Papercraft Biker Scout Trooper armor

Not sure if anyone else has seen it yet. I haven't found other threads here about it... but... There's a fellow who has started a website, the goal of which is to make available patterns for Star Wars armored characters (HALO fans won't be the only ones who can be cool and in cardboard!). The first project is the Biker Scout, and the first part is the helmet. It's currently in beta testing, but looks very promising! Hopefully the rest of it will be as cool. And hopefully, other Pepakura style sets will be available in the future.

http://www.paper-costume.com/

I would be remiss in not mentioning Skip's site. His patterns are not for free, but they're reasonably priced and there are a lot of them, and look like they're pretty good! He's also been helping out the folks over at The Dented Helmet.

http://skipspepakuracostumes.blogspot.com/

Someone start making this stuff, so I don't have to do it! :lol

I've seen some builds using Skip's models over on 405th, and looked at the models that he'd (very generously) posted for free over there. His models are superb, and his unfolding makes for really nice assembly.

Anyone ever tried making one of these out of sintra/ABS sheet and wearing it?

SaberFreak said:

Anyone ever tried making one of these out of sintra/ABS sheet and wearing it?

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it can be done easily (i make my stuff out of chipboard and fiberglass, which is about the same thickness as most ABS sheets)

It would work for things like halloween n whatnot, just something quick and easy. But in order to have a good looking finished piece, you'd still have to do a lot of smoothing to get rid of all the polygonal edges/points.

This is the main reason i use chipboard, because it is very very easy to carve and sand down prior to fiberglassing. which saves an ungodly amount of time with bondo/spot putty/epoxy putty.

The only 'chipboard' I know is what some crates are made of, and the stuff builders use to make partitions; which obviously is not what you're referring to.

Do you know another name(s) for it?

double post:

SaberFreak said:

The only 'chipboard' I know is what some crates are made of, and the stuff builders use to make partitions; which obviously is not what you're referring to.

Do you know another name(s) for it?

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Might mean hardboard the stuff they use to back self assemble wardrobes and stuff ?
That's pretty thin material.

I think the chipboard he's using is the same as what I use: heavy cardboard. Dick Blick Art and other art stores have big sheets of the stuff for a couple bucks, stored along with matboards and foamcore. Not sure why they call it that, but I suppose "cardboard" is too boring.

Comes in 2 thicknesses, depending on what sort of curve or strength you need. Also remember that carboard has a grain to it. It's easier to bend in one direction that the other. And if you laminate enough layers together, you can make the stuff pretty dang strong. For long term durability, you'd want somethng like fiberglass, but remember cardboard is made out of wood pulp, so with the proper techniques, you can make he stuff look and feel a lot different.

Back when the show was on (or maybe shortly after it was cancelled), I made the pilot episode armored flight harness from Space: Above and Beyond out of many layers of cardboard. It turned out pretty darn well. I kinda cheated on some of the details - there are some vent type shapes I just simplified into blocks, and I used sheet plastic for the harness point mounts.

Blair was the one who taught me about carboard techniques. His cardboard Rocketeer pack and helmet and ray guns were on display at the Marscon Propatorium a few weeks ago. I haven't brought my S:AAB harness to the show for a year or two, but his rocket pack will make anyone a believer. Also, the Martian probe he built for the World Defense Force is largely cardboard. I believe he also used Durham's Water Putty and maybe some styrofoam.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/markysparkly/3344427919/in/set-72157615078349328/

In the last couple years, I've started hardening the surface of wood and cardboard with Minwax Wood Hardener. It soaks in pretty well and makes it really strong and water resistant. I think Blair still prefers spray on polyurethane. That seals it and smooths it out a bit. I haven't used that for awhile, but I'm guessing it probably doesn't soak in nearly as much as the Minwax, so that's why I prefer the new stuff.

The whole cardboard prop process can be pretty bloody tedious, but you don't need much more than scissors and X-Acto knives, and white glue. You don't have to deal with all the nasty chemicals that you do when working with resins and sometimes molds. When you coat the thing... that's when you deal with the toxic stuff. Although you can also thin out white glue and paint that on instead. Doesn't help with the water proofing, but it does make it a little stronger and smoother.

And I guess I either didn't know or had forgotten that Skip was The Guy over at the 405th. Nice stuff indeedy!:thumbsup

OB10 said:

I think the chipboard he's using is the same as what I use: heavy cardboard. Dick Blick Art and other art stores have big sheets of the stuff for a couple bucks, stored along with matboards and foamcore. Not sure why they call it that, but I suppose "cardboard" is too boring.

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Yup, that's the stuff.
I usually back mine with fiberglass. And use elmer's epoxy putty on the outside. It soaks in a tiny bit, but it doesn't really need to. The epoxy is much stronger than auto fillers, and can be smoothed with a bit of water, which saves a ton of sanding time.

AH, thanks guys. We call it mounting board here.

Elmer's epoxy putty is not the same stuff as Elmer's glue right (which is basically a water based latex glue)?

SaberFreak said:

AH, thanks guys. We call it mounting board here.

Elmer's epoxy putty is not the same stuff as Elmer's glue right (which is basically a water based latex glue)?

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No, elmer's glue is something completely different, elmer's glue is just a plain old PVA glue.

I believe they call the stuff I'm talking about "Elmer's FIiberglass Repair System" though I've never tried to use it with fiberglass. It can be purchased at just about any hardware store for around $15 US. One thing i love about it, is that a little bit goes a long way and it can be spread very thin without really any worry about it's strength, unlike auto body fillers like bondo. And since it takes a while to cure, it is much nicer to work with, to get a nice glassy smooth surface with very little sanding.

Normally it takes a full 12-24 hours for it to cure completely, though I speed this process up with a heat lamp, to get it to cure in 1-3 hours. At least cure enough to handle and do a bit of light sanding.


The packaging looks like this




also, with the chipboard, I actually order mine here, from dick blick

http://www.dickblick.com/products/all-purpose-chipboard/

Actually 'chipboard' is pretty universally correct, it's the type of cardboard you will find on say cardboard jewelry boxes or cigar boxes... It's much more ridged then other cardboards, almost woodlike...

http://www.papermart.com/Product Pa...4660&SubGroupID=4661&ParentGroupID=18925#4661

Mating and mounting board is similar but generally less dense and softer...

exoray said:

Actually 'chipboard' is pretty universally correct, it's the type of cardboard you will find on say cardboard jewelry boxes or cigar boxes... It's much more ridged then other cardboards, almost woodlike...

http://www.papermart.com/Product Pa...4660&SubGroupID=4661&ParentGroupID=18925#4661

Mating and mounting board is similar but generally less dense and softer...

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Chipboard in the UK is nothing like the descriptions here.

Chipboard

Pretty heavy duty stuff it's basically used for laminating and making kitchen cabinet doors or worksurfaces stuff like that certainly not found in thin sheets.
Not really flexible the chips of wood are pretty coarse.

Hardboard

Lightweight stuff much finer particles more flexible and available in thin sheets.

Particle board is called chipboard in the UK? Something new every day...

defstartrooper said:

Chipboard in the UK is nothing like the descriptions here.

Chipboard

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That would be particle board on this side of the pond...

Although Wiki does say you guys call it chipboard...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particle_board

And the other version used as a plywood replacement is OSB Oriented Strand Board

Wiki says you guys on the other side of the pond call it Sterling board or Smartply...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriented_strand_board

I would suspect when you use the term "chipboard" the meaning will vary depending one what you are doing and where you are purchasing... Example at an art supply store vs a lumberyard... Paper craft project vs household construction...

defstartrooper said:

Chipboard in the UK is nothing like the descriptions here.

Chipboard

Pretty heavy duty stuff it's basically used for laminating and making kitchen cabinet doors or worksurfaces stuff like that certainly not found in thin sheets.
Not really flexible the chips of wood are pretty coarse.

Click to expand...

Yup, that's what I know chipboard as.

defstartrooper said:

Hardboard

Lightweight stuff much finer particles more flexible and available in thin sheets.

Click to expand...

We don't have these anymore, but in it's place we have something similar call HDB (Heavy Density Board), MDF (Medium Density Board), and LDB (Light Density Board).

Ok so I need something denser then mounting board, and Elmer's epoxy putty, which I don't have locally. Would just using fibreglass resin do?

exoray said:

I would suspect when you use the term "chipboard" the meaning will vary depending one what you are doing and where you are purchasing... Example at an art supply store vs a lumberyard... Paper craft project vs household construction...

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Nope ask or chipboard anywhere that's what you will get in the UK.

ob10,
are there plans for the rocketeer pack and helmet available for download?
i have searched online but come up blank.
any help would be appreciated.

defstartrooper said:

Nope ask or chipboard anywhere that's what you will get in the UK.

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This is contradicted by what a google.co.uk UK only search for "chipboard art" pops...

darthinvictus said:

ob10,
are there plans for the rocketeer pack and helmet available for download?
i have searched online but come up blank.
any help would be appreciated.

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I don't know of any. Blair came up with his own pattern from pictures from Starlog, freeze framed VHS tapes (yes, he made it that long ago), probably movie posters or standees.... It would be pretty cool if blueprints were available online, but he pretty much eyeballed it. I don't know if he even has plans anymore, or if he just kind of eyeballed the whole thing and made it up as he went, like a sculpture. I would guess he would have plans (he was drafting with a pencil at the time, and has now moved to CAD, so I would be kind of surprised if he did it without a full sized pattern). But I'm sure if he even still has the plans, he hasn't taken the time to turn them into CAD.