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Shoulder Armor


Guest Anonymous

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Guest Anonymous

I figure we'd make this a little easier for the 501 approval people and break this down into parts that people have actually made. I'll start off with the one part of my suit that will end up on the final product. Basically I got the idea from saint nasty to use a posterboard template on a duct tape manaquin and then layer it with fiberglass. In all the current version took a $10 can of resin availible at walmart, 12 sq feet of fabric, bondo, and some nylon straps. Here is how progress went. Keep in mind I did this for the premeir and had only 5 days to do it plus my job/school:

 

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The current plan is to sand all the paint off, spend alot more time smoothing it out, trimming the back so it dosent buckel anymore, using leather straps instead of nylon, and redoing the finish with rub and buff to get the Jango shine and scratches. Please dont ask for templates, because you best bet is to make the manaquin and draw the shape from there.

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did you see the comparison shots i've posted elsewhere showing the similarities between starkillers shoulder plates and the shoulder armor worn by leia in the boushh armor from rotj? as i get closer to making version 2 armor for starkiller i'm going to try to make up that leia armor. with the final idea to be able to make a mold that i can vaccuform. i think it would end up being a three part mold, one for the back plate (that can be split up the center later for those doing starkiller) and the two front plates, maybe put some indentation for spotting the restraining bolt, but not too deep so it could easily be filled with a little bondo.

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Guest Anonymous

They are similar, but they are definatly not the same. The leia armor is one piece, has very thick and round seams, and dosen't cover the right area. It is a good start, but a 501 Starkiller would definatly need his own armor.

 

The set you made before looked pretty goo, just need to work on the neck area a bit.

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Guest Anonymous

I really like that you got an acurate sizing for the armor. I initially borrowed a mannequin from a local Anchor Blue (I walked in and said Star Wars and the manager was like "OK") but it was just too small to be useful. So one of my mistakes was that my armor is too large, and will need to be trimmed down.

 

Looks like you have a nice big garage to work in!

 

Please describe the fiberglass process.

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I used fiberglass for the Rahm Kota shoulder bell model and breastplate. I went to Home Depot and bought some fiberglass cloth, polyester resin & hardener, and some Bondo auto-body filler & hardener.

 

I'm guessing at his crafting steps, based on what I had to do with my armor.

 

You mix up the hardener with the poly-resin and paint a layer on a section of the model frame (looks like styrene he used, not sure what the material is there) then lay on a strip of fiberglass cloth and another coating of resin. Repeat until the model frame is covered to the 3-4 layers of cloth thickness, then let it dry and spread some mixed up Bondo on the surface, Let that dry and sand it smooth and shape it. Repeat the Bondo if needed. Then paint it.

 

Use disposable brushes for the resin, 'cause when the liquid plastic hardens on the brush, it's dead.

 

It makes a very solid and lightweight structure when it's all finished.

 

You HAVE TO wear a ventilator mask, one that is rated for organic vapors, when you work with polyester resin and Bondo, and you HAVE TO do it outdoors!! It is the most toxic and nasty crap I have ever worked with!

 

~ BC

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Guest Anonymous

I did it in more of a paprer mache method. you will need:

 

A stack of paper plates

A bag o plastic cups

stirers (I used plastic spoons)

Box of Latex gloves

 

Bondo Fiberglass Resin (comes with Hardner)

1.5 packs of Fiberglass cloth

 

1.) cut the cloth into various size pieces. You will want smaller ones for around the colar and larger ones for everything else. as you get more and more layers, you can get away with larger pieces

 

2.) Mix a small amount of resin and hardner (follow package instructions) in the plasitc cup and then pour some on a paper plate.

 

3.) Now one piece at a time use your gloved hands to smear resin all over the surface of the piece of cloth, NOT THE ARMOR!. When the piece is soaked, lay it on the mold and smooth out any pockets or bubbles. Repeat until the cup is out of glue.

 

4.) You will need several batches to cover the entire piece with glass. DO NOT REUSE THE CUPS OR PLATES, AND CHANGE GLOVES BETWEEN BATCHES!!!!!! Otherwise if you mix the next batch in the same container as the old one, you will start getting globs of congealed resing that will make lumps on your project. When you are done you will have a can full of plates, so buy cheap and in bulk.

 

Repeat until your armor is stiff.

 

Note, I do highly recommend a reperatior, as I did this in a well ventilated area as the resin directed, and I could still taste the stuff when I left. Its that bad!

 

Give it 24 hours to cure, and then it is a mater of sanding.

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Guest Anonymous

I went ahead and started to improve my armor by making it actually smooth and closer to the actual shape of the "real armor"

 

Here is the eye candy:

 

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Additionally I am making a better bolt than before:

 

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