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Sith Acolyte Armor - Mynock's build - Completed and 501st Approved!


Mynock

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The detail keeps getting better and better dude! well done. Almost finished with my mask and shoulders I got from you...not sure whether to get the chest or the hand/gauntlets next...might have to flip a coin for now. :)) Really a fantastic job with everything. Great product!

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Sith Acolyte belt buckle completed. After months of research I finally took the plunge and bought a 3D printer, and this was my first CAD modelling and 3D printing attempt ever! Honestly, it's so AWESOME. I have no idea how I've lived without one lol.

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I've been learning the basics of CAD modelling for weeks now using a program called Cubify Invent, watching a ton of YouTube videos and generally just playing around. I chose to make the belt buckle as my first model because it is a fairly simple design with very basic shapes. Don't ask me to model a helmet or anything too complex for a while yet, but this, I feel is a good start!

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(Reference shots used)

buck_med.jpeg

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(my take on it)

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As always, full production notes on my website mynocksden.com

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Oh, and I made a short video about this build that summarizes everything in under 2 minutes here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yKloCzWjfuo

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Guest trooper wraith
Sith Acolyte belt buckle completed.

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Amazing stuff...unfortunately it'll be out of my price range when all the pieces are added up.

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Nice build though.

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SteveO

Trooper Wraith

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Sith Acolyte belt buckle completed.

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Amazing stuff...unfortunately it'll be out of my price range when all the pieces are added up.

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Nice build though.

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SteveO

Trooper Wraith

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Thanks, SteveO.

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Since Iā€™ve had a few questions about my build from people via PM, I might as well post some of the answers Iā€™ve given out here.

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Yes, I do plan on making the armor available to those that are interested, giving people the opportunity to buy a full set, or just the pieces they want. I want people to be able mix and match with parts theyā€™ve either made themselves or acquired from other makers. I will also be offering some options, such as cold casting (a more premium build), or having certain acceptable pieces vacuum formed as opposed to cast as a more of a budget option. As a matter of fact, one of the things next on the "to do" list is doing some test pulls of hands and buckle on the vacuumformer to see how they come out. In the end, I am hoping those interested in my armor will be able to get what they want based onĀ what they can afford. I know that doesnā€™t really answer the question of definitive $$, but that's the plan.

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This armor is incredibly intricate, and I feel that casting is the best way to achieve that kind of detail. For that reason, most major pieces will be cast. Unfortunately, unlike vacuum forming which is quicker (with the ability to form several objects on one sheet in one pull) and more easily trimmed, casting is much, MUCH more involved; it takes approximately half an hour of virtually continuous handling to cast one medium sized piece such as the forearm, and over an hour for a large object like the chest plate. And that does not include preparation time, cure time, trimming (which includes special tools), cleanup, etc. So, to produce even a few, quality raw casts can take a solid day, which makes it a vary costly (albeit much more high detail) endeavor for the maker.

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Some pieces however, will ONLY be vacuumformed (legs) to stand up to the demands of cosplay, or be a combination of vac forming and casting.

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I will know more and share more details as I complete more of the build.

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Sith Acolyte belt buckle completed.

Ā 

Amazing stuff...unfortunately it'll be out of my price range when all the pieces are added up.

Ā 

Nice build though.

Ā 

SteveO

Trooper Wraith

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Thanks, SteveO.

Ā 

Since Iā€™ve had a few questions about my build from people via PM, I might as well post some of the answers Iā€™ve given out here.

Ā 

Yes, I do plan on making the armor available to those that are interested, giving people the opportunity to buy a full set, or just the pieces they want. I want people to be able mix and match with parts theyā€™ve either made themselves or acquired from other makers. I will also be offering some options, such as cold casting (a more premium build), or having certain acceptable pieces vacuum formed as opposed to cast as a more of a budget option. As a matter of fact, one of the things next on the "to do" list is doing some test pulls of hands and buckle on the vacuumformer to see how they come out. In the end, I am hoping those interested in my armor will be able to get what they want based onĀ what they can afford. I know that doesnā€™t really answer the question of definitive $$, but that's the plan.

Ā 

This armor is incredibly intricate, and I feel that casting is the best way to achieve that kind of detail. For that reason, most major pieces will be cast. Unfortunately, unlike vacuum forming which is quicker (with the ability to form several objects on one sheet in one pull) and more easily trimmed, casting is much, MUCH more involved; it takes approximately half an hour of virtually continuous handling to cast one medium sized piece such as the forearm, and over an hour for a large object like the chest plate. And that does not include preparation time, cure time, trimming (which includes special tools), cleanup, etc. So, to produce even a few, quality raw casts can take a solid day, which makes it a vary costly (albeit much more high detail) endeavor for the maker.

Ā 

Some pieces however, will ONLY be vacuumformed (legs) to stand up to the demands of cosplay, or be a combination of vac forming and casting.

Ā 

I will know more and share more details as I complete more of the build.

Ā 

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EXCITING STUFF! CAN'T WAIT TO SEE MORE!!! KEEP IT UP!!! 8)

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Guest trooper wraith

This armor is incredibly intricate, and I feel that casting is the best way to achieve that kind of detail. For that reason, most major pieces will be cast. Unfortunately, unlike vacuum forming which is quicker (with the ability to form several objects on one sheet in one pull) and more easily trimmed, casting is much, MUCH more involved; it takes approximately half an hour of virtually continuous handling to cast one medium sized piece such as the forearm, and over an hour for a large object like the chest plate. And that does not include preparation time, cure time, trimming (which includes special tools), cleanup, etc. So, to produce even a few, quality raw casts can take a solid day, which makes it a vary costly (albeit much more high detail) endeavor for the maker.

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Some pieces however, will ONLY be vacuumformed (legs) to stand up to the demands of cosplay, or be a combination of vac forming and casting.

Ā 

I will know more and share more details as I complete more of the build.

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Not saying it's not worth it, Mynock...I'm just saying I can't afford the prices right now. You're time and talent is worth the price. I'm not saying you're over charging...in the least. Please don't take my post as any indication of that. I just realized this may not be the right hobby for me at this time.

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With that said, you still have the best Sith Acolyte build going. It'd be a pleasure to own and wear one of your kits...would just take me a long time to accomplish that.

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SteveO

Trooper Wraith

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Not saying it's not worth it, Mynock...I'm just saying I can't afford the prices right now. You're time and talent is worth the price. I'm not saying you're over charging...in the least. Please don't take my post as any indication of that. I just realized this may not be the right hobby for me at this time.

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With that said, you still have the best Sith Acolyte build going. It'd be a pleasure to own and wear one of your kits...would just take me a long time to accomplish that.

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SteveO

Trooper Wraith

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No worries at all, my friend. And thank you for the kind words! :) I figured I'd make a general post and let people know what the plans are so far for making the armor available.

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Update: I had to pause the Sith Acolyte build for a bit, because I got distracted by my 3D printer. After doing the Sith Acolyte belt buckle, and a few other minor components, I wanted to try my hand at something a little more challenging 3-D printing-wise. So, I spend the past few weeks doing my Eleena Daru SWTOR pistol. (I'm also working on a SWTOR Mercenary build, so I wanted to make something I could use towards that end)

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I modelled the pistol in CAD,

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then, 3D printed the parts,

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fit everything together, molded and then cast in 65D resin.

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And here is the final product!

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And now that I scratched that itch, I am back on schedule with my Acolyte build. Will be bringing you updates very soon.

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Another piece completed: the Sith Acolyte "pepper spray"-ish-looking canister.

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CAD-modelled,

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ā€¦ then 3D printed, and molded,

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...and finally finished. This thing stands 9.5cm tall.

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Seems like a lot of work and expense for such a minor piece, but it must be done if accuracy is the goal - which it is!

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Since the pouches seem to be one of the most illusive parts of this costume, I may just CAD model them as well. This way, they will be accurate, albeit non-functional. We shall see.

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Hey guys. Just cast a few pieces, and ended up with a chest plate cast that is slightly warped. Basically, the warping happened because the rubber mold shifted slightly in the mothermold during casting, which ended up giving the top of the pecks a slight upward curve.

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If anyone is interested, shoot me a PM and I'll give you a good deal on it. The plate is cold cast in aluminum (top layer), and would be as seen in the photo, untrimmed and unpolished. You have to look at this thing from the side to notice the curve, and with a robe on, it would not be a problem.

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i4p2.jpg

c7rr.jpg

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It's been a while since I've posted any progress on this build; that was mainly due to lack of progress which resulted from me getting distracted yet again with another project of mine that I just completed: the SWTOR Shae Vizla Exalted Mandalorian helmet.

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This was a beast of a project that took over 240 hours of work to complete! Approximately 100 hours went into CAD modelling, almost 100 hours to print all the pieces, and an additional 40 hours to touch up, mold, cast, paint, and complete the electronics. I then went on to make the stand for it as well, since it didn't feel right to just have it sit on a shelf by itself. As always, complete production notes are found on my website here: http://mynocksden.com/projects/swtor-shae-vizla-mandaloria.html

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Now that that's done, I'm back on track with my Sith Acolyte build!

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I just finished modelling the lower gauntlet, so the plan is to have the part 3D printed and ready for molding by the end of this week! Here is a sneak peak at the model.

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vo9i.jpg

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Stay tuned for more updates!

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You sir, are an inspiration! I've been following your work through your website and TDH. I'm currently slowly working on my Sith Acolyte build and have followed a lot of your advice! I've started creating the chest armor out of foam and hope to make it look just as good as yours! Keep up the awesome work!

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Thanks guys for your constant words of encouragement! It's what keeps this build going! :)

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Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim in April 2015 will be my very first ever costuming event (tickets bought and hotel booked!) , and even though it's still nearly a year away, I'm determined to get this build finished, and done right!

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Here are some photos of the finished plug of the lower gauntlet ready for silicone molding! Very excited to cast this piece and finally complete the gauntlet assembly.

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So, after many months, I'm happy to say the Sith Acolyte gauntlet assembly is finally completed! Made a few mistakes in trimming the two halves of this prototype, making the upper backward rail too short, but the overall fit is spot on considering the upper was done by hand, and the lower using CAD.

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Now that the most crucial pieces of the armour are done, it's time to focus on the COD plate (which will be made of rubber...hopefully), and the legs.

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