Thank you, sir! That's a fantastic tip.
P.S. I have really been enjoying your IM updates... I'm still blown away by your craftsmanship and the clever engineering you do for hinges, joints and connections on your suits!
Thank you, sir! That's a fantastic tip.
P.S. I have really been enjoying your IM updates... I'm still blown away by your craftsmanship and the clever engineering you do for hinges, joints and connections on your suits!
Some progress tonight...
I was hunting for bolt heads for the round areas that cover the ears. These are only hinted at in the artwork. This detail only shows up in the sketches of the sides of the helmet that appear in the background (and don't show in the main frontal view drawing). Here is the reference images again:
I had planned to find a properly proportioned steel bolt with a head the right size for casting it; however, Ace Hardware carries Nylon bolts for 30 cents each! So, I just bought those, snipped the threaded sections off and quickly used my dremel to flatten off the back of the bolt heads.
Here are the bolts I used -- before and after I cut the threaded sections off...
After working with my compass and protractor, I got these positioned correctly on the helmet. I also cut out a thin piece of foam to show where the center plastic disc will go.
And a close-up view...
So, that looks like a workable solution for that area!
I also got the nose-armor sanded and primed!
Now, I'll just have the rivets to add before the final coat of primer! Then the faceplate is ready for casting!
Ahh... Now THAT is some magnificent work, sir. Well done.
I love the idea of taking concept art; stuff that was never meant to be made real, and turning it into a physical object. Beautiful work.
This looks so amazing. I keep checking back every day to see what you come up with.
Revisiting the rivet issue again!
Today, as I was searching for air-fresheners containers that might have a neat-looking round vent on them that I could use for the back of the helmet, I found THESE at Wal-Mart for $1.29 (for 20)...
These are 1/4" dia rubber 'bumpers' designed to protect your desks and shelves from heavy objects that might scratch them.
They are right in between the size of the tiny gems and the brass fasteners.
And here is the close up (showing their shape - which is cylindrical with a domed top)...
I think these match the size of the artwork better and they're even self-adhesive!
Thoughts?
I think those look great.
I have been following this thread closely... You are doing some amazing work. I have never been into steampunk designs, but this Iron man version is going to be awesome!indiefilmgeek said:
Revisiting the rivet issue again!
These are 1/4" dia rubber 'bumpers' designed to protect your desks and shelves from heavy objects that might scratch them.
They are right in between the size of the tiny gems and the brass fasteners.
And here is the close up (showing their shape - which is cylindrical with a domed top)...
I think these match the size of the artwork better and they're even self-adhesive!
Thoughts?
I think those bumpers are perfect in size. I'm not sure that I would trust their adhesive though. It is sometimes a hit and miss on how well self-adhesive items stick over time
That's a great point! I'll make sure to add a bit of my own adhesive before sticking them on!Randavian said:
I am following our every post and it is getting more exciting and amazing with each post and each new step! I hope you do us all the pleasure of doing a whole suit!
M
I definitely hope so! Digitizit certainly WANTS the full suit... and I would love to do build it for him.electraflier said:
*****
I picked up a piece of 1/16" thick plastic today and cut it into the center circles for the ear area detail.
I can never get a perfectly round piece with an exacto knife, so I took these two pieces out to the car port, clamped them together and then used my dremel to sand the edges until they were both closer to a circle.
I then used some glue for plastics (pictured) that I liked using for parts on Mikey's costume. Added a clamp for good measure and now that can sit until it's dry.
That will get repeated on the flip side tomorrow.
I also did some measuring and marking on the faceplate... Here is my proposed placement for the rivets (although it's hard to tell if they're aligned correctly with parts of their backing sticking out all over the place!
I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS PAINTED IN GOLD!!!
I've been watching your build and it inspires me to redesign my steam punk robot creation. Great work guys.
I think the new rivets look better than either of the old. They only need to stick long enough to survive through the molding process! As always, can't wait to see more.
I like the 'rivets' you've chosen. This build is so thrilling to watch! Keep it up
The new rivets are definitely the best solution. I can't wait to see it all painted up with those gorgeous eyes installed. A real piece of art indie.
Oh my god! Love the whole thing. The "rivets" are perfect for it!
Can't wait to see the whole thing finished
The rivets look great! For future reference I use googley eyes for rivets, if a lot are to be used. They are cheap and come in different sizes.
That's a FANTASTIC idea!!! I'm totally using that on the other areas of this costume! Thank you for sharing!Hogosha said:
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...not much to report from last night, but I wanted to show you want the bolts look like over the ear area.
I will be gluing the bolt heads on the other side and placing the rivets this weekend... which just leaves the vents on the back of the helmet to deal with.
Sorry for the delay in updates... Last weekend, I modified a bunk-bed set for my boys and we started to rip out the flooring in our master 1/2 bath (oh, the joys of home improvement).
I'll start this minor update with some bad news. Once again, my OCD bothered me enough that I had to take serious sandpaper to the nose-armor to get rid of a small lump at the right edge created by the way the Smooth-Cast settled as I painted it on the foam.
Of course, I tore it up more than I should so I had to go BACK to my flow-able putty to re-store a nice smooth finish.
With this now finished, I've started to hit the whole faceplate with some of it's last coats of primer.
*Note that before I put ANY paint on material that is not hardened (foam, plastic, rubber, etc) I ALWAYS use adhesive promoter to make sure the paint bonds well with all the materials.
I'll say, I'm pretty happy with the rivets. I really like that they have a nice ridged detail that makes them look cooler than some of the other choices I had tried out.
I also measured out and glued all the rivets on the main helmet. I haven't primed this piece yet, as I still need to do the vents at the back of the helmet. These I have marked off, but I'm still working on fabricating these pieces (more about that later).
Here are some pics of the main helmet rivets...
*****
And finally, I went ahead and posted an INTEREST THREAD in the Junk Yard... IF there are enough interested folks, I'll do a run of raw roto-cast helmets.
Moderator rules, all further discussion of this has to be over on the JY thread or via PM. Thanks for understanding!
*****
Here are some pictures of where the helmet stands tonight:
This looks amazing and it doesn't even have the eyes in it yet! You gotta get a teaser pic with the eyes held in there!
Looking better and better every day! I cant wait to see it with the microphone piece in there along with the eyes.
Very cool helmet! and indeed what they say ^^ can't wait for the eyes and mike
The helmet is looking spectacular! The contrast of the two colors really brings out the details. Can't wait to see the finished job in its final colors.indiefilmgeek said:
Here are some pictures of where the helmet stands tonight:
Awesome job!
You have to be one of the most ingenuitive persons on this forum! Great and inspiring work!
Thanks, man!Dericrw said:
BTW, you're TMNT build is looking awesome - I've been lurking on your thread for while. I've never tried a sculpted piece, so I'm always intrigued and inspired when you see a build like yours. Can't wait to see your full suit finished!
You just keep pushing that bar don't you man!. Awesome work my friend.
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