Colonial Marine Armor Build

[Leonidas280]

Hey all!

First off, thank you for all of the content on this forum!

I started this journey last fall with Rob over at Chefs Creations and since its arrival a few weeks ago, it's been a pleasure to build this kit with my son. Big thanks to BigbisonT for his youtube tutorials. My dad brought this movie home in the 80's on VHS, and like most of you, I still regard it as the best movie ever made. Building a set of armor has been a goal of mine, and so far a great experience! If anyone has any questions about the process, please let me know. It's a Hudson theme.

Chef sends them with minimal clean up so that was awesome! Great correspondence with Rob throughout the process and following delivery!

Colors are the same as referenced in BigBisonT's videos on youtube. "hiding the crimes" is definitely established in the later phases of weathering. Used the liquid stove polish from Amazon for the first weathering layer.

On top of one of the pics is a piece of production-made Aliens armor from Terry English for color reference. The colors are still spot on.

More to follow.

 

[Leonidas280]

Also, the heavier areas of the stove polish can be removed with 0000 steel wool given the prior layers were sealed with a satin finish, or the like. Very forgiving in post application processes.

 

[Leonidas280]

Hudson front plate without the nametape or weathering.

 

[Leonidas280]

Quick update. Armor attached, was waiting until now to paint the shoulder pauldrons to somewhat mesh with the rest of the kit. Still need to do the helmet and greaves. The process has been awesome so far. Will need to look at A. Savages guides for weathering fabric as he did on the Grogu project. The Moltow fine liquid chrome are going to be perfect, yet time consuming, for the weathering of this.

 

[Leonidas280]

Three levels of progress in this picure. Base Coat on the shoulder paudrons, basic camo on the shoulder pads, 1st pass of "grate polish" on the chest plate and weathering. Today's update.

 

[prev]

Awesome!!!!

I do love me a good Colonial Marine build...

 

[rob343428]

This is probably a stupid question, but is there a diffinitive guide to doing the straps under the shoulders?

 

[septic]

rob343428 do you mean this?
Spatcave Shoulder Upgrade Instructions

 

[rob343428]

Sort of yes

 

[Leonidas280]

I forgot to post a final pic. All wrapped up, here's the end result.

 

[Luv4Filmz]

That is brilliant, well done. I have been on the Chefs Creations website, a lot of great Aliens items, Marine uniform, armour, excellent. I have a project of my own that covers Aliens, a themed attraction and seeing how fans customise their own Colonial Marine Armour just gets better.

 

[badjer1983]

Hey all!

First off, thank you for all of the content on this forum!

I started this journey last fall with Rob over at Chefs Creations and since its arrival a few weeks ago, it's been a pleasure to build this kit with my son. Big thanks to BigbisonT for his youtube tutorials. My dad brought this movie home in the 80's on VHS, and like most of you, I still regard it as the best movie ever made. Building a set of armor has been a goal of mine, and so far a great experience! If anyone has any questions about the process, please let me know. It's a Hudson theme.

Chef sends them with minimal clean up so that was awesome! Great correspondence with Rob throughout the process and following delivery!

Colors are the same as referenced in BigBisonT's videos on youtube. "hiding the crimes" is definitely established in the later phases of weathering. Used the liquid stove polish from Amazon for the first weathering layer.

On top of one of the pics is a piece of production-made Aliens armor from Terry English for color reference. The colors are still spot on.

More to follow.

I'm trying to figure out how the chest/backplates fasten together and where the shoulder pauldrons attach. Do the large (over the shoulder) Suspension pieces that attach to the grenade belt fasten as well to the chest/backplates or do they truly rest on top ? Please show photos of these connetions as I searched the internet and cant find anything about this for accuracy in assembly! Even Adam Savage got it wrong! Thanks!

 

[Leonidas280]

Badjer,

Below are the two reference photos I used for strapping mine up. Chest and back plates are attached at the top/neck area by rivets and a piece of 1" nylon at the seam. The pauldrons are attached from the inside of of the top of the shoulder to Pauldrons the. To the rest of the shoulder pieces. I'll try and snap a few pics of how I did it this week for you.