Robot "armor" help

[bodanger]

Hey I'm going to do some armor for this robot helmet I made from a cpt rex hasbro.

Flickr: bodanger's Photostream

I'm thinking I'm going to use rubbermaid cans for it but I don't really know what I'm doing and could use some help.

I looks like what I need is a hand riveter and maybe a heat gun to shape the plastic?

I could really use some advice before I go out and just throw a hail marry and buy a buncha stuff to try it out and see how it goes.

Thanks

 

[chimmera30]

Hey Bodanger Rubbermaid trashcans are great but the build really depends on your design,I'm just wondering if you going to be oversized or be making armour that will fit close to your body. The trashcans are great in that you can build all sorts of crazy non-human shapes that can support there own weight. But Say Armour made of eva foam is much easier to curve,detail and wear. I have some experience with both anything thing you decide i'll help anyway I can!
Keep in touch!
Gary

 

[bodanger]

You sir are the EXACT person I was hoping to talk to about this stuff.

I just picked up 2 32gal rubbermaids for just 9 bucks on sale. And borrowed a hand riveter and heat gun from a buddy of mine. I decided against any foam because I want to paint it and wanted it to be semi ridged.

He suggested I might check out using rivets you hammer in or chicago screws. Thoughts on that?

The general idea that I have is to make some of it more form fitting while while areas like the shoulders to be more over sized.
For the areas more form fitting I was going to attach pieces to an underarmor type compression shirt/pants. For the over sized stuff I still haven't thought of a good way to fix those to my body.

For the abdomen I was going to use the same concept in Fetts $25 iron man, attaching segments to the compression shirt so that they could slide over each other.
http://www.therpf.com/f24/fetts-25-iron-man-mark-v-suit-tutorial-84259/index3.html

One thing that I could really use advice on is shaping the material. Any tips or tricks?

This is the kind of thing that you really only learn though trial and error and I'd like to waste as little time and material as possible since this is for halloween and I still have to live up to the promise of making my girlfriends boobs shoot glitter.

 

[moviebuff5]

I have experience with hammer rivets and Chicago screws, but not in this specific application.

In my experience:

Chicago screws could get pricey, and if they are at a pivot point the movement would loosen them.

Hammer rivets would be increasingly difficult as the project took shape because you need to rest them on a solid surface and then have room to swing a hammer.

 

[bodanger]

I have experience with hammer rivets and Chicago screws, but not in this specific application.

In my experience:

Chicago screws could get pricey, and if they are at a pivot point the movement would loosen them.

Hammer rivets would be increasingly difficult as the project took shape because you need to rest them on a solid surface and then have room to swing a hammer.

Both really really good points, glad i got rivets

 

[bodanger]

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hpho...317466384_1208748149_33178376_985475512_n.jpg

thanks bro! sorry bout the radio silence. So much stuff going on I didn't have much time for the internets.