Captain Hindsight's Captain America shield - a learning experience (UK)

theblueraja

New Member
I've been working on a Mark V Ironman suit for a while with little progress, and got sidetracked into constructing a Captain America shield for a friend.

I think I could safely say it's been a learning experience!

I decided to work it up in card and fibreglass then cast as you might do a pep file. To be honest, I probably should have left it at this stage! It was sturdy enough to walk around with and obviously quite light, but I really wanted something durable enough to withstand a night drinking. :)

1) I used a Polycraft silicone kit sourced from Ebay. It worked quite well and gave good detail, but that is a heck of a lot of surface to cover... not cheap!

2) I made the mistake of checking to see how the mould had taken which meant that it didn't sit right again when I made the reinforcement. Basically I ended up with a bumpy mould.

3) I tried paper mache as a reinforcer as I was concerned about weight. It wasn't strong enough.

4) I tried plaster of paris as a reinforcer, which was heavy and cracked under it's own weight. I did manage to cast from it once though.

5) I tried a card former and expanding foam... disaster :cry

6) (I would probably use the plastic I cast the shield in on any future attempt) :confused

7) I cast the shield using Easyflo 95 from the same EBay suppliers. I initially filled the centre star section to weigh down the mould and then tilted to fill the rim, moving round bit by bit. It seemed to work OK but as the mould reinforcement was cracking I rushed the cast and it ended up with a much thicker shield than necessary. This made it heavier than I wanted at around 5kg with straps.

8) Bumpy shield means lots of sanding... :unsure

9) ...and filling and sanding again. :cry

10) I used gate latch fixings, temporary chain links and a velcro box carrying strap for the strapping. I hot-glued them in place then screwed them in and then used more Easyflow to cover. The hot-glue really didn't help.

11) I used car body paints starting with a filler primer. It didn't take very well so I ended up with a second, standard primer coat (red).

12) I masked off with tape and plastic decorating sheet. The tape was rubbish and allowed some bleeding through and so I ended up hand painting to touch up using some acrylics I had sitting around. This gave me a chance to add texture to the silver but I didn't get the clean finish I was hoping for.

13) Lacquer coat to finish. If it isn't perfectly dry it leaves finger prints when you move your shield inside. :( (and pieces of the plastic sheet that you leave it sat on too) :cry

I hope that some of the things I've picked up will help someone. Maybe I haven't lurked enough and these are all real rookie mistakes(?)

Back to Ironman. :)
 
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Finished product.

You'll probably notice that it's a bit big. My friend is firstly around 5-6" taller than me and when we looked at the scale, he wanted it bigger. It's around 28".
:)
 
Remember, Cap's shield isn't used for rubbing with a diaper.....It's supposed to be beaten up and scratched and scuffed.
 
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You could have saved yourself time and money if you read up more first. Other peoples mistakes are free.

What kind of paint did you use? Lacquer shouldn't be put over enamel.

But it looks okay. Better than some others.
 
Yeah, the reading I had done previously was pep Ironman specific. Definitely a different set of skills! The size of the mould is a game changer. :facepalm
I used car body paint, so the silver sections needed lacquering, I just decided to do the lot. :)
Well I'm expecting a bit more battle damage if it ever gets an outing. Maybe not quite in line with bullets and bombs but there will be stories to tell. :)
 
Remember, Cap's shield isn't used for rubbing with a diaper.....It's supposed to be beaten up and scratched and scuffed.

This is Caps most prized possesion it gets vety well tsken care of there is only 1 in existance it is made from adamantium/vibranium alloy, - kind of a Cap fan lol.
 
Unless ive got all turned around with the process you can use fibreglass as reinforcement, its light and sturdy and providing your sillicone (or equivalent) has keys to relocate it more than capable of enforcing this kind of shape, for extra sturdyness you can put on a layer then run rope across and fibeglass that on top, kind of braces the shape. Or if moneys tight try putting a wide weave mesh or fabric in your plaster to hold it together, just provide internal support. Hope thats helpful!
 
You could've used modroc for the master mold as well. It's basically a weaved fabric with embeded plaster (same sort of stuff used in medical sector).
 
Looks great! Keep up the good work. Researching is always a good way to try and avoid some of the minor problems but overall your almost always going to have to adjust somewhere, shave a little here, force a little there. And as good as the research is, experience is just as great of a learning tool. It is also always good to experiment and critically think through your difficulties, a lot of people on here will tell you that you can read ever article ever and even though that'll prepare you better, nothing is better then just jumping in and trying some things out. Worst case scenario you can always post up some questions and everyone here will do thee best to help you out. This is a great community to be part of! One of my favorites because the people on here are so passionate and know the amount of effort that goes into even the smallest detail. Nice work once again, this thread has tipped me off the fence to try and do a cap shield this way!

-Captain
 
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