Borderlands 2: Maliwan Sub-Malevolent Grace (Take two)
- Thread starter BRDencklau
- Start date
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- borderlands
BRDencklau
Well-Known Member
So I have begun molding the various components for this prop.
BRDencklau
Well-Known Member
I took some time before checking out of the country for a couple weeks to mold the magazine and pull a hollow cast of it in shiny red! I also started with the final steps in detail I want to complete before molding the body. First being opening the thumb hole to make the prop more comfortable in your hand. Here is a quick pic of the original body sculpt with the pulls of all the currently cast parts slapped on.
BRDencklau
Well-Known Member
I actually spent most of yesterday cutting into the body, adding new details I omitted before. The reveal in the nose is fleshed out and initial back filling is done. I also cleaned up the display windows and filled with smooth plastic. I opened the thumb hole to accommodate human geometry as well. I'll post done pictures when I make more headway.
BRDencklau
Well-Known Member
Continuing with resolving the few inaccuracies left in my sculpt, I back filled the display windows with smooth plastic built up to the proper height for the final product. I also trimmed out the nose reveal using a variety of tools.
I also modified the barrel assembly to fit properly and seat below the sight correctly. This will have to be re-molded.
The next step is to separate the fore grip from the nose and body of the gun. This allows me to finish the inside of the reveal between the bottom of the barrel and the top of the grip. I also need to do some more fill work related to the new nose detail and the existing sculpt.
I chased out the other details and applied a coat of quick drying primer followed with a matte black. You can see the area under the nose that I need to amend.
Back home, I trimmed two pieces of flat plastic to fill the gap at the bottom of the nose. These I glued together and glued in place to provide a good substrate to apply my filler: Apoxie Sculpt. I liberally apply the compound and use wax carvers to smooth and shape as best as the product will allow. When cured the Apoxie Sculpt has all the properties of machinable plastic.
I will sand this mess down and end up with a smooth, seamless surface.
As for the severed fore-grip? I made a little three peg mating joint to facilitate post cast finishing. I will eventually seal this joint with liquid plastic for the best bond prior to priming and painting.
I'll be back next week with another update!
I also modified the barrel assembly to fit properly and seat below the sight correctly. This will have to be re-molded.
The next step is to separate the fore grip from the nose and body of the gun. This allows me to finish the inside of the reveal between the bottom of the barrel and the top of the grip. I also need to do some more fill work related to the new nose detail and the existing sculpt.
I chased out the other details and applied a coat of quick drying primer followed with a matte black. You can see the area under the nose that I need to amend.
Back home, I trimmed two pieces of flat plastic to fill the gap at the bottom of the nose. These I glued together and glued in place to provide a good substrate to apply my filler: Apoxie Sculpt. I liberally apply the compound and use wax carvers to smooth and shape as best as the product will allow. When cured the Apoxie Sculpt has all the properties of machinable plastic.
I will sand this mess down and end up with a smooth, seamless surface.
As for the severed fore-grip? I made a little three peg mating joint to facilitate post cast finishing. I will eventually seal this joint with liquid plastic for the best bond prior to priming and painting.
I'll be back next week with another update!
BRDencklau
Well-Known Member
: UPDATE!!! THIS PROJECT IS NOT DEAD!!!! :
Though enough time has passed between my last post and now for me to make an entirely new replica from the game, "I assure you we are still open!"
I needed to make even more revisions to the main body of the SMG before I would feel comfortable molding the remainder of the prop. I started out by etching in the remainder of the detail lines on the fore and aft grip area, followed by a few coats of primer to seal the deal.
Next mod is the arming levers on either side of the gun. I sculpted rough with Apoxie Sculpt and carved the details in, like I normally do.
I re shaped the thumb hole even more to try for an ergonomic feel, but I don't have updated photos for that.
I also started carving down one of my casts of the Tediore sight to make the Maliwan specific sight. Though I haven't made a ton of progress.
I'll be back with another update when the molding is done.
Though enough time has passed between my last post and now for me to make an entirely new replica from the game, "I assure you we are still open!"
I needed to make even more revisions to the main body of the SMG before I would feel comfortable molding the remainder of the prop. I started out by etching in the remainder of the detail lines on the fore and aft grip area, followed by a few coats of primer to seal the deal.
Next mod is the arming levers on either side of the gun. I sculpted rough with Apoxie Sculpt and carved the details in, like I normally do.
I re shaped the thumb hole even more to try for an ergonomic feel, but I don't have updated photos for that.
I also started carving down one of my casts of the Tediore sight to make the Maliwan specific sight. Though I haven't made a ton of progress.
I'll be back with another update when the molding is done.
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MisterLamont
Jr Member
Friggin Magnificent!!!!! That's looking so good, and I'mm glad this project is not dead. 
typeomega
Member
love the build so far but seems im a little late to the party on this one . the "leveling device" is a fiber-optic neon sight. the industry name for the component you would build one out of is
Plastruct Fluorescent Acrylic Round Rod
Plastruct Fluorescent Acrylic Round Rod
BRDencklau
Well-Known Member
As promised, I started the mold making process for this long awaited replica. The details of which will be described in part later in the process.
However, before commencing the mold process I took the time to sand the plug to a 3 Micron cloth, which is around 8,000 grit if it were sandpaper. The results are impressive and worth the many hours it took to get here.
I left the grip and thumb hole in the matte primer finish to give it a soft feel against the hard polished body.
This is finally coming around after more than two years of R&D and plenty of blood, sweat, and tears.
However, before commencing the mold process I took the time to sand the plug to a 3 Micron cloth, which is around 8,000 grit if it were sandpaper. The results are impressive and worth the many hours it took to get here.
I left the grip and thumb hole in the matte primer finish to give it a soft feel against the hard polished body.
This is finally coming around after more than two years of R&D and plenty of blood, sweat, and tears.
BRDencklau
Well-Known Member
I'm back with a Sub-Malevolent update.
After some quality research online, I gave the matrix mold process a try. I have a fair amount of experience with mold making, but am no master. This is my first time working with fiberglass so I made sure to know what was going down before I dove in. Thankfully there is a fair amount of tutorial material on Youtube regarding fiberglass technique, albeit mostly geared towards automotive and aquatic body work. The work of Volpin Props and Punished Props also gave a lot of insight into the process, though you don't really know until you actually do it. As with most skills it is all about miles, research, and proper preparation. I'm not going to go through the details of the process, as it is just mostly busy work.
Here is a photo of the main body after the first application of silicone. Lots of clamping going on in that photo. I like the DeWalt clamps, they remind me of Hyperion.
After some deliberation about process, I hand roto-cast the first copy in Smooth-on, Smooth cast 305. This was quite difficult as the mold, jacket, and resin together weigh in around 35 lbs. My arms got quite the workout. I'll be building a rotocast machine to help with this process over the next couple weeks. Until then I'll just make sure to eat my Wheaties.
Here is the first cast of both the foregrip and the main body, freshly cured, next to the original sculpt. I am extremely pleased with the results. It looks as though my details were captured quite well.
I am on hold until more resin is acquired so my next move is to paint and fully detail my original sculpt...
As well as mold the Flakker....
And finish the Bandit Shotty....
Awesome.
After some quality research online, I gave the matrix mold process a try. I have a fair amount of experience with mold making, but am no master. This is my first time working with fiberglass so I made sure to know what was going down before I dove in. Thankfully there is a fair amount of tutorial material on Youtube regarding fiberglass technique, albeit mostly geared towards automotive and aquatic body work. The work of Volpin Props and Punished Props also gave a lot of insight into the process, though you don't really know until you actually do it. As with most skills it is all about miles, research, and proper preparation. I'm not going to go through the details of the process, as it is just mostly busy work.
Here is a photo of the main body after the first application of silicone. Lots of clamping going on in that photo. I like the DeWalt clamps, they remind me of Hyperion.
After some deliberation about process, I hand roto-cast the first copy in Smooth-on, Smooth cast 305. This was quite difficult as the mold, jacket, and resin together weigh in around 35 lbs. My arms got quite the workout. I'll be building a rotocast machine to help with this process over the next couple weeks. Until then I'll just make sure to eat my Wheaties.
Here is the first cast of both the foregrip and the main body, freshly cured, next to the original sculpt. I am extremely pleased with the results. It looks as though my details were captured quite well.
I am on hold until more resin is acquired so my next move is to paint and fully detail my original sculpt...
As well as mold the Flakker....
And finish the Bandit Shotty....
Awesome.
BRDencklau
Well-Known Member
Thanks, everyone! I'll be offering kits if anyone is interested. As soon as I am production ready I'll post a link to my Etsy. (Still under construction. )
