Scratch Built TDK/R suit in progress...

[andygee1138]

Have made new templates of the leg and side armor as the RPF ones didn't scale properly.
I used these to make foam panels. Here are the CF panels getting wrapped...

And the finished panel...

And all the lower panels...

Knee caps need CF dding and some shaping, but we're getting there.
I have a plan for the shoulders involving some plastic scoops covered in foam. I tried heat-forming the foam, it didn't like it too much, anyone got any better ideas???

 

[andygee1138]

Right, Shoulders are done. I cut the handles off the two scoops,

reshaped the top and then wrapped them in foam using spray glue.

And this is what they turned out like...

 

[andygee1138]

The lower panels temporarily taped to the mannequin...

and an overall view. Oh, I have done the collar. It looks ok, but I am not too impressed.
I added the paper templates of the abs armour so you can get an idea.

 

[Obsidiank]

hey, can you post a link for the vinyl cf wrap?

 

[andygee1138]

Sure. Try ebay item 220687590871 from igloo0203.
Choose the black one. Its actually a graphite / slate grey...
It comes from Korea, not china.
Good luck!

 

[martcpl705]

This is looking great!

 

[andygee1138]

Just spent £65 on material for the cloak. So much for a 'budget' project...
And its not even the velvet I was hoping for...

 

[andygee1138]

Just made the rib armour, pics to follow, looks great! Hope all the panels look ok when they are glued to the mesh!
5 days to go and I have alaundry list of things to do;
Re coat cowl,
Make cloak
Make tricep armour
mould and cast new abs armour
glue armour down to mesh suit
Paint and assemble gauntlets
Cut and attach Bat to chest...
Wish me luck...

 

[andygee1138]

Cheers Mart. This could still all go horribly wrong!

 

[andygee1138]

Oh dear. The gluing phase has not gone well at all. The fishnet suit is way too stretchy and all the panels edges are pulling up away from the mannequin...
Any ideas guys?
I want to avoid gluing straight to the base suit if at all possible...
HELP!!!

 

[andygee1138]

Ok, so Halloween party is cancelled (not just because this costume isn't working out...) but there is a party at my local so any ideas welcome! My thought so far is to make make new single thickness panels (all the current panels are 2 layers of 2mm. foam) and glue them to some not-so-stretchy material to make a kinda armoured pair of cycling shorts, maybe with elestic strapping at the back for tension...
Any thoughts?

 

[andygee1138]

Cloak made. Looks too short. Am going to attempt new leg armour today...

 

[andygee1138]

Wahey! New leg armour was a success! As described, they are basically chaps (cowbow leg things) with armour glued on and elasticated and velcroed at the back. I even elft the cod unnattached at one end to allow comfort breaks! Is is held in place by what looks like a gee string...
I have also painted the gauntlets. They are not completely SA but they look pretty damn fine to me!
I have remoulded the plugs for the abs section for a third time and am drying the plaster mould ready for latex to be poured. Third time lucky? They are much shallower and should match the rest of the armour well. I have plans to attach them and the rib sections via some sort of elastic network so it goes on more like army webbing than a mesh suit. I have triceps and a new neck piece to make and then I am golden!
Am off to buy an engine (such a guy, I know!) and will try to get pics up later!:love

 

[andygee1138]

Right, pics time!
New legs;

New abs poured;

painted Gauntlets;

On the suit;

Suit so far;

Cloak closed;

Whaddyall think?

 

[andygee1138]

Cheers Carl! Lemme know if you need any help. I know its not 100% S.A. but close enough for me.

 

[andygee1138]

Right, update time.
The latex dwell time worked great. The first pull was patchy, seems I left a layer of Vaseline on the plaster stopping it from curing as a thick layer. A rub with acetone and another pour = nice thick casts! My plan was to fill the voids with some foam sheets. This looked awful. The latex was not a uniform thickness and so the part warped when glued to the flat foam. Bummer. Oh, and EvoStik does wierd things to latex...
So I needed a flexible pourable substrate that would 'self level' in the part and be gluable. Hmm. Just as I was going to give up I spotted my trusty glue gun. BING! what if i shot a load of hot glue inside the latex? I laid them back in the mould and gunned the glue in in a layer covering the inner of the parts. Once it cooled, I had a semi rigid detailed cast part ready for PlastiDip! Results? See for your self...

Suit so far minus cloak.

And with the cloak.
Abs parts are glued to elastic straps and these are in turn glued to the side rib panels.
Its not completely fitted yet.
So far so good!

 

[AbbyDarkStar]

This is looking pretty fantastic!! What are your next goals and what do you have left?

 

[andygee1138]

Thanks Abby! Ok, So I have the upper arm armour done and attached to the chest straps. They need some cf detailing but the shaping worked well. Will post pics when I get back into it. The thing that is bugging me and is a make-or-break part is the neck. I am not happy with the tests I did and need an alternative. Any ideas anyone? Apart from that, its some minor parts like elbow caps and forearm straps attaching to the gauntlets. Oh and a full fitting... That'll be fun.

 

[bleahhh]

Hi where did you get your belt?

 

[andygee1138]

Bleahhh, I found it on Ebay. Its the old style Rubies belt. The new one has a stupid light up buckle. Make sure you check!