Tips from Newbie to Newbies (on foam build - for now)

@Sniggle: glad to help out, good luck. You might want to use 6 LED per eyes, 3 at the top 3 at the bottom.

@P4r4dox86: happy search. Just careful because there are so many types and choices.

@sniggle:
I apologize for my picture led strip 3.jpg was a little confusing. It looks like the wire is crossed, but actually the right strip was upside down (see the printing R3 is upside down). I wanted to show, no matter you place the strip, as long as you connect (+) to (+), it's correct.
Here is the illustration again, (I aoplogize for not using proper symbol for switch).
Hope it's clear enough.

Some handy tips IMIM2.

Can I add a tip (well advice)?.

Build in pairs.

Don't build one leg and then move on to build an arm, you won't want to go back and build that second leg because you know what frustration is waiting for you.

Glue one part on the left, then repeat on the right, this helps because you dont have to remember how you modded a part to get it to fit right. You'll be glad you did it this way, trust me.

Finally....
Rebo, please go ahead, post your tips here. The more the merrier.
My personal experience (since I lack of P=patience and I got bored easily), I hate repetition. Doing it twice to me just burning my patience.
However, build in pairs is the right way, agreed.

The purpose of this thread is to gather/share/comments on tips that might helpful (or not!) on the build for others.

Hey IMIM2, I figured I'd toss up a tip that I have developed for making your angle cuts right (or at least close!) the first time you cut them.

I start by tracing all my pieces onto foam as per usual. But after that, I go thru piece by piece and examine the model on pepakura viewer and mark all the edges that need to be Angles with dots:


Dots inside the shape for angles that will create "mountains" (the majority of the angle cuts)


And dots outside the shape that will creat "valleys"


Then when I cut the angles, I first cut along the line very lightly, maybe a couple mm deep, with my knife held at about a 45 deg angle. Then I go back and cut deeper. The first cut will help to guide your second deep cut and keep your knife on the line easier.

Good luck everyone! Hope this helps!!

Nice Helagak!

I always trying to put the mark on cardboard templates but always forgot to transfer it to the foam, silly me .

Really like the dots, I always use dots and X, but putting the dots outside, why I never thought about it

"I first cut along the line very lightly, maybe a couple mm deep" > So now you go metric huh?

This is what bothers me when using 10mm foam: I have to run the blade twice (regardless angle or straight cut). You pointed it out that. For me, running the blade twice will give a sloppy result. Even after I burn it, it still not giving me a nice "thickness wall". I would normally use scisscors to clean it, but 10mm is too thick for scissors.
BTW, single cut drains my energy fast.
Anyone have same difficulty?

I work in civil engineering in the states. So I actually work in feet and tenths of feet. (1.080' = 1' 1") inches as stupid. I figured most people here would understand "2mm" better than "1/16 of an inch" or "0.006 feet" =P

I'm currently at the hand stage of my build and was wondering on the prefered method for fixing them together?

If i'm using an under glove is it best to glue the fingers to that or use the process of attaching them using fishing wire?

Any tips on this would be most welcome

thanks in advance

Rebo said:

---

Some handy tips IMIM2.

Can I add a tip (well advice)?.

Build in pairs.

Don't build one leg and then move on to build an arm, you won't want to go back and build that second leg because you know what frustration is waiting for you.

Glue one part on the left, then repeat on the right, this helps because you dont have to remember how you modded a part to get it to fit right. You'll be glad you did it this way, trust me.

I discovered this tip too late....i made all the left side of my suit first and now i have to motivate myself to tackle the right side, knowing what a pain it will be

Any future projects i undertake will indeed be built in pairs mainly for how i needed to mod each piece as Rebo stated

mark0017 said:

---

I discovered this tip too late....i made all the left side of my suit first and now i have to motivate myself to tackle the right side, knowing what a pain it will be

Any future projects i undertake will indeed be built in pairs mainly for how i needed to mod each piece as Rebo stated

hey Im not alone ..wohoo!! i too have half an Ironman n no motivation lol Yup Rebo was right on lol

Mark, Doc, and all others that still in the process of making the suit:

Here is something that I made to boost your morale.

Master Stealth,
You are my inspiration on why I started this thread. It's an honor to have you finally write something on this.

Per your comment, actually, I used pressure switch (see picture) before, but since I do no fiberglass/plastidip/resin on the helmet, I need something strong to align the faceplate, so I use magnet, and thought to combine it and drop the switch.
Since the magnet requires more force to separate, yeah, I agree if we use motorized hinges, don't go magnet. A Switch will do just fine.

Hey man,
I actually stumbled onto your thread for the first time today. Such great tips, huge time savers.
the kind of info I'd like to know if I was a newbie for sure.
After the Eye light tutorial I filmed, I wanted to cover the mod for the faceplate on/off and I noticed you mentioned it here as well.
It's a very nice set-up for sure and gets the job done. That's what I always prefer.
Not overcomplicating things. Keeping it SIMPLE.

I will link people to this thread in that video for sure.

IMIM2, I hope you are ready for a flood of views and posts after Stealth links people to this thread.

I'd like to use numbers on the tips so we can keep track and reference it afterward. So I did some edit on tip#19 (counting Rebos at #17 and Helagak's at #18)

@Mark
I made a quick (read:lazy) illustration about connecting the fingers, especially on how to glue it. I keep the top strips only glued to the finger tip, because it requires some "stretches". Since the strip do not stretch, I make it longer, and it stores inside the palm. The bottom strip, since it can accommodate "shrink", I glue it to all finger knuckles and to palm. This strip is actually the one to keep the fingers "in position". This even have to make it thinner, perhaps 1/4 of the circumference.
Hope it give more better picture on the setup.

@Stealth: Thank you for the link-ing.

@BobbyS95: I serve the RPF community, help in anyway I can. The more questions to come, if I can help, the more material I get to share. Everybody can join in too of course.
I'm still a newbie, my suit is far less than perfect, but it's nice to know that somebody find my thread helpful (and save money, time, and eventually save life..., to become a true superhero, one must save a lot of lifes )

IMIM2 said:

---

Mark,
The tube itself can be painted in metallic red, but I like the silver color.

Hope it helps.

This tip, as with all the others is genius......i love the look that the plastic pipe gives to the fingers and i'll definitely be using this method.

Thanks again for saving my ass IMIM2

IMIM2 said:

---

@Mark

Hope it give more better picture on the setup.

That picture explains it perfectly mate, thanks as always

thanks for the tips i will use them in future projects

IMIM2 said:

---

Mark, Doc, and all others that still in the process of making the suit:

Here is something that I made to boost your morale.

WOW Well that's me re motivated for sure lol.....cool pic mate

What a Great Thread ! Thanks for all your tips so far.

Nice arc IMIM2. It seems like everyone has there own way of making an arc reactor!