft mantle is a bit of a pricey purchase for me at the moment, and while I would love to own one, I do have the talent to work with vinyl. I've made a Royal Guard trainee mantle before using the same methods I'm about to show you, and with great results. So I took a stab at it, and came up with something "doable." It's not my best work, but it certainly works and works well. It's certainly a good placeholder for when I can afford a Nyghcraft mantle.
I begun by making some templates using custom measurements for my own body (in armor). I then used some acrylic sheet for the inner plates to each pauldron on the mantle. Each plate was wrapped in duct tape for several reasons: The duct tape reinforces it, and it helps against cracks, AND if a plate ever breaks, it should still hold it's shape.
I failed to take more progress photos, but what you don't see is that on the two rear panels, I had to tape on an extension that would fit inside the little flaps. I used a piece of thin sytrene for the extensions, since it's rigid but had some great flexibility to it. The rigidity of these extensions help hold the mantle's shape when it's being worn.
Though I can easily fit it on over my head without the need of a closure, I went ahead and put a velcro closure on the back. This allows me to adjust the fit once it's on my body.
I'm conidering it done right now (save for weathering), though at a later point I may need to go back and add some arm loops to better secure it to my body. I'm going to be doing some test fitting with it on me in armor soon, and I'll be better able to determine that then.
I begun by making some templates using custom measurements for my own body (in armor). I then used some acrylic sheet for the inner plates to each pauldron on the mantle. Each plate was wrapped in duct tape for several reasons: The duct tape reinforces it, and it helps against cracks, AND if a plate ever breaks, it should still hold it's shape.
I failed to take more progress photos, but what you don't see is that on the two rear panels, I had to tape on an extension that would fit inside the little flaps. I used a piece of thin sytrene for the extensions, since it's rigid but had some great flexibility to it. The rigidity of these extensions help hold the mantle's shape when it's being worn.
Though I can easily fit it on over my head without the need of a closure, I went ahead and put a velcro closure on the back. This allows me to adjust the fit once it's on my body.
I'm conidering it done right now (save for weathering), though at a later point I may need to go back and add some arm loops to better secure it to my body. I'm going to be doing some test fitting with it on me in armor soon, and I'll be better able to determine that then.
