Fallout New Vegas: NCR Veteran Ranger Finished! pg 8

Graphic Jordan

What is your preferred adhesive when working with it? I have some but have yet to experience.

Kommissar

i'm partial to superglue
though i've been using superglue + a zip kicker for the plastic mask, and it's somewhat brittle when kicked by the chemical.
it's why i plan a thin layer of fiberglass under.

terryr

Lacquer thinner will melt styrene together. Use a fine brush or a syringe. Dries fast too.

Kommissar

never been a fan of chemicals that melt two plastics together, you can remove most glues if you put too much on, eventually (water, cotton swabs, goo be gone, or just chipping the dried stuff off). but something that melts? a mistake can be unrepairable.

Kommissar

nothing amazing, quite boring infact.
i've built (but not secured) the nose
as well as working on the eye frames.
things would be quicker if it weren't so cold, otherwise i'd be using my bandsaw to do the cutting, and cut several hours off each nights work.




edit: i think the colds done something to my superglue, i left it outside and now its much slower to bond and thicker, almost syrupy, any thoughts?.

Jokerjack350

looking awsome keep up the good work, cant wait to see it finished

Vrogy

You might try some tin snips or heavy-duty shears, I'm not sure how thick your styrene is, but I've cut 1/16" aluminum at a comfortable pace with compound-action tin snips before.

The build looks good. I'm not a fan of the design, but it looks pretty accurate so far.

Kommissar

oh for the styrene, i use my blades, little issue there, it's the sintra i'm using for the lens frames thats killing me

Kommissar

took part of the mask apart tonight and flared out the edges around the muzzle area,

trying to replicate the flared edges of this picture.
http://www.existentialgamer.com/blog...-new-vegas.jpg

than attached the front and lens frames.



now i need a couple of pipes for the gas mask canisters.

Ragarnok

Could you tell what kind of plastic is this ? where i can buy some ?

Graphic Jordan

Model/Hobby Craft Shops or online of course. I got mine on fleabay.

Contec

Styrene plastic

RATCHET

I need to finish pepping mine. I posted what I have done so far at the outpost(LIBERTYprime). I ended up pepping the Enclave remnant helmet instead. I like the way you are going about "rebuilding" it out of plastic. Makes me want to scrap the pep and just scratch build it.

ncrRanger

thats looking so awesome!

bansand

Checking this thread each day for updates. I like what I'm seeing so far :u

Kommissar

Okay folks, big update,
i've been working hard getting the amp on the front of the mask looking right, which isnt easy when its from scratch.
couldn't find a pipe the right diameter to use for it, so i had to improvise.. now i have to do something similar for the gas canister! not going to be fun.




sometime round this period i noticed i was doing it wrong, and had to tear the pieces apart and redo them, so the gap between the sections were even all the way along, rather than kind of arcing outwards.


i felt the mask was too wide, so i cut a slit in the side


and attached it closer.


I also began work with my favorite type of weathering, BATTLE DAMAGE!
so i took my trusty soldering iron to the foam.









some people have been curious with how i rigged the straps at the back, so for their benefit.
the silver thing on the strap is a safety pin, i will add a line or two of stitching, once i am satisfied with the entire vest.

precious

This looks really good! I'm loving the battle damage.

GeektressGalore

I love everything here ... Especially the Transformers pj pants!

Kommissar

i knew someone would comment on those.
they are comfy and it was a day off work, :P so sue me! haha.

GeektressGalore

No worries. To this day, I still wear Batman pjs of some kind.

Obievon

Sorry if this has already been asked........where did you get that foam for the body armor?

Thanks for the info.

Obievon

Your PJ's ROCK! SW fan here!

Pandemic

dude amazing battle damage, very impressed!

P.S i have transformer PJ's too!

Saint1988

proper epic dude im currently playing FNV and about to go on a hunt for this armor, question are you going to atempt the glowing red eye gogs? if so i wounderd if rigging some batry powerd red led's just under the eye slots would work granted you would probs be blinded, hhmmm never mind lol cant wait to see more pics

Kommissar

Okay awesome PJ's aside,
got some more work done.
Firstly, as much as i liked the burn marks and blackening of the foam with the soldering iron, i am not content to leave the armor a simple grey with a few scratch marks.
it needs to look dirty and have a somewhat paintchippy look to areas.

i cannot speak more highly for this spraypaint however, in the shot you can see it, Plastidip,
works a charm on foam, and holds paint to it perfectly, a great primer



after i've gotten the front amp sorted, i needed to make the filter canister, and was at a total loss for how to do it until i routed through some of my junk box, i found something almost perfect!
it was a cheap dollar store purchase at a japanese market, i bought a couple of them for things like a potential stick grenade prop, or other such ideas.

cut it in half

and the bottom now slides inside the top.


for the more observant of you,
http://www.existentialgamer.com/blog...-new-vegas.jpg
this detail shot shows an interesting detail that looks like a series of thin discs held inside the canister.
so i'm going to have to try to replicate that.


hey, the hole only shows about a quarter of the possible inside of the canister.. why not cheat?
work smart, not hard!
so i saved my fingers some pain and divided each disc i cut into four.

i think it works.


now, back to the armor,
i want to keep the channels between the plates black, so i'm using some blue painters tape.


hard to tell but i've given it a coat of gunmetal as my "raw" armor color, i'll be painting the grey over this in select places to give it an extra weathered look.


i also think the plastidip is a great stuff to try with the canister, so i'm giving it a coat of it before i give it some regular primer, we shall see how it goes.