Limited Run Nazgul Gauntlets - comfortable for long convention-days

[SciFiPropFreak]

Hey there,
I've been to HobbitCon for 5 Days and sick for a week afterwards, so I wasn't in my shop for almost 2 Weeks.

However I worked on drilling a lot of holes and slots in handplates before that. Doing so revealed a couple more air-bubbles which I fixed up and sanded down. Then again, while sanding, a few more pockets opened up (we're talking about 1-2mm pockets) so I ended up holding up every part against a light, so the bubbles would show trough, and poke the open with a steel needle, clean them out and fix them up with iron powder and superglue.
I never got into that amount of fixing holes with my own pairs, but I would feel bad to deliver them unfixed to you.

Some places needed a bit more extensive repair, like this one, but since the fiberglass is unharmed in all cases, this doesn't mean that the fixed spots are any less durable than regularly laminated. They however look a bit more shiny, since there is almost pure iron powder in them, but after painting/weathering the gauntlets this should also dissappear (there are some fixed spots on vaderdarths gauntlets, too. You may ask him if he spotted them ;-) )

left: repaired with iron powder and superglue -> looks messy; right: all cleaned up


The two sets are all fixed up. I just need to check/sort out the fingerplates and print out the templates.

I'm also working on the finished pairs, specifically fingerplates, getting them ready for sewing.

 

[SciFiPropFreak]

Alright, 2 kits are all packed up and on their way
Patattack , Stivie : I will PM your tracking number once the tracking is active and I know which no is which (the guy handed me the two receipts and I have no idea which one is for which package...:eek. But when the addresses are registered in the tracking, I will let you know)

 

[N2darkness]

Awesome! I can't wait to start on these. Thanks again Jan!

 

[allosaur176]

Glad to see these are moving forward! I am getting excited to get the news about mine!

 

[TomVDJ]

Any update? Is there an estimate for the finished gloves? Don't want to rush things, let this be clear: quality before speed. But a rough estimate would be nice (even if it turns out the estimate was a bit off, in the end). After all, we are 14 months after payment of the deposit now...

 

[allosaur176]

Yes I am curious as well.

 

[SciFiPropFreak]

Hi,
this project has made me a bit reluctant to give a timescale, because I've delayed every single time, so far...and I'm not proud of it!
However here's how things are:
Last month I've been sick for almost two weeks (not continuously) because of some chronic sinusitis issues, which make me prone to catch a cold...allergies also don't help...

Besides a bit of the obligatory drilling hole into fingerplates, the most helpful thing I managed was to finish another contraption, which I had started even before starting this run.
I'ts a "sanding drum", basically just a rotating drum (short piece of waste pipe) which can be filled with sand or stones and the parts you want to be sanded. It may take a while to do so, but not much longer than doing it manually, but with the big plus, that I can do something else in the meantime! It turned out to be even more helpful in the case of the gauntlet parts, because it opens up the air bubbles, so that I don't have to hold every single piece against a light and clear out each bubble individually with a steel needle.
I had all parts of the machine prepared for a long time, except for the frame. So when I was sick at home, I designed something to be 3d-printed which isn't the optimal solution, but works for now.



Furthermore, I had to order some more polyester resin for the last parts to be laminated. The resin didn't get delivered at first and - for some unknown reason - was sent back to the company, so I had to reorder it and arrived yesterday (Saturday).

My plan is to get more work done on the remaining handplates and at least on pair assembled in the next two weeks (I have another convention in two weeks and I want to get so far, that I can do the sewing over that weekend)

Tomorrow I have to work, but on Tuesday I'll be in my shop.

 

[SciFiPropFreak]

Here's some progress on TomVDJ's pair:

The improved and automated sanding process (fingertips in this case)


left: trimmed fingerplates; right: sanded, cleaned and polished


The handplates also went into the sanding drum and because, after washing off the dust, I left them for drying, some rust appeared
This is a spot that had to be patched, so the iron density is a bit higher there. After cleaning up the spot, this now looks like metal which has been corroded into it's surface.

The plan is to start assembly tomorrow.

 

[allosaur176]

Thanks for the update!

 

[vaderdarth]

Now you just need to tackle Witchking gauntlets to go with these.

 

[SciFiPropFreak]

So I wanted to get TomVDJ's pair ready before FedCon to do the sewing, but although I even went one day later than planned, wasn't able to. When I noticed that I was starting to hurry, I stopped. This would be exactly what you wouldn't want.
Now that the Con is over I did the sewing of the fingerplates and took some pics for a sort of guide how I do this.

 

[TomVDJ]

So I wanted to get TomVDJ's pair ready...

Glad to hear you are working on my pair .

When I noticed that I was starting to hurry, I stopped. This would be exactly what you wouldn't want.

Wise decision. I'd rather wait an extra month on my pair, then have a pair that was rushed...

Thanks for the update, mate. I really like what I see here . Nice job!

 

[SciFiPropFreak]

Hi there!
Just wanted to let you know that I'm in the middle of assembling, which takes a bit longer because I'm recording all steps on video to make a nice video for the 2 "kit-guys" and everybody else who likes to see how gauntlets like these are assembled.
Of cause - because..why not... - I had issues with the camera (batteries low, power supply not working...so finding alternative etc.) ...soooo taking a bit longer again.

 

[SciFiPropFreak]

The one pair is assembled and video recorded. Now I need to sew all the leather straps with fingerplates to the leather gloves.
here's a snapshot from the video, because I forgot to take pictures also :rolleyes

 

[TomVDJ]

Looking incredible. Does this happen to be my pair?

 

[allosaur176]

Looking sweet!

 

[SciFiPropFreak]

Looking incredible. Does this happen to be my pair?

Indeed it is!

Here are some more progress pictures:

Sewing leather straps to gauntlets: I fix them in place with two DROPS (!!) of superglue. The way the alignment is more easy to check and you can just cut the straps to the correct length before sewing them at the tip and on each side of each finger.


all sewed up!


Materials for painting: Brushes, acrylic paint in "burnt sienna", black, white and all tones of brows you can find


To get a basecolor of rusted metal, I basically dump everything in "burnt sienna" (thinned down just a bit with water). I used to do this more slowly/subtle, but when this is dry it gets much darker, so you don't really see any effect when you apply it like that. I always ended up painting the same color two or three times, which only took more time without adding to the effect.


This is the same paint after rubbing away most of it with steel wool. You see that there is not that much left ;-)


This is the second color, which is white with the rest of the previous color and some ocher-rish brown, mixed irregularly. This is not thinned down and while applying it, I aim for the deeper areas, the idea being that dust and sand and mud would gather there. This I do a bit more slowly and I actually recorded it on video, because I think it will show much better how I do this process.
I ran out of SD-card space while filming this, so I have no pics of the finished ones, yet (there follows just a wash with thinned black acrylic to even out and darken some areas).

 

[TomVDJ]

Looking fantastic!

 

[darthwhitey]

:love!!!!!!

 

[TomVDJ]

Received my pair, and I must say it's well worth the waiting time!

First of all: packaging is one of the best I've ever seen. The gauntlets were wrapped in bubblewrap, put in a wooden box, filled with packing beans, and this wooden box was put in a sturdy cardboar box, with the zig-zag cardboard inside, like shown in pictures in this thread. I should not now how these could ever be damaged in transport, unless the package is in a fire or something. Even if the delivery company plays football with the box, I guess the gauntlets would come out fine. I really would like all my props being packed this well.

Then for the gauntlets themselfs: they just look fantastic. If someone told me these were actual gauntlets used in the movies, I would believe it. The gauntlets are a tiny bit too small for me, making it not very easy to put them on, but I can manage to put them on without feeling as if would break something... I would not put them on both, because I don't think I can take them off myself in that case. Anyway, I didn't bought these for cosplay but to be on display, but it's nice that I can put them one. Once on my hand, you have every flexibility a normal glove gives you, so ideal if you want to wear them for cosplay. Just make sure there is someone to help you put them on both, and take them off again.

But like I said: the gauntlets just look fantastic. They look like real, weathered, dark metal, just like it should be, and the quality of the fabrication is top notch...

Good job done, SciFiPropFreak! Also great job on keeping us up to date in this thread! Another good example that people don't mind waiting over a year for a prop, as long as they are informed about progress...