Armor Joints, Movement, and Cover?

[Genonono]

Hello everyone. I've noticed in all full body armor cosplays that at the joints, the person is exposed. Just look at any Master Chief, Storm Trooper, or Iron man cosplay. The back of the knees, the area where the thighs and pelvis meets, the opposite side of the elbow on the arm, etc. are not covered by armor. Instead, you'll see the clothing that the person is wearing under the armor.

So am I wasting my time trying to do the physically impossible? Or is there a way to be fully covered by armor and still allow lots of movement while wearing it? I'd really like to know.

 

[Uridium]

If you can, go and see some real medieval armor. Those points where a persons body needs to be able to contract are often not covered with armor. They would have probably been protected by the layer of chain mail underneath the armor.

 

[maxaddict]

I researched floating joints and lames for my suits. 12th or 15th century (sorry I can't remember) you may have to rethink or remodel your joints. All mine from the neck seal to the ankles became separate parts. longer than actually seen and became more part of the under suit. Like a stunt man with pads under his clothes. then all of the armor floated on top of the joint held in place by Velcro or elastic. This method gave me a ton more mobility then I could get with sealed joints pinned together, as well as made the armor ajustable for other sized people do to the overlaps. Hope this helps and good luck.

Sent from my M865C using Tapatalk 2

 

[Dynofiend]

Most people choose to fill these gaps with something flexible like neoprene (like I did on my Iron Man suit), silicone or rubber. Or as you note, by wearing something a similar colour underneath.

You might be able to use something more solid, but it would take a great deal of careful engineering, and you would lose some flexibility in the process. The hardest areas are the underarms and groin, which require many planes of movement.

 

[Beer_Money_Props]

If it's feasibly possible, you can also airbrush texture or detail into your undersuit where it shows between the armor joints.

A lot of the newer Halo suits I'm seeing are starting to use something similar.

 

[OldSkoolEffects]

Having huge gaps like that is one of my gripes with armor that is supposed to be fully-enclosed, ranked second after hard armor that looks like a marshmallow. There's no easier way to ruin the suspension of disbelief than seeing exposed flesh/clothing.

Looking at how real armor works is an easy starting point to filling those gaps.

 

[firespiter]

If you look at some high end 16th century jousting armour (like Henry VIII's armour made for the Field of Cloth of Gold tournament in France), you'll see that some armourers were able to cover inside joints, ankles, even the posterior and groin completely encasing the wearer without inhibiting movement. But these were master armourers who had achieved a level of armouring that doesn't really exist today. I don't know of anyone that could do it in steel today (in the U.S. atleast, and still in the business) except for possibly Ugo Serrano (and maybe Chris Gilman).

Here is a video of the Field of Cloth of Gold armour for Henry and his Tonlet armour (which has the inside elbows protected in this fashion).
Henry VIII's foot combat armour for the Field of Cloth of Gold tournament in 1520 - YouTube
The Metropolitan museum of art also has some other videos of 16th century armour being articulated in a fashion that far exceeds the capabilities of human anatomy, yet still encasing the wearer completely.
-Terry

 

[Genonono]

I researched floating joints and lames for my suits. 12th or 15th century (sorry I can't remember) you may have to rethink or remodel your joints. All mine from the neck seal to the ankles became separate parts. longer than actually seen and became more part of the under suit. Like a stunt man with pads under his clothes. then all of the armor floated on top of the joint held in place by Velcro or elastic. This method gave me a ton more mobility then I could get with sealed joints pinned together, as well as made the armor ajustable for other sized people do to the overlaps. Hope this helps and good luck.

Sent from my M865C using Tapatalk 2

Let me get this straight; you put padding at the joints and attached the armor on top of that padding? That's very interesting. I'll see if that can work for me. Thanks!

Most people choose to fill these gaps with something flexible like neoprene (like I did on my Iron Man suit), silicone or rubber. Or as you note, by wearing something a similar colour underneath.

You might be able to use something more solid, but it would take a great deal of careful engineering, and you would lose some flexibility in the process. The hardest areas are the underarms and groin, which require many planes of movement.

I was hoping to avoid the neoprene/silicone/rubber method if I could but that might be the best/only way to go. The suit I plan on making is mostly black anyway so wearing black clothing underneath shouldn't be so bad. But since I'm making the armor super glossy/shiny, now I'm wondering.... can neoprene/silicone/rubber be painted or detailed to be shiny or glossy as well?

If it's feasibly possible, you can also airbrush texture or detail into your undersuit where it shows between the armor joints.

A lot of the newer Halo suits I'm seeing are starting to use something similar.

Do you mind posting a picture or two of that as an example? I'd really like to see how that looks.

 

[Beer_Money_Props]

Do you mind posting a picture or two of that as an example? I'd really like to see how that looks.

Go to Post #111 in this thread to see a Dyesub undersuit detail like I'm seeing. Most guys are taking the easier route and just airbrusing a contrasting color detail directly onto the parts of the undersuit that show (behind the knees, inside the elbows, shoulders, etc) where their armor ends/begins.

 

[OldSkoolEffects]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG8X1sF9kas and the following 3 parts show some really well done joints in actual armor.