Hank Pym Ant-Man Costume WIP (VERY Picture Heavy)
- Thread starter Mollins
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Mollins
Well-Known Member
Re: Hank Pym Ant-Man Helmet WIP (Picture Heavy)
I've now added a lip around the bottom edge of the helmet, and clayed the gap roughly (I'll be cleaning it up further, when I add the parting wall for the silicone, across the middle of the helmet, so it's front and back)
I should be getting the silicone to mould this in the post tomorrow, which means I should hopefully have it all moulded up, with the first cast out by next week =D
I've now added a lip around the bottom edge of the helmet, and clayed the gap roughly (I'll be cleaning it up further, when I add the parting wall for the silicone, across the middle of the helmet, so it's front and back)
I should be getting the silicone to mould this in the post tomorrow, which means I should hopefully have it all moulded up, with the first cast out by next week =D
Mollins
Well-Known Member
Re: Hank Pym Ant-Man Helmet WIP (Picture Heavy)
Well, I'm now finished with the silicone portion of the mold making.
It took me longer than expected, as I miscalculated the amount of silicone I'd used/needed, and had to wait for another kilo to arrive, I made the seam a bit thicker than I had planned to, which used up a lot of silicone which could have been used for the other side of the mold, but I got it finished!
Print Coat on the Back of the mold
And the front half waiting to be molded after removing the clay, happy with how it's looking.
Print coat on the front, it was after this point I was running out of silicone
Thickened back, I had to modify the keys on the sides on the front and back to make removing the fibreglass shell easier once it's made.
Well, I'm now finished with the silicone portion of the mold making.
It took me longer than expected, as I miscalculated the amount of silicone I'd used/needed, and had to wait for another kilo to arrive, I made the seam a bit thicker than I had planned to, which used up a lot of silicone which could have been used for the other side of the mold, but I got it finished!
Print Coat on the Back of the mold
And the front half waiting to be molded after removing the clay, happy with how it's looking.
Print coat on the front, it was after this point I was running out of silicone
Thickened back, I had to modify the keys on the sides on the front and back to make removing the fibreglass shell easier once it's made.
Mollins
Well-Known Member
Re: Hank Pym Ant-Man Helmet WIP (Picture Heavy)
Well, We got the mold all finished up today, and the first pull from the mold!
Thankfully, it has come out great!, minimal flashing across the seamline and minimal defects (got two or three bits on the back, no idea where they came from, but simple fixes with a bit of sandpaper and bondo)
Here's photos of the first casting, minimal clean-up done on it, still needs quite a bit more to clean up round the trimmed areas.
Well, We got the mold all finished up today, and the first pull from the mold!
Thankfully, it has come out great!, minimal flashing across the seamline and minimal defects (got two or three bits on the back, no idea where they came from, but simple fixes with a bit of sandpaper and bondo)
Here's photos of the first casting, minimal clean-up done on it, still needs quite a bit more to clean up round the trimmed areas.
Markandson
Active Member
Re: Hank Pym Ant-Man Helmet WIP (Picture Heavy)
Wow, looking brilliant!
Someday I will have to learn how to do this molding and casting!
Wow, looking brilliant!
Someday I will have to learn how to do this molding and casting!
Mollins
Well-Known Member
Re: Hank Pym Ant-Man Helmet WIP (Picture Heavy)
Thanks Sharkdog, it's been a fun build, but certainly a long one, across almost all 4 seasons!
Much unlike the other build we have running at the same time as this, which I'll be posting very soon!
The helmet is still being completely cleaned up right now, we had hit it with some paint, but it decided to crack :angry so it's been sanded down and resprayed, and we're allowing that to completely cure before giving it a light sanding and more paint.
In the meantime, I've been working on the buckle part of the costume, it's made from some scrap sintra, plastic test tubes and a 4 inch acrylic disc.
The test tubes were cut off on one end, and attached to another, then cleaned up a bit before being marked onto the acrylic disc.
After marking the disc, it was cut out with a dremel, and the test tubes bondo'd into place so as to fill the gap whilst holding it in.
The parts in the middle are simple rectangles of sintra with their edges softened
Here's the master, as I neglected to photograph the buckle in progress.
and the simple dump mold:
The casting is currently being painted, so no photos right now.
I had also started on the fabric parts of the costume, however my sewing machine has had to go in for servicing, as it's been constantly dropping stitches, so all I've got done so far is the waistband on Hank's Briefs!
Thanks Sharkdog, it's been a fun build, but certainly a long one, across almost all 4 seasons!
Much unlike the other build we have running at the same time as this, which I'll be posting very soon!
The helmet is still being completely cleaned up right now, we had hit it with some paint, but it decided to crack :angry so it's been sanded down and resprayed, and we're allowing that to completely cure before giving it a light sanding and more paint.
In the meantime, I've been working on the buckle part of the costume, it's made from some scrap sintra, plastic test tubes and a 4 inch acrylic disc.
The test tubes were cut off on one end, and attached to another, then cleaned up a bit before being marked onto the acrylic disc.
After marking the disc, it was cut out with a dremel, and the test tubes bondo'd into place so as to fill the gap whilst holding it in.
The parts in the middle are simple rectangles of sintra with their edges softened
Here's the master, as I neglected to photograph the buckle in progress.
and the simple dump mold:
The casting is currently being painted, so no photos right now.
I had also started on the fabric parts of the costume, however my sewing machine has had to go in for servicing, as it's been constantly dropping stitches, so all I've got done so far is the waistband on Hank's Briefs!
Mollins
Well-Known Member
Re: Hank Pym Ant-Man Helmet WIP (Picture Heavy)
Well, we are now finished with our Helmet (minus securing in electronics), and we are so happy with how it looks!
After cleaning up the casting, it was given a coat of filler primer, then sanded down lightly, then given a coat of plain grey primer, then a silver paint we like the colouring of, and then finally it was hit with some automotive lacquer.
It has that sort of "plastic metal" look, which is what we were actually aiming for with it, as I think it looks nice when it comes to props/helmets.
The antenna aren't secured into the helmet here, but will be getting secured in to reduce the gap between them and the stubs on the helmet.
I had some decals cut by someone local who does them, in black vinyl ,which has been applied to an acrylic disc and put into the mouth piece of the helmet.
There is also a set of 10mm LEDs behind the acrylic disc, lit in a cool blue.
It can clearly be seen as lit in daylight, which is good, but it gets nice and bright when it's a tad darker.
Lee put the helmet on, to give an idea of how it looks, it's still not got the padding added on the inside yet, which is why it's sitting a bit low on his face, but that'll be fixed before it's worn.
The helmet portion of the build is now finished, I'm delighted to say!
I believe the thread will now want to move though, as it's going to become a full documentation of the costume also, as soon as we have our sewing machine back in hand (it was send in to get tuned up)
I've also started an interest thread over in the junkyard, in case anyone would be interested in getting their hands on one of these =]
Well, we are now finished with our Helmet (minus securing in electronics), and we are so happy with how it looks!
After cleaning up the casting, it was given a coat of filler primer, then sanded down lightly, then given a coat of plain grey primer, then a silver paint we like the colouring of, and then finally it was hit with some automotive lacquer.
It has that sort of "plastic metal" look, which is what we were actually aiming for with it, as I think it looks nice when it comes to props/helmets.
The antenna aren't secured into the helmet here, but will be getting secured in to reduce the gap between them and the stubs on the helmet.
I had some decals cut by someone local who does them, in black vinyl ,which has been applied to an acrylic disc and put into the mouth piece of the helmet.
There is also a set of 10mm LEDs behind the acrylic disc, lit in a cool blue.
It can clearly be seen as lit in daylight, which is good, but it gets nice and bright when it's a tad darker.
Lee put the helmet on, to give an idea of how it looks, it's still not got the padding added on the inside yet, which is why it's sitting a bit low on his face, but that'll be fixed before it's worn.
The helmet portion of the build is now finished, I'm delighted to say!
I believe the thread will now want to move though, as it's going to become a full documentation of the costume also, as soon as we have our sewing machine back in hand (it was send in to get tuned up)
I've also started an interest thread over in the junkyard, in case anyone would be interested in getting their hands on one of these =]
Last edited:
Mollins
Well-Known Member
Re: Hank Pym Ant-Man Helmet WIP (Picture Heavy)
Well, we got a big start on the fabric parts of the costume today.
We were able to get the gloves and shorts made completely, and the boots were previously sewn, I just need to get some rubber soles to add to them.
I got a start on the body suit too, here's a quick snap of it from before I ran it through the sewing machine.
It's a plain 4-way red spandex, and a matte black Vinyl/pleather fabric, I then used a very strong straight stretch stitch to attach the vinyl onto the top of the spandex.
I tried to use as few pins as possible, so as to minimize any damage to the vinyl, since it's essentially a plastic, and as such, won't "heal" like a fabric would.
I also cut the vinyl on the bias of the vinyl, as it had a very slight stretch both ways, so it should allow a small amount of stretch (since it doesn't have anywhere near as much as it normally would)
Tomorrow I'll be attaching the vinyl to the back of the bodysuit, and inserting the zipper before sewing the front and back together.
I also will need to add the arms, and the collar, but I'm trying to decide if I want to have the collar snap fasten closed, or zip closed still.
I suspect snap fastening will be the choice, as it allows the bodysuit to be properly fitted, by having the zip installed.
Here's the gloves, very simple construction, we laid Lee's arms and hands out over the lycra, being sure the extra stretch went across the width of his hands, and drew round them with an almost invisible blue fabric marker, then I did a simple basting stitch round the drawn outline, before going in and doing a very tight small zigzag stitch over this, it results in extremely simple, strong and well fitted gloves.
After sewing ,we just rimmed all the excess fabric right down.
We then added a band of elastic around the top, and folded it over to have a nice finished edge at the top, which will provide a nicer grip round the arm.
Well, we got a big start on the fabric parts of the costume today.
We were able to get the gloves and shorts made completely, and the boots were previously sewn, I just need to get some rubber soles to add to them.
I got a start on the body suit too, here's a quick snap of it from before I ran it through the sewing machine.
It's a plain 4-way red spandex, and a matte black Vinyl/pleather fabric, I then used a very strong straight stretch stitch to attach the vinyl onto the top of the spandex.
I tried to use as few pins as possible, so as to minimize any damage to the vinyl, since it's essentially a plastic, and as such, won't "heal" like a fabric would.
I also cut the vinyl on the bias of the vinyl, as it had a very slight stretch both ways, so it should allow a small amount of stretch (since it doesn't have anywhere near as much as it normally would)
Tomorrow I'll be attaching the vinyl to the back of the bodysuit, and inserting the zipper before sewing the front and back together.
I also will need to add the arms, and the collar, but I'm trying to decide if I want to have the collar snap fasten closed, or zip closed still.
I suspect snap fastening will be the choice, as it allows the bodysuit to be properly fitted, by having the zip installed.
Here's the gloves, very simple construction, we laid Lee's arms and hands out over the lycra, being sure the extra stretch went across the width of his hands, and drew round them with an almost invisible blue fabric marker, then I did a simple basting stitch round the drawn outline, before going in and doing a very tight small zigzag stitch over this, it results in extremely simple, strong and well fitted gloves.
After sewing ,we just rimmed all the excess fabric right down.
We then added a band of elastic around the top, and folded it over to have a nice finished edge at the top, which will provide a nicer grip round the arm.
HazardThree
New Member
Really looking forward to seeing where this goes, the helmet is the hardest part (and seldom done well) and you NAILED it! Congrats!
electraflier
Well-Known Member
Ultra sweet! Subscribed! Cant wait to see the rest of this costume!!!!
M
M
Mollins
Well-Known Member
Thanks Aaron, can't wait to have it finished, so close to the finish line!
Thanks HazardThree, we're rounding out to the finish of it, so we'll be done very, very soon! I agree, the helmet is the hardest part, and you don't see it done well too often, so we really wanted ours to look as good as it possibly could.
Thanks electraflier, you'll like this update then
As I said in my previous post, the bodysuit was mostly sewn, but needed the top seam doing, I got that done today, as well as the arms.
We are thinking of shortening the legs of the shorts, as they look a tad too long right now, and we also need to trim the bottoms of the legs, as they're bunching underneath the boots right now, which looks unsightly.
But other than that, and adding in the collar, the bodysuit is almost finished, which is exciting!
Tomorrow I'll be adding the collar to the bodysuit, and making the belt (and possibly also shortening parts that need it)
I also just saw that we had our build thread Highlighted over on the RPF facebook page, so surprised and happy, thanks so much guys!
electraflier
Well-Known Member
I could really use your advice on how you made your suit. It looks really great and I'd like to learn more about the pattern and some sewing techniques! I plan on doing a Mr. Miracle and Big Barda for me and my wife! The Miracle suit is all sections done in different colors so I hope I can bug you for some ideas! Looking great!
Mollins
Well-Known Member
So, We finally got this costume finished!
The belt was finished up today, just trimming it down to size and adding the closure system.
We've also added in some simple foam padding to the helmet so it sits on Lee's head better, and stays in place better.
The Antenna are held in by tiny Neodymium magnets, one flat disc inside the helmet itself, and small cylindrical ones attached to the bottom of the posts of the Antenna, sticking nice and tight for wear, but easy to take off for travel.
I'll add some more photos tomorrow of the inside of the helmet so you guys can see how we've got it all set up in terms of padding and electronics.
But here we are, the Costume is finished! The only thing we will be adding in the future is a lab coat as an optional accessory (it'll be embroidered too), and perhaps a Janet somewhere.
If any of you guys are UK Based and going to LFCC this coming weekend, you'll be able to see this in person!
We'll be manning the booth and trooping for Heroes Alliance UK all weekend, but Lee will be in Ant-Man on Saturday.
So come over to the booth and say hi if you're there, we'll be around all day raising money for Make-A-Wish!
The belt was finished up today, just trimming it down to size and adding the closure system.
We've also added in some simple foam padding to the helmet so it sits on Lee's head better, and stays in place better.
The Antenna are held in by tiny Neodymium magnets, one flat disc inside the helmet itself, and small cylindrical ones attached to the bottom of the posts of the Antenna, sticking nice and tight for wear, but easy to take off for travel.
I'll add some more photos tomorrow of the inside of the helmet so you guys can see how we've got it all set up in terms of padding and electronics.
But here we are, the Costume is finished! The only thing we will be adding in the future is a lab coat as an optional accessory (it'll be embroidered too), and perhaps a Janet somewhere.
If any of you guys are UK Based and going to LFCC this coming weekend, you'll be able to see this in person!
We'll be manning the booth and trooping for Heroes Alliance UK all weekend, but Lee will be in Ant-Man on Saturday.
So come over to the booth and say hi if you're there, we'll be around all day raising money for Make-A-Wish!
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