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Post by masterblaster on Nov 2, 2011 11:04:21 GMT -5
Okay! My pre-printed pep models, please criticize, critique, or otherwise advise me on how to make them better! Let the games begin!
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Post by masterblaster on Nov 2, 2011 11:13:39 GMT -5
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Post by masterblaster on Nov 2, 2011 11:14:35 GMT -5
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Post by masterblaster on Nov 2, 2011 11:15:10 GMT -5
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Post by Tango Fett on Nov 2, 2011 12:48:54 GMT -5
Hi MB, welcome to the scratch building club!!. I really admire your passion and will for this build. The first thing I'd like to ask you is which technique are you going to use?. Are you printing these models on paper?, for then what?. Using bondo?, fiberglass?. Are you experienced in using these materials or the ones you'd be using?. Is this your first build?. I've been seeing your images and the first thing that comes to my mind is how are you planning to take this pep models to an accurate GM. This may sound bad, I apologize for that, but in my ultra humble opinion, I don't see them very accurate. I'm not talking about finishing, I understand that maybe that can't be seen in the models at this stage, but I'm talking mainly about shapes and proportions. If we take for example the chest plate, it should be much more "deep". The flat belly is located much more forward than it is in your 3D model, so I'm not sure how are you going to achieve that. And that would be the beginning. On the other hand, the elbow armor for example though looks better, again, IMUHO (In my ultra humble opinion). In the case this is your first build, or you are not very experienced with the materials, I'd suggest you could start with the easiest part. In my case, I found the easiest part to be the knee armor (which I haven't been able to see your models) so you can become more familiar with the materials, ways of working with them, handling, etc. Each knee is formed by 6 plain and perfectly geometrical shapes that you can easily repeat to build the second knee. Actually for the total 12 shapes you need to build the two knees, only 4 of them are original shapes, since 2 of them are repeated once for the other knee, and 2 of them are repeated 3 times to finish the first knee and to form the second knee. I'll try to be more clear with the images below (you could only build the two quadrangular shapes that face the front, and only two of the triangular shapes on one side, then repeat one time the cuads and 3 times the triangles) to be able to compose the 2 knee armor pieces. If this goes ok as a test or even luckily to build your definitive knee armor pieces, I'd suggest to go on with the rest of the pieces. Based on my own experience, to achieve better accuracy I would look and look and re-look and look once again every part of the armor in every image available (first the movie, then the Sith snapshot, the 360ยบ turnaround image and figure card back). This way you'd become very familiar with the shape of each part and know if something is not accurate. And I'd even have one printed image in sight of the part I'm modeling. I would also try to avoid or minimize other already built GM armor references, since each GM may have his own version for some parts. When I started with my build, every marine looked just perfect and accurate and awesome, but once you become more experienced, you can notice (sometimes small, sometimes bigger) inaccuracies. And as always said, try to avoid at all figures references. I'm not sure if I have been of any help or if I have been a discouraging a#$%ole, but in either case, I just wanted to transfer you all the experience I gathered during the several months I've been behind my (still unfinished) build. The best of lucks to you with this build. I hope to see a great marine, and as you can also see, I'm here for what you may need.
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Post by masterblaster on Nov 2, 2011 17:26:41 GMT -5
Tango Fett, my moral is crushed! My existance is at an end! I can't go on! Just kidding, I welcome the advice. I will work on the points you mentioned, and then start the knees. I am going to be printing these off, I will be using 110 lbs cardstock. Have not decided on what to use as far as resin goes, do you have a recomendation? My plan is to use the finished pieces as molds, so I can eventually cast the armour out of a more durable material than paper So please, continue to advise!
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Post by Tango Fett on Nov 3, 2011 8:27:30 GMT -5
MB, your intention is to build an armor for trooping? for display only?. How accurate you'd like it to be?. You'd like it to be similar to a 501st approvable armor?, or you'd just like to build something like a sculpture, or piece of art?
Because I really don't know how to help you regarding the materials you plan to use.
I have no problem at all in telling you what I'm using and how I'm using it if that's of any help. I also plan to post a detailed step by step when I approximate to the finishing stage of my build (if that ever happens), so I can share with others my experience or anything that may help.
But regarding working with paper I'm afraid I'm not able to provide any help nor experience. I tell you what I'm using in case that helps. I'm using a mix of materials/techniques. For some parts like the knees I've used 3mm Sintra (the white plastic you can see in the pics) which for some parts is excellent and for some others I found it to be terribly bad. For other parts I've shaped molds in foam, then cover them with plaster, then fiberglass them, and then bondo for finishing. Right now I'm waiting for some epoxi putty to cure to test if it would work for the front part of the shin armor, so it's definitely a mixture of various materials/techniques.
But if you plan to use paper, I'm not sure how you could work with it. Because if you apply bondo, I think it may crack when handling due to lack of firm structure. The same with fiberglass, I can't imagine how it would stay in place until curing. Maybe if you reinforce the paper with something in one side (like even bondo) you may be able to fiberglass it in the other. But this would be limiting your options with what I know and you may have other options.
Anyway, I'm still impressed with your intention of using paper as your base material. I really can't see myself doing that, but if you master that technique and are able to build it, it would be just great and will definitely provide an amazing option for future builders.
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Post by masterblaster on Nov 3, 2011 16:55:50 GMT -5
Thank you for the encouragement, although I can't take the credit for the idea in starwars costumes. Someone at ct.net built one, and there is a person selling them there also. If you want to see more of the proccess, check out the 405th.com. I am not a member, but that is where I heard of pepekura. Its a Halo costuming site, so be warned, you won't see any starwars stuff there Anyway, the proccess I will be using to stiffen the cardboard (after it is folded) is by applying multiple layers of resin, after a couple of layers, I will be able to add fiberglass or anything else I want to in order to make it tough enough to withstand normal abuse. But like I said, I am just going to make molds with these, then cast the actual wearable armour out of something like polyurathane or high density poly ethelene. Polypropelene is to flexible, I think, and ABS is to hard for me to get.
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Post by danrodjr on Nov 3, 2011 18:40:52 GMT -5
Can wait to see the end result.
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Post by Tango Fett on Nov 4, 2011 8:15:13 GMT -5
That's great MB. I don't know most materials you mention, but in the fiberglass laminating process I may be able to give you a hand. In my case the chest plate, the shoulder bells, the toe armor and even the helmet were built with fiberglass. Resin alone is not tough enough, but with fiber cloth, it is strong and light, and you can add as many layers as you want even later and it will stick like if you did all the first time. This will allow you to reinforce what you think needs to be reinforced just by adding more fiberglass. I finish them with bondo to get a perfect surface and termination since without a mold, resin and fiberglass are hard to get perfect finishing.
When you say you'll use this first build as molds, how do you plan to apply the materials to build the wearable over the molds?, do you plan to vac form?.
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Post by masterblaster on Nov 22, 2011 20:11:32 GMT -5
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