New Zealand Iron Man -(update 1.20.14)- display upgrade

[Dynofiend]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - torso fully painted)

Awesome build man. I am brand new to this site and to building costumes but you have inspired me. How can I get those pep files you mentioned in your first post? I would like to build a foam suit as well.

Thanks.

Hi there and welcome. The absolute best place to start is watching Stealth's channel on Youtube called 'theherotutorials'. Watch his video series of foam building tips. He also has links in his descriptions to the pep files.

Coming along nicely man. You got me thinking about fans now. I dunno why but for this suit I didn't even give them a second thought till now.

Looking forward to seeing this all come together. Keep up the good work
Tom

Thanks mate, ive got one in the top of the helmet as well. Ill detail that in a post about the helmet electronics a little later on.

For now, I'd like to share a technique I couldnt decide whether to use or not. Once I started it was pretty much irreversable. I wanted to replicate a trick that is often used on small scale modelling to pick out details. I used a sharpie to outline each seperate piece of foam on the armor. The results are far better than I hoped for, and actually help to hide some of my less successful joins too :lol Here's the back before and after. It somehow makes the armor feel more 'real', more like it's made from something other than foam. The pictures dont really do it justice, but the suit will hopefully look great with all the lines picked out like this.

 

[STEALTH]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - torso fully painted)

if you want the details to pop out more you should do a blackwash with acrylic based paints.
here's an awesome example
http://www.therpf.com/f24/painting-armor-96951/#post1383082

 

[Dynofiend]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - torso fully painted)

Yeah I considered that, and did a test, but the water based paints dont stick to the clear coat that I used. I was just able to rub them off again. Plus there are actually plenty of 'details' (read mistakes that I made) that I probably dont want picked out haha!

 

[STEALTH]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - torso fully painted)

I think that technique would cover the mistakes as well and take attention away from them. Also, you could try doing it before the clear coat.

 

[Dynofiend]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - torso fully painted)

Maybe ill give it another go when I start my weathering. I didnt really want to have to clear coat any parts again, but if it looks good itll probably be worth it

 

[Kickpuncher]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - torso fully painted)

A fellow Wellintonian hah, I'm from Upper Hutt

 

[Dynofiend]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - torso fully painted)

Hi there kickpuncher (parappa fan?) coming to the sevens? Got an outfit sorted?

OK so, I hadn't even finished prepping the rest of the suit, but I just couldnt wait to paint the helmet, so I had a crack at it. Please disregard the X head screws on the faceplate. Im changing those for something more accurate. You can also see part of my solution for the eye lights that I put in temporarily. The face plate is hinged, and works well! You might also be able to make out the grille on the top of the helmet for the fan. Ill cover the mechanics/electrics in another post once they are all completed.

 

[RED DRAGON]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - torso fully painted)

hey dynofiend i just coated the arms and helmet in liquid plastic and it was a complete disaster so going onto plan b they have to be remade so im going the plasti dip route this time so i was wondering if you have used the stuff?

 

[Dynofiend]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - torso fully painted)

hey dynofiend i just coated the arms and helmet in liquid plastic and it was a complete disaster so going onto plan b they have to be remade so im going the plasti dip route this time so i was wondering if you have used the stuff?

Hi there. Im afraid I have no experience at all with it. Ive never even seen a can :confused

Whatever you choose to do, make sure that you try it on a sacrificial test piece first. Try making a test piece that has some angles and detail on it, so that you can see what you are going to get as your finished result

 

[Sloth]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - helmet fully painted)

Hey Dynofiend after you have finished have you thought about the possibility of installing some electronics for opening the mask etc?

A quick look at awesome Iron Man Mark 7 Costume @ Animeland wasabi 2012 - YouTube

 

[RED DRAGON]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - torso fully painted)

Hi there. Im afraid I have no experience at all with it. Ive never even seen a can :confused

Whatever you choose to do, make sure that you try it on a sacrificial test piece first. Try making a test piece that has some angles and detail on it, so that you can see what you are going to get as your finished result

Yeah i will make a test peice. I did do a test peice on the plastic coating and it came out ok then they changed the product slightly so the big tub i bought and used on the arms and helmet was sooooo brittle you could easily push yr finger through it i was so depressed you wouldnt believe lol but just finished remaking the shoulders now moving onto the new bicepts ther coming out much cleaner.

 

[Dynofiend]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - helmet fully painted)

Hey Dynofiend after you have finished have you thought about the possibility of installing some electronics for opening the mask etc? A quick look at awesome Iron Man Mark 7 Costume @ Animeland wasabi 2012 - YouTube

Hi Sloth, I certainly have thought about it and would love to. In fact my hinge system would make it very easy to do this. Unfortunately, the cost of doing so is too prohibitive. A servo and controller would set me back almost as much as it's cost to make the whole suit so far. Given that the faceplate will be mechanically actuated (using RC plane pushrods) albeit using my hand, I just can't justify the extra cost.

the big tub i bought and used on the arms and helmet was sooooo brittle you could easily push yr finger through it i was so depressed you wouldnt believe lol

Man that really sucks! Take it theres no way you can recoat it using a thicker layer?

 

[RED DRAGON]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - helmet fully painted)

Hi Sloth, I certainly have thought about it and would love to. In fact my hinge system would make it very easy to do this. Unfortunately, the cost of doing so is too prohibitive. A servo and controller would set me back almost as much as it's cost to make the whole suit so far. Given that the faceplate will be mechanically actuated (using RC plane pushrods) albeit using my hand, I just can't justify the extra cost.



Man that really sucks! Take it theres no way you can recoat it using a thicker layer?

Nah i gave it one over coat of the strong liquid plastic but it didnt look too good but today i built 2 shoulder pads 2 bicepts 2 upper forearms and 2 lower forearms which is the most ive ever done in one day lol now i cant think straight :wacko i'll let you know how i get on with the plasti dip i read its a stretchie rubber plastic so hopefully will be good for a foam suit.

 

[Dynofiend]

Eye Lights

With the eye lights, I decided to go with the method used by xrobots. James used a white mesh infront of the eyes, with LEDs shining across that, which has one big advantage of the other 'moulded' or EL type setups, in that there is very little restriction of vision.

My lights were very easy to do. I had bought a set of five 'dot-it' style push lights already knowing that they were a good cheap source of battery holders, LEDs and such. One went in my unibeam, one in each hand repulsor, and now I am using one for each eye. I took the lights apart and bent the LEDs on each PCB by 90 degrees, so that they were all facing towards one side of the PCB. Then I mounted the PCBs in the lower part of the cheeks of the face plate, into a housing made from strips of foam, with a triangle of aluminium foil behind them to help reflect more light. The LEDs are therefore all pointing upwards towards the eye holes. I then glued a small lens ontop made from a milk jug, which I had sanded down to help diffuse the light better.

The lenses were a blue/mirror lens I had spare from a cheap set of cycling glasses which I never used. I hot glued a white mesh onto the front of them and then glued the glasses to the back of the face plate. I then made some shields from black paper to go over the LED PCBs.

Once I'd done this I liked the effect, but decided I wanted to try and make the lights a bit more 'blue'. Gluing on a transparent piece of blue plastic (again sanded to diffuse light) on top of the milk jug lenses, had the desired effect. In fact, the effect is quite good as you get a white centre to the eye, and blue edges, which is apparently quite a difficult thing to achieve.

Both eye lights are powered from the same battery pack, mounted in the top of the helmet. The switch I used to turn them on, is a cheap reed switch I had lying around from a DIY house alarm project. The switch is mounted in the chin, and the magnet on the bottom of the face plate. When the magnet gets close to the switch, the lights come on. This is a great solution for foam helmets, as the switch does not rely on accurate phyiscal contact between two points. The magnet just needs to be about 1cm away from the switch, and it works.

I can see very well through the eyes, the lights are good and bright, and the switch works flawlessly. Very pleased!:cool With the sunglasses being a mirror blue colour, the eyes also look pretty good in direct sunlight when you cant tell that the LEDs are actually on.

In the pictures below, the third picture is without the blue filters. The fourth picture has the blue filter on the right eye, and on filter on the left eye to show the subtle difference.

 

[P4r4dox86]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - helmet fully painted)

Fantastic work mate, looks great! If I'm reading it right, the magnet attracts the reed switch into the operating position which fires up the circuit, if so that's an awesome idea! I had pondered using magnets to complete circuits for the eyes as well but I was thinking in terms of using the magnets as part of the circuit itself rather than as an outside force to 'turn it on'.

 

[Dynofiend]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - helmet fully painted)

If I'm reading it right, the magnet attracts the reed switch into the operating position which fires up the circuit, if so that's an awesome idea!

That's exactly right mate. In a house alarm circuit, the switch is installed on the door frame, and the magnet on the door. The magnet is usually housed in an unobtrusive white plastic shell. The switches are designed to 'break' if a door is opened, i.e. if the magnet is moved away from the switch. This entirely suited my application! The magnet is strong enough to activate the switch if it's within about 1cm of it, so it doesnt need to be mounted very accurately to work. Rather fortunately the switch is also the exact same size as my 'chin' area so it fits perfectly. These switches are incredibly cheap too.

Here's a pic of the switch as viewed from the outside. You can also see my cheek covers made from textured rubber, and the boom mic for part 2 of my helmet electrics :cool

 

[Kickpuncher]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - torso fully painted)

Hi there kickpuncher (parappa fan?) coming to the sevens? Got an outfit sorted?

Community fan Abed and Troy's movie. Hoping to haha, I'm putting finishing touches on my Nova helmet, but due to not wanting to wear stretchy spandex I will probably end up there as First Class Magneto or Extremis Iron Man.

 

[Dynofiend]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - helmet electrics pt1)

You cant come as Iron Man, I reserved it War machine would be OK though

 

[Dynofiend]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man - My build thread (update - helmet electrics pt2)

So anyway, some more on my helmet and it's workings.

As well as the lights, I also have a fan in the top of the helmet. Its a 5v fan, and runs off the same three AAA's as the eye lights. I stuck a cover under it, leaving a gap all the way around for air to get in. The cover stops my hair from getting sucked up into it!

Behind the fan in the lid of the helmet are three elements. The battery pack for the lights and fan, and also the workings of my other indulgence. A voice changer. Gutting out a childs toy liberataed a small PCB, mic, speaker, and 9v battery. The 9v battery and PCB are mounted in the top of the helmet under a neoprene cover. The speaker is mounted in the chin facing downwards with an appropriate hole. The mic is mounted on a foam 'boom' which lines up with my mouth inside the helmet. I can also push the boom down out the way if I dont want the voice changer to work. The mic isnt very sensitive at all. I basicly have to have it touching my mouth for it to work, but when it does, it actually sounds pretty good!

Ive also put a picture of my hinge system here in case anyone finds it useful. Its the usual unequal length levers. I didnt need to banana the rearmost hinge as it goes far back enough with out it.

 

[P4r4dox86]

Re: New Zealand Iron Man -(update 9.17.12 - helmet electrics pt2)

Nice work mate! That's good ingenuity with the voice changer and the fan.